Beware Of the Bad Boy

Katelyn’s POV In my room, the soft glow of the afternoon sun streamed in through the curtains, I stood in front of my closet, flipping through hangers of clothes, trying to decide on the perfect outfit for the occasion. “No, this one… no, too colorful, not this either… too dark… oh,” My eyes dilated as I spotted one of my dresses, but on second thought, I pushed it aside too. “Not this either…” I wanted to make a good impression on my new stepmother, Amelia. My father had told me so much about her, and I couldn't wait to finally meet her in person. As I debated between a cute floral dress and a casual yet stylish outfit, I heard my father's voice echoing through the house. "Katelyn! Come down, sweetheart, your new stepmother has arrived, and we could use some help moving her things inside." My heart skipped a beat with excitement, and a smile spread across my face. ‘This was it – the moment I had been waiting for.’ My father had been alone for far too long after the death of my mother, and I had always wished for him to find love again. The thought of him having a new partner filled my heart with joy. I made my way to the window, peering outside to catch a glimpse of the moving van that had just pulled up in front of our house. My eyes landed on a few boxes with "Ellis" written on them. With a smile on my face, I settled for a casual light white blouse with a delicate floral pattern, pairing it with a pair of fitted, dark-washed jeans. I hurried down the stairs, my mind buzzing with thoughts of the woman who would soon become my stepmother. I wondered what she would be like, how she and Dad had met, and how our lives would change with her presence. Would she be kind and loving? Would we get along? As I stepped outside, ready to lend a helping hand, my eyes locked with those of a young man standing by the moving van. He had an air of confidence about him, and when he smiled, his eyes lit up, revealing a warmth that instantly drew me in. His dark, messy hair fell effortlessly across his forehead, and he had a tall, athletic build that made him look both strong and approachable. I felt a rush of curiosity mixed with a strange, fluttery feeling in my stomach. Who was he? Was he a friend of my new stepmother's? I couldn't help but steal glances at him, trying not to be too obvious about my intrigue. But there was something magnetic about him, something that made it hard to look away. "Katelyn, this is Ryan," my father said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Ryan, this is my daughter, Katelyn." Ryan extended his hand, and I shook it, trying to maintain my composure. "Hey, nice to meet you," he said, his voice as captivating as his smile. "Your dad has told me a lot about you." My cheeks flushed at the thought of my father talking about me to this handsome stranger. "Hi, Ryan, I'm Katelyn, welcome to our home," I managed to reply, my voice sounding more composed than I felt. “Hey, son, help me with this…” I heard Amelia’s voice and immediately turned my eyes in her direction, but it wasn’t her voice that shocked me, it was what she called Ryan. Did I hear her call him son? I blinked and looked at Ryan, who nodded and hurried to lend a helping hand. Is he going to be my stepbrother? Why did no one tell me about him? I was perplexed. “Please, where do I put this?” Ryan asked my father and snapped me out of my thoughts. “This way,” My father told him and led him towards the entrance of our house. “Hey, Katelyn,” Amelia called out, and I turned to her with a smile on my face, since I was still staring at Ryan, who had just followed my father. “Thank you for agreeing to this. I know it’s a lot for you, but I promise to be an amazing person to you and your father…” She said, taking my hands, I smiled. “It’s alright, you make my father happy, and so you are welcome.” I chuckled softly, and she smiled, although she wouldn’t be as good as my late mother, I knew I could also love her, whereas, my father seemed so happy after a long while. “Thank you.” She told me and returned to taking out the boxes from the truck and I went with her to lend a helping hand, but curiosities still intrigue me. “I didn’t know you had a grown son.” I told her as we walked into the house holding boxes and she glanced at me. “Oh, I told you I had a son. I am sorry you didn’t meet him until today. He was outside the country and had just come back. You two will get along, I assure you, he is a kind person.” She smiled and glanced at my father, who flashed a broad smile and quickly rushed over to take the box from her hand. “Katelyn will go to the room upstairs, I think that box belongs to Ryan.” My father told me and I nodded as I watched my father take the box from her hand and she started saying something amusing to him. I grinned to see the love in my father’s eyes, and then I turned to head upstairs, giving them a little privacy. I climbed the stairs. My father is wealthy, so we have two parlors, one downstairs and one above, and I usually have it all to myself, but I guess I will be sharing it after all with Amelia’s son. I glanced at the partially opened door, a room had always been empty ever since we moved in here, and I always imagined having a sibling, but it didn’t happen, but now it was finally going to be occupied. I had thought it would be occupied by Amelia’s young son, someone younger who I would easily bound with, but Ryan was the least of what I expected, he was different from what I imagine, he was around my age, or older, who knows, but I decided to trust Amelia’s word, whereas, he smiled to me during our introduction, so he could also be nice. “Hi, I got the last box from the truck, I think this belongs to---“ I stepped into the room with the box in my hand but I gasped and my eyes dilated at the sight I had just seen.