Home For The Holidays, Falling For Her Stepbrother

Toad In Disguise

Dana’s POV

I felt nervous as I gripped the box that had the cake in it, stepping quietly into the house, surprised to see that Jackson wasn’t waiting up for me. Normally he would be in the living room, watching television and having a nightcap, but it appeared that he was already upstairs and in bed. I felt a flash of disappointment and had to remind myself that he had no knowledge of my plans or any idea of what I was planning for him. I had a second box in my hand, one that contained special lingerie, and I carefully put the cake on the kitchen counter and then began to make my way upstairs, careful to keep my steps quiet. If Jackson was asleep, I would simply sneak past him to change and then wake him up for his special surprise. My hand trembled as I clutched the box tightly before I heard a small noise coming from the first floor.

I frowned and then breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared that my boyfriend wasn’t asleep after all. Excitement swept over me. My anxiety began to increase as I inched closer to the room, some instinct causing me to slow down and remain quiet, rather than to speed up and cause a disturbance.

"Jackson" a woman’s voice moaned, causing me to still, my heart pounding loudly in my chest "Oh Jackson" she cried out again.

I could hear my boyfriend panting and then speaking in a loud voice, unaware that I was standing on the landing now, with tears pricking the corners of my eyes. I blinked, listening as he began to groan.

"f**k, you’re so damn wet." he said appreciatively, as I stood there, motionless, unable to make myself move "and so damn tight. I can feel your damn p***y tightening around me, you little slut."

"Harder" she moaned, her voice rising in pitch. "Harder, Jackson."

I could hear gentle thuds as they continued to f**k each other. I swallowed hard, my feet finally moving of their own accord. I couldn’t bring myself to walk away, knowing that what I was about to see would break my heart, and determined to look anyway. I could see through the crack of the door, watching as my boyfriend lay on top of a woman, his body entangled with hers, moving furiously as he pounded into her, while the girl clutched at him, her perfectly manicured nails digging into his back and leaving scratch marks behind. They were both so involved that I might as well have been invisible. I pushed the door open wider, causing it to creak loudly. This startled them. The woman’s eyes widened, and she frantically turned her head, while Jackson paused, a look of panic coming over his face as he glanced over his shoulder and saw me standing there, tears trailing down my cheeks at his betrayal. How could he do this to me?

"s**t" Jackson pulled away from the woman in a hurry as she shrieked and covered herself up with the sheet, scrambling off the bed, with his hand held out in a desperate attempt to get me to stay and listen to him. “This isn’t what it looks like, I swear Dana” he began, as I stared at him, the blood draining out of my face.

It wasn’t what it looked like. Was he joking? The woman's cheeks were bright red, her long golden hair tumbling down her shoulders, her face pale, her lipstick smeared as she sat there, avoiding looking into my eyes. She looked familiar to me as though I had met her before. I narrowed my eyes, struggling to remember.

"Cherry" I finally remembered and supplied dryly, looking at Jackson with scorn "Your so-called secretary, huh, Jackson?" I said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

Cherry flushed, biting her lip and looking down at the bed in shame. I turned and walked out of the room, Jackson quickly rushing up behind me, grabbing my arm as I tried to yank it away in anger.

"Listen, Dana, it means nothing" he pleaded as I turned around. "Honestly, it’s just that, I was feeling a bit frustrated and, well…"

He eyed me warily. "I was sexually frustrated," he said bluntly, "and Cherry was willing."

I winced at the implication that I was the reason he had felt the need to cheat. He suddenly noticed the box that I had dropped on the floor, bending down to pick it up and look at what was in it as I let out a bitter laugh.

His eyes widened as he took in the lacy white lingerie I had bought. He looked at me questioningly.

"Happy six-month anniversary," I said dully, "I was planning on surprising you tonight, but I guess you couldn’t wait, what with the s****l frustration you were feeling and all," I mocked, taunting him.

"You mean you were…" he whispered, looking shocked.

"I was going to give myself to you" I shouted, almost shoving him in my anger as I lost control of my emotions. "I was finally ready to and what do I walk into? You f*****g your personal secretary, in our bed" I hissed, "how long have you been seeing her, Jackson? How long have I been fooled by you for?" I demanded, certain that it wasn't just this once.

I wasn't that gullible. They had done it before. It was obvious.

He ran a hand through his hair, his breathing shallow. "I swear it was just this one time, Dana" he reached out to take my hand and I yanked it away "If I had known…" he tried to insist, his eyes wide as he tried to feign innocence.

"What? You would have remained faithful?" I said in disgust "I don't believe you, or a word you say."

"This isn’t just on me, Dana. We’ve been together six months and not once have we slept together. We’ve moved in together, and we date, but any sign of intimacy that goes too far, and you just freeze up and get frigid. It’s not normal to be a virgin at your age" he practically yelled at me as I stood there, staring at him in disbelief, "you make me work for it. It’s like you want me to beg or something. I mean look at you" he gestured at me, making me look down at myself in confusion. "You’re not exactly a supermodel. You should be grateful for any attention you get from me, but you act as though you’re better than that. You’re the only woman I’ve ever dated whose standards have been impossibly high" he vented, as though it was a bad thing.

"So, it’s my fault for wanting romance and dates, instead of just sleeping around?" my voice was barely a whisper.

I couldn't believe how he was twisting everything around so that it was all my fault. Were all men like this? Or had I simply failed to realize what an asshole Jackson really was? I should have listened to Nova when she told me I could do better.

He shifted on his feet. "I’m just saying that maybe you should lower your expectations," he said impatiently, "and realize the real world doesn’t involve fairytales and Prince Charming."

He was certainly no Prince Charming, I thought, staring at him. More like a disgusting frog or toad.

I looked him in the eyes. "I’m grateful that I have high standards," I told him in disgust, "because otherwise, I would have given you something that's worth a lot more than you would have appreciated. I’m glad that I saved myself that heartache at least. I loved you, Jackson, or at least I thought I did" I told him steadily as he flushed, "and I treated you well. Better than you deserved. I hope you’re happy with Cherry" I spat out, "and her low standards, as you’ve just put it, so eloquently."

I turned and began to trudge down the stairs, staring determinedly down at the floor, with my shoulders hunched, wanting nothing more than to go back out to the car and leave.

"Wait" Jackson bellowed from behind me, "Where are you going?" he yelled, still sounding angry.

"I’ll come back for my stuff in the morning," I said quietly, glancing at him over my shoulder and seeing his expression change to one of rage. "Make sure you’re gone when I do. You and I are over Jackson. Done. Through. Capiche," I advised him, grabbing the cake from the kitchen and heading out the front door as he stood there, staring at me in disbelief.

For emphasis, I slammed the front door as hard as I could, before getting back into my car. Tears trailed down my cheeks as I put the car into reverse and headed for Nova’s. My heart had once again been broken, and tonight’s events had only proved Nova’s prediction to be right. Jackson was an asshole. I turned on the stereo at full volume and began to sing, trying to fight back the anguish that was screaming to be let out. It was not the first time my heart had been broken, but I was certain that this time it would be the last. I was done with men and relationships for now. They did nothing but cause me pain.