Chapter 3

Time seemed to freeze.

The air in the living room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I stared at Carter standing in the doorway, and he stared back at me, both our faces painted with disbelief.

"Carter?" My voice came out as barely a whisper. "How are you...?"

"This can't be happening..." Carter's voice was hoarse with shock.

Mom and Uncle John looked between us in confusion, completely clueless about what was unfolding.

"So you two already know each other?" John cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Know each other?" Mom practically bounced with excitement. "This is perfect! I was worried you two might not get along! Carter, Elise is my daughter - your future sister! Elise, this is Carter. You two can be real siblings now!"

Siblings.

Those words hit my chest like bullets. I looked at Carter, watching his face shift from ashen to deathly pale. Those eyes that once gazed at me with such tenderness now held nothing but disgust and panic.

"I need some air." Carter threw out the words and bolted toward the back door without looking back.

"Carter?" John called after him. "Dinner's almost ready."

"I'm not hungry." The door slammed shut.

I went through the motions of small talk with our parents, but only one thought echoed in my head: How did everything go so wrong?

Fifteen minutes later, I snuck out to the backyard. Carter was pacing back and forth by the rose bushes in the moonlight, hands buried in his hair like a caged animal.

"Carter, can we talk?"

He spun around, his gaze ice-cold. "Talk about what? About the disgusting fact that we're about to become step-siblings?"

"Disgusting?" I felt my chest being torn apart. "You think what we have is disgusting?"

"The thought of you calling me 'brother' makes me sick." His voice was completely devoid of warmth. "Knowing I kissed you and now you're going to be my step-sister makes me feel like a pervert."

Tears instantly blurred my vision. "This isn't our fault! We can figure something out, we can—"

"Figure out what?" Carter cut me off cruelly. "Tell the whole world we're step-siblings in love? Let everyone look at us like we're freaks?"

"So you're saying...?"

"Starting tomorrow, we're just step-siblings." He turned to leave. "Forget everything that happened between us."

"Carter, wait!" I chased after him through my tears, grabbing his sleeve. "You're really going to throw away everything we had? All those things you said, those promises—"

He yanked his arm away so roughly I nearly fell. "Everything's different now."

"The only thing that's different is a label! Our feelings—"

"Feelings?" He laughed bitterly. "You think I can feel anything now? Every time I look at you, all I'll think about is how messed up this is."

He walked away without looking back, leaving me alone in the moonlight, completely broken.

I thought that was rock bottom. I was wrong.

When Carter showed up at the school gates Monday morning holding Madison's hand, I felt like the whole world was laughing at me. Madison was the head cheerleader—blonde, blue-eyed, perfect figure, the typical American sweetheart.

"Look over there," whispers rippled through the hallway. "Carter and Madison! When did they get together?"

"What about Elise? Weren't they just starting to date?"

"I heard they're actually step-siblings. Elise seduced her own brother."

I felt every pair of eyes on me, every word stabbing into my heart.

The cafeteria was even worse. Carter and Madison deliberately chose the most visible center table, with Madison sitting on Carter's lap, feeding him food right in front of me.

"Carter, you're better off staying away from girls like that." Madison's voice was intentionally loud, making sure I could hear.

Carter glanced at me, not a trace of his former tenderness in his eyes. "You're right. I need someone pure."

Pure.

What did that make me? Dirty?

Jessica—Madison's sidekick—deliberately walked past my table saying, "Some people have no shame, going after their own step-brother. It's absolutely disgusting."

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. A week ago these same people envied me. Now they were hurling the most vicious insults at me.

Chemistry class that afternoon was pure torture.

Mrs. Rodriguez announced new seating arrangements. Carter was moved to the front row, partnered with Madison. I was banished to the back corner.

"Elise Mitchell, your new lab partner is Liam Hayes."

My heart sank. I'd heard all the rumors about this transfer student—expelled for violent behavior, arms always wrapped in bandages, hanging out with some motorcycle gang from off-campus.

Walking to the back row, I stole glances at him. His tall frame was slouched casually against the chair back, black hair slightly messy, fingers twirling a silver lighter. What caught my attention most were his eyes—deep as a night sky, but with an indescribable sense of danger.

He looked exactly like the type who'd corner you after school demanding money.

I sat down carefully, trying to keep my distance.

"Perfect." Madison turned around to smile at me. "Now Carter won't be bothered."

The entire class, I watched Carter and Madison whispering together in the front row. When the bell rang, he walked out with his arm around her waist, never once looking my way.

"Looks like your prince abandoned you." A low voice suddenly spoke beside me.

I turned to see Liam watching me with those deep eyes, a hint of mockery playing at his lips. Up close, his features were sharp and defined, but his expression was too cold.

"Pretty fast too."

I glared at him. "None of your business."

He leaned back in his chair, continuing to play with his lighter. "Just found it interesting. A week ago you were the golden couple, now—" He snapped his fingers. "Complete strangers."

How could someone be so cruel with their words?

"Tsk." He gathered his books and stood up. "Pathetic."

I spent the entire afternoon in agony. Every class brought whispers about Carter and Madison, every corner turn risked running into their intimate displays.

When the final bell rang, I fled the classroom and hid in the abandoned art room.

Sliding down against the wall, I finally let myself sob. A week ago I was the most envied girl in school. Now I was a joke.

"You really like him that much?"

A voice suddenly broke the silence. I looked up to see Liam standing in the doorway, holding my notebook that I'd dropped in chemistry class.

"Your stuff." He walked in and placed the notebook beside me.

"Crying this hard over him—is it worth it?" He leaned against the doorframe, those complex deep eyes studying me.

I didn't answer, just stared at him blankly. Since last night, between Carter's coldness and my classmates' mockery, this was the first time someone had spoken to me without malice.

His gaze lingered on my tears for a second, then he turned to leave. "Some people aren't worth your tears."

After the door closed, I remained sitting there. Why had this dangerous stranger appeared at a time like this?

And more importantly, why did his voice sound so... familiar?