Chapter 29
The next day, I woke up to the sound of people arriving. I stretched out in bed, feeling that delicious lazy morning haze. It must be my mom coming back from the concert, I thought, and I snuggled under the covers for a little more shut-eye. But then came the voice. Deep, calling her name from the living room. My mind was still foggy, but the shock hit me instantly.
It was my stepdad.
Sleep vanished in a flash. I sat up in bed, heart pounding. Mariana, next to me, was out cold, didn’t even stir. I glanced at the clock: eight in the morning. A chill ran up my spine. Did something happen to my mom? Was he here to give me bad news?
My body moved before my brain could catch up. I jumped out of bed, barefoot, just in my nightgown, and bolted straight to the living room. When I got there, there he was, pacing back and forth, looking in corners, searching for something. Or someone.
My mom.
“Hey, you looking for her?” I blurted out, still a bit out of breath.
He turned to me, distracted at first, but then he smiled that awkward smile of someone caught red-handed.
“Yeah. I was supposed to come by today.”
I frowned.
“Huh, she went out last night for a concert and then to my aunt’s place. I don’t think she’s back yet.”
“Yeah, I was with her. She must be sleeping…” He shrugged, no rush, like it was no big deal. “But it’s all good, I’m basically family.”
That line stuck in my head. “I was with her.” He said it so casually that for a second, an image of the two of them together flashed in my mind. I swallowed hard, looking away.
“Alright then…” I said, trying not to show anything. “I thought something happened.”
He smiled again, that easy smile, but now it felt off to me. A little tense, maybe. I felt tense too. Because I remembered. I remembered exactly what I’d done with him. And by the looks of it, so did he.
“Let’s take advantage of your mom not being here and talk?”
Whoa. This was it. Time to face the consequences of what I’d done.
I took a deep breath. “Julia, shut up and let him talk,” I repeated to myself. But my heart was already hammering in my chest, that anxiety building slow.
“Sure, we can do that,” I replied, sitting on the couch.
He stood in front of me, hands in his pockets, staring at the floor for a moment, like he was gathering his thoughts. When he finally looked up at me, his face was more serious, but without that authoritative vibe from before. It was something else.
“So, Jujube…” he started, slow, weighing each word. “You’re turning into a beautiful, desirable young woman, and I don’t know if it was an accident or what happened… but I wanted to apologize for seeing you without meaning to.”
There it was.
I’d planned to stay quiet. But me? With my mouth bigger than my brain? I couldn’t hold back.
“But it wasn’t without meaning to, you looked on purpose.”
He froze. Looked away, thoughtful, then let out a sigh.
“We both know it was. You’re an adult, you knew exactly what you were doing… and no one needs to know about this, right?”
My stomach twisted.
“No way. But… did you tell anyone?”
“No.”
“Then why did my mom chew me out and then come at me with that lecture about how I dress?”
He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’m gonna be straight with you, Jujube… I saw you provoking me and, I don’t know, I tried to play the dad role. I mentioned it to your mom. She got worried. And I had other issues with her… that aren’t your business, so we fought.”
My mouth opened before I could stop it.
“God, you’re an idiot! Couldn’t you just look and keep quiet?”
He laughed, without any humor.
“I know.”
We sat in silence for a moment. He was looking at me differently now, like he was trying to figure me out. Then he asked, straight up, no beating around the bush:
“But… why were you showing off like that to me? You got an interest in me, girl?”
The question hit like a shock. A cold rush shot through my gut so fast my spine tingled.
I looked away, pretending it didn’t faze me, slumping back on the couch like it was nothing.
“No. I was just… comfortable in my own house.”
He crossed his arms, watching me.
“I’ve known you a long time. You were acting weird at breakfast, and then I go upstairs and see that. I don’t know what to think.”
I rolled my eyes, getting impatient.
“Seriously, I’m gonna say it again… You can’t just mind your own business, can you?”
He took a deep breath, like he wanted to avoid a fight.
“Alright. I’m getting back together with your mom. You’ll be seeing more of me around here. If she asks, tell her we talked and everything’s cool, okay?”
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
“Fine, then.”
For me, the talk was over. But he wasn’t done.
“I just wanted to say one thing to you first… if you’ll let me.”
I raised an eyebrow, suspicious.
“What?”
He stared at me a second longer than necessary, then said:
“You drove me fucking crazy… Too bad you’re my stepdaughter.”
Heat rushed to my face right away.
I should’ve been offended. I knew that. Any normal person would be.
But I wasn’t.
The opposite, actually.
I couldn’t hold back a little smile, and before I could stop it, I felt embarrassed. That compliment hit hard.
He had that leading-man vibe, I never denied that. Good looks, presence, that dangerous charm that made him seem always in control. My mom was always a beautiful woman, but this guy could have better options if he wanted. So when he showed up, we thought he was after her money — but my mom doesn’t even have money.
I bit my lip, looking away, trying to hide the smile.
“Behave yourself, mister…” I said, in a playful tone, but inside, my heart was racing.
“So, if you wanna do it again, I’m game, but no one can know. Could that be our little secret?”
Whoa, he went straight for it, I didn’t know how to process that, my mom’s boyfriend hitting on me? Damn, I must have a magnet for guys, that’s gotta be it. I didn’t know what to say and my mind went blank and I started getting nervous. And when you don’t think, you say anything.
“What exactly are you proposing?” I crossed my arms, trying to hold my ground, even with my heart pounding in my chest. “You wanna fuck me?”
He let out a low chuckle, the kind that didn’t give much away.
“You’re a naughty one, that’s for sure.”
“And you’re not?”
Heat crept up my face.
“Answer my question.”
He took a deep breath, looking me in the eyes, no rush.
“If you wanna give it to me…”
“Of course not, idiot!” My response came fast, almost automatic, in an indignant tone. “You’re old!”
He didn’t seem offended. If anything, he looked amused.
“But you like being seen by me, don’t you?”
I froze completely right then, like there was no air left in the room. My mind knotted up because I didn’t know those answers! I’d just done what I did and that was it. I hadn’t planned it before, hadn’t thought about it after. And now he was cornering me with questions I couldn’t even answer myself.
Of course I’d liked it.
I’d gotten so turned on by the idea of being watched, the thrill of knowing someone was looking at me that way, with desire, it drove me wild in that moment.
But to plan to do it again?
That’s a whole different story.
So, since I didn’t know what to say, I just stayed quiet. My heart was racing, my mind a mess, trying to find some answer that made sense.
But he didn’t wait.
“Look,” he said, voice low, almost casual, “I’m gonna send you a pic. If you like it…”
I frowned.
“A pic? What do you mean?”
He glanced at me sideways, that sly half-smile.
“Nude.”
The shock locked me up for a second.
“What?!”
“Yeah.”
I swallowed hard.
My head was spinning, and I knew my face was giving me away. I should’ve said no right then, ended it there.
But instead, what came out of my mouth was:
“Okay… I don’t know… I’ll think about it…”
And then, before he could say anything else, I ran out of the living room like a kid. I had to get out of there. That was too much for my head to handle. My chest was heaving, the nerves making me buzz, a mix of fear, adrenaline, and something else I didn’t want to admit.
One thing I knew: it was time to wake Mariana. I needed advice.