Episode 14

I woke up to his arms wrapped around my waist, and as I wiped my eyes, I kissed the top of his head. He shuffled, his snoring halting for a short moment before he continued his soft snores that resembled sniffles. I sighed, remembering what had occurred the previous night. Contrary to what this suggests, he had not chosen me. After I asked him to choose, he leaned forward, placed a peck on my cheek then whispered, "I'm sorry."

It had caused my shoulders to sink, and my eyes to water slightly. However, it was not out of hate that he was doing this. Even so, after the conversation ended and he was close to leaving his own room, he turned around and said, "Can you still sleep here for the night? You're comfortable." And I did; I wanted to cherish the times I could stay close to him. He was a heavy sleeper, and although I woke up numerous times during the night because of his suffocating squeezes, he never felt me move.

As he laid with me in bed, cuddling terribly close, I could not help but chuckle; he really did seem like a baby. I sighed, finally sending my hand through his hair in hopes to wake him up.

"Mmm," he groaned, "An hour, please."

I wanted an hour as well, to cuddle next to him. However, school was obviously a priority. I groaned as well, attempting to release his hold from around me, "I have school Mike."

He did not budge. I tried to pull him from me again, but he resisted. "I'm not moving," he insisted.

"You have to."

"Says who."

"Says me," I laughed.

He shrugged, "You're a fucking bitch."

"No, I'm not you freak," I replied without feeling any sting; his insults no longer had too much affect, "I have to get to school—"

"Yo Mike," Eric barged within the room, startling me but not even causing Mike to flinch a second. The moment we locked eyes, I saw him grin. "That's why you guys' clothes are all over the floor."

I raised my eyebrows, my eyes widened in panic; I totally forgot we had taken off our clothes during the time we rushed upstairs. Mike did not seem to care, as he groaned, "The fuck do you want, dipshit?"

"Be a little nicer to me," Eric snarled, crossing his arms. "And the parents want to see you both downstairs, because of the clothes. Luckily I came upstairs, instead of them."

Mike chuckled, "Why the fuck do they care?"

I frowned, "Because they're about to get married? Step-siblings can't be having sex and falling in love with one another—"

"Woah, T-M-I maybe?" Mike growled, "I didn't say tell everyone our business."

We heard Eric laughed and turned to face him, "Mike, you're falling in love?"

"Shut your fucking trap Eric before I tell them about the shotgun and cocaine in your room."

"You have the same thing in your own room, moron!" Eric exclaimed before turning away from the door. Instantly, when his brother left, Mike pulled himself upwards, releasing his grasp around me. My heart was racing, and in panic, I met his eased gaze; he raised an eyebrow at me.

"What's wrong?"

"My mother will be disappointed," I sighed.

He snorted, "And what will she do? Cancel her marriage?" After shaking his head, he sent a hand through his hair and marched towards his dresser. He threw a long big sweater in my direction, and a pair of boxers. "Wear that," he ordered, pulling on his own pyjama pants.

I raised an eyebrow, "Those are your clothes. They'll know something is up."

"They already know, and besides," he reached for his door, "Whatever was up ended yesterday." He left the room, and I bit my bottom lip. After rushing to my own bedroom and grabbing my clothes, I headed downstairs to find William, my mother and Mr. Hawk sitting at the dining table, and William was the only one who was eating. As I approached the room, I also noticed Eric and Mike sitting on one side of the table.

Mr. Hawk smiled weakly towards me, but his eyes offered otherwise. They were disappointed, filled with a confusion that made his fists clench. My mother's gaze was cold, and she exhaled deeper every time Mr. Hawk sent his fingers across her back. I smiled uneasily, grabbing my own seat and falling into the silence.

Mr. Hawk began, "August, Mike. You both are aware why we brought you down here. We found your clothes all over the floor."

"Along with your undergarments," my mother spat, narrowing her eyes in my direction. I felt my heart ache.

Mr. Hawk glanced in her direction, before returning to us. "I am unsure of what is occurring, but I just wanted to say that if it's what I think it is, I am sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, disappointed in you guys. Especially you, Mike." He turned to Mike who surprisingly kept a straight face, having pushed all jokes aside.

"I wish you guys could understand how much this marriage means to me," My mother's trembling voice echoed, "Means to us actually. August," she turned to me, "You know what I've been through. And I'm in love with him. Why would you ruin our marriage like this?"

"Mom—"

"We trusted you guys," Mr. Hawk muttered, and my mouth tightened shut. The manner he stared at us was enough to cause my eyes to water.

"I trusted you the most August," my mother whispered, biting her bottom lip. "You let me down—"

"Okay pause," Mike intercepted, grabbing both their gazes. "You guys think we had sex?"

My mother shrugged her shoulders, "If there's any other reason for your clothes to be all over the place, along with my daughter's."

Mike snorted, beginning to laugh as he met my gaze. I was unsure what he was playing at, but I began chuckling uneasily, waiting for him to continue. He opened his arms while laughing, "Are you guys being for real?"

"Should we think otherwise?" Mr. Hawk raised an eyebrow.

Eric chuckled.

Mike raised an eyebrow, as if that was a dumb question. "Uhh, yes? Why the fuck would I have sex with my sister Dad? I have a girlfriend, for fuck sakes."

"Then let me know why we found those clothes on the ground this morning," my mother spat, "that does not involve sex."

"We went skinny dipping?" Mike said, laughing. "We were both drunk and decided to go skinny dipping in our pool, there was no sex."

My mother's features softened, "Is that true August?"

"Sorry mom, I was drunk. But I wouldn't have sex with him," I said.

Mr. Hawk exhaled a long breath, relieved. "Thank god," he turned to my mother and wrapped his arms around her, "We have nothing to worry about."

"I guess not," she whispered, feeling relieved as well, "But I still don't like the idea of you both going skinny dipping."

"Don't worry," Mike chuckled, turning in my direction, "She has nothing attractive."

My mother's mouth widened, and I narrowed my eyes in his direction. Mike began laughing, and turned to me, locking eyes with me for a moment before standing up. "Now if you'd excuse me, I need to get back to my bed."

Eric laughed as well, and exited the kitchen after slapping my head.

***

"Can you believe that?" Mike snorted as he shook his head, glancing towards Alyssa who shrugged her shoulders, laughing as well, "They actually thought I was fucking August."

"One, that's a downgrade," I rolled my eyes when she said that, listening to their conversation from the backseat of the car; Mike had to pick me up again and he had to have brought Alyssa, "And second, thats incest—"

"Not necessarily," Mike defended, lighting his blunt laced with other drugs I rather not question, "We're not blood related."

"I hope you're not getting any twisted ideas in your mind Mike."

Mike scoffed, "August? Of all people?" he glanced over his shoulder meeting my gaze, and I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling my emotions sting from his comments. He shook his head and leaned back into his chair, taking a drag from his blunt, "That would be embarrassing."

It was pain to hear him say all those words, and I was unsure whether he actually meant them or not. Either or, it was hard to hear. When I returned home, I headed to my bedroom, and closed the door behind me. I had a long tiring day, and Mike saying all those hurtful comments did not make it any better. Cole had messaged me a few times, words of motivations but the only thing it motivated was my sadness, since I had broken our promise, at least almost did. He was a very awesome person, but oddly enough, I wanted Mike, I was hungry for him, starving his touch and his bites.

During dinner, as we all sat around the table and dove within our plates, small conversations were appearing from left to right. Jessica and Alyssa had joined us, and I had invited Cole, but he declined the offer, saying that he was busy. Although I was surprised, I brushed it off of my mind, and smirked at the jokes passing along the table. I had not really talked to William, since our schedules were completely different, and Mr. Hawk had hired a nanny to take care of him, since him and mother were extremely busy obsessing over one another. He really liked the nanny, and his days at school had been the best, as he had mentioned. The only situation that ached my heart was Mike's and I.

And it was worst that Alyssa brought it up during dinner.

"You guys really thought Mike and September were having sex?" She laughed, glancing towards Mike who sent her back a tight smile. After raising an eyebrow towards him, she turned back to the parents who laughed as well.

My mother continued, "We found their clothes on the floor and assumed they had. It was a ridiculous thought though."

Alyssa's face dropped, and she turned to Mike who weakly smiled, "What were they doing then, if not sex?" she said in a cold tone.

"Skinny dipping in our pool," Mr. Hawk replied.

Alyssa's lips tightened into a fine line, "Mike doesn't go skinny dipping," she murmured, recalling the instance she had brought that idea to him a few months ago, and he had patently declined without any hesitation.

Eric's eyes widened as he turned to Mike, whom smoothly shrugged his shoulders and pointed towards me. "Her idea," he said. Alyssa turned to me with a glare that felt was seconds from burning my flesh, and I chuckled uneasily.

"Was it huh?" She commented, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

I shrugged, "Drunk ideas—"

"Alcohol only builds nerves, it doesn't change intentions, October."

"The name's August," my voice became stern, annoyed.

She snickered, "Same thing."

This comment made me scoff, "If you really believe that then you're dumber than I thought you were. They're two different months, if you needed a break down."

"And being single and in a relationship are two different things as well," she growled, "Stay the fuck away from my man."

"You both need to chill the fuck out," Eric muttered in annoyance, eating his food.

My mother rapidly nodded her head, but was secretively sending death glares in Alyssa's direction.

"Woah," Mr. Hawk raised his hands defensively, "Where is all this tension coming from?"

I laughed, "From this idiot who thinks I'm trying to have sex with my step-brother."

"Cut it out, August," Mike hushed, his tone filled with a bitterness I had never heard before. I met his gaze, and scoffed from the manner he tilted his head, as if to say, we'll talk about this later.

Alyssa was not done yet, and her next line affected everyone at the table, "Let's be real, we're not even sure that 'step' thing is actually going to happen."

"Woah, Alyssa," Eric intervened immediately, "You're a bitch."

"She's using it as an excuse to get close to Mike without anybody saying anything!" Alyssa cried.

Mr. Hawk was very disappointed, and my mother no longer hid her burning glares. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, feeling a sudden anger rise within her bones. She had worked terribly hard within this new relationship that a young woman defiling her hard work was incredibly offensive to her sensibilities. However, Mr. Hawk, who wrapped a protective arm around my mother, narrowed his eyes at Alyssa.

A silence fell upon the table, and soon he said, "Alyssa, I think you should leave."

Her look saddened, "Mr. Hawk, I didn't mean t—"

Mr. Hawk interrupted her, squeezing my mother's shoulder. "It was nice having you here, Mike please see her out."

"Dad, chill out—"

"Mike," he growled, and Mike saw that he was furious as well. Instantly, he nodded his head and stood from the table, extending his hand towards her. As they exited the kitchen, Alyssa hissing in his ear, her fingers gripping Mike's arm as they exited the kitchen, the look on my mother's eyes turned to Mr. Hawk, who shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. However, my mother turned towards me, and narrowed her eyes.

"August," my mother growled, "It's partially your fault."

"Wh...How is that my fault?"

"Olivia," Mr. Hawk attended to draw my mother's attention, but she detached from his grasp.

"She wouldn't have said that if you didn't fight with her," she scolded, and I raised an eyebrow.

"So I'm supposed to let her make fun of m—"

Suddenly, Alyssa screamed, as if she was shocked and there was heavy breathing we could hear from the front door. "How long have you been standing there? Who the fuck are you?" We all heard Mike's lowered tone from the entrance, and Eric was the first to leap towards the front door. Mr. Hawk followed, and I raced behind them with mother by my side.

Eric raised an eyebrow as well, "Who the fuck is that?"

Finally, Mr. Hawk reached the door, and was taken aback, stumbling backwards but returning to his balance. It was apparent where Mike had gotten all his sharp features and furious eyes from, since a sudden fury twisted Mr. Hawk's face. His eyes were glaring, his eyebrows were scowling and his jaw had tightened. However, he remained standing, and hissed a small, "Allen."

My mother reached Mr. Hawk's side, and her eyes widened when she met the individuals gaze. "Allen?" she breathed, her heart certainly skipping a beat.

When I reached the doorway and made it past them all, I felt my entire body fall paralyze. My breathing rushed heavily, and I stumbled backwards, falling into Eric's chest.

I whispered, "Dad?"

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