My Arrogant Stepbrother

29 : The Kiss Changes Everything

The kiss lingered in my mind long after it ended.

It wasn’t just a kiss—it was a line crossed, a barrier shattered. Jason wasn’t just my arrogant stepbrother anymore. He was something more, something forbidden and terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, his breath warm and uneven. “Tell me to stop,” he whispered, his voice hoarse, “and I will.”

My heart pounded so loudly it drowned out everything else. “I don’t want you to stop.”

For a second, relief flickered across his face, like he’d been holding his breath for weeks. Then he kissed me again—gentler, slower this time, like he wanted to memorize the taste of me.

By the time we pulled apart, I was trembling, my thoughts spinning out of control.

This was dangerous. This was reckless. This was wrong.

So why did it feel so right?

⸻

The next morning, I could barely look at him at breakfast. My mom chatted cheerfully about her new project at work, completely unaware of the storm brewing beneath the surface. Jason sat across from me, his usual cocky smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, but his eyes never left mine.

I dropped my gaze to my cereal, praying my blush wasn’t obvious.

After Mom left for work, Jason leaned across the table, his voice low. “You’re avoiding me.”

“I’m not,” I said quickly, pushing my bowl away.

His eyebrow arched. “Princess, you’ve been staring at your spoon for ten minutes. Pretty sure it’s not that interesting.”

I groaned, shoving back my chair. “Jason, this is serious! We’re… we’re step-siblings. If anyone finds out—”

He caught my wrist before I could storm off. His grip was firm but gentle, his eyes burning into mine. “I don’t care what anyone thinks. I don’t care about the rules, the whispers, or the labels. All I care about is you.”

My chest tightened painfully. “But it’s not that simple.”

“Yes, it is.” His voice softened. “We’ve been fighting this from the beginning. And you can keep pretending you don’t feel it, but we both know the truth.”

⸻

The truth.

That was the part that scared me the most.

Because the truth was, I did feel it. Every time he teased me, every time he defended me, every time he looked at me like I wasn’t invisible—I felt it.

I yanked my wrist free, my voice trembling. “Jason, if this blows up, it could ruin everything. My mom, your dad… they’d hate us. Do you really want to risk that?”

He didn’t flinch. “Yes.”

I stared at him, stunned by how easily the word left his mouth. No hesitation. No doubt.

And deep down, I knew—I wanted to say yes too.

But fear held me back.

⸻

Later that day, as we walked through the halls at school, I caught people staring at us. Not because of Chelsea this time—she was still suspended, her shadow finally fading—but because Jason’s hand brushed mine as we walked, his presence closer than it had ever been.

I pulled away instantly, panic rising in my chest.

He noticed. He always noticed.

“Relax,” he murmured, smirking faintly. “We’ll figure it out.”

But I wasn’t so sure.

Because the kiss had changed everything.

And once something changes, you can’t ever go back.