In Love With Him

Chapter 16

Dominic’s POV

The soft hum of my laptop filled the kitchen as I sat at the island, a wrench resting beside me and a detailed diagram of a high-performance turbocharged V8 open on the screen. My fingers tapped the keys while I scrolled through the module. Fuel systems. Compression ratios. Camshaft profiles. s**t I knew like the back of my hand, but the online college program still required the formalities.

I was ahead by at least a week in my automotive technician and engineering courses. Honestly, I could teach half this stuff. Still, it felt good to have something to focus on. Something with rules. Something predictable.

I submitted the final quiz for the week and leaned back with a stretch, cracking my knuckles. My brain was fried. Time for a break.

I shut the laptop and stood up, heading toward the fridge. The kitchen was dead silent. Perfect. I pulled out the leftover pizza from last night and grabbed a slice, biting into it as I glanced out the window toward the backyard. Sunlight poured in. Still hot as hell out.

My phone buzzed on the counter.

Mom.

Hey hun, Paul and I are working late—big case. Could go through his firm. We’ll be at the office all night. Order out for dinner and PLEASE behave. And make sure the kids don't get into trouble… mainly Max, and Kennedy too, lol.

I huffed a quiet laugh, chewing the crust.

“Yeah, Max,” I muttered. “Definitely him.”

But I couldn’t help the smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth when I reread her text.

Kennedy. Trouble.

Now that was a joke.

What would that even look like? Her skipping her 6:30 AM routine? Reading two chapters ahead in her homework?

She was a good girl—sweet, careful, never late, never loud. The kind of girl who made to-do lists for the weekend and probably alphabetized her music library.

The kind of girl I had no business thinking about the way I was.

But fuck... I couldn’t help it.

The way she looked this morning when I dropped her off—her dark clothes hugging every curve, the soft hint of her stomach flashing when she shifted in the passenger seat. The way she looked at me when I touched her arm. All wide-eyed and unsure. Like she didn’t know what the hell to do with what was growing between us.

My breath tightened in my chest.

God, those were always the most dangerous. The good ones. The ones who’d never broken a rule… until someone like me came along and gave them a reason to.

I swallowed hard.

Kennedy.

Jesus Christ.

She was the definition of forbidden. My stepsister. My responsibility, if anything.

And yet all I could think about was what she’d sound like gasping my name. What she’d taste like. How she’d fall apart the first time someone actually took the time to show her how good she could feel.

I slammed the fridge shut and chugged a glass of water, trying to cool the fire brewing under my skin.

I needed to focus.

I needed to get my s**t together.

I brought the laptop back to the living room, reopened the course module on engine diagnostics, and forced myself to stare at it. Forced myself to try and read the damn words.

But my mind?

It was nowhere near spark plugs and misfire codes.

It was stuck on Kennedy.

And I was losing the battle.

---

Kennedy’s POV

The final bell couldn’t have rung soon enough.

I practically bolted out of my last class like I was being chased, clutching my bag tight to my side as I darted through the crowded hallways. I wasn’t about to risk another encounter with Amber or her plastic minions—one more gum incident and I was seriously going to lose it.

I made it to the bus, breath slightly uneven, and slid into my usual seat near the front. Safe zone. I exhaled slowly, my head falling back against the window. One day down, a million more to go.

The bus rolled out of the high school lot and headed toward the middle school. After a while, the doors squeaked open and Max, along with his three obnoxious friends, climbed on—laughing, yelling, wrestling each other like they were on a sugar high.

That was until they saw me.

Instant hush.

Suddenly they were awkward. Polite. Shy little angels.

One of them, Dylan—the loudest one—gave a dorky wave and said, “Hi Kennedy.”

The others followed suit with shy smiles and mumbles of “Hey.”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile. I knew this game. I babysat all of them when they were smaller. I was the only girl who treated them like humans instead of future felons. Now they were all hitting puberty and didn’t know what to do with their feelings around a girl they used to call “Miss Kennedy.”

“Hi guys,” I said softly.

Cue the blushing.

The bus rolled on, winding its way through town until we finally turned onto our street. Max hopped out with his goons, already shoving each other and talking loudly about some Minecraft thing. I climbed down a second later—then froze when I spotted him.

Liam.

Of course.

He was one of the few kids from our street that shared the route. Great. Just my luck.

I lowered my gaze and started walking quickly, trying to outpace the awkwardness still lingering from the bonfire night. I was still mortified. I mean, about to kiss your long-time crush under the stars and BAM—stepbrother cockblocks you like a sledgehammer.

“Hey,” a familiar voice called beside me.

I blinked and glanced over. Liam.

Walking next to me.

Talking… to me?

“Uh… hey?” I answered, voice higher than I intended. Smooth, Kennedy.

He smiled, all dimples and sunshine, and asked, “How was your first day back?”

Was I dreaming?

I looked around like an i***t to make sure he wasn’t talking to someone else. Nope. Just us.

“It was fine,” I said, trying to sound chill, then added, “Mr. Harkins made us do this weird icebreaker where we had to say one thing we wouldn’t survive without. Some girl said Starbucks, and he made her write a ten-page paper defending why overpriced bean water is a survival essential.”

Liam actually laughed. Not a fake one. A real, surprised, “you’re funny” laugh.

Okay, wow.

“God, I forgot how sarcastic you were,” he said. “You’re, like… funny.”

What?

We reached my driveway and I slowed down, unsure how this part of the social script was supposed to go. Liam paused with me.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked, voice hopeful.

“Yeah,” I said, trying not to sound too stunned.

He gave a casual smile, then gently reached out and touched my arm—just barely. His fingers brushed my skin like a silent see you later, and then he turned and walked down the sidewalk toward his house.

I stared at my front door like it might answer the million questions flying through my brain.

Did that just happen?

Did Liam Carson just walk me home?

Did he laugh at my joke?

And… did he touch my arm?

I swallowed hard and opened the door, my heart beating a little too fast.

Maybe this year wouldn’t be so bad after all.