My stepbrothers and I

Chapter Six:Water

Katherine was on her bed, thumb scrolling through i********:, when she landed on Elijah's profile.

She didn't mean to. Or maybe she did. Either way, she was there now.

His latest post was from two days ago. Him on some yacht, shirtless, sun hitting his skin like he'd paid it to. The comments were thirsty. Hundreds of them. Girls leaving fire emojis, heart eyes, things that made Katherine roll her eyes.

She scrolled to his following list.

50 people.

She didn't know what she was looking for. Yes she did.

Mina.

@minaofficial_

Private account. Profile picture: the girl from this morning. Dark hair. Red lips. The kind of pretty that knew it was pretty.

Her bio said "model/dancer" with a butterfly emoji.

Katherine stared at the profile. Thought about this morning. Mina's legs wrapped around Elijah. The sounds.

Her stomach twisted.

She clicked on Mina's tagged photos. Found one from three weeks ago. Mina and Elijah at some club. His arm around her waist. Her head on his shoulder. Caption: "mine."

Katherine's jaw tightened.

She clicked back to Elijah's profile. Went to his story. He'd posted again. An hour ago.

Video. Dim lighting. Music in the background. He was in what looked like a living room—their living room, she realized. The Ashford mansion. He was holding a drink, talking to someone off camera.

"—nah, she's not like that. She's—"

The video cut off.

She replayed it.

She's not like that. She's—

Who was he talking about?

Her phone buzzed. She jumped.

Mom:Dinner is ready Kat.

Katherine locked her phone. Stared at the ceiling.

She's not like that.

Who?

Dinner was already in motion when she got downstairs.

Richard at the head. Her mother beside him, laughing at something, hand on his arm. The triplets spread out—Damien across from Richard, barely eating. Elijah next to him, relaxed, scrolling his phone under the table. Sebastian at the end, cutting his food into precise squares, not looking at anyone.

Katherine slid into her seat. Kept her head down.

"Katherine." Richard's voice made her look up. "You've been exploring the town, I hear."

"A little."

"Find anything interesting?"

"Just shops. A bookstore."

"Hmm." He returned to his plate. Conversation over.

Her mother filled the silence. Wedding plans. Venue options. Color schemes. Katherine tuned it out, pushing food around her plate.

Then her mother said something that made her freeze.

"—and I was thinking, the four of you should spend some time together. Before the semester starts. Really get to know each other."

Katherine's fork stopped.

Elijah looked up from his phone. Damien's expression went flat.

"Bond?" Damien's voice was ice.

"Yes." Linda smiled, oblivious or pretending to be. "You're going to be family. It would be nice if you actually—"

"We're not family."

The table went silent.

Linda's smile faltered. "Well, not yet, but—"

"Not ever." Damien set his fork down. "She's your daughter. We're his sons. A piece of paper doesn't change blood."

"Damien." Richard's voice was quiet. Dangerous. "Enough."

"I'm stating facts."

"You're being rude."

"I'm being honest. There's a difference."

Richard set his own fork down. The sound was small but it silenced the room.

"You will take them out tomorrow. All three of you. Wherever you want. I don't care. But you will make an effort." He paused. "That's not a request."

Damien's jaw worked. Katherine could see the muscle jumping.

"Fine."

"Good." Richard picked up his fork again. "Linda, you were saying? About the flowers?"

And just like that, the conversation moved on.

But Katherine felt Damien's eyes on her. Cold. Furious. Like this was her fault.

She didn't look up for the rest of dinner.

After dinner, she escaped upstairs to her toom

Tomorrow. She had to spend tomorrow with them. All three.

Her phone buzzed. Jenna. Video call.

She answered.

"BITCH." Jenna's face filled the screen. She was in her dorm, fairy lights behind her, looking way too excited about something. "Okay so I have news. Big news. Huge news."

"What?"

"Remember Tyler?"

"The one you said was a drunk mistake?"

"Yeah well." Jenna bit her lip. Grinning. "I made the mistake again. Like three times. Last night."

Katherine blinked. "You slept with him?"

"Multiple times. In multiple positions. Katherine, this man is GIFTED. Like I thought I knew what good d**k was but I was WRONG. I was living in DARKNESS and now I have seen the LIGHT."

Katherine laughed despite herself. "Oh my god."

"And here's the crazy part." Jenna leaned closer to the camera. "He goes to Ridgemont. He's transferring this semester. He is gonna be at the same school."

Katherine was surprised. "Wait, really?"

"YES. Isn't that insane? I met him at a club and it turns out he's like, a business major or something. His family knows some people so he got a late transfer.."

"Anyway enough about my incredible s*x life. How's mansion prison? Have you seen any of them naked yet?"

"Jenna."

"What? I'm asking the important questions. Those boys are FINE."

"They're my stepbrothers."

"Not yet they're not." Jenna wiggled her eyebrows. "And even if they were, I've read enough books to know that's not always a dealbreaker."

"You're disgusting."

"I'm REALISTIC. Now tell me. Any tension? Any lingering looks? Any accidental walks-in-on-each-other-in-the-shower moments?"

Katherine thought about this morning.

"No."

"You're lying. I can tell you're lying. Your eye twitched."

"My eye didn't twitch."

"It TWITCHED. Something happened. Spill."

Katherine hesitated. Then—

"I saw one of them with a girl this morning.."

Jenna's eyes went wide. "WHICH ONE?"

"Elijah."

"The hot one?"

"They're all—never mind. Yes. Elijah."

"And? What did you see? Details. I need details."

"I didn't see much. Just... enough."

"Enough to what? Be traumatized? Be turned on? Both?"

"JENNA."

"WHAT? My s****l awakening happened like twelve hours ago, I'm in a MOOD."

Katherine couldn't help it. She laughed. Really laughed.

"I hate you."

Jenna screamed. Actually screamed. Katherine had to pull the phone away from her ear.

"HE KNEW? HE KNEW YOU WERE WATCHING?"

"The girl told him."

"Oh my god. Oh my GOD. Katherine. This is literally a fanfic. You're living in a fanfic."

"It's not—"

"It IS. Hot stepbrother catches you watching him f**k someone else? That's chapter one of every dark romance ever written. What did he say exactly? Word for word."

Katherine tried to remember. "Something about me not being able to look away."

Jenna made a sound that wasn't human.

"I'm going to pass out. I'm literally going to pass out. This is the hottest thing that's ever happened to anyone I know."

"It wasn't hot. It was embarrassing."

"Embarrassing IS hot. That's like, the whole point." Jenna sat up again. "Okay but real talk. Are you okay? Like actually okay? Because I know I'm joking but if it's actually weird and uncomfortable—"

"It's fine. I'm fine. It's just... a lot."

"Yeah." Jenna's voice softened. "I bet. New house, new family, hot psycho stepbrothers. That's a lot."

"The quiet one isn't a psycho."

"The quiet ones are ALWAYS psychos, babe. That's literally the rule."

Katherine smiled. "I should go. Early morning tomorrow apparently. We're being forced to 'bond.'"

"BOND? Like all of you? Together?"

"Yeah."

"Goodbye, Jenna."

Katherine hung up, before Jenna could start.

She sat there for a moment. Smiling.

Jenna was insane.

Her phone buzzed again.

Marcus.

Marcus:hey baby. you up?

Katherine:yeah. just got off the phone with Jenna.

Marcus:how is she?

**Katherine:** she slept with some guy named Tyler. multiple times apparently.

Marcus:lmaooo that tracks

Marcus:wish I could do the same with you rn

Marcus:miss your body

Katherine stared at the message. Her face heated.

Katherine:Marcus.

Marcus:what? I do. miss the way you taste. miss the sounds you make.

Katherine:stop

Marcus:why? you don't miss me?

She did. She missed him. Missed the simplicity of them. Of sneaking into his car after school. Of his hands on her waist. Of forgetting everything else.

Katherine:I miss you.

Marcus:prove it.

Katherine:how?

Marcus:you know how.

She did know. They'd done this before. When she couldn't sleep. When he couldn't sleep. Phones pressed to ears, voices low, hands doing what hands do.

Katherine:I can't. not here. the walls are thin.

Marcus:so be quiet.

Katherine:Marcus...

Marcus:fine fine. but you owe me. when I visit, you OWE me.

Katherine:deal.

Marcus:love you, Kat.

Katherine:love you too.

She put the phone down.

Lay back on the bed.

Her body felt restless. That conversation with Marcus. Jenna talking about Tyler. The image of Elijah this morning, still burned into her brain.

She pressed her thighs together. Tried to ignore it.

Failed.

The house was quiet.

Everyone in their rooms. Doors closed.

Katherine stared at her ceiling. The restlessness hadn't gone away. If anything, it was worse.

She thought about Marcus. Tried to. His hands. His mouth. The backseat of his car.

But her brain kept slipping. To this morning. To sounds she shouldn't have heard. To—

No.

She rolled over. Grabbed her phone. Scrolled through nothing. Tried to distract herself.

It didn't work.

She needed water. That was it. Just water.

She got up. Opened her door quietly. The hallway was dark.

She padded toward the stairs, passing door after door.

One of them was open.

Just a crack. Light spilling out.

She should keep walking. She knew she should.

She slowed.

Through the crack, she could see movement. A figure. Shirtless. Back muscles shifting as he pulled a shirt over his head.

Elijah.

She froze.

He turned. Like he sensed her.

Their eyes met through the crack in the door.

He smiled.

Didn't say anything. Just held her gaze. Then reached over and pushed the door wider.

An invitation.

Katherine's mouth went dry.

"You keep showing up," he said. Low. "Starting to think you're doing it on purpose."

"I was getting water."

"Sure you were."

He walked toward the door. Toward her. Still shirtless. Still smiling.

"You could come in. Since you're here."

"I'm not—"

"You're not what?" He stopped at the doorway. Inches away."Not interested?" He leaned closer. "Not thinking about this morning?"

Her heart was pounding so loud she was sure he could hear it.

"I wasn't thinking about anything."

"Liar."

His hand came up. Touched her jaw.

"Your face is red. Your breathing's fast. And you stopped outside my door." He tilted his head. "If you weren't thinking about anything, you would've kept walking."

She should step back. Should go to her room. Should—

"What do you want, Katherine?"

His thumb brushed her lower lip.

"Tell me what you want."

She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't—