His Adopted Obession

Chapter Two

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded as soon as Rouge walked through the front door. I had been waiting up for him specifically so I could confront him about the scene he caused at school earlier.

He glanced down at me with an infuriatingly casual expression before starting up the stairs without a word. "Why are you making such a spectacle of yourself at school?" I continued. "I thought I made it clear that I don't want anything to do with you or your reputation.”

Rouge paused on the stairs and turned his head towards me, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Did I?" he questioned, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

I stood there, momentarily rendered speechless by his audacity. How could he possibly deny what happened earlier?

"Don't play dumb with me right now, Rouge," I said, my voice low and even. "You know exactly what you did earlier - shoving me in front of the whole class like some kind of twisted joke." I arched an eyebrow at him, daring him to deny it.

His smirk never wavered as he leaned against the railing, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe I was just trying to get your attention," he drawled, a glint in his eye that sent a chill down my spine.

"Attention?" I scoffed, my disgust evident in the tone of my voice. "By pushing me around like a ragdoll in front of everyone? That's your idea of getting my attention?"

Rouge just shrugged nonchalantly, his smug expression never wavering. "I guess you could say that," he replied with a smirk.

Before I could respond, Rouge abruptly descended the stairs and approached me with a menacing stride. He loomed over me, his towering presence catching me off guard.

"Also," he said in a low, threatening tone, "let's say I decide to 'torture' you... just a bit more for barging in uninvited last night." The way he emphasized those words sent a shiver down my spine.

His eyes gleamed with a wicked light as he leaned in closer, his hot breath ghosting over my skin. "You see, I have certain... appetites that need to be satisfied," he murmured, his voice dripping with menace.

I recoiled in horror at his words, my hands flying up to shove him away from me. But Rouge just chuckled darkly, as if he found my reaction utterly amusing.

"Disgusting," I spat out, my face twisting in revulsion. How could he even suggest such a thing?

"You," I said, jabbing a finger at his chest. "I'm letting you bring your little sluts over to the house when our parents aren't around. I've already tolerated so much from you - the lack of respect for my boundaries, the constant noise at all hours of the night." My voice rose with each word until I was practically shouting.

"And now you have the audacity to threaten me? To humiliate me in front of everyone at school?" I shook my head in disbelief. "Are you really that stupid?”

"You should expect that kind of treatment when you become my step-sister," Rouge said with a shrug, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Oh, and just so we're clear - I'm not accepting you as my real sister. So you'd better get used to dealing with my 'behavior'."

I clenched my fists at my sides, barely resisting the urge to punch him square in the face for his arrogant, dismissive attitude. How dare he speak to me like that? As if I was nothing more than an annoyance to him.

"Why the hell would I want you as my brother too?" I hissed back.

"For your information, I don't want to be associated with your name in any way. You should blame your father for falling head over heels for Mom and dragging us both into this mess."

I glared at him, my words dripping with venom. How dare he act like this was somehow my fault? As if I had a choice in the matter when it came to our parents' relationship?

Does he really think it's my fault that our parents fell head over heels for each other and decided to merge their families? Is he that utterly clueless? Doesn't he have a single functioning brain cell in that thick skull of his?

I couldn't believe the audacity of this man. He had the nerve to act like I was somehow responsible for the circumstances that brought us together as step-siblings. It was beyond ridiculous.

"If you don't want me as your sister, then I certainly don't want you as my brother either," I said firmly. "So here's the deal - I've already put up with more than enough of your crap in this house. And now that we're stuck together at school, all I'm asking for is peace and quiet."

I held his gaze, my expression unyielding. "So keep your hands to yourself and stop giving me any attention whatsoever. Because trust me, it's not wanted or appreciated.”

"Sure, make me, Maddy," he said with a smirk. What the actual hell was this guy thinking?

***

I flopped down onto my bed, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling over me. I'd just finished tackling three pending tasks, and now I had to deal with the added stress of dealing with that arrogant jerk who happened to share this house with me.

His words earlier had left me seething - how dare he act like such a prick? As if my life wasn't already complicated enough without him adding fuel to the fire. Rouge was truly the bane of my existence, even though his father was sweet and caring, making him an excellent potential step-father figure for me, it only made Rouge's behavior all the more infuriating in comparison.

I had no qualms about accepting his father - the man was genuinely in love with my mother, and I could see how much he cared for her. But Rouge? That was a whole different story. I couldn't stand that guy, even when we were at school together.

His father had tried to set some ground rules before they left, telling Rouge to look out for me and not bully me. But of course, Rouge hadn't listened - he'd just smirked and said something along the lines of "Dad's not here to watch me." As if that gave him free rein to act like an asshole.

But I hoped my Mom was having the time of her life on her honeymoon. It had been far too long since I'd seen a genuine smile light up her face - for years, she'd plastered on that fake grin that never quite reached her eyes.

I was truly grateful to Uncle Sam for being there for Mom, for bringing some real happiness back into her life. She deserved it after everything she'd been through.

After my Dad's sudden passing from cancer, Mom was never the same. He and I had been her entire world, her source of happiness. And then in an instant, Dad was gone.

The pain of losing him cut deep - for both of us. But it was even more devastating for Mom, who seemed to wither away without him by her side. It took years for her to even begin healing, until Uncle Sam came into our lives and brought a spark back into her eyes once more.

As much as I missed Dad terribly myself, seeing Mom find joy again made everything worthwhile. She deserved that happiness after all she'd endured.

Anyway, I was suddenly feeling peckish. Time to grab some snacks downstairs.

I knew Rouge had already left for the night - he always did, off to God-knows-where and God-knows-what. Probably hitting up another club or party or whatever debauched activities he got up to.

Rolling my eyes at the thought, I hopped out of bed and padded over to my dresser in just a black cycling shorts and tank top. No need for a cover-up since Rouge was long gone by now.

Stretching languidly as I headed towards the door, I couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief that his obnoxious presence wouldn't be bothering me for the rest of the evening. Now if only he'd stay away from school too…

I stepped out of my room, and sure enough, Rouge was nowhere to be seen. A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I realized I had the house to myself once more.

No more constant noise, no more unwanted interruptions or creepy stares from him. Just peace and quiet - for now, at least, I could breathe easy without having to worry about running into that jerk around every corner.

I made my way downstairs, eyes darting around to ensure Rouge was nowhere in sight. Once I confirmed the coast was clear, I continued on towards the kitchen.

The house felt eerily quiet without his usual racket echoing through the halls - a strange sort of silence that almost seemed too good to be true. But as far as I could tell, I'm alone.

Padding over to the pantry, I started rummaging through the shelves for something quick and easy to munch on. Chips, maybe? Or some cookies? Anything to satisfy this sudden craving.

But my heart nearly leapt out of my chest as I suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of multiple male voices from the living room. Frowning, I tried to place them - none of my friends sounded like that.

Our parents were still away on their honeymoon, so it couldn't be them either. Which left only one horrifying possibility...

I slowly crept up to the door and peered inside, cursing under my breath when I laid eyes on Rouge, surrounded by his stupid cronies. What the actual f**k?

What the hell was Rouge doing here with his friends? I thought he always went out at night - why bring them back to our house instead? And without even bothering to tell me first?

We lived together now, so he could have at least consulted me before inviting a bunch of randos over. But no, that would require him to give a single f**k about my feelings or boundaries.

I clenched my fists in frustration. No one knew we were step-siblings yet, and I wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. The last thing I needed was for Rouge's loser friends to know that we were living on the same roof.

How was I going to get out of here without being seen? I couldn't let them know I was here - they didn't need to find out about our living situation, and I was definitely not dressed appropriately!

I glanced around frantically, trying to come up with an escape plan. Should I hide behind the counter? No, they'd spot me for sure if any of them came in here. Under the table? Too risky they might look down.

My heart was pounding as I ran through my limited options. If any of them found me half-dressed like this, it would raise all kinds of awkward questions. Think, think...there had to be a way out of this mess!

“Oh, what a sight.”