Page 53 of The Stepbrother 2: Noah

“And who is this?”

“We meant to tell you. Your grandfather sent for his nurse. His gout acts up from time to time. We didn’t want to have to put the responsibility of taking care of him on your wife."

They invited a stranger to my house? I sighed.

When I stepped from behind Noah, his grandmother's mouth pulled into a smirk when she saw me.

“This is Elin.” She moved so we could see her.

A petite blonde with huge boobs and light blue eyes stepped into view. She was gorgeous.

I chuckled, just loud enough to make Noah look down at me, curiosity in his eyes. Not interest, not lust—he was wondering why I was laughing. I shook my head, thinking to myself. His grandmother was a trip. I saw her plan a mile away. By some chance, Noah did cheat on me with her little plant, they still wouldn't have access to my company. Sure, Noah had me a bit dick-dizzy, but I was my mother's child. He signed a real, iron-clad prenup. He'd leave with what he came with if he did leave.

I had nothing to worry about, really. I put on a fake smile and said, "Welcome."

Time was a mighty revealer. Soon Noah would see his family wasn’t up to any good. And I'd count the next few months as a lesson for us on how not to be toxic, entitled, manipulative, and greedy.

I also thought maybe it was time to call Daddy and take him up on the family therapy. He said we could all do it over Zoom. It would be irresponsible of me to bring my baby into my family without at least trying to repair it.

My fake smile actually turned into a real one as I made my way upstairs, leaving Noah with his company. I wanted to pat myself on the back. I was actually maturing.

Creed-

It couldn’t have been more than seven in the morning when I felt a gentle nudge. My eyes fluttered open, and I found Noah, fully dressed in a navy blue polo and black jeans. He stood beside the bed and whispered down at me, "Wake up, I have something to show you."

I frowned, pushing my head further into the pillow. I was still annoyed with him and his family, so I had gone to bed early the night before.

“Please, Creed. I swear it’ll be worth it. It’s a surprise."

Damn him. He knew I liked surprises.

I sat up. "What is it?" I asked, curious despite my anger.

"Just come with me," he said, a smirk playing on his lips.

I gave him the finger before swinging my legs over the side of the bed. “I’ll get dressed.”

“No. Don’t. You can keep on your ugly pajamas." He eyed them and frowned.

I snickered. They were red-striped flannel, covering nearly every inch of my body below my neck. My grandma had given them to me for Christmas. Noah hated them. I did take off my hair bonnet and switched out my house slippers for Nike slides.

I followed him out of the house and into the crisp morning air. We drove in silence, the traffic not yet overflowing. I watched out the window as the city slowly came to life around us. Eventually, we pulled up in front of a duplex.

Noah got out and came around to open the car door for me. I was so confused, but I let him lead me inside.

"Whose house is this?" It was nice. It was decorated in a maximalist style meant to boost serotonin, with bright colors and mismatched patterns. It looked like my Pinterest board. The walls were painted in a kaleidoscope of bright, cheerful colors. High-end mismatched rugs and furniture took up the center of the room. A winding bookshelf that looked like stairs sat in the back of the room, filled with books.

"This is for you," he said, handing me a key. "I know you don’t like my family being here, and I’m sorry about yesterday. There's a method to my madness when dealing with them. If you bear with me until I do what I need to do… I’ll love you even after eternity." He stared down at me.

I was taken aback. "Why all this? When did you do this?" I had questions I wanted to ask him about what he meant by dealing with his grandparents, but I swallowed those. I would step in only if he asked me.

“This is a wedding gift. I showed a decorator your Pinterest board, gave her my card, and she did this. Do you like it? You and Tempest can come here for your girls' nights, and you can have book club or whatever here. I know you like to run away sometimes. Now you can run away, but I’ll be okay because I know you’re here, safe."

“Wow. I don’t even know what to say." I really didn’t.

“Say nothing." He leaned down and pecked me on the lips, then took the keys from my hand and laid them down. He guided me to the kitchen, where a breakfast spread awaited. Fresh fruit, pastries, eggs, and coffee—all my favorites.

After breakfast, a professional manicurist and masseuse arrived, turning the apartment into a mini-spa. I was pampered thoroughly, with a manicure and pedicure followed by a relaxing massage. The tension I hadn't realized I was carrying began to melt away.

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