Page 83 of Heartless Stepbrother
He turned slightly toward me, thigh brushing mine, shoulder warm against my shoulder. Too close. Too certain. Too much.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Answering them,” he said. “Properly.”
His thumbs moved over the screen.
Not rushed.
Not careless.
Precision. Selected words.
Like he was crafting the version of the truth he wanted them to have.
I froze, breath stuck high in my ribs.
He typed into the group chat.
‘Torture’ means he’s not the kind of guy I should be around.
My heart slammed.
“No—Riley, don’t—“
He held up one finger without looking at me.
Wait.
Then he continued typing.
But I can’t seem to stay away from him.
Heat shot through my chest. Anger, embarrassment, and something else I refused to name.
I reached for the phone.
He didn’t let me near it.
His voice dropped, almost amused. “You started this conversation with them, Luna. I’m just adding clarity.”
Before I could speak, he typed again.
He’s not just hot. He’s the kind of hot that gets under your skin.
My breath caught.
“Riley—“
He ignored me.
The kind you notice in a room even when you don’t want to.The kind that makes everything feel… complicated.
He stopped typing.
But he didn’t send it.
Not yet.
