In Love With My Evil Stepbrother
Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Under the Same Roof

I let him take me home eventually.

I know this is a terrible idea and the wise thing to do is go replace a place on my own and stay as far fromhim as possible. But so many ups and downs in one night, my head has already stopped functioning. SoI go for the easy option.

Not surprisingly, he lives in the fanciest place in the Upper East side. His apartment is huge and well-decorated, just like the one he had in Boston.

I carefully step into the foyer, feeling both awkward and nervous. I glance around the spacious livingroom and notice no sign of trances of a woman.

So he and his girlfriend don’t live together.

“Why are you still standing there?” he turns around and smiles at me. “Come on in.”

I slowly inake my way into the open kitchen, staring at him as he opens the fridge and gets me a bottle ofwater, and asks, “Are you sure your girlfriend won’t mind?”

He shirugs, “Why should she mind?”

“Because if my boyfriend brought a someone home without asking me first, I would be pretty annoyed,which is how most people would react?” I point out the obvious

He slightly raises his eyebrows, giving no comments on my concern. And again, that makes me evenmore curious about his relationship with his girlfriend. First he totally ignored her in

the restaurant twice, then lie brought me liome without telling her, which all seem very absurd

“Don’t worry. We just started dating. Nothing serious just yet,” he leans against the kitchen counter, hisgreen eyes fixing on me. “So, speaking of which, how are things going between you and Liam?”

I’m little thrown off by his question, “…Me and Liam?”

His lips curves in a faint smile, “Helad a thing for you three years ago. Did that thing develop intoanything serious for you two?” I bite down my bottom lips, feeling very uncomfortable about where thisconversation is going

“He’s only my brother,” I quickly answer trying to dodge around the subject

“But did he make any moves?” Yet he is not letting go.

I take in a deep sigli and start to feel frustrated. “Eason, it’s been a long day. Do you really want to standhere and ask me about -” He cuts me off before I finish, “Do you feel uncomfortable talking to me aboutthis?”

He has been polite and gentle since we met, but that seulence reminds me of the old him, the aggressiveand condescending version of liim.

I frown and reinine silent.

He stares al me intensely, studying every detail of the look on my face, and then suddenly be smiles,“sorry for crossing the line. But I thought since we’ve both moved on already, it’d be

OK for me to ask.” “Ask something else,” I say gruffly. He chuckles lowly, “OK I will.”

He says nothing else and shows me to the guest room. I take a quick shower and finally lie down on thebed.

A million things happened today, meeting Eason again, losing my job, being kicked out of my apartmentand staying at Eason’s… I suddenly remembered that three years ago I also spent a night at his place

after lighting with my parents; he kissed me in front of all his friends, which was the start of our toxicrelationship.

Now things seem to circle back to the same spot, except that we both have changed.

#

##

The next morning, I wake up at 9. Going into the living room, I replace him standing beside the kitchencounter in his gym clothes and sneakers and checking his phone.

“Morning,” he turns around and greets me with a smile. “Coffee?” I walk to him, “Yes please.”

He pours me a cup and asks, “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes. Thank you again for letting me stay.”

“No problem. So do you have anything planned out today? Because I -” My phone starts ringing beforehe finishes. I give him an apologetic smile and turns around to pick up, “Hello? Liam?”

I didn’t notice that Eason’s face quickly drops hearing Liam’s name.

“Natalia! Why didn’t you answer my call yesterday? Did something happen?”

A lot of things happened, but I didn’t want liim to worry. “No! I was just busy with work. So what’s up?”

“Mom mailed me the Christmas sweater and some handmade pastries. But she accidently sent yours tome. So I’m mailing your to you now. Same address?” “Ummm…” I hesitate.

No way I’m letting him know that I’m homeless now. “I moved actually,” I stutter. “You don’t need to sendanything to me. You can keep them.”

“Why would I keep a petite size girl’s sweater? And inom would kill me if you don’t get to taste herpastries,” he laughs. “You moved? What’s your new address then?” “My new address – “I take a quickglance at Eason, who is staring at me with his arms crossed, and then says, “-I’ll text you my newaddress.” “Awesome. Don’t forget to call miom when you have time. She really misses you. Bye,Natalia.” i hang up and Eason immediately demands, “Liam? What does he want?”

I slightly frown at his tone, “Nothing. So where were we…oh right. I’ll go apartment hunting today.Hopefully I can replace a place to stay, and I’ll move out as soon as possible. I promise. I

won’t bother you for too long.” His jaw tenses. The look on his face is hardly pleasant. After a shortpause, he shrugs and says coldly, “whatever.”

He tums to leave for the bathroom and stops the inidway, “you can give him the address here. It’s notthat easy to replace a new apartment in a rusli.” I was hoping that he was wrong about the new apartmentthing. But after a few days’ trying, I am forced to admit that lie was right.

It’s very hard to replace a suitable apartment, especially since I have a very tight budget. My only two optionsare sharing a small apartinent with four boys with no private bathroom or living in another state, whichisn’t that cheap if I count in the traveling expense.

Besides the apartment, I also need a new job. And the worst thing is, my finals are quickly approaching. Imust inake time to study if I don’t want to fail my classes.

Every morning when I get up at 6, it is go go go. Calling for job interviews, making appointments withapartment agents, preparing for my finals…I’m so busy that I even forget the last time I stop to take abreath.

Luckily, Eason isn’t home much. He also has schoolwork, and he has business stuffs to manage. Webarely see nor speak to each other, which is a good thing because that means don’t need to face his

awkward questions and I get to have the whole apartment to myself

A week has passed. And it is Friday again.

i have made zero process on the apartment thing. I feel exhausted and am desperately in need for a littlebreak. So after school, I made a stop at the grocery store, planning on making mysell a dinner, becausegods know when was the last time I sat down for a proper meal.

While I am shopping, Eason calls in

“Hey. What are you doing?”

“Shopping for dinner. Oh, can I use your kitchen?” I ask.

“Of course, you don’t need to ask for my permission,” he says. “Are you just making dinner for yourself?”

“Yeah. It’s not like I have a guest. Unless you are coming home for dinner.”

He pauses for a short moment and then says, “I am coming home for dinner, actually.”

“What?” now it’s my turn to be surprised. His background sounds very buzzing, so I was assuming thathe must be at a dinner party or a gala now. And I recalled that he carried a suitcase with him thismorning, so I thought he would be out of town tonight. “You are coming home? But – Where are younow?”

“I’m…I’m in another city for a meeting. But I am flying back today and will get back home before 10,” hisbreathing sounds a bit rushed. “Can you make dinner for two?”

“OK. Not a problem. See you later.”

He sounds weird. If he’s not spending the night in another city, why bothered carrying a suitcase? Ipurchase all ingredients I need and head back home. Now that I think about it, I haven’t

cooked for him before. So I decide to make him my famous dish, seafood spaghetti with apple pie asdesert, as a little thank you for letting me stay at his house.

Time flies back while I am cooking. When I check the time again, it’s already 9:30. He should be homesoon. I wipe my hands and decide to call him asking how far away lie is.

And just then, the doorbell buzzes.

“I was just about to call you!” I rush to the door yelling. “Did your forget your ke-” Yet the final wordvanishes as soon as I see who is outside of the door. It’s a tall guy with dark hair and dark eyes, dressedin a black coat. He smiles at me and bends down to hug me, but I am too stunned to say anything. “HeyNatalia. Happy to see me?” “L-Liam!” I stammer, totally panicked. “What brought you here?”