Beware Sexy Evil Stepbrother

Chapter 39 - The Unraveling

I sat in the car, my heart pounding loudly in my chest, the seconds ticking by like an eternity. Blake had gone inside to talk to Devin, and the anticipation was eating me alive. The weight of everything that happened at school and Devin disappearing when I needed him pressed down on me, suffocating me with doubt and hurt.

"No," I whispered to myself, trying to convince my racing mind.

Devin wouldn't do that to me... But they all know about it...

Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.

I needed Devin to tell me it wasn't true. He will tell me it's not true... I repeated like a mantra, trying to steady my trembling hands.

Summoning all my courage, I got out of the car and approached the front door. Blake had left it slightly open. I crept in and walked towards the living room where I could hear Blake's voice. I stood beside a pillar, hidden in the shadows where they couldn't see me. The scene that unfolded before me was one of raw emotion and pain. Devin looked shattered, haunted by his past and tormented by guilt. Blake, his usually confident and cheerful demeanor, seemed desperate to reach him, to break through the walls Devin had erected around himself.

"Dev, you can't keep shutting people out, especially not Sam," Blake said firmly. "She cares about you, and I know you care about her too... you can't just ignore that."

Devin looked up, his eyes filled with a storm of pain and turmoil. "I'm not the guy for her. I'm broken, and I'll only end up hurting her. Or worse, she'll end up dead because of me."

My heart clenched at his words, feeling the weight of his self-loathing and suffering. I wanted to rush in, to hold him, and tell him that we could face whatever demons together. But I couldn't move, my heart breaking into pieces.

Blake shifted, looking down on Devin with pain in his eyes. "Dev, Toby's—"

Devin's voice cut through the air like a knife. "Toby died because of me." He continued, his tone hollow. "It's my fault," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the tense room. "Toby's death... it's all my fault."

"Sam needs to get the hell away from me. I'll just hurt her like I hurt everything I touch."

"That's not for you to decide, mate. Sam can make her own choices, and she's chosen to be with you..."

Devin's expression twisted in anguish. "No. I made her choose me... I seduced her to be with me!"

His words struck me like a dagger, and I felt a mix of betrayal and heartache. My legs trembled, and I fought the urge to collapse as my mind reeled with the implications of his confession.

"Fuck, Dev. Don't do this to yourself, mate. I know you love her..." Blake's voice was tinged with his own frustration, unable to watch his cousin unravel like this.

"What the hell do you know?!" Devin exploded from the couch, his voice reverberating with raw, fierce intensity. "Tell me, Blake, what do you really know? Did you even fucking realize that Logan and I made a bet? A goddamn bet that I could seduce Sam and make her fall for me?"

Blake stayed silent as Devin met his eyes, his gaze void of any emotion, and said words that drove the dagger further into my bleeding heart. "This is all a game, Blake. All a game."

The revelation hit me like a tidal wave, and I gasped in shock. The world around me seemed to shatter, and I clung to the doorframe for support. It couldn't be true... Could it?

"It is true. I heard about it." A familiar female voice echoed in the room.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Kathryn?" Blake's voice now dripped with anger.

"Easy, tiger... Devin called me." She smiled, her hand gliding possessively over Devin's shoulders, her finger slowly dragging down the center of his bare chest, stopping at his navel.

"You fucker!" Blake pushed Devin, but Devin didn't budge. Seething, Blake turned to Kathryn. "You. I know why you're here. Drew called off the engagement, so you ran back to claim the second prize!"

"Jeez..." Kathryn said, rolling her eyes.

"Are you done? Because if you are, I suggest you leave now before I forget that we're mates." Devin's voice was like ice.

"Look, Dev. I came here with Sam. She's waiting outside..."

"What the fuck?! Why would you bring her here?! Fuck, Blake, I don't want to talk to her right now. I can't talk to her right now..."

I couldn't stay hidden any longer. Stepping forward, I walked into the living room, tears streaming down my face. "You don't need to... I heard everything," I said, my voice trembling.

Devin's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw the hurt in his gaze before it turned cold, a shield of indifference falling over his features. I waited for him to speak, to reason out, but he didn't. My heart ached, torn between wanting to run to him and wanting to run away. But his silence said more than words ever could. It was as if he was a rock, incapable of any emotions. Looking behind him, I saw Kathryn's hands still resting on Devin's shoulders. When I met her eyes, she smirked at me, like saying she won.

I met those liquid grey eyes one last time... nothing. I got nothing still, and that was my answer. The world seemed to collapse around me, and I whispered with a broken voice, "Blake, can you take me home now, please?"