𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙎𝙞𝙣 18+ | Standalone | The Kensington Series

chapter 16 : liked your post

Esmeralda's POV

The party died down, leaving just a few of us scattered around the house. I can still feel the buzz from the drinks, but I'm more clear-headed now. My phone is blowing up with messages from people posting pictures, tagging me—standard stuff. I scroll through mindlessly until I see one particular notification: Caleb liked your post.

My heart skips a beat, and I immediately hate myself for it. Why should I care? He's nothing but trouble. Yet, knowing that he saw it—saw Jason's arm around my shoulder, saw how much fun I was having without him—makes my pulse race.

I toss my phone aside and head to the bathroom, needing to splash some water on my face. Looking at myself in the mirror, I frown. My makeup is slightly smudged, but that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is how much Caleb's gotten under my skin.

He kissed me.

And I can't stop thinking about it. His lips on mine, the way he held me, the intensity of it all. It was like he wanted to claim me, to possess me. But Caleb's not the kind of guy who sticks around. He's the kind who breaks things. Like hearts. And yet...

I run my fingers through my hair, frustrated. I shouldn't be thinking about him like this. He's my stepbrother, for god's sake. And he's dangerous in more ways than one.

But even knowing all that doesn't stop the heat that pools in my stomach whenever I think about him. The kiss was a mistake, right? It had to be. Just a moment of weakness, that's all. A random moment fueled by too much alcohol and not enough sense.

A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts. "Esme, you okay in there?" It's Chloe, one of my friends who stuck around after the party.

"Yeah, I'm good!" I call out, quickly adjusting my dress and pulling myself together. I open the door, forcing a smile. "Just fixing up my makeup."

Chloe grins at me. "Girl, you don't need any fixing. You look amazing."

I laugh softly. "Thanks."

"Speaking of amazing..." she trails off, her grin widening. "That picture you posted with Jason? Hot. I mean, you two looked really cozy."

I roll my eyes. "It was nothing. We're just friends."

"Uh-huh, sure." Chloe raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "You didn't look like 'just friends' when he kissed you earlier."

I freeze for a second. "What?"

"Yeah, like, right after you posted that picture, he kissed you. Don't tell me you don't remember."

I blink, my mind racing. Jason kissed me? Again? I vaguely recall the last time he kissed me everything was a blur. "Oh... yeah. I guess I do remember."

Chloe laughs, shaking her head. "You're too funny. Anyway, I'm heading out. Text me later?"

"Yeah, definitely," I say, forcing another smile as she waves and heads out the door.

The moment she's gone, I slump onto the couch. Great. Now on top of everything else, I have to deal with Jason being interested in me. I like Jason, but not like that. And after that kiss... well, things are definitely going to get awkward.

But what's even more awkward is how my mind immediately drifts back to Caleb.

I grab my phone, my thumb hovering over his profile. I shouldn't do this. I shouldn't even be thinking about him. But my curiosity wins out, and I open his page. The latest post is a story—where a girl is on her knees, the caption is "women on their knees". I scoff, rolling my eyes. Of course, he's with her. She's his type, right? Blond. Gorgeous. Experienced. Everything I'm not.

Still, it stings.

I don't know why, but it does.

I throw my phone down and lie back on the couch, closing my eyes, trying to push all thoughts of him out of my head. But no matter how hard I try, the memory of his lips on mine, the feel of his hands on my skin, keeps creeping back.

I should hate him. I do hate him.

But god, why does it feel like I want more?

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Caleb's POV

Maddie's gone. Good riddance.

I sit on the edge of my bed, my head in my hands, still feeling the weight of Esmeralda lingering on my mind. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake her. It's like she's etched into my fucking brain.

Maddie was supposed to help me get her out of my system. But even as I was fucking her, all I could think about was Esme. The way she tasted, the way her body felt against mine. It's driving me insane.

I grab my phone again, scrolling through Instagram, looking at her latest post—her with Jason. My jaw tightens. The guy's all over her, grinning like he fucking owns her. Like he has any right to touch her.

I could break him. Snap him like a twig. He wouldn't stand a chance against me.

The thought of it makes me grin, but the heat in my chest only gets worse. I don't like this feeling—this jealousy, this possessiveness. It's foreign, unwelcome. I'm not the type to get worked up over a girl. I fuck, I move on. Simple.

But Esme? She's something else. Something I can't seem to let go of.

I scroll down to the comments on her post, and my blood boils when I see Jason's little heart emoji.

Fucking prick.

I throw my phone across the room, hearing it clatter against the wall. Fuck this. Fuck her. She's just a liability—nothing more. I need to stay focused. Esme's a distraction, and distractions get people killed.

But as much as I try to convince myself of that, I know deep down it's a lie.

I want her.

And I'm going to have her. One way or another.