My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 35

Gianna

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I slammed the door to the small apartment we all shared. My hands were still shaking, and the spot on my chest where his knuckles had brushed felt like it was on fire.

I pressed my palm there again without thinking, then again like maybe if I rubbed the spot enough it would erase the feeling.

It didn’t.

I could still feel it.

His hand.

"G, what's wrong, sugar?" Mama D said, looking up from the kitchen table.

They were all there. The whole group. Tasha was painting her nails on the couch, Em and Jasmine were using their phones, and Bri and Morgan Lee were sharing a bag of chips. They all looked up at once, their smiles fading when they saw my face. My hair was falling out of the tight bun, and I looked like I had just escaped a car wreck.

"I hate them," I choked out. My voice was thick with a rage so hot I thought I might actually throw up, "I hate every single one of them. They are all pigs. Every man on this earth is a disgusting, power-hungry pig."

"Whoa, G, what happened?" Tasha asked, dropping her nail polish. She stood up and pulled me toward the couch.

I fell onto the cushions, my folder hitting the floor with a loud thud. I couldn't stop shaking. The image of Raphael’s cold, dark eyes kept flashing in my head.

"The interview," I started, I had already texted them last night, telling them all about it. My breath coming in short gasps, "Raphael. He... he’s a monster. I was struggling to breathe because I was so nervous, and I unbuttoned a few buttons of my shirt. Just to get some air, you know what I'm like when I'm nervous. I wasn't thinking. I was just trying to survive the test."

Tasha shifted on the sofa, her dark eyes looking at me with a mix of love and worry. She didn't look angry anymore. She looked sad.

"G," Tasha said softly, leaning forward. "What he did was trash. Raphael sounds like a bully, and he’s using his power to mess with your head. But you can't let him turn your heart into stone."

I pulled back from Mama D’s hug, my eyes hard, "All men are like that, Tasha. They just hide it better until they have you in a corner."

Tasha shook her head slowly, "That’s not true, and you know it. You’re starting to sound like you hate the whole world. That kind of anger... it's like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It’s only going to hurt you, Gianna. It’s going to make you lonely and bitter."

"She’s right, baby," Mama D added, as she rubbed my shoulder with her warm hand, "Don't let one bad man or even two make you blind to the good ones. There are men out there who don't want to own you. They want to stand beside you."

"Maybe you should try being with someone," Em suggested, "Not someone like your step brothers... or him. Someone who is just a normal guy."