Romance: TOXIC (Forbidden, Pregnancy, Taboo Romance, Stepbrother Romance, New Adult Short Stories) by Celia Styles Page A
Authors: Celia Styles
Ads: Link
of Melina Ahearn.
And there wasn’t much. In the wake of his mother’s death, they had cleared out everything that might be a painful reminder: her clothes, her glasses, her cosmetics. Only her books remained, and that too because Matthew had put his foot down. They now resided in his room, the only remnants of his mother he was left with.
So Matthew checked if the lights and heating in the room were working, if the cupboards were empty and if the restroom was clean. Wondering what young whatever-his-name-was would be like and how he would treat this room, he shut the door behind him and went downstairs.
His father had prepared a scrumptious dinner for the four of them. Troubled though his relationship with Arnold Ahearn was, Matthew had to admit that the heartless bugger was a darned gifted cook. Amidst all the confusion about the wedding and the fights with his father, he had completely forgotten that today was St Patrick’s Day, and it was only upon seeing the mouth-watering Shepherd’s Pie, Potato Scones, Corn Beef and Steak & Guinness Pie that he remembered. Realizing that if nothing else, at the least the food would be worth tolerating Amanda and his mysterious stepbrother, Matthew felt his spirits rise considerably.
Around an hour later, the doorbell rang. Arnold got up to get it, and Matthew’s attention was focused on the dining table. But he couldn’t deny that he was slightly curious to know what his sort-of-family was like. He remembered Amanda McLoughlin from the pictures his father had shown him, but he had no idea what his stepbrother looked like.
Matthew’s speculation came to an end as Amanda and her son burst through their door. They were both carrying a duffel bag and suitcase each, and Arnold ran to envelop Amanda in his arms.
“Hello, laddie,” Arnold said to the boy once he was done with kissing his mother.
“Um…hello, Mr. Ahearn,” he said. Matthew couldn’t help but notice that he had a deep voice for someone his age, and the Scottish accent gave his voice a pleasing guttural edge. Suddenly, his father’s second marriage didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.
“Meet my son, the reclusive Matthew,” his father said, indicating where he was sitting. Remembering his manners, he got up and walked towards them.
“Erm. Nice to meet you finally, Amanda,” he said, extending his hand.
“You too, Matthew. He seems like a fine boy,” she said, looking at Arnold. “I don’t know why you kept warning me about his standoffishness.”
Matthew shot his father a dirty glance, but his stepbrother’s voice turned his gaze away from Arnold.
“Hi, Matthew. I’m Charles,” he said, employing that intriguing voice. For a moment, Matthew forgot where he was.
He hurriedly shoved his hand into Charles’ outstretched palm, and was surprised to discover how warm and soft his hands were. He allowed himself to look at Charles’ face properly, and noticed that he had beautiful hazel eyes. His forehead had a few beads of sweat, from carrying all the luggage, and a drop of sweat was making its way down his nose. Matthew had a sudden urge to wipe it off, but wisely kept his hand in Charles’.
“Hullo?” Charles called out, trying to withdraw his hand from Matthew’s. It was then that Matthew realized that he had lost track of the time, and had been holding Charles’ hand for far longer than would’ve been polite.
“I’m so sorry…got a bit…distracted,” he said, licking his lips. All of a sudden, all the air seemed to have gone out of the room, and the feeling of Charles’ hand in his was all that he felt aware of. Wanted to feel aware of.
Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand from Charles’, and croaked out a “Nice to meet you.”
Charles nodded, looking a little befuddled, and if Matthew was being honest, slightly creeped out. Fear and anxiety clenched at his stomach, and he resolved to never let his guard down in front of Charles again. He couldn’t know. No
And there wasn’t much. In the wake of his mother’s death, they had cleared out everything that might be a painful reminder: her clothes, her glasses, her cosmetics. Only her books remained, and that too because Matthew had put his foot down. They now resided in his room, the only remnants of his mother he was left with.
So Matthew checked if the lights and heating in the room were working, if the cupboards were empty and if the restroom was clean. Wondering what young whatever-his-name-was would be like and how he would treat this room, he shut the door behind him and went downstairs.
His father had prepared a scrumptious dinner for the four of them. Troubled though his relationship with Arnold Ahearn was, Matthew had to admit that the heartless bugger was a darned gifted cook. Amidst all the confusion about the wedding and the fights with his father, he had completely forgotten that today was St Patrick’s Day, and it was only upon seeing the mouth-watering Shepherd’s Pie, Potato Scones, Corn Beef and Steak & Guinness Pie that he remembered. Realizing that if nothing else, at the least the food would be worth tolerating Amanda and his mysterious stepbrother, Matthew felt his spirits rise considerably.
Around an hour later, the doorbell rang. Arnold got up to get it, and Matthew’s attention was focused on the dining table. But he couldn’t deny that he was slightly curious to know what his sort-of-family was like. He remembered Amanda McLoughlin from the pictures his father had shown him, but he had no idea what his stepbrother looked like.
Matthew’s speculation came to an end as Amanda and her son burst through their door. They were both carrying a duffel bag and suitcase each, and Arnold ran to envelop Amanda in his arms.
“Hello, laddie,” Arnold said to the boy once he was done with kissing his mother.
“Um…hello, Mr. Ahearn,” he said. Matthew couldn’t help but notice that he had a deep voice for someone his age, and the Scottish accent gave his voice a pleasing guttural edge. Suddenly, his father’s second marriage didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.
“Meet my son, the reclusive Matthew,” his father said, indicating where he was sitting. Remembering his manners, he got up and walked towards them.
“Erm. Nice to meet you finally, Amanda,” he said, extending his hand.
“You too, Matthew. He seems like a fine boy,” she said, looking at Arnold. “I don’t know why you kept warning me about his standoffishness.”
Matthew shot his father a dirty glance, but his stepbrother’s voice turned his gaze away from Arnold.
“Hi, Matthew. I’m Charles,” he said, employing that intriguing voice. For a moment, Matthew forgot where he was.
He hurriedly shoved his hand into Charles’ outstretched palm, and was surprised to discover how warm and soft his hands were. He allowed himself to look at Charles’ face properly, and noticed that he had beautiful hazel eyes. His forehead had a few beads of sweat, from carrying all the luggage, and a drop of sweat was making its way down his nose. Matthew had a sudden urge to wipe it off, but wisely kept his hand in Charles’.
“Hullo?” Charles called out, trying to withdraw his hand from Matthew’s. It was then that Matthew realized that he had lost track of the time, and had been holding Charles’ hand for far longer than would’ve been polite.
“I’m so sorry…got a bit…distracted,” he said, licking his lips. All of a sudden, all the air seemed to have gone out of the room, and the feeling of Charles’ hand in his was all that he felt aware of. Wanted to feel aware of.
Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand from Charles’, and croaked out a “Nice to meet you.”
Charles nodded, looking a little befuddled, and if Matthew was being honest, slightly creeped out. Fear and anxiety clenched at his stomach, and he resolved to never let his guard down in front of Charles again. He couldn’t know. No
Similar Books
