Chapter 23
Jasmine's POV
I woke up before my alarm even sounded, to go to school.
It had been that way since Saturday morning when I returned from the cottage with Hardin, no longer a virgin.
I had thought that there was something that would change in my face or skin when I finally did what others my age had been doing for a very long time.
But instead there was nothing but a hollowness in my chest because I couldn't even be happy about what had happened when the next morning, I had to remind myself that the person that had been my first hated me beyond redemption.
And it wasn't like I was head over heels in love with him either like all those novels that I had read made the female lead to be. Hardin made it really hard to like him.
He had looked so shocked like it was impossible for me to even be a virgin and had completely shut down on me. The entire drive back, he had not said a word as if I was someone that had ceased to exist the moment he realized that whatever image he had made of me in his head had fractured.
He had dropped me back at the house and the last I had seen of him was when he stopped his aunt from prying into what I was wearing, which had been a dress that he had given me in the cottage since he had ruined mine.
Last I had heard from my mum, he had left the house since then and had not spent the rest of the weekend at home.
I felt so many confusing emotions and I needed someone to talk to about everything but I could not even talk to my best friend, Nadia without disclosing that I had slept with Hardin, my own stepbrother. And Nadia was someone I knew quite well. The minute I divulged that I was no longer a virgin, she would prod and pry and eventually make me spill the entire truth. The consequence being that Hardin would make me pay for something like that.
Shaking my head, I decided to go down and help my mother arrange breakfast before I headed to school.
My mother smiled brightly when I came down and pulled me in for a hug and when I pulled back, I studied her face.
I knew that my mother acted a lot more cautious these days since Lisa came to live with us. Thankfully since the last time I had seen her with Hardin, she had gone to pay a visit to an old friend in the next town and had only returned last night. I was sure that it was why my mother was looking a bit brighter now and more of herself.
"Did you sleep well?" She asked and when I nodded, she gave me what to assist her with in the kitchen.
Telling me about the latest that had happened in the elementary school where she worked, we made a quick job of fixing breakfast and were arranging the dining table when Hardin walked into the house.
He looked even more handsome than should have been humanly possible and I wondered why someone like him had to go and look like that.
Pausing when he saw us, he nodded curtly and turned to head upstairs when my mother called out to him.
"Hardin, hey, you're right on time. Come and join us for breakfast." She said and Hardin shook his head immediately.
"Thanks but I'm not hungry." He answered and turned around to head up the stairs.
Bending to tie his loose shoelace, my mother looked at me and I shook my head because I saw the determination in her eyes.
I had not been able to tell her that it had taken a lot for Hardin to eat the lunch that she had packed that one time for him and now that she looked so excited to feed him, I knew it was a bad idea even before she walked up to meet him.
Stopping in front of Hardin, she smiled.
"Son, I know that you might not be hungry now but breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you would be thankful later that you were able to eat two spoons."
"I'm not hungry" He snapped and just as my mother placed a hand on his shoulder, I saw Lisa at the head of the stairs watching the interaction.
"But, son..."
Hardin slapped away my mother's hand and growled.
"You are not my mother, Camila. And you might love to play house and act like you really belong here with your daughter but I'm not buying any of the bullshit. Keep your food and your hands away from me. My father might have fallen for your act but trust that I will never let you sink your claws into me just like you did to him. Don't touch me again." He yelled and climbed up the stairs quickly.
My mouth fell open in shock and fear because this outburst was so unexpected.
And when I looked up to where Lisa was watching, I saw her lips tilted up in a smirk.
She walked in the direction of where Hardin had gone and I rushed to reach my mother, seeing her eyes filled with tears.
"Mum, don't listen to him" I whispered, feeling the anger in my chest rise. How could he be so callous?
My mother feigned a smile and nodded.
"I'm fine. Let me quickly get something in the kitchen. Give me a minute."
Before I could respond, she fled to the kitchen and despite the fact that I knew that calling Hardin out on his bullshit would not end well, I could not just let this insult to my mother slide.
Running up the stairs, I walked up to his room to tell him a piece of my mind but stopped just in front of the door when I found it slightly ajar.
"You did a good job giving her a piece of your mind and putting her in her place. Her and that kid of hers do not belong here. And I hope that you do not forget this at any point in time." Lisa said and I gasped, turning around and heading down the stairs before they would find out that I had overheard anything.
I didn't know why a part of me wanted to believe that Hardin had actively stopped hating us here.
When I got downstairs, I saw two lunchboxes and my eyes went wide with surprise when my mother quickly wiped her tears immediately she saw me.
"Mum, you're crying"
She shrugged and shoved the boxes in my hands.
"For you and Hardin. Make sure to give it to him, okay? The kid has not been eating well or at all. And I'm worried that he might break down soon."
I fought the urge to point out to my mum that Hardin would probably still give the same answer and it might be even worse but I couldn't bring myself to hurt her more after what Hardin had done. She was too kind and didn't deserve any of the things that Hardin had said to her.
Sighing, I nodded because I wanted to speak to Hardin too. He didn't get to talk to my mother any how because he was hurting. My mother had done nothing wrong.
"Please don't cry again, okay?" I said as I collected the boxes and she nodded, wiping at her eyes and cleaning her tears.
"And let's keep what happened between us, okay? There's no point telling Russo any of this." She said and I nodded because I didn't want her to be sad.
But I knew that I would not let this matter die down like that. Not even because Hardin frightened me.
I waited for the first half of classes to be over, planning how I was going to approach Hardin and give him the lunchbox as well as speak to him about respecting my mother because she was a human being and didn't deserve what he had said.
"You look like you're about to fight a war." Nadia whispered during lunch and I shrugged, waiting for Hardin to enter the cafeteria.
When he did, I looked at my best friend.
"I'm going to speak to Hardin. You can eat from my lunch, if you want."
"Pfft, of course I want. Your mum's cooking is excellent." She said and I managed a smile even though I was a bundle of nerves as I approached Hardin's table.
"We need to talk." I said simply and when he raised his eyebrow, I shook my head.
"Not here."
The last thing I needed was an audience to hear about our family problems and be publicly embarrassed by Hardin.
Rising to his feet, he grabbed my arm and dragged me until we were in front of the closet.
Throwing me inside, he locked the door and rested against it.
"Speak." He ordered and I cleared my throat.
"You don't need to be so mean to my mother. She didn't do anything to you."
He looked at me for a bit before he laughed.
"Your mother's pussy may have my father whipped, but did you think yours would do the same to me? Is that why you're here telling me what to do and expecting me to obey you?" He growled and I shook my head, my eyes wide and face red with embarrassment.
"You are so twisted, Hardin. That's not what I said and you know it." I replied and his lips tilted in a smirk.
Grabbing my neck, he pushed me up against the wall and unbuckled the belt of his pants.
"I'm twisted, right? Let's see how twisted I can be inside that tight little pussy of yours." He growled and turned me around until my face was against the tile, shoving one hand into my skirt and rubbing my clit hard as he used the other hand to circle my nipple.
I bit down on my lip, swallowing the moan that threatened to escape from my mouth and shook as he rubbed at me roughly and before I could plead for mercy, his fingers entered my pussy to find it wet.
"You see, little slut? You're the one who cannot seem to resist this twisted cock." He growled and bit into my neck as he pushed his cock into my pussy from behind. While tears fell down my cheeks because I couldn't help but feel pleasure at his assault.
His hands continued to rub my clit and nipple as he pounded into me from behind hard and I could only hold on until he pulled out and turned me around, forcing me to my knees.
Slapping my face, he forced my mouth open and fucked my mouth until he was cumming and groaning as he spilled into the back of my throat.
When he was finished, he buckled up and abandoned me again in the closet. Like I meant nothing.