Tasting 161

161–My Stepbrothers Take Care Of Me

Nora:

“That was pretty crazy how Ryker didn’t even care what he was saying,” I had to let her out. I

needed someone to talk to.

“And yet again, he had to lay out those rules for me to follow before he accepts me,” I scoffed,

shaking my head aggressively as I paced around from one corner of the room to the other.

“I wonder why,” she uttered.

“Because he’s embarrassed of us. How many times do I have to remind you that he’s already

accepted that he’s embarrassed of us?” I hissed at her, breathing heavily like a bull.

“Oh, right,” she sighed slyly

That’s when my phone beeped, and I noticed a notification from at group chat. I didn’t remember

being in a group chat at all. I frowned and stared at the group before cautiously opening it.

My heart dropped when I saw my school fellows‘ names in the group chat. They were all chanting

some pretty outrageous words at me.

Maleeka: I heard Natlaya has some proof. I bet it’s a sex tape.

John: If she was so horny, she could have asked me. I would have lent her my dick for a night.

Mikal: For a night? Dude! Have you seen her? She looks like a sex goddess. I think she would need

more than one night to be satisfied.

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My cheeks turned red as I kept reading the chat, and tears welled up in my eyes again. I didn’t want

this reputation, but what could be done?

I quickly exited the group, but they added me back again. I had to leave again and then uninstall

and shut down my phone.

Tears streamed down my face at this point, but my biggest fear lay in the first message I had read in

the group.

“Natalya has some proof. What kind of proof could it be?” I bit my bottom lip, feeling sick with

worry.

“Hey, calm down. Maybe she’s bluffing. Why would she even have proof?” Akira suggested, but my

heart told me she must have something to make such a crazy claim.

“Akira! I feel like the walls are closing in on me,” I gulped and sank to my knees.

“Hey! Calm down. It’s because you’re worrying too much. How about we take a cold shower–” her

voice started to fade as the world around me began to shake.

It was so bad that I had to place my hand on the floor to keep my balance. With shaky hands, I

adjusted the ring back on, and that was all I could do before a scream escaped my lips and my

body limped to the ground.

I felt numb. I couldn’t move a muscle, but I hadn’t passed out. The next thing I knew, there was a

knock on my door.

“Nora! Are you okay?” Nash called from the other side of the door.

I could only blink because my body was frozen. I opened my mouth, but only weird noises came

out.

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No, I was not okay. I desperately wanted someone to come to my

rescue.

“Why are you outside her room?” All I could do was listen to them talk. It was Ryker asking Nash.

My stomach was turning upside down, compelling me to throw up, but if I did, I would choke on it

and probably die.

Should I twist the ring on my finger again? But it hadn’t helped when I was falling down.

“I heard her scream, so I thought she might have injured herself,” Nash muttered from the other

side.

“What? And you’re knocking on her door asking if she’s fine? Fucking step aside,” Ryker yelled,

clearly losing his temper.

“Ryker, let me ask her again–” Nash began to argue, but Ryker hushed him with a grunt.

“As if an injured or passed–out person would respond to you,” Ryker retorted.

Thankfully, Ryker didn’t hesitate. With one firm push, he broke down my door. Now, I could see the

figures of two broad, tall men enter my room and gasp at the sight of me. It was as though I had

been keeping myself awake because I was worried nobody would find me. But the moment they

did, my eyes gave up on me, and I rested peacefully. I could only feel myself being lifted from the

ground and placed on a much softer surface.

My body relaxed, and the feeling of nausea subsided, but I was still too weak to move a muscle.

I drifted in and out of sleep several times. During one of my brief

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moments of wakefulness, I managed to open my eyes. I heard noises and understood that they

were taking care of me.

“But what could have happened to her?” Nash asked someone while I was awake again, though my

eyes remained closed.

“I’m checking her phone, but I need a code,” Ryker said.

“Don’t just do that,” Nash argued.

“Wait, I’ve got an idea.” I heard Ryker say before feeling him touch my hand and press my finger

against my phone’s screen.

I was in disbelief, but Ryker would never breach someone’s privacy. I was glad Nash was on my

side.

“Tell me you didn’t just do that,” Nash grunted.

“You want me to lie to you?” Ryker’s nonchalant tone didn’t surprise me at all. Then I heard him grit

his teeth so loudly that even I wondered what he found on my phone.

“These fucking assholes,” Ryker’s tone was harsh, and I could tell he had found the group chat.

“Show me,” Nash sounded curious. “Oh! Somebody is getting a fist down his throat,” his comment

followed immediately.

“Give me that phone,” finally, it was Cain’s voice. So I assumed he had just arrived.

I felt the bed bounce slightly and could guess Cain had thrown the phone on the mattress.

“Dad is not well either. Silas is checking on him, so after he’s done with Dad, he’ll come take a look

at her,” Cain uttered, still using a very

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calm tone.

Did none of my misery bother him at all? I didn’t know if I should be mad at Ryker for being

overprotective or at Cain for not caring at all.

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