Claimed By My Stepbrother novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Camila POV

The rest of the meal passed in blessed silence, and as soon as my plate was empty, I excused myself, mumbling something about homework. I didn’t even bother waiting for his response before grabbing my bag and heading upstairs to

my room.

I closed the door behind me and let out a long sigh, leaning against it for a moment. My brain was still buzzing, the events of the day swirling around in a chaotic mess. Ethan, Tessa, Vanessa, the masked men- it was all too much.

I crossed the room and flopped onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. The words Ethan had said to me earlier echoed in my head. “Mate.”

I shivered, not sure if it was from fear or something else entirely.

What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

How was I supposed to deal with any of this?

Pulling my blanket up to my chin, I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the noise in my head. But even in the

silence, his voice lingered, a constant reminder that my life would never be normal again.

The next morning came way too quickly.

After dragging myself out of bed and into the shower, I felt a little more human- or as human as you can feel when your life’s a disaster. The hot water helped, though. It was one of the rare moments of peace I actually got these days. For

those ten minutes, I didn’t have to think about anything.

Once I was dressed and halfway resembling a functioning member of society, I grabbed my bag and headed out of my

room. I could already hear voices downstairs- Anya and what’s–his–name chatting like they were starring in some kind of morning sitcom. The smell of coffee wafted up the stairs, which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because coffee was life, and a curse because it meant I would have to deal with them to get it.

I sighed, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder as I made my way down the hall. The house was quieter than I

expected.

No loud music, no clattering dishes.

Just their voices, low and steady, as if they were in their own little world.

When I hit the bottom of the stairs, Anya spotted me immediately. “Morning, Camila!” she chirped, way too cheerful

for this hour.

I mumbled something that might’ve been “morning” and headed straight for the coffee pot. Anya’s boyfriend was

sitting at the kitchen table, scrolling on his phone. He glanced up when I walked in, offering me a polite nod.

“Morning,” he said, his voice as bland as his personality.

“Yeah,” I muttered, pouring myself a mug of coffee.

“Do you want breakfast?” Anya asked, holding up a plate of pancakes like it was some kind of prize.

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Chapter 59

“No, thanks,” I replied, taking a sip of my coffee. The bitter taste was exactly what I needed to wake up properly.

“You sure? They’re really good!”

“I’m good,” I insisted, backing toward the door.

Anya looked like she wanted to argue, but her boyfriend put a hand on her arm, giving her a look that said, Let it go. Bless him for that, at least.

I slipped out of the kitchen before she could try to force–feed me and headed for the front door. The cool morning air hit me as soon as I stepped outside, and I breathed it in like it was a lifeline.

This was better.

Quiet, calm, no one trying to make awkward conversation.

Just me and the world.

The walk to school was uneventful, and I was grateful for that. Lslung my backpack over my shoulder and trudged toward the building, blending in with the sea of students.

Inside, the familiar chaos of the school day greeted me- lockers slamming, friends laughing, teachers yelling at kids to get to class. It was comforting in a weird way, like a reminder that no matter how crazy my life was, some things stayed

the same.

I made my way to my locker, spinning the combination lock and yanking it open. As I shoved my books inside, I caught sight of Tessa down the hall. She waved enthusiastically, her grin as bright as ever.

“Camila!” she called, weaving through the crowd to reach me.

“Hey,” I greeted, closing my locker with a loud clang..

“Did you sleep okay?” she asked, her voice full of genuine concern.

I shrugged. “Define ‘okay.“”

She gave me a sympathetic look. “Rough night?”

“You could say that,” I muttered, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

Tessa looped her arm through mine as we headed to class, her presence oddly comforting. For all her quirks and occasional nosiness, she had a way of making everything feel a little less overwhelming.

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