Claimed By My Stepbrother novel Chapter 64

Chapter 64

texts.

Camila POV

Ethan was supposed to be the problem, not the solution to whatever mess my heart was making in my chest.

I turned onto my side and pulled out my phone, staring at the screen for a second before impulsively opening my

Tessa: Soo0000?

Tessa: Are we officially moving past the ‘Ethan is a stalker‘ phase and into the ‘Ethan is kinda hot phase?

Tessa: Because I saw that little moment you two had after school. And don’t even try to lie.

I rolled my eyes, typing out a response.

life.

Me: Shut up.

Tessa: Omg you didn’t even deny it. I KNEW I

I groaned and tossed my phone to the side before she could send more texts that would make me rethink my entire

Nope. Not happening.

Right now, I just needed to sleep.

Tomorrow, I would deal with whatever weird tension was brewing between me and Ethan.

But tonight?

Tonight, I was going to pretend none of it existed.

Yes. That’s what I’ll do.

Forget Ethan. Forget the weird, fluttery nonsense happening in my chest. Forget the fact that my aunt just ditched me with some random dude whose name I still didn’t know.

I was going to take a shower, crawl into bed, and pretend today never happened.

With that very reasonable plan in mind, I stood up and started peeling off my clothes, tossing them carelessly onto the bed. First, my hoodie. Then my jeans. Soon, I was left in nothing but my singlet and underwear

skin as I stretched.

ool air hitting my

God, I needed this shower.

Grabbing a pair of shorts and my toiletries, I headed for the door, pushing my messy hair out of my face.

The upstairs bathroom was a disaster zone, courtesy of Anya and her endless collection of skincare products Bottles, brushes, hair dryers- every surface was occupied, and I was not in the mood to battle through the mess.

Chapter 64

So, the downstairs bathroom It was.

I stepped out of my room and padded barefoot down the stairs, the old wooden steps creaking under my weight. The house was quiet, aside from the faint hum of the TV in the living room. Anya’s boyfriend- Mike? Matt? Mark?– was stil parked on the couch, nutsing his drink like he was in some old mafia movie.

I ignored him, walking past with my towel draped over my arm. The bathroom door was just a few steps away. Almost there-

“Going somewhere?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Turning sharply, I found Mr. Mysterious Boyfriend watching me with an amused expression, his glass dangling lazily between his fingers. His eyes flickered down, briefly scanning my barely–there clothing before he took another sip of his drink.

Ugh. Creep.

“To take a shower,” I replied flatly, gripping my toiletries a little tighter. Not that it’s any of your fucking business.

He smirked. “Figured. Just didn’t expect you to walk around like that.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Like what?”

He shrugged, completely unfazed. “Like you live here.”

I blinked. “I do live here.”

Another lazy sip. “Yeah, but… you know. Anya never mentioned you much.”

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I wasn’t about to entertain whatever cryptic nonsense he was spewing, so I just scoffed and turned away. “Cool story. Enjoy your drink.”

I pushed open the bathroom door, shutting it firmly behind me before locking it for good measure.

Creep.

The bathroom was small but cozy. White tiles, a half–fogged mirror, a shower curtain that had seen better days. I tossed my shorts onto the sink and turned on the water, waiting for it to heat up.

A deep breath.

I could finally relax.

Stripping off my singlet and underwear, I stepped under the water, letting the warmth wash over me. It felt heavenly, the stress of the day slowly melting away as I ran my hands through my hair.

My mind, however, refused to shut up.

3/4

Chapter 64

It drifted back to Ethan- because of course, it did.

The way he looked at me today. The way I looked at him. The stupid dimples. The way my heart reacted like a total

traitor.

I groaned, pressing my forehead against the cool tiles.

Get a grip, Camila.

This wasn’t some romantic situation. It wasn’t a cute story. This was Ethan. The guy who had stalked me. The guy who- oh yeah- literally turned into something not human in front of me.

Yet here I was, standing in the shower, blushing like some lovesick idiot over a damn coffee exchange.

Pathetic.

Shaking my head, I grabbed the shampoo and started scrubbing my scalp, determined to physically wash away the

thoughts.

By the time I finished, I felt somewhat normal again.

Stepping out, I wrapped the towel around myself and wiped the mirror with my palm, staring at my reflection. My hair was wet, my skin slightly flushed from the hot water.

Just go to bed. That was the plan. No more thinking. No more Ethan.

Throwing on my shorts and singlet, I unlocked the door and stepped out, walking back toward the stairs-

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