My Ruthless Stepbrother (ENGLISH)

8- “Happy.”

My heart felt like it had been torn to shreds, and my feet felt like they were glued to the sand. Weird. When I saw him kiss a girl in front of me, my heart hurt for no clear reason.

Zack's hold of the girl took longer than five seconds and was so sudden that it left her gasping for air.

"Damn lucky girl!" The other girls envied.

"Zack, kiss me, too!"

"I deserve that kiss more than her!"

"Please, Zack, give me another kiss. I beg you, try it again just once more!"

He just laughed at them all but he had always been so dangerous.

"Where are you going! Where’s my kiss, too!"

"Zack, wait for us!"

"Maniacs!" laughingly said the girl who remained here with the guys. “I’m hungry. Let’s eat!"

"Yeah. Me too! Let’s go back to the hotel!" said another girl in her red bikini.

Ryle looked at me. “We’re going to have breakfast, Ryn. You wanna come with us?”

“Let’s go, Ryn. We’re very enjoyable to be with, just join us.” Flamur seconded my stepbrother’s invitation.

I could see the two girls were snickering at the idea of me joining them for breakfast, so I politely declined the boys' invitation. Not that I intended to go with them anyway.

“Just go ahead. I’ll be fine here alone,” I said.

“You sure?” Ryle wasn’t convinced enough.

I nodded at my stepbro. “Yes. Anyway, I already took my breakfast with mom and uncle Alanson before I went here.”

“Sad. We supposed we could bond and make friends with you.” Vandyke said and then he smiled in a very charming way.

The latter's endearing smile caused me to blush. Perhaps many women have crushes on him because of how good-looking he is when he is relaxed and at ease. Each and every one of these young men is both gorgeous and affluent. That's just how their unique personalities and fashion senses are.

The two girls rolled their eyes. "Urgh! Tss!"

It was probably just me, but I could tell they were becoming antsy waiting for the boys to join them.

I shook my head on Vandyke. “Sorry, but I won’t really be going with you. Maybe next time will do.”

“You’ll be alone here. You're fine being by yourself?" Janzen asked.

I smiled a little and nodded to reassure them that I would be fine here. I assure you, I'll be okay."

He grinned. “Oh, I almost forgot, you were all fine here earlier before we ever came.”

"Or do you want me to come along with you?" Armel joked around, too.

"Armel!" The girls were almost rising their voices in impatience for waiting for the boys to finally go with them.

"Hahaha. Kidding!"

"Let's go inside now! We’re really hungry!"

The girls marched inside the hotel and so few of the boys followed them.

"You sure you won't be lonely here by yourself, huh?" asked Ryle once again to make sure I could endure being left alone.

I nodded confidently and grinned. "Sure, bro. Thanks for caring.”

Armel, Janzen, and Dencel all grinned and nodded at me, and Flamur offered me a joking salute that made me chuckle. Yago had just tapped my shoulder.

I sat on the bench again. I watched the gang as they entered the hotel where the ground floor has many different restaurants and fast foods.

I sat and watched the ocean waves crash upon the beach. To me, there was nothing more soothing than the sound of waves splashing on the shore. I hope my life would always consist of getting up and going outside to see the sunrise and listen to the ocean waves.

I hope my life would always consist of getting up and going outside to see the sunrise and listen to the ocean waves.

I suddenly get distracted when I saw from the distance how Zack playfully bonds with his bikini girls.

"Zack, what are you doing? Oh my! Zackyyyy!!!"

I could even hear them laughing and shouting while one of his girls was riding his back.

"Zack, carry me in your arms!"

They played water and sand and all. Laughing, shouting, enjoying their lungs out.

"Girls, stop it! Urgh! Hahaha!" Now, he was laughing so hard, too, when his girls were throwing him water.

I could feel my heart ached a bit again.

With these ladies, he appears to be having a blast. Seeing this scene of him made my little heart feel heavy in a way I couldn't explain. When will he treat me the same way? That's the question that keeps popping into my head. When will he start treating me like a friend? When will he treat me like a sister, like Ryle and Rhian does to me, and form a close bond with me as his stepsibling?

Despite this, I made the conscious decision to conceal my negative emotions and instead, focus on the positive, as I have finally witnessed him enjoying himself in the company of his friends. But I could still see his other side, even if it isn't for me or with me. I guess I should have been pleased to hear his laughter, which is so unusual given his moody attitude.

I just kept staring at his handsome rough face. Oh, how I long to see him like that every day. It just gives emphasis to how handsome he is.

Busy playing around with his hot girls, he suddenly draws his gaze to where I am right now, and then our eyes met. I tried to smile at him, but all he did was smirk. Then he viciously lifted one of his girls by her waist and raised her, causing her to scream with pleasure.

My breath hardened. Okay, that was it. It would really take time for me to finally get his kindness and it would test so much to my patience.

As I watched him continue to play and flirt with his girl, I smiled bitterly. I got to my feet and started making my way back to the resthouse.

Walking along the beach, my slippers, which had been worn for many years, eventually gave way. I checked it and noticed a cut in the back rubber. I was ready to fix it when it was gently taken away from me.

When I glanced at the man behind me, I saw the friendly and cheerful Yago.

"Let me," he said.

"Yago?"

He gave a nod.

"I thought you were enjoying breakfast with your friends inside the hotel?"

Instead of answering my question, he gazed at my slippers.

“Don’t you have any other slippers? This one looks old and used in a long time.”

Honestly, I have other slippers but this one’s my favorite because it has sentimental value on me. This has been with me for a long time.

"I have, but this is my favorite."

He nodded and was preparing to fix it when it was stolen from him, as well! And guess who arrived? Zack, my ruthless stepbrother!

Well, I thought he was playing around with his friends… but he was here, too. Alone.

I looked at the place where they were doing their thing awhile ago, the girls were nowhere to find.

What happened to them, why is he here now?

"Oh? The stepbrother's here, huh!" The latter teased him.

"Leave her alone, Yago," he sternly warned his friend as he fixed my slipper.

"Thought you don't wanna talk to her and you don't want her to be your sister?" Yago mocked him.

"None of your business." he responded plainly and then he gave me back my now-fixed slipper.

“Uhm, thank you.” I thanked him gratefully but feeling awkward, at the same time.

I couldn't stop smiling at the kindness he had shown me by just doing me the favor of fixing my slipper!

He casted a sharp glare at Yago once more. "Just leave her alone."

A tension was starting to build between them. They seemed to compete for something I didn’t even know.

Seconds later, Yago bursted in laughter. "Hahaha. I never believed you would become this overprotective of the girl who you didn't want to treat as your stepsister," he added emphatically, tapping Zack on the shoulder in a nonchalant manner. “Cool, dude! Chill!"

Yago was still chuckling when he left the two of us here.

He was already away from us when I turned to my stepbrother who was standing just right beside me. He looked at me, too.

I gave him my friendliest and thankiest smile. "Thank you."

"Tss. Don't even think of trying to flirt with my friends or my brother's buddies,” he said with cold disdain and walked away.

In spite of those last words from him, I still couldn’t contain the happiness I was feeling. For the very first time, he helped me with something and that meant a lot to me!

“Thanks again, Zack!”

As I returned to the resthouse, my smile was still as wide as ever.