I walked over and sat down next to her, tossing my extra clothes along the arm of the couch. “I walked out of the photo shoot.”

  Surprise etched across Bella’s features as she placed the laptop on the coffee table and repositioned herself to face me. “What? Why?”

  My eyes were drawn to Bella’s top. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her hard nipples pressed against the flimsy material.

  My first instinct was to make up some BS, but then I thought better of it. I quickly told Bella what happened, leaving out only the ‘fuck me’ eyes the model gave me. I did the right thing. No need to go bragging about it.

  “I left because I didn’t want you to get pissed if you ever happened upon those photos. I want to do right by you.”

  Bella bit her lip, but I saw appreciation flash in her eyes. “You didn’t have to do that just for me, Stefan. I would've been annoyed, but I would have understood.”

  Sure you would have, I thought. But you deserve better than having to.

  “It’s okay. I’ll just find another gig.”

  Hopefully.

  It sucked because the pay would've been good for us, but Bella seemed to already be suffering from self-esteem issues, and I didn’t want to further exacerbate the problem.

  “Well, maybe I can try to help by getting a job,” Bella suggested.

  I shook my head. I’d rather go down to the plasma center and get money out of my damn veins than have Bella go through that stress. “No, I already told you that I’ll take care of everything.”

  “But—” Bella began to protest as my cell ringtone went off.

  I raised a finger to silence her as I dug it out of my back pocket and checked it. I half-expected to see a call from Dad or Evelyn, or even the modeling company, but the words on the screen shocked me.

  Call from James Carter.

  What’s he calling for? I wondered. The last time I had talked to my old coach at South State, he’d been pissed at me for causing so much trouble by beating up my teammate. He got even more pissed when I was subsequently forced from the school because of my actions, leaving the lacrosse team without their All-Star player.

  “Coach Carter?” I answered.

  “Stefan, my boy!” Carter greeted enthusiastically. “How good to hear your voice again. How have you been doing?”

  I glanced at Bella, who was staring at me with an inquisitive expression. “I’m doing well.”

  “Good, good. How’s things going at North State?”

  I paused. “Uh . . . I’m no longer enrolled there, actually.”

  “Well that’s just wonderful news!”

  What the hell?

  I reared back and looked at the cell with surprise, as if I was looking him in the face, before bringing it back to my ear.

  “Listen, Stefan. I talked to Jared Stroing’s parents and cleared everything up. They are fine with you returning to South State as long as you and Jared promise to get along. I have secured a sports scholarship for you so you can attend the next semester free of charge. All you have to do is show back up.”

  I sat there in dumbstruck silence, unable to believe what I was hearing.

  “This is a wonderful opportunity for you, Stefan. I’m talking about something that could lead to a professional career.” Coach Carter continued. “You were one of the best athletes I have ever seen, and I never stopped believing in you.”

  I swallowed deeply. Coach Carter had just re-ignited my dream of being an All-Star athlete. Besides Bella, it had always been one of the driving forces in my life. Heck, since I’d been back at home, I found that I missed playing sports immensely.

  “Um, that’s wonderful, Coach Carter,” I said dumbly.

  “Wonderful?” Carter asked incredulously. “It’s fucking fantastic!” He chuckled. “So what do you say, huh? Come back and lead these kids to greatness.”

  I wanted so badly to accept Coach Carter’s offer, but I had a baby on the way and Bella to think about. There was no way I could return to school and sports and take care of Bella at the same time, at least not right now.

  “Uh, I'm going to have to get back to you on that, Coach,” I said.

  There was a short pause over the line. “All right, Stefan.” He sounded slightly disappointed. “But I want to remind you that an offer like this isn’t going to last long. I’ll be expecting an answer back from you soon.”

  “Who was that?” Bella asked as soon as I was off the phone.

  The expression on her face caused a heavy feeling in my chest and I fucking hated it. “It was my old coach back at South State, Coach Carter.”

  “What did he want?”

  I let out a sigh, knowing I should probably keep my mouth shut on the offer, but I knew that Bella wouldn’t stop until she knew what was said. “He was offering me a scholarship to return to South State to resume my position as captain of the lacrosse team.”

  I saw the fear flash in Bella’s eyes immediately. “Oh that’s great, Stefan,” she said without any emotion. She eyed me closely. “What are you going to tell him?”

  I laughed nervously. “Is that a joke or what? Of course I’m going to tell him no.”

  Silence filled the room as Bella studied me.

  Her scrutiny made me feel uncomfortable, and I kept talking to fill the void. “I have you and the baby to worry about. I can't accept the offer, not right now.”

  “You should do it,” Bella said suddenly.

  I stared at her. ‘Huh?”

  She looked away from me. “You should do it,” she said, her voice sounding weak. “Don’t worry about me and the baby. I’ll find a way on my own.”

  “What are you talking about, Bella? I can’t just leave you alone to fend for yourself.”

  Bella turned back to me and I could see tears streaming down her cheeks. “But this is your life-long dream we’re talking about here.”

  “My life-long dream was to be with you.”

  I thought my words would bring her solace, but Bella turned back away. I reached out to grab her, but she pushed my hands aside and wiped at her tears.

  “I ruined you,” she said quietly.

  I felt like I’d just been punched in my stomach. “What?”

  “I ruined your life when I got pregnant. This was my nightmare, Stefan. In my dream, you were there right at the end, and you said that I ruined you and your future. It broke my heart. Now, it's all coming true.”

  “Bella, I had no idea. You didn’t ruin anything. We both wanted this, remember?”

  Bella shook her head, refusing to look at me. “We don’t know what we really wanted. We weren’t even thinking. That’s why I’m pregnant in the first place.”

  I grabbed ahold of Bella, overpowering her resistance, and turned her to face me. “Listen. I need you. We need each other. I could never leave you. Never.” I kissed her hard on the lips, pressing her into me. When I broke it off, she was breathless and I saw a spark in her eye.

  I let go of her and stood up from the couch, feeling my pulse begin to race. I had to do something to release the pent-up frustration and make us both forget about our current situation.

  “I know just what you need.”

  I walked over to the stereo I had brought from home and turned it on. Loud music filled our apartment.

  I walked back over, pulling off my shirt as I went, and pulled Bella on her feet. Then I pulled her into my arms and began devouring her neck.

  Bella

  “Don’t you think our new neighbors are going to complain about the loud music?” I asked breathlessly as Stefan smothered my neck with passionate kisses.

  Stefan pulled back and grinned at me. “I’d rather them complain about loud music than the sounds of us making love.”

  He resumed kissing me all over my neck, hot, burning kisses that made my flesh sizzle with electricity. Breathless, I gave in to his assault.

  He seemed to be trying to assure me through his passion that he would never leave me. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that he was going to love me and our baby forever.

  I gave in, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he ran a hand up the side of my body to my breast and squeezed my nipple through the flimsy fabric of my cut-off top so hard that I gasped.

  Then his tongue was entering my mouth as he fondled me, and he swirled it around mine like a twisting nether, devouring all I had to give.

  The next thing I knew, he was ripping my shirt off, exposing my breasts and erect nipples. Down below, I could feel his bulge pressing up against my stomach, and desire burned through my abdomen.

  Hungrily, I unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down his chiseled ass cheeks until they rested around his thighs. His hard dick was suddenly pressed against my stomach, and I could feel it pulsating against my skin.

  Grunting, Stefan removed my shorts and tossed them aside onto the floor before grabbing my ass cheeks into the palms of his hands and hefting me up and then slowly setting me down on his cock.

  I gasped as he held me aloft and entered me at the same time.

  That’s when he began pounding me with unforgiving thrusts that had my ass slapping up against his chiseled thighs.

  A startled scream pierced the loud music. For a moment, I thought Stefan had just pinched something, or maybe a couch spring was poking him in the ass.

  But when I saw the look of absolute horror on his face, I knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

  Astonished, I lost control of my arms around his neck and tumbled out of his lap and onto the floor as I turned around to see my mother, Terry, and my grandmother, Emma, standing in the doorway, their faces white with shock.

  Hastily, I grabbed a couch cushion to cover myself, feeling idiotic even as I did so.

  Terry was the first one to regain his ability to speak. “What in the holy fuck is going on here?” he roared, his face red with rage. He was literally shaking from head to toe as he stomped into our living room.

  While Stefan tried to stuff his cock back into his pants, I saw my shorts and grabbed them, along with the rag of a tank top that Stefan had torn off. It had seemed hot at the time, but I kinda wished he hadn’t done it now.

  Meanwhile, Mom was staring at me with a look that nearly froze my heart.

  “It was you two,” she said, her voice barely audible over the loud music. “It was you screwing Bella in that video.”

  Terry did a double-take, and then realization dawned on his face as well as he put the pieces together.

  “Explain yourself!” Terry yelled at Stefan, as I stood by, my arms across my chest, my head hung in shame.

  My grandmother, who I still couldn’t believe was here—just what the hell was she doing here, anyway?—looked the calmest out of everyone as she strolled over to the stereo and shut the music off.

  Beside me, Stefan clenched his jaw. I could sense that he was going to be defiant about this to the end, no matter what it cost us.

  “How did this happen, Bella?” Terry demanded, turning his gaze toward me.

  I couldn’t respond, partially due to shock. I couldn’t believe Stefan had left the door unlocked and our parents had come along right at the time we were screwing. And partially because I couldn’t bear the shame of what my actions had brought.

  When I didn’t answer, Terry turned his furious gaze back on his son.

  “Well?”

  Still defiant, Stefan refused to reply.

  Terry shook his head, his body visibly shaking with rage. “You went in on me about what I did with that sorority girl, when this whole time, you knew exactly who she was and why she did what she did. This whole time, you’ve been screwing your own stepsister, Stefan. Your stepsister!”

  Terry’s tone seemed to break our deadlock, and Stefan growled an answer. “So? Just because we knew her doesn't make what you did okay.”

  Terry looked incredulous. “So? What the hell is wrong with you, boy? It’s not right!”

  Stefan laughed in his father’s face. “Why should I care what a cheating bastard says is right or wrong?”

  “You goddamn son of a bitch!” Terry roared as he rushed forward. They both had always had tempers, and Stefan had been struggling for weeks with trying to stand up for us. Now, he’d just been pushed too far.

  “Terry!” Evelyn yelled in unison with my grandmother as her husband collided with my stepbrother.

  The two men went down on the floor and began rumbling around the apartment. I watched in shocked horror as Stefan overpowered his dad and wrapped him a chokehold. Terry began beating his hand against the floor, his face red as he struggled to get out of the hold.

  “Stop it, Stefan!” I finally managed to cry out.

  Stefan didn’t listen, and he seemed to tighten his hold on his father.

  My mother rushed forward to pull Stefan off Terry, but he fell into her as Terry was still struggling. Mom fell onto the floor. All three of us began to plead with Stefan to stop and let Terry go, but he wasn't letting go, his face twisted in a weird mask of rage.

  When Terry seemed to start to struggle to breathe, I made a decision, even though I was sure it would cost me everything.

  “I’m pregnant!” I shouted.

  The silence was deafening. Timed slowed to a standstill. The pounding of my heart was so loud that I’m sure everyone in the room could hear it.

  Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

  In slow motion, I noted everyone’s expression. Terry’s was one of disbelief, my mother’s was one of outrage, and Stefan’s was one of fear. Surprisingly, my grandmother seemed the least shocked of all, with a distasteful expression but a calm demeanor overall.

  I stood there, taking it all in, my forehead covered in sweat, my hands as clammy as an eel, waiting for the shit to hit the fan.

  And it did.

  Suddenly, my senses went into overdrive as time rushed forward with everything happening all at once.

  Terry pushed Stefan away and climbed to his feet, coughing and grabbing at his throat. Emma walked over to my mom and grabbed her arm as if preparing to hold her back from killing me with her bare hands, and my mother glared absolute fucking murder at me.

  “What did you just say?” The frost in my mother’s voice was enough to freeze my blood.

  I bit my lower lip, nausea threatening to overwhelm me. “I’m pregnant.” The words seemed alien to me, as if I’d said them for the first time.

  Silence once again overtook the room as my mother stared at me as if I’d stolen her best piece of jewelry out of her charm box.

  “Who’s the father?” Terry asked finally, breaking the silence. He still didn’t get it, even after walking in on Stefan and me fucking like wild rabbits.

  How could he, though? The thought of me and Stefan having a baby together was probably inconceivable to either one of our parents, even after what they’d just witnessed.

  They don’t know, I thought. They can’t possibly know. But they are about to find out, though it may break them.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Stefan staring at me, his powerful chest heaving from exerting his dominance over his father, silently pleading for me not to reveal the truth. But I no longer wished to hide it. One lie would just lead to another and then another until it all came crashing down—just like now.

  It was time to put an end to our secret once and for all.

  Unable to face my mother’s furious gaze any longer, I lowered my head, filled with unbearable shame. “Stefan.”

  “Jesus Christ!” Terry yelled with astonishment.

  My mother smacked her palm against her forehead and swayed on her feet, causing my grandmother to grab her by the arm to steady her. “Dear God, help us!”

  In unison, our parents began yelling at us, gesturing wildly while hurling obscenities at us, demanding to know what, when, where, and how this all happened. I found myself unable to answer, overwhelmed by their furious barrage.

  While they went apeshit on us, Stefan stared at me in shocked disbelief.

  I can’t believe you just did that, his eyes seemed to say to me.

  I averted my gaze from his accusing eyes. In a way, I felt bad for him. The baby was both of ours, and therefore, he had a say in what we should have told our parents, whether we should have kept the last part of our lie going. My admission of guilt robbed him of that.

  I was tired of it, though. There was no way I could’ve had a healthy pregnancy with the stress of all the lies weighing me down.

  I just prayed that when it was all over, Stefan didn’t hate me for it.

  “Cut it out, the both of you!” Emma snapped over our raging parents, quieting them. “All that yelling isn’t going to solve a thing. The poor girl is obviously traumatized and in a fragile state.” She turned her cool gaze on me, and once again, I was filled with surprise at how calm she was considering the mega-fuck bomb I’d just dropped. In a soothing, calming voice, she asked, “How did this happen, Bella?”

  I told them everything—about the sorority contest, the Sacrifice, and the mistaken identity that caused Stefan and me to sleep together, and then, finally, about the school’s investigation.

  “And that’s why we left,” I said as I got done. “We’d caused too much trouble on campus with the fight Stefan had with his frat brother, and the rumors were getting too much to bear. A bunch of the frat boys really were harassing me though.”

  “You have got to be kidding me!” my mother wailed when I was done with my tale, clutching at her hair in despair. “Tell me this is all some kind of sick joke? Please! How in the hell could you and Stefan have not recognized each other?”

  The same way you didn’t recognize us fucking on the TV screen at the party, I thought. You didn’t want to believe it.

  “I don’t know,” I said weakly.

  “Well you had better fucking find out!” Terry snapped, still rubbing at his throat. His face was livid as he glanced back and forth between me and Stefan. I don’t think I could remember a time Terry had ever been this mad at me before. “Because I don’t want to believe that either of you knowingly did this.”

  Shivering, I glanced over at Stefan for help. He had his jaw clenched, a sign that he was about to boil over. I feared that if things kept escalating, he’d wind up back rolling on the floor with Terry, trading blows, and this time, none of us would be able to stop it.