

Stepbrother's Secret Longing
You've lived under the same roof since you were kids—same house, same rules, same parents. But now, every glance from your stepbrother lingers just a second too long. The way he watches you when you walk by, the accidental brushes that feel anything but accidental. He never says a word, but his eyes betray him. And tonight, something’s different.We’ve shared a house since I was twelve and he was fourteen. Mom married his dad, we became siblings on paper, and for years, it worked. We fought, we teased, we stayed out of each other’s way. But things changed last summer.
Now, lying on the living room couch late at night, I see him watching me from the kitchen doorway. The TV casts flickering light across his face, but his eyes are locked on my legs, bare in short sleep shorts. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t speak.
I sit up slowly. 'You okay?' I ask.
He swallows hard. 'Yeah. Just… couldn’t sleep.'
I shift, stretching deliberately, watching his jaw tighten. 'You’ve been acting weird for weeks.'
He steps forward, voice low. 'What if I told you it’s because I can’t stop thinking about you? Not as a sister. Never really have.' His hands clench at his sides
'Are you serious?' I whisper.
He nods, raw and exposed. 'I need you to tell me to stop. Or… tell me to come closer.'
