𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑

~𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮~

KOHEN

I open the front door to my luxurious mansion for Tara while carrying her suitcase.

"Thanks." She says with a small smile.

There it is again. That cute little dimple.

She has one on both cheeks. It's so cute. I wonder if she has them on her lower back, too....

Kristina pops her head from the kitchen and jumps in excitement when she sees Tara.

"Tara baby, you're here." Kristina grins and approaches Tara with open arms, but instead, Tara reaches her hand out to shake instead of a hug.

Kristina frowns but shakes her hand.

"I'm glad you're finally home." Kristina says, smiling at Tara.

"Yeah. It's great." Tara says, but it's not convincing.

I place her suitcase down and wrap an arm around Kristina's waist. She smiles up at me and kisses me. I kiss her back and glance at Tara to see her staring, but she looks away once we make eye contact.

I can't help but smirk as I pull away from Kristina. I don't know if she's jealous, but I hope she is.

Kristina holds Tara's hands and smiles at her. "I missed you."

"Yeah? When?" Tara asks.

"What?"

"When mom? Was it after my tenth birthday? Or when my father died?" Tara asks with a phony smile.

Ouch.

I would rather not get involved. This is between them.

"Tara, can we please just start over? It's been years." She says.

"Not enough." Tara mumbles.

I clear my throat to break this awkward tension. "It's late. It think we should all get some sleep and start over tomorrow

"Yeah. I could use a shower. I have some work to do anyway." Tara says, grabbing her suitcase.

"Need help with that?" I ask.

"I got it." She says while lugging her heavy suitcase.

It's amusing to watch her struggle, but she finally gets the hang of it.

Kristina sighs heavily, and I wrap my arms around her from behind.

"You want to talk about it?" I ask while kissing on her neck.

"I just want her to forgive me." She says softly.

"Time, baby. Give her time."

"I've given her time, Kohen." She frowns. "She just won't."

I married Kristina so I could inherit my father's business. At the time, I wanted the company, so I married Kristina. I mean, of course she doesn't know that but I transformed this company into something better, and now I can live comfortably.

At the time, Kristina seemed like a good choice, and she still is a good wife.

As far as I know, at least.

I was never one for relationships, which is why my father wanted me to get married. When I saw Tara for the first time, I didn't pay too much attention to her. She was young and broken. I didn't want to take advantage of that.

"Kohen, are you even listening to me?" Kristina says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

No.

"Yes, baby. I'm listening."

She sighs and walks away from me, making her way upstairs.

I don't exactly know why Kristina would expect her daughter to play house with her.

I'm not judging her, but all I'm saying is you can't force that kind of relationship.

I make my way upstairs with a groan. The hallway is dim, the only light coming from the open door at the end. Tara's room.

I pause in the doorway. Should I go in? I push open the door completely.

There, lying on the purple comforter, are her handmade bracelets. Little bands of colored threads, intertwined and knotted in intricate patterns.

I find myself reaching out, drawn to one, a band of blues and greens, the colors of the ocean. It's cool to the touch, the threads smooth under my fingers. I can almost see her wearing it, the bracelet a bright spot of color against her skin.

She's my stepdaughter, young and innocent.

And yet, I can't help but feel a pull towards her, a pull stronger than the one I feel towards her mother.

With a final glance at the room, I slip the bracelet into my pocket. It's a small thing, hardly noticeable. I walk away, the door closing behind me with a soft click.

This is mine now. This is my little reminder of Tara.

~

I'm coming from the bathroom when I notice the soft glow of light seeping out from beneath Tara's door. It's past midnight. She should be sleeping. My hand reaches for the doorknob, pushing it down slowly to avoid any creaks.

The door swings open to reveal her, my stepdaughter, slumped over her desk, a textbook still open under her cheek. The dim desk lamp casts a warm halo around her, accentuating the peaceful expression on her face. She's in an oversized t-shirt and blue panties.

I quietly step into her room. I place a gentle hand on her shoulder, carefully sliding an arm under her knees. Lifting her is easy. She's so light, as if made of feathers and dreams.

Tara stirs but doesn't wake, a soft sigh escaping her lips as I carry her towards her bed. I try my best to keep my movements smooth, not wanting to disturb her sleep. As I lay her down on the soft mattress, she curls up slightly, a soft mumble escaping her lips.

"Sleep, beautiful," I whisper, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

I settle down on the edge of her bed, my fingers tracing her cheek softly. The touch is feather-light, so I don't wake her. I look at her, my heart pounding.

Suddenly, my gaze was drawn to her wrists, visible under the rolled-up sleeves of her t-shirt. The sight of the self-harm scars etched into her skin made my heart clench. Her therapist told me about those, but I won't get into that right now.

I reached out, my fingers tracing the rough lines gently. I know Kristina is the main source of her daughter's pain, but unfortunately, I can't fix the past. But I can sure as hell control our future. Leaning forward, I pressed a soft kiss onto each scar.

"Don't worry, princess. I've got you now." I whisper. "I'll never let you hurt yourself again."

Still, she slept on, oblivious to my presence and the turmoil within me. I knew I had to leave to retreat to my own room before I crossed a line that couldn't be undone. But for now, I let myself dwell in this moment a little longer.

Like Charles Bukowski said... find what you love and let it kill you....

~♡~