Chapter Eighty

Book:Surrender To My Alpha Stepbrother Published:2024-11-18

Mal’s scream jolted me out of the haze I was in, and in a rush of panic, I pulled away from Logan. I grabbed my clothes, throwing them on as quickly as I could while Logan looked equally stunned.
By the time I got my shirt on and dashed into the hallway, Mal was already halfway down the stairs, looking back with wide eyes.
“Mal, wait!” I called, racing after her. I could hear her footsteps pounding on each step, and I knew I had to catch her before she told anyone what she’d seen.
“Mal, please!” I called again as I made it to the bottom of the stairs, spotting her reaching for the door.
She turned back, clearly unsure whether to stay or run, her face a mix of shock and confusion. I finally managed to catch up, grabbing her arm gently.
“Mal, I can explain!” I said, breathless, trying to meet her gaze.
She looked at me, her eyes still wide. “I…I didn’t mean to walk in on you two,” she stammered.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “I know. It’s okay. I should’ve been more careful. Can we just…talk about this, please?”
Mal hesitated, glancing back at the stairs before slowly nodding. “Alright…talk.”
I led Mal into the living room, my mind racing as I tried to think of what to say. Logan was still upstairs, and I knew I had to defuse this before he came down. She sat on the edge of the couch, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, clearly still in shock.
Liam seeing the way we are comes to ask what is wrong but we just told him nothing before he left to doing whatever he was doing.
I took a deep breath, knowing I had to be honest with her if I wanted her to understand. “Mal, I know it looks… strange, but you already know about the connection between Logan and me. I get that we’re step-siblings, but technically, we’re not related by blood.” I paused, watching her expression carefully.
She looked at me, still uncertain but listening.
“Yeah I know you guys are mate or whatever but I did not expect…..”
“Mal, what do mate mean?” I teased.
Mal’s cheeks flushed, and she glanced away, trying to play it cool. “Oh, come on, Audrey,” she mumbled, fidgeting with the edge of a pillow on the couch. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I couldn’t help but smirk at her obvious attempt to dodge. “Really?” I teased, raising an eyebrow. “So, you don’t know what being mates means?”
She huffed, giving me a playful glare. “Well… maybe I do. But I wasn’t expecting to walk in on you two like that!”
“I have liked Logan or had a secret crush on him before our parents even got married. The hottest boy in school and me? I was literally a nobody but fate brought him to me.”
Mal let out a little laugh, shaking her head. “Oh, Audrey, I knew you liked Logan way before you ever admitted it. You were totally obvious.”
Mal chuckled softly, her eyes softening as she leaned back against the couch, clearly remembering something from the past. “You know,” she said with a grin, “I remember back in seventh grade when Logan first talked to you.”
My eyes widened, and I instantly felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Oh no,” I muttered, covering my face with my hands. “Please, not that story.”
Mal raised an eyebrow, clearly not willing to let it go. “Oh yeah. It was right after lunch, remember? Logan came over to your desk and asked to borrow a pencil, and you literally froze. Your face turned bright red, and I thought you were going to pass out right there.”
I buried my face in my hands, groaning. “I can’t believe you’re bringing this up now.”
Mal laughed harder, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “And then, like a switch, you just-”
“I peed my pants!” I blurted out, cutting her off before she could finish. I was mortified just recalling it.
“Yep,” Mal said with a teasing smile, “you literally peed your pants when Logan asked for a pencil. That was priceless.”
I sighed, still wishing I could bury myself in a hole and disappear. “I was so nervous. He was the hottest guy in school, and I didn’t know how to handle him talking to me.”
Mal shook her head, still grinning. “I thought you were going to die right there on the spot. But in the end, he didn’t even notice. He just smiled and took the pencil from you like it was the most normal thing in the world.”
“That’s because I was too embarrassed to even look at him after that,” I groaned, recalling how awkward everything had felt in that moment. “I spent the rest of the day hiding behind my book in class, hoping no one would notice.”
Mal shook her head with amusement. “Well, I guess things worked out. Who would’ve thought that after all that, you’d end up being more than just the girl who peed her pants in front of him?”
I smiled, feeling the warmth of that memory, even if it was a little cringe-worthy. “Yeah. Who would’ve thought?” I said, looking down at my hands. “Funny how life works out sometimes.”
Mal looked at me with a knowing smile. “You know, I never would’ve pegged you two to end up together, but now that I see it… it’s pretty obvious. You guys were meant to be.”
“Maybe so,” I whispered, the memory of that awkward day in seventh grade still lingering, but now filled with a sense of nostalgia and something deeper. “Maybe we were always meant to be.”
Mal’s eyes softened as she nodded, her grin turning into something more sincere. “It’s just crazy, you know? Back then, it was all so awkward. I never would’ve guessed you two would end up like this.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Yeah, me neither. I mean, I could barely talk to him back then without completely embarrassing myself.”
Mal chuckled, the playful edge to her voice returning. “Well, things certainly changed. Now look at you.”
I sighed, smiling at the absurdity of it all. “Yeah, life’s funny like that.”