Page 117 of Sin With Me

“Well,” Roman drawls, his voice darker and raspier than I remember it. “Aren’t we cozy?”

Temptation

Lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. - Matthew 6:13

I bring the cigarette to my lips, forcing my hand to not shake with the emotions roaring through my body. There are so many. It’s chaos inside my soul and I can’t pick one solid thing to feel right now.

I feel everything.

I feel nothing.

But mostly, I feel disgust.

I can’t even fucking look at her. If I do, I’ll burn this entire house down with the three of us inside. The only thing that steadies the storm battering against my mind is him.

My eyes stay locked on his. The darkness in them dances with the reflection of my flame and for a second, I truly see the Devil I’ve always imagined him to be.

I’ve never seen him shocked before. He’s always one step ahead, always ready for whatever punch is coming his way. But I have the upper hand this time, and I won’t waste it.

“What are you doing here?” he demands, his voice deep and raspy, lacking the strength I know he has. The cigarette shifts as the corner of my mouth tucks up in a sick grin.

“Am I not welcome in my own home?” I drawl. His mouth opens, then shuts, filling me with a false sense of joy.

Pinching the cigarette between my fingers, I pull it from my lips and blow a steady stream of smoke in his direction, reveling in the instant reaction I’ve longed for since I was a kid.

His eyes shut and his face twists with disgust. I can’t help the deep satisfaction I feel seeing how unprepared he is for this meeting. How he’s unraveling before my eyes in a way only he can. On the outside, my father is still composed, and if you didn’t know what to look for, you’d think he was unphased.

But his hands are shaking, and his pupils are blown out so much, his eyes are black. His body is tense, every muscle a taut bow ready to snap.

From the corner of my eye, I notice the luggage he’s carelessly dropped to the wooden floor.

Isaac would never do such a thing.

I smile wider.

“Why are you here?” he asks again, gritting the words out through clenched teeth. My cocky mood shifts to anger, and I take a step forward.

Like he doesn’t know why I’m here. The reason is standing behind him, cowering like the innocent child I met all those years ago.

She’s not innocent anymore, though, is she?

All those years of silence, of positive reports from Chase. Tales of the shit she’d gotten up to with Olive. I thought she was fine, growing up and testing her wings the way she’d always dreamt.

Was it all a lie to cover this up? How long has it been going on? Was she still a kid when he started touching her?

Vomit claws its way up my throat, but I choke it back. If I go down that path right now, I’ll lose any semblance of control I’m clinging to with a death grip and I can’t.

Not yet.

“Why the fuck do you think I’m here?” I growl, my spine straightening.

Last time I saw him, he was taller than me. Not by much, but it felt like a huge difference back then. It isn’t until this exact moment that I realize why.

He wasn’t larger than me physically, he just felt that way.

But I’ve grown, both in height and muscle. Not only that, I’m not afraid of him anymore. I’m not the same boy that left this house.

Now, I’m his worst nightmare coming back to haunt him.

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