Billy's POV

"Stop...Stop..." she opened his eyes. Her gaze moved to my mouth, which was about to collide with her. "This... This can't..."

"Ma... Maddie? Billy? What are you doing?!" Max's scared voice startled me. "Gross! Don't mess with me!" She made a face of disgust.

"Get that look off your face, you little brat!" I said quickly pulled away from Maddie. "I don't know what the hell is going through your mind, but forget it. This is just sick," I grunted as I walked past her. I entered my room and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

On top of that, I punched the wall with my fist. Damn it! It burned, it disgusted me to be jealous of Harrington and that Maddie had hooked up with him. And I shouldn't give a damn. But the worst part wasn't that, the worst part was every time I was close to her. Every time one of her hands brushed against mine. Every time she looked at me full of fury. Every damn time I had her lips and her perfume so close to me...

It drove me crazy. Completely crazy. Every time something like that happened, something inside me would ignite, making me lose control over myself. When she was too close to me, my mind would only think about brushing every inch of her skin, intoxicating myself with the sweet smell of her perfume, kissing every curve of her body. I wanted her to be mine.

And, to top it all off, that damn brat Maxine almost caught us. I hoped she didn't see anything. If she did, my dad would beat me senseless. If he found out it wasn't just some random guy sleeping with Maddie, but me, his supposedly "nice and good brother," who he wants me to be, he'd kill me.

Either you control those impulses and forget about her, or you're going to end up badly. Very badly.

                              ———————-

The next day

I had slept like crap last night. Maddie wouldn't stop running through my thoughts all damn night. That kiss I saw with Steve bothered me more than I wanted to admit. And the fact that, even though I still hated her, I wanted her to be mine. Only mine, and I knew that couldn't happen.

But why the hell would I want her to be mine?

I'd never been able to stand her, she even disgusted me. I had to get those damn thoughts out of my head, no matter what. I had to find a distraction.

And yet, you want her more than anyone else.
You know a simple distraction won't be enough.

Exhausted from tossing and turning in bed more than a spinning top, I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. It was almost time to get up. Even though, like every damn day, I was dreading going to school, I decided to get up and take a shower to try and clear my mind. I had to pass this damn year to find a job, and once I had savings, get the hell out of this shitty house.

I went to the bathroom, undressed, and stepped into the shower as soon as the water turned hot.
I closed my eyes and let the water cascade over my body before lathering up. For a moment, I thought I had finally managed to erase Maddie from my mind, but nothing could be further from the truth. Every curve of her naked body appeared in my head as if she were standing right in front of me.

Like flashes, memories of her scent ran through my mind. How I kissed her desperately, and how she devoured me with even more hunger.
How she dominated me and how she let herself be dominated by me, allowing me to do whatever I wanted to her. Her nails digging into my skin, her moans a symphony to my ears.

Damn it. Shit! I slapped the shower handle, turning it off, and tied the towel around my waist. I didn't even dry myself—if I kept thinking about her for another second, I was going to lose it. I opened the bathroom door, and just as I stepped out to head to my room, Maddie emerged from hers, bumping into my chest.

"Ugh," was her only reaction.

"Watch where you're going, redhead," I growled irritably.

"Good morning to you too, blondie. If you weren't always in the way, this wouldn't happen," she huffed. Though it was impossible not to notice that she was eating me up with her eyes.

No, don't go there. Don't get tangled up again.
William, don't take the bait.

"Do you like what you see? If you keep staring at me like that, you're going to wear me out," I said, smirking and shooting her a mocking look.

You can't resist it. You're done for.

"In your dreams. Better let Sandra wear you out," she replied, narrowing her eyes before shoving me aside to try to get past.

"Jealous?"—Of course she was. I grabbed her wrist to stop her from walking away and pulled her closer to me.

"Stop it, Billy," she said, frowning. "This game is stupid and sick. And yesterday, it almost cost us. Enough already."

Damn it. She was right. And yet, here I was, the same as ever. I just couldn't help it. The way she had looked at me only meant one thing—she wanted more of me too.

"Did you manage to convince Maxine?" I asked, pretending to be indifferent but silently praying she hadn't noticed anything.

"Yes, everything is under control, though obviously not thanks to you, since you disappeared like a coward."

I frowned. Seriously? She dared call me a coward?

"And that's exactly why we have to stop. Stop looking for me, Billy. You know this is impossible. First, because we're siblings, and second, because we hate each other," she huffed. She was right, but she knew as well as I did that everything she had just said made this game even more tempting.

"You started it, freckle-face," I said, leaning in until my face was close to hers, whispering in a low voice against her lips. "This is all your fault."

"I don't give a damn if you want to blame me. If that makes you happy, then go ahead," she came closer to me, and I could feel her breath brushing against my lips. The blue of her eyes locked onto mine and pierced through me completely. "But it's not going to happen again."

"You know perfectly well that you want me, redhead," I said. I wanted to kiss her. God, how much I wanted to.

"Let me go, Billy. Max will come any moment. Stop it," she raised her voice.

"I'll let you go if you admit you want me," I laughed, amused. I just wanted to hear it from her lips. That she was just as desperate as I was.

"Fine, Billy! You turn me on! Just as much as I do you, I'm not stupid! But this can't happen!" she exclaimed. She said it, but she said it with that stupidity and arrogance that pissed me off so much. And that turned me on.

"Idiot," I muttered.

"Asshole," she whispered.

Damn it, we were too close again.

I was furious and raging. But I wanted her again—her way of confronting me ignited me like nothing else in the world. I still had one of her wrists pinned with my left hand. With my right hand, I pressed against her cheeks, leaving her completely still. Without thinking any further, I crashed my lips onto hers with ferocity. She kissed me back without hesitation and with even more urgency.

My lips pressed hard against hers. More. I needed more of her. The kiss deepened, growing more desperate, more urgent. We gasped for air. We couldn't stop; I needed to taste her again. I slid my tongue into her mouth with a demanding force. She responded, entwining her tongue with mine, igniting a sensual and heated battle.

We moaned. Our skin started to burn. That desire I felt began to consume me. It hurt. I had to stop, or I'd possibly get addicted to her forever.

"Let me go," she said, placing her free hand on my chest and pushing me away. I exhaled, breathless, trying to catch my breath.

"I don't know what you've done to me, Madeleine..." I let go of her cheeks but not her wrist. I was gasping for air, that woman made me completely lose my mind, and I couldn't allow it to continue.

"Let me go." she repeated.

"This is the last time I kiss you. We both know this can only end badly. Just hold on to the memory of this,"I said, pulling my face away from hers, trying to make it clear that we needed to keep our distance.

"Let go of me already, William!" she exclaimed, nervous.

"Shower and get dressed, or you'll be late for school,"I added impassively, as if none of this had just happened. Then I let her go.

"I hate you," she growled as she walked toward the bathroom.

"Not as much as I hate you," I muttered before heading to the kitchen.

As soon as I got there, I turned on the coffee maker to let it brew. Meanwhile, I went back to my room to grab some cigarettes. I needed to smoke something—beer was obviously out of the question at this hour unless I wanted to look like a total drunk. But I needed something to calm my nerves, and smoking was all I could think of.

Obviously, after the whole mess of a fight with Maddie, I didn't notice until I caught my reflection in the mirror that I was still naked, save for the towel around my waist. I opened my closet to find something to wear. I wasn't in the mood to overthink, so I grabbed the first pair of jeans I saw and a white T-shirt, throwing on a denim jacket over it.

After spraying some cologne and combing my hair, I headed to the kitchen for that much-needed coffee. I dropped my backpack by the door, and as I poured myself a cup, I saw Max darting outside and then back in to get her sister. I wasn't about to ask any questions—I had enough of my own problems to worry about her.

A few moments later, Maddie appeared in the kitchen wearing tight plaid pants and her favorite Iron Maiden shirt. Damn it, on top of everything else, she had great taste in music.

That's when I started to realize we had more in common than I thought. She looked at me. I looked at her. But we didn't say a word. The tension between us was still electric, so it was better to leave it that way.

As Maddie poured herself a coffee and drank it with her back turned, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop my eyes from lingering on her. How could someone look so damn good doing something so simple?

When had my step-sister turned into the kind of woman you can't stop staring at because of how ridiculously attractive she is?

This was going to kill me—I needed to find that distraction I'd been planning on as soon as possible.

"Come on, Maddie!" Maxine's voice broke the silence as she suddenly appeared from outside. I'd been so fixated on Maddie, I hadn't even noticed her walk past.
"Hurry up, or we'll be late."

Maddie glanced at me briefly, her lips forming a slight smirk.

"You won't be late if Billy's here," she said, her gaze meeting mine.

"If we don't leave now, we will be late," I shot back, shifting my attention from Maddie and narrowing my eyes at Max. I needed to stay indifferent. "Let's go, brat." Then, turning to Maddie, I added, "Are you coming, or are you riding your stupid bike again?"

"I'd rather ride my bike than put up with you more than necessary," she retorted, flashing me an ironic smile as she placed her mug in the sink. God, I hate her. I really hate her. You want her.
"I'm out. See you in class— much to my regret," she added before heading to grab her jacket.

"Unfortunately for me," I muttered, slipping into my own jacket.

"Well..." Maxine chimed in, catching up to us just as we reached the door. "Maybe you don't need to go with Billy or on your bike." Her tone was teasing, and the look on her face as she glanced at Maddie screamed trouble.

"What? Why?" Maddie asked, confused. But my focus had shifted entirely to the sight outside.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, opening the door and taking in the scene.

It was unbelievable. Harrington. Steve Harrington, the idiot, was parked outside my house. Apparently, hooking up with Maddie last night—despite my clear warnings—wasn't enough for him. Now he had the nerve to show up here. And to top it off, he was walking toward us. I was going to destroy him.

"What are you doing here, Steve?" Maddie asked, her tone sharp as soon as he reached her. That was unexpected.

"I need to talk to you. Let me take you to school, and we can..."

"NO," she cut him off, nearly shouting. "I told you to leave. I don't want to see you."

"You only told me to leave, not that you didn't want to see me," Steve said, stepping closer.

"I wouldn't take another step, If I were you Harrington," I growled, my voice low and threatening. Whatever had Maddie this pissed off, it had to be his fault. Maddie didn't push guys away for no reason—especially not when she had a chance to mess with me by being with someone like him.

Since when do you care if Maddie gets hurt?

"If I didn't tell you yesterday, I'm telling you now," she confronted him. She looked genuinely furious. "I don't want to see you. Leave me alone," she added before heading toward the backyard.

"Maddie, please. I already told you I was wrong  with my words," he went after her, grabbing her by the arm to stop her from leaving.

"Let go of me, Steve. Stop insisting! Get out of my sight, you idiot!" I could tell her voice was breaking.

"Harrington, let her go right now," I cracked my knuckles, ready to step in. If Maddie was on the verge of tears because of him, it was because he'd truly messed up. I wasn't going to allow it.

"I don't need your help either, asshole," she growled, yanking herself free from Harrington. "I'm sick of BOTH of you," wow. She was truly pissed off.

As soon as Harrington let her go, she quickly walked through the garden to the back of the house. I saw that he was about to go after her, but I wasn't going to let him. I stepped in front of him, stopping his advance by pressing one of my hands against his chest.

"A piece of advice, Harrington. If Maddie tells you to leave, then leave. When she's angry, she's like a ticking time bomb. Trust me, you don't want to be around when she explodes."

"Get out of my way, Hargrove. This is between Maddie and me," he said, trying to pass. Again, I blocked him.

"Listen, pretty boy. Whatever you've done to Madeleine, you'd better leave her alone," I pushed him. "Don't you dare touch a single hair on her head, got it? I don't ever want to see her crying because of you again."

"Since when do Maddie's feelings matter to you? You've always..."

"Look, Harrington," I cut him off. I was starting to get seriously pissed off. "I'm trying to hold back my urge to smash your face in. So don't push your luck and just leave. You're going to piss off Maddie, and you're going to piss me off too."

"Shit, fine," he muttered under his breath.

He turned and headed toward his car. He got in, slammed the driver's side door shut, and left with a loud rev of his engine.

I sent Maxine to wait for us in the car and went to check on Maddie to make sure she was okay. When I reached her, I found her with her eyes closed, her head tilted back against the wall of the house, exhaling smoke from her cigarette almost desperately.

"Trouble in paradise?" I said sarcastically. There was no way I was going to let her think I cared about her.

"As if you cared, idiot," she mumbled.

"True, I couldn't care less," I replied, tilting my head with a smirk and shrugging, feigning indifference.

"Then stop getting involved in my damn life, William," she said, taking one last long drag from her cigarette. She threw it to the ground and stomped it out with her foot. "I'm not some princess who needs saving, so don't get involve in my arguments again."

"I don't give a shit who you argue with or who you don't. Especially if it's Harrington. Honestly, farther he stays away, the better for ." I laughed coldly. "I was just stopping you from making a scene, the kind of 'troubles couple' drama first thing in the morning." I lied. But she had unknowingly handed me the perfect cover to hide the fact that I actually did care.

Do you hear yourself? How many more times are you going to tell yourself you don't care?

"He's not my damn boyfriend. He's a damn pain in the ass—just like you," she scoffed, grabbing the handlebars of her bike with one hand. I had no idea what Harrington had done to piss her off so much. What an idiot.

As if you didn't do the same thing every day.

"Whatever you say," I said as I stepped closer to her and placed my hand over hers, the one holding the bike's handlebars. "You're not riding your bike to school today, redhead." I didn't even know why I said that, but something inside me—a small impulse—didn't want to leave her alone.

Not when she was like this.

"I'll do whatever I want, blondie," she shot back, locking her defiant gaze on mine. She was a damn insufferable stubborn woman.

"It's not a suggestion, it's an order," I said, raising an eyebrow. I wasn't going to let her get her way this time.

"I thought it would be a relieve for you not having to drive me to school anymore," she remarked.

"It is," I replied, " But a storm's coming sooner or later. If you ride your bike, you'll get soaked and catch a cold. I don't want you getting sick." I added quickly, searching for an excuse. Though it was true those dark clouds signaled a storm.

"Concerned about me, little brother?" she asked, laughing mockingly.

"Not at all," I denied firmly. "But you're already unbearable as it is. When you're sick, you're even worse." I added, steering the conversation away before she noticed that I was worried about her.

"Wow, for once I thought you'd be nice. But nope, you're still the same," she said, pulling her hand away from mine.

"Just like you. Just as bitchy, so nothing new under the sun." Back to our usual dynamic.

"Asshole."

"Whatever you say," I stretched out my arm to point at my beloved Camaro and nodded in its direction. "Come on, redhead."

"I can't stand you," she muttered.

I didn't even want to respond. That morning, she was twice as angry because of Harrington. I didn't feel like dealing with the scolding she had prepared for him. I just didn't want her to go to school alone. I knew her, and with her temper, her mind would have been spiraling the whole way, thinking about whatever it was they had fought about. Nothing good would come out of it; she was too explosive. So the best thing was to not let her go alone.

We reached the car, and Maxine was waiting for us, leaning against the back door.

"Why didn't you want to go with Steve? He's already left," Max frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Can't you two just make up already?"

"What did I tell you yesterday?" Maddie scolded.
She was definitely really pissed if she was talking to her sister like that.

"Not to get involved in your business..." the little one sighed with frustration.

"Exactly, so get in the car and keep quiet." Maddie opened the back door and ordered her to get in.

"I'd listen to her, she's in a real bichty mood today. Must be on her period or something," I muttered.

Obviously, I fucked up.

"Shut the hell up already, asshole," she slammed the door shut and shot me a furious look.

"Pretty as always," I winked at her and gave her a smile. It was impossible, teasing her was like a drug. I'd been doing it for so long that I couldn't help myself.

———————

We set off for the school.

Maxine, like me, had probably noticed the bad mood Maddie was in today. It wasn't like she was usually a ray of sunshine, but today she was more irritable than usual. So we both understood that it was better to stay quiet and just let the music play on the radio, if we didn't want a civil war inside the Camaro.

We finally arrived at school and got out of the car, leaving behind the terrible tension that could've been cut with a knife. Maxine left on her skateboard to the school, and as soon as I realized, I saw Sandra already looking for me. Of course, why hadn't I thought of that earlier?

Sandra was the perfect distraction to forget all the stupid feelings I had for Maddie. It wasn't really my style to repeat with a girl, but as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. As soon as Sandra was in front of me, I put a hand around her waist to pull her close and kissed her deeply. It wasn't that bad, after all.

It might not be bad, but it's certainly not Maddie.

"I'm going to class, if I stay here any longer I think I'm going to throw up," Maddie grumbled, clearly annoyed.

"Wait, Maddie, I need to talk to you—" Sandra tried to get her attention.

"Not now, Sandra. I have more important things to do than talk to you," Maddie insisted.

Poor Sandra, I hoped she wouldn't push too much or Maddie would bury her alive.

"Okay... Fine..." Sandra gave up easily.

I locked eyes with Maddie. I didn't say a word. I simply looked at her amused, after all, I had almost just caused a jealousy scene in the school parking lot. I watched as she quickly walked away from us, even ignoring Steve once again. It didn't escape my notice that Tira was about to break the books she was holding, gripping them with such fury while staring at Sandra and me.

"Is something wrong with your sister and me? Until two days ago, she was fine with me..." Sandra's concerned voice pulled me back to reality.

"Get used to her mood swings. My half-sister"—I emphasized the word—"is that bipolar."

"She hasn't even looked at Steve. And that's weird because lately they've been seen together a lot."

"Harrington is an idiot. He had no idea what he was getting into when he tried to get close to Maddie. He had no clue about her temper. And now he's screwed up." I laughed.

He had saved me the trouble of getting him away from her. But, on the other hand, I was still bothered by the fact that Maddie had been on the verge of crying this morning because of him.

"I don't know... It's true that she has a strong character," Sandra continued. "But from the times I've talked to her, I think it's more the reputation she built at your old school than anything else. She doesn't seem as... as bad as she wants to appear."

"She is. She's a mean bitch." I ran a hand over her shoulder.

"You know she's not. You know perfectly well she cares about you. I'll tell you to your face, she cares about you."

"Can we stop talking about my sister and go to class?" I huffed.

"Sure." Sandra smiled a little silly, feeling my arm over her shoulder.

We walked into the building to get the necessary books from our lockers before heading back to class. We went to the classroom, and as soon as I walked in, I couldn't help but smile to myself when I saw that Maddie had sat far away from Harrington. He looked at her somewhat sadly, but she didn't even flinch.

She didn't even bother to look at him. The one she looked at was me and Sandra. I noticed her jaw tighten when she saw that Sandra and I sat next to each other. Was she that jealous?

I laughed victoriously inside.

The morning went by, and with it, the boring and tedious classes. I couldn't help but keep an eye on Maddie as discreetly as possible throughout the morning.

I wanted to make sure Steve didn't get close to her. But this time it wasn't to stop them from hooking up; I just wanted to prevent him from making her cry. But it wasn't necessary, Maddie took care of avoiding him all day herself. I even think I saw her talking to Nancy Wheeler during one of the breaks. Could it be true that "exes" understand each other?

Lunchtime came, and I headed to the cafeteria with Sandra. At that point, our paths separated, which I was glad about. Look, the girl was nice and hot, but I wasn't used to having a woman glued to me all day like a leech; but it was necessary. She went to the table where some cheerleaders were sitting with their boyfriends and Harrington, as usual.

Although this time, Maddie wasn't sitting with them. I went to sit with Tommy and the others, which meant that...

"Already got a new girlfriend? You sure move on fast," Tina said angrily. Now that was a real pain in the ass.

"We're just having fun," I looked at her with disdain. "Besides, I don't owe you any explanations."

"Tina, have some self-respect," Carol nudged her.
"Don't mind her, Billy. She doesn't know when to shut up," Tommy added.

"Well, must be a family thing," Tina spat, with some bitterness, I'd say.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"Uhh, who's the one sitting there your sister?" Jack, one of the team, said, pointing in a direction.

I looked where he pointed, and there she was. Maddie, sitting alone at one of the tables. Well, she had been alone until now. As soon as I looked, there was a guy sitting on the table with his feet up on the bench, facing her. He had long, wavy brown hair, fingers covered in rings, and clearly, he was also into metal. As soon as I saw Maddie give him half a smile while talking to him... That feeling again, like a needle in my chest.

"Who the hell is the guy who just sat down with my sister?" I growled.

"The long-haired guy? Eddie Munson. I don't think you should worry about him; he's a geek. I don't think he's ever been with a woman in his life," Tommy mocked.

"True. I'm pretty sure he's a virgin. He has a club with a few others where they play Dungeons and Dragons," Jack added.

"What's that?" I asked, having no idea what they were talking about.

"Exactly that, a geeky game for kids," Carol laughed.

"If that's the case, then he's got nothing to do with my sister," I smiled calmly.

Lunch went on. Despite what my friends had said, a part of me still felt uneasy and couldn't stop watching Maddie from a distance. At first, she seemed a little tense with the guy, but little by little, I saw them chatting happily, and I even saw them leave together from the cafeteria almost at the end of lunch. Instinctively, I looked for Steve's reaction. He was watching them leave with the same discontent I was feeling. Damn it, that woman wasn't going to give me a moment of peace.

You only have yourself to blame. She paid you back in the same way you kissed Sandra in front of her.