Loving My Billionaire Stepson

Michelle's Pov

Hayden, my stepson, was perfectly still for far too long. He must be really upset that after going through all the trouble of making me this meal the only thing I could do was refuse to reciprocate his efforts, the words were already out the only thing I could do now was apologize and hope he accepted it and let me eat. 

"I'm sorry, Hayden...I didn't–"

"Just eat," 

I think he's annoyed with me, but at least he's letting me eat. 

I forgot all shame for a second and started wolfing down the food. 

His eyes were burning down the side of my face but my mouth was moving and I didn't want to stop nor did my chopsticks which he had laid beside the plate of food. All the flavors exploded in my mouth sending the right signals to my brain, it's tasted so good that I moaned with relish. 

"Hmg" Hayden grunted, suddenly turning around while taking deep breaths. I flushed, he must have figured out how hungry I was.

The truth was, for the past several weeks, Beatrice had taken it upon herself to harshly police every single thing I ate, scrutinizing my diet with relentless criticism.

"This is exactly why you're fat like a pig and can't get pregnant, it's because of all this nonsense that you're inhaling into your body. I won't look away anymore," she had always complained that I ate too much and I could be more slim, more slender. I always knew I was on the chubbier side, it was an insecurity that I had battled and temporarily won in the past. That was until my mother-in-law showed up and started planting those uprooted insecurities again.

Before she wouldn't dare say such words to me, at least not without heavily sugar coating it. 

Back then when Elliot still cared about me he would immediately shut his mother down no matter how sugar-coated her words were. He wouldn't tolerate any disrespect towards me. 

Now..

I had tried to push those awful thoughts away, and while I was eating and quenching my hunger for the first time in weeks I was able to distract myself but as soon as the plate was empty my eyes were filled with tears.

"I'm sorry," I apologized to Hayden.

"Don't apologize," he said taking the plates away and taking care of them in the sink.

"Why did you come?" I asked, so many things confused me right now, and at the forefront of them was his sudden hospitality. From what I knew, he didn't like me one bit. In fact, the first night we met he was just staring at me like they snuck me into the planet, and when he was not staring he was shooting daggers with his eyes.

I could already guess what he was thinking. 

There was a strong chance he assumed I was nothing more than a shallow gold digger, clinging to his father's wealth and status, and that my presence in their lives had little to do with love and everything to do with money.

But the truth back then was that I loved Elliot.

And that's exactly why his betrayal cuts so deep.

While I still stayed under my father's roof working multiple jobs, there was something that kept me going even before I met Elliot. 

My dream of go to college. 

My major would be in Engineering.

I was a straight-A student, already scouting around for scholarships. 

Then I fell in love and that dream went down the pipeline.

Now I regret it deeply. 

"Your father...has another woman," I said quietly, I don't know why I confessed something so humiliating to him maybe because it was burning me from inside and I needed a way to let it out before I exploded so I just told him. 

Hayden kept washing the dishes without pause and replied; "I already knew,"

His reply struck me with the force of a slap, sharp and stinging. Heart pounding, I pushed myself off the barstool and deliberately approached him, each step heavier than the last.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" The question shot out like an accusation, ".. if I knew..."

"If you knew... What would you have done?" He faced me after putting the dishes aside. 

"You have already been tolerating so much from Elliot I assumed that this was just another thing you had to learn to put up with as well,"

Shame overwhelmed me then came this undescribable urge to defend that man.

"I haven't spoken to him yet, I left before he could say anything... Maybe this was just a one-time thing and–"

"See? This is exactly what I meant..." 

He leaned in closer and before I knew it my back was pressed against the counter and he hovered over me like it was a dark tower.

"He's not even said anything yet, and here you're building up a case in your mind to defend him. Gosh, I'm really trying to help you, but if I'm being honest you're not making it easy,"

He placed his hands at my sides, effectively trapping me between his rippling muscles as he leaned closer enough that his musk swam unfiltered into my nostrils and his heated breath brushed at my neck. 

Goosebumps ran across my whole body as I rubbed my thighs together.

"Step back, please  .." I was supposed to yell but instead it came out as a whisper, my breathing became uneven. 

He was about to do just that, then I remembered Elliot and Natasha laughing and giggling together, disregarding my feelings...the sadness gave way to the anger.

I had to get back at him.

No matter what other way I felt, I'd show him that it took two to tango.

I grabbed Hayden by the collar of his shirt, pulling him down. I stopped when our lips were a millimetre apart, heated breaths intermingling. His eyes flashed with a look I didn't recognize, I got cold feet and was ready to pull away when he grabbed me by my waist, lifting me for his lips to embrace mine.