My CEO Stepbrother Kissed Me

Melinda batted her eyelashes and rubbed her palm together as she said, "I went to my classmate's house."

"Which classmate?" her mom questioned. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Mom, it's a girl. You haven't met her yet," she continued, sipping her soup. "This mushroom soup is delicious. "I like it," she said, attempting to change the subject.

Serena, thankfully, had no idea anything was amiss. It was never a concern of hers that her daughter would act out of character because she was constantly aware of how well-behaved she was. Therefore, it didn't even cross her mind that her daughter would be out with a guy last night.

"Mindy, I know I haven't been home for quite a few days now, which might have been hard for you. You're not saying anything, and it's making me anxious. Are you upset with me?" Serena asked.

"Mom, I'm not a child anymore. I'm already in college. So, there's no need to worry about me; I can handle myself. And I can understand your situation, so you don't have to explain anything," Melinda replied, her tone serious.

However, she couldn't help but feel bad about lying to her mother. To shrug off the guilt, she handed Serena a salad bowl and said, "How have you been lately, Mom? How's work?"

"Wow, Mindy, you've matured a lot. Thank you for asking about me. Everything is well." Feeling both guilty and relieved, Serena ran her fingers through Melinda's hair.

Being a single parent certainly had its difficulties. Serena had to work hard and look after Melinda simultaneously. She was constantly worried about many issues, and as a result, she frequently made mistakes in the past. Like when she had to rush Melinda to the hospital when she was just five years old because her carelessness as a parent caused Melinda to suffer a high fever.

Serena felt like a terrible mother whenever the memory of that day came up. This was also one of the main reasons she had always wished to marry again. She believed that by giving Melinda a whole family, she could give her a safer and more secure home environment. However, instead of improving things, she and Melinda's time together shrank as time went on. Fortunately, Melinda had always been a reasonable and considerate child.

After supper, Serena thawed a watermelon from the freezer and sliced it in half. She carefully plated the food and carried it to the living room. Making most of the time her mother was home, they ate while watching the television.

Halfway through the movie, Serena suddenly turned to Melinda and randomly asked, "Mindy, do you like John?"

"Mom, I'll like him if you like him," Melinda replied as she picked up a watermelon.

Serena had already dated a wide variety of men. Despite Serena's repeated attempts to follow Melinda's relationship advice, she consistently ended herself in broken relationships. As time progressed, Melinda became accustomed to Serena's romantic relationships and subsequent breakups.

"Well, I'm thinking of marrying him," Serena broke the news to her.

Melinda had a spoon and was busy scraping the inside of the watermelon as Serena spoke. But after hearing her mother's words, she stopped what she was doing and looked up at Serena, who had been admiring the night sky from the window.

"A month from now, we'll be moving into his home," she announced.

Serena swiveled on her heel and stared at Melinda. Then, she continued softly, saying, "John has a son, and he's seven years older than you. I know you never grew accustomed to living with a man but worry less. Jeffery rarely stayed at their house, so we shouldn't stress about him. Treat him like a brother. I heard he's kind, but don't test his patience. Don't push the wrong button. He'll leave you alone if you let him alone."

Melinda thought for a bit, then nodded and said softly, "I'll be good."

She didn't tell Serena that Jeffery liked her and was nice to her. She knew that he certainly wouldn't harass her.

Serena continued chatting with Melinda until her phone rang, so she kissed her on the cheek and told her to finish the fruit. After that, Serena returned to her room and bid her good night.

After Melinda finished her watermelon, she went back to her room and sat on her bed for some time. She stared at her phone and wondered if she should contact Jeffery.

She missed him already.

At long last, after contemplating, she decided to send him a message. She patiently waited for him to reply. However, after long waiting, she started to feel irritated that he hadn't responded to her.

Slowly, her hand moved to the video call button on her screen. She hesitated again.

"1…2…3," she counted, then pressed the button.

Melinda's heart was racing as the connection prompt sounded. Even though she was about to hang up, something made her reconsider. Melinda waited for Jeffery to answer the phone as she sat on her bed.

The video call, however, went unanswered. Because of that, Melinda grimaced, but she still couldn't help contacting him. After three attempts, he finally answered the call.

"Jeff, why aren't you responding to my messages?" Melinda asked, holding the phone to her face.

Jeffery and Melinda both agreed they'd respond to each other's messages last night, so Melinda wondered why it took some time before Jeffery returned her messages and calls.

Jeffery adjusted his phone to level his face, and it appeared as though he had gone outside. The screen's dark background, however, made it difficult to discern where he was. But it was apparent that he wasn't at his home or workplace.

A few of the top buttons on his white shirt were undone, displaying tantalizing swaths of skin. The tops of his eyebrows were obscured by a few stray strands of hair that dropped from his short haircut. He looked introverted yet naughty and wild at the same time.

Jeffery squinted at her while leaning on the railing. He exuded an icy bad attitude as he spoke in a low tone. "Why are you looking for me? Do you miss me already?"