Chapter 7: Abundance Weekend

"No," I whispered.

His fingers tightened on my thigh.

"But we have to," I said. "That's true too."

He shut his eyes.

Then he pulled my strap back up onto my shoulder with one finger, very carefully.

"Ramona? Honey?"

I scrambled off him and stuck my head through the hall window.

Mom was on the landing in her yellow dress, holding her sandals.

"I'm here. I was getting air."

"On the roof? Baby, you'll fall."

"I won't fall."

"Have you seen Ivo? Augustin wants him to say goodnight to the salon girls."

Behind me, on the slate, Ivo made a small strangled noise.

I couldn't say no.

I couldn't say yes either, not to her, not without wanting to die.

"He's around," I said.

That one was true.

At breakfast the next morning he sat across from me and didn't look at me once.

Mom was talking about the party.

"Wasn't it perfect? Even Zane behaved. Mostly."

"Mostly," I said.

Under the table, a bare foot slid along the side of my ankle.

I dropped my fork.

"You okay, honey?"

"Fine. Slippery fork."

Ivo buttered his toast with total concentration.

The foot went up the inside of my calf.

I kicked him in the shin.

He didn't flinch.

He just said, "Pass the jam," in his flattest voice.

Augustin passed it, looking at neither of us.

The housekeeper set down a pot of coffee between us.

She looked at me.

She looked at Ivo.

She looked at the place under the table where our legs were.

Keep reading free with an account. Start My Stepbrother Is a Demon from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.