Hurricane Stepbrother Read Online Free

to navigate in the darkness.
    “Kristen?”
    “Yeah?”
    “You alright?”
    It was then that I realized he had stopped walking and even though I couldn’t see anything, I knew he was facing me was a worried expression. I can hear my own breathing becoming rapid over the sound of the storm as I began to panic.
    I took a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly, before I finally replied, “I’ll be fine. Keep going.”
    It took us a few minutes, but eventually we managed to make it into the kitchen unscathed. Once I felt the cool steel of the refrigerator against my palms, I slowly slid my hands down the countertop until I reached the drawer where I knew we kept candles for emergencies. Thankfully, I also easily located the box of matches my mom kept in the drawer as well. It had been a long time since we needed to use them and I hope they weren’t all duds.
    I shakily placed the candlesticks on the counter and opened the box of matches, managing to strike one lit on the first try. I lifted a taper candle and held it to the flame, sighing with relief as the room lit up.
    I immediately turned towards Erik with a proud grin, but it faded off my face when I realized how he was looking at me. The concern was evident on his face, he was obviously unused to anyone being so terrified of storms. Or of the dark. Embarrassed by my childlike behavior, I turned away from him, looking back at the candles on the countertop and lighting one for him.
    “Thanks,” he said as he took the lit candle from my hand.
    I didn’t look him in the eye, not wanting to see pity in his gaze. Not for the first time since he showed up, I felt incredibly young.
    “Do you have holders for these?”
    I reopened the drawer and pulled out the taper holders, passing a few of them to him along with a few more candles. I grabbed a handful for myself and without waiting for a response, I began walking back into the living room.
    After I set up my lit candle on the coffee table, I lit another to put on the other end of the table. Satisfied with how well lit the room was now, I sat back down on the couch. I didn’t look up as Erik made his way into the room.
    “Are you mad at me?”
    I released a long sigh while shaking my head. “No, I’m not mad at you. I’m just embarrassed.”
    “Embarrassed? What do you have to be embarrassed about?”
    I didn’t spare him a glance even as the couch dipped beside me. I stared straight into the flame of the candle as I said, “Being afraid of storms and the dark is rather embarrassing at my age.”
    Erik snorted and even though I wasn’t looking his way, I could tell that he was shaking his head. “That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone has fears, some more logical than others, and some embarrassingly trivial.”
    I finally turned to look at him and I easily spotted the honesty on his face. I couldn’t bring myself to admit that the real reason I was embarrassed about my fears was after being made fun of by my ex-boyfriend and his friends one night at a party, when a rather terrifying thunderstorm had rolled through and I had nearly cried at the thought of not being able to make it home.
    Instead of telling him my sob story, I simply said, “Thanks, Erik.”
    Erik smiled and sat back, getting comfortable against the cushions of the couch while propping his feet up on the coffee table, careful to avoid knocking over any of the candles.
    “Not a problem. And I’m more than happy to stay up with you until storm passes or the power comes back on. It’s the least I can do for your hospitality.”
    I was going to question what he meant by hospitality when I looked over and noticed that his eyes were shut.
    Worried that he was becoming bored with the conversation, I asked, “Do you want me to get you a book or a magazine? I’m sure I can find something.”
    He didn’t even open his eyes, he just quietly murmured, “No thanks. I’m good.”
    “Well if you don’t mind, I’m going to grab a book