Page 37 of Make You Beg

“Let me help you,” Maddy says, looking like a mummy shipped straight out of Egypt.

“I guess Halloween is early this year.”

“Shut up, bully.” She takes the mask out of the packet, her eyes focused on the product.

“You’re the one giving us devil and angel themed face masks.”

“Stay still,” she demands.

My body reacts in a way that I don’t want to admit, but I do as she says.

She sticks the mask onto my face, pressing her delicate fingers to it, making sure the wet mask adapts and is firm on my face. Every single one of her grazes sends electricity throughout me, making it hard for me not to lean in and corrupt her.

I’m tempted.

“There.”

She leans back.

“Thanks.” I lean back too. The effect of the mask must already be working because I’m overwhelmed by a sudden freshness. I don’t want to admit it, but the fact that she thought of me, that she brought out these masks for me, warms my dark heart.

Fuck this girl. So pure and thoughtful. If this keeps going. She’s going to turn me into someone I won’t recognize. She’s going to fucking soften me.

I let out a weird moan.

Shit.

Maddy stares. “You okay?”

Stupid, stupid feelings. Look at me, almost whimpering because no one’s ever cared about me this much.

Did I seriously almost show emotion in front of my stepsister because she did something nice for me? The first person to ever do something like this?

“Yeah,” I lie. No way I’ll ever admit how much this is getting to me. “I think I almost swallowed a fly.”

“Oh. Eww.”

“Yeah. It’s fine. It’s gone. I’ve had grosser things in my mouth.”

I try to release the emotion and go for the silly, the non-serious.

I can’t get in too deep. I can’t show her this side of me. I don’t know if she’d accept me if I do.

“I’m not going to ask,” she says.

“Good. You better not.”

“So, how’s coding?”

“Hating every moment of it, obviously.” I yawn. “It’s hard and boring.”

“Damn, only one couldn’t be enough.”

I laugh.

“What about your new room? Why did you move downstairs? Couldn’t stand me anymore?”

I slap my thigh and laugh. “Surprisingly, no. My father doesn’t trust me to study unless he can control me. My room’s right next to him.”