Page 40 of My Alpha Stepbrother's Dirty Secret 2

There was a shift in the bed.Then the sound of footsteps getting closer.

My heart slammed so hard against my ribs I thought it might crack.I held up the flowers, trying to fix the stupid ribbon that was already slipping off.My palms were sweaty.My throat was tight.and I swear my knees almost turned to jelly when I heard her hand on the doorknob.

CHAPTER 68

Liana's POV

I stood up from my bed slowly when I heard Ryan knock.I wasn't expecting to open the door and see anyone else but him.My head was pounding a little from all the crying I'd done, and honestly, I didn't want to be bothered.But he was my baby.His voice sounded too soft, too sweet to ignore.So I pulled myself together, wiped my face real quick, and opened the door.

The second I did, I saw him.

Killian.

I slammed the door so fast and so hard it rattled the frame.My chest tightened immediately, and I felt my whole body heat up, not from embrarrassment or nerves, but pure, full-blown anger.

"Ryan!"I snapped."Why would you do that?"

From the other side of the door, his tiny voice came out as if he was a puppy."Mommy...Daddy and I just wants to see you."

"You don't bring people to my door like that, Ryan!That's not okay!"

"But you're sad," he said quietly."Daddy brought flowers for you.and your favorite chocolate."

I didn't say anything.

"Open the door pretty please..."he added."Just take them.Please.You don't have to talk to him."

I rolled my eyes and let my head fall back against the door.

I was mad at Killian.I was furious.But not at the chocolate.The chocolate didn't lie to me.The chocolate didn't disappear on me.The chocolate didn't make me cry like a fool.No.It was Killian I was mad at.Not the chocolate.The chocolate did nothing wrong.

I could just open the door, take the flowers and the chocolate, and pull Ryan inside.That's it.That's all I was going to do.

So I unlocked the door and pulled it open again.

But the moment I did, Killian shoved his foot right at the edge, and before I could slam it again, he pushed his way in.

"Killian!"I yelled.

Ryan, that little betrayer, gave me the cheekiest grin and ran away down the hall like he hadn't just set me up.

That boy!

"Baby..."Killian said, his voice low, almost careful, as he held out the chocolate bag and flowers toward me like he was offering me his own heart in his hands.

I saw the chocolate.I saw the flowers.And believe me, I wanted to collect it.God, I was dying to collect it.But instead, I folded my arms and pressed my lips together in a tight frown, making sure my face gave away nothing.

"What are you doing here?"I asked, trying so hard to keep my voice steady, even though my fingers were literally twitching to snatch that chocolate right out of his hand.

Killian smiled.The kind of smile that made it hard to hate him even when you were mad as hell.

"Take it," he said."My peace offering."

Then, like he had no shame, he dropped to his knees, right there in front of me, holding the bag and the flowers up like I was some queen and he was just begging to be forgiven for some dumb shit.

I let out a huff.A deep one.But I snatched the flowers anyway and brought them to my nose.They smelled really, really good.He knew what I liked.Then I took the bag too.And when I opened it, the second I saw the exact chocolate I used to always sneak into my bag when I was having a bad day...I smiled.It just happened.Like my mouth forgot I was supposed to be mad.

But I caught myself.