6. touch me brother

Chapter 6 - Jayden's POV

I felt so useless as I downed the contents of the whiskey bottle until it was empty.

I'd invited my friends over to party at the club directly below the floor where she was having her strictly-by-invitation party, but nothing, not even the women who didn't hesitate to flirt—could get my mind off her.

My buddies left until it was only me and the women who had nothing on their minds except how they were going to seduce me, but no matter how hard they tried, I didn't give in to them.

Chloe was my constant distraction whenever I wasn't with her, and I kept thinking of ways to save her from the dreadful life she was being forced to live. But when it struck midnight, I had no choice but to give up.

I couldn't drive, and I couldn't bear to return home where everything reminded me of her, so I decided to get a room instead.

The plan was to stay until I could face seeing her again. The elevator happened to be under maintenance, which left me no choice but to take the stairs to the fifth floor where I managed to get a room.

I felt sorry for her and myself because it felt like the sole purpose of my life these past four years had been handed over to someone else just like that. At least, that's what I thought until I opened the door that led to the floor.

"Please help me! They're trying to assault me, please!" It was her voice, and the way her shaky, slender hands gripped my shirt brought me out of my hopeless thoughts.

"What? I thought you booked the whole floor!" one of the guys she was running from said. The whole situation dawned on me when I finally saw the face of the bastard I'd been wanting to send to hell.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this." He stepped forward from behind the other four expensively dressed teenagers.

"Is it true what she said?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around Chloe, who was crying, shaking, and begging like her life depended on it.

"It's not assault if she's mine to use, right? Her parents gave permission, and I don't care if you're her relative or anything. But if you turn your back like nothing ever happened, I'll make sure you lead a smooth life." I ended his sentence with a blow across his face.

"You bastard! How about I give you a rough life instead!" I told Chloe to stand behind me while I fought them all until none of them could stand.

This time, Chloe didn't try to stop me. Instead, she cheered me on.

"Did you get them all?" she asked when I returned to her.

"Yes, now let's go home."

I checked the numbers on the doors and realized I'd gone to the wrong floor, but I couldn't be more grateful about that mistake.

"Jayden, is that you? My handsome stepbrother?" Chloe asked with slurred speech as I knelt beside her and tried to help her up.

"Yes, let me take you home. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, you must have been terrified." She had stopped crying, but there was something about the way she talked that both concerned me and made my heart race.

"No, please don't. I don't want to go home yet. I want to stay with you." She tightly held onto my shirt, removing some buttons in the process.

"I'll take you to my room then. Is that okay?"

"Yes, please. I only want to stay with you." Her words were no longer filled with fear, yet she was holding onto me and not letting go. I had no choice but to carry her to the floor where my room was. I helped her settle and hurried to close the door before returning to where she lay on the bed.

"I know this might not be the best time, but I need you to tell me everything that happened. I promise I'm not done with those guys who tried to hurt you." I knelt beside the bed and held her hands in mine while finding it difficult to look away from her flushed face.

She giggled and placed my palms on her thighs as she cupped my jaw in her hand.

"This isn't the right time to talk because I need you to help me out of this dress first."

"Chloe, what do you mean?" I asked with a frown as I sat beside her instead.

Normally, Chloe would push me away, but she was the one inviting me this time.

"I'm eighteen now, so please kiss me like you did earlier. I want you to hold me and be close to me again. Let me show you how much I want you, please." She got to her knees and started fumbling with my belt buckle. I watched her, dazed, until she had pulled it down.

I snapped back to reality the moment her fingers touched the waistband of my underwear.

"Stop." I grabbed her wrist.

"What are you trying to do? Wait a second, were you drugged?" It finally dawned on me why she was acting so strangely.

"He forced a bitter drink down my throat, but it doesn't matter now that you've saved me. I'll do anything you want." She giggled again.

"If that's the case, then..." I helped her lie back on the bed. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I can't take advantage of you now. If it were another time, I would have gladly accepted your offer, but not when you're not in your right mind and don't know what you really want." I decided to get myself another room when I heard whimpering from behind me.

"But I want you. I've always wanted you, and you can see for yourself." She held my wrist and tried to guide it. "I need you."

"It's because of the drugs. We can't do this. I'm sorry, Chloe." But that made her upset instead.

"You're calling me by my full name now that I'm offering myself to you? Was I nothing but a game you've gotten tired of?" She was angry.

"No, not that."

"Then what? I'm an adult now, we're not blood-related, and that monster doesn't deserve what I'm trying to give you. So please, I'm burning up for you. I want you to be my first. I want it to be you I marry when I turn twenty-one instead. Please, Jayden, touch me." She started to pull at her dress straps.

She wasn't wearing anything underneath, and I no longer had the same resolve holding me back.

I wanted to apologize and turn her down again. But this time, she rose to her knees on the bed, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me.

It was the first time she had taken the initiative, and I didn't want to break her heart, so I climbed onto the bed with her.

"Your wish is my command, princess."