[Note: This story is a work-in-progress; no separate chapters would be released, as I would keep updating this file only. I'll issue a notification every time I've updated the story. You can also access the story easily in the collection section.]
Ding-dong~!
"Who could it be?" Stopping your doom scrolling, you kept the phone back in your pocket before walking towards the door of your apartment.
Newly moved to the city, you couldn't think of anyone who'd be visiting you- Wait, there was someone who could, but...
Amidst your thoughts, you didn't forget to open the door, and the face of the person standing outside stunned you at once.
Sporting short red hair falling to her chin, a beautiful woman looking to be in her late twenties was standing at the gate.
She was quite tall for a lady, with a slender body and well-endowed assets. Currently wearing a sleeveless white top and blue jeans, she appeared quite attractive.
"Jane? Why are you here?" Reacting after a short lapse, you asked the lady a bit hastily, clearly not displaying the best of the manners.
"Is this how you talk to your sister, Lucas?" Jane, whom you had not seen in a long while, scoffed, though a slight, pleasant smile was present on her lips. It was quite an unexpected sight since all your memories of hers included a mocking or disdainful smile directed towards you.
"Step-sister." You quipped but still moved out of the way, allowing Jane to enter.
"Hmm, it looks quite cozy." Jane acted as if she were at her own house, inspecting everything within sight, even entering your bedroom. But her inspection was soon finished, as your place was only that big.
Your apartment had one bedroom and one living area, with a kitchen attached. You could do better, but you found this to be more comfortable, given that you were currently single and had recently moved to the city.
"Why are you here?" Seeing Jane lost in thoughts as she stared at nothing in particular, you couldn't help but ask.
"Didn't grandma send my portion of gifts with you?" Jane said it matter-of-factly. Extending her hand, she demanded, "Come on, I'm not going to let you hoard them all."
"She's MY grandma," was what you wanted to say but turned speechless when you remembered that your own father's mother, your grandmother, liked your stepsister more.
Maybe it was because your grandmother didn't have any granddaughters, or maybe it was because Jane was the one always helping with the chores whenever you went to visit your grandparents in the countryside.
Whatever it was, you could only helplessly agree.
"Make yourself at home." Pointing at the sofa, you offered Jane a seat before heading off to your bedroom.
Carrying a big cardboard box, you returned after some time, only to turn speechless when you saw what Jane was doing in your living room.
Jane was still in the place where you had left her. The only difference was that there was an additional bottle of wine placed on the table in front of the sofa.
"Hey." Placing the box down with a thud, you turned to her, an annoyed expression on your face. "What exactly are you doing?"
Seeing her after so many years, you had to admit that you were not in the best emotional state.
Not even you yourself were clear as to what you felt for this stepsister of yours.
You were quite young when your mother passed away. Your grandparents took care of you for a while before you suddenly heard your father announce the news of his second marriage.
Before you knew it, you were living with your new mother and her daughter, Jane.
If you were being honest, your new mother treated you quite nicely, even better than your own father. Hence, you had no complaints with the new family you got.
If there was one thing that kept getting on your nerves, it was your irritable stepsister.
You were both teens when you first met, with Jane being sixteen and you being fourteen. She was quite the rebellious child, at least against her own mother, but maybe her antics amused your father; he often took Jane's side, making you feel annoyed. However, since no real harm was done, you just waved it off.
After turning twenty, Jane left the house. You also followed after a couple of years.
That's when the unexpected happened!
Your remarried parents, who appeared quite happy and content with their married lives, suddenly filed for divorce.
When questioned by you and Jane, they simply replied that they had married simply because they wanted to provide a stable family life for their children. When their children finally moved out, they both decided to end their marriage on amicable terms since it appeared that both your father and stepmother had their own interests to pursue.
At the present moment, your father was cruising through the specific, occasionally posting some pictures that suggested he was with a new woman.
As for your stepmother, she still texted you regularly and seemed to have hooked up with some macho guy with a yacht.
Jane's figure suddenly appeared in front of you, breaking you out of your daze.
Carrying an empty glass, Jane poured some wine before handing it over to you.
"Drink with me."
Raising a brow, you took a glass and followed her to the sofa.
After some thought, you realized you'd been acting quite childish for a while. Seeing Jane after so long had evoked the personality you'd developed specifically to deal with her type.
But that was not the reason for your agitation.
After sipping on some wine, you were too relaxed since it was the weekend. It hasn't been long since you moved her either; hence, you had no friends to have some fun with.
Nor did you care. You were a fully capable introvert who could have fun by himself and maybe get dragged around by some extroverts you randomly encountered and who found you interesting at some parties or pubs.
Maybe your personality was also another thing that made you stand against the bubbly and energetic Jane, who, unlike you, was quite popular and had a way to deal with people since she was young.
Contemplating all these thoughts, you realized you'd been jealous of Jane for so long. But it was still something you had already admitted and could contain.
What really was the issue was that at some point, while you were both living together as a family, you had developed a sense of affection for her that went beyond familial bonds.
However, there was no way you were going to admit it, or worse, confess about it to Jane.
Calming your thoughts, you took another sip and finally turned to Jane, only to find your stepsister had already been looking at you.
Before you could speak, Jane spoke, but what she said next made you choke on your drink.
"I'm getting married."
The sudden information startled you badly, making you choke hard on the drink you had just sipped. Raising the glass and downing it in one go, you suddenly turned to Jane and asked in a hurry, "Are you serious?"
You knew she had been living together with her boyfriend for quite a while now; however, you had never expected them to be this serious.
"Alright, take a calm breath." Jane was amused at your appearance as she patted your back to calm your heavy breathing.
"Well, that's the plan, at least," she continued after a moment. "Though I'm not too sure."
"Why?" The sudden news of her marriage did surprise you, even making you feel somewhat frustrated for reasons you weren't willing to delve deeper into.
But the unsure tone at the end sparked your curiosity as you looked at Jane, waiting for an answer.
"Well, I don't know." Jane leaned back on the sofa, looking thoughtful. "Maybe it's because he isn't treating me like he used to."
"Wait. Didn't you say you're getting married?" you asked, sounding confused. "Then how can he not treat you right for you to agree?"
"I don't know how to describe it either." Jane shook her head, not willing to speak further on the topic.
Deciding not to pry too much in her affairs, you also didn't inquire about her insecurities further and instead asked, "Do our parents know?"
"Not yet," Jane replied, shaking her head. "I wanted to be sure myself that it's really what I want. For now, it's only a thing me and Jason have discussed between us."
You both fell silent, focusing on enjoying your drink.
Before you knew it, the bottle was emptied, and at some point, Jane had been leaning on you.
"Maybe you should go home, Jane." Looking at her droopy eyes and flushed cheeks, you wondered if it was a great idea to let her indulge herself in the alcohol.
"How can you even say that?" Despite having a bit to drink, Jane seemed to be in control of her senses. "I finally fucking found a place in this goddamn city to vent, and you're telling me to leave? How cruel!"
"Uh, the place you mentioned is my home." You muttered to yourself, but you didn't have the heart to send her away like this.
"Do you want to eat something?" Deciding to change the topic, you asked Jane while feeling a bit hungry yourself.
"Sure. Whatcha got?"
"How about some pizza?" You remembered you had some leftovers from the order you'd made the night before.
"Sure." You took the pizza slices and reheated them before bringing them over to Jane, who seemed famished as she devoured the slices one after another.
"Oh?" As she ate without a care, a piece dropped onto her top.
"No, it's left a stain~!" Jane grumbled as she tried to wipe it off with the tissues you handed her.
"Uh." You looked at her, wondering if you should help, when suddenly Jane began to pull her top off her head.
"Hey, what the-?" Flustered, you didn't know what to say. Before you knew it, Jane was sitting nearby with only a black bra covering her breasts. The black color contrasted with her fair skin, and her exposed belly displayed toned outlines.
For a moment, you felt bothered since you yourself hadn't been in the best shape, having stopped exercising to focus on your work.
"What's up?" Jane's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. You realized two things: you were thinking of something irrelevant, and you were constantly staring at your stepsister's tits.
"Ahem." Clearing your throat, you turned your head away. "You could use my washroom if you want."
"Oh?" An intriguing expression crossed Jane's face. "Feeling shy, are we? But haven't you already seen me in worse conditions before?"
Embarrassed, you replied, "Never intentionally, and we were young then."
"Are you saying I'm old now?" Jane pouted, looking annoyed.
"Alright." Rubbing your forehead, you helplessly replied, "Don't mess around anymore, Jane."
