Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother

Chapter 352

KASMINE

Okay, Jake, I said slowly, drawing in a breath to steady the rising nerves clawing at my throat. "You're in control now. Let's talk. It's getting really late."

My voic

sounded softer than I intended, but the pressure in my chest was anything but calm.

Jake didn't answer right away. He scoffed, but it wasn't his usual light-hearted scoff that used to come with

a smirk and a shake of the head when I teased him. No. This one was laced with something bitter. My spine stiffened.

For a brief second - no, less than that I saw something. I could swear I saw a different Jake sitting before me. Not the cool, sweet, composed Jake I used to know. But he blinked, and was gone in a millisecond, almost as if I'd imagined it or like my eyes had lied to me.

Jake was quiet for a long beat before he finally spoke in a low and almost fragile voice like it might snap if he spoke too

loud.

"I did love you, Kasmine..."

He didn't look at me. He kept his gaze ahead, staring out through the windshield into the darkness as though the trees beyond the roadside would offer him answers I couldn't.

"I really did love you," he repeated, slower and softer. "I just... I wish you had loved me back. The way I loved you. Maybe then..." His fingers curled around the edge of the steering wheel, knuckles going white, "Maybe then I would've had the guts to fight for you."

the ground beneath us was

narrowing slightly as I tried to read his face. But he

I swallowed. "What are you

face me. He shook it slowly,

knew," he murmured. "I knew about you

thudded painfully against

voice hoarse,

eyes found mine. They weren't soft or kind anymore. They were tired and sad

that had finally clawed its

me,"

in his seat, exhaling through his nose. His hand ran down his face before he let his arm drop

1/2

Chapter 352

tone that cracked at he

I froze.

Je wasn't blinking.

he kept slamming into you slowly, probably teasing you with his cock to see how much you could hold back from screaming and letting me know how

to work. My

He

lower. "Listening, Knowing. Knowing. And still, I pretended I didn't. I convinced myself you'd explain

His fingers tapped erratically on the