My Fault (Culpable Book 1)

“Noah,” she replied contemptuously. “My name’s Noah.”

It was funny how she scowled at me. My new stepsister seemed offended I didn’t give a shit what her and her mother’s names were, but I had to admit that at least I remembered her mother’s. How couldn’t I? The last three weeks, she’d spent more time in my house than I had. Raffaella Morgan was now a part of my life, and to make matters worse, she’d brought company.

“Isn’t that a dude’s name?” I asked, knowing it would bother her. “No offense, obviously,” I added when I saw her honey-colored eyes open with surprise.

“It’s a girl’s name, too,” she answered a second later. I watched her look at me and then at Thor, my dog, and I couldn’t help laughing. “Probably your limited vocabulary doesn’t include the word unisex.” Thor kept growling and baring his teeth. It wasn’t his fault; we’d trained him not to trust strangers. With one word from me, he’d turn back into the sweet dog he always was…but it was too fun seeing the look of fear on my new stepsister’s face.

“Don’t worry about my vocabulary, it’s pretty extensive,” I replied, closing the fridge and turning to face her, for real this time. “There’s one word I know that my dog loves. Starts with an A, then two Ts, then A-C-K.” She looked scared, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

She was thin and tall—probably close to five eight, but I wasn’t sure—well put together, I had to admit. But her face was so girlish it was impossible to have any lustful thoughts about her. Unless I’d heard wrong, she hadn’t even finished high school, but you could guess that after one glance at her shorts, her T-shirt, and her black Converse. All she needed was to pull her hair back in a ponytail to look like the typical teenager waiting impatiently for someone to open the doors of some big box store so she could buy the latest TikTok trend all the fifteen-year-olds were freaking out about. Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off her hair; its color was strange, somewhere between dirty blond and red.

“Very funny,” she said sarcastically but obviously terrified. “Get him out of here. He looks ready to kill me.” She took a step back. As she did, Thor took a step forward.

Good boy, I thought. Maybe she could use a scare, a special reception to let her know whom this house really belonged to and how unwelcome she was.

“Thor, forward,” I ordered him sternly. Noah looked back and forth from him to me and stepped farther back until she hit the wall.

Thor walked slowly toward her, growling and showing his teeth. He was scary, but I knew he wouldn’t do anything. Not unless I ordered him to.

“What are you doing?” she asked. “This isn’t funny.”

But it was.

“My dog usually gets along great with everyone. It’s weird that he’s on the verge of attacking you,” I remarked, amused as she tried to control her fear.

“Are you going to do anything?” she whined.

Do anything? How about I tell you to go back where you came from?

“You’ve been here, what? Five minutes? And you’re already bossing people around?” I said, walking over to the tap and pouring a glass of water. “Maybe I should leave you here for a while to get to know the place on your own.”

“Were you dropped on your head often as a child? Get that dog away from me!”

I turned, a little surprised at her audacity. Had she just insulted me?

I think even my dog got it because he walked closer to her. She hardly had space to move. Then, before I could stop her, Noah turned in fright and grabbed the first thing in reach on the counter, a frying pan. Before she could hit Thor, I grabbed his collar with one hand and stopped her with the other.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I shouted, grabbing the pan and putting it back on the counter. My dog was furious, and Noah shrank into my chest, stifling a scream.

I was surprised she’d turn to me for protection when I was the one threatening her.

“Thor, sit!” He relaxed, sat down, and started wagging his tail cheerfully.

I looked down at Noah, who was clutching my T-shirt with both hands. I smiled, but then she seemed to realize what was happening. She raised her hands and shoved me away.

“Are you an idiot or what?”

“First, this better be the last time you try to attack my dog. Second…” As I looked at her, I noticed the freckles on her nose and cheeks. “Don’t ever insult me again or we’re going to have problems.”

Her expression was strange. Her eyes were glued to my face, but then they moved down to my chest, incapable of holding my stare.

I stepped back. My breathing had sped up, but I had no idea why. I’d had enough of her for one day, and I’d only known her for five minutes.

“It would be best if we got along, little sister,” I said, turning my back, grabbing my sandwich off the counter, and heading for the door.

“Don’t call me that. I’m not your sister, not even close,” she replied. She said it with so much hate, so much sincerity, that I stopped to look at her again. Her eyes were shining with determination, and I knew she was no happier than I was about our parents being together.

“Well, we agree about one thing then…little sister,” I repeated, rolling my eyes and enjoying watching her little hands clench into fists.

Just then, I heard laughter behind me. I turned and found myself face-to-face with my father…and his wife.

“I see you’ve met,” my father said, entering the kitchen and smiling from ear to ear. It had been a long time since I’d seen him smile in that way, and honestly, I was happy to see it and happy to know he was rebuilding his life. Even if he’d left something behind on the way: me.

Raffaella smiled at me gently from the door, and I forced myself to make the closest expression to a smile that I could. That was all that woman would get. It wasn’t her fault, I just couldn’t manage anything more.

My father and I didn’t have an affectionate relationship, or much of a relationship at all, but I had been completely in agreement with his building that wall that separated us from the outside world. What had happened with my mother had left its mark on both of us, especially me. I was her son, and I had to watch her leave without looking back.

Since then, I didn’t trust women, I didn’t care about them, and all that mattered to me was sex or maybe having a good time with them at parties. What else should I want?

“Noah, have you met Thor?” Raffaella asked her daughter, who was still standing by the counter not trying to conceal her bad mood.

Then Noah did something I didn’t expect. She walked forward, crouched down, and started calling Thor.

“Thor, come here, boy.” She seemed gentle, friendly. And brave—you had to give her that. Just a second ago she was trembling before the same animal in fear.

I’d expected her to go rat me out to her mom.

Thor walked over wagging his tail. He turned to me and then to her and must have realized something wasn’t right. My attitude was so serious even he couldn’t overlook it.

Tail between his legs, he came back and sat down beside me. My stepsister was flustered.

“Good boy,” I congratulated him with a big smile.

Noah stood up. There was hatred in those long-lashed eyes. Then she turned back to her mother.

“I’m going to bed,” she announced.

I decided to do the opposite because there was a party on the beach that night and I was supposed to be there.

“I’m going out tonight. Don’t wait up for me,” I said, feeling strange saying this to several people instead of just Dad.

Just as I made it past the doorframe, Dad stopped me—me and my little sister.

“The four of us are going out to dinner tonight,” he said, focusing his attention on me.

Bullshit!

“Dad, I’m sorry, but I need to go…”

“I’m so tired from the trip…”

“This is going to be our first dinner as a family, and I want you both to be there,” my father said, interrupting both of us. Standing next to me, Noah blew out all the air in her lungs.

“Can’t we make it tomorrow?” she said.

“Sorry, honey, but we have a business party tomorrow,” my father responded.

It was strange how he addressed her. I mean, he didn’t even know her! I was already in college; I could do what I wanted. I was an adult, in other words. But Noah! Having to deal with a teenager would have to be any newly married couple’s nightmare.

“Noah, we’re going out to dinner together, period, no more discussion,” Raffaella said, bringing the conversation to a close.

I decided it would be best to give in this time. I’d have dinner with them, and then I’d go to my friend Anna’s… my special friend Anna’s. Then the two of us would go to the party.

“Give me half an hour to shower,” I said, pointing to my sweaty clothes.

My father nodded with satisfaction, his wife smiled, and I realized I was being the responsible child that night…or so I was making them believe.