Brain Development Enterprises Ch. 07

I couldn't help but smile at that, shaking my head. "You're too smart, angel," I snorted.

The teenager rolled her eyes. "We already knew that, didn't we?" she teased. "So are you going to tell me what it is?"

Now I was the one chewing at the inside of my cheek. Then, "Barbara told me about your boyfriend. Lucas..." I looked away as I said it, but I heard McKenzie sigh.

"I get it," she said, not denying a thing. "And what we talked about last week, about how you didn't want to turn into Aaron Burns. And now you feel like you are turning into him. Messing up someone's relationship just to get what you want..."

"Aren't I?" My face was turning into a frown as I rolled over to face her. I didn't raise my voice, but there was frustration in my tone. "Barbara said this Lucas kid tried reaching out to her because you stopped talking to him. Right around the same time that things started happening between us. Are you going to deny that?"

McKenzie held my gaze. "No," she said softly. "I'm not."

I huffed. "Then what? I said I didn't want to fight anymore, but I also don't want to be the type of man that I can't stand."

My stepdaughter didn't speak for a few seconds, just looking at me and thinking.

"What?" I finally asked.

She paused, then nodded. "You're right."

I blinked. I wasn't used to women agreeing with me when I was upset with them. "About what?"

"I was wrong to treat Lucas like I did." She said it simply. "But I wanted to be with you and I didn't want to have to explain to him what was going on because I didn't want to deal with all the drama."

I frowned, but she continued before I could speak.

"I was wrong. And I want to fix it."

"How?" I asked.

"I'll talk to him. I'll break up with him properly, like an adult, and then you and I can move on. Because you're right, and I don't want to fight either. Not with my ex, not with my mom, and not with you..." She reached out and touched my arm, brushing her fingers gently across my skin. "I should have known that keeping secrets hurts relationships. I should have known it better than most people, really. And I don't want to hurt my relationship with you by keeping things from you." She paused and took a slow breath. "Will you forgive me? For not telling you?"

I rubbed my hand across my face, but when I looked back over at her I couldn't help but quirk a small smile. "Once again, you prove that you're a wiser woman than I expected. And I can't stay mad at you after you say stuff like that."

I blew out a breath. "I said I didn't want to fight anymore, and I don't. But if we're going to deal with your mom leaving, and with all the changes that are happening, we need to be smarter and stronger than whatever problems get thrown at us. And that means we face them together."

McKenzie's lips turned up in a smile of her own. "Together, huh?"

I nodded.

My stepdaughter leaned forward and kissed me softly. "Well then, Mr. Together," she murmured. "How about we go downstairs, make some food, and make plans for the future."

I snorted. "After everything that just happened? I need more than some food. I'm having a drink."

McKenzie laughed softly. "Make it two drinks, and I'll help with the plans. Keep you from fucking it up." She grinned cheekily.

I shook my head, chuckling. "You know you're underage, right?"

"Hmmm..." McKenzie murmured, kissing my back as I rolled to my feet. "Only for some things."

I rolled my eyes as I turned and smiled down at her.

I'd thought that things were changing. But I was wrong. Things had already changed. My wife had left, maybe even gone straight into the arms of another man. I had strange powers and abilities I was only just starting to control, but still barely understood. And my stepdaughter and I were closer than we'd ever been, in a relationship I would never have predicted just a few short weeks ago.

"Two drinks it is," I said, chuckling again. "But don't go thinking you can make all sorts of outrageous demands."

McKenzie winked mischievously up at me as she stood and headed, naked, for the bedroom door. "I wouldn't dream of it... Daddy..."

* * *

Thank you for reading and welcome once again to the Brain Development Enterprises series. I apologize for the wait between parts 6 and 7, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless. If you did, please let me know, because your positive comments keep me going. If you want to read more of my works, you can follow me here on Literotica.

Lastly, I couldn't do this without the help of a few generous readers and supporters, so a special shoutout to all of them. You know who you are.

Lots of love, and I'll see you soon!

JC