Stepbrother Revealed Read online

  “That’s not fair.” The driver honked his horn, anxious to get back to town.

  “It’s not,” I conceded, moving to grab my bags from Chase. “But this isn’t something we can do, not on the eve of our parents’ wedding. Not starting out when we’re supposed to be family.” He nodded, dejected. There seemed to be something like real sadness behind his eyes. I felt like I was sinking, worse now than when I realized Chase would soon be my stepbrother. He held to the bags, refusing to let go. His muscles were pulled taut under his shirt.

  “Chase, come on,” I said. He sighed and walked out to the taxi, tossing the bags in the open trunk. I followed, looking down at the patio beneath my feet. I didn’t want him to read the disappointment in my own eyes. He was the boy I couldn’t have, after all. And I’d continue as my mousy brown self, the library student without a hope of bagging a guy like Chase. Later on down the line, I’d find someone stable and dependable, someone more than a silly one night stand.

  Not even one night in our case, I thought. I stood by the taxi and brushed my hair behind my ear, already nostalgic for the few moments I felt like one of those sexy girls I never thought I could be.

  Chase stood and watched as I got into the taxi, his face unreadable. I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn’t think of what.

  I looked back as the man kicked the car into gear and headed back down the steep hill. Chase was still standing there, watching me as we retreated in the distance. My mother stepped out onto the porch and waved, smiling and unaware.

  I rode back to the hotel, pondering my time with Chase and trying to let it go. Our attraction had felt so immediate, but I knew it wasn’t unusual to find someone so quickly. I knew it happened all the time; it just didn’t happen to me. I looked out of the windows at the palms and tropical greenery, giving way to cottages and shanties set along the road. The small town lay before us, the sun setting behind us and illuminating the city with orange and gold light.

  We pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, and I handed a ten to the driver.

  “Didn't work out with your boyfriend?” He smiled into the rear view mirror. I laughed, thinking about the idea of Chase as my boyfriend. The obviously privileged, handsome boy and the nerdy, mousy girl. No, that didn't work at all. It was weird enough that his father was marrying into my family, but it made sense that fate would come up with something so thoroughly fucked up for me. It would keep me from my island romance ... and the pleasure of sleeping with someone who might actually be good in bed.

  “No, suffice to say it didn’t.”

  “Well the island has a way of bringing people together,” he said. I nodded and got out of the car, grabbing the bags myself from the trunk. I hefted them over my shoulders and walked to the nondescript hotel. Nondescript, just like me. It made sense that I belonged here instead of up there with him and our deliriously happy parents. I sighed and walked up to the hotel, resolved to drink several small bottles of vodka and go straight to sleep.

  I checked into the hotel in a daze, ordering a dish of mango chicken and a tropical drink to be sent up to the room. I lazily paid a bell boy to take up my bags, resolving to use my vacation hours to the best of their ability. I looked around at the tourists, all enjoying themselves. The chatter in the lobby was deafening. There were other folks here for weddings, and many more for their family vacations. I saw a handsome couple, pulling each other into a deep embrace and kissing with unabashed pleasure.

  Envy rose in my gut, and I turned away, toward the elevator and toward the peacefulness of being alone. I rode up to my room and saw my dinner and bags waiting for me. I ate blindly, flipping through the channels and downing my drink as fast as I could. After I pushed the empty plate outside, I opened another bottle of booze from the mini-bar and dumped it into the glass with my remaining ice. I gulped it down, welcoming the feeling of relief.

  I wasn't normally one to drink, but this was a special occasion. I lay back on the bed, staring at an episode of “The Bachelor” and finishing the rest of the alcohol through my straw.

  "Fake fucking happiness," I mumbled, throwing my tiny umbrella at the television. I closed my eyes as they contestants prattled on, settling into my cocoon of solitude. This would suffice for right now.

  After tomorrow, I'd forget about Chase and carry on with my vacation, burying myself in schoolwork on the beach. Chase was only a passing interest, at best. I was just upset because I couldn't fully sample the goods.

  That’s the only reason, I assured myself as I fell asleep.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  I woke up late the next morning. My eyes were heavy and gritty feeling, and I realized that I was probably slightly hungover. I’d fallen asleep with strange dreams of Chase taking up my mental energy. I turned over in bed and shook off the visions of Chase, his body pressed against mine. I groaned and opened my eyes a crack. Sometime in the night, I’d opened the window to the balcony. I could hear the happy shouts of children and the waves crashing on the shore.

  I pulled the pillow over my head, willing the happy people to go away. I knew I should be happy myself on the dawn of my mother’s wedding, but I still felt robbed of the one exciting thing I’d ever wanted to do.

  My phone buzzed and shook on the bedside table. I moaned at the sound of it. There was incessant buzzing the night before, all texts from my mom.

  I got up slowly and walked out onto the balcony with my phone, letting the balmy breeze wash away the thick hangover. I'd ignored the text my mom had sent me, inviting me to dinner. I knew that I couldn't be around Chase. I'd only figured I'd see him for one night anyway, so it wasn't like it was a big loss. I might see him a year from now, at a quick Christmas gathering or a cousin's wedding. Other than that, I could safely avoid him, just like it was meant to be.

  I clicked my phone, looking through my messages. I was invited to dinner. I was invited to get ready with my mother at the cabin this morning. She hoped I would stay for the reception on the beach and not hide out in my hotel room. My mom. She did know something was wrong, but she had no idea what, and she had no earthly clue what to do.

  My phone buzzed as I held it limply in my hand. It was Chase.

  Where are you?

  I didn't open it. He could think I was ignoring him. After all, it didn't matter. It was only ever going to be a hook-up, a one night stand. He wouldn't have called me again, and I wouldn't have seen him when I went back to the city. New York is a big place, and he didn't even know that's where I lived.

  Then why did I feel so shitty?

  It wasn’t like we would see each other again. It wasn’t like I really cared about him. I couldn’t in such a short time, right? It wasn’t possible. We’d barely even hooked up. Still, I couldn’t get away from the fantasy of having him near me, the thrill of that one moment before our one night stand was ripped away.

  I stepped into the shower, turning the water hot. I stepped inside and let the water run over my hair, making my brown curls heavy with water. I shook my head and watched the water droplets fly. I closed my eyes, and a vision of Chase popped into my head. I imagined him, running his hands over my body, his strong arms wrapping around me … his fingers slipping deep inside of me. I wondered what it would be like for him to take me … to fill me up completely. I slipped my hands down over my hips and to the sensitive flesh of my thighs, tracing my fingers where Chase had touched me. I circled the sensitive button of my clit, moaning as the heat built deep in my core.

  The climax built inside of me, washing over me and making me shake in the warm water of the shower. I watched my muscles tense and shake as the rivulets of water poured over me. The thought of Chase's hands on me had left me undone. I slumped against the shower wall, panting. A slight flush had risen in my body, and I wondered if my mom would be able to read my thoughts when I met her to get ready. And I wondered if I'd be able to avoid Chase for the day. He was supposed to be doing something with his Dad this morning, my mom had told me over text. It's like she'd som
ehow understood that my silence had something to do with Chase. I knew I couldn't exactly avoid him at the wedding, but I didn't have to look his way on purpose.

  I wondered if it would matter to him. It probably wouldn't.

  I soaped my body off and washed my face, letting the memory of the climax fade from my mind. I didn't know why Chase affected me like I did. Maybe it was just the novelty of being away from my humdrum life in the city. Maybe it was the romance of going to an island wedding. Or maybe the island did have a way of bringing people together.

  No, that was crazy.

  My head pounded, and I reached to turn off the water. A sickness rose in my gut, and I knew it wasn't just the vodka I was unaccustomed to. It was the whole idea of Chase and what he signified. I was coming unglued from the concept of who I was, and he'd accomplished that feat in a matter of hours.

  I sighed heavily. I'd have to face life and meet Mom at the venue she'd picked for the wedding. It was some romantic little beachy place with rooms to get ready and a great bar with loads of tropical drinks. It would have sounded awesome if I wasn't so worried about the boy that I'd met on the plane. My stepbrother.

  I stepped out of the shower and dried off, reaching for the hotel's lackluster hairdryer. It would be too much to hope that my hair would behave itself. Somehow, it arranged itself in soft curls that fell over my shoulders, and I felt a little bit more in charge of my day. I took some Advil and got dressed, clearing away most of the hangover. I could do this. I was ready. I walked out into the hall with my bags and headed down the elevator. When I reached the lobby, I was confronted by something I didn't want to see.

  It was Chase. And his dad. Chase was talking to some blond girl who looked like she worked out a whole lot more than I ever had. This was not good. No good at all.

  I took a deep breath and walked as far out of the way as I could. I didn't want Chase to see me, and I certainly didn't want to know anything about the girl who looked like she could be in the running for Miss America. I did not, indeed.

  “Hey, Sienna!” Chase's voice carried over the din of the lobby. I walked on, hoping to catch a taxi before I had to answer. But of course, Chase had already caught my arm. I turned and looked at him.

  “Chase, what are you doing? I thought we'd agreed not to pursue this.”

  “I’m not pursuing anything,” he said, letting go of me, “I’m simply saying hello. And good morning.” He smiled that bright, captivating smile. I felt like I might melt into a puddle on the spot.

  “Who's the blonde?” I knew I shouldn’t be asking, but the question had slipped out of my mouth before I knew what was happening.

  “My date for the wedding.”

  “That's just great,” I replied, turning on my heels and walking away.

  “No, I mean, it's not like that! I'd rather you were with me, but hey ... Hey Sienna, wait!”

  I was already out the door of the lobby, hailing a cab. Tears stung my eyes, and I cursed myself for feeling the way I did. Chase wasn't worth my time if he'd moved on that quickly. And hell, I probably already knew that I wasn't quite the girl he was looking for. I wasn't that type of girl ... the type for a good time.

  I arrived at the wedding venue, bags in hand, not much worse for the wear than I had been last night or much of the morning. My mom wouldn't know what was happening, right? Right.

  Wrong.

  As soon as I walked in, my mother was all over me.

  "Sweetie, what on earth is wrong?" While she cooed over me, she started brushing out my hair and dabbing on makeup while my aunt got my dress out of its bag. The woman was efficient, I'll give her that. It always amazed me how many girly things my mom could accomplish all at once. She was the type of woman men had fun with. She and I didn't interact with the world in quite the same way.

  "Nothing, Mom," I grumbled, "I just ended up with a migraine last night."

  "It doesn't have anything to do with a boy, does it?" She looked at me knowingly.

  "Chase is awfully cute, isn't he?" My aunt chimed in as she patted me on the shoulder and gestured for me to lift my arms so that she could pull me out of my sundress and get me into the bridesmaid's dress for the wedding.

  "Ugh," I responded.

  "He'll be her stepbrother, Cassie," my mom said.

  "I'm just saying he's cute. That's all. They're not related. And when Sienna's all dolled up, she looks pretty cute too."

  "Yes, they're both lovely young people," my mom said. She was trying to make some kind of point, but it was lost on me. My aunt and mother were a strange duo, and it was often hard to read what they were saying. But they did love dressing me up. My aunt pulled the dress my mother had picked out for me over my head. It was made of raw silk and had a crinoline underskirt. It was all deep green, like the mountains around us.

  I turned and looked in the mirror.

  “Not bad,” I said. “Good choice, Mom.” My mother's face lit up, and we worked on getting her into her cascading white dress that no one should ever pick for a beach wedding. Somehow, for her it worked. And I knew she didn't really care if it got sandy and ruined. After all, she was the fun sort. I sighed and sat, watching her and steeling myself for the wedding. It was only a few minutes away now, and I hadn't had time to get any of the delicious drinks I'd heard so much about. I'd have to face Chase on my own.

  “You ready?” My mother leaned in and kissed my cheek. Her face was so deliriously happy that I had to smile myself. She was cheeky and weird and a little bit obsessed with appearance and money, but I had to give it to her. This wedding was very charming. And it all worked. At least, it all would have worked well if it weren't for Chase. For now, I'd have to keep him out of my mind. I took my mom's arm and walked out onto the beach with her as the music started to play.

  I couldn't help it. Even as I walked with my mom — the focus of the whole wedding, presumably — my eyes sought out Chase. He stood with the minister and his father at the end of the beach, and his pretty blond date sat in the front row. I stared at him numbly. Why could someone so different from me affect me so greatly? It was the mystery of the whole wedding vacation.

  "You look beautiful, honey," my mom whispered as we approached the makeshift altar.

  “You too, Mom. Really.” My mom did look pretty resplendent. I would happily stand next to her, and I'd concentrate on her happiness for the moment — not my own lack of happiness. Hers would suffice for the moment.

  I stood beside her as the non-denominational minister they'd chosen began his quick speech. The wedding was mostly concentrated on food and booze since my mother had planned it, and I knew the wedding part would be short and sweet. The party would be the main focus. I stood there, looking ahead at the sun setting over the beach. It was a beautiful place to get married. A beautiful place for romance.

  I spared a glance at Chase. He was looking at me, trying to get my attention. Of course. I looked back ahead, stoic, listening to my mom exchange her vows with Hugh. They kissed and walked back down the aisle between the chairs in the sand. I found myself standing next to Chase.

  “Good wedding, huh?” He leaned into me and winked. I didn’t respond. It would only be a few more seconds, and I could depart, going on my way. Away from Chase. At the end of the aisle, I stepped aside and walked out along the beach. Chase was lost back in the crowd of people, and for that, I was grateful.

  I sat down in one of the front-row chairs and waited for the signal to come up for dinner and drinks. The sun had set, and the stars were just starting to come out. The balmy day had given way to a sweet island breeze. I sighed heavily and told myself that I could have fun for a few hours, all while avoiding Chase. As the guests walked up the beach, I followed, staying behind so that I didn’t run into Chase again.

  I got to the bar and stood there, watching the happy couples as they roamed about on the dance floor. My mom and Hugh joined them, quickly dancing before the real focus could begin — drinking and eating. I laughed and tried to join in on the fun wit
h my aunts and cousins, the wedding swimming by before me as my mom and Chase’s father shared cake. People stumbled by, dancing, progressively drunker off of the tropical drinks from the bar.