Sext Me (Accidental Stepbrother Book 2) Read online

  She told me where to find her. I figured a taxi could get me there just fine, and I headed toward my dorm room.

  “Let me just get changed first, okay? I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll let you know when I get there.”

  “See you soon, Sara!”

  We cut the call, and I hurried back to my room. I was dressed casually, but since I was meeting up with Mom for the first time since I came to school, I dressed up a bit. It took twenty minutes before I felt I was ready, and headed outside of campus. Finding a taxi didn’t take too long, and I gave the driver the hotel name. With a bit of traffic, I was there in just under half an hour. I texted Mom as I got out of the taxi, and followed her instructions inside.

  She stood in the hotel’s lounge. When she saw me walk inside, her face lit up, and her arms opened wide for me. Smiling, feeling a little giddy, I rushed over to her as fast as I could on my three-inch heels and threw my arms around her in a hug.

  “I missed you, Mom.”

  “I missed you, too, Sara. So much!”

  She gave me an extra squeeze before she released me, and we smiled at each other, eyes a little wet.

  “How’ve you been?” I asked, looking her over. “You look as good as always. I wish you’d told me you were coming so we could make plans…”

  She shook her head, took my hand in hers and squeezed it.

  “I didn’t want to interrupt your classes. I was just so excited! I had to come and talk to you. Besides, it’s been so long since we last saw each other. Don’t tell me you’re not happy to see me?”

  “No, no! Nothing like that. Of course, I’m happy.” Then I paused. “Wait, what are you excited about? And I know I’ve been… a little busy lately, but we talk all the time.”

  She giggled. “This isn’t the kind of thing you can say in a chat message, or a call, or an email! Besides, I wanted you to meet someone, and it would be awkward meeting online, you know?”

  My eyebrows jumped up. Right then, I realized Mom was acting unusually excited, and it wasn’t only because we were together after our time apart. Her grin was a little wide, and she looked like she was swaying on her toes a little.

  “What is it, Mom?” I asked, curious as to what had her so giddy.

  I knew all her friends, so who was this person she wanted to introduce me to that made my mom so happy?

  Her eyes looked over my shoulders, and for a moment, I thought her eyes would sparkle.

  “Here he is right now! Sara, I want you to meet my husband, Greg. I hope you’ll love him just as much as I do.”

  I frowned, puzzled.

  Wait, husband?

  What the fuck!

  My dad had died a little over ten years ago. I still remembered him, just barely, but I did remember he and my mom used to be so happy before the accident that took him away from us. it was hard to say anything good came out of it, but Mom and I grew closer, and she was left with a lot of money and a trust fund for me for when I turned twenty-one, so we were pretty much set.

  That was why I felt bad when people paid too much attention to the fact that me and my mom had money. I knew, for the both of us, if we could give all that money up to get Dad back, we would trade it all in a heartbeat.

  It had been just Mom and me since then, and while she did meet people now and then, it was pretty rare that she went out with someone.

  “Well, we registered the marriage, but we were thinking of doing a wedding soon and inviting close friends and family. He’s just so busy right now and I don’t want to distract him.”

  Busy with what?

  Fuck, who was this guy that my mom married before she even told me he existed first? What had Mom got herself into? Hurt, anger, shock all mixed as I stared back at her ecstatic face. She turned me, and I moved without protest, to see a man approaching us. He was tall, in a well fit suit that emphasized his broad build, with dark hair and dark eyes. I guess I could say he looked sort of handsome, especially when he smiled and looked at Mom like the sun rose and set behind her.

  His looks weren’t really the problem, though!

  “Hello,” he said, eyes turning to me curiously when he came closer. “I don’t believe we’ve met before?”

  Mom turned to him, holding onto my arm. “Greg, this is my daughter that I was telling you about, Sara. She’s a freshman.”

  “Oh,” his eyes lit up. “It’s nice to meet you, Sara. I’ve got to say, you look just as beautiful as your mother.”

  He held his hand out to me, and I shook it automatically. Then, he moved to stand beside Mom, wrapping an arm around her. I just watched them, feeling slightly dazed. I saw how Mom smiled at him, and she looked so happy I wasn’t sure if I should say anything, though I was itching to ask a bunch of questions.

  Like, when did they meet? Why was this the first time I was hearing about it, and they were already married? There hadn't been a formal wedding, but it was legally binding already?

  This man… was my stepdad.

  “I would have invited you to lunch,” Mom continued. “But I knew you’d be busy so I was hoping to call you out for dinner. We were both a little too impatient, though,” she said, turning to the man beside her with a secretive smile. “But I’m going to be around for a week or so, so we’ve got plenty of time to meet up!”

  “That’s… good, Mom,” I murmured.

  She pulled me over to a set of chairs and sat me on the single seat beside the couch, where she and Greg sat down. She started talking about the plans they had for the wedding, and Greg would chime in every now and then, but he mostly just sat there smiling. They were seated close together, holding hands, and my eyes kept moving between Mom and their hands, clasped tightly together.

  My chest felt a little tight. I wouldn’t hate this guy just because he wasn’t my dad, and because in the last ten years when Mom didn’t remarry, I knew it was as hard for her to move on as it was for me. Even when she dated, she didn’t look as happy as she used to. I wasn’t sure if she ever would marry again, but I wanted her happy, so of course I wanted it for her.

  I just didn’t think much about it. Seeing her glowing seated next to the man, I wanted to be happy for her, I really did. But, I didn’t even know she was dating this man, I didn’t know she’d met someone she was considering marrying.

  The mother I’d grown up with in the last ten years would have told me. I felt a little uneasy in my stomach.

  Why didn’t she tell me?

  It was all I could think.

  “I know it’s going to be an adjustment for all four of us,” Mom said. “But I just know we can make this work, honey.”

  I blinked. Four of us? Did I miss something important? Mom would have told me if she was pregnant, and she wasn’t rubbing her stomach when she said ‘four of us’ so I didn’t think it was that. So, Greg had a kid of his own? I had a stepsibling

  “Do you think you can join us for breakfast tomorrow?” Mom asked, looking at me hopefully. “I think it would be a good idea to have all of us together. I know how swamped you are with classes, so I was thinking we could have the wedding somewhere close by for you to be able to attend when you’ve got a short break? We can discuss it some more tomorrow.”

  I opened my mouth to say that I would be busy. I had class mid-morning tomorrow. It would be okay if I came early and went back just before class, but I wasn’t comfortable with this. In the end, I couldn’t say no to her.

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  I wasn’t happy about it, though.

  Chapter Twelve

  Noah

  The next morning, I got a text from Dad. I wanted to ignore it, but I didn’t dare.

  I didn’t want to be a part of what was going on, but I knew I couldn’t separate myself from it, either. I’d feel guilty if I did nothing and that poor rich woman thought she’d met a couple of crooks.

  Come over to breakfast, meet the family.

  I frowned because his message didn’t make much sense to me. What family? He didn’t mean
him and the woman he was planning to con, right?

  Whatever.

  He made me stop yesterday, but the guilt had been killing me since I’d turned my back on them. There was no way I was going to be a part of this; I had to say something.

  It was damn early, and I couldn’t sleep well last night, but I jumped out of bed to go and find Dad. I went to take a quick shower and found some clean clothes to get dressed before I left my dorm. There was still some time before I had to meet them for breakfast, but I figured it would be fine if I made my way over there slowly.

  I was walking through the school, looking down at my phone when I heard someone call my name. I stopped automatically, looking around for whoever called me and wanted to curse when I found them.

  Shit. I should have kept walking.

  I wanted to turn and keep walking, but that would be rude; and, it would be bad if she kept yelling my name and called other people’s attention to us.

  “Can I help you with something?” I asked, voice neutral, as she stopped in front of me.

  She didn’t seem to register my flat tone. I really didn’t want to see her right then. Actually, she looked really happy to see me, and stepped closer than I was comfortable with.

  “Hey, Noah,” she said, her voice breathy.

  I frowned at her intimate tone. It sent alarm bells off in my mind.

  “Hello,” I said. I tried to think of it but honestly couldn’t remember her name. “Do you want something?”

  She pouted. “What kind of tone is that? Aren’t you happy to see me? I’ve been looking for you all over campus, but you’re a hard man to find.”

  Because I don’t go around giving random people my information.

  If she’d known more than my name, she might have found me earlier. Maybe, while I was with Sara. The thought was horrifying, and I had to hold back a shudder.

  “If you don’t have anything to say, then please excuse me. I’m busy.”

  The least I could do was be polite, but I was under too much stress to care about it at that moment. I went to leave, only to freeze when her hands suddenly grabbed me, and she wrapped her arms around one of mine. I stared down at her arms dumbly, wondering why she was touching me. I wanted to shove her off, but I forced myself not to act too hastily. We were in public and I really didn’t want to draw attention to myself.

  I glanced around. We were in the middle of the school grounds with other students walking around us. It was still early morning, so there weren’t too many people moving around, but people would be going out to get breakfast. A few even passed close enough to us to overhear what we were talking about, and I noticed some glances being thrown our way.

  Shit.

  “I really do need to go,” I said, and lowered my voice. “I’m on my way to meet someone right now. Can we do this later, please?”

  Or never, I left unsaid.

  The girl pouted.

  “Don’t tell me you’re going to meet another girl,” she whined, and clutched at me harder. “You can't do that anymore, okay? I won't allow it.”

  I grimaced, but at least her whining made me remember her name. Blanc. She was my first ever client when I started the Sext Me line. We’d only be together for a short time, but it hadn't been that long ago, and her behavior was…unique.

  It had been my first time selling sex for money, and having it with someone like Blanc made me unsure what to do after we were done. I didn’t know if I should just get up and leave, or help her clean up, or stay with her. The price was already so high, so would all that be included in the package? Especially since she’d been a virgin. In the end, I stayed with her, and she whined the entire time. I was so relieved when she fell asleep, and I could leave her room. I didn’t think I’d have to meet her again. She was one of the most demanding women I’d ever met, and I quickly put her out of my mind.

  So why was she doing this to me now?

  “Listen, Blanc,” I started, trying to tug my arm away from hers.

  She beamed at me, her face pleased.

  “I knew you wouldn’t forget me,” she said with a proud tilt of her chin. “I was wondering why you hadn’t called me back, though. You told me you had fun that night, right? So… how about we start dating for real?”

  I stared at her for a moment, my jaw dropped. It had been weeks since we first saw each other, and I hadn't seen her since. Don’t tell me this whole time she’d been searching for me and daydreaming about the moment she found me?

  “That’s um, nice that you feel that way Blanc,” I said, even though it really wasn’t. “But can we talk later? I really do have an appointment.”

  She frowned. “Why can't we talk now, though? It’d not easy to find you, even though we’re in the same school. Are you hungry? Let’s go out and get breakfast, okay? My treat.”

  Since she wasn’t hearing me, I decided to take the blunt route. I pulleded my arm out of her grip, ignoring the way it made her frown deepen.

  “I’m sorry, Blanc, but I’m not interested. At all. Now, if you don’t mind, I really am busy, so please excuse me.”

  I went to turn to leave, but then she spoke.

  “How hard up are you for money?”

  I froze.

  “You’re doing the Sext Me line because of money, right? If you want me to give you some, I don’t mind. You can give up the Sext Me thing, right? I mean, I know it’s how we got close in the first place, but I wouldn’t feel too good if you kept it up, trust me, money isn’t a problem for me.”

  Again, I gaped at her. Did this girl really not realize that we were in public? And that people were walking around us as she spoke? Her voice wasn’t even lowered, people who didn’t want to listen in would still hear her. Besides, when did we ever get close? Why was she acting as if it was a foregone conclusion that we’d be dating? We only ever met up for sex, and it was paid for!

  Shit.

  Murmurs grew around us, and when I checked, more people were looking our way. They whispered to each other, pointing, and it was spreading. Some even had their phones out. Fuck. I knew about this trend. Before long, everyone would know I was behind Sext Me. I’d be lucky if no one spread it to the professors.

  “Is that not enough for you?” Blanc said, her voice way too loud. “Don’t tell me you’re still fucking other girls. Are you doing it for laughs? Are you going to meet one of them now?”

  I turned a glare at her. Even though I’d never hit a woman before, right then, I really wanted to slap her. She was getting even louder in her agitation, making a scene on college grounds, as if she didn’t realize we’d both have to deal with the gossiping later.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I asked. I felt like screaming in rage and laughing at the same time, and I didn’t know which to do first. I couldn’t help but think that Sara was going to kill me once she heard the gossip going around. “Did you really have to say all that out loud? And do I need to remind you that what I do is none of your business?”

  “No way,” I heard someone say.

  I looked around and noticed a couple of girls. I’d seen them when I was with Sara one time. Alicia and Caroline, though I didn’t know who was who; they were former friends of hers and the ones that told her about the Sext Me line. In a way, I owed what I had with her to them, but I didn’t like the expressions on their faces.

  “I thought those two were boyfriend and girlfriend,” the blonde one said. “The way they’ve been going around together a lot recently. But it turns out he’s the Sext Me guy?”

  They laughed snidely, and I knew why they weren’t friends anymore.

  “Sara had to pay someone to fuck her, and go out with her, too?” The other one said and giggled. “That’s priceless! No wonder she didn’t want to say…”

  They weren't silent, either, and Blanc heard them, too. She shot a frown at them, before looking back to me.

  “What are they talking about? You’re not seeing anyone besides me, right?”

  I scowled. “I ne
ver saw you in the first place,” I hissed. “What part of ‘I’m not interested’ is so hard for you to understand?”

  The other two girls just listened to us and continued giggling; they weren’t even hiding that they were eavesdropping. I was about to turn to them and start shouting when my phone vibrated in my hand. Dad had texted me back, saying that they were already having breakfast in the hotel and were waiting on me.

  I felt exhausted, even though the day had only just started. I ignored the three girls as I turned to leave campus. I had more important things to do than stay there with these crazy women. All three of them.

  Somehow, I had to deal with the issue of my dad becoming a con man, and hope the rumors wouldn’t spread too much, or at least that people wouldn’t believe them, or I wasn’t sure how I would explain things to Sara later.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sara

  Friday morning found me seated at breakfast with Mom and my new stepdad. If I hadn't deliberately woken up and made my way to the hotel, I would have wondered what I was doing there. I barely said anything, I just watched the two of them chat. Mom would occasionally throw a question my way, and I would murmur or nod at appropriate moments, but I didn’t say a word.

  Apparently, we were waiting for one more person. From what Mom had said, he was at my school, too, and I couldn’t help but wonder who it was. Either way, I knew it would feel awkward if I ran into him at school again from now on.

  Have I met him before? Do I know him? Is he in the same age as me, or older?

  Neither of them gave me a hint, and I felt too awkward just to ask outright.

  The food had come already, and Mom and Greg were already eating, but I could only pick at my food, occasionally nibbling on a muffin, or taking a sip of my quickly cooling hot chocolate.

  “Honey, you’re not eating,” Mom said, proving that she was still attentive. “Is there something you don’t like? Would you like something else? I’m sure they serve some desserts for breakfast if you’d rather have that…”