The Step Dare (Peach State Stepbros #3)

Chapter 3

3

Taylor

“Y ou didn’t have to come with me,” Mom says as we settle into the stadium seats in the main theater of the ship. “You probably would have had more fun on the bar crawl with Brenner and Keith.”

I would have enjoyed that too, but Mom wanted to hit up a midday acrobatics show, and I didn’t want her to go on her own. Not when we only have two days left on our cruise to spend time together.

“Eh, I’ve been hungover one too many times already the past week, so a show would be nice. Also, wanted to give the guys their space. Brenner needs to see his dad as much as he can over the summer, and same for you and me.”

“We’ve had plenty of quality time together,” she says with a chuckle. “But it’s nice you still want to spend time with your mom, even when she’s going on shopping sprees, which I know drives you wild.”

“Guess this is why you work in HR and not finance.”

“But happy to have my financial planner with me to keep me on my budget. Reminds me of when you were a kid and helped me come up with and stick to the budget so I could pay the mortgage.”

Mom wasn’t the best with money, but fortunately, I enjoyed managing the budget, and it led to my interest in a career in finance.

“I appreciate your coming with me,” she adds. “I’m sure you’d rather spend time with your friend.”

As people continue filing into seats around us, a few rows ahead, a couple walks through with a girl who’s maybe two or three. Mom’s gaze zeroes in on her, and I feel her pain to my core.

It’s happened a few times since we’ve been on the ship. Hell, it can happen anywhere—when we go to a restaurant, the grocery store, a movie.

When I was ten, we lost my little sister, Aria, who was only a few months old.

Heart defect.

NICU.

She seemed to be getting better…until she didn’t.

Even after all these years, we can’t shake it.

“Mom,” I say, drawing her attention.

Her eyes glisten as she forces a smile. “Isn’t it nice that Keith came along for the trip?” she says, clearly trying to avoid the uncomfortable subject.

“Yeah. He’s cool. And it’s nice seeing what an actual dad looks like for a change.”

It’s not an accident that the words spit right out like that after seeing that little girl.

It’s more than that, though. I’ve been around Brenner and his dad plenty, but something about all these days together, seeing what a great relationship they have—how kind Keith is to Brenner and how respectful he is to Mom—it’s poked at a sore spot within me, a fire intensifying for reasons I’ve tried to push out of my mind so I don’t spoil everyone’s fun.

“I mean…” I try to think of a way to reverse course, to draw attention away from my comment, but when I glance at Mom, the fine lines in her forehead reveal her concern. I wish I could have kept my shit together for just a couple more days.

“Taylor—”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. It’s great that Brenner has an amazing father, and I’ve noticed some moments where you look at them like you wish—”

“We don’t have to talk about this,” I insist, since I just want to shut it down.

We don’t need to get into details about my asshole dad. About how nasty he was to my mom when I was a kid. How it got worse after the greatest tragedy in our lives. How, when Mom finally decided to leave his deadbeat ass, he made our lives hell by dragging us through custody battles. Turning eighteen was the best thing that ever happened to me because I never have to see that sick fuck again.

She starts to say my name again, and I barely move my lips as I spit out, “I’m fine .”

I know Mom can sense my tension, and she knows perfectly well what we went through, so it’s not like I can pretend I’m not bothered. I take a breath to calm myself.

Doesn’t work.

“Mom, he took up too much of our lives already. I don’t want to give him another second to ruin any more moments. Let’s just enjoy the show.”

She nods, but I can’t just wish away the awkward moment, like I can’t wish away the painful memories.

A couple sits close enough that I’m not worried about any other personal shit coming up, but when the show starts, I can’t really enjoy myself, my mind tormenting me.

Dad’s cruel comments that made Mom feel like shit.

The chaotic aftermath of losing Aria.

Watching Dad become crueler and crueler as Mom steadily became less and less of herself.

Throughout the show, I’m on edge. Mom seems a little off too. Which sucks because we’ve had such a good time this week.

And is it terrible how much I wish I could have Brenner’s lips around my dick, helping me forget all this bullshit?

After the show, when we leave the theater, we find Brenner and Keith standing in the hallway outside, chatting. They’re grinning ear to ear, their amazing relationship picking at the tender, reopened wound, but really, it’s never healed.

Their gazes shift to us, and Keith’s eyes light up, like he’s genuinely excited to see us. “How were the acrobats?”

I force a smile. “Great. They had a bunch of different things. Tumbling, contortions, aerial stuff with silks and hoops—whatever the hell those things are called.”

As Brenner’s forehead creases, I realize I’ve given myself away by saying so much, when normally I would’ve just said great .

Brenner continues inspecting my expression, like he’s trying to read my damn mind.

Not fucking now, Bren.

“Hopefully you can tell us more about it over some Thai food,” Keith says. “There’s that restaurant we still haven’t made it to, and I figured we could have lunch there.”

“I’m gonna swing by the burger joint,” I say. “Maybe head back to the room and take a nap.”

Bren’s still eyeing me. If anyone can tell something’s up with me, it’s him.

“I’ll join you,” he says.

“No, no. I’m good. You love Thai.”

He shrugs. “We have another night.”

I grit my teeth, avoiding eye contact because it’s like some part of me fears if he looks into my eyes, he’ll know exactly what I’m thinking—which is ridiculous because no one ever knows exactly what I’m thinking, not even him.

“Keith and I can just stop by the buffet, then,” Mom says.

“Yeah, I’m good with that, Nic. Maybe we can try that Thai place tonight or tomorrow.”

It’s settled, so we go our separate ways.

As I walk alongside Brenner, I’m kind of wishing we’d all gone to Thai. Although, I really want to get back to the room for a bit, on my own, and get it together.

Bren checks behind us, like he’s making sure our parents are out of earshot, before he takes me by the arm and stops me in the hall. “What’s up, man?”

Brenner is my best friend. He knows more than anyone else in my life about the shit my dad put us through, but I feel bad bringing it up.

“Nothing,” I say.

He angles his head, his brow rising. “You expect me to believe that?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s cool. You know I’d never push you.”

I do know that. Sometimes when people run their mouth as much as Bren does, they can be pretty insensitive, but not him. From the moment we met, the guy picked up on my vulnerabilities right away, and never presses where he knows it will hurt.

“Let’s go to the burger place,” I say, starting down the hall.

I’ve never known Brenner to be at a loss for words, and since I’m so used to the guy just going off about one thing or another, like silence might kill him, the fact that he’s not saying anything starts to get to me. We head through the automatic doors of the main pool deck when he finally says, “This isn’t about anything we’ve done, is it?”

“What?”

“Like…” He glances around, as if to make sure no one’s close enough to hear our conversation. “You aren’t regretting messing around, are you? Because we can drop it. It’s not a big deal.”

When I turn to him, he’s smiling, since he knows damn well that’s not why I’m upset, and his pretense sets me at ease.

“I mean,” he goes on, “I can find some other guy’s dick to suck and who’ll let me come all over their chest.” He shrugs, his smile expanding.

“You do that, Bren. Seems like a waste when I’m gonna have to find someone else to suck my dick and come on my chest, but whatever.”

I can’t believe I’m chuckling again. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Cheering me up is Brenner’s superpower.

He drapes his arm over my shoulders, pulling me in close. “Look, I don’t know what’s bugging you, but I sure as fuck know what would fix it, and it’s not gonna be a damn cheeseburger.”

Once again, I’m reminded how well this guy knows me because if anything can take my mind off this crap from my past, it’s an epic blowjob from my best friend.

“Besides,” he adds. “I was so greedy for your cum last time, I didn’t get to see your come face.”

“I feel pretty greedy because I keep seeing yours.” I imitate his sex face, the way his eyes narrow and his lips twist up, making it a little more dramatic for comedic effect.

He rolls his head back for a laugh, effortlessly redirecting our path as he whirls back around to head toward the next hall.

On our way back to my room, which is the closest from this part of the ship, he tells me about the bar crawl, and the closer we get to the room, the stiffer I’m becoming…and the more that bullshit that came up is fading to the background.

When we round the corner into the hall where my room is, Brenner pulls me over to the wall and pushes me up against it, stroking my crotch, this mischievous expression on his face. “Feel kind of bad Ash and Colin aren’t here. All the places they could mess around and nearly get caught.”

And with Brenner rubbing me in the middle of this hall, where someone could walk out and see, I can kind of get why. Maybe more than kind of.

“It’s the Piece of Shit,” I confess, which is the nickname Brenner and I have for my asshole dad.

His expression softens. “Figured that’s what it might be.”

“Mom says I’ve been looking at you guys strangely this week. I’m sorry. It’s not about you. Keith is just a reminder of how shitty the Piece of Shit was, you know?”

Brenner’s lips twist into his dimple. I’m waiting for him to say something to cheer me up or crack a joke, but he moves close and wraps his arms around me, offering a hug.

Fuck, he gives the best hugs.

I embrace it, appreciating that even though a lot of people wouldn’t get it, he does.

As I pull away, he says, “Now I’m gonna have to really work to cheer you up, aren’t I?”

I’m laughing again. “I don’t think you’ll have an issue in that department. Although, no way you’re gonna be able to watch my come face.”

His brows tug together. “And why is that?”

“Because you can’t watch my expression when you’re busy making sure you’ve swallowed every drop.”

He winces. “Gonna have to give it a try this time.”

He hooks his arm around me again, and we continue to the room. I scan the key card, and as I push the door open, I hear Keith’s voice. “Fuck, Nic.” It barely registers before I see Mom’s back as she—Holy hell, is she straddling Keith?

“Shit,” Bren says as we both bolt from the room, closing the door behind us.

I only wish it were as easy to close the door on the image that will surely be burned into my mind for the rest of my damn life.