Chapter 5
when did this happen?
DOMINIC
October
With a joint smoldering between my fingers, I stand in the backyard, my back pressed to the wall.
It’s past midnight, and everyone is already asleep, even Matt.
That fucker sleeps like a baby. The moment his head touches the pillow, his lights are out.
I envy him on nights like this, when my brain refuses to shut up no matter what I do.
My talk with Dad replays in my mind, and I grit my teeth.
I’m tired of having the same conversation with him.
Since I was ten, he’s been dead set on me following in his footsteps and working with him at the car shop.
Ever since I made it clear what I really want is to play football, he’s only tried harder to force my hand.
I eye the joint with a frown, then put it out without taking another drag.
Fuck. I’m so out of my element. With a sigh, I head for the back door.
I step into the kitchen, and the sound of muffled steps makes me pause.
As quietly as possible, I close the door and creep over to the fridge.
If it’s my dad or Monica, I can tell them I came down for a snack.
“Who’s there?” Mia whispers, halting in the entryway.
I chuckle, my shoulders relaxing. “Depends on who’s asking.”
“Fuck you,” she huffs. “You scared me.”
She’s so defiant. Matt calls her “little one,” but “little mayhem” suits her a thousand times better.
The light of the moon illuminates the kitchen in a cool, silvery glow, so I don’t need to turn the lights on to see her. Chin lifted, once again defiant, she plucks a glass from the cabinet and fills it with water. The whole time, her eyes stay on me.
I tilt my head. There’s something different about the way she looks at me right now. For so long, she’s been the kid tagging along behind Matt and me, but in this moment, she looks grown. Her gaze is focused. Intense, even.
She’s wearing a tiny pair of black shorts and a white tee with a drawing on the front, her jet-black hair pulled into a messy bun on top of her head. She’s petite, only a few inches over five feet, but with those curves, she could easily pass for a sophomore.
Fuck. When did this happen?
She’s four years younger than me.
She’s my best friend’s little sister.
She’s my stepsister, for fuck’s sake.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I peer down at my feet. Anything is better than noticing the way Mia looks, the way she’s started to change. I feel terrible for even thinking about her body.
“What are you doing here?” she asks.
“Came down for a snack.”
She snorts. “Yeah, of course. That’s why you smell like weed.”
“You got me.” I crack a smile, meeting her gaze again.
“You do know if you want to go pro, smoking won’t help, right?”
Hands stuffed into my pockets, I frown. “I know.”
“Then why are you doing it?”
“Because not everyone gets to go pro.”
“Yeah, but you have a chance.” She shrugs. “If you ever tell Matthew I said this, I swear, I’ll stab you in your sleep, but between the two of you, you have the higher chance. He’s good but not that good.”
Warmth spreads through my body, sending my heart galloping. I smile, tipping my head to the side. “I didn’t think you were paying attention.”
With a roll of her eyes, she props her hip against the counter and takes a deep breath.
For a moment, all she does is study me, but I can see her brain working. From the way she keeps pursing her lips, she’s got something to say.
“Can I ask you something?” she finally asks.
“Sure.”
“Will you look after Matt?” she asks cryptically. “He tends to get lost in what he’s doing. Sometimes, he even forgets to eat. He needs someone to remind him to take a deep breath and take it easy now and then.”
Unease sparks in my chest. What the fuck is she talking about? “Do you mean after we leave for college?”
“Now and in college.”
On instinct, I step toward her, hovering over her small frame. “What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. I asked you to look after Matt.” Her eyes dart away, her mouth twisting to one side.
I duck my head so she’s forced to look at me. “What do you mean, Mia?”
“I asked Dad to take me with him,” she whispers.
I search her face, my chest tightening. “You want to live with your dad? In Phoenix?”
She nods.
“Does your mom know? Matt hasn’t mentioned it.”
“No, neither of them do. Only Dad. And now you, I guess. He’ll be here on Saturday, and he’ll talk to Mom and your dad when they get back from Vegas on Sunday.”
I take a step back, stunned. “I don’t think Monica will let you—”
“I don’t care!” she snaps. “I miss my dad all the time, and…” Her voice is trembling now. “I’m not happy here.”
The tight sensation in my chest is now a full-on sharp pain. Shit. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her to me. Her body shudders violently as she hides her face in my chest and winds her hands around my torso.
I hate when girls cry—not because I don’t understand their emotions, but because I don’t know what to do, how to help. But now, standing in the kitchen with Mia, all I want is to hold her, to let her cry until she feels better.
“You should talk to Matt,” I tell her, resting my chin on top of her head. “He’ll help you convince your mom.”
“H-he will b-be ups-set,” she sobs.
“So what?” I squeeze a little tighter. “He loves you more than anything, and he wants what’s best for you. Explain to him why you need to do this, and he’ll understand.”
She pulls back, her eyes shining with tears in the moonlight. Her lips are puffy, her cheeks stained with red spots. Mia never cries, so there’s a light, floaty feeling in my chest mixing with this instinct to fix shit for her, to make it all better.
I smile down at her. “If you want, I can help you talk to him.”
Mia shakes her head.
“Why not?” I scowl, trying not to be offended by the rejection.
She chuckles. “He’ll be upset if he knows I told you first.” She bites her bottom lip, eyeing me warily. “Please don’t tell him about this conversation, okay?”
“I promise. And we can cancel our party if—”
“No, that’s okay.” She sniffles, a cute smile tipping her lips. “Chiara will come for a sleepover; it will be fine.”
I study her face, seeing her in a new light suddenly.
Her dark blue eyes, framed by long eyelashes, shine brightly.
The color has always reminded me of a twilight sky, deep and bewitching.
A small smattering of freckles dusts her straight nose and her cheeks, softening her features.
She parts her puffy lips, and my gaze zeroes in on them.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
What the hell are you doing?
Faking a smile, I step back and pat her awkwardly on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”
With that, I back away, making my retreat. I have to put some distance between us.
What just happened can never happen again. I can’t let her look at me differently, and I can’t notice shit like how she’s growing up. A pit opens in my stomach, churning with guilt and shame.
For as long as I can remember, she’s been my best friend’s annoying little sister. Now that our parents are married, she’s my annoying little stepsister, nothing more.
“Night,” I say hoarsely.
“Night.”
I’m almost out of the kitchen when it hits me. Fuck. I’m an asshole. I drag my hand down my face and turn back.
“Happy birthday, Mia.”
She gives me a sweet smile. It shouldn’t make my chest tighten, shouldn’t make my heart beat faster, but my traitorous body won’t listen to my brain. “Thanks.”
With a nod, I rush out of the room.
The whole house is pulsing, the bass vibrating through the walls and floorboards. Every corner of the living room, the kitchen, and the backyard is packed with people. Many are laughing, a couple are shouting, and a few girls are even dancing on the dining room table.
Dad and Monica would be pissed if they knew what this party turned into.
But that’s a worry for tomorrow. Today, I don’t give a fuck.
The air is thick with the scent of alcohol, perfume, and the faintest trace of tobacco mixed with weed.
Red Solo cup in hand, I weave between people, stopping to say hi here and there. My body is buzzing with reckless, intoxicating energy. I’m having more fun than I expected, honestly.
When I find my best friend, I slap him on the shoulder. “Matt.”
He jolts in his seat, un-suctions his mouth from his girlfriend’s, and glares at me.
I slump onto the couch beside him and wrap my arm around his shoulder, avoiding touching Sage, who’s still draped across him. “How is it going?”
“Until a minute ago, it was going great,” he grits, taking my hand off his shoulder. “I’ve been busy, actually.”
“Yeah.” I snort. “Busy sucking Sage’s face.”
“You’re so crude, Dom.” With a sigh, she stands. “I’ll go find myself a drink.”
Once she leaves, Matt straightens and turns to me, frowning. “Smoking again?”
“Just beer.” I lift my cup.
“Sure, genius.” He scoffs. “Your eyes are glassy as fuck.”
I crook a smile. “So what? I’m drinking beer and having fun, just like you wanted.”
He huffs an exasperated breath. “Don’t act like I was the only one who wanted to throw a party.”
“If I remember correctly…” I point my finger at him.
“You wanted to throw a party, and then you felt bad about Mia and told her to invite her friends too. Look how it turned out.” I crane my neck and scan the houseful of high schoolers.
“She’s all alone in her room because Chiara’s mom saw the cars lining the street, turned the fuck around, and took her daughter home. ”
“Shit. I didn’t know that would happen.” He hangs his head low. “I thought once Mia saw how fun it could be here, she’d want to stay.”
“Stay? What do you mean?” I take a sip of my beer, playing dumb.
His whole body deflates. “Mia wants to move to Phoenix with our dad.” Curling forward, he threads one hand through his hair. “I tried to change her mind.” He peers over at me. “Told her to have fun at the party, but she won’t come down. So much for convincing her to stay.”
“If she’s unhappy here, wouldn’t it be better to let her go?”
He homes in on me.
“I can help you talk to our parents if you want, make them understand this is what’s best for her.”
“You think it is?”
“Yeah.” I scratch my chin, my stubble rasping.
“Maybe you’re right.” He sighs.
As I nod and sit back, a body lands on top of me, nearly spilling my drink.
“What the—”
“Hey, handsome,” murmurs Remi, a girl from my AP Calc class who I’ve been hooking up with the last few weeks. She wraps her arms around my shoulders. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“Hi, Remi,” Matt says, picking up his cup from the coffee table.
She nods, but her deep brown eyes stay fixed on me. Her red curls spill down her shoulders as she leans in and presses her lips to mine. The kiss is gentle at first, but the more she wiggles on my lap, the more heated we get, until I’m hard as a rock and all I want to do is fuck.
“We’ll be in my room,” I say to Matt as I haul myself up, taking Remi with me. “Tell our guests goodnight for me.”
Remi holds tight, wrapping her legs around my hips as I stride toward the stairs.
“Does this mean you’re gonna stay locked in your room till fucking morning?” my best friend yells after me.
“I plan to stay fucking in my room till morning!” I yell back.
Matt laughs, and so do several of the guys from the team. I carry Remi upstairs. It’s not the easiest task, but I’m a determined guy, especially when I want something.
We’re a few steps from my room when Mia’s door opens, and she peeks outside. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she mumbles, pulling her head back in.
I lower Remi to her feet despite her protests and turn to Mia. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
Hands on my hips, I take a step closer. “No one is bothering you?”
She scowls. “Define ‘bothering.’ Because there are a shit ton of people making noise downstairs, and the music is so loud, I can’t hear myself think.
Oh, and let’s not forget the people trying to sneak into my room looking for a place to fuck.
So, yeah, I guess I am being bothered, though I highly doubt that’s what you’re asking. ”
“Feisty.” Remi whistles, though neither of us looks at her.
“Lock the door. That solves one issue. As for the noise, the party won’t last that much longer.”
“Thanks.” She steps back, her attention darting to Remi, her lips thinning into a straight line. “Night.”
Before I can respond, Mia shuts the door and, based on the sound, locks it.
With a shake of my head, I hurry Remi to my room. The second the door is closed behind me, she takes off her top. I sit on the edge of my bed, watching her.
“You know she’s in love with you, right?” Remi asks as she climbs onto my lap in nothing but her bra and panties.
My body temperature ratchets up, but it has nothing to do with the girl grinding herself against me. She leans in to kiss me, but I pull back, glowering.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“It’s obvious to everyone except you. And her brother, from the looks of it.”
Unease swirls in my gut. “Stop the bullshit. She’s like a sister to me.”
“She is your stepsister, Dom, but that doesn’t change how she feels about you.
The first time I saw her, after football practice, I noticed the way she looked at you.
And she scowled at me, just like she did tonight.
Every time I see her, she gives me a dirty look.
” She grins. “Do you really think it’s a coincidence she walked out of her room the moment we passed by?
No, she heard you and wanted to see who you were with. ”
I clench my jaw, thinking about all the conversations I’ve had with Mia over the last few months, all the times I’ve caught her watching me, how she looked at me when we were alone in the kitchen last night. Fuck that. She’s just young and doe-eyed; it has nothing to do with me.
But just in case…
I grip Remi’s hair and tug, locking eyes with her. “I’m going to fuck you now, as hard as you can take it. And in return, you’re gonna scream my name at the top of your lungs. Deal?”
“Want your little stepsister to know you’re fucking me?”
“I want everyone to know I’m fucking you.” I force her face closer to mine, our mouths an inch apart. “Deal?”
“Deal.”
And I smash my lips against hers.