Chapter 17
There’s something to be said for my restraint—just the fact that I didn’t curl up behind him last night is an incredible feat.
I’ve already had my coffee; the TV has the news on very low, so I’ve been reading the subtitles.
Something about a foreign politician being found dead here in Colorado.
Apparently, the person was a big deal, even though I’ve never heard of him.
Granted, I don’t know much about ‘politically exposed persons’, as they termed him.
Soft footsteps on the wooden floor pull me from staring at the newscaster. Ayden wobbles down the hall, a blanket draped over his shoulders. He looks like absolute shit.
The urge to get up and help him tugs at me, but I settle it. He needs to learn to ask for help—just like he’s going to learn to tell me what he promised before the thirty days are up.
He lifts his chin and forces a smile, one I’ll allow this time. It’s not meant to deceive me, but an attempt to appear strong. Which he doesn’t have to be, especially around me.
“Mind if I cuddle up on the couch with you?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. Can I get you some water? Do you want some tea, or…”
As he shuffles onto the couch and curls up against the armrest, he takes a deep breath through his slightly stuffy nose. “Water would be nice.”
I get to my feet far too quickly—there’s literally zero hesitation.
“Do we have saltines?”
Rounding into the kitchen, I spot Clover stretching before she makes her way to the back door to scratch at it.
I told Grant and my mom to get a cat door.
They really worried she’d never come back, but I didn’t.
She definitely is a housecat, but I’d prefer her doing her business outside and not in a litterbox.
I crack open the door, and let her out, leaving it open for her to wade back in when she’s ready.
Checking the cabinets, I groan. “No, but I’ll run to the store to get you some.”
“No, it’s alright, you don’t—”
“I want to. We are also running low on milk, and a few other things. Plus, I need to get some more medicine. There’s a bunch we’re nearly out of, and some that expired.” I roll my eyes as I fill up a cup with water. “For a doctor, you’d think Grant wouldn’t have had that.”
Ayden laughs through a groan. “Probably never took them. Dad was always healthy as a horse.”
I shrug, not commenting. My mom’s medicine was in their room; one I still need to get cleaned out.
Moving back to him, I place the water directly into his outstretched hands. “Thanks.”
“Mhmm.” I sit in the middle of the couch, and drape my arm over the back.
“Are you going to go back into work?”
“No, thankfully Corey picked up for me. He says he hopes you feel better.” He peers at me from the corner of his eye, and smiles.
“I’ll be going in for my shift tomorrow though.
” Unfortunately. I clear my throat. “So let’s try and get you feeling as good as possible today. Rest, and I’ll take care of you.”
“Yes, sir.”
I adjust in my seat. The way he says that, far too sultry and low, has my cock forgetting that, one, he’s sick, and two… unavailable to it.
Very much unavailable to it.
“Thanks for last night, Keo.” And there it goes again, jumping. “It’s been a while since someone’s taken care of me.”
My brow rises. “Your ex didn’t take care of you?”
I guess it’s ignorant for me to assume. He’s an ex for a reason, and I don’t even know when or why they broke up.
It must have been since last Christmas, because Alysa said he had a boyfriend at the time.
She offered information no one asked for about Ayden…
and while I was mad at him, I didn’t hate that she tried to keep us updated.
Even if the information she provided wasn’t enough to settle my aching chest.
“Um, yeah, he did at times.”
“When did you guys—”
“When was your last relationship?” he cuts in, drinking from his glass.
There’s a light twitch under my eye, but instead of getting upset like I did that night at the bar, I just release a sigh. “Roughly two years ago.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Both? I had a boyfriend and a girlfriend.”
He literally spits the water out, and it dribbles down his chin onto his shirt.
I quirk a brow. “What happened?”
The bewilderment across his face accompanies him dragging his arm across his mouth. He misses some on his neck, and a line of liquid drips slowly down his Adam’s apple.
Fuck me, the thought of licking it really shouldn’t be top of mind right now.
“You just… casually told me you were… cheating?”
A thick, slightly offended laugh bursts from my chest. “Wow, what an assumption. No, Ayden, I was in a polyamorous relationship.”
“Oh.”
“It didn’t last more than a few months. They were nice, but, uh, yeah.” I’m not heartbroken about it, and while the sex was great, it wasn’t what I wanted. “Before then, two years? I’m complicated to date.”
He doesn’t say anything right away but instead gives me a smile that’s genuine, and begins scooting closer to me. “Not so complicated. You like what you like.”
And that’s only you… apparently…
I’m going to have a sad, lonely life it seems.
Before he can get too close—because I’m worried my restraint won’t be as good as it was last night—I start to stand. “I should get to the store. You need to eat something since you expelled everything last night.”
He looks disappointed, and I wish I could admit that I feel it too.
“I’ll be quick, and we can put on a movie to watch… if you want.”
A moment of hesitation occurs before that displeasure melts away, replaced by genuine joy.
“I’d love that.”
Age 17
“Auwe! Keoni!”
“They’re grown, Mom, I don’t need to stay home and watch them.”
It isn’t that I have a problem hanging out with my stepsiblings. The past year and a half with them has been… great. Alysa is a spitfire who really wakes up the house every day. She’s also smart and enjoys board games on Saturdays with my… our mom.
But she’s also a troublemaker, just like her brother. They’ve both talked about sneaking out tonight to the same party I’m supposed to be going to. If I say I’m staying and she finds out I went, everyone’s in trouble.
“It’s just one missed party.”
“It’s the first of my senior year. Tyler and I are captains, it would be weird if…”
She’s giving me that pleading look. Her round brown eyes framed by her thick eyebrows tug so hard on my heartstrings.
Again, I don’t mind hanging out with them.
Them. Together.
I can’t be alone with Ayden. It doesn’t matter that we are now legally stepbrothers.
It hasn’t stopped me from finding him attractive, enjoying his company, and edging closer and closer into his space.
I’ve been respectful, both out of fear of what our parents would do if they found out I was…
thinking about him in any way other than I should about a family member.
Plus, I’m about to turn eighteen and he just turned sixteen over the summer.
And Mandy and him are basically a couple, even if he’s adamant he’s not actually seeing her. You don’t just hang around someone like they do and are just friends.
Am I jealous?
Yes, yes I am.
Do I wish that he wasn’t my stepbrother?
Yes, yes I do.
I’m not blind to the way he reacts when our eyes lock.
It only makes things harder. I haven’t confessed that I like him, and he hasn’t said anything to suggest he feels the same.
But is it strange to say I can just feel like there’s something meant to be there between us? Something other than family…
God, it sucks so bad. I’ve never wanted anyone so badly in my short life.
“Keoni, honey?”
I shake my head, pushing away thoughts of my stepbrother I shouldn’t be having.
“Sorry, Mom, what was that?”
Her sympathetic look tells me she really needs this from me. I understand the last minute change of plans. The play, the flight, all of it. I sigh, and give in.
“Alright, but you owe me.” Her smile beams, and while I’m no mama’s boy, that does make me happy. “I’m dialing Tyler right now and you’re telling him I’m not coming.”
After a solid few minutes of laughing with my best friend, he said he’d cover for me and everything was set. My mom and Grant were soon rushing out of the house to get to the airport two hours early for their redeye to New York.
The moment I close the front door, a body slams into my back. I can tell it’s Alysa, her arms coming around my neck as she jumps piggyback-style onto me.
“Alright, well this couldn’t be any more perfect! We are going, right?”
I groan, and bend to allow her to get a bit better of an angle, then wrap my arms behind her knees. “No, because there’s really no cover. She’s expecting me to stay home, and if it gets back to her that I went, odds are that’ll bust us all.”
Her cheek presses to my head. “But, Keooo. I have a date…”
“Heh, Alysa, please not the nickname.”
“Oh right, sorry.” Only two people can call me that. One is my mom, and the other is, well, Ayden.
Speaking of, I turn and see him standing at the foot of the stairs. He’s already in his jeans and a tucked in T-shirt, looking far too good to be told we can’t go.
“You’re too young to date anyways,” I say in an attempt to distract myself from checking him out.
“Uh.” She makes a buzzer noise. “Wrong answer.” Then she giggles so sweetly. “Alright, but maybe Ayden and I can go and you can still cover for us. If it makes it back to them, you can say we were home.”
“That’s not going to happen.” I roll my eyes and stand straight, releasing her legs. She squeals and jumps from my back. “If I can’t go, we all suffer.”
Ayden hums. “Alysa, why don’t you go?”
My skin zings, and goosebumps crawl the entirety of my six-foot frame.
“Wait, really?!”
“I know how badly you’ve wanted to spend time with the girls… and Kyle.”
Ew, Kyle… Ugh. “No, please, Aly, don’t tell me you fell for that tool.”
She wiggles her arm around mine, and squeezes in close. “He puts on a show for everyone, but he’s a super sweetheart.”