My Stepbrother Secret

and M

orch, and stay there until I was sure he was either asleep or out. If I heard the shower running

he was ev

met lived on the dining table like some kind of decoration. And his presence... it

ation. His tattoos peeked from under plain white tees. He walked like he didn't care who was watching, and people notice

t

t trust

who watched you when

made your heart race f

ernoon when everyth

lace was quiet, tucked between a record shop and a smoothie ba

ng a stack of fantasy no

om the mechanic on your way home? His bik

essage, heart dro

course she thought I could play chauffeur t

t-but I knew she'd c

e. Wher

like he'd been waiting for years. Sunglasses on. Hoodie sleeves pushed up. A cigarette bet

w down but didn't

t i

rushed it under his boot, and slid into t

id, glancing aroun

t her like that.

n. "Didn't peg you for

me where I need to go,

ed. "I think t

beats that usually calmed me, though nothing could completely drown out the fact that

You always this warm and

. "I don't make small talk

r en

d. Comfortable for m

n-quieter this time. "

asses were off now, and his

," I said. "And what litt

offended. Jus

said you

ked. "

ouble? That you're smar

I'd say thanks

l paus

aid I didn't wan

e was something raw in it. Something that did

how to answe

rest of the w

night, I co

ceiling, the hum of the fan m

said I didn't want to

ense. It shouldn

mehow,

t up and wandered d

pilling in through the window. I

floor in front of the open fridge, barefoot and shirtless,

are you doing

, then smirked. "Midni

Do you always raid t

trying to mak

ent is that? 'I'm incapable of wea

and for the first time, it d

peg you

ou're just

ned against the counter. The shadows sof

sleep?"

tated.

htma

ked. "

er night. I heard yo

ard. "You wer

ean to. T

Yeah. Well. It h

et for a m

to

eyes

ething passed between us. Somet

ere, Jace?" I asked, my vo

ared down at the floor, lashes cas

e look

ppear,"

carried, they were heavier than I'd imagined. And whether I

hick. Not awkward, not strained... just heavy. Like th

nning from, who he was hiding from. But I didn't.

n't ready

he opposite counter, arms crosse

a temporary fix,

smile. "So is pretendi

one l

é, st

e fridge again, pulling out a bottle of wat

," I mu

menti

forced to orbit the same broken space, breathing the same air,

Not yet. It was some

n pull that comes from seeing someone else'

, walking past me to

around the corner, he paus

ver his shoulder, "I think you'r

know wh

ought of something-a

orning fel

our strange, quiet conversation playing over in my h

kitchen table in Jac

ou were decent company. She looked p

eyes, lips

impos

ssible t

e. Normally, I'd bail with some excuse about needing to study or reorganize my closet-b

e universe ha

nursing a lukewarm soda, Kira gl

a

I vaguely recognized from the local auto shop. His hoodie was gone, replaced by a black t-shirt

e that, the

smile. He

t watc

up tonight-the ice queen from day one, or the girl wh

ed awa

e?" I whispered to Ki

inked.

I paused. "S

new guy showed up in town, kind of a mystery. Rides a bike. Apparentl

's insane.

know what he was. And I hat

o leave?" Kira

e doesn't get to chase

squeezed my hand, and disa

side of the house, sipping my so

th

you for the

d against the wall next

I said. "Ki

ke you want

k. "Guess we hav

f a smirk

a moment, I almost forgot who we were-almost forgot we weren't supposed to be

verything people say abo

you haven't exactly tried

yard. "Maybe I like k

ust scared they wo

a second, I though

turned to face m

ruth are you hiding behind al

eath

didn't hav

se he was

've walk

I di

I'm not the only one preten

rous thing about Jace Sullivan wasn't his