My Stepbrother's Cruel Game

nounced, my voic

father, Mr. Davenport, looked

," I clarified, "the one in

ross Mom's face, "Oh,

"New York, eh? Big s

ded, the words feeling heav

"Ten days? That's so soon, s

Michael lives in NYC. He's a good boy, doing very well. He could hel

, noncommittal sm

hat boyfriend of yours?" Mom asked, her ton

man who wouldn't meet your parents

towards the doorway just as Ethan D

ith that easy charm the Davenports seemed to

his voice cool, an ey

im, the word feeling l

ngering on me for a second too

val. It had been our routine for years, ever since I turned eighteen and

bed, his presence fi

her was talking about?" he as

but I didn't correct him. L

I said, tu

nd on my arm. "You're min

he lie coming easily. It was

m. He lay down beside me, on top of the

romance was something I cherishe

few we

g-term revenge plot against my mother. He blamed her for his own mother's unhappiness, for "replaci

for the scholarship. I

im, I felt nothing

ng out. I waited until I was sure he was a

anger who had shared m

ught. Just ten more