My New Stepbrother

es, and my old clothes from Chicago screamed "scholarship kid" louder than a megaphone. Finally, I settled on dark jeans, a simple white blouse, and the one pai

outure. His dark hair was perfectly tousled, and when he smiled apologetically at the teacher, I could practically hear sighs echoing around the room. "Take a seat, Mr. Cross. We're discussing the concept of forbidden love in Romeo and Juliet." Adrian's eyes swept the classroom, and I sank lower in my seat. Please don't see me, please don't see me, please- Our eyes met. Time stopped. His expression shifted from casual indifference to something I couldn't quite read. Surprise? Recognition? Something else entirely? "Mr. Cross?" Ms. Hartwell's voice cut through the moment. "Right. Sorry." But he didn't look away from me as he made his way to an empty seat three rows ahead. Several girls twisted in their chairs to watch him, but his attention remained fixed on me. I spent the rest of class staring at the back of his head and trying to ignore the whispers that had started around the room. This was exactly what I'd been afraid of. When the bell rang, I bolted for the door, but Adrian was faster. "Maya." He caught up with me in the hallway. "I didn't know you were in AP Lit." "There's a lot you don't know about me." The words came out sharper than I'd intended. "Fair enough." He fell into step beside me, ignoring the curious stares from other students. "How was your first morning?" "Fine." "Just fine?" I stopped walking and turned to face him. Big mistake. This close, I could see the flecks of silver in his blue eyes, could catch that scent that had made my pulse race last night. "Look, I get it. You're being polite because our parents are married. But you don't have to pretend to care about how I'm adjusting." Something flickered across his face. "You think I'm pretending?" "Aren't you?" He stepped closer, and I felt my back hit the lockers. Students flowed around us like water around a stone, but all I could focus on was Adrian-the way he was looking at me like he was trying to solve a puzzle, the way my heart hammered against my ribs. "Adrian!" A familiar voice cut through the tension. "There you are!" Sophia appeared beside us, her perfectly manicured hand sliding possessively onto Adrian's arm. "I've been looking everywhere for you. We need to talk about tonight's party." Adrian's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, but he stepped back. The spell was broken. "Of course," he said, his voice cooler now. "Maya, this is Sophia Winters. Sophia, my stepsister Maya." "Oh, we've already met!" Sophia's smile was brilliant. "I was just telling Maya how lucky she is to be part of the Cross family now. Adrian's practically