PRINCE CHARMING: A Secret Baby Stepbrother Romance (34 page)

She looked down, disappointed as usual. “I’m not exactly looking to get married, but I would like to know that I’m the only girl you’re seeing. And I know I’m not.”

“I’m not the only guy you’re seeing either, so what’s the big deal?” I asked, exasperated.

“The only reason I’m seeing anyone else is because you’re seeing other people. I want to be just with you.”

I shook my head, buckling my belt. “This is a conversation we can have another time. Right now, I have to get to work. I can’t be late my first year there. It’s not how this kind of business works.”

She rolled her eyes at me, pulling up her pants. “Whatever.” She laced up her boots, got her purse, and left.

I was well used to this routine with her. A part of me wondered if it was wrong that we still hooked up, especially since I knew she really liked me. Not that I didn’t like her at all, but my heart was still set on Amy, even if I could never really be with her.

I grabbed my wallet and car keys, stuffing them into my sweatshirt. I went downstairs and smelled bacon and eggs. My dad also left early to commute to the city, and Emma had to attend to guests at the bed and breakfast.

“Good morning, dear,” Emma said. From behind, she looked so much like Amy. Sometimes, her voice even sounded a bit like her. It was oddly comforting. I sat down at the table and gave her a small wave.

My dad put his paper down and cleared his throat. “I have to say, son, I am proud of you. You went out, got a full-time job, and you’re being consistent.”

“Thanks?” I replied, trying to figure out if that was an insult or not.

“How is your new job going, sweetie?’ Emma asked.

“It’s great. I like being an apprentice. You know, learning new things every day. I constantly feel challenged.”

Emma put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me. I tucked into the meal, feverishly hungry from the previous night with Jen.

“I asked Jen to stay for breakfast, but she always leaves in a hurry,” Emma said.

I coughed nervously. “Yeah, she has to be at the salon by ten, and I think she wants to take a shower,” I lied.

“I think it’s good she already has a career,” Emma said. “She’s great with nails and hair. Hers always look so perfect. I wish she could help Amy. She’s so stressed over her hair and nails. There’s a dance coming up at school, and she’s going with some guy.”

I nearly dropped my fork on the floor. “What? Who?”

Emma eyed me in a strange way, taking a sip of her coffee. “Someone she met through Sarah. He’s on the soccer team or something.”

“Good for her! It’s nice to see her dating. Usually, she’s way too focused on school,” my dad said.

I stood up. “I’m leaving early today. Want to keep making a good impression, you know?”

“Okay! Have a good day,” Emma said.

I stormed out of the house into the light. The leaves on the driveway crunched under my feet. I opened my car door and slammed it, pulled up my social media app, and checked Amy’s profile, something I tried hard not to do. She was tagged in a photo with some douche. He wore a jersey, and his hair was spiked up. Sarah stood next to them, and they looked like they were having a good time.

“Friends, fun, frolicking,” I said, reading the post out loud.

I felt a bit relieved that Amy called the guy a ‘friend,’ but there was no way the guy wasn’t trying to fuck her. She was far too hot and amazing a girl. I slammed my fist on the steering wheel. I wished I didn’t care.
Fuck.
I didn’t even have the right to. I was banging Jen; we were basically dating. I’d posted a few pictures of Jen and me, and I wondered if she saw them. Well, if she was hurt, that was her problem.

She wanted this. I moved on. I haven’t been doing anything wrong. And she seems to be into someone else, so that’s that.

I tried to convince myself of this as I pulled out of the driveway, but I wasn’t so sure of the truth anymore. At least I would have my full-time job to distract me, which was actually part of the reason I got the job. When I was at work, my mind was also at work. There was nothing that tinkering couldn’t fix.

I passed by the coffee shop Amy and I used to go to, and my heart sank. I hadn’t gone in there since, even if they had the best coffee. Maybe I could take Jen there so we could make new memories, and the rest would fade away.

My mind lingered on Amy and that soccer player. I would try to work overtime today.

AMY

I loved getting my nails done. Going to the spa could make you feel like a queen, even when you felt like dirt. I did what I told myself I wouldn’t do: I checked Ash’s profile. Plastered on it were pictures of him and that girl, Jen. A part of me knew this would happen. Jen was a competitive girl, and I couldn’t really blame her for trying to win Ash over. Besides, it’s not like Ash and I were together or anything, even if I still wanted to be with him.

Still, though, I couldn’t believe they were dating. I didn’t want to believe they were. Even if I didn’t have the slightest right to care, I did care. Relentlessly.

“I hate her,” I said to Sarah, who was also getting her nails done.

“Who?” she asked.

“Jen. The girl I told you about. Ash is hanging out with her.”

Sarah sighed. “I told you not to look at his profile. It’s like self-mutilation. Besides, you’re going to the dance tonight with Tim. He really likes you, and you guys have a lot of fun together.”

This raised my spirits a little. I loved going to dances and formals. Tim was pretty cute, and I did have a good time when we were together. It wasn’t the same, though. The spark I felt with Ash was like nothing else on this planet, and nothing could ever come close.

“It’s just not the same,” I explained.

“You haven’t given it a chance yet. Just have fun tonight, and try to get it out of your head. Besides, you’re turning twenty-one in a couple of days, so we are going to hit up a bar!” Her excitement was cute.

“True.” The woman doing my nails began applying a top coat of clear polish. “My nails look great,” I said, giving her a warm smile. She flashed me a smile and continued to work. I felt embarrassed that she heard my conversation with Sarah, so I tried to change the subject. “I’m surprised your coach actually lets you guys drink. He’s so strict.”

“He doesn’t. We just don’t tell him,” she said with a wink.

We let our nails dry in the air machine, and I felt a little bit better as we spoke and laughed. Sarah was a great person to talk to when you felt crappy. Still, thoughts of Ash burned in my mind. Maybe I really should give Tim a chance. He was nice, and it would help me forget about Ash.

My phone rang. I answered, holding the phone close to my ear and plugging up my other ear with my finger so I could hear my dad in the crowded shopping plaza.

“Hey sweetie!” he said.

“Hey,” I replied.

“Listen, I wanted to ask if this was okay, but I just got offered a two month HVAC gig at a facility in Germany. They’re putting in a new resort and need people right away,” he told me.

I smiled, ecstatic. “Oh, wow! That’s so great!”

“Yes. But I wouldn’t be able to have you here for break, and I need to rent out my place in order to cover the costs,” he said, his voice faltering a little.

I took a deep breath. “No problem. I can stay somewhere else. You have to take this opportunity. It’s like a dream come true,” I said, keeping my voice even.

“Thank you, hon. I promise we will spend a lot of time together when I get back.”

“All right! And congrats. We will talk more later. Can’t wait to hear about it,” I said, genuinely happy for him.

“All right! Buh-bye! Love you!”

“Love you too!” I replied, and we hung up. “Shit…”

“What?” Sarah asked.

“I can’t stay with my dad over break,” I said, my heart sinking. Sarah frowned, shaking her head. “You’re going to be gone all month with your parents too, right? On your Alps vacation?”

“Yeah. But you could come,” she said.

“I’m not going to invade your family thing like that. I’ve imposed on them enough. I have no choice but to go to New York for winter break,” I said, my voice shaking nervously.

“But won’t Gary let you use his card for rent?” she asked.

“Yeah, I guess, but it would really hurt his feelings if I didn’t stay there instead.”

“Ugh!” Sarah said. “Are you really going to stay there?”

“I’ll have to. What other choice do I have?” A small part of me was happy—the part of me that wanted to see Ash.

ASHTON

“Amy is coming home for break!” Emma said cheerfully.

I nearly spat out my drink. “What?” I asked, disbelief washing over me.

“Her dad has a job in Germany for the next two months, and her friend Sarah is going on some kind of a family trip, so she’s coming here!”

My dad, Emma, and I were hanging out in the den. My dad and I were drinking a beer and watching a game. Emma was knitting, her newest endeavor.

“That’s great,” I said, a mixture of nervousness and excitement in my gut.

I had been looking at Amy’s profile obsessively, seeing her pictures from the dance the night before. It looked like she had a good time, and besides the soccer player putting his arm around her, I didn’t see anything else happen. I wanted to rip his arm off, though.

My phone buzzed.

Jen:
We need to talk, like now.

Ashton:
Okay. About what?

Jen:
You’re not going to want to hear this, but I have to tell you.

I left the room and dialed her.

“What’s up?” I said.

“I’m tired of your bullshit, and someone else wants to date me, so you’re history,” she said, her voice whiney.

I furrowed my brow, taken aback by her immature tone. “Okay? Congrats. I mean, I understand.”

“That’s all you’re going to say? Congrats? What the hell is that? What the hell are we—and who the hell are you?” she yelled. Her voice began to shake like she was crying.

I pulled the phone away from my ear, grimacing. Emma and my dad looked over, confused. I muttered obscenities to myself, running upstairs so I could have some privacy.

“I don’t understand what you want from me. The whole time we’ve both been dating other people, so it’s not like I led you on,” I said. I hadn’t led her on, but I felt bad that I hadn’t stopped the sex when I realized she was developing feelings.

“It’s her, isn’t it?” she said abruptly.

Terror came over me. “What?”

“Your stepsister. Don’t tell me you don’t have the hots for her. I’ve seen the way you look at her, and ever since she left, you’ve been a big fucking baby.” Her voice was tinged with ridicule.

“You’re crazy,” I lied, “that’s not what’s going on at all.”

She laughed spitefully. “I knew you were a fucking loser, but I didn’t realize how much until now. I’m done with you,”
she said. “Oh, and by the way, he’s here now and I’m about to give him a blow job.”

“Fuck you,” I replied. I hung up the phone, all kinds of emotions washing over me, ones I wanted to ignore. I did care about her, but she was right. I still had a thing for Amy, and I was excited she was coming here for break.

I threw my phone on my bed. I cracked open another beer and sat down. I thought love was supposed to be simple. At least, that’s how I always imagined it would be. It turned out to be anything but.

I walked downstairs to join Emma and my dad again. Emma was on the phone, smiling and laughing. She hung up and said, “It’s official. Amy will be here in four weeks!”

I took another swig of my beer.
Oh boy.

AMY

The entire plane ride, my stomach was in knots, and not because of the ride itself. Ash was picking me up at the airport, just like old times. I wasn’t sure if I was prepared to see him, and I wasn’t even sure what that meant. I landed and immediately called him.

He picked up. It was the first time I’d heard his voice in months. “You remembered my number this time.”

“Yeah, I did,” I replied.

“I thought you wouldn’t. I mean, I know people from the west coast are kinda airheaded,”
he joked, repeating our first conversation.

“I thought that people from New York were kinda impatient, but you seem to be good at waiting,” I said, my voice dripping with innuendo.

“I’m at the east gate again. I’ll see you soon.”

We hung up. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I wiped them away. I was so overcome by emotion, and all I cared about was seeing him again. It was like he and I were in a separate universe, and nothing had changed at all since we last saw each other.

I saw him. He wasn’t as tanned, and his hair had grown back. He had a lot of facial stubble. He honestly looked depressed, timid almost. I had never seen him like this. He was still gorgeous, though, and his arms looked a bit more muscular. I knew he had a full-time job, so that was probably the reason. I stopped, watching him. Like there was some crazy pull between us, he looked over and saw me. He smiled his perfect white smile and started walking over to me. I dropped my rolling bag and ran to him. He picked me up, twirling me in his arms. He held me close to him, nearly squishing me in a hug.