Stepbrother Broken (The Hawthorne Brothers Book 2) (17 page)

“
See you later,
”
I say instead, crossing my arms tightly.

Luke
turns to go without another word, taking off at a jog along the path we
traversed to get here. I turn away from him, marveling at how relaxed my body
feels. That uphill run was totally worth it, that
’
s
for damn sure.

My
dreamy daze is punctured as a flash of color catches my eye on the ground at my
feet. Lying beside the rock that Luke and I just put to good use is a bright
yellow condom wrapper. My stomach flips over as the sight registers in my
sex-addled mind, just as Anna is swinging her camera my way. I jerk my body
across the rock, planting my foot firmly over the wrapper and grinding it into
the dirt. Aiming my best Hollywood smile at Anna
’
s
lens, I spread my arms wide in a ridiculous pose.

“
I
’
m
ready for my close-up,
”
I grin, mugging every which way
and effectively ruining her shot.

“
You
’
re
such a ham,
”
she mutters, lowering her camera
and striding away from me.
“
What are you, already withdrawing
from the spotlight after one week away from acting school?
”

“
You know me,
”
I laugh,
“
Always the attention hog. Middle
child syndrome. You understand.
”

I
quickly bury the condom wrapper while her back is turned, spooked by the close
call. If Luke and I are going to make it through the next couple of weeks
without being found out, we
’
re gonna need to step up our
discretion game. Especially around Anna. My younger sister is one of the most
observant people I know. Maddie and my mom will each be too wrapped up in their
own shit to notice if I steal off with John
’
s
gorgeous son time and again, but Anna could very well catch on if we
’
re not more careful.

Part
of me wonders if I should just confide in her right off the bat. I already let
it slip that I had a thing for one of my TA
’
s
at Sheridan. What if she puts the pieces together? It
’
ll be much worse if she finds me out, rather than
being told up front. But how can I know that she won
’
t be totally weirded out by my relationship with Luke?
What if she tells me that it
’
s sick, or wrong, or just
depressing to be screwing him while our parents are
…
whatever our parents are? I couldn
’
t stand that. I trust Anna
’
s opinion more than anyone
’
s. So if she disapproved of me and Luke
…
I don
’
t know how I
’
d get over that. I
’
m
not willing to risk it. Not just yet.

“
Are you coming?
”
Anna says over her shoulder, moving back off into the
woods,
“
I want to get some more shots
before I lose this light.
”

“
Right. Sure. I
’
m coming,
”
I call after her, standing to
follow. Better to keep my secret to myself for the time being, I decide. After
all, what
’
s a little lie of omission between
sisters?

Nice
try,
I think to
myself, following in Anna
’
s path. Great. Even my own
subconscious can
’
t be convinced that I
’
m doing the right thing, here. But how could something
this wrong feel so, so right?

Chapter Eight

My
newly whetted appetite for Luke trumps any reservations I might be having about
keeping our relationship from Annabel and Madeleine. I
’
ll tell them eventually, if and when the time is right
…
Meaning, once Mom has ditched John for her next
conquest. He can
’
t have much time left in my mother
’
s good graces. She
’
s
been here at the lake house for weeks, after all. The clock must be running
down on their little love affair.

Really
though, I don
’
t have much room in my mind for
Mom, John, or any of the others. Luke has captivated me, mind and body
…
and heart too, if I
’
m
being honest. We haven
’
t said a word to each other about
any sort of future beyond this summer, or made any attempt to label what it is
we are to each other. None of that really seems to matter, with him. What
’
s important is the deep understanding that
’
s formed between us. The unheard-of degree of respect
and admiration that we have for each other. That
’
s
more important than labels and titles any day.

As
the days go by at the lake house, Luke and I get better and better at covering
our tracks. We take separate routes to every rendezvous we plan, making sure
that there
’
s no way anyone else could stumble
upon us. When we spend time with our siblings, we put on a great show of being
neutral acquaintances. It
’
s not that hard to sneak off whenever
we wish
—
all eight of the Porters and
Hawthornes have fallen into their own routines, here at the lake house. Neither
of our families are particularly warm and cuddly
—
a
fact that only makes it easier to peel off from the pack.

But
while I
’
m intent on obscuring my
relationship with Luke from my mom and sisters, there
’
s one person I simply can
’
t hold back from. My best friend, Danny.

“
Are you fucking kidding me?!
”
he all but screams when I give him the skinny over the
phone, late one night.
“
Professor Sexy Pants is, like, your
step-brother?!?
”

“
No, no,
no
,
”
I groan, flopping onto my twin bed,
“
Our parents aren
’
t married. I mean, they
almost
were. Once. But it
’
s totally not the same thing.
”

“
Uh-huh,
”
Danny drawls,
“
Sure. Whatever you have to tell
yourself.
”

“
You don
’
t think I
’
m some kind of freak, do you?
”
I ask him nervously.

“
Only in the best sense of the word,
my darling,
”
he assures me,
“
And remember, that
’
s
high praise in my book.
”

“
Gee. Thanks,
”
I mumble.

“
I mean it!
”
he gushes,
“
I saw
Cruel Intentions
. I
know a thing or two about stepbrother bangin
’
.
”

“
Well, since you
’
re the expert, maybe you can tell me how the hell I
’
m going to break it to my family, down the line?
”
I suggest.

“
Is there going to
be
a down
the line?
”
Danny asks, surprised,
“
I thought this was a summer fling sort of situation.
”

“
I mean
…
it
’
s hard to say,
”
I waffle.
“
You never know what the future
—”

“
Oh. My. God,
”
Danny cuts me off,
“
Sophia
Elizabeth Porter, are you falling for this guy?
”

“
Uh-oh, you
’
re using my middle name. Does that mean I
’
m in trouble?
”
I laugh.

“
Don
’
t
change the subject. Do you really like him or what?
”
Danny demands.

“
I don
’
t
…
I mean
…
Maybe?
”
I sigh,
“
He
’
s
not like anyone I
’
ve ever been with.
”

“
In that he has a personality and is
not a major douche-rocket?
”
Danny replies.

“
Nice.
”

“
The truth hurts, hun,
”
he goes on,
“
Look, I
’
m thrilled that you
’
ve
found someone who gets that screwed up little brain of yours. It doesn
’
t hurt one bit that he
’
s
gorgeous, and brilliant, and a bit kinky from the sound of it. Just do me a favor
while you
’
re out there screwing brother
dearest in the woods, would you?
”

“
Of course. Anything for you,
”
I say dryly.

“
Don
’
t
go falling so deeply for him that you can
’
t pull yourself out of it in a
pinch, OK?
”
Danny warns me.

“
I thought you were all for him?
”
I ask, surprised.

“
Oh, I am,
”
Danny assures me,
“
After
his knight in shining armor moment at The Bear Trap, I
’
m a huge Luke Hawthorne fan. But there
’
s a soft, gooey heart underneath all that armor of
yours
,
Sophie. Don
’
t let down all your defenses at
once. At least not until you know exactly what you
’
re up against.
”

I
assure my best friend that I
’
ll be careful. But even as I
’
m swearing up and down to keep myself from getting in
too deep with Luke, I realize that restraint is the last thing I want with him.
My feelings for Luke pull at me like a strong current. I
’
d have to fight like hell to beat against that force.
Wouldn
’
t it be easier to give into the
tug? Let myself be carried away?

Or
would that just be a surefire way to drown?

***

Part
of keeping my relationship with Luke on the DL is making sure to spend time
with the rest of the Porters and Hawthornes once in a while. Toward the end of
my first week at the lake house, I decide to make good on some sister time and
spend the afternoon with Maddie and Anna down on the dock. We
’
re lounging around on the sun-warmed boards,
bikini-clad and peaceful. They have no idea that my relaxed state is thanks, in
large part, to a vigorous fucking from Luke in the bed of the family pickup
truck early this morning. I have to cross my bare legs as a resounding pang of
longing shoots up through my body at the mere memory of it. Hopefully, my
gigantic black sunglasses obscure the furious flush that rises in my cheeks.

Maddie
’
s quizzing Anna about taking a gap year before college
when I manage to wrangle my attention back to the conversation at hand. My
older sister sits with her feet in the water, a red bandana tying up her short
dirty blonde hair. Anna lays on her stomach, letting the sun kiss her
shoulders. I sit cross legged, slightly apart from them, absentmindedly
fingering my mermaid tail braid as they chat.

“
I give you a lot of credit,
”
Maddie says,
“
I wouldn
’
t have had the wherewithal to take a gap year before
college at your age.
”

“
Well, you knew what you wanted to
go to school for,
”
Anna replies,
“
I
’
m still feeling it out.
”

“
I just couldn
’
t wait to get out of the house,
”
I cut in,
“
Don
’
t
get me wrong, I love my program at Sheridan. But more than anything, getting
away from Mom was the priority.
”

“
Yeah, well. Imagine being the only
one in the house with her after Dad died,
”
Anna says curtly, not even
looking back at me as she speaks.

I
catch Maddie
’
s perplexed gaze and return it.
Anna
’
s been really short with both of us
these past couple of days. I try not to psych myself out about it, but it
’
s hard to hold my unease at bay.

“
So, uh
…
have you given any thought to how you
’
ll spend the year?
”
Maddie
presses, trying to bypass the awkward silence.

“
Mostly just building up my
photography portfolio,
”
Anna returns,
“
I want to get some more portraits and event
photography.
”

“
I could hire you for the next
ReImaged party!
”
Maddie gushes. ReImaged is
the Seattle-based PR agency that she works at. The company specializes in
“
event marketing
”
. From what I gather, most of what
they do is throw fancy parties for rich people. I never would have imagined my
big sister ending up in a field like that. All her life, Maddie talked about
becoming a literature professor like our father, Archie. But after he died, I
think carrying on in his footsteps was too painful a prospect for her.

“
Yeah, maybe,
”
Anna tells Maddie,
“
I
was thinking of heading in a less corporate direction, though. Finn
’
s letting me tag along to his band
’
s show tonight to take some shots of them, actually.
”

“
Finn
’
s
in a band?!
”
I exclaim. That doesn
’
t exactly jive with my understanding of the youngest
Hawthorne son. That guy is a complete mystery to me.

“
Yeah. He
’
s the lead vocalist,
”
Anna
tells me.

“
But I
’
ve
barely heard a full sentence out of him,
”
Maddie says.

“
Yeah. I didn't realize he spoke in
full sentences,
”
I joke.

“
Maybe that
’
s because neither of you lets anyone else get a word
in. Ever think of that?
”
Anna snaps at me, her blue
eyes flaring dangerously.

“
Whoa, Anna
…”
I breathe, taken aback by her ferocity,
“
That
’
s a little harsh.
”

“
Yeah, well. The truth can be a
bitch,
”
my younger sister shoots back,
standing to make her exit.

“
Did we do something wrong?
”
Maddie asks nervously,
“
You
seem really pissed off at us.
”