Stepbrother Broken (The Hawthorne Brothers Book 2) (19 page)

“
Mind if I put on some music?
”
Cash cuts me off bluntly, not waiting for my answer
before cranking up the radio.

I
sink back against my seat, keeping my eyes glued to the road ahead. What the
hell did Cash ask me to come along for if he
’
s
just going to pretend I
’
m not here, as usual?

“
So you and Luke are school buddies,
huh?
”
Cash shouts over the blaring hard
rock.

“
Not exactly,
”
I yell back,
“
We
’
ve
seen each other around campus is all.
”

“
Really?
”
Cash challenges me, shooting a devilish grin my way.

“
Yeah, really,
”
I snap back, hugging my knees tightly,
“
What
’
s it to you?
”

“
The way he
’
s been looking at you lately, I was just wondering,
”
Cash goes on,
“
I mean, did you see his face when
you walked away with me just now?
”

I
whip around to face the eldest Hawthorne brother. It
’
s only been a few minutes, but I
’
m well out of patience for this bad boy dickhead
routine.

“
Is that why you wanted me to come
with you? Just to mess with Luke?
”
I ask pointblank.

“
I may have been testing a theory,
sure,
”
Cash shrugs.

“
And that theory would be
…
?
”
I press.

“
That my little brother is into you,
”
Cash replies coolly,
“
And
from the way he was acting just now, I
’
d say that my theory
’
s been proven right.
”

“
Whatever, Cash,
”
I mutter, looking away from him with my heart in my
throat.

“
What
’
s
the matter? Don
’
t you like him back?
”
Luke
’
s brother toys with me.

“
What is this, third grade?
”
I shoot back at him,
“
Maybe
your little brother is right. You should grow up.
”

“
Ouch,
”
Cash
laughs,
“
You Porter women don
’
t hold any punches, do you?
”

“
From what I just saw back on the
dock, neither do you Hawthorne men,
”
I reply coldly.

“
Looks like we
’
re all made for each other, huh?
”
Cash says quietly, his suddenly pensive eyes hard on
the road.

“
Guess so,
”
I reply vaguely, wishing that this seat had an ejector
button.

Cash
ramps up the volume to its highest possible setting, and we drive along the
Montana backroads without another word between us.

I
decide not to tell Luke about his brother
’
s suspicions straightaway. After
their near-brawl, I
’
m afraid to stoke the tensions
between them. I
’
ve never seen anything enrage Luke
the way Cash manages to. But that
’
s what family is for, right? I don
’
t have to try very hard not to talk about my little
jaunt with Cash. When I get back that night, Luke
’
s
lips are entirely sealed on the subject. I try and give him some space to cool
down, seeking out Anna instead. I want to clear the air after our own spat on
the dock. But wouldn
’
t you know it
—
she
’
s gone off with Finn and his band.
Looks like I get a little unexpected
“
me time
”
tonight.

The
house is empty as I carry a glass of Merlot up to my bedroom and settle down on
the window seat overlooking the backyard. I dig my copy of
War and Peace
out of my backpack and let it fall
open on my lap, ready to dive back into the epic tale. But try as I might, I
can
’
t seem to concentrate. Cash
’
s words from earlier today keep rattling around in my
mind.

Looks
like we
’
re all made for each other, huh?

I
’
ve never been much of a religious person, but I do
believe that some things in life are simply out of our hands. Chiefly among
those things? Who we happen to fall for. I couldn
’
t
have stopped myself from being attracted to Luke, even if I
’
d tried. But the unknown connection we shared from the
start, our parents
’
romantic history, that was
out of our control too. Why should we let the one trump the other? Why should
Luke and I be forced to keep our relationship a secret, just because our
parents happened to get there first?

And
what would happen
…
if we chose not to keep it a secret
after all?

I
take a long sip of wine, looking out across the moonlit landscape. A spot of
movement catches my eye, down at the end of the dock. The towering figure of
John Hawthorne makes my mother look younger than I
’
ve ever seen her before. Or maybe, it
’
s the way she
’
s holding herself at his side. She
looks relaxed. Happy. At peace. As I watch from my window, John lifts my mother
’
s face to his, laying a kiss on her lips under the
rising moon.

My
fingers tighten around the stem of the wineglass as I peer down at them. If
anyone could understand the feelings I have for Luke, wouldn
’
t it be my mom? She
’
s
fallen for a Hawthorne man too, after all. Maybe, just maybe, there could be a
way forward for me and Luke that doesn
’
t revolve around deception. I know
it
’
s a revolutionary idea, but
…
what if we just told our parents the truth?

“
Well,
”
I
laugh to myself, nursing my wine as the moon rises over the still, glassy lake,
“
I guess there
’
s a first time for everything.
”

Chapter Nine

It
’
s strange how comfortable this house has come to feel
after just one week. By rights, I should want nothing more than to book it back
to Sheridan. But against all odds, I
’
ve enjoyed my stay here so far.
Granted, Luke
’
s presence has been a welcome
surprise out here in the middle of nowhere. But there
’
s something wonderful about being removed from the
current of daily life, too. Out here, it
’
s like we can all live by our own
rules and standards. Who
’
s going to stop us, after all?
Maybe that
’
s why my idea of coming clean about
my relationship with Luke has started to pick up steam. Our situation may be
unconventional, but it
’
s not like there
’
s anyone out here to stop us.

After
a long yoga practice on Friday morning, one week after I first arrived here at
the lake house, I gather my toiletries and head down the hall for a nice, hot
shower. Everyone is scattered around the property, doing their own things, so I
don
’
t even have to wait to get into the
bathroom
—
quite the rare occurrence with
eight people in the house.

Closing
the bathroom door behind me, I shuck off my sweaty yoga clothes and turn on the
shower. I perch on the edge of the claw-foot bathtub as the water heats up,
letting the warm mist roll over my just-stretched muscles. Rolling my head from
side to side, I start to hum softly, wordlessly. It
’
s only been a few weeks since school ended, but I
’
m already jonesing to perform again. To use my voice
and my body, to feel the freedom of giving over to a character, or a piece.

Stepping
under the hot spray of the shower, I massage shampoo into my caramel hair,
letting my voice swell from deep in my diaphragm. I run through lines of all my
favorite songs, moving from folk to rock to soul on a whim. My belting voice
echoes off the bathroom tiles as I have at it. My dorm-mate Kim hated it when I
sang in the shower
—
I received
many
a
passive-aggressive post-it note about it. But here, in this big empty house, I
can really go to town.

A
cool draft glances against my wet skin, cutting me off mid-note. I spin around
toward the door, mouth clamped shut. Is it possible that the house isn
’
t as empty as I thought?

“
Damn,
”
a
familiar voice says from the other side of the shower curtain,
“
Those are some pipes you
’
ve
got, there.
”

“
Luke!
”
I
squeak, poking my head around the curtain,
“
What
the hell are you doing in here?!
”

He
’
s standing with his back against the bathroom door, arms
crossed over his chest. His short brown hair is sleep-tousled, and the stubble
on his jaw is darker than usual. God, what I wouldn
’
t give for him to be the first thing I saw
every
morning
…

“
I heard the concert from down the
hall. Didn
’
t want to miss it,
”
he grins, taking a swinging stride toward me,
“
I had no idea you could sing like that, Sophie.
”

“
Yeah, well,
”
I murmur, flattered despite myself,
“
You still shouldn
’
t be in here.
”

“
Why? I thought bathrooms were sort
of our thing?
”
he goes on, nudging the curtain
aside.

My
body flushes with want as Luke rakes his eyes along my form. Warm water runs in
rivulets around my breasts, down my stomach, over the carefully-kept patch of
dark hair between my legs. Someone could walk in any minute and find us here
together. But somehow that only makes this sexier.

“
Luke,
”
I
begin nervously.

“
Just let me look at you,
”
he cuts me off, drinking me in with his dark green
eyes.
“
Christ. You
’
re so beautiful.
”

“
You just saying that to get some?
”
I tease him breathlessly, running my hands through my
shower-soaked hair.

“
Hardly,
”
Luke grins back,
“
I don
’
t
need to flatter you to get some. I barely even have to touch you before you
’
re all ready for me
…”

“
You
’
re
terrible,
”
I murmur, as Luke runs a hand down
my water-slicked arm.

“
And you
’
re a dirty little sex fiend,
”
he says, that devilish grin growing wider.

“
Did you even bother to lock the
door?
”
I laugh, batting his hand away and
turning off the shower,
“
Or are you
trying
to get us
caught?
”

“
Maybe I am,
”
he shrugs, leaning against the sink as I wrap a towel
around my body.

I
stop and look up at him in surprise. We may be borderline telepathic at times,
but has Luke actually been reading my thoughts word-for-word lately?

“
Are you being serious?
”
I ask him quietly.

“
I don
’
t
know, Sophie,
”
he says gruffly, shoving a hand
through his hair,
“
I just know that I
’
m getting sick of hiding. I want to be able to look at
you, and talk to you, and touch you whenever I like.
”

“
This wouldn
’
t have anything to do with Cash corralling me along on
his errand the other day?
”
I ask tentatively.

Luke
’
s expression hardens.
“
Yeah.
I wouldn
’
t have minded putting a stop to
that shit,
”
he says.

“
I
’
m
getting pretty tired of pretending too,
”
I go on carefully, laying a
hand on his bicep,
“
Keeping something like this from
Anna, and even from Maddie
…
it doesn
’
t feel right.
”

“
So
…
What
do you think we should do?
”
Luke says, turning his body
toward mine,
“
Hire a skywriter or something? Take
out a page in the paper?
”

“
Something a little more subtle
would probably do the trick,
”
I smile,
“
In fact, I don
’
t think we
’
d even necessarily need to come out and tell everyone,
if we wanted to let this secret out.
”

“
No?
”
he
rasps, planting his hands on my hips.

“
Nope,
”
I
reply, stepping up to him in the steamy air.
“
All
we
’
d have to do is
…
stop trying to hide it. Let them figure it out
themselves.
”

“
Aren
’
t
you worried about how it
’
ll play with them?
”
Luke asks, leaping into the role of devil
’
s advocate.
“
I mean, it
’
s a little on the far side of normal, isn
’
t it?
”

“
Luke, we
’
ve been wringing our hands over whether this thing
between us is OK for long enough. Who can judge us for having feelings for each
other, huh? Who gets to say if this is right or wrong, besides us?
”

“
I can think of a few people who
would have some pretty strong opinions about it,
”
he
laughs roughly, pulling me closer,
“
People, and religious institutions,
and courts of law
…”

“
You know something?
”
I say softly, laying my hands on his firm chest,
“
I can
’
t really give two shits about what
anyone else thinks. Not anymore.
”

“
You really think the rest of them
could handle this being out in the open?
”
Luke asks me, his green eyes
hard on my face.

“
Only one way to find out,
”
I reply, hope lifting my voice. I feel like we
’
re standing on a precipice, getting ready to fall or
fly.

“
Well shit,
”
Luke says, letting out a deep breath,
“
This just got real.
”

“
That it did,
”
I laugh, circling my arms around his waist.
“
Just remember, we don
’
t
need to make any grand pronouncements. We just have to let it happen, you know?
Hell, half our siblings are probably onto us already.
”

“
What do you mean?
”
Luke asks, cocking an eyebrow.

“
I have a feeling that Anna knows
something,
”
I confide in him,
“
And, uh, Cash may also be a little suspicious
…
He sort of said as much in the truck that day.
”

“
Sonofabitch,
”
Luke mutters, shaking his head with a rueful smile,
“
So he was just trying to fuck with me, bringing you
along?
”

“
Pretty much,
”
I allow,
“
See? Everyone will know in no time.
”

“
To be honest, it isn
’
t our brothers and sisters I
’
m worried about,
”
Luke says, taking a step away
from me.
“
It
’
s
my dad. He
’
s never been able to stand it when
I step off the straight and narrow. Not for a minute. And this
…
?
”

“
Hey,
”
I
say firmly, catching his hands in mine,
“
Just because John and Robin were
the first Hawthorne and Porter to fall for each other, doesn
’
t mean they
’
ll be the last. You know as well I
do that they
’
ll be over within the month. And
then
…”

“
So you
’
re falling for me, huh Sophie?
”
Luke asks, his voice rasping low in his register. He
’
s staring at me intently, his eyes doubled in the
bathroom mirror as the steam clears away.

“
You can
’
t seriously have any question about that,
”
I say softly.

“
Maybe not,
”
he replies, giving my hands a firm squeeze,
“
But I still wouldn
’
t
mind hearing you say it.
”

“
Fine,
”
I
say, running my thumb against his broad hand,
“
I
think
…
I
’
m
falling for you, Luke. No, I
know
I am.
”