Good Stepbrother (Love #2) (4 page)

“Fuck you!” he yelled and I grinned.

“You’d love to. But sadly, you’ll never get to.” I waved him away, pretending the game was no longer fun for me. “You can go.”

He tore upstairs, and I soon followed. I wasn’t done with him yet. This was hilarious. I lolled against his door jamb, sucking on an orange lollipop I’d found in the kitchen and he soon came out of the bathroom, glaring at me in annoyance.

“Wow, nice room,” I giggled.

“Get out of my room.”

“Isn’t this where you want me?” I pouted, then walked further in and draped myself across his bed. “I hear you at night, you know. Do you always think about me when you...?” I paused as he didn’t answer and giggled. “You do, don’t you. Oh, poor Carter. A nice boy like you shouldn’t want a bad girl like me. I am a bad girl, you know. I could show you things that would blow your little...mind.”

“Get out.” he huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Carter, you need to get over me. I’ll never want you. Ever. In a million years. You’re a geek. I prefer older, more sophisticated men.” I crossed my legs and reclined on his bed.

“Right, like your charming boyfriend who did God knows what to you against a wall.”

Ouch, kitten has claws
. “It was fun. But we’re over.”

“Whatever. Get out.” He was obviously over my bullshit games.

“I’m going to be someone, someday, Carter, and you better be nice to me,” I whispered.

“You’re never nice to me!”

I pouted slightly then smiled. “I know. But you still love me. Don’t you?”

“You’re a bitch,” he growled.

“I am. But I’m beautiful and sexy. You have loved me for years. It’s kinda cute how you actually think something will happen. If only you were older, and someone else…” I sighed, sat up and shrugged. “But you’re not. You’re Carter Travis. I’m Brielle Harper, and I’m totally out of your league.”

“Just leave me alone,” he snapped.

“I can’t. That would ruin all of my fun.” I hopped off his bed and darted toward him. Gripping his hips, I pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the side of his neck and darted out of his room before I did anything else.

He left the house minutes later, the door slamming in his wake. I showered and curled up on my bed.
Shit. I can’t control myself
. Any attention was better than none at all.

***

I floated through most of my ninth grade year in a haze. Part of the haze was the constant supply of E that I scored from my new buddy Peter. My mother was marrying Carter’s dad, it would happen by summer, and I just didn’t want to think about it. So I didn’t.

“Bri, should you be taking them all the time?” Britney worried as I popped another pill to get me through the rest of the day.

“Shut up,” I snapped back, swallowing it down with a handful of water from the bathroom sink. “I’m fine, I can quit anytime I want to.” I fluffed my hair and applied my favorite bubblegum scented lip gloss.

“I’m worried about you,” she started again, touching my arm.

I shrugged her off. “Don’t worry about me, I’m just fine.” I smiled brightly. “See?”

“I see,” she said softly, shaking her head. “As long as you’re sure.”

I straightened my skirt and blew the mirror a kiss as I gathered my things to go to class. “I’m positive, babe.”

Whispers circled through the lunch room later that Carter Travis and Gabby Denver were going on a date later that night. It bothered me, and I wasn’t sure why. I should’ve been happy that he had found a girl like him to date. But it burned me up inside. I wanted to be his one and only but not at the same time.

“Find out what you can about this date,” I hissed to Jennifer, who pulled out her cell phone and went to work trying to dig up details. I took a bite of my licorice and chewed slowly as I watched him. I would just ruin his date…

“They’re having pizza tonight, apparently,” she whispered, showing me texts from girls in our class.

I pursed my lips. “Oh, really?”

“What are you gonna do?” Britney squealed in excitement.

“I’m gonna take him down a peg or two.”

They giggled and I focused in on my target. If Carter Travis thought he could move on from me, he was crazy.

Later that night, he showed up from the garage, where he’d been working for months now. I had to admit, he’d bulked up some over the summer and he didn’t look half bad in a tank top and low slung greasy pants. His hair was getting shaggy again and I wanted to mess it up. A knock came at the door not long after he walked in and he opened it. His best friend Kirby, this large, oversized leprechaun, stood on the step.

“What are you doing here?” he asked him, taking a long drink from his water bottle.

“Uh, hello, we have a date tonight,” Kirby sighed.

I snickered, “Going gay?” as I walked past him down the hallway.

“Buzz off, Barbie,” Kirby snapped. I flipped him off and he yelled, “You wish!” He turned to Carter. “You look like a grease monkey.”

“I am a grease monkey.” Carter laughed.

“Go get a shower. We are supposed to meet them at the pizza parlor in twenty minutes! It’ll take us fifteen to walk there.”

“Don’t worry,” Charlie interjected, “I’ll drive you boys. I’m glad you have a date, Carter.”

“Okay, let me get a shower.” He ran upstairs and I could hear the shower running while I stewed on the couch. It burned me up that he was going out with her. She was a nobody, and she freaking chewed the ends of her braids! Gross. What a loser! I decided then and there I would ruin the date. He came back downstairs a few minutes later and my mouth went dry. He looked…hot.

“Do I look okay?” he asked Kirby.

“You look like a loser,” I quipped, and Carter narrowed his eyes.

“Takes one to know one.”

“Ouch, you do bite,” I smirked, gripping my chest like he’d wounded me. I ran upstairs as fast as I could go, pulling my phone out of my pants as I ran. I dialed Peter’s number. “Hey Peter, baby, feel like giving me a ride into town?”

He happily agreed. After all, I was amazing and he knew it. I hurried to put on makeup and pull on my sexiest dress. It was one I’d stolen from a trendy store in the mall. I bunched it up so it looked like a shirt and pulled on jeans. They would be removed later. Jamming my heels into my bag, I pulled on my sneakers and made sure my makeup was right.

Running downstairs, I yelled, “Going out!” I didn’t wait for anyone to answer as I let myself out the door and darted down the driveway. Peter waited for me at the foot of the drive in his shitty old car. I jumped into the passenger seat and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, babe.” We weren’t dating, more like friends with benefits. He got a little bit, I got free rides everywhere and my favorite little white tablets.

“Where to, sweetheart?” he asked, putting the car into drive.

“The pizza parlor downtown,” I told him as I peeled my jeans down my legs and stuffed them in my bag.

He whistled softly. “Damn, you’re hot.”

“I know,” I laughed, slipping on my shoes. “This won’t take me long, then we can go wherever you want.”

“Sounds good, babe, I’ll wait out here for you.” He pulled into the parking lot and I could already see Carter and his friends at a booth. I opened the door of the car, climbed out, and adjusted my body in my dress. Strolling across the parking lot, I opened the front door of the parlor and smiled at the little bells jingling to make my appearance known. Different couples in booths fell silent as I sashayed toward my victim. They all watched me. I loved every second of it.

He looked up and his eyes went huge. Kirby turned and looked at me too. I slid up to their booth and murmured, “Hey there, baby brother.” I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“What are you doing here, Brielle?” he growled as I withdrew.

“Just stopping by to say hello. Hello.” I waved at everyone at the table.

“Hello,” Kirby said coldly. “Now leave.”

“Ooh, are you that nasty to your girlfriend?” I pouted. “Carter, are you here on a date with your little girlfriend?” Leaning across him, I held out her hand to Gabby.

“She’s not my girlfriend. Yet.” He paused, pushing me back. “This is Gabby.”

“Hi, Brielle,” Gabby smiled tightly. “We have geometry together.”

“That’s right!” I grinned. “You’re the girl who chews her braids. Wow, Carter, you aimed high, didn’t you?”

“Excuse me?” Mindy squealed, shooting up from her seat. Kirby grabbed her arm.

“That’s uncalled for, Brielle.” Carter groaned.

“What? I’m just shocked you got a girl to go out with you. I mean, you do know he’s in love with me, right, honey? And if you give him your cherry, he’ll be thinking about me the whole time,” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and smiled again.

He jumped up from the booth. “Excuse us.” He grabbed my elbow and jerked me out of the parlor. We ended up in the alleyway behind the restaurant. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?” he yelled at me.

“Ooh, I like this side of you. You pissed off is moderately hot. Are you going to hit me?”

“Why would I hit you?” his face fell.

“And just like that, you’re no longer appealing,” I sighed and leaned up against the slimy brick wall.

“Why are you ruining my date?” He ran his hand through his hair and then jammed both hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“Because I can.” I shrugged. That should’ve been obvious.

“I don’t want you. I want to go on my date with Gabby, a girl who might actually want to get to know me and might actually care.”

Ouch.
The words hurt even though I knew he didn’t mean them at all. “You’re such a liar,” I whispered, pushing away from the wall.

“I’m not a liar,” he insisted. “I don’t want you.”

“You protest too much,” I murmured, rubbing my breasts against his chest. He kept his hands in his pockets like a good boy.

“Leave me alone,” he begged me.

“She’ll never make you hot like I do,” I whispered.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Because I don’t want anyone else to have you just in case I decide I want you later on.” I twined my arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes. “I just might.”

“Who says I’ll be waiting on you?” he sneered.

Smiling slowly, I whispered, “You will be.” My fingers trailed against his thigh and I chuckled, “You will be.”

Kirby found us that way a few seconds later. “God dammit, Carter!” he growled, pulling us apart. I almost fell as he pushed me back. “What the hell’s wrong with you?” he yelled at Carter, and I assume at me too.

He shook his head slowly, “I don’t know.”

“You, Satan temptress, go the hell home. Leave Carter alone. Let him be happy. For Christ’s sakes!” Kirby screamed at me. Shrugging, I knew I’d done what I’d come for. I turned to leave. I had to pay my debt for a ride to the parlor. Glancing over my shoulder, I smiled at him one last time. “Think about what I said. You know it’s true.”

Ambling out of the alleyway, I walked to Peter’s car and opened the door, sliding into the seat. “Let’s get out of here,” I sighed.

“Where you wanna go, babe?” he asked, his hand sliding up and down my thigh.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I whispered, “Wherever you want to go.”

Chapter Five

I didn’t succeed in breaking up Carter and Gabby. But I would. I just had to figure out the best way to go about it. My opportunity came when he bought the window licker a bracelet for Christmas. It infuriated me that he bought her something and not me. So I decided to show him exactly how I felt about it. After he went to the garage, I went to the store and purchased the same bracelet down to the charms he’d picked for her.

The next morning as I readied for school, I slipped the tacky bracelet into my pocket. If he gave her the present, I’d be ready. I stewed the whole morning, through all of my classes. They only had one class together, history, and I was in there too, so if he decided to give it to her, I’d interrupt them.

He didn’t give her the gift until lunchtime. I pulled the bracelet out of my pocket and handed it to Britney. “Put this on me,” I whispered.

“Ooh, cute!” she giggled, latching the metal around my delicate wrist. “Where’d you get it?”

“Bought it,” I said abruptly. “Now watch a master at work…”

“What are you doing?” Jennifer hissed as I stood slowly from the table.

“Watch and learn how to break up a relationship, ladies…” I giggled and stalked across the cafeteria.

“It’s perfect!” Gabby gasped, turning to her little friend and cooing over her present. I leaned over the table.

“Ooh, let me see!” I murmured, grabbing Gabby’s wrist and pulling it up to my gaze. “Wow, Carter, double gifting? Tsk tsk!”

“What?” Gabby asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“What are you talking about?” Carter growled.

I released Gabby’s wrist and jangled the bracelet around my own. “Carter, that’s soooo original. A charm bracelet with a book and a heart. Just like mine. Isn’t my brother like, the sweetest?”

Kirby looked at Carter open-mouthed. “You didn’t!”

“I didn’t! She went in my coat!”

“Come on, Carter, why do you paint me with such a nasty brush?” I stuck my bottom lip out then grinned. “That’s not what you tell me when we’re alone…”

Gabby jumped up from the table and darted through the cafeteria, her sobs loud in the silence. “Dammit, Brielle!” he yelled. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Me? You got me a present. You got her the same one.” I blinked innocently.

Mindy jumped up from the table. “You’re a bastard,” she hissed at Carter before running after her friend.

Kirby shook his head as he left the table too. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

“I didn’t!” he insisted. “I didn’t buy her that bracelet.”

I plopped down across from him and examined the bracelet on my wrist. “It’s so pretty.”

“Why did you do this?” he asked me weakly.

“I told you. I might want you one day. I can’t have you thinking about plowing that little window licker. God forbid you impregnate her.” I tossed my hair and smiled sweetly. “Are you mad?”

“Hell yes, I’m mad! You’re a psycho!” he growled, slapping his hand on the table.

My smile faltered. “Maybe. But no one will believe that you didn’t buy this for me. Try me. I’ll tell them how you rubbed oil on my ass and how you jerk off thinking about me every night. You don’t want to cross me.”

He recoiled like I slapped him. “I can’t believe you.”

“Well, believe it. I get what I want. When and if I want it.” I blew him a kiss and hopped up from the table. “See you later, baby brother!” I hurried across the cafeteria and sat down with my girlfriends who hooted with laughter. “Take this off me. It’s done.”

I watched Carter’s status in school burn to the ground. It was all over the school that he had the hots for me. I sort of hated hurting him, but he’d hurt me by being with that nose picker. All’s fair in love and war, you know.

Peter and I continued on being hot and heavy, on and off, whenever I wanted or needed more E to get through life. I wasn’t exactly addicted, per se, but I liked to forget sometimes…okay most of the time. It made everything just disappear for a little while. It made me feel normal. I was so far from normal it was ridiculous.

Winter ebbed and flowed around us. I spent time staring out the window at the snow swirling through the skies. Wrapping my arms around my knees, I thought about life, my least favorite thing to think about. It was almost Valentine’s Day and I was miserable. I didn’t really like Peter. I just liked what he offered me. Carter was just as miserable as I was; I could hear his emo music through the wall we shared. I needed to liven things up a little.

Standing from my chair, I peeled off my clothes and picked out a sexy little nightie I had hidden in the bottom of my underwear drawer. It was see-through and would drive Carter insane. That was the plan, after all.

I opened my door and tiptoed to his. Knocking softly, I called, “Carter?”

“What?” he growled.

“Can I come in?”

“Sure. Door’s unlocked.” He sighed heavily and I almost felt bad for what I was about to do…almost.

I ducked into his room and closed the door, leaning against it. “I need you,” I panted, and he jerked upright on his bed.

“What?” His eyes flew wide and he swallowed.

Narrowing my eyes, I toyed with the bow of my robe. “I need your opinion, Carter…is this sexy? I need to know for my boyfriend.” Peeling open the robe, I posed and watched his face.

The desire I saw there nearly drove me insane. He wanted me, still.

Blinking rapidly, he whispered, “Why are you doing this to me?”

“Is it sexy?” I asked, needing some sort of validation from him.

“Of course it is. You know that. Why are you here?” Suddenly, he pushed himself off the bed and stormed across the room, pressing me against the door. “Why are you tormenting me?” he demanded, his voice low and hoarse. “You’ve taken everything from me. You’re driving me insane.”

Oh Carter…I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I am the way I am, or why I keep hurting you. I want you but I can’t have you. I just can’t.
Staring up at him I whispered sweetly, “I trust you not to take advantage of me.”

He growled low in his throat. “You came in my room naked, and you want to talk about taking advantage? You’re taking advantage of me.”

I shrugged. “I could scream. Who will they believe? You or me?”

He backed away from me and rubbed his forehead. “Please stop doing this to me, Brielle. Please,” he begged. “You don’t want me.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” I whispered.
Oh, but I do. Desperately. I want to be the girl you so desperately need me to be. But I’m not. I never will be, and for that? I’m sorry.

“Stop. I can’t take this anymore. This shit isn’t funny. I’ve got half a mind to go to my dad and tell him what you’re doing.”

That pissed me off. “He won’t believe you. Because you see, I’ve already told them that you’re infatuated with me and I’m worried that you think we’ll be a couple.”

“You did what?” he gasped.

“Yeah, I have to protect myself. They think you’re a sick, damaged little boy who is obsessed with me. Which, in a way you are.” I giggled hoarsely and bent to pull on my robe.

“What perverted pleasure are you getting out of this? Why would you hurt me this way? All I ever did was love you and take care of you.”

His words wounded me as though he’d stabbed me in the heart. I blinked back tears and murmured, “See, that’s the problem, right there, Carter. You’re so damn good. You think everyone else is, too.” Darting out of his room, I ran back to mine and closed my door before I threw myself across the bed and stifled my sobs in my pillow.

As much as I wanted him and wanted to be what he needed, I knew I never could be. But I couldn’t stop being a selfish, crazy bitch. No, I wanted him too much.

Winter thawed into spring and life continued on. Ninth grade wasn’t really my favorite, I hated being at the bottom of the food chain again. I was inherently popular, of course, but the senior populars were the big ones. I was a small fish in a big pond and I was constantly trying to impress them. I was the height of fashion, stealing clothes my mother couldn’t afford to buy me. I never got caught. It was easy enough, I had Britney and Jennifer distract the cashier and I scoped out the store for security cameras. There was always one spot in the store that no one could see and that’s where I’d stuff my backpack full of clothes. Then I’d pass it off to one of the sweet, good little twins and they’d sashay out of the store. I’d follow a few minutes later after buying some token trinket, like nail polish. I had hundreds of bottles of cheap nail polish. I might’ve spent eighty bucks on that total. I had thousands of dollars in clothes.

“Hey, you,” one of the seniors called me over to their table in the middle of April. She was Leslie Brownlow, and she was gorgeous. I aspired to be her. Platinum blonde hair, big blue eyes, huge boobs, and skinny.

“Yeah?” I breathed, trying to play off that I was cool and collected.

“You should think about joining the squad next year. I’m gonna be out of here and we need some fresh blood. What do you say?”

Sweat broke out under my pits. No one ever got asked to join the squad. They had a list a mile long of rejects who wanted to shake their asses and pom poms at football games. They were asking me. Tossing my hair over my shoulder, I pursed my lips. “I’ll think about it.”

Leslie nodded and grinned widely. “I like you, Bri Harper. You’re gonna sit with us for lunch from now on.”

I almost fainted as I sat on the bench. For the rest of the year, I was privy to the most amazing conversations about boys, blowjobs, and hair. I felt a little bad that Britney and Jennifer weren’t asked to join us, but hey, they weren’t the Queen Bee of the ninth grade. I was. They were just my peons. They begged me to tell them what went on at the cheerleaders’ table.

“Come on!” Britney pleaded. “Tell me! Are they just…awesome?” She clenched her chest and sighed.

“I’m so jealous,” Jennifer pouted and as I speared her with a look, she brightened slightly. “But totally excited for you…”

“If you girls play your cards right, you’ll be cheerleaders too. Of course, not in the tenth grade, but by the eleventh, for sure. By then I’ll be the team captain,” I reassured them. Truthfully, I doubted they’d ever get on the squad, but that appeased them for a while.

“Your birthday is coming up soon,” Britney reminded me.

“I know! Sweet sixteen. I want a car. I’m trying to get my father to buy me one, but he’s being a total douche,” I sighed. “Mom says she’ll see what they can do. I want a party. A big party. But they’re getting married so they’re focused on that. Ugh. I’m only sixteen once!”

Britney nodded sympathetically. “My parents wanted to get a clown for my sweet sixteen. I was like, ‘Do you want me to be a social pariah?’”