My Future Stepbrother

Chapter 111

I was suspended from school for two days for what happened with Brittany. Dad and Tara were pissed, until I got home and told them how she’d drugged Jayce. Tara’s whole demeanour changed and she asked why I hadn’t given the bitch a broken jaw to match. Even Dad’s aversion to violence seemed to falter slightly as a small smile held itself on his face.

I’d actually enjoyed the time off, until night-time came. I’d chill with Milo and help Tara with her Gala planning. Dad had put all of mum’s work in the upstairs of the pool house, Tara had asked how I felt about displaying some of it around the manor in the gaps where the pictures Jayce had broken used to be.

I thought it would hurt to see those pieces everyday but instead I started to feel proud. It was like walking through her own personal gallery as the images stood proudly amongst the splendour of the Manor.

Nights were a different story. I had tried to avoid sleeping in the Manor entirely. It had been two weeks, five days and fourteen hours since Jayce left and I had spent a grand total of two nights here. The first I just cried and cried, every inch of my room reminding me of Jayce until I couldn’t bare it and ended up crashing on Milos floor. He loved it, called it our unexpected sleepover.

The next time I tried I didn’t wake up in my bed again, unplanned this time. I had subconsciously made my way into Jayce’s room and woke up in his bed instead. The overwhelming scent of him coating me, for a moment when I opened my eyes I thought the whole thing might have been a terrible nightmare and I’d just turn over to see him sleeping next to me but of course that wasn’t the case.

The whole thing freaked me out so much I decided I couldn’t stay there anymore. I stayed with Brie when I could cope being in my old room but mostly... I stayed with Chad.

I had become such a regular at breakfast Elizabeth had started plating me up one ready, called me the daughter she’d never had. She loved I would let her chat endlessly about her garden and her hair appointments without huffing and puffing like the men in her house. I think it was the only reason she agreed not to tell Tara I was staying in Chads room. He’d explained to her what I’d been through and how I needed him. She was surprisingly sympathetic and I had the sense she had her own personal experiences with a broken heart.

Dad had freaked out when he found out I’d been staying there but Tara seemed to calm him, reminding him I had never given either of them a reason not to trust me. Also that in a few months I would be going to college, where he wouldn’t know where I was from one day to the next so he needed to appreciate that I was growing up. He eventually accepted his hold on me would have to loosen but I think his belief I was sealed shut in the guest room, doing bio work, helped matters.

Chad hadn’t tried to kiss me once since the day Brie moved. We would sleep, he would hold me against him as we spooned or my head lay on his chest. It was... intimate but he’d never tried to make it anything more. If it wasn’t for the way he looked at me I might have thought he’d stopped feeling that way about me but I knew it wasn’t true. He still looked at me like I was the most important person in his world, the longer Jayce was away.. the more he was becoming the most important person in mine too.

“How could you have never seen Dirty Dancing?! It’s a classic! What is it with you and your aversion to a decent chick flick?!” I shouted at Chad as he lent up against my locker after lunch.

“What are you two arguing about this time?” Brie came out of the bathroom behind us smiling, ever since what happened with Brittany in there she had become quite fond of the place.

“My apparent misgivings as a human being because I don’t spend my life watching awful clichés about men that can’t possibly exist in real life. Not one of those dudes seems to have an actual sex drive, it’s ridiculous!” Chad protested.

“Wait! Are you saying Johnny Castle doesn’t have a sex drive? Because one, that’s insane. And two, the things that man has done to me in my head are very very much in line with a ferocious sex drive. Believe me.” Bries hands run over her body before she pull me to her, running her finger down my arm just like the start of the number in the film.

I giggle and pull myself away from her. “I’m going to Notebook him tonight, guy won’t even know what hit him.” I joke.

“Excuse me? What the hell is Notebooking me? And what makes you so sure I want you in my bed again tonight? I mean at this point you’re there so much I should probably give you a drawer.”

I stopped, my heart fluttering at the thought of having a drawer in his room. It was stupid, it was probably just a comment and he didn’t even mean it that way but... that’s the type of thing you do with a girlfriend... right? I tried to shake the feeling but I knew the words would stick with me for the rest of the day.

“Don’t forget Granny’s made you a veggie lasagne. Milos coming for dinner tonight as well to see May and she’s asked if I’d invite basketballs over here too. Now her wrist is better she’s made enough food to feed an army and for some reason she actually likes him. You can Notebook him after.”

Chad smiled. “Granny’s cooking followed by a night with my favourite girl.” His arms circled around my waist and he lent his chin on my shoulder as he pulled my back into him. “Sounds perfect.”

Brie gave that look she always gave when Chad became like this with me. She’d made clear she thought we were getting too close too soon. I’d told her repeatedly that it wasn’t like that bit she seemed less than convinced.

It didn’t help that Chad always seemed to be around me, it hadn’t gone unnoticed at school either. Half the student body had assumed we were dating by how his hands always seemed to be on or near me. I didn’t care what they thought. After everything I’d been through with Jayce, it was nice to have attention that didn’t need to take place in a cleaning cupboard.

The bell called us to class and, as had become the norm, Chad took my hand as we walked over.

*****************  

“That was incredible Mrs G. I’d never tell him this but I think your lasagne may be better than my uncles. Considering he is an Italian guy with an Italian restaurant, that really is saying something.”

I laugh, knowing if Matteo heard him saying that he’d probably make him do all the dishes at the restaurant for a month.

“Thank you dear. It’s nice to feel appreciated! Maybe you could rub some of those glorious manners of yours off on my granddaughter, she hasn’t given me a compliment like that in years!”

Brie looked up from her plate of food and glared at Granny.

“I’ve tried Mrs G but she’s just so hard headed. I promise to keep attempting to be a good influence over her.” If looks could kill then Chad would have just had his body torn apart to shreds by the look Brie was giving him.

Milo seems to think the whole thing was hilarious, as does May. They laughed non stop throughout the whole meal. They’d taken to calling each other ‘little sis’ and ‘big bro’. It was so bloody adorable. I could see how much Milo loved his new role as big brother, and also how much he tried to emulate Jayce when he was around May. It was cute but it was just a reminder that he still wasn’t coming home.

I missed him. I hadn’t heard anything from him, Tara had only spoken to him twice that I know of but she said he sounded better. I tried not to think about him, it made it easier to keep going. I only let myself cry in the shower now, where the water could quickly hide the evidence. Not a day went by I didn’t have him in my mind but I refused to let the feeling last.

I’d come to terms with what had happened, that he didn’t hold full responsibility in the situation but I still couldn’t shake the nagging doubt that even if she hadn’t drugged him, he still would have done it.

I went outside to run Milo to Dad in the car while Granny bathed May. Brie’s face was a picture when Chad offered to dry the dishes after she finished washing them, like he had been abducted and replaced by a helpful alien. I don’t think it would matter how much time those two spent together, they were just never going to get on.

“Hi champ! Have fun?” Dad called to Milo through the window.

“Yeah Dad, it was awesome!” I froze, as did my father. Did Milo just call him Dad? “Granny’s food is soooo good! And she let me have the same size slice of cake as Chad! And he’s huge so his food is massive!”

Milo buckled himself into his seat and opened the window to kiss me goodbye, clearly oblivious to what he’d just said.

Dad was trying to hide it but I could see the glow that surrounded him. He loved Milo so much, I don’t think even he expected to hear those words from him though. I was happy for them, Milo was my brother. I knew it was a total contradiction because it was the entire opposite of how I felt about Jayce but it was how I felt. He’d never had a Dad really, I wanted to share mine.

I kissed Milos head through the window. “Straight to sleep when you get home mister, you’ve been running around with May like a lunatic, you need your rest.”

Dad smiled at me. “Staying out again? Must be a hell of a project..” He stated sarcastically. I’d kind of forgot to tell him the bio work was done ages ago and let him believe that’s what was keeping me so busy.

“Yeah, sorry. I’ll come back tomorrow night?” I couldn’t hide from the Manor forever and I needed to give him at least one night. I was already dreading it now I said it though.

He nodded and left, smiling still at a half asleep Milo in the back seat.

I went back into the house expecting to hear shouting or the sound of plates being thrown at Chads head. Instead there were hushed whispers being thrown from the kitchen.

I knew this house better than anyone so silently made my way to the end wall where I could hear what was happening without them knowing I was here.

“I’m just saying you need to slow it down Chad. She isn’t exactly in the best place no matter how much she’s trying to hide it.”

“Don’t you think I know that? For fucks sake Brie, you still don’t get it. I sleep in bed next to that girl almost every night and I haven’t so much as kissed her. I won’t do it, being here for her is all I want. Why do you have to assume the worst of me?”

She sighed. “Because I know you Chad, we’re more alike than I would ever dare to admit but Al... she’s just not like us. She doesn’t pick up on the subtle things she does to drive a guy crazy. Even before the whole wardrobe change she would have attention from guys and never even notice. She is fucking beautiful and funny and you feel for her in a way she can’t understand. You say you haven’t tried it with her and I’m grateful but your really going to stand there and tell me you haven’t thought about it?”

I hold my breath waiting for the answer I know is coming.

“..Fine! Of course I’ve bloody thought about it! Have you seen her? She’s probably the sexiest woman I’ve ever been in the same room with, no offense Brianna. I have spent hours watching her fucking sleep, watching her lips part as she breathes and wanting to kiss her so bad it actually starts to make me feel like I’m going insane but I haven’t. I haven’t touched her. What the fuck have I got to do to be good enough for her to you? I’m not going to hurt her Brie. I’m not him. I promised her nothing would happen until she asked me to and I promise you right now the same thing.”

Brie took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Honestly I don’t think your good enough for her. I’m not sure anyone is. The last guy I trusted with her heart fucking shattered it, I know now there was more too it than that, but it doesn’t change the hurt she went through..... just.... I need you to be careful with her Chad. Even she doesn’t realise how she truly feels about you yet. I won’t see her go through this again... she won’t survive it.”

I want to run in there and hug her, tell her how much I love her, but I can’t let them know I was standing here listening. I’d been so self involved I hadn’t taken the time to see how this had all affected her. If I’d had to watch her go through something like this I’m not sure I would have coped the way she has. It’s sometimes harder to watch someone you love in pain than it is to experience it yourself.

“I know how much you love her Brie. You two have been just the two of you for so long you’re afraid to let anyone else have her. I get it’s hard to not want to jump in as her protector like you always have but you need to see her for who she is, not who she was. She’s strong Brie and even fucking powerful. She has a hold on me like nothing I’ve ever felt before... you need to trust her to make those decisions for herself now.”

I feel a tingle in my nose, I try to control it but this damn hay-fever refuses to subside and I sneeze.

I run to the front door quickly and hold the handle like I’ve just walked back in from outside.

Brie and Chads heads pop out into the hall.

“You good bitch?” Brie asks stepping out towards me.

I smile. “Yeah, perfect. Milos gone, Do you need anymore help?” I ask, trying to avoid eye contact with Chad after hearing him talk to sweetly about me.

Brie shakes her head. “We’re finished now, you crashing here or still have plans to make this one cry?” She asks pointing her thumb towards the mountain of abs behind her.

He scoffs. “I do not cry at films.. ever.”

I smirk. “We’ll see.”

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