Rockstar Bay Academy: A Stepbrother Romance

Chapter 27: Freak Out

Photo by Carla Martinesi on Unsplash

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Lilah

Someone has read my song journal. I never leave it open. Never. When I left my room thirty minutes ago, it was shut and at the bottom of a pile of textbooks on my desk. Now it's on top of the textbooks, and it's opened to my latest entry - the song I wrote about Asher.

I know the song is the best thing I've written to date. I'm also aware that I will be sharing it with everyone at school if I use it to audition for a solo in the showcase, but I wasn't counting on feeling so exposed before then. Nor was I prepared for the fact one of my family members – most likely one of my stepbrothers – felt justified walking into my room and reading my diary.

Okay, it's a song journal, but it's like a diary.

"Lilah are you ready, we need to leave."

I startle at the sound of my mother's voice. Standing in my doorway of my room, my mother is positively glowing in a low cut, slinky black dress. It's her birthday and the entire family is going out to celebrate. I'm looking forward to dinner as much as a kick in the face because Ainsley and Maddie have been invited to join us for the evening.

Oh my God, did one of them read it? The two of them have been here for the past hour, and...

"Lilah?" Mum moves towards me, worry creasing her forehead. "What's wrong?"

"Is everything okay in here?" Jesse walks in just as I start breathing faster, a high-pitched ringing distorting my hearing.

"Lilah! Something's wrong with her, Jess!" Mum's voice is full of panic, but I can't even speak to reassure her. And her voice sounds like I'm underwater. Drowning.

"...panic attack," someone's muffled voice breaks through.

My sight is blurring, and I'm suddenly too hot in the long sleeve dress I'm wearing, sweat beading along my forehead. If I don't sit down soon, I'm going to fall on my face. Before anyone can yell timber, strong, gentle hands hold onto me, guiding me to sit on my bed and tuck my head between my knees.

After a few minutes in the position, trying not to lose consciousness, my hearing returns, and my heart rate begins to return to normal. My vision is still a bit fuzzy, but I can see Jesse crouched in front of me. Mum stands beside him, her face pale, her eyes wide as she watches me. When I look to the doorway, I see Ethan and Ainsley are also watching. While Ethan's face is strangely blank, Ainsley wears an enormous smirk.

My stomach twists, bile creeping up my throat. It has to have been her, right? Did she show it to Maddie? Were both girls in my room, reading my personal thoughts? Do both of them know how I feel about Asher?

"Lilah?" Jesse remains crouched in front of me, concern causing him to frown. "How are you feeling?"

I force a weak smile. "Better. Sorry."

Mum worries her bottom lip. "Maybe we should stay home, order in."

"No," I protest. "I just need a minute."

My voice comes out sounding weak, hardly surprising since I'm still so shaky, but my mum has been looking forward to this evening all week, and I will not let Ainsley ruin it for her. So what if Ainsley read my diary? Writing a song is far from illegal.

Okay, so, it's a song about the stepbrother that I absolutely can't and shouldn't want, and if anyone believes the lyrics are based on fact, it could cause problems.

Who am I kidding? Sharing it is going to cause all kinds of tension in my home.

And between the two brothers.