2

3.8K 73 8
                                    


Chapter Two

Charlotte

I saw him before he saw me.

He looked like the stereotypical frat bro-tall, muscular, devilishly handsome and oozing with arrogant confidence-and when I'd first seen him from across the other side of the bar, he'd been talking to some pretty blonde girl with an agitated look on her face who'd grown increasingly upset with him before storming away. It looked like Frat Guy had just dumped her, and I rolled my eyes as he sauntered over to all his friends. He might've been handsome, but he already seemed like a bit of a douche, and I'd never been the sort of girl to involve myself with guys like that.

Then again, I also wasn't usually the sort of girl who hung out in bars alone. I'd come down here from my hotel room as my first small act of rebellion against my mother, who'd just uprooted my entire life and made me move here to this little place in Colorado, thousands of miles from my home city of Philadelphia.

All for a guy.

I'd never met her new partner or his kids myself-in fact, I didn't even know their last name because Mom had barely spoken about the whole thing to me-but they'd met on some business trip three months ago, and when she'd last seen him, he'd popped the big question. Now they were engaged, and I was pissed. I had no problem with my Mom meeting a guy and being happy-she deserved it after spending the last several years alone and miserable after my Dad died-but it would've been nice if she'd at least let me meet the guy she was marrying for five seconds before uprooting our existences and moving us practically a billion miles away.

I couldn't exactly stay in our home city, because Mom wanted me here with her; I guess so she could fulfil her fantasies of having a 'proper' family again, all living together. Besides, I couldn't afford it. I was in college on a scholarship-we weren't exactly rich-and it wasn't enough to pay for me to live out of home, only enough to pay for tuition and textbooks. So that was that. I'd been forced to pack up, leave my friends and studies behind, and move here to Fairview Ridge. Luckily I'd been able to transfer my scholarship and course over to Rocky Mountain University, where I was going to continue college, so at least I still had my studies.

But tonight wasn't about studying.

It was my first night in Fairview Ridge, and Mom and I were staying at a local hotel. We were going to meet with her new fiancé tomorrow, so I could be properly introduced to him and his two sons before we started the moving-in process, and tonight...tonight I was getting drunk.

Drink, drank, drunk.

Like I said earlier, it was the first time I'd ever done anything even remotely 'bad' or rebellious, and honestly, it felt kind of cool. I'd always been studious and serious, and up until now, I'd very rarely let myself have fun like a lot of other people my age did. It felt nice to dress up, go to a bar and relax, and even though I was alone, it was still good to let loose and have a few drinks while vaguely watching a hockey game on the corner TV.

I'd already had two glasses of wine before Frat Guy approached me-they didn't seem to card anyone at this bar, or else I'd have been forced to stick to mocktails-and I was looking for someone to play a game of pool with.

I saw him heading over, and I smiled to myself and started chalking a pool cue. The guy might've looked like a bit of a douche, but he looked like he knew how to play pool, which was good enough for now. He drew closer, and the smile slowly slid from my face as I tried to place him. I knew him from somewhere....but where? I'd never been to Colorado before, let alone Fairview Ridge. Still, he seemed very familiar-maybe I'd met him somewhere back in Philly?

TEASE ( A Stepbrother Romance ) By Caitlin DaireWhere stories live. Discover now