More Than A Stepbrother → The Rewrite

Prologue

Prologue

~ Vanessa ~

"Got everything?" Dad smiles, as I am dragging my very heavy pink and white polka dot case down the stairs. I respond with a nod and he takes it off me, hoisting it into the boot of the taxi. Whilst Dad is climbing into the front seat, I take one last glance at the home I have been born and raised in before locking the door for the last time.

I turn and hop in the back of the vehicle and it drives us to our new home. "Promise you'll be nice?" Dad fusses, handing me my case. "Dad, honestly what am I to you? Some kind of embarrassment? I'm just going to be myself, that's all I can do."

"No of course you're not darling, you'd never be an embarrassment to me. You're my daughter! I'm sorry, this is just a new thing for us. I want you to be just as happy as I am" He explains looking down at the pavement.

"Dad," I sigh placing my hand on his arm. "You are in love, and the way you talk about Karen and her family, they sound amazing. I'm happy if you're happy, that's all I want" I smile reassuringly. "Thank you, love" He places his large hand on top of mine before turning and grabbing his own bags. He pays the taxi before it leaves down the street and we both approach the front door.

I shuffle behind my Dad's tall figure as he presses the doorbell. The door flings open and a woman around his age wraps her arms around him tightly. She has blonde bobbed hair, ending just below her chin, a rather good figure for her age and dark piercing green eyes.

"I'm so glad you're finally here" She mumbles into his shoulder before pulling away and looking behind him at me. "And you must be Vanessa. Its a pleasure to meet you, I'm Karen" She holds a hand out which I shake with a polite smile, "Nice to meet you."

"Come on inside, its pretty chilly out here. Nathan and Jess are in the front room, go and say hello" Karen grins stepping a side and I follow behind my Dad into the house. As the door shuts, my body feels warmer than before. Thank god, I mean, I'm pretty sure I was gonna freeze out there.

The house smells of fresh pancakes and caffeine. My two favourite things, pancakes and tea. Perfect, maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all.

"Vanessa!" Dad's voice calls and I turn and follow it down the hallway as I see him standing in the doorway of what looks like the living room.

"Vanessa, meet Nathan and Jess. Guys, this is my daughter, Vanessa" He introduces, pushing me forward lightly and I force an awkward smile. There, sitting on the sofa's, is a girl with long blonde hair and pale smooth skin and a guy around my age with quiffed brown hair, his skin a little more tanned than her's and Karen's and his eyes are a lot brighter, and green, full of wonder and curiosity.

The girl, being Jess, is the first to stand up and embrace me into a nice welcoming hug. "Good to finally meet you" She grins before sitting back down and the guy, being Nathan, steps forward. "Yeah. Nice to meet you, Phil hasn't stopped talking about you" He chuckles pulling me into his hard but rather warm chest. His hug lasts longer than his sister's. And his arms give you this feeling of safety and protection.

In the pit of my stomach, I feel overwhelmed but sad that he has pulled away. He leaves the room as his phone starts ringing. I chew my lip nervously, plopping myself down next to Jess. "So how old are you, Vanessa?" She asks with a curious smile. Flashing her perfectly straight white set of teeth.

"Eighteen" I smile in exchange, tapping my fingers on my leg. "Just a year younger than Nathan. He's nineteen and I'm sixteen" She states and I nod. I look up when Nathan re enters the room, stuffing his phone into his back pocket. "Need a hand with your case? I can show you where your new room is?"

"That would be a big help. Thank you" I smile gratefully, standing up and watching him as he lifts my suitcase, and I follow him upstairs. He turns a corner sharply making me almost walk into a wall, or maybe it was a door? Who knows.

"You're next door to me," He says, opening a tall white door and allowing me to step inside. The room is quite spacious and very clean. But not to big, Dad must of told Karen I preferred cosy rooms. A large double bed with floral bedding sits against the wall, and an extra large wardrobe is against the other side of the room, with mirrored doors. Which makes me notice Nathan staring at my butt from behind. He doesn't realize there are mirrors there.

My cheeks fill with heat and I quickly walk over to the bed, unzipping my case and beginning to unpack my belongings. Hanging them up, folding them and standing a few ornaments around the room to make it feel a bit more like home.

"Want a cuppa or anything? Tea or coffee? Or we have juice, it's up to you" Nathan's voice calls from behind, causing me to jump. He's still in the room, damn!

"Er, a tea would be nice. Milky with two sugars" I reply, shoving my case under the bed and standing up, brushing my jeans down. "I'll be back then" He says before he has left the room. I suck in a breath, this is gonna take some getting used to. It's been so long since my Dad has been with a woman, in a committed relationship, since my mum. And now I have a step mum, a step sister and a step brother. A whole new family! Right before my finger tips.

Things are going well so far. I just hope things stay this way.