Stepbrothers (Paused!!) (Editting!!!!)

Chapter 26

Colleen

I make my way through the fresh evening of the day. Eli is waiting for me at his place. We are supposed to study and then watch a movie which is better than sticking around the silent boring home I'm living in. Maybe I shouldn't return home today. My mom and Mr. Rivers have been a little distant. He's always at work and my mom gets bored of doing wifely duties while stuck at home. It's one of the reasons she's Always grumpy.

I hear close footsteps tapping the sidewalk. "Angel!" The name makes my tummy ache. I turn back and see Noel clinging on his shoulder. Then I turn back and fasten my paste. A knot forms in my throat choking me. Tears run down my cheeks and on to the floor. I wipe them away with the sleeves of my gray sweater. He moved on and I should be doing the same aswell.

Eli opens the door and smiles warmly. Half of his face is all kinds of shades from red to purple. "Are you okay? What happened?" I bring my hand to his face. "I'm okay." He takes my hand and kisses it. My heart flutters but then falls as I remember the sight of Angel with Noelle. Were is Travis? I heard he left. I sit on Eli's bed, "Were is your dad?" I question. "Out drinking." Eli answers and turns on the TV in his room. "What movie do you wanna watch?" I shrug and turn my eyes to the window there's a picture on it too. Its getting dark, but I've lost interest in what my mom might think or do next. Maybe she will give up and leave with me. "I hope you like this one. Its called The Butterfly Effect. Have you watched it?"

"Huh? Oh, no but I've heard of it." He flops on the bed right next to me and stares. I feel the warm blush bloom in my cheeks. We should be studying, but what does it matter now?

"When I first saw you I asked myself, how could anyone be as pretty as her?" He leans closer to me, "I asked myself if I've ever seen anyone as mysterious as you." He chuckles "that's a new one." His eyes appear lost in mine and they slowly close as his lips touch mine gently. The door bell rings fiercely and we both jump up. "Wait here." He orders. I take the picture resting on the window and stare at it. Its Eli with his mom and dad. He must of been around 4 in that picture. He's wearing a yellow shirt and the sweetest smile. His mom is the spitting image of him and his dad... I almost drop the picture as I realize something very important. Eli's dad looks so much like someone I know. I put the picture back were it belongs and hurry downstairs. Angel pushes Eli out of the way and towers over me. I look up at his jaded eyes staring down at me. "Your mom sent me here to take you home." I look down and bite my tongue. "Angel. Your Colleen's brother right?" Eli asks smiling. Something about his smile seemed to have a different meaning. A mocking smile. The bruises on his face also make him look more bad than good. "No. I only live in his house." I answer. A lump forming in my throat. "Ah." Eli folds his arms maintaining his smile.

"Tell my mom I'm not going back home." I tell Angel without making any eye contact. "... What? You can't stay here, at least rent a motel for all I care." I look back at him. "I don't have any money." I tell him. He pases around for a bit, "Here I'll help you with one night at least." He hands me 40 dollars he fished out of his pocket. I push his hand away, "thats your food money isn't it?" He stays silent. "Please don't stay here." He mutters. I turn back at Eli who's smile faded. "You should go home." Eli spoke. Without protesting I nod.

I'll probably just camp outside of the house. We walk out of his house silently and when we are far enough Angel speaks, "Your mom didn't ask me to get you." My heart flutters with the thought of him making all of this up just to be with me. "Were are you taking me?" He stays silent so I ask no more. The thought of seeing Angel and Noel crosses mind. "I should get home now." I walk away, but he takes my hand, "Please. I don't want you to leave me."

***

"This is it. Were I'm staying at." He opens the doors to the basement. "You don't live inside the house?" I ask. "My aunt and I don't get along."

I walk down the steps carefully in the darkness. Angel turns on the lights and connects the Christmas lights too. "You have a thing for Christmas lights don't you?" I chuckle. He nods "I found them in here so I put them up. It makes me feel like I'm in my room again." I nod comprehensive.

"My mom died on Christmas." He says suddenly. I can see him picturing the day and events that happened before she was gone. "She said she'd go buy us icecream and then she never came back. This is one reason why we all hate Christmas, but for some reason it makes me feel closer to her" He glances at the lights. I look down at the matress on the floor and a sweater. I recognize it from school. It belongs to Noelle. "You and Noelle back together?" I manage to ask clearly. I'm full with regret for I don't want to know. But why am I doing this if I should be moving on?

"No. She just needs a place to stay." He says with a bit of a smile. "Friends with benefits?" I can't believe my words. I'm jealous. I'm speaking without even considering what I'm saying because I'm so jealous. "No I'm actually keeping myself." I look up at him embarrassed. "I'm sorry I- I don't know what has gotten into me lately-" He lifts my face to meet his eyes, "Noelle is just a troubled friend thats all. It's okay, I too have been feeling very jealous."

I close my eyes and give myself in. Angel kisses me softly and pulls away to look at me once more. His hand touches my face and I kiss it. He kisses me again once more. I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body closer to his. His hands run down my body and pick me up. He presses me against the wall and plants kisses on my jaw all the way to my neck. I squeeze his curls of hair in my hands and bring him back to my lips. I've never felt like this before. All of my problems vanish right before me and all there's left is two broken hearts experiencing something new for the first time.

"I love you." I say breathlessly. He stops what he's doing and looks at me. His silence scares me for a moment. It makes me feel like running away. "I love you too."

***

"Angel!" I hear knocking and stomping. "What time is it?" I groan rubbing my eyes. I slip on my pants and shirt. Angel is snoring right besides me. I unlock the doors and push one up. Noelle barges in and stares at me, "Oh, Colleen it's you. Hi." She smiles weakly and walks down the steps. Angel sits up, the blanket slides off revealing he's shirtless. "Oh hey Noelle." He rubs his eye and takes his shirt from the floor. "So I see you guys were busy." She winks at me. I blush tremendously. I've never been known for the girl who has been "busy"

"Well I just came back for my sweater and to tell you I'm staying at Katie's. Thanks for helping me." She hugs Angel and puts her sweater on making her way out. As soon as she leaves I realize something very important. Angel puts a hand on my shoulder and kisses my head. "I need to go to the bathroom." My voice is shaky. "Are you okay?" He asks worried. I nod not making eye contact with him.

"Did we do something we will regret?" Tears form in my eyes. Everything that I hadn't thought about flow to my head. Events too.

"I want to.." I whisper breathless. Looking at him right in the eyes. His eyes seem lost, but he quickly moves my hand away, "I'm sorry. It was my fault, I started it." He brings his hands back up and gives me a kiss on the forehead. I get off of him and look down at my hands feeling terrible. How could I ever think... Rrrrr I'm so stupid. "We should go." I slide off. "Wait Colleen, please." He opens my door, "I love you, and I'm dying to have you all to myself and do everything with you, but I don't wanna hurt you, and what if we end up actually being step siblings?
"I know I know, I'm hurting to." -(From chapter 21)

Angel stays silent for the longest time. "come with me. Let's run away as far as possible and never look back." He says desperately. "You know I want to do that." I tell him. "But we can't leave just like that." I think about everyone I'm leaving behind. My mom, Luke, Mark, Katie, my friends, Eli...

I remember the picture of Eli's dad when he was younger. "Angel. Is Eli's dad your dad?"