Stepbrother

33: Fiona

I rub my eyes and take a sip of my soda, hoping that the caffeinated beverage would wake me up a little. I stayed awake the whole night and ended up falling asleep at eight in the morning. I couldn't stop thinking about what Jordan had said, and I'm not sure if I believe it or not. Love? I'm only sixteen. Aren't I too young for that?

Now, I'm sitting in a restaurant and eating dinner with Darren, my mom, and Jordan. I had woken up at four o'clock due to mom calling my phone. She had told me that we were going to have dinner tonight and that I should wear something nice. I'm glad she had told me that, because it gave me an excuse to go out and do some shopping. It helped clear my mind about Jordan and distracted me with my life, even if it was only for a couple hours.

I had gotten to the restaurant on my own and a few minutes later Jordan had arrived too. The both of us were sitting awkwardly in the waiting area before my mom and Darren had entered the restaurant ten or so minutes later. Darren had reserved a table for us, but what I found to be odd was that the table Darren reserved was a table for five. There are four of us.

"So," Darren says, breaking the silence, "have you guys seen the news reports about the kidnappings here in the San Diego area?"

Jordan nods his head. "There are twelve girls missing so far," he says. He's been sitting beside me the whole time, but he's been avoiding eye contact with me.

"Yes," my mom confirms. "You need to be careful, Maya," she says, looking at me with a serious expression. "Be aware of your surroundings."

"I hope they arrest the kidnapper," Darren adds. "I also hope those girls are okay. This has been going on for a couple months now."

The server comes with the salad we had ordered for an appetizer. I put some of the salad on my small plate, but my gaze shifts towards the empty fifth seat at our dinner table. I point my fork at the empty chair and look at my mom, who is sitting directly across from me.

"Is someone joining us?" I ask.

My mom and Darren share a look. "Yes, actually," she answers.

"I'm sorry for being late," the voice of a woman says, and Jordan and I turn our heads to see a slender figure walking behind us. It's Fiona. "Traffic here in San Diego is ridiculous." She takes a seat in the empty chair, right next to Darren.

Jordan slams his fork onto the table. I jump a little, startled by his reaction. People around us glance our table, seeming to also be startled by him. "What's she doing here?" Jordan says through gritted teeth, his eyes directed at Darren.

"I'm invited to the wedding," Fiona says in a quiet voice.

"I didn't ask you," Jordan snaps. He harshly pushes his chair back and takes the napkin off his lap. He throws it onto the table and sends his dad a dark glare before walking away from our table.

"Jordan—" I start, put I stop myself. I look at my mom, giving her a pleading look.

"You can go after him," Darren tells me.

I get up from my seat and run after Jordan. He was already walking through the restaurant's front doors when I caught up to him. My hand wraps around his wrist to stop him.

"Let go," he says without turning to face me. "I hate her."

"I know you do," I reply, "but you need to calm down."

When I say that, Jordan spins around, grabbing me by my shoulders and pushing me against the restaurant's outer wall. My eyes grow wide from the aftershock of it, and my back is pressed against the jagged brick wall.  "Calm down?" Jordan repeats. My heart rate starts to speed up, and I could feel how hot Jordan's hands are. "How can I calm down when you keep rejecting me?"

"What?" I ask, confused by his words. Rejecting him?

"Tell me, Maya," Jordan says, pulling himself closer to me, "do you have feelings for me?" His face grows closer to mine, and our foreheads almost touch. His hot hands reach up to hold my face, and I could see the droplets of sweat dripping down his face.

"I, uh..." I trail off. How do I respond?

"Do you love me? Or do you see me as brother?" Jordan whispers in my ear. "You have to..." He doesn't finish his sentence. His eyes begin to close and he moves his face even closer to mine. His lips are about to touch mine until his head drops, and he loosens his grip on my face.

"I— Jordan?" I question. Jordan staggers back a little, his eyes still closed and his mouth partly open. I hold onto his arms to steady him, and he falls forward, his body leaning against mine. "Jordan, are you okay?" I say, a little concerned.

I hold Jordan in my arms, and I could feel his weight growing heavier and heavier by the second. I try my best to hold him up, tightly wrapping my arms around him and resting his head on my shoulder. "Jordan?" I repeat. My voice sounds a little panicked. "Jordan, what's wrong?" He makes a muffled sound in my ear.

Then, Jordan drops to the floor.

***

Hey everyone!

I know, I haven't updated in a couple months. I had actually just moved to, like, a different country. I know... crazy.

Anyways, I just want to apologize to everyone who has been waiting for this chapter. I feel really bad. I hope you can forgive me.

Also, I thought that I would be ending this book soon, but I think there might be some more chapters left! :)