My Stepbrother: secret possession

You're Obsess With Me

To my surprise, nobody made a fuss about what Embry threw at me yesterday. In fact, it backfired. She ended up not showing up on Thursday, which somehow caused Suri and Quinn to start avoiding me. Lilith, on the other hand, despises me even more, which doesn't surprise me.

As my circle of friends diminishes, I find myself having lunch with Evie for the first time. When school ends, I begin my usual stroll until a black Mercedes coupe pulls up and rolls down its window.

"You're heading home?" Arlen Garret asks.
Nodding, I smile. "Come on, let me give you a ride then." His smile is friendly and inviting, so I readily accept his offer. I hop into the passenger seat. The temperature in the car is refreshing for someone who has been walking in the Las Vegas heat. The car is unmistakably Arlen Garret's—it carries his scent and suits him perfectly as he drives with one hand on the wheel and the other resting against the door.

"You look pretty today. Actually, you always look pretty every day," he awkwardly rephrases, sharing his attention between the road and me.

"Thank you," I bite my lip in response to the compliment.

After that, we both fall into an awkward silence, until I decide to break it. "So, do you guys play any games outside of school or during school?"

"It depends, actually. School has just started again, but homecoming is a week away. I hope you'll come. We'll need your support," he says, curling his lip into a convincing smile.

Lowering my head slightly, using my hair as a shield as usual, I continue to bite my lip, hoping to hide the blush on my cheeks. "Maybe," I mutter.

"Alright, I'll keep reminding you," he says just as he parks outside my house. "And here we are," he adds slowly.

"Thank you for the ride," I smile.

"You're welcome, Ava Lancelot," he returns the smile as I step out of Arlen's sporty car. My eyes catch a glimpse of the blue-tinted Chiron parked in the driveway. "Ava, wait," Arlen calls out as he swiftly gets out of his car and positions himself between the open door and the bare concrete of my house's pavement.

I turn around, facing him as he runs his fingers through his hair. "Did you reschedule our date?" he asks, sounding mildly nervous.

"Date, huh?" I raise my eyebrows, no longer attempting to hide the noticeable blush on my face.

"Yep," he half chuckles.

"If Saturday works for you," I reply.

His eyes dilate slightly, and joy spreads across his face. "Yeah, sure. I'm looking forward to Saturday then," he happily declares, tapping his fingers against his car.

With that, I turn and walk towards the building, hoping Leigh isn't home yet. My dislike for him has only grown after yesterday's incident, discovering that he's involved with Embry and Sofia. Not that I'm judging, but I thought he was better than that. So much for being the obedient child that Lilith claims he is; her brother is nothing more than a bigger flirt.

As soon as I close the entrance door behind me, his repugnant voice fills the air. Honestly, his voice is charming, which makes it even more frustrating. "Are we still avoiding each other? You know I saved you from humiliation in front of the whole school."

Ignoring him, I head for the staircase. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this—"

"Like what, Leigh? Like what?" I cut him off in exasperation.

He sighs heavily. "Why did you ride back with Arlen?"

Taken aback by his audacity, I let out an incredulous laugh. "At this point, I genuinely struggle to comprehend how unbelievably deluded you are." I spit the words out and march towards my room.