Owned by My Best Friend's Brother

4. Is that all?

STELLA POV

I'm so stupid, I should never have listened to Cici. I should have trusted my instincts when I saw myself in the mirror in this stupid sling shot. I can't seem to get to Cici's room fast enough. I know no one is inside, but I can't help but feel like everyone is looking at me. I ran into her room and closed the door. I started going through my bag trying to find my pajamas. I don't care that it's three in the afternoon. There is no way I'm leaving this room for the rest of the summer. Before I can make it to the bathroom, Cici walks in and hugs me from behind.

"I'm so sorry Stella, my brother is very particular. He's so overprotective of me and that makes him super judgmental toward anyone close to me." She cries, pressing her face into the back of my hair.

I don't know what to say. I still feel like crap and although I appreciate her explaining this to me. It doesn't change the fact that my fear was valid. The fear I've had since I turned twelve and these curves showed up. Everyone assumes that, because I have big "assets", that I want every man on earth to not only look at me but give me everything my heart desires. They assume an opportunist or a slut. How can someone think they know so much about a person they've never met or spoken to?

"Please, don't hate me." She whines softly. I can't let her think this is her fault. She couldn't have known her brother would make such assumptions. I turned around and hugged her tightly. She's been there for me for over a year and has done her best to never judge me for who I am. "It's not your fault Cici, he just misunderstood. None of your family knows me and they probably just want to make sure you're not hanging around with bad influences." I assured her.

I'm still very upset. I just don't want her at odds with her family over me. It was wrong of her brother to judge me based on one meeting and what I happened to be wearing. That's on him, not Cici.

"That doesn't make it okay. I know what your trying to do. Please don't hide away because of what happened. No one thinks like that about you, not even him. He would actually have to have a brain to process a proper thought." She laughed, still sniffling. I couldn't help laughing at my witty friend. That's another reason we get along. She may try to appear to be ditsy, but she is very smart.

"Please Stella, show them all how strong you are. Don't hide away because of what he said. Come back out with me with your head held high, I won't leave your side." She pleads with me. "I don't know Cici." I replied, looking down at my hands.

I've had to do harder things in my life than this, and alone for that matter. But I chose to do those things because I knew in the end they benefited me and they needed to be done. How would going back out there benefit me? Before she can continue muscling me into going back out, there is a knock on the door. I looked up at Cici and she seemed irritated by the knock, almost as if she recognized it. She cracks open the door just enough to poke her head out.

"What do you want!" She yelled at the person on the other side. "I need to talk to Stella." Alex said from the other side. "No!" She yells and tries to slam the door in his face.

He very easily holds it open and pushes it open further. Now I can see his face. When he first walked into the backyard, I thought he was so handsome. Logan and Alex have the same black hair and hazel eyes as their father, but Logan has his mother's soft facial features whereas Alex is the spitting image of his father. A strong jaw, a Roman nose with a slight cleft in it and full lips. Cici and Derick have their mothers hair and eye color as well as facial features. This is a good looking family, tall too. Alex must be about six foot two and Derick is almost just as tall. All the men in this family look like they spend A LOT of time at the gym, not overly buff but definitely muscular. There is this imposing aura that he exudes. Everything about him says "boss". He was glaring at Cici, who was trying to protect me by standing in between us. His glare seemed to work because she shrunk back and moved to the side. Alex is looking right at me now.

"I need to speak with you Stella. Privately." He asks me but looks at Stella when he says the last part.

I don't want to be rude, even if he was. I internally scold myself for never learning to be spiteful. Maybe that's something I should work on this summer. Okay, maybe not spiteful, but why do I feel like I have to give him the respect he clearly didn't give me? Who am I kidding, baby steps.

"Okay." I replied with a nod.

Cici looked back to confirm it was okay and I nodded once more. As she's walking to the door, she turns and sticks her tongue out at him behind his back. The door closes and I quickly put on my pajama dress over my bathing suit and sit on the bed. Alex walked further in and sat on the desk across from me. Suddenly my feet are the most interesting thing in the world.

"Stella, I judged you based on what you were wearing, but in my defense I'm very protective of Cici." He starts and I look up at him, wondering if that's all he has to say to me. "Cici explained things to me and I hope you don't hold what I said against me." He says while looking me in the eyes.

What do I say to that? It's not an apology, he didn't even admit he did anything wrong. I want this conversation to be over, but now I'm starting to get mad. I wish he would have just apologized so I could have cowardly accepted and gone back into my little hole. Now I can't help but feel he's brushing me off.

"Is that all?" I asked, feeling irritated. He looked at me surprised, not expecting my harsh tone.

"Well..." He started. "You're not going to apologize for judging me when you have no right to, when you never even had a single conversation with me?" I said in disbelief. "I.." He started, but I wasn't done. "The decent thing for someone to do when they do something wrong is apologize. I would expect someone from a respectable family to know that much." I said as calmly as I could while getting up and walking into the bathroom.

How does he come to think so highly of himself that he can't even apologize when he's in the wrong? Why even come speak to me if all you're going to do is point out the obvious? Was this conversation for me or him? I'm surprised I called him out on it but I've never put myself out there like I did today. He ruined that for me and I wanted a proper apology from him. Not whatever the hell that was. Cici's right, by coming up here and hiding I'm giving the impression I did something wrong. I splash some water on my face, remove the pajama top and exit the bathroom. Alex is gone and Cici is sitting on the bed waiting for me.

"Did he upset you again?" She asks, looking worried. "Don't worry about that anymore Cici, let's just go back to the pool." I smiled and held my hand out for her to take.

She grinned back at me and we walked back to the backyard hand in hand. I try not to pay attention to everyone's stares. Then I notice Cici's parents aren't really staring, they're smiling at me. Logan is grinning, sitting by the pool with Alex, who looks lost in thought. Good, maybe he will have a proper thought, as Cici put it.

"We're ordering food, Stella, what do you like?" Logan asks."I'm not very picky." I shrugged."Hawaiian BBQ?" Vera suggests."You always pick Alex's favorite. Shouldn't he be punished for his rude behavior?" Logan complains with a grin. Alex turns and glares at Logan, which only causes Logan to grin wider at him. "Stop it Logan." David (Cici's father) warns.

They end up ordering Hawaiian BBQ, which is fine with me. We swim until dinner arrives and then we eat outside where there is a large table. Derick is sitting next to Tina, who hasn't spoken one word the entire time we've been here. She just kept staring daggers at me. Next to them are Cici's parents and then Cici and I'm next to her. There are two chairs next to me, the one farthest to me has Tina on the other side. Logan and Alex both get to the table at the same time, but Alex pushes past Logan and sits next to me. Why? I haven't the slightest idea. We all start to eat and everyone at the table, except Tina, is talking about where Logan will be applying for college. I'm picking at my food, still feeling a bit awkward sitting next to the one person I just had an altercation with.

"You don't like it?" Alex whispers, startling me. "It's fine, I'm just not that hungry." I replied, still looking at my food.

ALEX POV

I'm not used to apologizing for anything. No one has ever expected me to. It's not like I go around making mistakes left and right, but I'm human and, yes, I make mistakes. I just don't feel the need to apologize, I usually just explain everything away. I certainly didn't expect Stella to call me out for trying to get out of apologizing. From what everyone's told me, she's shy and not very outspoken. She actually made me feel bad. That doesn't happen very often. It doesn't help that she looks incredibly sexy when she is mad, her little nose scrunches up and her lips jut out to further her already there pout. Her warm honey-colored eyes already looked like embers, blazing at me.

"You were right." I said lowly, so only Stella could hear me. She looks up at me with her eyebrows furrowed. "I was wrong, what I did was wrong. I'm sorry." I said while giving her a small smile.

She smiled shyly back at me and I'll be damned if it didn't make me feel better. Luckily, everyone was too busy to notice my fall from grace. I don't know why, all of the sudden I care if she's upset with me or not.