CHAPTER TWO
1089 Words
Avery heard the car before she saw it.
The low hum of the engine rolled up the driveway, steady and unhurried, like whoever was inside didn’t feel the need to rush for anyone. She pressed her palm to the cool glass of her bedroom window and leaned forward just enough to see the black sedan pulling to a stop at the curb.
Then he stepped out.
Max.
He moved like someone who’d learned early how to make himself invisible—hood pulled halfway over his head, eyes downcast, shoulders hunched slightly like he was trying not to take up too much space. But there was something magnetic about him too. He wasn’t loud or attention-seeking. He didn’t need to be. He had that quiet confidence that made people look twice without knowing why.
He slung a worn black backpack over one shoulder, shut the car door, and made his way toward the house like he’d done it a hundred times. No hesitation. No drama. Like he belonged here.
Because he did.
Avery, on the other hand, wasn’t sure where she fit into this picture yet.
She backed away from the window quickly, nerves prickling in her chest. She wasn’t sure why she was suddenly so tense. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done the whole “meet new people” thing before. But this was different. Max wasn’t just some guy she’d be sharing a class with or sitting next to at lunch. He was family now. Sort of.
And he lived right across the hall.
The front door creaked open downstairs, followed by the low murmur of her father’s voice. She couldn’t make out the words, just the tone—casual, like he was trying to keep things light. Then came a single reply. A boy’s voice. Steady. Deeper than she expected.
Then silence.
Avery hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the hallway and peeked over the railing.
Max stood in the foyer, the late afternoon light slanting across his face. He was taller than she expected—lean but not skinny, his dark jeans fitted, hoodie sleeves pushed halfway up his forearms. His skin was lightly tanned, and his hair, now that the hood had fallen back, was a little messy in a way that didn’t seem accidental.
Their eyes met.
And something in her stomach tightened.
His eyes were dark, almost black, and utterly unreadable. He didn’t smile. Didn’t frown. Just looked at her like he was trying to decide what kind of person she was in the first two seconds.
Avery gathered herself and started down the stairs. “Hey,” she said, hoping she sounded normal.
Max shifted slightly. “Hey,” he replied. His tone was neutral, almost bored.
“I’m Avery,” she added, even though she figured he probably already knew.
“I know. Dad mentioned it.”
There it was again—Dad. That word felt off in his mouth. Not wrong, exactly. Just… different. It wasn’t her place to correct it, but hearing him say it so casually made something in her chest ache.
He didn’t ask any questions. Didn’t offer a handshake or a “nice to meet you.” Just dropped his bag beside the stairs and turned like he was about to head straight up.
“I’ve got homework,” he muttered. “See you around.”
And then he was gone.
Avery blinked, her feet planted at the bottom of the staircase as she listened to the sound of his door clicking shut a second later.
Well. That was… underwhelming.
She exhaled slowly and ran a hand through her hair, wondering if that was just how he was, or if it was some sort of silent protest about her being there. Maybe he wasn’t thrilled about sharing his house with a stranger either. Maybe he already resented her for disrupting the balance of whatever life he had before.
Either way, she felt the tension settle into her shoulders.
She made her way back to her room, sank onto the edge of the bed, and stared at the floor.
That wasn’t how she imagined meeting him. Not that she expected him to be thrilled, but she thought there’d be something more. A question. A joke. A real expression on his face. Instead, it felt like she’d introduced herself to a wall.
Her phone buzzed beside her.
Lena: Did you meet him yet???
Avery stared at the screen for a second before replying.
Avery: Yeah. He said "hey" and went to his room. Iconic first meeting.
Lena: Oof. Sounds like a rom-com opening. Tall, dark, and rude?
Avery: More like tall, dark, and emotionally unavailable.
She smiled faintly, even as the nerves returned. Lena could joke all she wanted—Avery had a feeling this situation was going to be way more complicated than either of them could guess.
She tossed the phone onto her pillow and stood again, pacing to the window. The street outside was calm and clean, like every house was holding its breath. It was the kind of neighborhood where people waved at each other from porches, and sprinklers came on at exactly the same time every morning.
Nothing like where she came from.
She glanced at Max’s door across the hall. Closed. No sound. No music. No footsteps.
Did he always keep to himself like that? Or was he avoiding her?
Avery walked to her closet and started unpacking her clothes just to give herself something to do. Hangers clicked against the metal rod. Hoodies, jeans, her favorite denim jacket—all reminders of her old life, her old room, the city buzz she was used to. Here, the silence was too loud.
She found herself wondering what Max was doing behind that door. Actually doing, not just pretending to have homework. Was he texting someone? Listening to music? Staring at the ceiling and wishing she’d leave?
She shook her head, annoyed at herself.
Why did she care?
She barely knew him. And it wasn’t like he’d gone out of his way to make her feel welcome.
But there was something about him. That stillness. That sharp glance. Like there was a lot going on underneath that hoodie and silence, if only someone took the time to figure it out.
Avery didn’t know whether she wanted to be that someone… or if she should keep her distance.
Because the truth was, Max wasn’t just a guy. He was her stepbrother.
And that changed everything.
Or at least—it was supposed to.
- Writer
