MATED TO MY STEPBROTHER

NINE

GRAYSON’S POV

“How do I get a girl to like me?”

Six eyes turned in my direction the moment the question left my mouth, my tongue curling in my cheek in immediate regret.

“No, that came out wrongly,” I looked at Peter, Harold and then Nessa. “I meant, how do I get a girl’s attention. I mean, how do I get her to-”

“This isn’t a dream, right?” Harold looked at Peter before returning his gaze to Nessa. “Woah, did we all just hear Grayson ask us how to get a girl to like him?”

They exchanged glances, taking their time to come to terms with what was happening before all bursting into laughter. I groaned under my breath and shifted in my seat, wishing I didn’t just make a complete fool of myself in the presence of my friends.

“f**k you guys,” I took out my phone and tried to go through my text messages. “f**k you all.”

“I think there’s someone else you’d rather f**k,” Harold threw his arms around my shoulder and peered at my phone. “Are you texting her?”

“Shut up,” I returned my phone to my pocket and shoved his arms away from me. “I’m not texting anyone. f**k you.”

“Okay you guys should calm down,” Nessa got up from her chair and sat on my lap instead. “Let’s hear him out. After all, this is a legendary moment. So, tell us, Grayson. Did you finally find a girl you’re interested in?”

“You mean a girl he just wants to f**k,” Peter snickered. “Did you forget his life goal has always been to not date any girl unless she’s the one mated to him.”

“Unless he found his mate already.”

“Gray, did you find her already?”

I looked away from Nessa and massaged my temples, suddenly wishing I didn’t bring it up at all. I couldn’t help it though- my mind was spiraling and my friends were the only people I could talk to.

But now I realized it was easier said than done. I still couldn’t tell them the truth. The actual truth.

“Was that the reason you didn’t come to the party last night?” they continued. “Woah, have you actually found someone you genuinely like?”

“Cut it out,” my expression hardened. “It’s nothing like that. I don’t like her that way. It’s just something else. I’m not explaining so don’t ask me. Just know I do not like her that way.”

“Oh, okay,” Nessa said slowly, exchanging glances with the rest of them. “So why do you need to get her attention? Getting a girl’s attention is one of the easiest things for you to do.”

Normally, it was. I had a record of getting girls very easily. But for the first time, it didn’t seem as easy.

“Well, she doesn’t seem to be interested in me. She’s actively tries to avoid me.”

“Finally, a girl with taste,” Harold laughed. “Introduce her to me. If she’s smart enough to know you’re bad news she’ll be smart enough to know I’m perfect for her.”

I shot him a glare. One that immediately made him change his words. “Or you could just go the high school method. Keep on pestering her until she can’t actually avoid you.”

“What is he? Twelve?” Nessa rolled her eyes then wrapped her arms around my neck. “Don’t listen to him. It’s not like she’s your mate anyways. Just let her be. There are dozens of girls dying to be with you. Just choose from one of them. You’re Grayson Zucker, remember?”

She was right. I was Grayson Zucker. I could get literally any girl I wanted. Her being my mate was only a bonus point which was to make things easier. It wasn’t a big deal. It couldn’t be a big deal. All the girls around me were always thrilled to be with me and she wasn’t going to be an exception. So I had absolutely no reason to worry about-

“You’ve got to be f*****g kidding me.”

It took less than a second for all my confidence to go up into smoke. I bit my lip then groaned, my eyes refusing to leave Isabella as she walked into my faculty’s quad with no one but Kai by her side.

My eyebrows deepened as I stared at the two of them, walking side by side with ridiculous smiles on their faces. Like they weren’t already close enough, they leaned towards each other and whispered unnecessary words to each other, the irritating smiles on their faces only growing bigger.

I balled my fists, the suddenly urge to slam it onto Kai’s face overwhelming me. Last I remembered, he was never that much of a funny guy. If anything, he had the ability to make people around him cry more than laugh yet here he was making Isabella laugh like it was the easiest thing in the world.

She’d never laughed around me. Even a smile was farfetched. For goodness sake, I was her mate and never got those privileges while he got them when he was nothing but an-

“Asshole.”

“What?” I looked up at Nessa as she completed my thoughts. She was no longer staring at me though, her eyes now on the sight that clearly riled both of us up. “Oh, great.”

They were yet to notice our eyes on them and before they could, I quickly got Nessa to get up from my lap. She did that easily, a frown on her face as she settled on the empty space next to Harold.

“Is that his new girlfriend?” the question was directed to me as she noticed I was staring too. “Is she-”

“No, she isn’t,” I cut her off before she could fill both our heads with more imaginations. “There’s absolutely nothing like that going on between them. And even if there is, it’s going to end.”

“What?”

I grabbed my sling bag and tapped two fingers to my temple, Nessa understanding what I meant. Her lips parted as she tried to ask why I was suddenly leaving but I didn’t reply, my feet already finding the floor to quickly walk up to Isabella and Kai with the pure intention of wiping the smile off both their faces.

“Hello, stepsister.”

They paused their steps simultaneously, the smile vanishing from their faces as planned while one settled on my face.

“Don’t call me that,” Isabella muttered loud enough for me to hear.

“Ah,” I pretended to think. “Would you preferred it if I called you my m-”

“I’m not having this conversation with you,” she shook her head and immediately turned to walk past me, Kai shooting me a glare before following her. She had only taken a few steps away when I grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to face me again. “What do you want, Grayson?!”

“I want to talk to you,” the frown on her face had deepened but I ignored it. “In private.”

“Too bad,” she yanked her arm away from my grip. “I don’t want to talk to you. Private or not.”

“It’s important.”

“I don’t care,” her tone got harsher with every word, my heart slowly pressing against my chest. “I have to go home to work on an important project so I don’t have the time to talk or listen to you.”

“Allow me drive you home then?”

“No, thank you,” there was clearly no room for objections as she took a step backwards and linked arms with Kai. “Kai is driving me home.”

I balled my fists, the urges from earlier returning. He wasn’t saying anything but he had a look on his face I recognized. One that made my blood boil in an unusual kind of anger.

“Okay,” each words felt like lumps as they escaped my throat. “We’ll talk at home then. Alone.”

She didn’t reply me. And instead met my gaze for less than a second longer before turning away to take exactly 58 steps away from me before she got into his car and completely vanished from my sight.