Love so Wrong: Falling for My Stepbrother

7- FOOTBALL KING

LUCA

The deafening roar of the crowd filled my ears as I missed the post once again. A collective sigh rose from the stands, thick with the tension of disappointment. The anticipation in the stadium had everyone on their feet during that last moment, hoping for a draw. But I missed, again. It was the second time today. Our rivals were leading us two-nil, and with only a few minutes left in the game, I struggled to keep my focus. Yet, as always, distractions loomed large in my mind.

My thoughts turned to my father. I couldn't believe what he had done, and even worse, I couldn't dismiss it as a mere coincidence that the nerdy girl who had piqued my curiosity was about to become my stepsister. My father was getting married again, and I had secretly hoped he would spend the rest of his life regretting what he had done to my mom. I had harboured a vindictive wish that he never found happiness again. Seeing him move on so quickly with this woman was especially a bitter, hard pill to swallow. As much as I wanted him to suffer, I didn't want to come across as a selfish jerk. At this point, I didn't care anymore.

I couldn't decide if they deserved each other or not. When I first met her, something about her seemed familiar, so I conducted a background check on her. It turned out she had lived as a mistress to multiple men, disguising herself as a model. I wasn't here to judge her, but I had hoped my dad would make better choices after the mess he made with Mom.

"Luca!" someone yelled my name.

Hopping out of my thoughts, I snapped my attention back to the field, but it was too late. I had been blindsided by the bull, sending me tumbling to the grass with a painful screech.

"Arghhh!"

"Luca, are you alright?" Coach Johansson asked, hovering over me with some of my concerned teammates.

My pride stung more than my body and I tried to get back on my feet, but I couldn't do it alone. It took Harry, my not-so-best friend, lending me a hand.

"I'm fine," I said, brushing off the grass and dirt, my gaze inadvertently catching onto someone in the crowd.

With wavy fawn hair, large dark-rimmed glasses, and lips perpetually drawn into a pout, my soon-to-be stepsister perched between two other girls in the crowd. I recognised one of them as Tammy, Harry's not-so-girlfriend. They were both deceiving themselves with that s**t they called love.

With a sudden determination to impress—though I tried to convince myself it wasn't for my soon-to-be stepsister—I charged back onto the field, banishing all other thoughts to the back of my mind. I needed to prove myself to her. I was the star quarterback, and I wasn't known as the hottest guy for nothing. At least, that's what I told myself shortly after convincing myself that Jennifer didn't matter.

The game resumed; I channelled the fervour into action. A few moments into the game, I scored my first goal. The crowd erupted, and I sneaked a sidelong glance at Jennifer. Tammy and the other girl beside Jennifer were cheering, but Jennifer sat there like a marble statue, that perpetual pout on her lips. Was she still upset about me leaving her on the side of the road this morning?

I tore my gaze away from her and focused on the game. Five seconds later, I scored my second goal, and my name echoed through the CSU crowd, bringing a smug smile to my face as I performed my touchdown dance. I knew I had already won the hearts of all the girls in the stadium, and they would be offering themselves at the frat party tonight. My teammates hugged me as we drew level with our rivals. I decided not to check Jennifer's reaction again. She didn't matter. She wasn't the kind of girl I wanted to impress. Whether or not she was impressed does not bother me, a thousand other hot girls in skimpy clothes were impressed and that was all I wanted. Or so I tried to convince myself. But deep down, that sounded like a lie.

I charged back onto the field, and with only three minutes left in the game, I passed the ball to Harry, who scored our final winning goal. The crowd roared as we not only equalised but took the lead. Then the referee blew the final whistle. Football and music have always been my outlets. Football allowed me to release my pent-up emotions, while music was where I poured out my heart.

*

"What's going on with you?" Harry asked later in the locker room, finding me lost in my thoughts again. "You don't seem like yourself today, and you've been zoning out all day."

I shrugged, feigning indifference. "It's nothing, man." Many things bothered me, and I couldn't quite wrap my head around any of them. I knew the day would come when I would confront them, but till then, I drink and party away.

***

"Hi, honey," Tammy called as Harry and I made our way out of the locker room.

My eyebrows rose in mild surprise seeing Jennifer arrive in the company of another blond girl. Harry’s lips stretched into a grin as Tammy wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, showering his face with kisses as though marking her territory with each delicate peck.

"You did great out there, baby," Tammy cooed, her voice thick with adoration.

"So, I didn't do great?" I asked, grinning as Tammy gave me a feigned scornful look, yet my smile remained intact as my gaze drifted back to Jennifer. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"

Jennifer looked like she would rather be somewhere else while Tammy glanced back at her friends and made a face. She let go of Harry.

"They're not my friends," Tammy clarified with a dismissive flick of her wrist. "Sandy is my cousin. You already know her, Harry; she's majoring in Economics. And the other one is her friend," Tammy pointed to Jennifer.

"Hey, it's a pleasure," Harry said, his smile unfaltering as he extended his hand to Jennifer. "I'm Harry."

"Jennifer."

"Hi, Sandy." He waved at Sandy.

"Hi, Harry."

By then, my attention was snagged by two girls who sidled up to me, cooing compliments about my undeniable allure on the field. My smile took on a smug tilt, soaking in their admiration, ensuring their words were audible to everyone present.

"I'll catch you lovely ladies at the party," I said to them, and they winked at me and sauntered away, hips swaying.

I turned back to the girls Tammy had introduced. "Hi," I said, flashing Sandy a charming smile. She hesitated for a moment, her smile flickering awkwardly as she took my hand. "I’m Luca Ferrari. I’m sure my reputation precedes me." She chuckled softly and nodded, her smile slightly awkward.

"Luca, stop flirting with Sandy; she's gay," Tammy called out, her voice a mix of amusement and irritation.

My eyes remained fixed on Sandy as my smile widened. "You never know; she might reconsider. It's nice to officially meet you, Sandy."

"Likewise," she said, her voice neutral.

I turned to Jennifer. "Hello, stranger. I think we've met before?" Jennifer looked at me with a gaze sharp enough to slice through my pretence, and I leaned in closer, sensing her tension. "Did you get to see how sexy I was on the field?"

She quickly pulled away from me, avoiding eye contact. "Sandy, I'm leaving now. Bye." Jennifer hurried away from us without looking back. Tammy and Harry stared at me quizzically, while Sandy followed her.

"She's so weird," Tammy muttered, watching the retreating girls. "I don't know why Sandy is so insistent on us being friends." She turned back to Harry, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "I have to go to class now, babe. See you at the party tonight."

"Bye, babe," Harry said as Tammy gracefully walked away.

Harry approached me with a quizzical eyebrow raised. "Is that the nerd you told me about?"

"The one and only," I replied, still watching Jennifer's figure.

"I think she really likes you," Harry concluded with a light chuckle.

"Of course, she does. What's not to like?"