IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER

CHAPTER 6

TESSIE'S POV

I was at school early the following morning for two reasons. Firstly, it was because my father had agreed to let me use my car before the doctor's appointment. I didn't have to wait for the bus which always came much later than the students who drove or cycled to school. Secondly, I had been determined to leave before my father and her new girlfriend woke up because I didn't want to be subjected to another conversation involving that woman. Sure, I was happy that my dad was happy but that didn't mean that I would get used to it so quickly.

Ava arrived shortly after me and we walked inside together. As usual, she was her cheerful self which meant the previous evening had turned out fairly otherwise she would have been complaining and guilt-tripping me for abandoning her. I didn't have to ask to get the conversation because, by the time we got to our lockers, she had narrated the whole story about her evening.

"Wait, you what?" I asked turning to her.

"I poured coffee on her. Pretty sure that cute sweater she was wearing is ruined," Ava repeated squinting her eyes but her voice was laced with satisfaction. I had heard her the first time but I couldn't believe she could have done that. I stared at her blankly. "Don't look at me like that. It wasn't hot and I tripped."

"Accidentally or willingly?"

"Does it matter? It gave me satisfaction seeing that look on her face. And then I overcharged them," she laughed.

"Dude, revenge doesn't look good on you."

"Oh, shut up!" She dismissed me and turned to her locker. "Anyway, how was yours after ditching me?"

I rolled my eyes but didn't speak. I was used to hearing her talk like that but in my mind at that moment, I wished she knew how much I wished I had gone with her. However, telling her that would give her a reason to mock me all day and my mind wasn't ready for that. I grabbed my books and closed the locker.

"Just the usual. Nothing interesting," I stated and looked past her to avoid her eyes knowing that she would see through my lie before I could take my next breath. Only to land on something much worse.

Right ahead of me and looking straight into my face was my nightmare come alive, my soon-to-be stepbrother heading towards us. He grinned the moment he noticed me. I tensed, my mind going blank again like it had the multiple times I had encountered him. Not wanting to reveal anything to Ava at that moment, I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me.

"Are you feeling okay, Tess?" she asked trying to pull herself free and at that instant, Jace caught up with us. I pretended to look away but he stopped right next to us.

"Hey Tess," he greeted then turned to Ava who was now smiling at him. "Hey, Tess's friend."

"Ava! I'm Ava!" she repeated and giggled. Jace returned her smile and held her gaze a little longer lingering on her face. Ava was beyond herself probably thinking about how the new hottest guy in school was talking to her while I wished for that moment to be over. He turned to me briefly, his gaze penetrating right through me but I looked away not wanting to entertain the effect he had on me.

"I like your hair," he commented addressing Ava, and then walked away right after much to my relief.

Before Ava could say anything to me, I started walking away heading to class. Too bad I couldn't escape my best friend's questions who was now like a puppy with a ball. Even so, I managed to get to my desk before the questions descended on me.

"Nothing interesting, huh?" she stated and leaned on my desk occupying the space I was about to use for my books. I looked up and met her gaze. "When did that happen? How does the hottest guy in school know your name?"

"I guess I'm not as invisible as I thought I was," I responded dismissively. Discussing how my life was about to take a nosedive to hell wasn't a topic I wanted to have before my maths lesson but Ava wasn't about to let it go.

"Seriously dude. He didn't call you curly like every other guy, he called you Tess. What am I missing?"

Fed up by her nagging character and knowing that we would remain on that topic until I said something, I gave in.

"Remember those guests I was telling you about yesterday?" Ava nodded and urged me to go on. "Well, they turned out to be Jace and his mom."

"Jace? His name is Jace. No wonder he is so hot," Ava stated dreamily. I shook my head. Not only because I didn't want to admit it was the same thing I thought but also because Ava had missed the whole point. "You lucky b***h! Why don't you seem excited about it? Shouldn't you be taking advantage of that before any other girl does?"

"Ava, he is my stepbrother!" I blurted out.

"What!" Ava exclaimed loudly alerting the whole class. "He is your what?" she asked again, her mouth dropping. "But... But you didn't know him at the bus stop yesterday. How come?"

"Because I didn't know until yesterday after school. My father is marrying his mom and I'm living in my worst nightmare right now." Right then, the teacher arrived and Ava finally moved to her seat much to my relief. She however wasn't done with me. I should have known how this would turn out. I wouldn't have told her the truth in the first place.

It was however after several minutes that she spoke again.

"So, if he is your stepbrother and you will probably start living together, do you think I could get closer to him?" I turned around slowly hoping that she was joking but she wasn't. I knew what she was asking for. An intervention headed by me to hook them up. Why did I suddenly feel like she was a threat? Why did I feel a twinge of jealousy forming in my throat as I thought about them together? Of course, telling her that would be insane. How could I say that I couldn't do it because I also had a crush on him?