Anti-Stepbrother(101)

I shook my head even harder, like I could banish her away with the motion. I couldn’t… I couldn’t deal with this. I choked on a sob, feeling my knees bend. I was going to fall, and then it would be over. She’d be in me again. I’d never be able to not feel her again.

“No,” I whispered.

“Summer.” I turned to see it there again—that same look in her eyes. They were Kevin’s, but it was her. She was looking at me through him.

I shook my head. “Stop it.”

“Summer.”

He was touching me. No. She was touching me.

I was having a breakdown. A small part of my mind was telling me this. I had put off grieving her, and now she wouldn’t have it. She wouldn’t let me go, not anymore. Then I was falling.

Arms caught me. Tears wet my cheeks, and suddenly I felt a soft touch on my cheek. Someone brushed my hair back from my face. I looked up. It was my mother. She’d caught me, and she was crooning to me. Everything was going to be all right.

Everything was going to be all right.





CADEN



I tried to tell myself I needed something from Phillip, and that was why I was in the basement. It wasn’t because his room was next to Matthews’, or because Summer was in there at the moment. None of those things. I really did just need the stapler.

I hated this.

This girl, she got inside of me. She wound me up, and I hated it.

I hated how I felt for her, and missed her, and wanted her with me no matter where we were. I hated everything about it because of how fucking exposed she made me feel.

As I came downstairs, I heard the crying first. He’d hurt her. I was going to rip him apart, but I stopped in the doorway. I couldn’t unsee what lay before me. Kevin cradled her, and she grasped onto him like he was her lifejacket.

He kept brushing her hair back, rocking her, and saying it was going to be all right. Over and over. All I could do was stand there. Pure horror and hatred filled me at the same time—horror that she was hurting, and hatred that he got to be the one to comfort her.

I started forward. “Let me take her.”

He tightened his arms around her. “I told her how I felt about her. Why do you think she’s crying?” He looked at me like he pitied me. “I missed my chance before. I won’t let her go now.”

“She’s not crying because you professed your love, dumbass. Why is she crying?” I touched her arm. “Summer.”

But she clasped him harder, burrowing her head against his chest.

Kevin gave me that smug smile, brushing a hand over her hair once again. “See? I told you. I’m the one she wants.”

“You’re lying.” I reached for her again, but it was the same result. Her cries grew louder, and she pressed into Kevin, almost shuddering.

“If I am, you’ll find out later.” He jerked his head toward the door. “Go. She’s going to stay with me tonight.”

My hands itched to hit him. I couldn’t. It’d hurt Summer, and that was the last thing I wanted, but I couldn’t keep them from flexing into fists beside me.

His eyes fell to them, and a dry laugh slipped out. “You know what’s funny? I didn’t even want this, not until later. I had it locked down in high school. No guy asked her out because why would they? I was living with her. I could take her away from them any time I wanted.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t a problem, and I thought it’d be the same here. I could fool around. She could have her fun. But she’s always my end game. At least, I had her in the back of my mind.”

Something was way, way off here. Why was he talking like she couldn’t hear him? What had he done to her? “You were stringing her along this entire time.”

“Until you.” His words chilled. “Until she fucking fell in love with you, But not anymore.” He lifted her, cradling her in his lap. Her hands reached for his shirt and twisted there, holding on. “I got her now. I’m not letting her go.”

“There’s a special place in Hell for you.”

Summer continued crying, and I was afraid to upset her more. “Once she stops crying, I’m going to find out the real reason for this.”

None of this made sense to me. Choosing to be with Kevin and dissolving into tears wasn’t something Summer would do. I sat back and pulled my phone out.

“What are you doing?”

Oh yeah. Kevin suddenly seemed all too alarmed.

“I’m calling in her friends.”

Once Avery was on her way, I sat back and waited. There was no way I would leave Summer with Kevin, not in this state.

I’d been wrong to question her before. I did trust her. I just didn’t trust him.