Billionaire Stepbrother: Spring(6)

Phoebe sucked in a breath as if she was steeling herself for an oncoming onslaught. “He’s right, Aimee. My head has been spinning in a thousand directions, I need to get serious about this. And to answer your question; no one special. A one–nighter,” she replied blushing.

Lex looked at me with a smug half–smile as if to say See?, and I resisted prodding him in his ribs.

“I haven’t even been able to talk to my mom about it. She’s going through her own crisis right now what with the divorce –”

“Lot of that going around at the moment,” Lex mumbled, smiling over the rim of his tumbler.

“Oh! Aimee, that reminds me,” Phoebe said as she dug into her shoulder bag and handed over a cream envelope. “I went by your place and picked up your post. I think it’s from your mom. I brought it just in case – the rest were bills – thought you’d want this though.”

I held the light envelope in my hands. My palms started to sweat as the world around me muffled about my ears.

Nothing good would come of opening it, I thought. Loretta had put both Lex and me through hell last year. After the most ridiculous Christmas day I’d ever experienced, after my mom went screaming from our lives, we’d found out that it had been Loretta who’d encouraged Lex’s ex–girlfriend, Adrianna, with piles of cash, to give a false statement to the police accusing him of rape. She’d also leaked ancient photos of the two of them together, Adrianna and Lex, to the press, with only one devious purpose – to cause us heartache and turmoil. And of course, so our relationship wouldn’t interfere with her fleecing her new husband for millions.

Lex had obviously seen my reaction; he slipped his hand into mine and gave it a squeeze. I cleared my head and refocused upon Phoebe, who had started explaining her situation to Lex.

“—and I accidentally let it slip to my tutor, who wasn’t at all encouraging… said I could lose my scholarship over this…” Phoebe trailed off.

“Two seconds, Phoebe,” Lex said then looked at me. “Open it.” I regarded him, and his whole face had changed, no longer jovial but as if a dark cloud had suddenly appeared, blocking out all the bright sunlight that had been there just moments ago.

Phoebe stayed silent on my other side, but she rested an encouraging hand upon my knee.

“Just get it over with before I toss it out into the harbour.”

I gathered what little courage I had and told myself what’s the worst that could happen? She might just be apologising for being a deceptive cow. Yeah, and pigs could fly.

Using my nails, I tore at the corner of the envelope. I slipped my finger, in drawing it across the top, ripping it open.

The thick, luscious stationary creased once at the middle, slipped out of its container, and I braced myself for whatever her script–like handwriting was about to reveal.

An involuntarily whimper tumbled from my lips as I read her devastating words, which meant only to do harm. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I scanned the short letter, trying to make sense of it; there were only a couple of sentences on the front. I turned it over, expecting there to be more, hoping for an explanation on the back. But there wasn’t any. My whole life, my very existence, felt like it was falling apart.

Lex leaned over my shoulder as my hands started to shake.

“Fuck,” was all he said.





Chapter Three



Dear Aimee,



I believe the time has come to let you know that I am not your biological mother… no doubt you already suspect this anyway. I have never been particularly kind to you and only considered you a burden.



But should you wish to know more, then by all means look no further than your despicable lover, Lex, as this will be the last you’ll hear from me.



Please do not attempt to contact me.



Loretta

***

“I can’t breathe,” I gasped. I paced out onto the deck, trying desperately to make my lungs do what they should be doing automatically. I sucked in a lungful of air, but this time diesel fumes and mechanical smells from the surrounding ships poisoned the breeze and I nearly feel to my knees in desperation.

The sky above had turned an inky blue, and pinpricks of light swirled all around me. Strings of lights hung onto the sides of hulls dazzled my eyes, and I could feel myself spinning out of control, turning every which way clawing to any semblance of reality.

Who was I?



This can’t be real.



“Aimee!” A distant voice called, bubbling up to the surface of my consciousness. The sound repeated again and again, echoing in the distance, far away, but it was no use, I was drowning in my own sea of panic.

The words of the letter ricocheted deep within my mind, over and over.