Wanting My Stepsister(18)

“Shit,” I mumble to myself.

Jasper buttons my shorts before leaning in and placing a kiss on my lips. “I got it, baby. Stay here.” He turns and jumps down, ignoring the ladder, leaving me alone as a panic takes hold. What did Owen see? Why is he even here? God, it’s as if the universe is pushing against us.

“What are you doing here, Bishop?” I hear Jasper snap.

“Looking for Libby Bell.” Owen says the name everyone at school always called me.

“She’s busy,” Jasper growls, and I know things are about to get bad. I make sure my clothes are all right before I pop up.

“Hey!” I put on an extra-wide smile, trying to play it cool. Owen’s eyes come to mine. The traces of the punch he took are still on his face. I do a stupid little nervous wave as they both stare at me, and I wonder if Owen knows what was going on.

“Libby.” Owen nods at me. I turn around and make my way down the ladder.

“Eyes on me, fuck-face,” I hear Jasper growl. He’s starting to sound more like a jealous lover than an overprotective brother, and I wonder if Owen is picking up on that, too. I glance over my shoulder as I work my way down the ladder, seeing Owen pulling his eyes from my ass and back to Jasper.

His eyebrows rise, and I can see it click in his head as he starts to shake his head.

“I see. You don’t want anyone touching your little sister, ‘cause that’s your job. Is that what you two are doing out here? Take your sister out to the barn to fuck her so no one can hear? I guess you wanted to keep her your dirty little secret.”

My face burns, but Jasper is flying at Owen, wrapping his hand around his throat and pressing him up against the side of the barn. I scream out.

I run towards them, grabbing a hold of Jasper’s arm and trying to pull him off. But my effort is useless. Jasper has always been a big guy. Probably the biggest I’ve ever seen outside of TV, and there’s no way I have the strength to stop him.

“She’s not a fucking secret. I don’t care who knows. In fact, go ahead and spread the fucking word. She’s mine. Always has been, always will be.”

“No, stop,” I plead, pulling at Jasper. He can’t mean that. I want our little stolen moments together before everything comes crashing down around us. I haven’t had enough of him yet. I need more, and I know if everyone finds out, I won’t be able to have them. Nothing will ever be the same after people find out, and I’m not ready to give this up.

But Jasper doesn’t stop. He only seems to be getting madder, and Owen’s face is starting to change color.

“Please, Jasper. Sweetheart. You’re scaring me.” His eyes move over to me, looking down at where I’m standing and pulling at his arm. It’s like he’s just now noticed I’m trying to stop him. He lets out a breath and then looks back at Owen before releasing him. Owen bends over, choking for air.

“Owen. I’m sorry this got out of control. Jasper didn’t mean what he said.” I try to calm everyone down.

“I did,” he growls, and moves back towards Owen, but I get between them.

I can feel the anger pulsing off Jasper as he wraps an arm around me in a possessive hold. There’s nothing brotherly about the way he’s staking his claim. Owen looks up at me from his bent position and our eyes connect. A look I can’t read passes over his face. Then a half-smile pulls at his lips as he comes to a standing position.

“See you around, Libby Bell,” Owen says as he turns away.

Jasper jerks against me, but I keep a tight hold on the arms he has around me as I watch Owen pick up his hat off the ground. He heads out the barn door without looking back, and a shiver of dread runs down my spine.

I don’t know how long we stand there, frozen in place, Jasper with one arm around me, and me holding him in a death grip, thinking he might go after Owen. But eventually we snap out of it. I release my hold on him, but Jasper doesn’t do the same. I have to jerk myself to get free of his hold, and I look up at him to see he’s still pissed.

“I can’t believe you did that.” I shake my head, a lump forming in my throat.

“It was bound to come out,” he grits, but his face softens when he sees the tears I’m trying to hold back.

“It’s going to rip us apart!” I cry out.

I thought for a moment he was right. That maybe we could have all our special moments together in secret and it would be enough. Or at least soak up as many as we could before it all came out. But now we can’t even have that small bit of happiness. It’s been taken from us, and I’m crushed. The word will spread like wildfire in a little town like ours. Everyone is going to know, including our parents. I have no idea what to say to them to explain what happened.