New Brother

See You

Hailey

As I settled into the Range Rover, its sleek matte black finish immediately captivated me, much like the exterior had moments before. It was becoming apparent that Mom hadn't exaggerated about the wealth of these people—Damien and Coby.

However, Damien's wealth didn't excuse his icy demeanor. I couldn't bring myself to like him. At all. What bothered me more was how effortlessly he rendered me speechless every time he spoke whereas most of the time he didn't speak at all. There was an inexplicable strangeness about him, something beyond the usual norms. God, I didn't know how to articulate it; putting it into words felt oddly inappropriate.

"You should buckle up, Bunny," he said casually, diverting his attention from his phone as he started the car.

I really wanted to tell him to not call me that thing.

"Oh, right," I attempted to fasten the seatbelt. But to my frustration, it seemed to jam. How was it that the seatbelt in my mom's ordinary, inexpensive, and ugly car worked flawlessly, yet this luxurious vehicle posed a problem?

What was wrong with wealthy things? 

The wealthy thing, in human form I could say, seemingly noticing my struggle, leaned in just as I managed to free the seatbelt from whatever it had caught on. Involuntarily, I pressed back against the seat, my breath catching as his cologne infiltrated my senses. Our eyes locked—a moment that made me deeply regret letting my mom handle seatbelt duties. If I had been more cautious, perhaps I could have avoided this... well, this situation.

"Madison seems to have spoiled you quite a bit, huh?" he remarked, securing the seatbelt. His stormy eyes seemed to pierce through my soul, and with our faces this close, I was completely unsure how to react.

"I'm not spoiled," I managed to murmur softly, and he chuckled, lingering even after finishing the initial task of securing the seatbelt.

Why wasn't he moving away already?

"Doesn't seem like it, Hailey," he chuckled softly, shaking his head before finally leaning back.

Damn it! I almost wished he'd stuck with "Bunny." My name on his lips felt like velvet and rolled on his tongue like silk—too pleasing to my ears. And nothing too pleasing ever boded well, did it? Especially not when it concerned your stepbrother.

God, I so badly wished he were an eleven-year-old kid instead of this grown man. It would've made things so much simpler. I wouldn't have to worry about wet dreams of my soon-to-be stepbrother.

As he pulled away, adjusted in his seat, and started to drive, I found myself releasing the breath I'd held until that very moment.

Shifting in my seat, I did everything I could to avoid the scent of his cologne. But then he added another issue to my plate, reaching for a pack of cigarettes and extracting one while steering with one hand. I watched as he placed the cigarette between his long fingers before placing it between his plump pink lips, igniting it with a chic silver lighter that produced red flames. The light cast a glow on his beautiful features, the ember disappearing into the car as he took a drag and exhaled the smoke inside.

The acrid, unpleasant smell made me instinctively scrunch my nose in an attempt to avoid it. Despite my efforts, I ended up inhaling it, causing me to cover my mouth as I coughed.