The Stepbrother

Alright...

Andie watched Eric's face go blank. She had intended for her suggestion to sound purely innocent, but what if it came off too strong? What if he could hear her secret desire to know what a spanking would feel like? After all, that was the reason behind why she was so distracted in class... She could think of nothing else but receiving the same kind of reprimand that Morgan had.

Eric tried to speak; his mouth moved but no words formed. Andie shifted nervously in her seat.

"Why..." Eric began, his words slowly falling from his lips. "Why would you want that?"

Andie chewed on the inside of her cheek before answering. "It...it seems to help Morgan." She looked down at her hands while she answered. "And she and John have been closer because of it..."

Andie lifted her head after a moment of silence when no reply came from Eric. He was looking at her, his blue eyes intently focused on her's. He seemed to be mulling over the idea before asking: "so, you want us to be closer?"

Andie offered a nod.

"And you think...that...would help?"

Again, Andie nodded, with a slight hesitation this time before also saying: "I think so."

Eric's hand passed over his face before settling across his mouth. His eyes lowered and he fell into a deep thought.

It wasn't what he had in mind when he and Andie had sat down to discuss her incomplete assignments. Then again, he didn't have much in mind when he addressed her with his emotions in such a turmoil.

"If we were closer, you wouldn't lie to me?" he asked her, his voice gruffer than he intended it to be.

Blushing with regret, Andie offered another nod. "Yes," she spoke softly. "I'm sorry I did..."

"But why?" Eric demanded, dropping his hand from his face and addressing her head-on. "Why did you lie to me? You haven't answered that question yet."

"I..." Andie started quickly and then faltered, returning her attention to her hands in her lap and fiddling with her fingers with great anxiety. "I wanted your attention."

A baffled huff of hair escaped Eric's chest. "M-my attention? So, you did this on purpose?"

Tears welled in Andie's eyes as she nodded again.

"Andie, do you have any idea how angry that makes me?" Eric stood up and started to pace around the room, his agitation rising. "You could have just talked to me. We were doing better, at least I thought we were doing better. Weren't we?"

"Yes," Andie's voice cracked, and she ducked her head as far down as she could to hide her tears but Eric saw them anyway.

She looked so...helpless, and sorry, and Eric felt his anger dissipate greatly.

With a sigh, he returned to the couch and sat opposite her. Leaning forward on his knees once again, he dropped his head and stared at his clasped hands.

"All of this to get my attention so that I would feel inclined to..." Eric trailed off and shook his head before starting again. "I don't think you understand what that is, Andie. John does that to Morgan to discipline her. It's a punishment. It's not meant to feel good."

"I know that," Andie answered quickly, her voice hoarse from her throat thickening as the desire to cry loomed just beneath the surface of her emotions.

"So, then, you want me to punish you?" Eric clarified firmly, and after a long moment of hesitation, Andie offered a small nod.

Eric stared at her for a significant amount of time, his feelings torn. He understood, in a way, why the idea of Eric disciplining Andie would appeal to her. It would give her everything she felt she was missing since her parents died: structure, guidance, attention, even care. And then there was the 'strength' that Scott Graham had mentioned; the thing that Andie needed...wanted.