The Stepbrother // Luke Hemmings

"who is she?"

22| "who is she?"

I don't know how long I stand, shocked, staring at the back of the closed door, but when the house phone rings, loud and annoyingly, I quickly snap out of my daze and hurry to answer it.

Leaning over to read the caller ID, I roll my eyes at the sight of my mom's name and then I take a deep and steady breath before answering it.

Be cool, Annie. "Um, hey mom."

"Hey, Annie doll. What's going on? Where's Luke?"

I freeze. Does she know? Did Luke tell? Do parents know when they're kids have inappropriate relations? Cradling the phone in the crook of my shoulder, I hesitantly pace around the living room. "What do you mean?"

She laughs, her voice light and chirpy, "Where's Luke? What are you guys up to?"

Deciding that it'd be best not to tell her that Luke left, I swallow and lie. "We're just hanging out and watching movies."

"Oh, whatcha watching?"

Seriously, mom? I open my mouth to talk, but I'm lost for words, and I nervously look around the living room; trying to think up a movie title on the spot. "The um, the ... couch ... pillows?"

I mentally slap myself, and I squeeze my eyes shut and tip my head back while I wait for her to declare that she knows everything. I'm lying, and I kissed my stepbrother.

She laughs again, "The Couch Pillows?"

I nod, more so trying to reassure myself rather than her, "Yeah um, it's about a couch whose um, whose pillows um, come to life."

"Oh," there's a pause and just when I think that she's not buying my shitty lie and I'm in deep deep shit, she laughs, "that sounds funny. Maybe we'll all watch it together when we get back."

Yeah, I seriously doubt it. "Maybe."

"Oh, I almost forgot, where's Luke? I need to talk to him. Andrew's worried that he still might be allergic to cinnamon, and if so we might have to alter the menu."

And just like that, I'm hyperventilating. My eyes widen almost twice their normal size, and my pacing quickens. Shit! I'm fucked, it's over.

"He um, he's um," Snapping my fingers quickly in front of me, I do everything I possible can to get myself to think up of a lie, "Bathroom! Yeah, that's right, he's uh, in the bathroom."

"Alright, we-" she stops talking and the phone crackles, before there's a lot of indistinct talking in the background.

Anxiously, I take a seat on the edge of the couch and run my fingers through my hair. After waiting a few, I say, "Mom?"

"Oh! Annie, you wouldn't believe this. The damn caterer has got it all wrong. There's no chocolate desserts and red wine when we ordered white! Doll, I'm just gonna have to call you back, alright?"

I sigh, relieved, and I nod quickly. "Don't worry. We'll speak tomorrow, when you guys are home."

"Of course, we love you both. Goodnight."

I say goodnight, quickly hang up on her, and throw myself back down on the couch, letting out a deep sigh. If that's what it's like on the phone, me acting all nervous and jumpy, then I can only imagine what it's gonna be like when I'm actually face to face with her and Andrew.

Tossing the phone aside, I stand up and head upstairs. Maybe, I just need to sleep this off and not think about Luke, or the stupid kiss. Oh, the stupid, sweet, sensual, unexpected kiss.

Throwing my head back, I groan. I'm never gonna stop thinking about this. I mean, it's not easy forgetting lips like his. They were so smooth and velvety, and the cool metal of his ring only made things better.

Shaking my head, I start to head in my room. But then out of the corner of my eye, I see that Luke's door is still open and I can't help myself. Pushing open the door, I close it behind me and gently pad over to his bed, before dipping one knee down onto the plush mattress, and then slowly taking a seat all together.

Everything is warm, and of Luke's scent and for some reason butterflies erupt in my stomach. I never liked a guy before, and it seems like such little time that I've known Luke, but I guess besides his obvious handsome physical features, it's just all the little things that makes him more appealing to me.

Like his smirks, and his witty comebacks that annoy the shit out of me, and those songs. Speaking of, leaning over, I reach my hand down underneath his bed and feel around for his guitar.

Only, instead of the large instrument, my fingers meet the sides of a cardboard box and I peek over the edge before dragging it out and placing it on my lap. It's a small brown box, that's worn and water damaged around the sides and on the top, there's a name printed on the top in thick, black magic marker.

Liz.

It's was recently written. I can still smell the ink. I trace the letters with my index, and then down to lid of the box.

I shouldn't, I really shouldn't. He's already upset with me, and if he comes back and see's me rifling through his shit, he might really blow his top.

Shaking my head, I rest my head in my head in my hands and contemplate. To open, or not to open? That is the question.

OK, Hamlet. You might wanna get on with this. Alright, just a peek. There's no way, he's gonna come back tonight. No way.

Nodding, I gently lift the lid and set it aside before peering it. There's a bunch of clean, white, envelopes inside addressed to him from this mysterious Liz, and I pick them up and carefully surf through them.

There's at least ten, and not a single one of them are open.

At the bottom of the box there's a picture. I carefully grab it out and place the letters back before staring at it.

It's a woman.

She's blonde and tall and I'm taken aback at how beautiful she is. There's a bright smile on her face, and wide, clear blue eyes stare happily back at me.

Who is she?

Only, I can't ponder for long because the sound of the front door opening and closing startles me. Flinching, I put the lid on the box and slide it under the bed, before jumping up off the bed. Then, I realize I'm still holding the picture.

But it's too late. Luke is already starting up the stairs.

Fuck. Slipping it into my shorts pocket, I flatten myself against the wall and once again, think of another lie to tell Luke why I'm in here.

Unclasping my bracelet, I toss it on the floor by his bed. That'll save me some time.

His footsteps stop by the door, and he sighs, "Yes, I know."

Knows what? Is he talking to me? Does he know I'm in here? I move closer, straining to hear.

"He doesn't know," Luke murmurs. "No one knows."

What? Is he talking about me? Our kiss? My heart speeds up.

"I know, I miss you too."

He's on the phone. Obviously.

"I got the picture, along with the all the other letters you've been sending me." Luke whispers.

I freeze, my hand involuntarily going down to my pocket. The picture. It's her, he's talking to her.

"It was nice seeing you too, but I can't keep sneaking around to see you. Either he's gonna find out or I'm gonna tell him."

And that's when I realize. This is her.

The booty call.

--

Well well well. Bet you all thought Liz wasn't gonna be in the story, huh?