Step Brother

Chapter 16

We set off at six in the morning again. I avoid Maddox as much as I can but sitting in the back seat with him makes it hard to do. When I finally sneak a peek at him, he looks really pale with dark bags below his eyes. I hardly slept and I know he didn't sleep that much either. It just wasn't the same without him there next to me.

"Try to get some sleep, kids. It's going to be a long trip," Jason says as he drives away from the house.

"You poor kids look so tired," my mom frowns, looking back at us.

I glance at Maddox who has his eyes closed before leaning my head against the window. Closing my eyes, I try to sleep but it's impossible. My mind wanders back to Maddox and I fight the thoughts away which keeps me up.

I sleep on and off for the twenty hour drive, only getting out of the car for bathroom breaks. Maddox hardly moves at all and I know I hurt him. This thing hurt both of us. But there's nothing we can do now.

I couldn't possibly be anymore thankful when we get home. Leaving my stuff behind, I climb the stairs and fall face first onto my bed. I only look up when I hear a thud. Maddox dropped my bags on the floor and is now walking away. After shutting the door, I slip beneath the blankets and sleep through the next day.

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"Gosh I've missed you so much!" Brooke says, hugging me tightly.

I chuckle softly. "It wasn't even a full week."

Pulling away, she sits on my bed. I sit next to her and lean against the headboard. "It felt like a year," she sighs. "Tell me about the trip."

"I got to meet their family. We went out a few times. Nothing really," I shrug.

She rolls her eyes. "You make it sound so boring. Well, I had a great week. Adeline and I are renting a two bedroom apartment downtown. Can you believe it?" she asks. "We're actually moving in together!"

My eyes widen and my jaw drops. "No way! That's amazing."

"Yeah," she nods. "I'm so excited."

Wait, I say to myself, she said 'two bedroom'.

"Why'd you guys get a two bedroom?" I ask.

She shrugs. "All the one bedrooms were tiny."

I smile mischievously. "I'll rent the other room."

She seems to think this over for a moment then frowns. "For one, you don't even have a job. And two, you'll be leaving for college in less than a month."

Damn. The woman has a point. I snap my fingers as an idea comes to mind. "I have money saved up from working. I'll pay half the rent if you let me stay with you for a month."

She eyes me suspiciously. "Okay. What's up with you? You're acting weird."

I look down at my fidgeting fingers in my lap. As much as I want to tell her, there's still a big part of me that doesn't. She'll judge me in a way only best friends can and I'm afraid that'll hurt me even more. "I screwed up," I say quietly. "Big time."

After staring at me for a long moment, she gets up and closes the door. Taking a seat next to me, she urges me on. "There's no stopping now. Spill it."

I keep my eyes down, unable to see the look she'll give me. "The night of the party, Maddox and I were sitting on the roof. We kissed," I admit quietly.

Glancing up, I see her hands are covering her face. "I was totally not expecting that," she says, dropping her hands. "Please tell me that was the first and last time anything happened."