Anti-Stepbrother
“Yes.”
“You might not like me, but I’m not a complete dick.”
“You’re an asshole.”
He grunted, turning onto the interstate. “Don’t hold back, Stoltz. Tell me what you really think.”
“I—” was being the dick. Not him. “I’m sorry.” I sighed. “I’m not used to this.”
He glanced over at me. “What are you used to?”
Being invisible. “Kevin was the popular one in high school. I…”
“Wasn’t?”
I nodded. “I wasn’t an outcast or anything, but I wasn’t what he is, or was back then. I just was.”
He gave me a half-grin. “If it makes you feel better, the only people Kevin’s popular with here are girls who want to cheat on their boyfriends.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Touché.”
He chuckled, and I closed my eyes. His laugh slid over me like a warm caress, and a tingle shot through me, giving me an excited buzz low in my stomach. I pressed a hand there, trying to calm my nerves.
“You shouldn’t do things like that,” I told him.
“What?”
“Laugh like that.”
“First you didn’t want me to acknowledge you, and now I’m not supposed to laugh?” He shook his head, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “You have issues.”
I sat back, dumbstruck for a moment. It was true. Kevin was my issue. “I meant that when you laugh like that—” I stopped. I was about to confess all the tingles and warm feelings. He was right. What the hell was going on with me? I’d never been like this before. I frowned to myself as I thought back.
I’d been nice.
I’d been quiet.
I’d been boring.
That was all in high school. I snuck a glance at Caden. I was saying things I normally wouldn’t. I was feeling things I normally wouldn’t. This guy was an asshole at first. I hadn’t liked him, but now he was different. It had been Kevin for so long, and now suddenly someone else was getting inside of me.
“I’m sorry.”
He took an exit and turned into a ritzy neighborhood. “Sorry for what?”
“For being crazy.”
A small laugh left him. “You’re a bit much. I have no idea what’s going to come out of your mouth, and I’m usually prepared when it comes to chicks.”
My lip twisted as I held back a grin. “Chicks?”
“Yeah.” He took a right, slowing down, but he looked at me for a second. “Why? Was that wrong to say?”
“No. I don’t know why that’s funny to me.”
He didn’t reply, but nodded toward the street. “This is the neighborhood Jill said Marcus is in. Keep an eye out. I don’t know if your people are with them or not.”
The houses were extravagant. Some had gated driveways. Some had fountains on their front lawns. Some were completely hidden behind a wall. My dad was the general manager at a large company in the town where we lived, and Kevin’s mom was a nurse. I knew both were well-off, and we’d moved into Sheila’s home because it was the bigger one. More space. We’d had our own pool and an extra floor of guest rooms, but it wasn’t anything like these houses. These weren’t houses. They were mansions.
I regarded Caden. “Are you from here?”
“What?”
I pointed to the houses. “The girl back there implied you’d know this area. Is your house one of these?”
He started to laugh, but stopped himself. “You’re serious?”
“Yeah.”
He straightened in his seat and shook his head. “I live with your stepbrother. And you were at Marcus’ house. We don’t live up here.”
“Why’d she imply you would know this neighborhood?”
“My brother knows this neighborhood. His girlfriend lives up here.”
“Maggie?”
He nodded. “She’s from North River. She still lives with her parents.”
“Oh.”
“You mentioned a friend before. Was that the same girl you were at Marcus’ party with? Avery?”
I nodded. “She said she went to high school with Maggie. She must be from North River too.”
He took another right, turning into a cul-de-sac, and slowed to point out a large white-bricked house. “That’s Maggie’s. I thought they might come here to hang out for a bit.”
There was no gate or wall, so we were able to see the house. The only car parked in the driveway was a silver Prius. “That’s not hers?”
“I don’t think so, but it doesn’t matter. Marcus’ truck isn’t here.” He leaned forward to get a better look, then sat back and maneuvered his Land Rover in a circle, heading back out. “I’ll keep looking.”
“Maggie’s with him, right?”
“Yeah.”
“His phone is off, but is hers? You could call her.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You have her phone number?”
“You don’t have your brother’s girlfriend’s phone number?”
The corner of his mouth lifted up in a half smirk. “Do you?”
Well. I squared my shoulders. Fuck. He got me with that one.
“Stepbrother,” I mumbled, but I shut up after that. We drove for a few more blocks in silence, but we weren’t finding them. The few blocks stretched into a few miles, and it wasn’t long before we had searched the entire neighborhood. Caden paused at a stoplight. There was one more street to check, but he hit the turn signal. He was going to go left, which led back to school.