It took all the strength I had to sit politely through our early dinner without screaming. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Winston or I was upset with my mother for hastily getting married after being single for twenty years. If Winston were just some guy, things would be different. But, I felt like I knew Winston, and he might not be the right man for my mother.

Don’t get me wrong—Winston was the total package. He was a very handsome man and had impeccable manners with my mother. When we were seated at our reserved table, he pushed her chair in for her. He opened all the doors for her and said all the right things. She giggled as though she were a spinster going to the ball with a prince. I loved seeing her happy, but I feared it might not last.

At the same time, I was conflicted with the news of having a new stepbrother. Alex seemed very unhappy about the whole thing, which didn’t surprise me. But, since I was typically the uptight one, it was weird seeing him so damn tense. It was a side of him I had never witnessed before. Sure, I had only truly known him for about a week, but every other experience with him indicated he was a super chill guy. Back at his office, he looked ready to crawl out of his skin.

“So, your mother tells me you’re going to business school so you can become a hedge fund manager,” Winston beamed. “It’s such a fantastic coincidence that was my career for many years, and it’s what my son is doing.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what my dad did,” I replied between bites of dessert.

“I’ve heard about him,” Winston said solemnly. “It sounds like he would be very proud of you.”

I shrugged. “I guess.”

“I’d be happy to help you out in any way I can,” he said. “I know we’ve only just met, but your mom talks about you all the time. I know that business school is going to be a pretty big expense.”

“Yeah,” I said, wondering where he was going with this.

“Since we’re family now, I just want you to know that your mother and I decided we would pay for the rest of your schooling. It’s the least we can do to help you achieve your dreams.”

“Really?” I asked skeptically.

“Of course. I paid for all of Alex’s school. I expect that he’d do the same for his own kids one day, but it’s looking more and more like he’s never going to have kids. I’ll expect that he starts a scholarship fund or something instead.”

I laughed at the thought of Alex becoming an old, rich philanthropist. Even funnier was the thought of him chasing kids around the house.

“Thanks,” I said. “That will help a lot.”

The couple beamed at each other again, thinking that they were just sprinkling blessings upon their combined children. If only they knew what the real issue at hand was. I hoped that my mom would never find out about Alex and me. In all fairness, we met before they did, but I still think she’d be shocked to learn that I was canoodling with a professor.

When our meal was over, my mom invited me back to Winston’s place to hang out. I declined, feeling too weird about going to what was once his bachelor pad. My brother and I weren’t terribly close, but at that moment, I wished I had some backup. It would be less awkward to have another family member around.

So, I used the homework excuse to get out of another engagement. There was no way I was going to do any homework now. I needed to vent to someone who would enjoy the preceding events way too much.

“You’re fucking kidding me!” she exclaimed. “She got married?”

“To Alex’s dad, of all people,” I whined. “How awful is that?”

“That is super weird. You’ve got an incest thing going on now, don’t you? He’s technically your brother.”

“We don’t share any common ancestors,” I yelled.

“Yeah, I know,” she giggled. “It’s still funny to think about it, though. So, you’re going to see him at Thanksgiving and Christmas from now on. Do you sneak from your bedroom to his at the family home?”

“No!”

“But you wouldn’t even think about it?”

I bit my lip. “I don’t know.”

“Is your mom happy?”

“Happier than I’ve seen her in a very long time.”

“That’s good.”

“I don’t know if it is,” I said wringing my hands. “Alex told me about his father. He’s not the kind of man that I want my mother married to.”

“Why not? Is he an ass like his son?”

“He’s very nice. Perhaps he is too nice. This is his sixth marriage.”

Carol gasped. “His sixth?”

“I know. The last five have all been within the last ten years or so. He’s gone through more wives in that time than I’ve gone through bras. It’s absurd. I laughed about it when Alex told me because I couldn’t believe that anyone would marry someone with so many ex-wives. I mean, there are a million red flags.”

“Then why did she do it?” Carol asked. “I’ve met your mom, she seems like a reasonable woman.”

“She usually is. I don’t know what’s come over her. I’ve never known her to get serious with a boyfriend, let alone want to marry one. This is so unlike her. I want her to be happy, but I’m worried.”

“Maybe he’s good in bed like his son,” she suggested.

I cringed at the thought. “Never mention my mom having sex again.”

“Okay, okay,” she giggled. “Who knows what she sees in him. Love makes you do crazy things.”

“I guess. I wouldn’t know.”

Carol raised an eyebrow at me. “No?”

I shook my head.

“I’m not so sure about that. You’ve been acting stranger than ever since you started hooking up with Alex. It’s like you’re a completely different person. It’s not a bad thing, either. You’re suddenly much more badass than you’ve ever been.”

I frowned at this assertion. “I’m not in love with Alex. It’s nothing even close to that.”

“How do you know if you’ve never been in love before?”

I thought for a minute. She had me there, but I knew that I wasn’t in love.

“I’ve only been with him for a little longer than a week. We’re not exclusive. I’m not interested in having a long term relationship. He’d be a terrible partner and an even worse spouse. He’s crass and rude sometimes and thinks of himself before anyone else.”

“So? None of those things disqualify you for being in love with him.”

I stood up and started pacing around as I thought. “Infatuated, sure. Love, absolutely not. I do not love Alex Rye. He does not love me.”

“So you wouldn’t try to take your relationship to the next level if you could?”

“But I can’t,” I objected. “We’re stepsiblings now!”

“So it’s over?”

I hung my head. I hadn’t wrapped my mind around that part. It was shocking to find ourselves more connected than we once thought, so much so that I forgot about the finer details.

The truth was, I was in no way ready to stop seeing Alex. I knew that inevitably, the day would come when our affair would fizzle out or explode. We were not meant to be forever. There were just too many things keeping us apart. But, I fully intended on seeing him for as long as it was enjoyable. We were just two consenting adults who happened to have spectacular chemistry.

“I’m not sure if I can see him anymore,” I said as I came to the realization.

Carol nodded. “That’s understandable. What terrible timing.”

“Yeah,” I said gloomily. “What do I do now?”

“Go back to normal?”

I sighed. I wasn’t sure how to do that. I could hardly sit through a minute of class without imagining Alex on top of me. If I couldn’t be in his presence without wanting him, how was I supposed to do a summer internship in his office? My future depended upon what I learned in that internship. But, it was just too awkward and uncomfortable now.

“I’m not sure if I can,” I said.

“Well, you probably need to talk to him,” she said.

I cringed. “And say what—welcome to the family? Ask for pictures for the family photo album?”

“Maybe figure out what you’re going to do next. What if he isn’t as freaked out by this as you are? He’s probably used to getting a new family every few months. You’re the one who’s having a hard time coming to terms with this new arrangement. What if he wants you to work with him? What if he still wants to hook up with you? Is your relationship one where you could still be friends without the sex?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then you should talk to him. Give him a call and tell him what you’re worried about. Listen to what he has to say. Try to figure out an arrangement that works for both of you.”

I nodded. “I will—eventually. I just want a little time to myself. My mom is married to a serial cheater and I don’t know if she’s aware of it. I should probably make sure everything is okay on her end before I even worry about my problems.”

“Suit yourself,” Carol said, heading back to her room. “You can’t procrastinate on this conversation forever, though. Eventually, you’ll have to talk to him.”

“I know,” I replied, even though I was considering never discussing the topic with Alex ever again. My current plan was to leave him alone for as long as possible.

I retreated to my room and sent my mom a quick text, telling her I was happy to see her so happy, and that I would be turning off my phone so I could get some studying done. While this was mostly factual, the real reason was that I didn’t want to be tempted to talk to Alex, nor did I want to respond to his messages. But, perhaps most of all, I didn’t want to sit by my phone, waiting for a call that never came.

These things had a way of working themselves out. In time, the familial upheaval would settle down, and life would remain unchanged for me. Yes, it would be heartbreaking to see my mother get divorced years down the line, but we would get through it when the time came. There was no use in worrying about something so far in the future.

And, with any luck, I may be so successful by then that I could just buy myself a private island and work from there. I would not let a Rye get to me, no matter how rich and charming one might be.