He hugged me. “Do I look that different, Sis?”
Finally. I had someone who cared. I had family again, and no more jailors who made my life miserable. I didn’t want to let go, but I finally did and squeezed his arm. It was all real.
“I … yeah. You have way more muscles and tattoos now. You’re kind of scary.”
He clicked his keys and opened the passenger door. “Get in. Let’s get you a birthday cake.”
I dropped my bag in the front seat near my leg. Inside, I cringed. I’d been so stupid in not taking him up on his offer this morning. As he plopped into the driver’s seat I said, “I missed you.”
He pressed a button and the car roared to life. “This is the first birthday we get to spend together in years.”
He headed down Ohio River Boulevard toward downtown. For the first time in years I spoke without fear as I asked, “Where did you go when Lana kicked you out?”
He glanced at me but didn’t answer as he headed across the river bridge toward the part of Pittsburgh I hardly knew. He stopped at what looked like a five-star hotel and handed the keys to the valet.
“I slept in my car for a month,” he said, “And eventually, I made my way to Florida.”
“Florida?” I grabbed my bag and followed him inside.
He directed us to the elevator and took out his wallet. “There’s a good gym there, and I’ve learned to wrestle.”
“So you’re making money?” I asked.
He handed me a white card—a room key. I almost rocked but stepped into the elevator. Stone had no idea that I’d spent years of my life not being in control of my own bedroom door.
He said, “Yes, but mostly I have sponsors while I train for the Olympics.”
The Olympics. Wrestling. Life before Lana flashed in my mind. My father and Stone had watched the show like it was an addiction they shared. My lips curved higher into my cheeks. “Dad would have been happy.”
The elevator stopped and we headed down the hall.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “It’s not college.”
I trekked beside my brother. Laughter rang in my memory from the time when he’d been around, when our parents were alive. Now my heart thumped in an entirely new way. “So you really came back to Pittsburgh because it was my birthday?”
He nodded and pointed to a door. “Lana kicked me out right after dad’s funeral. She’s … vicious, and today, you’re an adult.”
His room had two beds. I went to the empty one that was neatly made up and stared at it. I refused to cry. I’d been sleeping on an old mattress on the floor for years, not that Stone knew, and this was all too good to be true. I heard the crying in my voice for tears I refused to shed. “I really tried to make her like me.”
He went to the closet and took out a huge red box as he said, “I can’t offer much. My apartment is small, as I use most of the money I have for training. But you’re the only family I have. When we get back to Florida, you’ll get the bedroom for yourself, and we’ll figure out the rest.”
As he handed me the box, I hugged him again and said, “I love you, Stone. Thank you for this.”
He shrugged and said, “The hotel room is free.”
I sat on the bed and held the box like it was the best present ever, which it was. Coco usually gave me a card with a gift card, which was sweet and the only nice gesture I’d get in that house. I swallowed and sighed. “It’s amazing. It has a real bed for me. I’ll be in heaven.”
He sat next to me and pointed at the box for me to open it. “I really wish she’d never had custody over you.”
“It’s over now. Let’s never mention Lana ever again,” I said.
Again, he pointed, and I opened the present. Five boxes were inside, labeled "fourteen", "fifteen", "sixteen", "seventeen" and "eighteen". One for every birthday we’d missed. Box fourteen contained pants and a shirt that were probably too small. Fifteen had a new phone with headphones. Sixteen was a set of pearls like our moms. Seventeen had a pink laundry bag with my name sewn on it. And eighteen was a new laptop.
Now, I wept. I was actually happy Lana had kicked me out. I had my brother, and this was enough.
Chapter 5
Emily
The mattress under my back was firm and, for once, there wasn’t a spring constantly poking into my spine.
I sighed. Sun shone on my face and my skin warmed. I’d not had this feeling on waking up in years, and I stretched without opening my eyes.
Waking up like this was a dream come true. And, the pillow was soft, but firm and awesome.
The air was filled with the smell of coffee, bacon, and eggs. And, I’d not cooked it. I sniffed again to be sure. Then, I batted my eyes open and saw my brother at the small table near the window, with a carafe of coffee, two plates of food, covered, and a basket of bread in the middle. Normally, I cooked everything for others.
I sat up and hugged my knees as he said, “Morning, sunshine.”
“I slept late,” I said and scooted out of my bed. My blue pajama bottoms were thin, with ragged threads that trailed along the clean carpet.
Stone nodded. “It’s okay.”
I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I used to do this every morning, and today it was like life started again. When I’d finished, I returned to the room and took the seat across from Stone. “It’s nice to have the sun in my face.”
He had already eaten half of his breakfast, but he put his fork and knife down. Once he finished his bite, he said, “Last night, I forgot to tell you—Indigo is getting married.”
I took the lid off my plate and saw more food than I normally ate in a day, but I covered it again and said, “That’s what started the fight with Lana. She, Cleo and Coco are going without me, despite how Lana feels the Steels are all trash.”
He stared at me like I wasn’t making sense as he said, “Well, we’re invited.”
Right. I took the cover off again and picked up my silverware as I said, “You said you don’t have much money. How would we get there?”
“Our cousins in Pittsburgh have a private jet. We’re flying out this afternoon with Olivia, Mary, Joseph and at least ten other cousins. I lost count on who’s on the flight to be honest.”
He sipped his coffee.
My heart pounded faster. Seriously? I massaged the back of my neck and said, “I’ve not seen any of them in years. But don’t you have a match here in Pittsburgh?”
“It’s after the wedding. Unlike you, I’ve known about the wedding for months.”
“So you came here for me?”
“I remember she who shall not be named.” He put his coffee down and stared at me. While his face was different, his eyes were still like our father’s as he asked, “Can I be honest with you?”
I nodded and said, “Sure.”
He pointed to my sleeves and the frayed cuffs as he said, “Your clothes are threadbare. I think we should toss all of them in your bag and hit a store to get jeans, shirts, pants and pretty much anything else you need.”
My hands trembled. I’d saved three thousand dollars because I never bought anything for myself. But Stone wasn’t rich, and I could hit a secondhand store if I needed to.
“You said you don’t have a lot of money.”
“I’m not poor, Sis.” He pointed at my outfit and said, “Besides, there is always a sale somewhere. And, you need clothes.”
I’d pay for myself. He didn’t need to know that, but he was right. New clothes for a new life. I smiled. “Okay. Just a few, as I can always wash them.”
We both ate our breakfasts, though he finished his while I was still on my fried egg. As he took his last bite he said, “Aren’t you going to open your present from Coco?”
Last night, we’d ordered a cake from room service and I’d not stopped crying over his gifts. I’d not do that now. I said, “I forgot. It’s usually a small gift card.”
He stood and handed me the small red bag and said, “At least one of them was n
ice to you.”
“She saw through her mother. Cleo idolized her.” I opened the envelope that had the birthday card, but instead of the usual gift card, there was something different. My pulse quickened.
Papers.
I opened them and saw the words “Last Will and Testament” and my father’s name.
He had bequeathed money to both Stone and me. Lana had never told us.
She earned half a million dollars from the insurance settlements which isn’t a question, but she got another half from the will, but only if she provided a roof over my head until I went to college. Plus, the house was hers to keep. But Stone and I were supposed to share the other half million dollars, literally half of my father’s estate from his business and stocks.
I tossed the papers at Stone and said, “Read this.”
“What the—" He said as he read through it. “I thought Dad thought I was worthless.”
His brown eyes met mine and I asked, “Can this be true?”
I massaged the back of my head and waited while he read it again. Stone blinked and put the papers down and asked, “What?”
My heart pounded. Lana had only kept me around because of conditions in the will that netted her money. I remembered how our dad had once said he was marrying Lana because she was a good mom. He’d never known the truth.
“Is there any way to verify this?” I asked.
Stone took pictures with his phone and gave the papers back to me and said, “We’ll ask our cousins to recommend a lawyer.”
My heart twisted. I didn’t want to go to court. It was better to never, ever hear her name again. Between grants and loans, I could manage college. My new life was starting. I didn’t want to face her again. I swallowed and said, “No lawyers. I just want to forget Lana.”
He froze. “That’s hard. She’ll be at Indigo’s wedding. Do you mean you don’t want to go after all? It’s all paid for, and you’ll be sitting next to me.”
The wedding. And seeing family. I pressed my hand on my heart and said, “You know what … I do want to go. I want to see what’s happened to my cousins. And, I want to see Napa.”
He stood up and patted me on the back as he passed. “So eat your breakfast and get dressed. I’ll be out in two minutes.”
I stuffed the rest of the egg in my mouth and swallowed a slice of bread. It was more than I normally ate. Then, I jumped up. I quickly counted out my small savings and shoved some in the bra I’d put on and inside the clothes I’d be wearing.
Old habit. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust my brother, but this was my entire safety net. I’d have nothing if I didn’t protect what little I had. I’d have to buy a bag today, to have somewhere better to keep it. As Stone came out, he left the bathroom open and I saw clean towels and soaps and shampoos.
I placed my stuff on the counter and, for the first time in years, washed with hot water.
I even sang. This was great. But eventually I had to turn off the shower and dry myself with a big, fluffy towel.
Stone didn’t say a word when I came out of the bathroom, but I saw that my white t-shirt had yellow stains I’d never been able to bleach out.
If I was going to see family again, it was time to look nice.
He was right. In the first department store we walked into, a bright red "sale" sign hung over the door. I hit the clearance section and tossed jeans and shirts into a basket. Stone kept showing me sundresses and reminding me we were off to California. I relented, and he added them to the growing pile. Finally, I went into the change room to try everything on and pare the basket down.
I tossed half of the things because they didn’t fit. I came out counting the shirts, pants and dresses I had left as I asked, “How many outfits do you think I’ll need?”
“At least five pairs of pants,” he said. He put everything in the basket and added, “Once we get to Cali, Olivia said the Steel women are all going to get their wedding outfits at some store Indigo picked out and contracted with.”
“Does that mean a discount?”
“Probably.”
Funny. It was like I was going to a ball or something. A wedding in Napa was the closest to prom I’d ever get.
I found a crossbody bag for my hidden cash. Stone asked my shoe size, then tossed a pair of sneakers and some flats into the basket on our way to the front.
“I’ve missed my family,” I said.
At the register, Stone swiped his card faster than I could grab my cash. He didn’t even blink at the three-hundred-and-fifty-dollar total. “Let’s make the plane.”
Right. We headed to his rented Lexus and I put my new purchases in the back seat. However, Stone closed it up again and we went to the next store. He grabbed a suitcase and paid for it, then gave it to me. I hopped into the back seat with it to pack my clothes as he drove to the airport.
I was done by the time we arrived at the rental return. When I stepped out with a bag to drag behind me, it was like I fit in with everyone else.
It had been forever since I’d been at the airport. We took the shuttle to the main concourse, and I blinked when I saw Lana, Cleo and Coco standing there.
I ducked behind Stone, who was bigger than any guy there, and he kept me going in another direction. But, when we were almost out of sight, the only friendly voice I’d heard for years called after us, “One minute!”
I turned around and she hugged me.
“Coco.”
“Lana didn’t see you,” she said quickly, and I noticed she was blocking me from seeing over her. She held my hands and said, “Look, I need to get back fast. Mom is still insisting we go to Napa, but I wanted to make sure you read the papers.”
When she let me go, I asked the question that had been bothering me. “How did you get the will?”
She pressed her hand on her heart and said, “It was in Mom’s office, with some other stuff from her lawyers. I saw it by accident and thought you should know. And Emily, I wanted to say, you were the best stepsister I could have asked for. I’m sorry I wasn’t stronger to stop Cleo and my mother from treating you so badly.”
I bounced on my feet. Coco deserved a normal family who would adore her just the way she was. I said, “It’s not your fault.”
She noticed my new bag but didn’t say anything. She then glanced up at my brother and said, “You’ve changed, Stone.”
For one second, I swear they both blushed at each other. Then, she quickly said to me, “And, you look beautiful, as you always do. Goodbye.”
She jetted back to her mom and we went in the opposite direction. Once I was sure we were safe, I said to Stone, “I almost wish she didn’t have to live with Lana.”
He glanced behind him. “Will she be staying there?”
“No,” I said. “She goes to UPenn in the fall. She’ll be fine.”
We followed signs for private planes now as he asked, “What about Cleo?”
We both took out our driver’s licenses to show security.
“Cleo will go to Pitt,” I said. Then, I asked, “Do you miss not going to college?”
He shrugged like he was fine. “I figure, if I get the gold, then it’s as good as graduating college.”
As a girl, I’d cringed and left the TV whenever I saw wrestlers get hurt. And I didn’t even know them. My stomach flipped at the thought it might now be Stone. I said, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He directed us like he knew all about getting through airports and onto private planes with stairs right off the tarmac.
“I’ve been mentally numb for years. Getting hurt makes me feel alive, so I actually enjoy a little pain.”
“That makes it sound like you don’t care about yourself.”
“Having you back gives me a reason to care.”
I stilled. “Is that bad?”
“It’s great. Now climb up the stairs.” He took my bag from me and handed it to one of the cabin crew. “Now that we’re here, you’ll have to get reacquainted with a dozen cousins.”
&
nbsp; I tensed. Some of my money was in my bag. But I kept going. As I stepped inside the plane, I saw what looked like a living room, where guys were playing a video game, tables were set with food, and everyone was laughing together.
I stayed at the door and asked Stone, “This is the private jet?”
“Yeah,” he said and placed his hand on my shoulder to get me to move. As we passed the guys with the game, a woman with brown hair and brown eyes opened her arms and hugged me as she asked, “Wow! Is that you, Emily?”
My mind raced, but her face sparked a memory in me. Guess not all the Steels were destined to be poor, as she looked amazing. I hugged her back and asked, “Olivia?”
She giggled, took my hand to lead me, and said, “Yes. So, you’re an adult now. Tell me about yourself.”
Stone took a seat with the men at the video game. I pushed my hair behind my ears and walked with Olivia.
I said, “I’m going to Austen in the fall, to study nursing.”
“Impressive!” she said. “Your parents would have been so proud.”
She led me toward the buffet table that was filled with food.
“Well, I’m sure you don’t remember us all, and not everyone’s on this flight. Georgie and her husband live in Tulsa. Ridley and her husband are flying in from Texas. And, Nicole is flying in with her husband from Norden.”
My eyes widened. I’d seen the country on a map, but really knew nothing about the place other than that it was in Europe. “Norden?”
“Yes, she’s a princess now.”
Royalty? I was related to a princess! I tapped the table. This was the opposite of what Lana thought of my family. “And, Indigo is marrying a billionaire?”
For a second I stopped breathing. I had always had to work so hard for the little money I earned.
Olivia nodded. “Actually, they got married in Vegas a little while ago. But they wanted to have a big celebration with family.”
She held up a bottle of water and indicated I could have anything I wanted from the selection on the table, including wine and beer. “Ridley married a billionaire, too. And, Georgie married a professional baseball player.”
Charming Boyfriend: A Cinderella Retelling (Steel Series Book 8) Page 4