Stepbrother Catfish: The Complete Series

by Sweet, Izzy

  The delivery guy heads for the elevator. I drop the garment bag and tear off the lid to the box. Inside is a pair of black stiletto heels. Just what I need. I lean against the wall and slip the heels on.

  The elevator dings, the doors slide open, and out comes Andrew nearly colliding with the delivery man.

  It’s official. There’s no doubt about it now. The universe not only hates me, it wants to completely destroy me.

  The two guys exchange apologies and step around each other.

  Andrew looks to me, I don’t think he’s noticed Tiffany yet. “Hailey, are you okay? What’s going on? I rushed over here because I thought something happened to you…”

  I feel like a deer caught in headlights. I freeze, unable to act. I thought I had more time to get away. I thought I wouldn’t have to face him.

  Tiffany steps out from behind me and Andrew comes to a halt.

  His eyes narrow at Tiffany, “What are you doing here?”

  “I knew you were hiding someone. Her purse was on the counter.”

  Andrew looks to me and takes a step toward me. Somehow I find myself taking a step back.

  He frowns at me now and his brow furrows, “Did she say something to you, Hailey? Did she threaten you?”

  Tiffany gasps and I shake my head. I so don’t want to be doing this.

  “Really, Andrew? I didn’t come over here to threaten Hailey. I came over to share our good news.”

  “Our good news?” Andrew asks as if he doesn’t have a clue what she’s talking about.

  I don’t want to see this. I don’t want to see Andrew find out he’s about to be a father. If I see joy on their faces, if I see them come together in front of me for their baby, I will literally die of a broken heart.

  I can’t breathe, I’m holding my breath. My eyes ache with the tears they’re holding back.

  Tiffany’s manicured hands drop to her belly, cradling it as she says, “We’re going to have a baby.”

  “Get the fuck out,” Andrew snaps.

  Together, Tiffany and I both gasp in shock.

  “You mean her, right?” Tiffany stammers.

  Andrew shakes his head and his fists tighten at his sides. “No, you, you crazy bitch. Get the fuck out before I have security toss your ass out.”

  Tiffany bursts into tears. I look at Andrew as if he’s turned into some kind of monster.

  “What is wrong with you?” I yell at him.

  Andrew’s eyes go wide and I find myself yelling some more. It’s like all the sadness, all the defeat has jumped at the chance to turn into anger. And all I want to do is unload, on him. “She’s carrying your baby. You can’t just throw her out on the street!”

  “She is not carrying my baby!” Andrew snaps back, his face going red. Then he curses and quickly apologizes, “I’m sorry, Hailey. I don’t want to yell at you…”

  I sure as hell want to yell at him but Tiffany let’s out a shrill whine and rushes past us. I watch her back as she makes it all the way to the elevator, whining and sobbing. And Andrew doesn’t lift a finger to stop her. In fact, he looks more relieved than anything.

  The elevator doors slide open and I look back at him in disbelief. “You’re seriously kicking her out?” I ask, my voice much softer now. Who is this man? I don’t even know him. He’s nothing like I thought he was.

  Andrew rakes his fingers through his hair and watches the elevator doors close. When the ding chimes, he turns back to me and says, “Look, Hailey, I can explain…”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “You can take your explanation and shove it up your ass, Andrew!” I yell at him and make for the elevator.

  I should have left with Tiffany. Now I have to wait for it to drop her off at the bottom and come back up before I can make my escape.

  “Hailey, please!” Andrew calls out as he chases after me. He grabs me by the arm and I have to stop. I can’t run in these blasted heels.

  “Get your hands off me!” I snap and try to shake him off my arm.

  His fingers squeeze and he spins me around to face him. “Don’t leave like this, Hailey,” he pleads. “Please, talk to me.”

  I close my eyes, refusing to look at him, and shake my head. I will not allow myself to be swayed by his hurt puppy dog eyes. I will not let him weaken me. “Let go of me, Andrew. I don’t want to hear it.”

  “So it’s like that then, Hailey? You’re just going to take her word for it and hate me? You don’t even know her.”

  I shake my head again and the tears start falling. I don’t even know you, Andrew AKA AJ. Even though my eyes are closed, they’re leaking.

  “Well, I don’t care what you want. I’m not letting you get away thinking the worst of me.” Andrew sighs and I flinch as he touches my cheek. “Don’t walk away from us, Hailey.”

  My throat is so tight it feels like I’m choking on the words as I speak, “I’m not walking, I’m running.”

  “She’s not pregnant with my child, Hailey. She’s a liar, I swear” Andrew tries to convince me.

  I shake my head. I try to shake him off my arm, but he won’t let go.

  “Tiffany is crazy,” Andrew goes on. “Technically she was my girlfriend over a month ago. I kept trying to break it off, but she wouldn’t accept it…”

  “I don’t care,” I say, but he ignores me. I don’t want the explanations. I don’t want the lies piled on top of lies. I just want to get out of here.

  “I stopped talking to her completely over two weeks ago hoping she’d get the message. When she showed up, I didn’t explain it to you because I wanted her to find you.”

  “What?” I ask in disbelief. “Why?”

  “I want everyone to know about us, Hailey. If she caught you, we’d be out. There would be no more hiding what we feel for each other. The look on your face…”

  “Then why didn’t you lead her to the closet?” I ask, still not believing him.

  “You looked so upset, I just couldn’t do it. When I got her to the bedroom and you weren’t there, I just decided I couldn’t do it to you that way.”

  After all he’s already done to me, he drew the line at that?

  “Why not?” I ask and then regret it. See, already he’s sucking me back in. I’m tangling myself up in his web of lies.

  “Because I don’t want you to be ashamed of what is between us. Our love isn’t something that’s dirty or ugly just because our parents married first. I’ve loved you from the moment my eyes touched you. I loved you before they wed. I love you and I don’t care what anyone else thinks about it.”

  Dammit. I’m so mad at him and he has to say something like that, confusing me even more. My heart leaps to hear that he loves me, only to break when I think he’s only telling me what I want to hear.

  I look up at Andrew, but all I have for him are more tears. I want to believe him, I desperately want to believe him, but there’s been too many lies, too many deceptions, and too many hurts. I don’t know what’s real and what’s not anymore.

  He can see it in my eyes.

  Andrew curses softly, “Fuck.” He roughly rakes his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. “I’ve fucked everything up.”

  I look away from him. My tears fall and shatter against the floor, just like my heart. Just like us. The elevator dings, reminding me I need to get out of here.

  “All of this…. All this is because I love you and want nothing more in this world than to be with you. You are everything to me, Hailey. Without you,” his fingers squeeze me, “there’s no reason to exist.”

  My heart still leaps with joy at his words. I’m weak to him. Weak to his sweet words, weak to his hurt eyes, and weak to his touch. If I stay here, I just know he’s going to sweet talk me into doing something I will regret. I so tired of being hurt.

  I can’t make a rational decision, I can’t figure out what to believe under this kind of shock and stress.

  “I need space,” I say softly. “And time to think.”

  I look
back up and he hesitates. I can see it in his eyes that he doesn’t want to give up, he doesn’t want to let me get away. He wants to keep talking, keep convincing me, but I don’t want to hear any more. Even if he’s telling me the truth, right now I just can’t believe him.

  I pull on my arm, at first I don’t think he’s going to let go. I pull again and he releases me.

  Nodding his head while wearing a look of defeat he says, “Alright. If that’s what you need.”

  I almost sigh with relief before he adds, “I’ll give you a ride home.”

  “No,” I say quickly, too quickly. Just the thought of being trapped with him, in an even smaller place, sends my heart racing with panic. “I’ll take a cab.”

  “You can’t go like that…”

  I look down at myself, forgetting what’s wrong. I’m only wearing one of his shirts and it fits me like a dress but one strong breeze and I’ll be flashing everyone.

  “Here, take this.” He shrugs himself out of his jacket and then drapes it over my shoulders. I bite my lip. Now, I’m surrounded by his warmth. I’m surrounded by his smell. I’m surrounded by him.

  “Thank you,” I choke out. All I want to do is take the jacket off, I don’t want the reminder of him and I don’t want him coming for it.

  “I’ll walk you out.”

  “No, please don’t,” I say and turn away.

  My eyes drop to the floor and I walk forward. My world is falling apart but somehow my body still works. One foot goes in front of another then another. Barely looking up, I push the button on the wall with the arrow pointed down.

  He hangs back. I sense him anxiously shifting from foot to foot. The elevator dings, the doors slide open. Before he tries to stop me again, I rush in.

  I have to turn back around to push the button for the lobby, but I keep my eyes averted. I can’t bring myself to look at him. If I look at him, I’ll lose it again.

  “Take all the time you need, Hailey,” he says sadly as the doors start to close. “I’ll be here, waiting.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I hate this elevator. I never want to ride in it again. The descent to the first floor takes forever, and as soon as Andrew is out of sight, I feel like crying again.

  I feel so confused and so stupid. I could very well be running away from the best thing to ever happen to me. A big part of me doesn’t believe him just because I want to believe him so bad. I can’t trust him because I can’t even trust myself to make the right decision.

  The elevator dings and the doors slide open. I settle my purse on my shoulder and walk out with my chin up. Thankfully, the lobby is empty save for the security guard at his post. He doesn’t look up from his computer so I make it out with most of my dignity intact.

  Outside, there’s a cab already waiting. I usually don’t have such good luck but at the moment, I’m not going to question it. I just want to get home, climb in my bed, and stay there for a while. I rush forward while clutching my jacket shut. I reach out and grab the door handle when I swear I hear clicking behind me.

  I look back and sure enough, Tiffany is on my heels. “Hey!” she calls out. “Do you mind if I catch a ride with you?”

  I could pretend not to hear her, but then I’d feel really bad.

  She must have been waiting for me. In fact, I bet she called the cab. I sigh. What choice do I have? I could refuse and give her the cab, after all, she could very well be pregnant, but the thought of standing out here, waiting, and potentially running into Andrew again, fills me with dread.

  “I guess,” I say reluctantly and step back. I motion her in ahead of me.

  Her face lights up with a smile. She says, “Thanks,” and climbs in the cab.

  I slip in after her.

  “Where to?” The driver asks as I close the door.

  I look to Tiffany, expecting her to give him her address.

  She smiles at me, “Where do you live?”

  “I, uh…” I stutter.

  Her smile only grows wider, “It’s your cab.”

  Gah. I don’t want her to know where I live. How do I get myself into these messes?

  Tiffany looks entirely too pleased with herself. I have no clue what she’s up to, or even if she’s up to anything at all. Andrew called her crazy, and now I’m all paranoid. I give the driver an address a couple of blocks away from my place, you know, just in case.

  Unfortunately, I live on the other side of town, and apparently Tiffany wants to make small talk.

  “Have you known Andrew long?” she tries to ask innocently.

  Inside I’m groaning. He’s the last thing I want to talk about. Actually, I really don’t want to talk about anything at all.

  “No,” I say and turn to stare out the window.

  She persists, “How did you meet?”

  I almost admit that our parents are married. It’s literally on the tip of my tongue before I remember it’s Tiffany that’s asking.

  I think for a moment before responding, “We met through the internet.”

  She laughs. It’s such an annoying little girl laugh. “Andrew must really be getting desperate.”

  I turn my head and glare coldly at her.

  The laugh dies on her lips and she quickly apologizes, “Oh, I didn’t mean because he’d have to be desperate to date you or anything….”

  I don’t believe her, but she goes on.

  “It’s just that Andrew has quite the reputation now around town. He’s gone through all the girls in our circle, I mean he’s dated everybody. He must have to resort to the internet now.”

  She starts laughing again, “Oh! I’m sorry, it’s just so funny.”

  I shrug. She can laugh all she wants about Andrew, I don’t care. I’m in that numb state I go to when I’ve done a lot of crying. I know it won’t last so I’m trying to preserve it. I’m in survival mode, my feelings almost impenetrable.

  I look back out the window, watching the streets grow seedier and seedier as we travel out of the nice part of town.

  She stops laughing and she’s quiet for a couple of minutes. I hear her rummaging through her purse for something, then she unfortunately starts speaking again.

  “How much did he pay you?” she asks.

  I’m so shocked, I can’t even breathe for a second. Perhaps I’m not as impenetrable as I thought. Does she somehow know of our agreement?

  “I’m sorry?” I ask, looking back at her. She’s checking herself out in a little compact.

  “How much did he pay you?” she asks again without looking at me.

  “How much did who pay me?”

  She looks from her compact now and her eyes narrow at me. “Don’t be coy. How much did Andrew pay you for sex?”

  “He did not pay me for sex!” I exclaim a little too loudly and the driver glances back at me.

  I shrink back in my seat with my cheeks burning. “I’m not a whore,” I hiss.

  “He paid me three grand,” she smirks as if it’s something to be proud of.

  “He paid you for sex?” I ask. I can’t believe it.

  She nods her head. The driver glances back at her now. She winks at him.

  “I thought you were his fiancé…”

  “Oh, I am.” She snaps her compact shut and slips it in her purse.

  “You’re a prostitute?” I ask.

  She smiles at me, flashing her teeth in a smile that’s a bit too feral, “I prefer escort.”

  It’s just one surprise after another. Not only does Andrew have a fiancé, who is pregnant. But she’s also an escort and he paid her for sex. I don’t even know how to respond to that.

  I look back out the window, hoping we’re somewhere close to my place, but I don’t see anything familiar. I can only hope I’m not trapped in this cab with her much longer. Who knows what will come out of her mouth next.

  I don’t care how they met, don’t even ask, but she feels the need to tell me anyway. “Andrew booked me a couple of months ago. I was supposed to accompany him to
some party his father was throwing, but we never made it there. We just couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.”

  I start to feel slightly nauseous as I can’t help but picture her and Andrew with their hands all over each other.

  “But you know how that is, don’t you?” she laughs.

  I try to ignore her, but it only makes her laugh more. The laugh has a manic ring to it. She’s seriously starting to creep me out.

  “You’ll never come between us, Hailey,” she says suddenly serious.

  In the glass, I can see her reflection staring hard at me. The hair’s on the back of my neck stand on end. I slowly turn my head to look at her.

  “He’s mine.” She pats her belly, “You wouldn’t steal my baby’s daddy, would you?”

  I slowly shake my head. I guess Andrew was right, she is batshit crazy. My hand slides across the door, searching for the handle. I’ll open the door and jump out if I have to.

  Her glistening pink lips pull into an enormous smile, “Good! We should totally be friends, Hailey.” She digs around in her purse and pulls out her cellphone. “What’s your last name? So I can add you.”

  “Smith,” just pops out of my mouth.

  Not only have I just lied, maybe Andrew is starting to rub off on me, but I’m so disturbed by what’s going on, I can’t think of a more believable last name.

  Her fingers start punching the letters in. The cab finally pulls over to the corner and comes to a stop.

  “Are you ladies getting out here?” the driver asks.

  “Just me!” I say and open up my purse. I fish out a couple of bills, throw them at the driver and jump out.

  I slam the door shut just as Tiffany starts to scoot over. I’m not off scot-free, though. She rolls down the window and calls out, “Keep an eye out for my friend request. Maybe we can hang out later?”

  I nod and wave at her. Sure.

  I turn away and act as if I’m searching for something in my purse while I wait for the cab to drive off. I’m even more convinced now that I so don’t want Tiffany to know where I live.