Meeting the Step

by Adams, Ash

  I grabbed the tube of toothpaste and squirted more than enough on the bristles then looked at myself in the mirror as I brushed. No telling what he thought of me. I spit foam into the sink and placed my toothbrush back in its holder on my side. My mind was in a whirl spin and my feet felt like they weren't touching the ground. I needed a reality check and quick.

  I went back to my new room, which I hated, and changed into a t-shirt and worn blue jeans. I picked up my phone and realized it was barely past eight in the morning. And god I was dying of thirst, or least that's what it felt like, and I was starving. I walked, or rather zombied my way downstairs. The smell of eggs and bacon wafted around the room.

  When my mother was happy, she cooked. And when I say cook, I meant cook a lot. I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the long wooden table. It still felt strange being in a house that I didn't grow up in. I felt like a fish out of water.

  As soon as she caught sight of my face, her eyebrows furrowed. "You've been drinking again," she said.

  I rolled my eyes. She always freaked out about me drinking regardless if it were 1 or 10 drinks.

  "Yep. And I've been having tons of sex too. All I need now is a kilo of cocaine and I will have everything marked off my things-to-do-before-I-turn-twenty-five list." I let the sarcasm in my voice ring out.

  I knew I shouldn't say things like that, but she needed to stop treating me like a child. I was 22, well on my way to graduating with a degree in design, but she still continued to point out my flaws as if she had none. I guess it was hard for her to realize she didn't have the perfect daughter she always dreamed of having. It was days like this that I really missed my father.

  She opened her mouth to rebuttal me but looked over my shoulder and stopped. Her open mouth turned up into a sweet smile as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel.

  "Good morning, Beautiful," Gerald said and walked to my mother. He gave me a wink then kissed her on the mouth. I turned my head, disgusted by the sight of it. I leaned my cheek on my fist trying to ignore the smacking noises they made.

  A few more seconds of this nonsense and I would be grabbing my keys from the counter and heading toward McDonalds. I placed my palms flat on the table ready to scoot my chair out when a head of dark curly hair rounded the corner. I was frozen in place.

  "Hey, son. Hungry?"

  He looked over at my smug look then back at his father and my mother. He gave them a nod. My mom slid a plate of food in front of me and I felt like I was five again.

  "Chelsea, this is Maxwell or Max. Max this is my daughter and only child, Chelsea."

  His name was Maxwell. Max. I started to smile but then felt awkward so I didn't. The temperature in the room seemed to rise with every second he glared at me.

  "We've already met, actually," Max said.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. Would he out me? Would he really be a tattle tail?

  "Really? When?" Gerald asked as he sat down next to Max at the table.

  "Last night. We both arrived home around the same time."

  My face went pink remembering how he had punched the shit out of Richard. No one had ever taken up for me like that.

  "Oh, so you met Chelsea's boyfriend then?" My mother asked.

  Max glanced down at his knuckles then back to me. I couldn't help but notice he had broken skin with his force.

  "I didn't realize that was her boyfriend, but in a round about way, yeah, I guess I did meet him," Max said.

  Yeah, when your fist met his face, I wanted to say but I didn't want my business aired. Just the thought of him spilling it all at the table made my heart race. I could feel the beat pounding in my neck. I tried to play it cool and not let my emotions get the best of me, but I pleaded with my eyes. Please. I practically begged without speaking a word and I think he got the hint.

  "So dad. What are the plans this weekend?"

  "Actually, Sandra and I were thinking about driving to San Fran this weekend to hit up some of the wineries in the area since we both took off next week."

  I glared at my mother and all she did was smile at me.

  "You kids can take care of yourselves, you'll be just fine. We are probably going to get on the road around ten," Gerald said.

  I looked down at my food and moved it around on my plate. I had secretly wished their affair was just a fling that would pass with the season, but sitting there in Gerald's house, I realized it wasn't. This was really happening. My mother was really moving on. The sparkle of the big diamond ring caught my eye and as much as I didn't want to accept their relationship, I knew I would have to. The thought of it made me sick all over again.

  The quicker I got out of this house, the better.

  Chapter Six

  Chelsea

  MY MOTHER TOLD me goodbye and begged me to stay out of trouble. I knew she meant well, but she was always worried that I was going to do something regretful. One day I would prove her right.

  "I'll stay home this weekend, okay?"

  I could see the instant relief on her face when I said that. Being home didn't mean I was safe. I could have Richard come over and stay all weekend. The thought of rebellion made me smile. She kissed me on the cheek and the edge of her sun hat brushed my hair.

  "I'll see you Monday," I heard Gerald telling Max. His voice was muffled so I didn't quite hear his response. I looked out the window and watched the Corvette convertible drive away and instead of being that sad child watching her mother drive off into the distance, I was actually happy. I'd have the swimming pool and hot tub all to myself. At least living here did have some perks with it.

  The sun was barely up in the sky, but at least it was awake. I went upstairs and slipped out of my blue jeans and t-shirt and put on my black bikini. It fit low on my hips and was almost too small for my breasts, but I didn't care. The plan wasn't to swim but rather get some sun. I needed to relax and get my thoughts straight.

  I grabbed some lotion and walked into the bathroom. The door was open to Max's room and I snuck a peek while I reached for a towel in the cabinet. He was on the floor doing push-ups. His muscles flexed as he lifted his bodyweight from the floor and up again, over and over. He rested on his knees and I moved my eyes back to the towels then hurried out of the bathroom. Almost busted.

  I stood in my room for at least five minutes and tried to calm my breathing then grabbed my phone and headed down the stairs. Halfway down, I saw Max coming up with a bottle of water in his hand. We passed each other with our gazes locked. When I made it to the bottom of the steps, I turned around and so did he when he made it to the top.

  "Thanks for last night and for not making it an issue at breakfast."

  "No problem. I would have done that for anyone." He gave me a little side smile and walked away. Sometimes I wanted to be a special snowflake. I wanted someone to say, I did that just for you, but the thought was utterly ridiculous. Why would he even care? He didn't even know me.

  I slid open the patio door and stepped outside. I loved 80-degree weather in January. I never wanted to live anywhere other than California. We had everything here.

  The lawn chair was close to the pool. I adjusted it to lay flat then positioned myself on my stomach and stretched my arms above my head to help me get a somewhat even tan. Music from my phone played low and I hummed along. Dave Matthew's Band always made me smile. It was the only band my father and I ever agreed on.

  The warmth of the sun kissed my skin and my body relaxed. After twenty minutes, my alarm sounded telling me it was time to flip. When I rolled over to change my positioning, I heard the patio door slide open then closed. I lifted my head and saw Max standing shirtless with swim shorts that fell low on his hips. His cell phone was in his hand and he was laughing.

  "Are you going to be hungry later?"

  I gave him an awkward smile knowing my hair looked ridiculous piled on the top of my head. "Yeah, probably."

  "I'm going to order Chinese in an hour. Anything special you'd like?"

  "I'm not p
icky, whatever."

  He looked at me sanctimoniously. "After last night, I can tell you're not picky, at least when it comes to your choice of men."

  I rolled my eyes at him because he sounded so much like my mother. "You know nothing about me."

  "You're right." He walked closer.

  "But for some reason, I want to know everything about you." His voice was low and gravely and it caused my heart to race. No one had ever been so frank with me. He noticed my reaction and an eyebrow popped up. He shook his head and sat his phone down on the table. The next thing I knew he was diving into the pool causing a small splash to blip on top of the water.

  I lay back on the lawn chair and closed my eyes. His words kept replaying over and over again.

  I want to know everything about you.

  For some odd reason, I wanted to tell him everything about me. Maybe it was the vibe he gave or his Prince Charming good looks and charisma, but I wouldn't go there. As I said before, and apparently would have to keep repeating to myself, as soon as I had the opportunity to move out and get away from this disaster, I was taking it.

  Chapter Seven

  Max

  I WASN'T SURE why I had said that to her, but it was true. I kept trying to place where I knew her, but couldn't quite make it out. That alone bothered the shit out of me. I did want to know everything about her, what made her happy, what made her tick, what her dreams and aspirations were, but why? Why did I even care? I blamed the instant attraction between us and I could feel it tugging me closer to her, but this couldn't be happening. I could almost imagine the conversation with my dad if something happened between us and he found out. It wouldn't go over well, but I found myself semi-not-caring.

  I dove into the pool hoping to think about something other than her in that little black bikini that showed every sin. When I came up from the bottom of the pool, I smoothed my hair back and that's when I saw her sitting on the edge dangling her feet in the cool water of the pool. She looked like a goddess with her golden sun kissed skin and body. Fuck! I was fantasizing about her while she was in front of me. Nope. This wouldn't end well.

  I lifted my body up on the side of the pool and sat next to her. She instantly tensed. I was getting to her and that made me smile. Good.

  "I'll answer your questions if you answer mine. I mean, since we are going to be siblings and all," she said.

  The word sibling disgusted me. I had no brothers or sisters and I would have to set that straight.

  "You'll never be my sibling," I said. "I don't care what our parents do."

  This made her slightly relax.

  "You first then," I said.

  She tensed again, the anxiousness returning in full force. I could tell she was nervous by the way she would look into my eyes for a few seconds then turn her head. I often had that effect on women, but it was really cute coming from her. Chelsea was something else, a stranger that I wanted to know.

  "How old are you?" she asked.

  "23 and you?"

  "22." She paused. "Do you . . . have a girlfriend?"

  The question caught me off guard slightly. She was filling me out. And I found it odd for her second question.

  "No. Do I know you from somewhere?"

  She searched my face and tilted her head. "No. I don't think so. What's your dream car?"

  "1967 Mustang. It's sitting in the driveway right now. When are you going to break up with your boyfriend, and when I say the word boyfriend, I use the term very loosely."

  She stared at the pool for an extended period watching the wind move the water in small waves.

  "I'm not," she said. She wasn't confident with her answer.

  I smiled thinking of my next question, not trying to push her too far. I didn't know her limits yet, but hoped to soon learn them. "Do you find me attractive?"

  She bit her bottom lip and turned and looked at me. "That's not fair and it's not your turn."

  "That's not an answer and you can go twice."

  She interlocked her fingers together and sucked in a deep breath, and on the exhale I heard the slightest yes. It was like music to my ears.

  "What about me?"

  I turned my body toward her, where she had no choice but to look at me.

  "Without a doubt," I said. "I think you're beautiful."

  A touch of blush hit her cheeks and she smiled before pushing off into the water, splashing me. I kicked my feet in the water, splashing her back as she laughed out loud, but she wasn't stopping. This was water war.

  I jumped in the pool and we splashed until I was tired. "Okay, okay, you win," I said.

  She pushed water toward me again. "If you want me to stop, make me," she said, splashing again.

  I swam toward her and she backed up until her back hit the side of the pool. But I was too fast and she couldn't lift herself out of the water quick enough. I was inches in front of her, her breasts pressing against my chest.

  "Now what were you saying?" I asked, incredulously.

  "If you want me to stop… make me," she whispered.

  My adrenaline spiked and my heart pounded hard in my chest. I stared into her brown eyes and she didn't look away. We were treading water together and exchanged words in a silent conversation. I didn't wait another minute and neither did she. Chelsea closed her eyes and parted her lips. I took my cue and moved in and kissed her. At first it was slow kisses, sweet ones, then she became more ravenous with her tongue and mouth almost devouring me. I liked the animal she was unleashing, but I wanted to tame it.

  My dick was hard and I wanted her, but I couldn't go there, not right now. Chelsea didn't seem like the one-night stand type of girl. I pulled away from her almost gasping for air. She lifted herself out of the pool and lay back on the warm cement. After a second, I followed her lead and lay beside her.

  I stared up at the fluffy white clouds and sea blue sky. What the fuck had just happened? I adjusted my dick in my shorts and tried to calm down and tell my dick no. It wasn't happening buddy.

  After a few more minutes, she rolled over on her side and propped herself up on her elbow. The way the sun surrounded her head, she almost looked like an angel. I rested both of my arms behind my head and gave her my signature smirk.

  "We can never do that again," she said.

  I licked my lips, remembering the way she tasted. "Okay."

  She was searching my face like she wanted to do it all over again and I wouldn't have stopped her if she did. I didn't care what words she spoke because her body was screaming so loud especially when she bit her bottom lip and tugged.

  I propped myself up on my elbow, matching her posturing, allowing our faces to be inches apart.

  "Tell me again," I whispered testing her.

  But she wasn't strong.

  Her lips brushed against mine, soft like the tips of flower pedals. I tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear and she leaned into it.

  "That's what I thought," I said then stood. I had to get away from her before she pulled me completely under like a strong current carrying me out to sea. Chelsea was beautiful and perfectly flawed.

  "Where are you going?" she asked.

  "To order lunch and have a shower." I smiled at her and grabbed the towel I brought and dried myself as best as I could. She stood and walked back to her lawn chair then gave me a sweet, seductive smile before she lay on her back.

  I walked inside wondering what the hell had just happened. Instant-love was laughable, but instant-attraction, fuck me, it was real. I took the stairs two at a time trying to shake her out of my thoughts. When I walked into my room, I placed the order then went straight to the bathroom. I had to get her out of my head. She was a forbidden fruit, one that I wasn't supposed to touch, but now that I had, I wanted all of her. I wanted to taste her, to have her, and somehow I knew it was only a matter of time before I did.

  Attraction was the only thing we had.

  Attraction made me have thoughts that I shouldn't.

  For the second ti
me, I came in the shower as I thought about her riding my cock.

  Chapter Eight

  Chelsea

  WHAT DID KISSING my soon-to-be-step-brother make me?

  A cheater.

  Even though Richard had not been the best boyfriend, guilt swept over me. I had been with one man, the same man for four years, and never thought twice about it. Though Richard and I hadn't had satisfying sex in eight months because our flame was slowly dying, I never thought it would come to this. Mark the date everyone, today I was officially a cheater. I disgusted myself.

  A part of me knew how wrong it was to be thinking any type of thoughts that included Max. I couldn’t deny there was something between us. There was some unspoken chemistry, and holy hell it was powerful. Max made me want to bend to his will and do things, very bad things, that I should not and have never done. My sex life consisted of missionary position where Richard became too tired or was too drunk to finish. Other than that, it was inconsistent. The truth was, Max made me want sex.

  I squeezed my thighs together and knew I was wet. My nipples were even hard and I knew he had seen them shining through my bathing suit like a lighthouse in the dark. Granted the pool could be blamed for that.

  I gently rubbed over my sensitive breasts and my breathing increased. I dropped my hands to my side and tried to think of something else like puppies or kittens.

  My phone beeped with a text message and pulled me from my fantasies.

  Richard: Baby, let's go out tonight.

  Me: Can't, sorry.

  Richard: Why not?

  Me: Told mom I would stay home and out of trouble this weekend.

  Richard: Fuck her. She's a bitch anyway.

  I hated it when he talked about my mother that way. Sure she hated him and made it very clear that he wasn't good enough for her baby, but he didn't have to be so disrespectful all the time. Yes, there were moments when I felt the same way about her, but she was my mother. She was all I had left and I loved her. I sighed.