Stepbrother Forever: A Stepbrother Romance

by Marx, Jessica

  “To my almost-famous stepbrother. I wish you all the best. Don’t forget the little people,” I toast. We clink our glasses and take a drink. I notice Ken looking at me wondering what’s up.

  “Ken, this is my friend, Ryan Macrae. Remember that name, because you’re going to be hearing it a lot.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ryan. Looks like you have your first official fan,” Ken says. Ryan raises his glass to Ken, looks at me, and finishes off his drink.

  Ryan briefs me on what Sarah said, but he wants to go and call everyone else and tell them he got the part. He wanted to tell me in person. He hasn’t even called our parents yet. He said he’ll tell me the rest later when we’re all together, because he is taking everyone out tonight to celebrate.

  I’m thankful I have less than a couple of hours left on my shift. This is the most exciting news I’ve heard, and it’s not even mine. I’m so happy for Ryan—this is the break all of us are wishing for. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.

  I almost run out of the bar to get home. Ryan is there with Tony and two of his other friends I’ve met before. They all say hello, and I see by the empty beers on the table they’ve already started celebrating.

  “Hurry up and get ready girl,” Tony says before I put my things down. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

  “Keep it in your pants, Tony,” I reply. “I could have met you out.”

  “Ryan made us wait, or we would have,” Tony answers.

  “You’re so fucking sweet, Tony. You sure know how to make a woman feel special.” I roll my eyes. “Just give me a few to shower and change.”

  I leave the room to pick out an outfit and bring it into the bathroom with me. No way I’m walking through here in a robe with these idiots around.

  I quickly shower and dress and put on some makeup. I finish fairly fast and emerge from the bathroom to get my shoes on. I hear a whistle from one of the boys.

  “Damn, girl. Maybe you and I should just stay here tonight,” Tony says.

  “Not in your wildest dreams,” I reply with a laugh.

  I grab a pair of heels from my closet and join the boys in the living room. “So where are we going?”

  “We’re meeting at The Dive,” Ryan responds.

  “Cool,” I reply, grabbing my coat. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  We leave the building and walk to the bar. The rest of our crew and a couple of random other friends are already gathered there. They cheer and hoot when they see Ryan walk in. I’m walking behind him and notice him blush. He is immediately surrounded and met with hugs and fist pumps and lots of love from his friends, who know exactly how much this part will mean to his career. The drinks start flowing and we collectively hit the dance floor. We are in full party mode now.

  The mood lasts through the night. We stay out until the wee hours of the morning for last call. I have a little buzz, but after my drunken stupor from our first celebration, I’m taking it easy. We all live fairly close to each other, so we walk home as a group, which dwindles down every time someone reaches their door. One of Ryan’s friends, Adam, is staying on our couch tonight because he’s the only one who doesn't live here and it’s too late to catch a train. The three of us turn down our block, leaving the last few to make their way home. Tara, Keira, and Jen live together, so they all go to the same place, anyway.

  Ryan, Adam, and I make it up to the third floor safely, and the boys sit at the kitchen table when we get inside. I pour myself a glass of water and offer one to each of them, which they accept.

  “Can you grab me another beer while you’re up?” Ryan asks.

  I make a face at him. “Seriously?”

  “Hell yeah. I’m not going to be able to drink like this for a long time,” he replies.

  “You’re going to be shooting a movie, not going to jail,” I respond, pulling a two beers out of the fridge. I hand one to him and one to Adam.

  “I have to be on good behavior. It’s part of the deal,” Ryan explains, and then takes a long swig from the bottle.

  “When are you leaving?” Adam asks.

  “Monday,” Ryan answers, taking another sip.

  “Monday?” Adam and I repeat together.

  “This coming Monday?” I ask in disbelief.

  “Yup,” Ryan replies. “They want to get a bunch of screen tests and some other things done before we begin filming.” I’m sure he knows more, but seems to be having trouble recalling the technical info in his drunken state.

  “When will you be back?” Adam asks. He’s sounds much cooler than I am right now. I’m panicking.

  “They estimate four to five months to shoot the film, and then another four to five to edit and promote before it’s released,” Ryan advises us.

  “So you’ll be gone for…” I start but Ryan finishes for me.

  “Almost a year. But don’t worry, I will pay my share of the rent until you find a roommate or the lease is up.” That is the least of my concerns right now. He has no idea how my whole world is being turned upside down by all this news today.

  “Of course, I won’t be shooting and promoting the entire time,” Ryan adds, “so I can come and visit...” I think he can sense my apprehension about him leaving, even though he doesn’t all his wits about him.

  “That’s so awesome, man,” Adam says, shaking his head. “I’ll come visit you and you can introduce me to some hot celebrities.”

  Great. Ryan’s new life will be filled with movie stars and models and all sorts of women who will want a piece of him.

  “I hate to end this, guys, but I’m shot. I’m going to bed,” I announce. I can’t talk about this anymore. I don’t want to take away from Ryan’s happiness at all. As happy as I am for him, I also don’t want to lose him. Now that I know that, I can’t even tell him. This is the chance of a lifetime, and I don’t want to throw a wrench into that by professing my love. Not that he would give it up to stay with me, but I don’t need him to leave with that confession lingering between us.

  I fucked up. I should have been honest with Ryan and kissed him when he dared me to that night. I guess it wouldn’t have changed things in the long run—it actually may have made things worse. But now I am bound to silence.

  Chapter 14

  I wake up in an awful mood. It’s hard to imagine we have less than a week together here. As I amble into the kitchen, I glance at our little Christmas tree. Ryan won’t be here to celebrate. That tree will just remain a reminder of the happiness we won’t be sharing here anymore. There’s always a chance he will come back, but if everything goes well with this movie, he will have more offers pouring in. It’s what every actor dreams of.

  Ryan is still sleeping; I hear him snoring. He and Adam were up until well into the morning. I’m pretty sure Adam left and took a rush hour train home instead of trying to sleep on our couch, because he’s gone. I can’t shake this feeling of despair, but for now I will have to bottle it up with the rest of my emotions until Ryan is gone. I don’t want him to see me like this. I need him to know I support him. I can be sad after he leaves.

  I decide to put on my headphones and work out. I need a distraction from my own thoughts. I work off some of my anger, at least, and make a quick breakfast. I have to work tonight, but I have the morning and early afternoon free. I feel like I should get Ryan a gift of some sort, but I don’t really know what.

  I shower, dress, and leave before he wakes up. Maybe something in one of the little boutiques will catch my eye.

  I roam around the neighborhood popping in and out of shops to look around and to warm up. I don’t know what to get or why I’m out. I should be spending whatever time I can with Ryan. He doesn’t have much time left here, though, so he will probably have a lot to do—that is, once he wakes up. I think I’m in shock that he is leaving. Everything is going to change—everything.

  I should have just kissed him. I should have given us a chance together. At least we would have tried to make this work, even if it would have be
en a short time. Now I will never know. I was so afraid to lose him, and now I am losing him anyway. I hope I can get used to life without Ryan.

  I leave the boutique I’ve been wasting time in. I don’t know what to give him. I needed the kind of gift that says says, “I think I love you, but the world fucked up and made me your stepsister, and I fucked up and pushed you away.”

  Sadly, I couldn’t find that on a coffee mug…

  I give up and head back to the apartment. I see Ryan walking out as I near the building and walk faster. He sees me coming and slows down until we meet.

  “Hey, Eve,” he greets me. Even with a raging hangover, he looks incredible.

  “Hey.” I smile and try to sound cheerful. “Where you headed?”

  “Just going to AGR for a fun afternoon of paperwork,” he replies.

  “Oh. Sounds like fun.”

  “I have to get going,” he says. “I got a bit of a late start, and it took me a while to get out of bed. Are you working tonight?”

  “Yup. Maybe I’ll see you later?”

  “Probably. I have to start getting my things together.”

  I try not to visibly flinch. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll see you later, then,” I say, holding back tears. I don’t know how I’m going to keep it together for the next few days.

  “Later sis,” Ryan replies and walks off in the opposite direction.

  I walk into the building and up the flights of stairs. I start thinking about living here alone. I don’t want a new roommate. The reason I chose to ask Ryan to move in with me was because he made me feel safe. Ryan has always been my “go-to” guy for everything. What was I going to do without him?

  I have to focus on how amazing this is for Ryan instead of how awful it is for me. I need to be there for him, like a good sister would… Like I know he would be there for me. I walk through the quiet apartment and glance again at the Christmas tree. I guess when we were buying and decorating it, somewhere in the back of my head I imagined us making a tradition of it. I don’t think there will ever again be a Christmas that won’t remind me of this one.

  I continue on to my room to change and get ready for a long night behind the bar. I have no desire to go to work, or anywhere, for that matter. I’m supposed to work all weekend, but I have to see what I can do to change that. I should spend whatever time I can with Ryan, even though it hurts.

  I put on my coat and leave for my shift the bar. I talk myself into my role for the night—happy bartender. I’ve done it before, and I will do it again tonight, even though I’m dying inside.

  The night drags on, and I find myself checking the time way too often. None of my regulars are here, which is good. I can pretend to be happy for strangers, but doing it for people who actually care is more difficult. It’s easy to get lost in a role when no one realizes you’re playing one.

  I have everything cleaned and ready to close before last call and I offer to leave first. I usually don’t mind staying, so everyone else seems fine with it. I leave a note for my manager that I have a “situation” and would like tomorrow and Saturday night off, or at least one of them. Of course, it’s our busiest nights of the week, so it will depend on who can cover me. There is no way I’m coming in—I need to be with Ryan.

  I make it home in record time. I’m looking forward to spending a little time with Ryan if he’s not already asleep. As I unlock the door, I hear voices; Ryan must have company. I’m a little upset, although I have no right to be. He is leaving, and I’m sure he wants to see his friends. I don’t want to share, but I don’t have a choice. He’s not mine, and even if he was, I wouldn’t deprive him of seeing his buddies. I put on a smile as I open the door.

  “Hey! It’s Eve. Welcome home, woman,” Ryan greets me.

  “What’s happening, hot stuff?” Tony says.

  They sound like they’ve been drinking. This should be entertaining, at least.

  “You guys sound like you’re having a good time,” I reply with a smirk. They are sitting at the kitchen table with several beer bottles in front of them.

  “Always,” Ryan answers. “We’re just reminiscing a little. Tony doesn’t think I’m ever coming back to New York.”

  Tony snorts. “Hell, no. With all the Hollywood pussy this guy is gonna get? He’s never looking back.”

  Yup. This is entertaining. Maybe spending the night reminiscing with the boys is not where I need to be. I’m not sure how long I can fake this happy mood, if this is how the conversation is going to go.

  “Maybe I’ll let you boys hang out. I’m pretty tired, anyway,” I say, walking into the kitchen for a glass of water.

  “No way,” Ryan protests. “I only have a few days left. There’s no time for sleeping. Have a seat.” He kicks a chair out from under the table for me to sit in and pushes a beer my way.

  “I don’t know. This sounds like guy talk,” I hesitantly reply, not wanting to intrude, or more importantly, hear about all the starlets Ryan is going to bang.

  “Come on. Sit down, woman,” Ryan jokes, smiling up at me.

  “You’re just like one of the guys, Eve,” Tony replies.

  I arch a brow. “Really, Tony?”

  “You know, minus the stellar tits and ass,” he answers.

  “You are high-class, Tony,” I say with a smile. I know he doesn’t mean to be so crass all the time. It’s just who he is. He can't help it.

  I give in and sit down. I’m happy to spend some time with Ryan, and even Tony, since I don’t know how often he’ll be coming around once Ryan leaves. I just have to suck it up and put on a smile. As happy as I am now, in this moment, every time I think about what is to come, tears start to well in my eyes again.

  Ryan fills me in on everything that went on today. There are definitely some details missing, but I’m sure the alcohol is to blame for that. He starts talking about how much he loves New York and his new life in the city. He shyly admits his fear of leaving here and being so far from his friends.

  “I love you guys,” Ryan says. I know it’s not my imagination that he looks me right in the eyes when he says it.

  “We love you too, bro,” Tony replies.

  “What about you? Do you love me? Are you gonna miss me?” Ryan fires questions at me. It’s like Tony isn’t in the room. Drunk people are always so honest and open. They make it hard for the sober people in the room.

  “Of course I love you,” I say, trying to sound friendly. “And of course I’m going to miss you, Ryan. Who else would climb three flights of stairs to live in a shoebox with me?”

  “One day, after I make this movie, we’re going to have a big place and you will never have to walk up all those stairs again,” Ryan assures me.

  “Pretty sure if you’re making that kind of cash, you’re not going to need a roommate anymore,” Tony interrupts. “No offense, Eve,” he quickly adds.

  I’m reeling over what he just said. Is Ryan planning on coming back for me? Does he think we’re going to have a future together? Why did he wait until now to tell me all of this? I’m not sure if he even knows what he’s saying—he’s pretty wasted. He probably won’t remember any of it anyway.

  “Hopefully, I will be making that kind of cash,” Ryan replies. “What if the movie sucks, or it gets shitty reviews? I’ll be stuck doing late-night infomercials or laughed out of Hollywood with tail between my legs.”

  “Dude. You’re going to be in a movie,” Tony says. “A movie. Who cares what people say? You get paid, you get pussy, and shit will happen. No doubt.”

  “I actually agree with Tony,” I chime in. “Not only are you in a movie, but you have a huge role. This could be big, Ryan. It is big.” I’m thankful for the subject change, but my mind is still focused on Ryan’s statement about buying us a big house. Why would he say something like that?

  “That’s what she said,” Tony says, and we all laugh.

  The subject changes again, and I actually have more fun than I thought I would. My mood is better since I got home. Maybe I ju
st need to be around Ryan until he leaves—it seems to ease a lot of my heartache. When we’re not together, I just think about him not being here and it makes me sad.

  We’ve been talking for so long that it’s well into the middle of the night. I guess this is how things will be for the next few days until Ryan goes. I’m exhausted, so I say goodnight and walk to my room. I don’t know how long the boys stay up, but I have no trouble falling right to sleep.

  Chapter 15

  I wake up on the late side Friday morning, which is good. I needed a goodnight’s sleep. I hear Ryan in the shower when I amble out of the bedroom, so I pour a cup of coffee and sit at the kitchen table. A couple of minutes later, Ryan comes barging out in a towel. He’s startled when he sees me sitting there.