Steven: A Billionaire Stepbrother Romance Novel

by Wallace, R. S.

  Steven leaned forward, bringing his lips to my ear.

  “This is crazy,” he said. “I just...I just can’t even believe it.”

  I smiled and then rolled over so that I was facing him. Then I brought my hand up to his face, gently caressing his cheek.

  “It was meant to be, you know?” I said. “It was all meant to be. From the moment I laid eyes on you at our parent’s wedding, to the moment that we first became intimate. It was meant to be. We didn’t have a choice but to follow this path. And as crazy as it got at some points along the way, we stayed the course. We let our love for each other guide us. And now we’re going to bring another life into this world. It’s all so perfect, Steven.”

  Steven nodded slowly. For the first time ever, he didn’t say a word in return. He just nodded in agreement, a smile crossing his face, as he closed his eyes and pulled me close.

  I placed my face against his chest, hearing his heartbeat. My arms were wrapped around him and I was holding him like I never wanted to let him go. And I didn’t. I didn’t ever want to let him go. And I didn’t feel like I needed to. Everything I could have ever wanted from life was right there in the bed with me. Our entire little family was right there in one spot; mommy, daddy and the new baby in my belly.

  And while some of my girlfriends were off traveling, or going to school, or dating as many guys as possible, I was laying there with everything that I needed. I wasn’t searching any more. I had it all. I was rich beyond my wildest imagination. But I wasn’t necessarily rich with money, although Steven had no shortage of that. No, I was rich in much more important ways. I was wealthy with love.

  I closed my eyes and began to drift off into a peaceful sleep. While I dozed off, I began to realize that maybe love is the only thing that anybody is ever searching for. Maybe lack of love is the reason for everything bad in this world.

  And while many people would likely look at my stepbrother and I’s relationship in a bad way, deeming it as inappropriate or immoral or whatever, I knew that he and I shared something that most people spent their entire lives searching for. We had found our other half. And that was something that I would never take for granted. No matter what.

  Chapter 20

  The morning sun shining in through the bedroom window covered my face and slowly pulled me out of my sleep. I lifted my hands above my head, stretching my arms and letting out a soft yawn. I had no idea what time it was. I assumed it must have been late morning.

  “Are you finally awake, sleepy head?”

  Steven’s voice pulled me the rest of the way out of my sleep and I opened my eyes. He was standing next to the bed, wearing nothing but his underwear. A smile was on his face and his hair was disheveled and messy. I quickly sat up.

  “Oh, crap,” I said, as I tossed the covers off of me.

  Steven cocked his head to the side, as a confused look crossed his face.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  I hopped off of the bed, still naked from the sex the night before. Then I made my way over to Steven’s dresser, quickly digging my cell phone from my purse.

  “I told my mom that I was coming over here yesterday evening, but I didn’t tell her I was staying the night,” I said. “She’s going to think that it’s weird that I stayed here.”

  I pulled the phone out and sure enough, I had twelve missed calls from my mother and one text that read “Everything okay? I thought you’d be home by now.”

  “I didn’t even think that she knew how to text,” I whispered, as I shook my head.

  Steven stepped up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and placing his hands onto my belly.

  “It’s not that big of a deal, baby,” he said.

  I turned around in his arms and looked up at him.

  “You know my mom, Steven,” I said. “She’s one of the most suspicious people I know. I guarantee that right now, she’s sitting in the kitchen, trying to figure out why I stayed the night here.”

  Steven shrugged his shoulders, his calm demeanor making me feel a little bit better like it always did.

  “You really think she cares that much?” he asked. “I feel like maybe she was just worried about you.”

  A smile crossed my face as I stood on my tiptoes, giving Steven a peck on the lips.

  “Maybe you’re right,” I said, as I pulled away from the kiss. “I just feel like she knows that something is going on between us. I wonder if she knows and just doesn’t want to bring it up.”

  Steven kissed the top of my head and pulled me close to him. My face rested against his chest and I closed my eyes as he held me.

  “You know, Kelsey,” he said. “We aren’t going to be able to hide this forever. I know that we’ve talked about it a lot and we’ve gone back and forth on the issue, but at some point they’re going to find out, especially now that we’re pregnant. I imagine that you’ll start showing here in a few months.”

  I looked up at him once again, at the same time bringing my hand to my belly. I placed my fingers on my belly button and began drawing slow circles around it. I thought about Steven and I’s child that was growing inside of me.

  I should have been more nervous than I was. In fact, I should have been terrified. The baby was going to force Steven and I to finally come clean. But for some reason, I wasn’t really that scared about it. The baby was meant to be and so were Steven and I. And the fact that my pregnancy was forcing us to come clean meant that it wasn’t even an option any more. There was nothing left to debate. It was what it was and there was nothing we could do about it. Our parents were going to find out about us at some point, whether we told them or not.

  Steven placed his hand over mind, gently holding it over my belly.

  “We have some options, baby,” he said. “We can still wait a couple of months before we tell them.”

  I took a long sigh and then shook my head.

  “No,” I said. “There’s no real point in waiting any longer, Steven. I know that I’ve been back and forth on this issue, but now we don’t really have a choice. Yes, we could wait a few months, but then what? It’s only putting off the inevitable. They’re going to find out, so let’s make sure they do so on our terms.”

  Steven nodded attentively as he listened.

  “I’m not saying that I’m looking forward to it,” I said. “But I really think that we should just get it over with now. Even if they freak out, I don’t care at this point. We are together and there’s nothing they could do to keep us apart even if they wanted to.”

  Steven brought his arms around my back and pulled me in for a hug.

  “I agree,” he said. “No matter what their reaction is, we are staying together. Even if my father says he’ll never speak to me again, I won’t let that sway me. You matter more to me than anything in this world, Kelsey. I want you to know that. And if anybody tries to threaten that, then I’ll cut them out of my life.”

  His words were sweet, but also made me nervous. It made me wonder if William would be upset enough to try to keep us apart. It also made me think of my mother and I wondered if she would do the same thing. I guess neither Steven nor myself would know, though, until we told them.

  “You matter more than anything in this world to me too, Steven,” I said, as I closed my eyes. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

  I paused for a moment as I drew in a breath. Then after a few seconds I continued.

  “But I don’t think we have to worry,” I said. “We need to stay positive. They are our parents and they love us. They may be shocked by the news, but if they are the loving people that we know they are, then they’ll eventually be understanding.”

  Steven gently massaged my back as he held me close.

  “I’d like to think that you’re right,” he said. “But honestly, I don’t know. This isn’t exactly regular old news we’re telling them. We’re not saying that we accidentally left the gate open and the dog escaped, or that you stole money from your mom’s purse when you were a kid, or t
hat we were the ones who drank my dad’s whiskey that one night. No, Kelsey. We’re telling them that their kids, their stepchildren, are in an intimate relationship.”

  Steven’s tone had changed and I could tell that he was starting to get nervous about the idea of telling them. I gently pulled away from his chest and brought my gaze to his face.

  “Steven, trust me, I know,” I said. “This isn’t a small thing. But I have to believe that our parents will understand or else I don’t know if I can go through with it. I realize that they may freak out at first, but like I said, it doesn’t matter any more.”

  Steven nodded hesitantly. I was surprised at how nervous he seemed, especially since he was the one who had pushed the topic so much in the past.

  “Okay,” he said. “We’re going to do it. I know we need to and I think you’re right...it’s better we do it before your pregnancy becomes obvious. So...when exactly were you thinking?”

  I took a long, deep breath and then gently pulled away from Steven. Then I stepped over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge as I thought about it.

  “Well, it is Saturday,” I said. “So that means that both my mom and William should be home. I guess today is as good of a day as any.”

  Steven nodded slowly and then walked toward me, taking a seat next to me on the bed. He put his arm around my waist and then turned to face me.

  “Let’s do it,” he said, affirmatively. “Let’s tell them today.”

  A small wave of anxiety shot through me but I swallowed it back. We were really going to go through with it. Months of avoiding the topic with my parents and the moment had finally arrived when we were going to break the news.

  “Let me text my mom just to be sure that she and William are home,” I said, as I pulled out my cell phone. “If they are, then we will go right now and get it over with.”

  Steven stood up from the bed and began to get dressed. I sent my mom a text asking if she and William were home. She responded almost immediately.

  “Hey, honey! Where were you last night? I know that you’re a grown adult, but I was worried sick! Anyway, yes, William and I are here. Why do you ask?”

  I looked up for a moment, watching as Steven slipped on some jeans and a clean t-shirt. Then I brought my attention back to the phone, responding to my mom’s text with:

  “Just looking forward to seeing you guys.”

  I shook my head as I hit the “send” button. I hated to lie to her, but I didn’t feel like I had a choice. I mean I was looking forward to seeing them, but that obviously wasn’t the reason that I was making sure that they were home. But I couldn’t just tell my mom that I had something important to tell her and not give her the details. She’d be nervous as hell about it until I saw her. So I spared her the anxiety...at least for the moment.

  Chapter 21

  “So, are you ready for this?” Steven asked, as he looked over at me and placed his hand on my knee.

  We were in his car, driving along the highway toward my mom’s house. I nodded slowly and took a deep breath, as I looked out the window, watching the trees go by.

  “I think so,” I said. “I think I’m ready.”

  My heart was racing, beating in my chest so hard that I could hear it. My initial confidence about telling them had started to fade, now that we were actually about to go through with it. But it didn’t matter. We were doing it, one way or the other.

  I closed my eyes for a moment, drawing in a long breath and exhaling slowly. I started to imagine what my mom’s reaction was going to be. I pictured her turning pale and then passing out. Then I imagined her screaming at me, calling me some nasty names before making me move out of the house. My mother wasn’t a bad person, not by any means. But this situation was very unique and I had a feeling that it could bring out the worst in her.

  And then there was Steven’s father. He was normally a pretty calm man, but I had seen him get upset a few times. And usually it was over something petty, like a football game or an argument he had with someone from work. But again, the news that Steven and I were bringing them was a whole different ball game.

  “You okay, babe?” Steven asked.

  I opened my eyes and turned toward him, swallowing back my nervousness. I didn’t want him to know how scared I actually was about telling them. I had to be strong for both of us.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, as I placed my hand over his. “This will be easy, right? We just have to be strong. We are doing the right thing.”

  Steven nodded and then flashed a warm smile.

  “We are absolutely doing the right thing,” he responded. “There’s nothing to worry about. It is what it is and no matter what happens, we have each other.”

  I squeezed his hand and then brought my gaze away from Steven and back out the window. I started thinking about how strange the universe was and the events that brought me to that point. I was happier than I had ever been in my life and yet, I felt like there was a price to pay for that happiness. It wasn’t free. There was a lot of anxiety and stress that went along with it.

  But still, even with that extra stress, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. My man and my baby were all that I really needed and after this conversation with our parents, things were going to get a lot easier.

  Or at least, I hope that things get easier...I thought.

  Suddenly, Steven broke me from my thoughts.

  “We’re almost there, babe,” he said. “Take a deep breath and try to calm down. I can see that you’re nervous. Like I said, though, there’s nothing to be worried about. We got this.”

  I nodded quickly and then looked forward as Steven pulled off of the highway and into our parent’s neighborhood. As we neared our parent’s house, I felt the butterflies of anxiety release inside of my stomach and the adrenaline began to fill my blood. My breathing quickened and a wave of dizziness came over me.

  “Let’s get this over with,” I said.

  Steven squeezed my knee affectionately and then pulled into the driveway, parking his car behind William’s. My mom’s car was in the garage and the garage door was open.

  Well, they’re both here. I guess there’s no excuse not to go through with this.

  “We have nothing to be ashamed of, Kelsey,” Steven said, as he put the car in park and turned off the engine. “Nothing at all. So there’s no reason to be nervous.”

  I agreed with him, that we had nothing to be ashamed of. But something told me that our parents would feel differently.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  I nodded in agreement and we opened the car doors, stepping out into the driveway. I felt like I could have thrown up right there on the lawn. I was more nervous than I had ever been before in my life. I took a deep breath and began walking up toward the front door. In my mind, I began to recite what I was going to say to my mom and William, when suddenly Steven grabbed my hand, proudly marching toward the house.

  “Steven!” I whispered.

  He squeezed my hand and looked toward me, smiling.

  “What?” he asked. “You’re my girl. I can hold my girl’s hand, right?”

  My jaw dropped from shock, but he was right. We were about to tell our parents anyway. Why not hold hands on the way up to the house?

  The front door was closed and the blinds on the windows were shut, but I knew that my mom and William would either be in the kitchen or the family room, where they spent most of their time when they were home.

  We made it to front door and I slowly released Steven’s hand. Then I opened the door, at the same drawing in a breath in an attempt to calm my nerves.

  Here goes nothing.

  Inside the house, there was soft music playing in the background and the smell of bacon and eggs wafting toward me from the kitchen. I could hear William and my mom talking and I stopped in the doorway, looking over to Steven one last time before going any further.

  “You sure about this?” I asked.

  At that point, I was pretty much looking for any
excuse that I could come up with to turn around and run the other direction. But Steven stayed strong, as he placed his arm around my waist, holding me close as he locked eyes with mine.

  “I’m right here,” he said. “We’re in this together. Let’s do this thing.”

  His confidence was undoubtedly contagious, but even so, it was hardly enough to make me feel excited about the whole thing. But I took a moment, swallowed my nervousness down, and finally nodded in agreement.

  “Okay,” I said. “Let’s go.”

  We stepped the rest of the way through the doorway, closing it quietly behind us. Then we walked up the stairs that led to the main area of the house. The kitchen was right around the corner and the sound of our parent’s voices increased in volume as we neared it.

  They’re in the kitchen. Just a few feet away. Oh, God. This is crazy. I can’t believe we’re actually telling them.

  My body felt like it was in shock. My legs and hands trembled furiously as adrenaline pumped into them. Imagine standing at a major crossroads in your life, except in this case, I had no idea where either road would take me. Our parents could either flip out on us or be totally cool about the situation and the fate of our family lied in their reaction.

  I stopped at the top of the stairs, closing my eyes for a second, just listening. Steven grabbed my hand once more, intertwining his fingers with mine.

  “Come on, baby,” he whispered. “Let’s do this right now.”

  Then, without another moment of hesitation, Steven took a step forward. With his hand in mind, we stepped into the entryway of the kitchen. I brought my gaze forward, where I saw William and my mom seated at the small table at the opposite side of the kitchen. My mom was facing away from us and William had his newspaper lifted up, blocking his view. Steven and I stood there in the doorway, hand in hand, but neither of our parents knew that we were there. So I spoke up.

  “Hey, guys,” I said. “We need to talk.”

  My mom turned around at the same time as William set the newspaper down. Immediately, I watched both of their eyes go downward, locking onto Steven and I’s interlocked hands.