I envy Cara. Everything seems to come so easy to her. She can fit in anywhere, make friends with anyone. I guess I'm just not that kind of person, much as I'd like to be.
CHAPTER THREE
The words are a blur on the page in front of me. I rub my eyes. I didn't sleep well last night, and now I can't concentrate on my notes. We have a few days off at the beginning of the week to study, and then final exams. I can't let myself slip just because I got a Lawn Room, but the events of last night are distracting me and studying right now is nearly impossible.
My phone rings on the desk next to me.
“Hey, Mom!” I say as I pick up.
“Hey, honey! I just saw you called me a bunch yesterday! I'm sorry. I was out with Pierce.” Her melodic voice sounds a little breathless, as it always does when she talks about this new boyfriend.
“Well, I have some good news.”
“Me, too!” she replies.
“Oh! Um, do you want to go first?”
“Actually, I'm going to be in town tonight. Pierce and I were hoping to have dinner with you.”
“You're in town?! That’s great news.”
She laughs. “No, that's not the news! Do you want to wait to tell me your news until then?”
“Um, sure. Why not? Everything's OK, though, right?”
“Everything's great! We have a reservation for 7 o'clock at Decanter. Should we pick you up?”
“No, that's OK. It's just a short walk from campus.”
“Wonderful! Oh, I'm so excited to see you!” she says.
“Me too!”
I shut my phone feeling dumbfounded. Now I'm really not going to be able to study. My mom's never surprised me like this before. I frown. Could she and Pierce be engaged, and she wants to tell me in person? I guess I'd be happy for her, but I've never met this guy before. What if he's just one more jerk in the long line of lowlifes that she seems to attract?
My mom is so gorgeous and always loved the attention her looks brought her, but her vanity has always worried me. Men are so willing to do everything for her, but they never seem to be the right kind of men. Regardless of their character, she’s always had a constant stream of admirers, and has never had to do anything for herself. She doesn’t know who she is or how to be alone.
When I came along, my dad showed his true colors and abandoned us, and she had no skills to fall back on as a twenty-two year-old single mother. I always promised myself that I wouldn’t let myself depend on a man like her. I had to make sure I could make my own way in the world, which is probably why I've had my nose in a book my whole life.
After several more hours of fruitless study, I decide to get ready a little early so that I can take a walk around campus before I meet my mom and her new boyfriend. I put on a cotton summer dress and grab a cardigan in case the restaurant is chilly.
I start to feel a little calmer when I reach the lawn and see the Rotunda's white dome in front of me. The architecture always inspires me, and next year I'll actually be living here. I stand in front of the women's side of the Lawn—genders are separated—and wonder which room will be mine.
My mind drifts back unbidden to last night. I so hoped to be able to expand my horizons a little. As wonderful as I know getting a Lawn room is, it's not everything.
The way Nate's body looked in the low light from the hall…the small tuft of hair that showed just above his boxers…the way he looked at me. I realize I’m tugging at my braid absent-mindedly, and shake my head at myself—I need to get it together. It's time to meet my mom and her new boyfriend, and hear their big news.
I glance around as I enter Decanter. Its architecture is modern and elegant, a mix of cream fabrics and dark wood. I've never been here before—way out of my price range. I'm about to approach the hostess when I recognize my mom in a prime booth in the corner. I walk toward her between a row of tables, hearing the hushed tones of conversation and the clinking of wine glasses around me.
Her eyes light up and she stands as she sees me approaching. She looks even more gorgeous than usual. Her blonde hair, a little lighter than mine, hangs in a long bob almost to her shoulders, and her perfect teeth show brightly behind her deep red lipstick.
“Brynn! I've missed you, honey,” she says, enveloping me in a hug. “You look gorgeous. Isn't this dress a little big for you, though?” she asks, pulling at the extra fabric.
“You know I like this kind of fit,” I reply, allowing only the slightest bit of impatience to enter my voice. This is a recurring conversation with us. She always wants me to dress a little more feminine, a little more “form-flattering” as she puts it.
“Well, I'm so excited for you to meet Pierce. He's just in the restroom—oh! Here he is.” I follow her gaze to an elegantly dressed man with salt-and-pepper hair and blue eyes who's approaching us with a warm smile.
“Holly, I'd think this was your sister if I didn't know any better,” he says, and my mom giggles. “Brynn, I'm Pierce. Your mom has told me such wonderful things about you,” he says as we shake hands.
“Likewise,” I reply politely, though the truth is that she's told me almost nothing.
“Well, let's sit. I ordered us some champagne for the table. It should be arriving soon.” We all obediently sit, me on one side of the cushy leather booth, and my mom and Pierce on the other. “So, Brynn, you're in your junior year?”
“Yes, that's—” I break off as my mom reaches for her water glass and I spot a ring on her left hand. Not an engagement ring, either. A wedding ring. “What's that?” I ask sharply.
“Oh,” my mom flutters.
“Well, we were going to wait until my son arrived, but—”
“We're married!” my mom announces suddenly.
My jaw drops open. “Married?” I squeak. “I mean, I thought maybe you’d be engaged but married?”
“You're upset?” my mom asks worriedly.
“No, not upset…” I struggle to put my emotions into the right words. I always feel the need to protect my mom from what I'm really feeling. She's always been more fragile than me. “Just surprised, that's all. I mean, how long have you known each other?”
“Well, we met six months ago,” my mom says. “And then Pierce took me on a surprise trip to the Turks and Caicos last week, and everything was just so perfect…” She trails off, looking to him for support.
“It really was, Brynn. And it felt so right. We wished you guys could have been there, but we just felt that we had to seize the moment. It was in this little gazebo on the cliff, with spectacular views of the water, and the captain of a boat that was docked at the resort officiated…”
“It was engagement, honeymoon, and wedding in one! We just wished you and Nate could have been there. That would have made it even more perfect.”
I struggle to catch up with all the information they're throwing at me. “Sorry, who's Nate?”
“Oh, Nate's my son. He goes to school here, too. I tried to get a hold of him so we could tell you together, but—wait! There he is!” Pierce slides out of the booth to wave to his son.
Nate. Not Nate…
“What's Pierce's last name?” I whisper urgently to my mom.
“Thornhill,” she whispers back distractedly, sliding over to stand next to Pierce.
Oh my god. Nate Thornhill is here. Nate Thornhill is currently walking up behind me. Nate Thornhill is my new…stepbrother, I realize in horror. Beads of sweat form at my hairline and I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.
CHAPTER FOUR
As Nate walks into my periphery, I watch in slow motion as he hugs his dad and shakes hands with my mom. I cannot believe this is happening. Surely I'm in the middle of some strange nightmare and will wake up soon. I hoped I'd never have to see him again after last night.
“Brynn, honey, this is Nate, Pierce's son,” my mom says, cutting through the fog of emotion in my brain.
“H-Hi. Nate. Brynn. I'm Brynn,” I stammer as he glances over at me.
“Brynn, pleasure
to meet you,” he replies formally. Wait, does he not even remember meeting me last night?
“Well, scooch over Brynn, so Nate can sit,” Mom says, waving me over with her hands.
“Right, sorry,” I say, sliding over so that he can sit next to me. I stare straight ahead as he sits. I can feel my body betraying me already. The heat from his leg under the table is giving me heart palpitations.
“Thought you weren't going to be able to make it,” Pierce says a little tensely to his son.
“Sorry, I was in the library studying. I had my phone off.”
“Well, you missed the big announcement. We were just telling Brynn that Holly and I have gotten married.”
I glance at Nate out of the corner of my eye. I see his eyes widen in surprise.
“Married? I thought you said you'd never get married again.”
“Well, things change. When I met Holly, I just knew. You'll see when you get to know her. She's a special woman.”
I watch my mom glow like a 1000 watt bulb and can't help but smile. It's been a while since I've seen her so happy.
“Yeah, I'm…I'm just…” I watch him struggle for words just like I did. “Surprised. But happy. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Holly.”
Wow, that was…kind. Not what the guy I met last night would say.
“Oh, me too, Nate,” my mom replies, looking overjoyed. “And I'm so excited for you and Brynn to get to know each other!”
“Two only children…” Pierce says meaningfully. “You'll have to learn to share.”
My mom laughs and I join in weakly.
“You always wanted a sibling, Brynn! And now you have one! Well, a step-sibling, but still.”
A step-sibling that I've had literally dozens of dirty dreams about. Perfect.
“So, you two have never met, then?” my mom asks, glancing between us. “Pierce and I were so excited when we realized both our kids were juniors here.”
“UVA is my alma mater,” Pierce adds proudly.
“No, we've never met,” I break in quickly. I see Nate eye me for a second before he nods.
“Nope, never met, unfortunately,” he says.
“We thought it best not to tell you guys about us until we knew it would really be forever. I thought it would have just been so awkward for you two if we'd broken up and then you have to keep seeing each other around campus,” my mom explains.
“Yes, that would have been awkward,” Nate says drily, and I know he's thinking that nothing could compare to my own awkwardness last night.
The waitress comes over with the bottle of champagne that Pierce ordered. Dom Perignon, I see as I look at the label. Whoa, he must be loaded. My new stepdad must be loaded. She expertly pops the cork and pours us each an elegant flute, placing the bottle into a wine cooler next to the table.
Pierce takes his glass and raises it. “To a new family,” he says, looking around the table. We all raise our glasses and clink them together. I manage to do so without making eye contact with Nate. The champagne tickles my throat on the way down. I've never wanted to drink a bottle of alcohol more in my entire life than at this moment, but I keep myself to a modest sip.
“So, honey, you told me you had some news, too?” my mom asks, as she puts down her glass.
“Oh, yes, though I don't think I can follow that announcement,” I hedge with a smile.
“Please! You sounded excited on the phone,” she encourages me.
“Well, I got a lawn room,” I reveal. My mom gasps in excitement, but I see Pierce glance quickly at his son.
“I thought you said that they hadn't announced it yet,” he says quietly.
“I…I knew you'd be disappointed. I was waitlisted. It was difficult, juggling two varsity sports, a double major—” Nate replies. I glance at my mom and then between the two men. Nate is looking down at the tablecloth.
“I was selected for a Lawn room, too,” Pierce says, interrupting him and turning to me. “It's an important accomplishment.”
“Thank you…” I say hesitantly. Nate looks so miserable. “Being waitlisted is impressive, too.”
He glances up at me sharply, his eyes flashing. Shit. I heard it, too: pity.
“Well, congratulations, both of you,” my mom breaks in. “I have no idea what I'm going to order! Everything looks so wonderful.” She runs her finger down the menu in front of her. Having grown up in a family of Irish immigrants, my mom has always avoided conflict like the plague, though this time I'm glad for the change of subject.
I decide to order the steak since money doesn't seem to be an issue, and we each order a cocktail in addition to the champagne. Something begins to tug at the back of my brain after the waitress leaves to put in our food orders.
“Pierce, I'm sorry if this is an ignorant question, but were you in office? Your name sounds so familiar.”
“Yes,” he replies, looking pleased. “I'm a former congressman—”
“—For Virginia. Now I remember. You helped pass the campaign finance reforms.” I smile.
“Good memory.”
“One of my majors is Political Science, so I try to keep up with it.”
“And your other major?”
“Global Health.”
“You know, I run Thornhill and Co. Consulting of K Street, and we're still looking for a summer intern. Interested?”
“Dad, I thought you were going—” Nate breaks in before I can respond.
“And I thought you were going to get a Lawn Room,” his dad replies, keeping his voice light. “So, Brynn, what do you think?”
“Well, um, I was just going to get a summer job back in Maryland to help pay for tuition,” I murmur. Did Pierce promise his son the internship? I don't want to start off this relationship with Nate on the wrong foot.
“You don't need to worry about tuition now, honey,” my mom says softly. I look at her in surprise. Oh my god—is Pierce going to pay for my college bills? The thought hadn't even occurred to me. I look between them as they stare back at me calmly.
“Oh, oh, I didn't think—I mean, I'd love to, but I just—if Nate wants the—”
“Then it's settled,” Pierce cuts in. “I tend to go into the office quite early, but we have an extra car you can use.”
“Sorry? I don't understand.”
“Well, Pierce and I are moving in together. I mean, I basically live there now, but I'm officially selling the old house, now that we're married.”
“Right. Of course.” My brain scrambles to process all the new information. Just as I'm working it all out, I feel a hand on my knee. I look down in surprise to see Nate's arm disappearing under the tablecloth. I glance at him. He's looking straight ahead as though nothing's happening. I struggle to maintain my composure as heat travels from his hand and all the way up to… “So, this summer, I'll be living with you then? All of you?”
Nate turns to smile at me politely. His hand moves another inch up the bare skin of my thigh. I widen my eyes at him but he doesn't react.
“That's right. We'll all be living at Pierce's house—”
“Our house,” Pierce corrects my mom with a smile.
“Our house, in Potomac. It's got tons of space, beautiful views of the river. It'll be wonderful to have the summer to bond with each other, and really become a family.”
Nate's hand moves another inch up my leg. I can feel the rough, calloused skin of his palm. I've never been so turned on in my life, but I'm struggling against it. What is he thinking? We're at dinner with our parents!
“I know you have some stuff at the old house, but we'll have it moved to the new one. Everything will be all set up when you get home,” my mom says, smiling at me.
“Mmm,” I reply, trying to focus on her words. “I wasn't that attached to the old place anyway,” I add with a shrug. We'd moved a couple times after my dad left, so no one place has ever felt like home.
Nate's hand moves another inch up my thigh, pushing up the hem of my dress so his fingers res
t under it. My whole body is tingling. Holy hell, I can barely breathe. I'm shocked Pierce and my mom don't seem to notice that anything's happening. With his other hand, Nate takes a calm sip from his champagne flute. Where's the waitress? He'll have to move his hand when the food comes.
He moves his hand up another inch. I can't take it any longer—another second and I'm going to start moaning. As my mom moves her head to Pierce's ear to murmur sweet nothings, I slide my fork off the table and press it tongs-first into the top of Nate’s hand. I hear him make a sharp intake of breath and then his mouth twitches as he tries to hold position through the pain. I press down harder.
Suddenly he yanks his hand away and I just manage to stop my hand in time so the fork doesn't hit my leg. He turns to me and smiles, a wicked glimmer in his eyes.
He was fucking with me, I realize. That’s his way of taking revenge for me showing him up in front of his dad? What a goddamn creep!
I lean toward him with a fake smile plastered on my face. “If you’re that pissed about it, bring it up with your dad, don’t take it out on me. I did try to turn it down.” I hiss into his ear.
He turns to me with an equally fake smile. “I’ll do whatever the hell I like, Sis.” He says quietly so our parents can’t hear.
The rest of the meal passes without Nate making another fake pass at me. The gears in my brain begin to move as I think about how I'm going to be spending the entire summer, and potentially many other seasons, living with this guy. My life has been completely upended tonight, and I need some time to process everything.
After the waitress clears our coffee cups and Pierce takes care of the bill with a black Amex card, we stand up to say goodbye. They're going to drive back to Maryland tonight since it takes under three hours. I hug Pierce goodbye, then my mom.
“I know this was a lot to take in, honey. We'll talk everything over, I promise,” she whispers reassuringly, then kisses me on the cheek. I smile at her and begin to tear up—I'm pretty overwhelmed.
Stepbrother Untouchable Page 2
