by Wanda Edmond
BRANDON
Stepbrother Navy Romance
WANDA EDMOND
Copyright 2015
All Right Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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BRANDON (Book 1)
Chapter 1
“Okay, so that chapter has been completed, onto the next one,” Jackie mumbled to herself. She sat in her apartment, looking around at the place and wondering why it felt so lonely. Then again, a part of her knew why, and it was what had been bothering her for the last two years.
She missed her stepbrother. Brandon might have seemed like a normal guy to everyone else under the sun, but to Jackie, he was the guiding force for her actions. She did a lot of things in life with the intention of making her stepbrother notice her and see how amazing she had become. That was the reason for her life, and the reason why she continued to do what she needed to do. She wanted to see him again, and she wondered as well how he had changed.
It had been about two years since he left, but of course, he was in and out of the military for many years. He was about five years older than she was, at 25 years old, and she wondered how it was going to pan out when she saw him again. She made a promise the last time that she saw him that they would be different the next time that they saw one another, and it was the reason for Jackie’s desire to get into the school that she did, one of the most prestigious colleges in the area and one that boasted quite the repertoire. It was pretty amazing when she thought about it, knowing that deep down she would be studying at a great and huge place. She wanted to make him happy, and that was why she kept her sanity on lockdown and she studied to her heart’s content. It was for him, and she knew that one day, she would be able to see him again.
He told her that he would be coming home soon, and Jackie was excited for that. She missed him dearly. He was really the only best friend that she had, and although they had distanced themselves from one another, they were still very close. Jackie was a bookworm, but he didn’t judge her for that. Rather, he wanted to get to know his sister better, and he encouraged her to come to terms with herself. He was the reason for her changes in life, but Jackie was still the bookworm that she was known to be. She hoped that Brandon would still talk to her, even though she hadn’t really grown all that much.
But what if he thought that she was a loser or something? What if he thought that she was boring these days, and he thought of her as nothing but a burden? That would be her worst nightmare! She was working hard to reach her career as an accountant, and that required a lot of math. She hated it, but she did it because she knew that he would be proud of her, at least that’s what she told herself and was the mantra for her life.
After a little bit, she looked over at her phone. There was a new email for her, one that she didn’t know what to do about. It was from the military, which meant that it had something to do with her brother, the man that she had been waiting for and wanting to see for so long. The two of them had been very close, but due to the nature of his job and the fact that Jackie had a lot going on, they rarely saw one another. Of course, they still made time for each other every single day.
She opened the email, trying to read a bit of it, but it was all in some sort of military gibberish. However, the body of the letter was what was important, and she started to glance at it.
Hey there Jackie,
I’m coming back in a couple of days. Don’t tell anyone, but it’s a bit of a surprise and a bit of a problem for me as well. See, I do have a bit of a story to tell everyone, but I know that if our parents heard about it, they wouldn’t let me back into their home. I want to tell you in person though, if that’s fine. It’s complicated, and I think you’re the only one in the family who gets me sometimes. Would you be willing to come pick me up? I get in next Friday at 6 pm, so I assume that’s after your classes. Let me know. Thanks.
Brandon
She read over the message a few times. So Brandon was coming back to the states. But his message sounded weird. Why couldn’t he tell her why he was coming back so soon? Well, it wasn’t really soon, but it was more sudden than anything. Usually they get at least a months’ notice, but this seems like he did something bad, and he was getting punished for it. Whatever it was, she had a bad feeling about this.
A part of her wanted to tell him that she wouldn’t be able to do it, because she had a bad feeling about this. But maybe there was something about him that changed, and maybe she would be the only one who could help him. It seemed to be his only option, and it felt right to tell him that she was fine with it. She wrote a response back saying that it was fine, but she needed to know right away and she hoped that he was safe.
Both him and her have been friends for years. They grew up together, and to be honest, she had a bit of strange set of feelings for Brandon. Jackie never thought that it was a crush. Rather, it was more of a respect for the man, because he did a lot of great things in life, and she did react the fact that he worked hard to get what he wanted, and she could be there for him. But still, something felt off about this whole thing, and she needed to figure out what it was.
After she responded, she went back to studying, wondering what it was that had happened, and why he couldn’t tell anyone else. Did he do something in the military? Or was it because they didn’t need him anymore? Maybe she would find out, and maybe that was what would happen next. Right now, the only thing that she thought was of importance at the present moment was her homework, which was sitting there and practically being begged to work on, even though her thoughts were flooded with what had happened to her stepbrother, and the truth that was going to be revealed.
Chapter 2
The rest of the week was pretty easy, and Jackie did stay in contact with Brandon. However, he seemed off, and it seemed like whatever had happened to him was something that made her wonder if maybe she was hallucinating. Then again, she started to think that it was probably just her natural worry of him. After a little bit of time, the days started to go by faster, and by Friday, she knew she would be seeing her brother once again.
She made arrangements to get out of class early. The teacher didn’t like it at first, but Jackie told him that she was seeing her stepbrother for the first time in years, and he was a part of the military. The teacher had mad respect for the military, so he let her go, even though he warned her that there would be a test next week. She didn’t really care, she would ace it anyways. What she was worried about right now, was seeing the man and asking him what had happened. Why did things change like this? Did something happen to him that she never thought possible. Did he do something that was so bad he got dishonorably discharged? She thought that it might be that, and if that was the case, there was no way they wanted to tell their parents about that. Jackie knew that her father wasn’t too happy about that, and his mother was going to flip if they found out about this. His mother wanted him to go into the military to follow his grandfather, and Jackie remembered that he had a high regard for him, a man who died in battle after he had children.
Jackie didn’t get it. Then again, what was she supposed to get? Of course, maybe this would all explain itself in due time, and once she got to the airport, she
went with that. She started to head on inside, waiting at the terminal for him.
Time passed and Jackie wondered if this was a joke. Of course, the plane was late, but the anxiety that she had was taking over her. She would be seeing her stepbrother for the first time in forever, and this would be their first meeting in a very long time. The fact that it was actually happening made her smile. Maybe they would have a normal relationship like how they used to. Probably not, but she could only hope.
When the plane got there, she looked around, waiting for him with eager eyes. The men started to get off, and finally, she recognized him.
He had a buzzed blonde head of hair, big blue eyes, and a smile that could melt any woman’s heart. He was gorgeous, and Jackie had to admit, that behind her glasses, he was staring at him. He was pretty before, but this haircut and the way he looked gave him a bit of a rougher demeanor, and in some strange way, she found that attractive. He then went over to the baggage claim, getting his materials, but Jackie just stood there.
“What do I do?” she asked herself. He did get more handsome by the second, but she could tell that there was something awry. He seemed off, almost like he was hiding a sort of secret. She didn’t even know if he saw her yet. She assumed so, and within moments, he went over to her. The two of them embraced, and Jackie felt the tight arms wrap around her. He was more built than before, that’s for sure, and it shocked her to say that. She never thought of her stepbrother in such a lewd way before, but it was always a first for everything.
“Hey there Jackie. How are you?” he asked her.
“Good. How was the plane? Was it hell?” she asked him. He was really the only person that she could really talk to without feeling a sort of social anxiety, and he smiled.
“Yeah, I would rather not deal with that shit again. But what about you? Still studying a lot?” he asked her.
“Yeah, I’ve had a lot of crazy things happen recently with classes, so I’m just trying to get ahold of them. Lots of tests and papers. I was shocked to get your message though. Definitely was a surprise for me, but not necessarily a bad one,” she told him. Jackie had to admit, even though he didn’t seem too happy to be heading on back, she was happy to see him again. Plus, it meant that he wasn’t dead, and it was something that made her feel better.
“Well I’m glad to be back. Let’s get the fuck out of here, shall we?” he asked her.
She nodded, feeling happy to see him back in his element. He did cuss a lot, but she was so used to it that it never bothered her. They went out to her car, and he put the bag in the trunk. The two of them then got in, and once they were out of the airport terminal, she looked at him with expectant eyes, wondering if he would finally spill it.
“So? What happened?” she asked.
“It’s a long story. Let’s get home first,” he told her.
She groaned inwardly. This was making her go crazy. She wanted to find out just what he was hiding from her, and what it was that he couldn’t tell her for the life of him. They went home, and once they got there, she showed him to the couch.
“I’m sorry that I don’t have an extra room. I wasn’t expecting this to be a place for two people,” she said, flushing at everything.
“It’s fine. Besides, there’s a more pressing matter to attend to, isn’t there?” he told her.
She looked at him with a perplexed gaze. What was so pressing that he needed to talk to her? Then she remembered. The reason why he got kicked out, and why he couldn’t go back. Yeah, that was kind of important.
“So what happened? Did you get dishonorably discharged?” she asked him.
“Not exactly. I did fuck up majorly, but not enough for that. Let’s just say that I was supposed to have turned the knob on one thing, but then I ended up not doing it. It put a ton of people’s lives in danger, and despite the fact that I apologized profusely, they told me that it was the end, that I should pack my shit and leave. It sucks, but I guess where I was, one strike was all that I needed, and it was what would’ve kicked me out,” he told her in a forlorn manner.
“That’s a really dumb way to get kicked out,” she told him.
“You’re telling me. I still think it’s crazy that it happened like this. I mean, I know that I fucked up because I messed up a little bit, but seriously. That was totally not called for,” he told her.
“I imagine. I mean, if that happened to me I would be livid like no other,” she told him.
“Yeah. But now I’m back, and I’m here with you, so that works,” he told her.
She nodded, but there seemed to be something else there, something that he wasn’t telling her. However, she wasn’t going to press the issue.
“So how long are you going to be here?” she asked him.
“Well, I’m thinking for a couple of months. It’s going to be a bitch to get a job. Even though I wasn’t dishonorably discharged, I do have that on my record, even though I’ve worked in the military for years. Pissed me off that it would be the sole reason for me to get kicked out of there but whatever. I’m just happy I’m back in my own area and with you,” he told her.
She blushed at those words. The way he said them implied something else, and even though she didn’t want to be thinking in such a lewd manner, she couldn’t help it. The fact that she was even thinking about her brother like this was totally wrong, but it made her skin flush a tiny bit, and she felt awkward as all hell.
“Thanks. So what do you want to do?” she asked him.
“How about we get some food together? You know, like old times?” he offered.
“Are you sure? I mean, you just got back. I don’t want to be a burden or anything,” She asked him.
“You’re not a burden sis, trust me on this. You’re pretty amazing to boot, and I’m happy to be back with someone who does give a flying fuck about me. I’m happy that I got to stay with you, because if I had to go back to the parents, they would kick me out completely. And plus, I feel like I get along better with you anyways,” he told her.
Jackie blushed. She agreed as well. “Yeah, well we did grow up together. Our parents got remarried when we were young, and you were always the older stepbrother to me. You were a great friend, someone who I always cared about, and I feel like it’s only fair that I take care of you when you’re in a shitty situation, because you took care of me and made me feel good,” she told him.
“Well thank you Jackie. I really appreciate it,” he told her.
They got up and went out to get food, but Jackie continued to think about what happened to Brandon. Something seemed very off, not good in a sense either. She wanted to figure out what was this bad feeling that she had, but she figured she would find out more about it in due time. That was what she needed to figure out, and she knew for a fact that it was only going to get worse with wear, and she would have to figure out the truth about her feelings and what was going on with him sooner rather than later.
Chapter 3
It seemed like things were going okay so far, but Jackie had a strange feeling from the moment they got home. They were going to live together, and he would probably stick around at home until he got a job, and Jackie wondered how this was going to work out for them. They hadn’t told the parents that he was back yet, or even for what reason it was, but she wondered when that would happen. She honestly didn’t want it to be for a very, very long time.
Things were okay at first, with normal conversation between the two of them. One day however, Jackie was working on something. It was something for music class, something that she took because she had a minor in music, but she hated the class. It was music theory, and to be honest, she just wanted to play the damn cello and not deal with this crap. Jackie was looking at it, clenching her fists in frustration.
“Ugh, this is so dumb!” she screamed out.
Brandon looked up from the computer he was using. He took Jackie’s spare one, and soon he looked at her with wondering eyes. “What’s up?” he asked her.
“
Just this stupid as fuck theory that I have to do. I hate it, and I know that the teacher is just making us do this because she’s a masochistic bitch,” she told him.
“Really? Damn that’s hardcore,” he told her.
“No shit. I’m so sick of it already, and right now, the last thing that I want to be doing is this crap,” she said to him.
“Well let me take a look at it. Are the answers anywhere online?” he asked her.
“Nah. She told us that she would know if we went online. I hate that, but it is what it is,” she explained.
He then moved closer, moving right next to her. The proximity of their bodies immediately caused her to blush, and Jackie wondered if maybe, just maybe he was doing this on purpose. She already felt completely awkward around him already, and it was obvious that he didn’t seem to mind making things even more awkward than they already are. He grasped the pencil, filling it out within moments in a flurry. She watched with shock plastered on her face. He was doing this like it was a second language to him and completely natural. She was so caught up in this that she didn’t even notice when he gave the pencil back, smirking at her.
“All done,” he told her.
“How?” she spat out. She didn’t know that he knew anything about music theory.
“Well to be honest, I took that class back in high school. I wanted to be a musician, but of course that dream changed. Now I just want a job period, but music is a big part of my life, so I know a lot about it,” he explained in a simple manner.
He was perfect at this, and she looked at this with shock plastered on her face. How? How in the world was he so good at this type of shit?
“You’re a wizard. I can’t believe it. You haven’t been in school in forever, yet you know more about this type of crap than I do,” she admitted.
“Trust me on this Jackie, I only know it because that’s what I was going to go into. If you ask me anything about other subjects, I’ll look at you like a dumb dog. But trust me, if you need any help with this shit, let me know. I would be honored to help you. It’s only fair since you’re helping me stay somewhere while I get back on my feet. Plus, this can be a bit of payment. I would rather not have my sister get completely fucked over by the system,” he told her.
