by Hamel, B. B.
“It’s horrible.”
“Yeah.” He smiled huge, clearly loving my discomfort. “It really is.”
He poured out two more shots and walked over to his balcony, pushing open the French doors and walking outside. I followed him, making a face at the horrible drink in my hand. There was no way I would put more of that terrible swill into my body. I was pretty sure the first shot was already starting to eat its way through the lining of my stomach.
I leaned up against the railing, looking out over the lawn and into the trees. He took a deep breath and let it out.
“Decent night,” he said.
“Yeah. It’s pretty.”
We were standing close, lit only by the moon. I could feel his chest rise with each breath. I wanted to touch him, wanted to do more than just touch him. But the word “stepbrother” kept ringing in my ears, over and over.
He leaned on one elbow, his face close to mine.
“What now?” he said softly.
“I don’t know. Bed soon, I guess.”
He reached out and tipped my chin toward him. Chills ran down my spine and my heart began to race even faster, if that was possible. I looked at his full lips and into his intense gaze, completely entranced. I wanted this, wanted it badly. I was terrified.
“Not what I meant.”
And then he kissed me. Desire flooded through my body as his lips pressed against mine, sending deep traces of hunger into ever part of my torso.
I pulled away. “Wait. We can’t.”
“Sure we can. We’re not really related.”
“I know. But I can’t. You’re drunk.”
He laughed. “So are you.”
“Exactly. I’m sorry.”
He straightened up. “Fine. That’s cool.”
I tossed the cup I was holding off the balcony and watched it drop through the blackness, disappearing into the night. I turned away and walked quickly inside, cursing my idiocy, angry at myself for backing out when really I wanted him more than anything.
“Sleep tight, Brie baby,” he called after me.
I didn’t look back.
I didn’t see him again for three years.
That was it. A few hours of dancing, a few hours of flirting, and one kiss. That was the extent of our relationship, unless you counted the small talk before the reception started. The marriage happened really suddenly, and we didn’t have a chance to get to know each other very much before being thrown together that night. I couldn’t have known what he would do to me, what he would make me feel.
I had spent hours agonizing over that moment. Throughout the years, I drifted between believing I did the right thing and being convinced that I had made the biggest mistake of my whole life. I never got a chance to find out, because Lincoln disappeared from the house early the next day and ended up moving out to Europe two days after that.
I had my own stuff. I had school. I had friends and one or two boyfriends and hours spent in the lab. But always in the background was Lincoln and his career, exploding into stardom in the last year and a half.
I sighed, shaking myself out of the memory. I glanced down at my phone and checked Facebook, but there were no texts or messages or wall posts or anything to suggest that someone would be my savior.
Someone other than Lincoln, of course.
As if on cue, the back door to the house pushed open and there he was, limping on his cane out toward me, followed by Jessica and the camera crew. I sighed and rolled my eyes at him, and he grinned. Something lanced through my chest; I couldn’t tell if it was annoyance at the cameras or desire for his slightly-sweating body.
“Hey, Brie,” he said as he got closer.
“Hey yourself. Cameras follow you everywhere now?”
He stopped and looked back at them. “Guys, cameras off.”
There was a moment where nobody moved. Jessica took a step closer and looked like she wanted to say something. Lincoln raised an eyebrow at her, and she thought better of whatever protest she had in mind. She gestured at the crew, and they shut off their equipment.
Lincoln looked back at me.
“Sorry about that.”
I looked nonchalant. “Not a big deal.”
He limped over and sat down slowly on the chair next to mine, obviously trying not to let me see how much it hurt him. That was typical Lincoln, blocking out anything painful and pretending like the world was just fine. Even with two broken legs and a cane, he was the strongest man I knew.
He glanced over his shoulder. “Can you guys take five?” he asked Jessica.
“We have a schedule,” she said, frowning.
“I know. But we agreed Brie won’t be in any shots until she wants to be. So let me talk with my stepsister, and you guys take a break.”
Jessica sighed, obviously annoyed. “Okay, fine. Be fast, though. We have some interviews to shoot.”
She turned and stalked back up to the house, and the camera guys followed, smiling sheepishly at me, almost apologetically.
“Trouble in paradise?” I asked him.
“Not really. She can be a little uptight sometimes.”
“She is supposed to be in charge of your thing, right?”
“I guess. It’s my life, though.”
I nodded. That made sense. “Well, thanks. I appreciate it.”
He grinned at me. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m actually here to talk to you about the cameras.”
I sighed. “Look, Lincoln—”
“Wait. Before you get started,” he said, interrupting me, “just listen. I know you don’t want to be in this thing, and frankly I don’t blame you. It’s not really my kind of deal.”
“So why are you doing it?”
“Not sure, I guess.” He pursed his lips, and I had the weird urge to reach out and touch his bicep. He stretched out his legs, wincing slightly. “Your dad says it’ll be good for my brand. And I’ve been away from the jumps for a while now, because of my fucking legs. I guess I want to start getting back into the game.”
“The game?”
He gave me a look. “The fame bullshit. The game.”
“Oh. Right, of course. I forgot you were ‘Based’ now.”
“Only when the cameras are on. Right now, I’m just Lincoln. And I want you to be in this documentary.”
I sighed. “I would really rather not.”
“I know. But the cameras are going to be all over the place all summer, and it’s going to be a pain in the ass for everyone if you’re constantly trying to dodge the shots.”
“So you want me to do it because it’ll be more convenient for you?”
He grinned. “Yeah. That, and if you agree to do it, I can make sure your role is limited.”
“But if I don’t agree, I won’t have any role at all.”
He sighed and looked out over the water. I watched his face shift from cocky and brash to pensive in less than a second. I thought I was seeing an entirely different side of him, and for a brief moment I liked it. But then he looked back at me, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, and the pensive side was gone.
“I know we haven’t been close for a while. Haven’t really seen each other. But it would mean a lot to me if you did this.”
“Lincoln, I really—”
“And,” he said, continuing, “I’ll owe you a favor. Whatever you want. Agree to do one interview with the crew, and I’ll owe you one favor.”
I paused, and his smile broke out into his arrogant grin. I wanted to say no, wanted badly to turn him down and forget about the whole thing, but his offer was tempting. What did I want from Lincoln, anyway? Then again, it was only one interview, and he was writing me a blank check.
“Anything I want?” I asked him cautiously.
He leaned closer. “Absolutely anything you want, I’ll do it for you.”
I couldn’t help but note the insinuation there, but I ignored it.
“And all I need to do is one interview.”
He nodded, saying nothing
.
I sighed. I should say no. I really, really should say no, and I should stay far away from him. If I knew what was good for me, I’d stand up and walk away and catch the next flight to L.A., regardless of how angry and upset Jules would be.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
He smiled huge. “Great. This is going to be fun.”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
“We’re doing the interview together. And we’re getting started soon.”
Chapter Four: Lincoln
Interview #1
I leaned back in my chair as the crew fired up the lights. The backdrop was simple, the same backdrop Jess always set up for interview shots. I glanced over at Aubrie. She looked like she was about to pass out or throw up, or maybe both.
“You okay?” I asked her.
She looked at me. “Fine. Nervous.”
Fuck, she was so goddamn cute sometimes. Even on the verge of falling out of her seat, she was so fuckable it was insane. Her thick hair and her full lips were practically screaming at me.
I put my hand on her arm, and for a second I thought she was going to scream or throw my hand off. Instead, the surprised look on her face passed, and I smiled.
“It’ll be fine. Honestly. They’ll edit out any stupid shit you say.”
“Great, thanks. That’s really helpful.”
I squeezed her arm, and for a second I was tempted to say something worse. I loved riling her up, even though it was incredibly easy. She was impossibly hot when she got all flustered, but I shouldn’t push her too much. Not yet, at least.
I’d save that for when the cameras were running.
I moved my hand away and she frowned for a second. “They’ll really edit it?” she asked.
“Promise. I’ll make sure you end up sounding like a rocket scientist.”
She laughed nervously, and I grinned at her as one of the crew guys, I think his name was Brent, walked over with our clip-on mics. He handed me mine and then helped Aubrie work hers. For a second, I had this insane and stupid moment of jealousy as they shared a laugh at the awkward moment they were having trying to get the mic attached to her thin, sheer white blouse. But it passed pretty fast as Jess walked over.
“Okay, guys. We almost ready?”
The crew guy gave Brie a smile, and she smiled back as he left the shot and went over to his camera.
“All set,” Josh, one of the lead cameramen, said.
“How about you two?”
“I’m fine. I think Brie might pass out, though,” I said.
She shook her head. “I’m fine. Thanks, though, ass.”
The crew laughed and I grinned at her. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Jess sat down on her stool. Josh walked into the shot with a clapperboard, that white and black thing with the snap top. It was meant to mark where the audio should sync up with the video.
“Lincoln and Aubrie, interview one, take one.” He snapped the clapper and got out of the shot. I looked over at Jess expectantly.
“Okay, guys, let’s start with an easy one. When did you two first meet?”
I looked at Brie.
“At the wedding,” she said.
“One week before the wedding,” I said.
There was an awkward pause.
“What?” She stared at me, surprised.
I laughed. “We met a week before the wedding. You were wearing these tight jeans that made your ass look fantastic. We weren’t related then, so I’m not ashamed to admit that I stared.”
Brie blushed, right on cue. “Uh, okay. But where was this?”
“My mom had a freak-out about something for the ceremony, I forget what. I drove her over to your place. You were in the kitchen while I waited for Mom over there.” I pointed toward the couch a few feet away.
Brie stared at me for a second, and then comprehension dawned. “Holy shit, I remember that now. But we didn’t really meet, did we?”
“I guess not. But it was the first time I saw you.”
“I can’t believe you remember.”
I shrugged. “You never forget an ass like that.”
The crew laughed and Jess smiled as I looked back over at her. I knew Aubrie was probably blushing like mad and pretending she didn’t care, but I didn’t glance at her even though I really wanted to.
“So much for your easy question,” I said.
“That’s okay. Next question. This one’s for you, Brie.” She paused and glanced down at her notes. “What did you think of Lincoln when you first met? First impressions, please.”
Aubrie screwed up her face, and I leaned back in my seat, throwing my arm over the back, and raised an eyebrow at her. She glanced at me and looked quickly away.
“Well, I didn’t really know him. I guess I thought he was a little bit arrogant and loud.”
The crew laughed and I grinned at her.
“Anything else?” Jess asked.
“Yeah, Brie, tell her about the actual wedding.”
She looked at me. “What about it?”
“Oh, you know. How you couldn’t stop following me around all night.”
She blushed. “That is not true at all.”
“What does he mean?” Jess prompted, a consummate professional.
Aubrie shook her head. “I have no clue. I mean, we hung out a lot at the reception and danced a bunch, but I definitely wasn’t following him around.”
“That’s not how I remember it.”
She snapped me a look. “Okay, and how do you remember it, then?”
I looked thoughtful. “Well, I recall a spoiled young girl looking for a rebellious, bad influence, and finding it in her new stepbrother.”
She gaped. “That’s crazy.”
“If I recall,” I continued, ignoring her and looking over at Jess, “she was quick to mooch off my stolen booze. I think it was the first time she ever got drunk.”
I noticed a few smiles on the crew’s face. Aubrie was blushing like mad and looked furious.
“It was a wedding!” she exclaimed. “Of course I was trying to get drunk. And it was definitely not the first time.”
“How many times before that?” Jess asked.
I could barely hold back my excitement. Hard-ass Jess was playing it up perfectly.
“I don’t know,” Aubrie said, frustrated. “A few times with friends. Not a lot or anything, but I was a typical kid.”
“Sounds like a load of crap to me,” I said, rolling my eyes gamely.
Someone snickered and I gave a look to Aubrie. I watched as she worked her jaw, fury rolling through her. I wondered for a second what kind of comeback she was cooking up; probably something incredibly hurtful but still witty, her typical modus operandi. I had to hand it to Brie, under normal circumstances she was a force to be reckoned with.
Fortunately, getting interviewed reality-TV style wasn’t a normal circumstance.
“Okay, let’s move on,” Jess broke in, diffusing the awkward silence. “Lincoln, same question. First impressions of Aubrie.”
I glanced at Brie and watched as she sat back, visibly composing herself and giving me an “I’m going to murder you later” stare.
“Honestly, she seemed really down to earth,” I started. Brie looked a little surprised at that. “I mean, she grew up with a pretty famous dad, but that didn’t seem to affect her.”
“That’s really nice of you, Lincoln,” Aubrie said softly, clearly surprised.
I grinned at her. “But I also thought you were a little boring. You know, a really good girl. Smart, obviously, but didn’t have much experience outside of the classroom.”
Her jaw dropped and she quickly gathered herself. “Just because I wasn’t covered in tattoos at eighteen doesn’t mean I was boring.”
“No, that’s true, but—”
“And plus,” she cut me off, “not everyone can be as exciting as ‘Based’ Carter. I’ve read some pretty wild things about you in the last year.”
I raised an eyebrow a
t her. “Been following my career?”
“Hard not to.”
“And I guess you disapprove.”
“I’m not judging. Just stating a fact.”
“Okay guys—” Jess tried to cut in, but Aubrie held up her hand. I was practically giddy with excitement at how well it was going.
I wasn’t sure why I was pushing her so hard. Frankly, I was probably being a huge asshole. But I had been cooped up in the house for so long, working my fucking ass off trying to get back in shape, and Brie was the perfect target. She got so flustered so easily.
The fact that she looked cock-stiffening cute when she chewed her lower lip in anger was just a bonus.
“No, hold on.” Brie turned herself toward me, looking incredibly frustrated and worked up, and way too fucking sexy. “You’re my stepbrother, so people ask me about you. I have to answer questions all the time about the crap people read about you. And you know what? I defend you, even though I barely know you. Even though you haven’t called or texted or emailed in three years.”
The room was dead silent as she finished her little speech, and I was stunned.
“You don’t have to defend me,” I said softly.
“I know I don’t,” she spat back.
There was another short pause. I never knew she wanted to hear from me, especially after the way she had turned me down that night. Although it wasn’t the only reason, getting far away from Brie was a big part of why I moved to Europe and drowned myself in adrenaline and fame. I couldn’t let myself dwell on her too much, or else I’d get stuck thinking about the stepsister I wanted more than anything.
And it was wrong, how badly I wanted to kiss her, even in front of all the cameras.
“I guess there’s some anger there,” Jess said. “Why haven’t you messaged her, Lincoln?”
I took a second to think. “I don’t have a good reason. I guess I was distracted with my own shit. And besides, it wasn’t like she was trying to hunt me down, either.”
“Anything you want to say to that?” Jess asked Aubrie.
“No, nothing. It’s just typical of him to pass the blame off on someone else.”
“Oh, that’s interesting,” I said. “First you barely know me, and now you know me well enough to call me selfish?”
