My Stepbrother, My Lover

by Ward, Alice

  I stomped up the stairs and stared her down. She didn’t move from her spot on the chaise lounge. “You know exactly why I’m here. Remember that spa day you had with the girls a few weeks ago? I was in the next room. I know all about your immature little revenge plan.”

  She smoothed her hair and put on a perky smile. “My goodness, Kennedy. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied with exaggerated sweetness. “I haven’t been to the spa in ages… Perhaps you nodded off during a treatment and dreamed all of that up.”

  “Oh, cut the bullshit Meredith. Jackson and I just met with Sidra at the Student Services Center and I know that you filed the anonymous complaint. You’re not going to get away with this. Jackson did all of his own work, we’ll find a way to prove that. And good luck getting anyone to believe your lies about my mother. It’s not too late to stop this Meredith. Retract the complaint, leave my family alone, and we can forget this ever happened.”

  “Looks like someone’s scared,” she said with a smile. Meredith looked amused by my words, which only increased my desire to slap her smug face. “I’ll indulge you, Kennedy, since this seems so important to you. Let’s say I filed this complaint. Let’s say I do have a plan. Just what do you think you can do to stop me? You’re threats are empty. You have no power.”

  I don’t know what got in to me. Normally, I’d cower at being talked to like that. Maybe it was my anger, maybe it was my determination to protect my family, but I balled my hands into fists and stood my ground. An icy calm came over me as I spoke.

  “I think you’re wrong,” I argued. “I think I have all the power. After all, I have Jackson. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? He wouldn’t take you back. This is basically a temper tantrum and you’re just a spoiled little girl who lost her toy.”

  Meredith sat upright on the chaise lounge. She was finally flustered. “What do you mean, you have Jackson? The two of you broke up… I was there… and your parents…”

  “What Jackson and I have is real,” I told her defiantly. “Your little scene at the Sigma house was certainly no threat to it. And yes, the situation between our parents is complicated. But that’s not enough to keep us apart either. If you want to come after us, Meredith, you do your worst. Jackson and I will still be together when the dust settles. And you’ll still be a pathetic, spoiled brat.”

  I turned and slowly walked down the stairs.

  “You’re lying,” Meredith called after me. “If you and Jackson were really together, there’s no way you’d tell me. You’d have to know I’d spread it around campus. And that’s the last thing you’d want… if you were really together.”

  I mimicked her smug smile. “Tell yourself whatever you’d like, Meredith. For that matter, tell anyone you’d like too. I’m about to show everyone exactly how much your word is worth.”

  ***

  “Kennedy, I can’t believe that you said what you said you said,” Lauren gasped.

  “Say that three times fast,” I teased.

  “I’m serious!” she continued. “I’ve known you for three years and I never thought you’d do something like this! I’m so proud of you! I wish I could have seen Meredith’s face while you were telling her off.”

  “That makes two of us,” Jackson agreed.

  “Three,” Rory added as he dunked a tortilla chip into salsa.

  The four of us were at The Pub for a late lunch. Hours had passed since my confrontation with Meredith, but I was still reeling from the adrenaline.

  “I’m proud of you too, Kennedy,” Jackson said. He squeezed my thigh under the table. “And I’m flattered… the way you went after Meredith like that… it’s incredibly hot.”

  I blushed. “Thanks, babe,” I said almost under my breath.

  Lauren grinned. “You two are so cute together. And just think, your parents should be home soon and you won’t have to keep this a secret anymore. You can broaden your social circle instead of being stuck with us all the time.”

  Jackson clenched his jaw and I looked down at my potato skins. I hadn’t told Lauren about our new plan to hide the relationship until after the adoption.

  “Looks like you poked a sore spot, baby,” Rory observed.

  Lauren pointed a chicken kabob at me. “Kennedy Nightingale, what aren’t you telling me? I thought we talked about this. You’ve found someone who makes you happy. Your mother would want to know about that.”

  “My mother wants a baby,” I reminded her. “And what social worker would place a kid in a house where they’ll have to understand that their big brother and sister are a couple? It’s too complicated, too… potentially damaging.”

  The last two words made Jackson cringe.

  “Obviously, it won’t be damaging but it’s what the social worker could think.” I turned back to Lauren. “We’re not breaking up. We both know better than to try to stay apart, it was just too hard. We’re just keeping a lid on things a little longer than we originally planned.”

  Lauren eyed Jackson. “Are you okay with this?”

  He shrugged. “It’s not ideal, but none of this is. Kennedy is convinced that it’s the right way to handle things and if it makes her happy, I’m happy to play along.”

  Lauren sighed. “All right… it’s your decision. If this is what you want, we’ll keep our mouths shut.”

  Rory took a drink of his draft beer and nodded. “Personally, I think you have more important things to worry about right now. Like how Meredith’s going to retaliate for your visit this morning.”

  I stirred my vodka and cranberry juice. “I don’t give a shit what she does.”

  “Rory’s right, Kennedy,” Jackson said softly. “Meredith isn’t used to being talked to like that. And I’m afraid there’s not much she isn’t capable of when she’s pissed off.”

  “Jackson, if there was any truth to Meredith’s claims, I’d be worried. But she can’t prove anything, because it never happened. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think you need to go to your professors and offer to redo all the work under supervision. If you prove you know the material, they’d have to dismiss the charges.”

  “I can do that,” he agreed. He stabbed at the half eaten steak on his plate. “It’s not fair and it’s insulting, but if that’s the easiest way to make this all disappear, then count me in.”

  “We’ll also have to figure out how to prove that Meredith filed the complaint in the first place,” I continued.

  “Kennedy, if you get the charges dismissed what will it matter who filed the complaint?” Lauren asked.

  “That bitch called me a cheater. Me Lauren. And she threatened my family. I’m going to expose her for the trash she is if it’s the last thing I do. And I’m going to stop her from causing any more trouble.”

  “That’s the spirit, babe,” Jackson said, clinking his glass against mine.

  “I’m on board for stopping her,” Lauren said. “But how in the world are we going to do it?”

  “I have a few ideas,” I told her with a mischievous grin. I signaled our waitress for a fresh round of drinks and let my friends in on my plan.

  ***

  “Excuse me, are you Kennedy Nightingale?” A short, round girl asked me in a hesitant voice. It was Tuesday, a little over a week since my fight with Meredith. I was sitting in the dining hall, eating lunch and minding my own business.

  “Yes, I’m Kennedy,” I replied. “Who are you?”

  The girl gave me a nervous smile. “My name is Jade, I write for the Crimson. I also have a blog… it’s pretty popular on campus. I was hoping to interview you for a piece I’m doing on your family.”

  Took you long enough. I guess Meredith doesn’t act as quickly as we gave her credit for.

  “My family?” I asked. I did my best to appear innocent and confused.

  “Well yes… your mom is about to marry into one of Boston’s favorite families. The Montgomery’s are like our royalty. I’d like to get your perspective, what it’s like to be in their worl
d as a relative outsider.” She set her notebook on the table and pulled out a pen.

  “The Montgomerys have been nothing but accepting of me. It’s like we’ve been family all along,” I told her. “If there’s nothing else, I’d like to get back to my lunch.” I turned back to my plate, knowing Jade wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Well… actually, Ms. Nightingale… there is another angle I’d like to discuss,” she admitted.

  I sighed and pretended to be annoyed. “All right, let’s get this over with. What do you want to know?” I slid down the bench to make room for Jade and she took a seat.

  “Look, Kennedy, I’m going to be honest with you,” she said, dropping her voice. “Two days ago, I received a tip via a private message to my blog. It said that you and Jackson were under investigation for academic dishonesty and that the two of you are carrying on some kind of scandalous affair.”

  “My goodness, that’s quite a story,” I said innocently. I kept my tone even, just like I’d practiced. “And I’m sure it would make an entertaining article, but I’m afraid none of that’s true.”

  Please God, please let the investigators be as discrete as Sidra promised.

  Jade nodded. “I contacted the campus investigators, of course, but they wouldn’t confirm or deny the investigation. That’s what they always say. But I’ve had my doubts about the tip. I’ve talked to your friends and Jackson’s already. They all insisted that there’s nothing going on between the two of you. They almost seemed insulted by the suggestion.”

  I smiled. “I’m sure most people’s friends would do the same.”

  “You’d be surprised,” she told me. “The people closest to you are usually the first to sell you out. But everyone I talked to seemed incredibly loyal. Your roommate, Lauren, especially.”

  “I take it Lauren told you about Meredith Dyer?”

  Jade nodded. “She said she was unstable and had threatened to come after you.”

  “And am I correct in assuming that Meredith is the one who gave you the tip.”

  Jade nodded again. “I guess she expected me to just take her story and run with it. But that’s not how I operate. I like to do my own research, gather the facts before I break a story.”

  “I appreciate that, Jade,” I told her with my friendliest smile. “And I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that if you were to print Meredith’s story…”

  “I’d open myself wide up to a slander lawsuit,” she finished.

  I twisted spaghetti around my fork and pushed it aimlessly around my plate. I tried my best to look concerned.

  “Kennedy, is something bothering you?” Jade asked, her interest peaked.

  “To be honest, I’m worried about Meredith. She’s made up all these stories in her head, and I’m starting to worry that she’s dangerous.”

  Meredith looked at me intently, considering my concern. “I wouldn’t worry about her. Like I said, I’ve spoken to all kinds of people around campus, and none of them gave me the impression that her story is true. Her words won’t hurt you.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not worried about her hurting me. I’m worried about her hurting herself. She has a strange obsession with my stepbrother, Jackson. They’ve been over for months, but she just can’t accept it. I wish I could step in, offer her some kind of help, but I know she’d never accept it from me.”

  “Your friends were right about you, Kennedy. You’re a really good person. Meredith has tried to spread lies about you and yet you’re still concerned about her wellbeing.” Jade gave me a look of admiration and I felt a twinge of guilt for lying to her.

  We have to do this. We have to spin it our way, or the whole campus will be buzzing with Meredith’s story by the end of the week.

  I gave Jade a casual shrug. “I feel bad for her. Mental illness is a serious problem. I think it’s our responsibility as a society to shed light on these kinds of issues and help people who need it the most. But like I said, Meredith would never accept my help so my hands are basically tied.”

  Jade bit the corner of her lip and I knew the idea was taking root in her head. “You’re right,” she agreed. She gathered her things and stood. “Thank you for your time, Kennedy. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  “No problem,” I assured her as she walked away.

  I can’t wait to read your next blog post.

  ***

  I woke up at nine the next morning to the sound of my ringing phone. I rolled over and saw Mom’s number on the screen.

  “Hello?” I mumbled into the phone.

  “Good morning darling, did I wake you?” Mom chimed.

  “Yes,” I yawned. “What time is it? Are you back in town?”

  We were scheduled to leave for the island the next day and Mom and Jack had yet to return from L.A.

  “No darling, that’s why I’m calling. We’ve decided that it makes more sense for us to leave from here. The jet will pick you and Jackson up first thing in the morning. You’ll fly to L.A. for us and then we’ll leave for the island. I need you to pick our gowns up from the seamstress and swing by my apartment for our passports.”

  “That’s already been taken care of,” I told her.

  On the other side of the room, Lauren let out a satisfied laugh. I hadn’t even realized she was awake. I turned and saw her staring at the screen of her laptop.

  “I knew I could count on you darling,” Mom continued. “How have things been going back at home?”

  “Everything’s great, Mom. Jackson and I finalized all the vacation plans and we’re really looking forward to the trip. And yes, I’m already packed.”

  “All right, I guess I’ll let you go. I’ll see you tomorrow, Kennedy. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mom.” I ended the call and turned to Lauren.

  “Has Jade already posted something?” I asked impatiently.

  Lauren nodded. “I can’t believe it, but it worked out just like you said it would.”

  After my confrontation with Meredith at the sorority house, I’d expected her to retaliate. I hoped that since I’d antagonized her, she’d stay focused on me instead of moving on with her plans to destroy my mother. Meredith had already filed an academic complaint against me. I knew that her next logical step would be to get her story out in the press.

  We didn’t know if she’d contact a Boston paper or start with a student reporter, but my friends and I all agreed that we should be prepared to give interviews. We coordinated our stories to shed the worst possible light on Meredith. When Jade went to Rory, he told her that Jackson and I had developed a strong, brother sister bond while I helped him through a breakup. He went on and on about Jackson’s terrible ex and everything she’d put him through, but he strategically left out Meredith’s name. That had first been supplied by Jackson’s other frat brother, Parker, who knew nothing about our affair and swore to that effect. As Jade made her way through our friends, she learned more and more about Meredith’s evil ways. By the time she got to Lauren, Jade was already convinced that Meredith’s tip was bullshit.

  “Give me your laptop. I want to read it,” I insisted. I climbed out of bed, moved across the room, and took a seat on her mattress. Lauren passed me the computer and I stared at the screen.

  Jade opened her story by quoting statistics on the occurrence of mental illness in college students. She went on to explain the most common mental afflictions people our age struggle with, detailing the symptoms and treatments of each. The story turned personal in the bottom paragraph.

  “Many people who suffer from mental illness are too embarrassed to seek treatment. In order to lift the social stigma towards these diseases, I think it’s important for those afflicted to come forward and show others that they’re not alone. To my readers who are suffering silently, I implore you to ask for help. Maybe you’re the shy girl who’s never overcome childhood bullying. Maybe you’re the outgoing jock who’s plagued by personal demons. Maybe you’re the sorority girl who lies about others to hide her own de
sperate insecurities. Regardless of your circumstances, there are people out there waiting to listen and help you. Remember, there are people willing to look past the pain you’ve inflicted on them and offer you a helping hand.”

  I set the computer on the mattress and smiled. “This is perfect.”

  “You think? I’m kind of disappointed that she didn’t call Meredith out by name. It kind of seems like she gave her a pass on all of her horrible actions,” Lauren argued.

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter that she didn’t name names. I bet Meredith has been stalking the blog since the day she sent the tip. Once she reads this, she’ll see that we took her story and turned it around on her. And we won. Jade believed us and Meredith will know exactly who she’s talking about at the end of the last paragraph. And really, I’m glad Jade left out her name. If we embarrassed Meredith publically, we’d be no better than she is.”

  “Do you think this will be enough to make Meredith back down?” Lauren asked.

  “I doubt it,” I answered honestly. “But we’ve kept the story quiet for the time being and we’ve shown her that not everyone is going to believe her lies. I almost wish we weren’t leaving tomorrow. If she makes a move while we’re gone, I won’t be able to do anything about it.”

  “You and Jackson deserve a vacation,” Lauren told me. “Rory and I will keep an eye on Meredith and if anything happens, I’ll call you. In the meantime, try to relax and enjoy yourself.”

  I was looking forward to the trip, but dreading it at the same time. I wanted to spend time alone on the island with Jackson, and I was happy that Mom and Jack’s big day was finally here. But the thought of going on the family activities and standing at the wedding, so close to Jackson without being able to touch him, was excruciating.

  “I’m sure I’ll feel better once we’re actually on the island,” I assured Lauren. “I guess I should start packing.”

  “You just told your mom you’d already done that,” Lauren teased.