Escape: A Stepbrother Romance

by Ashe, Jessica

  “I’ve been very patient with you, Patrick,” I said slowly. “But I’m going to need you to tell me the whole story now. You’re keeping something from me. Tell me the truth or I’m going to take all my passion for Vicky and convert it into a punch to your face. You don’t want that Patrick.”

  Patrick took a few seconds to compose himself. I didn’t rush him. When he finally spoke he told me something so ridiculous I almost didn’t believe it. If it weren’t for the look of fear and horror in his eyes I would have assumed he was lying. He’d told me the truth, but I didn’t like it so I punched him anyway.

  I regretted leaking the information about Sheri as soon as I left the pub. It wasn’t that I felt bad for potentially ruining her career; quite the opposite, I felt excited about the thought of her life crashing down around her.

  The regrets centred around the fear of being caught. I wasn’t like Caiden. I wasn’t good at being a rebel and by leaking that information I’d probably broken the law. At the very least, I’d leaked confidential information between a solicitor and his client.

  Fear gripped my stomach the entire way home and wouldn’t let go. I’d used a throwaway email account and had specifically sent the email from a Wi-Fi network that lot of different people used and should provide me some anonymity, but in the end I knew little about computers and had no idea whether the information could ever be tracked back to me.

  Rationally, my brain told me I would be okay. It wasn’t like the police would bother tracking it down, and my dad’s law firm wasn’t well-versed in security. If it were then he wouldn’t have been printing emails and taking them home in the first place.

  Caiden was in the shower when I got home. I tried to join him in there, but the door was locked and he didn’t respond to my knocks. He finally came downstairs after getting dressed, but something seemed to be troubling him. Instead of sitting next to me on the sofa, he sat on a seat at the far end of the living room.

  “How was your run?” I asked.

  “Good. Ran about ten miles.”

  He didn’t look at all tired for someone who had just run ten miles. In fact he looked agitated and twitchy instead of exhausted and satisfied after a good workout. Usually, when he had energy he was all over me, but his mind looked a million miles away right now.

  “When are you next speaking to your mum?” Caiden asked.

  “First thing next week. Early in the afternoon. Why?”

  Caiden shrugged. “Just curious. We don’t talk about her that much. I don’t even know her name.”

  “Her name’s Stephanie and there isn’t much to tell,” I said. “Her brain function is improving slowly according to her doctors, but she’s still not able to look after herself.”

  “So she has brain damage of some kind?”

  “I suppose so.” I tried to think back to the last conversation I’d had with her doctor, but I couldn’t remember any of the medical terms used. “At first, some of the symptoms were a bit like Alzheimer’s but instead of getting worse, she is gradually improving. I think it might be new brain cells replacing the old damaged ones. Something like that.”

  “Do you think she’ll ever be the person she was before the accident?” Caiden asked.

  He was staring at me with a strange intensity. He was right; we hadn’t spoken much about my mum, but he’d never shown much interest before. Now he wanted all the details, but I found it difficult to talk about her for more than a few minutes at a time without getting upset. I knew I should be grateful she was still with us at all, but I had lost the person she used to be and that still hurt.

  “No,” I said quietly. “She lost a lot of memories in the crash and she has only recovered a few of them. The doctor said that when she does regain full brain functionality her personality will be based on new memories not the old.”

  “Do you think she is getting better? Do you notice a difference when you speak to her?”

  “I think so,” I replied. “Sometimes she says things in response to me and I think she’s improving, but then other times she sounds confused. Honestly, I can’t tell much difference between now and a year ago.”

  “Why don’t you go and see her more often? In person I mean.”

  “I try to, but my visits are traumatic for her. The last time I saw her she kept crying and didn’t know why. I know it’s selfish, but I can’t handle seeing her like that. At least when we speak on the phone she can keep her emotions under control.”

  “When was the last time you saw her?”

  “I don’t know.” I tried wracking my brain for the dates, but all I knew is that it was over a year ago. “Why all the questions?”

  “I’m just surprised you don’t see her more, that’s all. You don’t get on with your father and you speak so highly of her that I assumed you would want to spend more time with her.”

  “Fuck you,” I snapped. “Don’t you dare tell me I don’t spend enough time with my mum. You don’t have a clue what this is like for me. For her. Besides, it’s not like you show your mum any respect. You’re hardly one to talk.”

  Caiden looked down between his knees and buried his head in his hands before lifting it back up. He rubbed his eyes and now he did look exhausted.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I’ve just been a bit confused about the relationship. I was actually hoping I might get the chance to speak to her myself. She sounds like an awesome person from everything you’ve told me about her and she shaped you into who you are today. I want to meet that woman or at least speak to her. Can I join you when you speak to her?”

  “You want to be on the call with me?” Caiden nodded. “The next call might be a bit soon. I haven’t told her about you yet and I’d like to give her a heads up before she speaks to you.”

  “Just say I’m a friend. It’s not like you can introduce me as your boyfriend anyway. We don’t have to make it into a big deal. Just let me say hello and introduce myself.”

  “Not this time, but soon. I’ll check with my auntie and see if she’s okay with it.”

  “Why does your auntie get to make the decision?”

  “Because she looks after my mum. She knows my mum’s mood and what state she’s in. I plan all calls with Mum through my auntie first to make sure it’s a good time. Look, I know this is a horrible situation, but I try to look on the bright side. In a few years’ time she could be significantly improved. I’m hoping she will attend my graduation from university.”

  Caiden stared at me for a few seconds and then smiled. “That would be lovely.”

  “There was something I wanted to ask you,” I said, sensing that Caiden might finally be finished with grilling me on my relationship with Mum.

  “Fire away.”

  “I’m supposed to spend this weekend up at Cambridge. It’s one of those open day things for incoming students. We spend a night at the University to get a better idea of what to expect when we start next month. There will be a party as well.”

  “Sounds exciting,” Caiden said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m sure those Cambridge boys know how to throw a party.”

  “I’m not exactly optimistic either,” I said, “but I know how to make it a lot more exciting.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Why don’t you come along with me? I can sneak you into my room, and I’m sure no one will notice if one more person is at the party. The only slight problem is I think the dorm rooms only have single beds, but I’m sure we can make do.”

  “You want me to go to the University of Cambridge?” Caiden asked. “I’m not exactly the Cambridge type, am I? I’ll stand out a mile.”

  “You stand out a mile wherever you go. It’ll be interesting to see whether the Cambridge girls go for you as much as my slutty friends.”

  “They will,” Caiden said confidently. “But if you really want me there I’ll go along.”

  “Excellent,” I replied, walking over to him and sitting on his lap. “Now, what are we go
ing to do for the rest of the afternoon with the house to ourselves?”

  Caiden smiled. “The question is not what but where?”

  “Fancy another shower?”

  ---

  I’d drastically underestimated how difficult it would be to sneak Caiden around the campus. When I arrived, I was shown to my dorm, but even though I had a room to myself, there were so many other students—both present and future—mingling around that I couldn’t very well take a random guy into my dorm without arousing a few suspicious looks.

  Caiden was more than happy to wander around the city while I did the typical introductory stuff. He didn’t like to admit it, but his eyes lit up whenever he saw old and historical buildings, so being in Cambridge was like being a kid in a candy store for him. Candy store? Now I was even thinking in Americanisms. Mum would be horrified.

  I didn’t worry about him getting bored, but I did miss him, especially when I was sat in a sample lecture. My mind wandered, and all I could think about was sneaking back to my room to screw Caiden.

  The sample lecture I sat in was Introduction to Economics. If the lecture were representative of what the next few years held in store for me then I was likely going to spend three years bored out of my mind.

  I looked around at my fellow students and saw them all listening attentively and even taking notes, despite the professor making it clear that none of the information here was really part of the course.

  This is what I would be up against when I started in a month’s time. People who had a level of enthusiasm for their studies that I could not match. My grades had always been excellent, but I considered studying a chore that I had to get through instead of being something I actively enjoyed. By the time I’d finished school, I was glad it was all over and felt that if I had to sit through another year of it my grades would begin to suffer.

  Now I had to find the motivation to get through three years of the most challenging material I’d ever faced. I didn’t think I was up to it, and this introductory weekend was doing nothing to ease my fears.

  I hung around with a group of nine other future students and one mentor—a current second-year student—who showed us around the campus and took us to meals in the dining room. When dinner was over, we all retired to our dorm room to get ready for the party.

  The rooms around mine all had girls staying in them. I heard all the doors lock as the girls showered and got ready. It gave me an opportunity to sneak Caiden in although we only had time to get dressed and nothing else.

  My excitement for the party sank as I realized that Caiden wouldn’t be allowed in. I’d naïvely assumed that the party would be relatively informal, but there were people on the door checking IDs and ensuring that everyone was on the list.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way in,” Caiden said. “You go inside and hang out with your new friends.”

  I tried to convince Caiden that it would be more fun just to hang out in my dorm all night, but he insisted I go to enjoy myself. Once inside, I quickly found a few girls from my group and we grabbed drinks at the bar. The girls had seemed rather stiff and formal during the day, but once they had a drink in them they relaxed a bit. We realized we were all as nervous as each other and bonded over our mutual fear of what was to come over the coming years.

  “I think that guy is staring at you,” Michelle said. Michelle was a tall girl and, while not fat, was big in a way that many men would find intimidating. Michelle didn’t have the confidence that often came with being tall. She was incredibly timid and the contradiction between her appearance and personality gave me a sharp reminder not to judge people by their appearance. I did that far too often and always regretted it.

  I looked in the direction Michelle was pointing assuming I would find Caiden walking around looking for me, but instead I saw Oliver. He smiled at me and walked over.

  “It’s been a while,” he said, planting a kiss on my cheek.

  We’d never been all that close and had only talked to each other at a party, but he was acting like we were old friends or even former lovers.

  The other girls quickly made excuses to leave and left Oliver and I to talk, probably thinking we had a history together. Not so long ago, his charming words and overly touchy demeanour would have won me over easily, but I was not the same girl from when I last saw him.

  I kept some distance between us and tried not to look interested. He insisted on buying me a drink and even though I refused at first, I eventually relented just so that he would go to the bar and leave me alone for a bit.

  I stood near the wall and looked around for Caiden. I checked my phone but didn’t have any messages from him. I knew he wanted me to relax and have a good time, but I’d have a much better time if he were here with me. Especially if it meant I had an excuse to get rid of Oliver. I couldn’t find Caiden anywhere, but more surprisingly, Oliver seemed to have disappeared as well.

  I didn’t want to stand around by myself all evening, so I found Michelle and hung out with her again until we noticed some commotion by the entrance. At first, I thought there had been a fight or scuffle, but laughter slowly spread from the back of the hall to where we were standing and people gathered around a window.

  Michelle and I pushed our way through the crowd to see what everyone was looking at. There was a gap by one of the windows that Michelle managed to get us close to thanks to her large frame. She took me through the crowd with her and I realized what everyone was laughing at.

  Oliver was outside and completely naked. He was tied to a lamppost, his hands behind his back and seemingly tied up with his own clothes. The lamppost illuminated his naked body. The anger on his face increased with every second that the crowd stared at him, until some friends reluctantly went and released him.

  His chances of success with any of the women here at the party were now greatly reduced because, even accounting for the slight chill in the air, his penis looked small and unappealing. I’d dodged a bullet there. Literally, it was about the size of a small bullet. Maybe I was just being cruel because I was used to Caiden’s generous length, but Oliver definitely didn’t look like the kind of man women masturbated over.

  I knew student pranks were common, but it seemed more likely that we would be the victim of the pranks, not the existing students. Just as I turned away from the window, I saw Caiden in the background. He was staring at Oliver with his arms crossed. Even in the dim light outside, I could see that his eyes were on fire with rage.

  I made my excuses to Michelle and ran outside to find Caiden as he was walking back to my dorm.

  “You did that didn’t you?” I asked. Caiden didn’t reply. He just kept walking. “We were just talking. You can’t go doing that to every man I talk to. Christ, I know he was a little flirty, but I can handle myself.” Caiden still didn’t say anything. “Don’t you trust me? You’re going to have to sooner rather than later because I’m going to be spending three years here.”

  I regretted the words as soon as they were out of my mouth. We’d not spoken about what’s going to happen after the summer, but the plan had always been to just have fun for a few months and then end it. Now I was talking about some sort of long-term and long distance relationship. I wanted to stay with Caiden, but I also knew that he would have to go back to America at some point because his visa would expire, and I would be too busy to travel to another country every couple of months.

  “He deserved it,” Caiden said, once we were back in my dorm.

  “Look, I’m not going to say he’s a gentleman. I’m sure he’s only at these parties to screw around with the new intake, but that doesn’t mean he deserves to be stripped and tied up naked in front of everyone. It’s not like you haven’t been that guy before.”

  “I’ve never been ‘that guy,’ “ Caiden said, spitting slightly as he spoke. He was furious. I’d never seen him so angry and it scared me. “I would never do that just to have sex.”

  “Do what?”

  “I saw him. I’d snu
ck into the party through the kitchen and was looking for you when I saw you speaking to him. I decided to give you some space so I went to the bar. A few minutes later he showed up.”

  “He went to buy me a drink.”

  “Yes, I saw. He bought you a drink all right, but then he added something a little special to it.”

  “Added what?”

  “Don’t be naïve, Vicky. You know what I mean.”

  Never let a stranger buy you a drink. How many times had they told us that in school? We’d even had lessons about keeping our thumbs over bottles in case someone slipped something inside it. How could I have been so stupid? I’m sure I would have been more aware in a typical nightclub, but something about the setting at Cambridge had lulled me into a false sense of security. If Caiden hadn’t been there… I didn’t want to think about it.

  “Thank you,” I said. The words were inadequate for what Caiden had done for me, but I didn’t know what else to say. We both stood there for a few minutes staring at each other. I’d had a lucky escape, but that wasn’t what occupied our thoughts right now. I’d reminded Caiden that what we had would soon be ending and neither of us knew how to handle that.

  We both curled up under the covers and watched TV before falling asleep in each other’s arms. There was no easy solution and possibly no solution at all. At some point soon we would then have to face up to the fact that our time together was coming to an end. All we could do was make the most of it.

  Things changed after Cambridge. We still talked to each other as normal; plenty of teasing, flirting, and joking around, but for the first time since we started sleeping together we went forty-eight hours without sex.

  I’d been two days without sex plenty of times. One of the hassles of not having a steady girlfriend was needing to find women to screw, so occasionally there was downtime. It had never bothered me that much before and I enjoyed letting the frustration build up, knowing that the next time would be furious and passionate. This time it didn’t feel like that.