Stepbrother Fighter: A Love in Steps Standalone Novel

by Rachel Angel

  After a few seconds he said, “Looks like both our parents are going for something different this time.”

  “Time will tell, won’t it?”

  “Indeed, Anabelle.”

  “I think that different is good. I’m starting to welcome the change, maybe it’s just what we all need,” I said casually. He pulled his hand away and I was aware of how cold that spot felt once his touch wasn’t there, almost like I’d stuck it into a freezer. As short of a time I knew him, it was as though we had made a connection that made me feel he understood me like no one else could.

  “I’m afraid to wager how long this one will last. But…” he said with a half smile, “if it doesn’t last past this weekend, which Mom has held a record for in her past, then thank you for stepping up to those bullies for me. If you ever need a favor, I owe you one.”

  I laughed. “Like I said, I hate bullies. But it’s a deal. If I need a favor, it’ll be Ian to the rescue.”

  A minute later, the traditional wedding song—the Here Comes the Bride—started to be played from a harp in the corner. Ian and I looked at each other with knowing smiles, which got brighter when we saw his mother come out in a pure white gown.

  This was the first time I’d seen her, not having met her yet and I observed her closely. She was a very attractive woman, to be certain, and not someone that made it look like Dad was having another May/December marriage. So, I actually enjoyed the short ceremony, finding it to bring more hope than I had for an actual ‘normal’ family than I’d had that morning. All was good.

  Then the reception began which was completely catered to the adults in the group and seemed like a business write-off and celebration all rolled into one. I didn’t begrudge the smart business, but I was bored to death, having my fill of orchestra music. Ian and I had stuck by each other’s side, each commenting and laughing loudly as we people watched, but I was ready to be done with the ceremony, actually.

  “Hey, let’s go swimming or something, take advantage of the pool until we have to get back to our other lives,” I suggested.

  “I’m game.”

  Sitting at the pool, we ordered a few smoothies and started to swim back and forth, laughing about past incidents with our parents but also pretty excited about what may be to come in the future. It was the best conversation I’d ever had with a step-sibling and even though I’d just met Ian that day, I felt like I’d known him a whole lot longer.

  “Let’s race across the pool,” I said. “Whoever goes furthest underwater without coming up for a breath wins.”

  “Deal, loser has to walk around the pool area like a chicken,” Ian said.

  “Hopefully you don’t mind doing that, I’m trusting you will,” I said.

  And we were off and I did win, but not by all that much.

  “You’re a good swimmer,” I said.

  “But you won.”

  “Confession time, I thought I’d kick your butt because I’m on the swim team, but you almost beat me.”

  “Hey, I shouldn’t have to do the bet then.”

  “Oh yes you should. I’m ready. Just be thankful I forgot my phone upstairs.”

  True to his word, Ian started to walk like a chicken around the pool. His face was so bright red, which made me laugh even harder. He was a great sport about it. It was a sign of good character, which made me liked him even more. Why couldn’t I meet a boy like Ian who wasn’t my stepbrother?

  Benjamin walked up. “Hey, you two, I have my orders to return you to your schools in a half hour. Better get ready.”

  “Aw,” I said. I really was bummed. It seemed ridiculous that we couldn’t hang out for the weekend, even if we were minors, but alas, the rules seldom favored a teenager.

  I turned to Ian. “We’ll definitely stay in touch, right?”

  “That would be great,” he said.

  A half hour later, we were in the S500 and making our way to Ian’s school. The two of us hugged and talked that it would be good to see each other at Christmas, the next holiday. Only at that moment did it even occur to me that I’d forgotten to say goodbye to my father. What a bizarre relationship I had with my father that I was so used to not seeing him that forgetting to say goodbye seemed quite natural.

  Chapter 4

  It was disappointing that my hopes to actually experience those moments that solidified that Dad, Evelyn, Ian, and I were a real family were far and few between. It just didn’t happen the way I wished it would, even after that very first Christmas holiday. Most of the time I spent with Dad and Evelyn was when they’d stop by for a visit when one or the other was on their way somewhere else. The same was true for Ian. He wasn’t even in Dallas any longer for us to visit. He’d had to transfer to a boarding school in Boston, one that specialized in preparing men for business and possibly entering Harvard Business School. So we weren’t even in the same state anymore.

  Still, Ian and I remained friendly and chatted often enough, at least once a month or so, mostly via email and some social media. I had to admit, his social media was boring, never having any pictures of him or mentions of what he’d been up to. Just links to his interests, mostly. It was what I thought of as an ‘impress a future employer’ page. Nothing racy or controversial. But our emails, they showed a bit more zip from him. Thank goodness!

  Hey Ian,

  Guess what! I got scouted by your mom’s old modeling agency, Kimberly Roweland, can you believe it? It’s pretty cool, though, I guess. A few of the girls have turned bitchy on me, being haters. My mantra has become Shake it Off…ha ha!

  ~A

  Anabelle,

  Very cool! Better than getting asked to be the secretary for the business club at school—lame! I am excited to go over to Oxford for a one week conference next month, though. It’s about business, but there’s one section on sports business, which is pretty interesting sounding. Reminded me of you, the woman who knows more about sports than I ever have had a desire to.

  ~I

  That was our life and our family connection. It was virtual, but it was really comfortable, natural. It likely came from the fact that our pasts were so similar. Only poor Ian didn’t even know who his dad was. His mom had married a guy who thought he was the dad, but it clearly turned out that he wasn’t later on and she refused to say who his dad was, only stating that “he was someone of influence.”

  She might as well have said he was dead; it would have been easier. However, something made her stop short of that. Who knew why? She was quirky, but she was always nice despite being so formal and image conscious in her mannerisms. She could have starred in one of those night time soap operas, I always thought.

  Whoa Anabelle~

  Just walked by a newsstand and saw your smiling mug plastered all over it. When I said you were my stepsister, I suddenly became the president of your fan club. How’s that going? Do you really like it?

  ~I

  Haha Ian!

  I actually do like it more than I thought I would, so that’s cool. Today I’m auditioning to be an interviewer for the Texas Special Olympics this summer. Wish me luck! I want to do that so badly. Definitely leaning toward a communications degree to get into sports. Apparently—much to my surprise—my mad skilz in the swimming pool aren’t going to get me there.

  ~A

  My life had grown so chaotic and I had no moments to myself. When I wasn’t at a photo shoot, I was doing homework. When I was travelling, I was doing homework and then on to the next to-do task on my list. So, nothing surprised me more when I walked onto the set and saw a guy that was actually completely hot, dreamy and interesting. He had black, wavy hair, high cheekbones, intense blue eyes, and full thick lips. And his shirt was opened, showing perfect abs.

  As soon as I entered into the make-up room, he walked up to me. “Hey, it’s great to meet you, Anabelle. Big fan of your work.”

  Hearing things like that never stopped amusing me. So strange.

  “My name is Sax,” he said.

  “Nice to
meet you, too,” I said. I was pretty sure that I’d seen him around before, but I couldn’t quite place it. A magazine, maybe.

  “So, we’re modeling prom wear today, huh,” he said.

  “Apparently,” I said. I could not think of something clever, which annoyed me. This guy had me off balance and I loved it. Kind of nice to feel like I had no control for a minute, to know that not every minute of my life had to be so planned and calculated.

  And from there, our romance started for the camera, pretending to be a couple for prom wear. It turned real when he said, “Want to go catch a Rangers game sometime?”

  “I would like that,” I said. Sports fan and good looking. Yummy!

  As if fate and my schedule thought a boyfriend would be good for my career, the times actually worked out for us to go to that game and from there, it was official, we were a couple. And our careers in modeling took off as well.

  Being a couple was not like it might be for every other teenager. People followed us around, calling things out that were sometimes nasty, often embarrassing, but sometimes just really nice. And the cameras, they were everywhere we went. Have one natural frown on my face and ‘poof,’ we were fighting. And for Sax, he’d turn his head toward another direction for a single second and he had a ‘roving eye.’

  “It’s so ridiculous, isn’t it?” I said one night. We were staring at the National Enquirer and laughing at how our heads were put on some completely different bodies showing ‘negative body language.’ It was insane, really. Insane that others cared about that stuff and that what we did was of concern to anyone. The public cared more than my father did.

  Anabelle,

  You’re okay, right? Just saw a thing that said Sax is heartbroken that you’re using drugs and pregnant with his child. Please tell me that it’s not true. Thinking of you,

  ~I

  Ian,

  Please don’t tell me you’re starting to believe that stuff, so not true. Can I ask you something personal? I am going to assume you’re giving me a yes. It’s about sex. Is swallowing and deep-throating a big deal for a guy? You know, something that they expect? Do they all like it? Okay, so that’s three questions. But you’re the only guy I know that I can ask, plus I don’t see you ever so you don’t have to see how beet red I am right now.

  ~A

  PS: You’re eating well, aren’t you?

  Asking about how Ian ate was something that I’d always done ever since I’d seen how scrawny he was compared to other guys his age. It wasn’t my job to protect him, but when I thought about how big of buttheads so many guys could be, I wanted to make sure he was at least maximizing his advantage and trying to get bigger and stronger.

  Dear Nurse Anabelle,

  Yes, I’m eating great. Thank you for your concern. In regards to the other stuff, I think all guys are different with this. You really should be able to ask Sax anything about it and he shouldn’t be afraid to answer you. You are asking because of him, right? I just ask because I saw in TMZ that you were cozying up to ‘the next Zac Efron.

  ~I

  Ian,

  Glad you’re eating well. The guys at your school aren’t as big of jerks as the ones were at the other school, are they?

  ~A

  Anabelle,

  Stop worrying. I’m eating good, getting stronger, and fine. Maybe if our parents would ever get their act together, we could see each other and I could show you.

  ~I

  Ian,

  Funny joke! Our parents get their act together. Love it, classic!

  ~A

  Chapter 5

  Four years later…

  Annabelle

  At 18 years old

  “Ian, hey,” I said, glad to hear him answer right away. “Just checking to see if you got summoned to Hawaii for this kumbaya save our family vacation.”

  “Yeah, I tried to get out of it. Busy schedule,” he said.

  “Doing what?” I asked. “Are you in Boston right now?”

  “No Miami,” he said.

  “What you doing there?”

  “I’ll tell you when I see you,” he said. “Why share all this stuff in a phone call. We have ten days to do it.”

  “And you have your eighteenth birthday while we’re there. That’s pretty cool.”

  “I guess,” he said. “Look, I’ve got to go because I have to catch a flight back to Boston, and then run home, get a few things, and make my way toward Hawaii.”

  “We’re not on the same flight?”

  “No, I’ll be getting in just before you, though, I think. Mom rattled something off, but I was so in shock about it all that I didn’t really pay proper attention to what she said, specifically.” He started laughing.

  “It’s a good sign, right? I don’t think they’d take us to Hawaii to tell us they’re getting divorced. That would be lame.”

  “God, I hope not, Anabelle. Be quiet or you’ll curse us.”

  “It’ll be fun to have a family vacation outside of two Thanksgivings and one Christmas during our first two years. Hey, only took another two years for all of us to get together again,” I said, tucking my phone under my ear so I could pack my swimsuits. I glanced at all of them, deciding which ones to take.

  “Sax will probably miss you,” Ian said.

  “I doubt it, we broke up—again. I’m done with it this time, though. Starting to think those gossip mags are fortune tellers.”

  Ian snorted, which made me start laughing. “Well, see you later. At least I’ll be able to recognize you. After all, you’re everywhere I look.”

  “But I still don’t wear make-up when I’m not on a shoot, so maybe not.”

  “You’re beautiful either way, I’m sure of it, and if you don’t realize it, I have a group of a hundred eager guys who’d gladly pay me just for the chance to meet you and confirm it.”

  “Watch it, no going into business with opportunities to meet me. I’ll kick your butt.”

  “No more anti-bully, I see,” Ian teased.

  We laughed and eventually hung up. It was so fun talking to him and I couldn’t get the ridiculous grin off my face whenever we started to banter like that. Talking to him was so fun and he always made me feel better, regardless of my mood. It was one thing that was always a stable in my life…talking to Ian throughout the years, although we hardly saw each other. I didn’t need to see him all the time to feel close to him. I could ask him anything, and I can chat about everything with him without feeling judged or criticized. But it would be good to see him.

  *****

  One transfer and a long, dull flight later, I finally landed at the Honolulu airport, the place where we’d all meet and start our Hawaiian adventure. It felt so great to stand up and stretch out. I straightened my sundress and enjoyed the wide aisles of first class while everyone prepared to exit into the warm, tropical environment. The airport in Honolulu was awesome because you got to be outside right away, not just get navigated through some tunnel into a large building. Once you landed in Hawaii, you were already experiencing it.

  “Aloha,” a woman said, dressed in her hula dancing garb and holding a lei in her hands.

  “Aloha,” I said with a big smile. I leaned down and she put the lei around my neck. She chose a bright yellow one, which matched some of the colors in my sundress. Real flowers, too. I loved it!

  Then I began walking into the open end of the building and making my way toward the luggage claim, smiling at various people going by and dealing with the few who pointed at me, recognizing me or curious if I was me. It made me smile bigger. Yes, I was fairly certain that I was me.

  At the luggage rack, I pulled out my phone and checked my messages. Something caught my attention and I knew someone was looking at me. I looked up and saw this hot guy standing there, a crooked sexy grin on his face, and I was glad I had my shades on to hide my reaction. He was all muscular and tough looking, tightly cut golden spiked hair and intense blue eye fringed with long lashes a girl could envy. Broadest chest I�
��ve seen that tapered down into a narrow waist and tight muscular butt that led to long muscular legs. Not wearing shorts, he looked damn good in his jeans and tight t-shirt. Whoa…he was F-I-N-E! Beautiful like a Norse God that took a wrong turn and ended up in the Aloha state. A guy like that could easily distract me from Sax and how hurt I really was with what he’d done to me. My heart started racing, as my face flushed imagining what it could feel like to experience such a sexy body making love to me.

  The guy watched me as I walked over to him. Every step closer to him was a step that made me feel hornier. He got more beautiful the closer I got and I felt so empowered, like he was there for the sole purpose of me forgetting about my ex and having a better time in Hawaii on my family vacation than I thought would ever be possible.

  “I don’t usually do this, but I need to forget my ex. I like the way you look, pretty hot and sexy. If you are adventurous and want to experience some no-expectations casual sex, I’ll be waiting for you at the airport hotel.” I felt like a stranger in my own body as I said those words. It was so liberating, though, and definitely a straight out of a porn movie type of line.

  The Viking God looked down at me, being about a half a foot taller, I estimated, and he smirked at me. But he smiled, too, and I couldn’t help but appreciate how even his dimples turned me on, pressing into those high cheekbones. And that unshaven face, so damn irresistible.

  “I’m serious,” I said, lowering my sunglasses from my eyes to show him.

  “Oh, I’m so tempted, but I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said, actually starting to laugh.