Falling For My Ruthless Stepbrother

2

Chapter 2

The situation is as follows: Ethan hugs my mother, congratulating her after celebrating the wedding, and then his eyes turn in my direction, and that joy he felt completely vanishes. I swallow hard while hiding behind a glass of champagne. One of those that don't have alcohol and shouldn't exist because they taste like feet, but they're being served to those who are underage. And they gave me one. I'm not a child, and I must confess that I've already had alcohol without my mother knowing, so being treated this way makes me feel like a fetus.

"This is disgusting," I told Michael as I put the glass aside, making a face of displeasure.

"It's what you get until a few years from now," he says, still smiling, his right hand around my shoulders. "Besides, it's not that bad. I tried it, and I liked it."

I let out a small laugh as I shake my head. I watch him, and I'm glad to see him so happy. I love the way he looks at my mother; his eyes sparkle with love, and I sigh excitedly with an "I want that" stuck in my throat.

Sure, my experience with guys is a line below nil, but I read a lot and watch romantic comedy movies. Of course, I want to someday know what it feels like to be looked at as if only you exist, to be loved for everything you are, and even for that person to see something beautiful in your flaws.

I want a love story like in fairy tales. I want a prince, a warrior. I want someone to someday love me regardless of how "nerdy" I am, not caring that I'm clumsy, a bit ugly, very thin, and flat-chested.

I guess there's always a lid for every pot.

There's always...

"I'm going to grab all the coke from the party," I said quickly, interrupting my thoughts and removing his arm from my shoulder when I saw Ethan coming straight towards us, "and by the way, terrible taste. The only good thing has been mom."

I leave him laughing alone, and I'm not very quick to escape because a very, very large hand closes around my arm with a bit of force that doesn't quite hurt me but certainly doesn't allow me to break free.

"We need to talk."

Ethan speaks in a low voice, looking around to make sure no one sees him with me. I roll my eyes and look at him; he's so tall that my head is at the level of his chest.

"About what?" I move my arm agitatedly to get him to let go. When he does, he gives me a frowning look. And then I observed him more; he's just a year older than me, his body is large and full of muscles, according to my friends, Ethan is the guy with the best back in the whole school.

His jaw is square, and he sports a beard of a few days that is very well groomed. His eyebrows are thick, his nose is large compared to his other features, but it still doesn't make him look ugly. In fact, the fact that his nose is pointed makes him look better.

His arms are now wrapped in a white three-piece suit tailored to perfection, and his magenta tie is exactly the same shade as my dress. It's ridiculous that we're dressed as if we were dance partners.

My brow remains furrowed, being in front of Ethan gets me very worked up.

He lowers his green eyes to me and seems to give me a once-over for the first time. His eyes travel over my entire body, and I let out a warning growl. Yes, as if I were a dog about to attack when feeling threatened.

"Well... I didn't know you could look decent."

"If you have anything interesting to say, I had better go."

I try to turn around, but again his hand on my arm stops me.

"Wait, huh," he snorts.

"Don't touch me." His eyes drop to the place where our bodies meet, and he lets go as if he were touching some highly contagious disease. i***t.

"You wish I'd touch you," I roll my eyes even more at his stupid arrogance, "no one in the school can know that we're going to live together."

I look at him, hoping it's a joke, but the seriousness in his face tells me it's not. He says it very matter-of-factly. I lift my head and let out a mocking laugh.

"Was that it?" I ask, watching as his face shows confusion.

"Well, yeah."

"Believe me, the last thing I want in this life is to be associated with you."

"Uh-huh, in a month, we'll start the last year, please don't ruin it."

"What's wrong with you? Why would I ruin something?" I cross my arms and give him a punch on the shoulder when his eyes drop to my chest. "Just stay as far away from me as possible, and everything will be fine."

"I say the same."

He turns around, distancing himself as quickly as possible from me. I let out a small sigh and massage one of my shoulders; it feels tense, and I feel like I need to go to a spa to release all the stress I've had lately.

"What did Ethan say?"

I give a little jump, touching my chest; my heart is racing a mile a minute.

"Damn! Where did you come from?" I ask Whitney, my best friend since... forever.

"The cupcakes are amazing," she says, not stopping eating the one in her hand and with her mouth full. I let out a small laugh as I watch her.

A few years ago, she had eating disorder issues due to her way of coping with anxiety through binge-eating whenever she could. It led to many more problems, to the point where she induced vomiting because she felt incredibly guilty after eating. Now, Whitney has been working hard on it; therapy works wonders for her, and she doesn't mind having a few extra pounds because she looks incredible.

I wish I could have those curves and that spontaneous personality. Her blue hair is what stands out the most about her, and she has an incredible sense of style. For this day, she's wearing a dress she made herself, which used to be a plaid shirt and is now a unique dress that anyone would think wouldn't work well, but it surprised everyone.

"Tell me, what did that guy say?" She also hates Ethan and has hated him since he, along with his little group of friends, pretended that one of them was head over heels in love with my friend just to...

Ah, Ethan and his cronies are so annoying.

Unfortunately, my friend fell into the trap and fell so in love with that guy whose name I can't even remember that she slept with him, and a week later the whole school found out. That was almost two years ago, and she still feels the weight of that moment.

"He told me that no one can find out that we're going to live together," I shrugged.

"i***t, did he really think you'd say that? There's a reputation to uphold."

"Exactly!"

We're both not popular at all, but that doesn't mean I want to be associated with Ethan like everyone else. I genuinely believe there are very few girls who have never had any kind of relationship with him. Maybe just Whitney and me. At least in our grade, we're the only ones.

"If you happen to say that Ethan is your brother now, many girls will want to be your friends just to be close to him."

"Stepbrother," I corrected, hating even that term. I hate that we're family now. "But the good thing is that I don't want more friends, just you. And it will never come out of my mouth that we're close."

I scan the crowd for Ethan and see him leaning against a column, his right hand tangled in his messy brown hair, in that look of a relaxed and carefree guy.

“It's sad that a guy as handsome as him is such a horrible person," says Whitney, as if she were reading my thoughts. "You should, now that you're family, teach him how to be a good person. You could turn Ethan into the most handsome and loving man in the world."

"I don't get you."

"Teach him to be a better person, kind, respectful... a great human being, and..."

"Oh no, I gave up on trying to teach anything to Ethan. If he couldn't even grasp a simple derivative, he's definitely not going to understand what it means to 'be a great person.'"

Whitney makes a face.

"Good luck with everything that's coming from now on."

I give her a small smile filled with pain.

"Thanks, I know I'll need it."

She rests her head on my shoulder without taking her eyes off Ethan, and we both sigh.

Can we even become friends?

I doubt it.