My Stepbrother (Secret-Possession)

Welcome To Vegas

I dried my hair and applied a layer of makeup that Sawyer taught me during the weeks we spent together. I put on jeans, shorts, and a red blouse with sandals, and hung my small bag across my body.

With a soft knock on the door, Lilith asks me to hurry because Saturdays are the busiest day for the strip.

Mom was supposed to take me out on a tour, but as she mentioned earlier, I needed to bond with my new family before the wedding. I decided that Lilith and I could hang out and get to know each other more.

Stepping outside the house, it was almost seven in the evening. The neighbourhood is quiet and smells like flowers when my eyes catch a brand new white Range Rover moving out of the second garage door. Lilith rolls down the window and smiles at me.

"Get in, sis."

Narrowing my eyes, I marched to the passenger seat. "Sis?"

"It means sister in French."

"You speak French?" I asked, amazed.

"I speak quite a few languages," she brags. "Now, put on your seatbelt, your mum..."

"Reminded you to make sure I did," I air quote Christian.

Laughing softly, she nods. "I'm going to take care of you. Trust me, little sister."

"Let me guess, little sister?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"In Chinese," she smirks. "I know I'm impressive," she adds.

Laughing, I don't argue. She's really impressive.

"I feel like we're taking a detour on a roundabout," I say, after realising we've been driving through roundabouts.

Laughing, Lilith explains, "The first one is by the hill's guard gate, and this curved path is called the village centre circle. Dad's favourite golf club is at my side. Leigh and his friends sometimes hang out here."

"Leigh plays golf?" I asked immediately.

"Yes, he does. Most of the seniors do," she replies.

Leigh doesn't strike me as a golf person—he seems calm and mature, but golf? That's something else. "On your side is all Summerlin. I mean, everything here is Summerlin, but if we could take this straight path and continue driving through the village centre circle, you'd see more of Summerlin past the traffic lights. It's so much fun; there's Starbucks, Domino, IHOP, McDonald's, and lots of takeouts and diners. We do grocery shopping and find some quick stuff around without needing to drive a long distance. There are supermarkets and stores... If you're interested in ballet, there's a perfect place for you," she cheerfully says, and I shake my head, letting out a light giggle. "Alright, there's a library in there, your mum mentioned—you love reading. I think you'll like it. I sometimes hang out with my friends there on boring weekends or at Egg Works instead." She continues to explain while I attentively listen to her. "Here's N Town Centre Drive. There are bus stops provided around here. I think we passed some behind us."

"Yes, I saw like two by the village centre circle," I responded.

Nodding, she grins. "You're observant." She gives me a fist bump, which I reciprocate. "That's Spring Gate Lane. Leigh and his friends go for fitness workshops around there, so they're often found at IHOP or SafeSplash afterwards, just like the cheerleaders go for practice and hang out." My eyes study Spring Gate Lane, and I safely store the information in my brain.

"Do you cheer?" she asks.

Laughing at her ridiculous question, I shook my head. "So it exists. Eww." Lilith glances at me before whispering 'whatever' under her breath.

I looked around as we cut to the freeway. "Oh, over there are Falling Water Apartments. I'm sure you'll get used to it here. Quinn stays there; she's my best friend, and we go to school together. Speaking of school, our school is also in Summerlin."

"Has school resumed?" I asked her.

"Yes, it has. You're joining us on Monday," she turns to me. "You'll drive with me in the mornings, and since I have extra classes after school, my GPA dropped last semester, so you'll have to ride back home with Leigh."

"Does Leigh skip family gatherings, like lunch and dinner, all the time?" I ask. Surprised by my sudden change of subject, Lilith sighs and frowns a little.

"Not really, only if something important comes up, like an emergency. I mean, Leigh is really a good kid for his age. Sometimes even Dad, who's supposed to appreciate Leigh's diligence and amiability, urges him to at least have fun. I mean, he'd rather study than attend a party, even though he's the most popular kid in our school, well, around here, but he's just... I don't know," she rolls her eyes. "All I'm saying is that he's a wonderful person and a brilliant brother, too."

I bit my lip and turned to the window. Leigh doesn't seem happy having me in the house; I doubt he chose the colour for my bedroom. I think Lilith says that because she knows I would figure out that he doesn't like me. He disappeared the first day I arrived here and skipped dinner and stayed away ever since our morning encounter. He didn't attend lunch either.

We keep driving while Lilith shows me more places as we pass by—Santa Barbara, a resort and spa, and another golf club, which shows how obsessed people around here are with golf. She later shows me some sports complexes, cafes, churches, malls, the bank, and some other exciting places. She explains about Rock Spring and the people she knows around there. I grab some names of eateries like Del Taco and Four Kegs, among many others she mentions, but I can't remember anymore as I keep nodding, trying to appear attentive. All I know is, Las Vegas is beautiful; the strip looks genuinely interesting. My jaw drops as I take in the sights.

"What holiday is it?" I muttered.

"It's the weekend," Lilith confusedly answers.

"So Vegas looks like this every weekend?" I asked, never taking my eyes off the city.

"Vegas looks like this every day," she laughs.

Laughing a little, I turned to her. "It's so beautiful, just as it should be," I said. "Do we have Paris in Las Vegas?" I smiled when the mini Eiffel Tower appeared ahead of us.

"Oh yes, and New York," Lilith giggles.

We drive around as it gets darker, while the city sparkles with lights. I see the beautiful park and watch the water fountain in awe as it splashes. Lilith tells me it's called the Bellagio Fountains, a water show by the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

"We should go into those casinos," I suggested.

"You're not old enough," she says.

"So you're old enough?" I retorted. Who does she think she is just because she's eight months older? I'm also fifteen since my birthday was two months ago.

She glances sideways at me and shakes her head. "I have a fake ID, but you don't. You'll have to wait until I get Leigh to ask Brandon to forge one for you."

"Oh," I mutter.

We find a free parking spot and follow the pedestrians and some tourists around Fremont Street. As Lilith calls it, it looks incredibly beautiful as I look up at the lights and canopies. Lilith snaps some selfies of us and shares them with me, exchanging phone numbers as well. She tells me about her first time at the Four Queens with her three best friends, Suri, Quinn, and Embry, and how the adult cafes are amazing, which we can't visit now because I need a valid sixteen-year-old identification card.

"Is Leigh old enough for the casinos?" I asked Lilith after we made it to a steakhouse near a Subway diner, since the fancy cafes are out of reach.

"He'll be seventeen by December. You have to be at least twenty-one to enter those places."

Biting into my Seared Scallops with Creamy Garlic Sauce, which I learned cost nearly a hundred pounds, I snort and ask, "So he's the obedient child?"

"Kinda, but I'm not his alibi because Tyron Bertram isn't the best friend to hang out with. He's friends with Brandon, the dropout student who engages in illegal activities. He can account for anything illegal," she states.

"The guy who will get my ID card?" I asked.

"Yes, Brandon," she says as she chews on her lobster.

"I thought you said Leigh was responsible. Why would he hang out with bad people?"

"He doesn't hang out with Brandon. Tyron does. But Tyron isn't that bad; he's just an asshole," she explains.

"Oh," I mumble.

"Tell me about London. I adore Britain," Lilith says as she leans towards me.

Blushing, I tell her about the weather, our food, and fun places, as well as my old friends and my cousin, Sawyer. We spend two hours chatting until Christian calls Lilith and instructs us to go home because it's almost eleven.

***

"Good morning, Mum," I say when I enter the fragrant kitchen in my cartoonish pyjamas.

Mum is standing by the stove, preparing breakfast, as I sit by the counter and silently watch her. "How was your day yesterday with Lilith?" She smiles and pauses, stirring the pan.

Resting both hands on the counter, I cup my cheeks. "It was delightful. We had a great time," I answered.

"So America is treating you well?" she asks, gazing at me.

"I'd like to think so," I muttered.

She smiles and covers her mouth with her palm, a touch sentimental. "I love him," she whispers.

"I know." I smiled back at her.

"I love you more." She chuckles softly.

Shaking my head, I laughed along with her. Mum serves me breakfast, an actual homemade breakfast. It's been a while since she cooked for me. The last time I had her homemade food was during winter break last year before she met Christian. On Friday night and yesterday, we mostly enjoyed Christian recipes, which were also delicious. But right now, it's all mum. It tastes like home. It feels like London.

As we sip our tea together, Lilith joins us in her pyjamas and messy hair. Behind her is Christian, who is teasing her.

Mum serves everyone, except Leigh, who isn't here.

"I would suggest going out today, but it's Sunday. I need some rest," Lilith says to me.

"Honey, let's get ready for TPC," Christian says to Mum as he helps her clean the kitchen. I observe how Mum smiles at him and nods. She really loves him, and I'm sure he loves her, too. "Ava, you can come with us to the golf club if you want," he suggested.

"Maybe I'll stay indoors as well," I politely announced.

Mum smiles and leans back on Christian's shoulder, just as Leigh shows up. "Good morning," he says in a husky tone.

"Leigh, you should have breakfast," Mum suggests, concerned.

"Thank you, but the boys are waiting for me. We have some errands to run," he sweetly smiles at my mum.

With a glance towards me, he walks away. "Don't stay out late," Christian yells as the front door closes. "He's been staying out late these days. I don't understand," he complains before he and Mum leave Lilith and me in the kitchen.

***

"What shall we watch?" I asked Lilith as we sat in the living room, still in our morning pyjamas, at four in the afternoon.

Flipping through the channels, Lilith suggests Harry Potter, and I recommend Mulan. We both disagree with each other's choices, so we play a game of "flip the coin," and I'm damned to rewatch Harry Potter for the hundredth time.

It was already eight-forty when Christian and Mum returned. They finish the movie with us, and we all decide to call it a night. Before I head upstairs, I consider asking them if Leigh is coming home because he always seems to appear in the morning but never returns at night—like some magician. However, I mind my own business and march to my room. I spend half an hour on the phone with Sawyer before I drift off.