My stepbrothers seduction

Stepbrother Stranger

It was very early in the morning. But Adria was already dressed for school and ready to sneak out. She didn’t want to say anything to anyone. She wanted to leave like she was invincible. She stood in front of the mirror, looking at her swollen eyes.

She hadn’t been sleeping much lately, and she hated that her face showed any discomfort she was having.

She also didn’t want to step out of her room, fearing she might meet one of her new family members outside.

But the only way to get outside was to go through the door, unless she’d jump through the window – she wasn’t ready to get a broken leg. She sighed, pushing her long, wavy chestnut hair behind her ears and forcing herself to step out.

Dragging her feet, she headed toward the door, hoping she would make it out fine.

However, the sound of cheerful chatter filling the air stopped her.

Claire, her new stepmother, was bustling around, humming a tune while preparing breakfast. Adria’s brow wrinkled as she checked her time again.

Why was she awake so early? Didn’t she know students needed sleep?

“Good morning, Adria!” Claire called, her voice bright and eager. “I made pancakes! Come join us!”

Adria forced a smile but didn’t respond. Instead, she poured herself a glass of water, wishing she could disappear into the floor.

The warmth radiating from Claire’s kindness felt suffocating, like a weight pressing down on her chest.

“Thank you, but I need to go to school now,” she said, looking around. She sighed with relief when she noticed that her stepbrother wasn’t up yet. She wanted to take it as an opportunity to run out before he did; she didn’t want to have another fight with him.

She didn’t want her dad thinking she was trying to provoke him.

“You could pack some to school,” Claire said with a frown.

Adria knew Claire was trying hard to get in her good graces, but Adria wasn’t ready yet.

And she wished she could say that.

“Good morning, Adria,” Lily called out gingerly from the other side of the kitchen.

Adria smiled. “Good morning. Aren’t you going to school?”

“Oh, no. Not yet. Mom asked for a full week’s leave for me, so I’ll be home till next week,” Lily answered excitedly.

Adria couldn’t help but chuckle. She quite understood; when she was younger, she didn’t like school either.

She wanted to stay at home and help her mom out in the kitchen.

But now, her safe haven was her books; she wanted to study hard and become the doctor she had promised her mom she’d become.

“Well, okay,” she said, almost getting comfortable.

But that was until she heard the sound of whistling coming from the stairs.

Nathan was awake and coming downstairs.

“Uhmmm, I need to go. Bye,” she said quickly, desperate to avoid crossing paths with that annoying, egoistic creature.

Before they could answer, she picked up her bag and turned on her heel.

Before she reached the door, Nathan was already down, having jogged downstairs. Their eyes locked when she turned back to take a look at where he had reached.

He stopped, looking at her, then at her bag, his brows arching.

Obviously, he knew she was avoiding him, having heard her speaking before she ran.

Without a word, Adria opened the door and stormed out.

He watched her through the glass door as she made her way to the car.

“Wow,” he said to himself.

************************************

Adria arrived at school way too early. Only a few students were present at that time.

She liked it that way, so she wouldn’t have to smile back at strangers who just wanted to talk to her or explain why she hadn’t been in school the last week.

She went to her locker to pick up some books and put away her bag.

She noticed a small note inside and rose. It said: “A rose for a beautiful girl like you.”

Adria sighed.

She had been receiving these random notes and roses since the day after she had gotten into college.

Obviously, it was a secret admirer. She just didn’t understand why the person hadn’t gotten the courage yet to approach her.

Even though she didn’t know if she would reciprocate their feelings or not, she thought it was cute.

She kept the note amongst the stacked ones before locking up.

She almost jumped when she saw Jordan leaning against one of the lockers, waiting for her to notice him.

Jordan was her male best friend. He was nice, very interesting, and fun to talk to.

He wore his usual bright smile as he looked at her scared face.

She frowned as he slapped his arm lightly. “Why would you scare me like that?” she said, letting out a breath of relief.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I mean, it’s not my fault you didn’t notice me come in,” he said, laughing now.

“Well, you did. And I’ll get you back for it,” she said, glaring at him but also smiling lightly.

“Ouch. Is that what I get for missing you?” He feigned a pained expression.

She laughed. “In fact, you deserve worse!”

“I forgive you. So, can you tell me why you disappeared on us? You didn’t pick up any of our calls. I and Tiffany were worried!” He complained furiously.

Her face fell; she knew she had ignored their calls several times.

At some point, she had put her phone on "Do Not Disturb" because she didn’t want to talk. She felt overwhelmed.

“I’m so sorry about that,” she said with a sigh. “But, dang, you missed me so bad, didn’t you?”

“Of course, I missed you. But please, next time, tell us before you go missing,” Jordan said with a growing smile. “And also, what happened?”

Adria sighed; he wasn’t about to let this go, was he? “Can we talk about it after class?” She offered.

She meant it because she knew that with Tiffany knowing, it would be totally unfair not to let him in on what’s happening.

Tif would tell him anyway, and it would definitely hurt him that she kept it away from him.

“After school?” He asked with a hopeful look.

Adria gave him a slight smile. “Yes, after school.”

They walked with his arms around her shoulders to where her class would hold.

A lot of students turned to look at her – not them, her.

She was beautiful, ethereally beautiful, and that made her the subject of attention wherever she went.

Jordan had gotten used to the eyes whenever he was around her, but he never failed to tease her about it.

“Well, the beauty queen is back,” he said after taking a deep breath.

Adria rolled her eyes at him. “Look who’s talking. I was nearly beaten because someone thought I was dating their ‘crush’.” She shook her head as she remembered that day.

The girls surrounded her when she was alone and threatened to beat her up if she didn’t break up with ‘their’ Jordan.

“Wow, that was once, Ria. I’m not the one receiving random notes from shy lovers,” Jordan joked.

Adria sighed and shook her head. Well, there was that.

They reached her classroom, and he stopped at the door. “Thank you for walking me,” she said with her book clutched to her chest.

“We are doing thank-yous now?” He joked. “See you later.”

She nodded and walked into her class.

Biology was her favorite subject, so she was glad that the first class was Bio 101.

Later in the day, they had finished their classes. She would have run away immediately after, but Tiffany had texted her to wait for her after school.

So she did.

“Hi, girl! Gosh, I miss you!” Tiffany shouted from the other side of the hall as she ran to her friend to give her the warmest hug.

Adria smiled, her most genuine smile since she heard about her father’s new lover.

She hugged her best friend back. “I’ve missed you too. Sorry I missed your calls.

I just needed alone time to get through my feelings.”

Tiffany pulled back with a frown. “Oh, baby, how are you really? Are you okay?” She asked worriedly. Of course, she knew Adria wasn’t okay, but she still had to ask.

She knew how her father’s love was what kept her going through those hard times, since her mother had died.

She could imagine the pain of feeling like that love was being shared.

It was even harder for her to watch her dad loving a woman who wasn’t her mother.

“I’m not okay. But I’ll be,” Adria said with a confident smile.

Tiffany smiled. “That’s my bestie. Now, if you want to rant about anything concerning your new family, I’d listen.

In fact, you know I’ll bad-mouth them even better,” she said with certainty.

Aria laughed, but before she could say there was no need for that, Jordan’s voice rang from behind her.

“New family? Hey, did I miss a chapter?” He said with confusion as he walked up to them, facing the two women.

Aria sighed. “Well, that’s why I haven’t been in school. My dad remarried.” Saying it was more painful than she thought it would be.

She knew it would hurt to actually admit that to other people, and that’s why she didn’t want to meet anyone.

“s**t,” he said, instant worry etched on his face. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”

Yes, how come everyone knew how uncomfortable it would be to watch him move on, except the person in question?

“Hey, it’s fine, really. See, I’m already doing better,” she forced a smile to her lips.

He wanted to say more, but he knew he couldn’t force her to say she wasn’t fine.

“Don’t worry, I get it – the family isn’t all that. You’re still the favorite, I’m sure,” Tiffany said, locking her arms with Adria’s and starting to walk out of the school.

Aria smiled at her friend’s attempt to make her smile.

“Well, I know,” she said entertainingly.

“Of course, and do you have a sister now? Brother?” Tiffany went on, about to continue her bad-mouthing.

“Both. I like the sister, just okay. But the brother? He is just annoying and full of himself. He is a scumbag!”

Suddenly, there was a change in Adria’s facade of being cool with the whole thing.

“You have a stepbrother?” Jordan voiced out beside her.

“Yes,” she almost screamed. “And he is the worst human being I’ve ever met.

Like, who comes into someone’s house and behaves like he owns it? He is no one.”

“Wow, I don’t like him already,” Tiffany said as they reached the parking lot.

“Oh, I hate him,” Adria added.

“I bet he is ugly, he feels ugly,” Tiffany added, mocking.

“Oh, I think he is a goblin – a goblin in human form. I mean, who wears a ring in their brow?” she said, totally disgusted at the thought

But her voice hooked in her throat as she caught a glimpse of someone through the corner of her eyes.

She stopped in her tracks. Her gaze fixed on the frame leaning on a car right in front of them, legs crossed.

“What?” Tiffany asked as they stopped too.

She followed Adria’s gaze to see what she was looking at – or who.

Tiffany literally gasped as she saw the guy: perfectly chiseled facial structure, sculpted physique, thick, stylishly cut and well-groomed hair.

His presence was commanding, and Tiffany had easily melted away.

“Who. The hell. Is that?” she said, eyes widened, mouth hung open.

Adria swallowed hard. “My stepbrother.”