In Love With My Step-Father

IV

Nya had a terrible hangover the next day, and it was only hours later that Mell returned home giggling childishly with Luke following behind her. Nya had been gouging on ice cream when she heard the front door open.

"Mom?"

"Oh, Nya!" her mother exclaimed and raced to the kitchen, wrapping her arms around her lethargic daughter who barely reinforced the embrace.

Nya furrowed her brows, "Mom, why did you ditch me last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"You brought me home and then left."

Mell frowned, "I didn't bring you home."

"I brought you home," Luke said as he entered the kitchen. Instantly, all the memories that happened the night before flooded back into her brain, and she fell paralyzed for a short moment. They had kissed a few times before he eventually decided to depart. She had been drunk, but that was not an excuse for having liked it. Along with that, it did not seem to negatively affect Luke at all, since he stood with the longest smile on his face.

Suddenly, she felt cold sweat begin forming on the side of her head, and her face drained of all its colors. Mell immediately noticed her odd atmosphere, and raised a concerned eyebrow, "Are you alright?"

Nya avoided Luke's burning gaze, and stepped around them. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. I just need some sleep since I'm hungover."

Mell tilted her head, "Alright, I'll call the school and tell them about your absence. I hope you feel better—"

Nya exited the kitchen before her mother finished her sentence, and Mell waited until she was certain Nya was out of hearing range until she leaned towards Luke and whispered, "I feel like something happened yesterday and she's hiding something."

Luke coolly raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that?"

"She usually does this when something happens at school or at a party," Mell sighed, folding her arms, "I'll ask her about it later."

"You want me to go talk to her? She might tell me something that she won't tell you since you know, you're her mom."

"You're about to be her step-dad, so she might not—"

"Just to make you worry less," he stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her tightly to his chest, "I don't like seeing you stressed out."

She inhaled the sharp scent of strawberry body wash that he always used, and pulled apart from him, "What did I do to deserve such a wonderful man in my life?"

Luke chuckled, "I'll be back down in a few minutes."

He headed up the stairs, which caught Nya off-guard since she had assumed it to be her mother. She thought her mother was angry, and was stomping her feet a bit harder against the stairs, but when Luke pushed open her door, she almost had a heart attack.

He closed the door behind him, and stood in front of the door with his hands in his front pockets. He smirked, "How are you feeling?"

"Get out of my room," Nya hissed, folding her arms.

Luke snorted, "That's a change in attitude since last night."

Nya raised a palm, "Please, leave my room."

"I just came to check if you were alright—your mother can tell something is wrong."

"Something is wrong," Nya exclaimed, sending trembling fingers through her hair, "and I don't know how I'm supposed to tell her."

"Then don't," Luke shrugged his shoulders, "it'll break her, and we both know that. You were drunk, I was half-drunk, and it happened. I'll keep it a secret."

"You cheated on your fiancé with her daughter."

"I don't count that as cheating," he stepped forward, "and you said you liked it."

"I was drunk."

"That doesn't make it untrue," he laughed, sitting down on her bed and noticing that she cringed, pulling herself away from him. He sighed, "You don't have to be afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid of you I just..." Nya shook her head, "I don't want my mother to hate me, it was a poor mistake—"

"Why does it have to be a mistake though?" Luke murmured, reaching forward and placing his fingers on her cheek, feeling her shudder a bit and instantly retrieved it. "Look, I'm sorry. I thought you liked it but I was wrong. I love your mother, and I don't want to ruin the family we are about to have."

He leaned forward, whispering in her ear, "You know how upset she would be if she heard that her own daughter betrayed her."

Then, he pulled himself from the bed and winked, exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

***

"Nya," Harry smiled, waving a hand in her direction.

She had missed two days in a row, and that did not usually occur. However, there was something in her thoughts that she was clearly hiding.

She closed her locker, "I'm so drained, I need sleep. I haven't been able to sleep at all these past few days."

"I'm sure it'll pass," Harry said warmly, "I have soccer practice tonight by the way. You want to join?"

"I'll come watch—"

She was bumped into by one of the cheerleaders admiring Harry, and she ended up pushing herself in between them, to which Harry smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Vivi, what's up?"

"Hey Harry," she giggled, her cheeks beaming red and Harry did not exactly dismiss the flirting, "I'm having a—"

"Bye Harry," Nya rolled her eyes and turned around, walking away from them and Harry attempted to call her back, only to be ignored. It always happened; he was always approached by cheerleaders and girly-girls who gawked at him the whole day and would entirely ignore Nya.

She was used to it, but because of all that had been occurring with her family, it did sting that there was not really anyone she could rant to about this. Not to mention, Harry was somewhat her only friend. She had other friends, they were more so acquaintances, but Harry was the one that she cared about and vice versa.

Her first period class was Creative Writing with Professor Wilder. Never really listened in that class, and The next was Statistics, which she did listen but did not understand anything. Lunch came next, sitting with Harry and a few of his friends to which she always enjoyed.

However, during her third period, she was called to the attendance office, and when she arrived, the secretary passed her a slip.

She raised an eyebrow, "What is that for?"

"You're signed out."

"I'm signed out?"

"Yes." When she heard his voice behind her, and turned around to find him sitting in the visitor's chairs, she almost fainted. "I signed you out," Lucas said with a peculiar smile.