Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

"Get yourself down here this instant, Jane I've been dreading this call ever since mom announced that her "husband" will be coming to get us. 

After Dad died, I expected Mom to get married again, I just didn't realize it would be so soon. I mean it's barely two years since he died and she already about to get married to another man. 

Before the wedding however, we will be moving into my, I suppose I should call him stepfather, stepfather's house. Something about it being easier after all the wedding stress and the honeymoon or some bullshit mom came up with. 

I don't know anything about the man other than what mom tells me about him. I haven't even met him yet. I do know, however, that he has a son about my age and he has been a widower for way longer than mom has. That's a sensible man. Waited long enough. 

"Jane!" That's mom's second calling. If I don't get out to go meet her and she calls me the third time, I know I'm done for. There's only a few seconds between this call and the next one so I have to be very fast lest she comes in here. 

It's not like I can delay the inevitable though. I'm going to meet with the man whether or not I like it. And we're moving into his house today whether or not I have something to say about it, which mom has made it clear that I don't. 

I look around my room that's almost packed away. Almost meaning I've only packed like one box out of so many. It's hard to fit in nearly eighteen years of your life into a few boxes which is what is being expected of me. 

I'm sure if mom hadn't been so distracted with her new man, she would have been up here to check and would have eventually packed everything up for me as she has with the rest of the house.

I quickly left the room, not wanting to incur her wrath. She gave a little smile when she saw me come inside the living room, a smile that was laced with annoyance and I gave her one in return, one I know will pacify her, if only a little. She wouldn't reprimand me in front of guests, it's against her policy. Although, I will have to stop referring to him as a guest. That will take some getting used to. 

"Richard, this is my daughter, Jane. Jane, this is Richard, your soon to be dad." Mom said, making an introduction. 

"Stepdad" I muttered under my breath, even though I'm sure both of them heard. The look on mom's face shows that she heard alright. 

"Hi, I'm Richard. It's nice to finally meet you". His face was shockingly familiar even though I can't place it. Which is weird because we haven't met at all due to one or two reasons that always comes up. Mostly me being sick or him away on a business trip. 

He stretched forward his hand which I took gingerly, trying to make as minimal contact with him as possible. He has this smile on his face that makes him look approachable and warm but I'm not to be fooled by that. I'm really wary about someone like him who could sway my mom so soon. 

He's handsome though, so I understand what mom must have seen in him to make her want to marry him. I know they met over a year ago, while mom was still in mourning and he helped her get through that dark phase and yada yada and they fell in love and all that but I still feel like it's too soon. It's not like I have a choice now, do I?

"Yeah. Same" I said in a voice that doesn't convey that message and after a glare from Mom behind his back, I gave him my most charming smile and that seemed to be enough. 

"I'm sorry we didn't meet before this. I've had a lot to do and the time just wasn't enough. I hope we get along well" He said with what I came to realize was a genuine smile. He leaned closer to me and I instinctively moved back but he was close enough that only I could hear him when he said "I'm not and will never take the place of your father. I wouldn't dare to. I love your mother and I hope you allow me get to know you and love you as my own daughter even though I'm your stepfather like you said"

He looked back at my mom and then at me and I knew there was no way he wasn't going to get to me. He's someone who easily gets people to like him and it's working already. I gave him a smile, a real one this time and walked towards my mom. 

"We will be leaving soon. I'm just waiting for the realtor so I can hand over the keys to her. Are you done packing?" She asked as she moved about doing some last minute packing. 

I stood there, scratching my head behind her "About that…" She turned back to me and pinned me down with one of those looks only mothers have mastered. 

"You haven't done anything, have you?" She sighed. 

"I mean, I've packed one box. It's hard to fit everything into a few boxes" I said, in my defense. 

"I have to do everything around here. Don't bother coming to help". She said in a voice that shows that she's been doing this for quite a while and moved past me to go to my room. 

I know she's going to be in there for quite a while since I've packed basically nothing and I know I should go help her but it looks like she left me here to "bond" with my new stepdad, who looks just as awkward as I am, before we leave for his house.

"I'm sure you'll like it at my place" He began after a minute of awkward silence and I nodded frantically, grateful that he's said something to break the ice because I couldn't bare standing there rubbing my feet against each other. 

"I have a kid your age. He's currently in school but you'll meet him later today" That's right. I would have been in school today if not for the moving. I hate missing school, and today meant my perfect attendance is now not so nearly perfect. 

I'm not a school freak. Far from it. I just like to learn and I know missing a day in school meant that I have to work extra hard the next day to catch up with what was taught on the day I missed.

It looks like that's kind of my future now because I'll be missing quite a handful of days after today. I can't go to school tomorrow too because we'll be unpacking. And then I'll have to help with the wedding preparations and all of that and then the wedding itself, before I can be stable enough to resume fully. I grimaced at the thought. I'm just glad that I don't have to change schools since he lives quite close to the school I currently attend. 

He must have seen the look on my face and thought it was related to what he said before and he quickly added "Don't worry, he's a good kid. One of the best, really. I'm sure you'll both get along". 

"Oh. I'm not worried about that. I was thinking about something else" I said, to allay his fears. 

Mom saved us both from more awkwardness by coming into the room with two boxes stacked atop each other. 

"One of you is going to have to help me get the rest since I've exhausted myself with packing". I can see that the boxes with her are labelled and it makes me wonder if it's a superpower for moms to be able to pack quickly and efficiently. 

I stepped forward to go and get them but was stopped by Richard. "why don't you help your mother get these to the car and I'll bring out the rest".

I nodded and picked up two of the boxes mom had packed earlier and stepped outside with her. What he said was the car turned out to be a pickup truck. He must have brought it specially to carry our stuff and I can see that they've done one or two trips already. The space was already halfway filled with things. 

I dropped what I had in my hands and stepped aside for mom to do the same. Between the three of us, it didn't take much time for us to finish loading the truck and after one more whimsical look around the house I grew up in, we handed over the keys to the realtor who will be selling it off, since it doesn't make sense to have two houses and we began the journey to Richard's, our new, house. 

The journey was shorter than I expected, being less than one hour and since it's in the direction of the school, it means that my commute to and from school now will be less than thirty minutes by bike and less than that by car. Since I have neither, it would be an hour to and from which is way better than my previous two-hour commute.

He parked the car in the driveway of a house that looks like it should belong to a celebrity. I've never been to this side of town before since it's mostly for the really well to do which tells me a lot about Richard's finances. Looks like mom struck it lucky this time. 

We got a few boxes inside and Richard said he and his son will get the heavier ones once he's back. 

The interior of the house was the simple type of grand, the one you know that the house is tastefully furnished and a lot of money was spent on making it look like this. 

Richard led me to a door which he announced was my room. He and Mom will be in the same room, of course and his son's room is beside mine. He also mentioned that I was free to ask for a change of room if that doesn't suit me. 

I made him understand that it's fine since heavens forbid I start giving him issues before I've spent a full day in here.

He nodded, gave me a smile and walked away. I stood in front of the door a little bit longer before I opened the door to see what my new life would look like. 

The room was bare, aside from the bed in the middle and a dresser, and it looks like it had its own walk in closet. I've never had a walk in closet before which made me excited. I'm really happy about the fact that the room wasn't decorated or anything, which gives me the free rein to decorate it however I want. 

I started to put my things away since I have nothing else to do in between and I don't want to be bored. I didn't bother to check my phone knowing I'm probably going to have just two messages from my best friend. 

I must have gotten lost in the chore because the next time I looked outside, it was already dark. I heard a door open and I know that must be why I was jolted out of the work I was doing. 

"Dad. I'm home". Someone announced. 

Wait. I know that voice. My brain started to process what was happening. 

No, no. It can't be. 

"Jane, come and meet your stepbrother". Mom said after I've heard them exchange pleasantries. 

I walked out of the room and met f

ace to face with whom I can only describe as a devil's incarnate in a very hot body. 

Adrian.