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CHAPTER 24
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IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 25
TESSIE'S POVI walked down the hallway heading to my locker slowly. I could hear voices around me but I couldn't make out anything anyone was saying. My thoughts were wandering somewhere between the sheets on Jace's bed and his bedroom, in the hallways of our house, our living room, our kitchen—Whoa. Did I just think of it all as ours? It was funny how I didn't want to associate with him from the first day but now I was considering things as 'ours'. I chuckled softly and bit my lower lip with a dreamy smile. I clutched the books in my hands closer to my chest as the thought took root. Suddenly I was leaning against my locker and I couldn't tell how I got there. "Still thinking about penises and hormones?" Ava asked as she banged her locker closed. It was next to mine. "Oh, right. You joined the club so it's hard not to." "Oh my God! Could you be any more vulgar?" "Hmm," she pretended to think. "I don't think so. I'm not getting any action and
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 26
JASON'S POVDays moved fast and suddenly another week was gone by. My blooming secret romance with Tessie was the highlight of my life and I couldn't get enough of her. Being a senior came with too many activities on my plate. We were heading to a regional football competition, our midterms were due and our parents' wedding was fast approaching. Finding the time in between practice, studying, and helping with wedding preparations turned into a game of sneaking around every moment we got. I was in the kitchen helping my mom with dinner that evening. Tess and her dad had left to do some shopping in town. This was the moment in maybe a month that we were all having a one-on-one parent-kid conversation as separate families. "Your relationship with Tess has turned out to be something after all," my mom started.My heart jumped in panic and the knife I was holding in my hand slipped. I leaned down to get it then looked up at her more composed and smiled. "What do you mean, 'something'?" I
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 27
TESSIE'S POV "A kid!" I exclaimed in shock stopping in my tracks. "Is that seriously why you dragged me all this way Dad?" "Well, yeah..." "It's not like I have a say in that. This is between you and Diane." I started walking down the pier again. "Besides, didn't you decide to get married again without telling me you are even dating again? Having another child doesn't change anything," I stated without thinking. "Tessie," he stated from a few steps behind me. I turned only then realizing that he had stopped. He appeared upset but I didn't apologize. "I wanted to be sure before I introduced you to any other woman," he stated as he slowly joined me. "I knew it was a major decision and it would affect you majorly so I needed to make sure that the woman who replaced your mom was worth all that change."I scoffed and stared at him in disbelief, "Replaced my Mom?" "That didn't come out quite right," he pinched the bridge betwee
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 28
AVA'S POVI looked at my phone for the fifth time that afternoon and sighed heavily. There was still no message from Tessie. She would be at the coffee shop before the lunch crowd began to gather on any other weekend but this would be the second one that she was standing me up. "You can't even care to tell me if something came up? Some friend you are!" I dialed her number and called but it went unanswered. What excuse would I have to get away from the shop now? Tessie was supposed to be my savior. "Ava, put your phone away for a moment and come help me take these orders!" My mom called from the counter. "You will have plenty of time for that after this."I rolled my eyes as I got up. With my luck, I wouldn't be strong enough to even look at the time on the phone by the time I got out of there. The reason I always escaped on Saturdays was because of the crowd we always had. This weekend was no different and I had nowhere to go. It's not that I didn't like
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 29
TESSIE'S POV "I didn't know you could cook like this," I stated as I dipped a piece of the chicken into the sauce then took a bite.Jace grinned. I knew right away that his response was going to be a brag but I let him have his moment. "I told you, there are a lot of things you don't know about me. I'm revealing them slowly by slowly." "Yeah, right," I rolled my eyes. "How did you manage to get all this done within the few hours I left with my dad anyway?" He parted his lips to respond but I saw the lie right through him before he could even say it. "I knew it! Your mom did this, didn't she?" "I helped," he laughed. "Get out! Maybe keeping her company in the kitchen. The only thing you are good at is football and looking good." The last words were out before I could stop them. He was now smirking. I had given him another reason to gloat without even trying. I waited for him to note that out loud but he remained silent
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 30
JASON'S POVI handed the phone to her still laughing and sat down beside her. Maybe I shouldn't have been teasing her but I couldn't help myself. I loved teasing her. There was something about her being annoyed that turned me on every time. She turned to me and smiled as I leaned closer to read the messages with her. "Why did she think that you were dating Evan?" I asked with a frown. "She just filled that out for herself after I hang out with Evan. I didn't correct her." "Oh right. What about the being gay part?" I asked curiously. "She thought I was hanging out with him today so I bailed on her. But then Evan came by the Cafe and told him the truth. I have been avoiding him since that day we hang out." "Serves him right." "Jace!" She snapped me out of my egoistic thoughts. "This is more serious than it seems. What am I supposed to tell her now that my cover is blown? She can't know you are the guy I am dat
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 31
TESSIE'S POVI walked into advanced maths class on Monday morning and stopped short at the door. My eyes met him effortlessly. This was the only class we shared but he only had a week towards his college application test. That meant just one week of being in the same room with him and struggling hard not to look at him. It hadn't been easy for me from the moment we had agreed to date other people. My fingers in both hands were not enough to count the number of times I had avoided Evan that day. He had tried talking to me and I was sure it was about Saturday and Ava's confrontation. Speaking of Ava, it was time to finally face her.Thankfully, Jace was sitting far away from my usual seat. That had to be Ava's doing. I moved forward and joined her. "Hey," I greeted without focusing much on her. Ava didn't respond. I turned and found her busy staring into space. "Come on Ava. Are you ignoring me?" "Hurts, right?" she asked without looking at me. "Guess what
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 32
AVA'S POV "You were hanging out with him on Saturday, weren't you?" I asked confused by Tessie's reaction. "Why is your face pale?" "Is it?" she asked and ran her palm over it as if that would help clear the reaction. Why was she acting so weird? Had I said something that surprising that she couldn't even look at me straight? I was confused. "Tessie, what's going on with you? You are seriously starting to scare me." "I'm sorry, what exactly are we talking about?" she asked. "Okay, you are out of your mind. Do you need to see the nurse?" "Yeah, I think I might. I'm feeling kind of feverish," she sighed heavily. "Or maybe I just need to sit down. Let's go sit."She started walking away without waiting for my response. I watched her for several more seconds before I followed. I had never seen her like that. Tessie was the kind of person who never had to struggle with her answers. This hesitation she had
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IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 58
TESSIE'S POV "There you are!" Evan exclaimed as he joined me in the gym. I had completely forgotten about him until I saw him. My mind was elsewhere, sweeping through the crowd for Ava who had decided to abandon me. "May I have this dance?" "Yes," I took his offered hand with a sigh and followed him into the crowd. "Hey, did you see Ava while coming in?" "Yeah, she was right by the door with some guy. I don't think he goes to our school. I've never seen him before." "He must be his mystery man/blind date," I chuckled. "Well, wherever they are now, they must be having fun," Evan offered. "I don't see why we shouldn't as well. You want to see me break some moves?" he asked breaking into a pop and rock dance with both feet and hands.I laughed, immediately taken back to the day he danced for free ice cream on our first date. Evan was sweet, contrasting every thought I ever had of him. It would have been so easy to love him especially since
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 57
JASON'S POV "Bro, I think I found a solution for your girl problem and I might just have found you a date to homecoming!" my cousin announced and jumped into my bed, disrupting my sleep. "I told you, I'm not going to homecoming, Jude," I groaned and turned, pulling a pillow over my head to block his voice.I wasn't sleeping, but I was in no mood to talk to anyone. Not after the day I'd had. Months of trying to get over Tessie, all the effort I had put in was not making it any easier. I had finally decided to get over it, get over my ego and talk to her and I just had to stumble over her agreeing on a date with Evan.Evan! Again! Yeah, that was it. I wasn't going to try again and I wasn't going to subject myself to that torture— watching them together for a whole night. "Dude, you are in the football team. You can't miss the game!" he shook me awake. "Besides, do you really want to miss your last homecoming dance just because a chick broke your heart? Look
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 56
TESSIE'S POVMonths sped by quickly and before I knew it, junior year was already halfway done. Everyone was counting days to the homecoming dance, which was all the talk in the school hallways, washrooms, cafeteria, everywhere. It was beginning to get on my nerves especially when — "Have you found a date to the homecoming dance yet?"When that topic came up. I looked up, my sandwich halfway to my mouth, and met Ava's eyes dancing with curiosity. Way to ruin a girl's lunch! "No," I put the sandwich down. "And I'm not interested in finding one or going." "Tess, this is the second last homecoming dance you are ever going to get a chance to attend! You can't just throw that chance away." "I can, Ava. And I am." "No, you are not. You have to be there because I'm running for homecoming queen and you are not going to let me face Lexi 'you know who' on my own."My mouth dropped, "You are not serious, are you?" "About what part?"
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 55
TESSIE'S POVThe level of scrutinizing I was getting at home ever since Jace moved out was too high. There had been numerous questions about what had happened, all to which I had responded the best way I could — feigned oblivion. I hated that my Dad blamed himself for going off on him for getting home late but what could I do?He would have to bear that lie and deal with it. As for me, sleeping in on weekends until they left and leaving so early in the morning during school days to avoid them was how I coped. That morning however, I wasn't so lucky because it was Diane's off day.I was seated in the kitchen taking my breakfast when she joined me. "I saw Jace."I looked up sharply and forced down the sudden panic that name brought to me especially in that house, "Yeah?" "Yeah, he told me why he had to move out." "He did?" I swallowed hard. Why was she being so vague? The tension was killing me inside. "Yes, it wasn't anything to do with your father.
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 54
AVA'S POV "So... tomorrow, just you and me hanging out without any boy drama?" I asked Tessie excitedly and wrapped my hand around her shoulder as we walked out of class on Friday evening. It was a week since officially breaking up with Evan and she was a mess. She let out an exhausted sigh and her face still remained with the same unrest it had the whole week. I hated seeing my best friend sad because of some guy. This being her first breakup, even though she had been the one who called it off, I could tell it was hard on her. I had never seen her being as mentally absent as she had been over the last two weeks. This was depressing and I had to do something to cheer her up. "My Mom agreed to let me have this weekend to myself. We can go shopping, get our nails done, have as much fro-yo as we can possibly handle—" "Ava, I hate all those things!" "And do at least one stupid thing to blow off some steam and let out our frustration about our messe
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 53
TESSIE'S POV The day passed without any drama. I guess I should have been thankful especially since Lexi hadn't even spared me a glance in the hallways, let alone talking to me. She hadn't said anything clearly because it was like any other day, another one of being invisible to the whole school.My mind however couldn't settle. I was restless with thoughts about Jace, about Evan, about Lexi... She couldn't have kept the information to herself out of the goodness of her heart. That bitch had no heart. That left the possibility that maybe she and Jace had become official. The thought churned my insides. How would I cope if that was the case?When evening came without any sign of Jace even around Lexi, I began to panic. Where was he? Had he left town and decided to go back upstate to his former home? No, that couldn't be. He couldn't just up and go without a word. If not to me, to our parents. They would want to know why he was leaving and that was a topic I was sure he couldn't hold
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 52
TESSIE'S POV After hours spent up late through the night, I slept in and woke almost too late for school the following morning. I'm not sure how long I spent staring at the adjoining bathroom door, beating myself up and hoping desperately that he would sneak into my room like always.I don't know what I was expecting because no miracle would change what had happened. With only a few minutes to get ready, I rushed into the shower and then got dressed. By the time I ran downstairs, it was already past seven. "Tessie! You are still here?" Diane asked in surprise. "I thought you were already gone with Jace because he wasn't here when I woke up. What happened? You always wake each other up." "I guess he forgot," I shrugged and grabbed my keys. I didn't want to be there a second longer because I wasn't sure I could keep lying about what was really going on. "See you later," I added quickly and left.It wasn't until I was pulling up in the school's parking lot that
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 51
JASON'S POVI hurried out of the diner and made my way across the street. My senses were dead, I couldn't see clearly but I didn't care where I was going. All I knew is that I wanted to be far away from there— far away from her.The first time I had decided to be the good guy, the first time I had decided to be loyal only to be betrayed like this. I had never believed in love until her. Now she had wrecked me and the mere sight of her made me want to disappear forever. The loud honking of a car alerted me. I was caught in a moment of panic in the middle of the road and just when I thought I was about to get crashed, someone yanked me into the sidewalk. I fell on top of her before I recovered. "What the hell are you doing? Trying to get yourself killed?" Lexi reprimanded. I was too shocked to respond. I stared at her blankly. My heart was racing wildly. "Jace!" she shook me vigorously. "You are not okay, let me take you home." "Don't touch me!" I
IN LOVE WITH MY STEPBROTHER CHAPTER 50
TESSIE'S POV My heart was drumming loudly as I drove down the road, my mind so preoccupied with thoughts that I almost forgot about Lexi. There was no way out of this. Jace had enough evidence of my betrayal to never want to talk to me or see me again.Knowing that we lived in the same house gave me some comfort, that maybe I would manage to get him to forgive me but that was feeling next to impossible. I was dying slowly from the inside, regret and guilt combined built up. I could only blame myself for this.My phone rang breaking the silence in the car and rousing me from my thoughts. I looked at the screen quickly and sighed. It was Evan. I picked up right away knowing if I didn't he would keep calling. "Not now Evan! We will talk later," I shouted and ended the call before he could say anything. "You are such a slut you know?" Lexi commented. "You had the guy every girl wants and still had to go after your brother? God! How messed up are you?"
