Chapter 26

**Zander **

I walked with Winter back to my car that day. My stepmom had called me telling me she wasn’t going to make it in time to pick up Winter and asked if I could bring her home. I made time for it because I really didn’t. I didn’t want to see Amber though and that was the only thing stopping me from a quick between-classes study that we did every day. I told her I had to take my step-sister home before I had practice and that it was going to be another day. She sent me a sad face but said she understood. She didn’t know what the relationship between Winter and I was actually like. She wasn’t going to know. She had no business knowing. That was the one good thing about her spending her high school years in a girls-only school. She didn’t know things as Hailey did. I knew she knew better than to listen to Hailey’s nonsense.

Winter was upset with me because she said she had another class, but I told her I didn’t have time to wait for her. My morning workout had already been cut short thanks to her messing around. I didn’t need anything coming in the way of my practice. I had a big game coming up and I didn’t need anymore distractions than what Winter was already becoming. I could only imagine what happened between her and Nev while I was gone. I didn’t like the thought of it. He needed to be taken care of already. Cyrus was the fighter. He fought on the court even when he was supposed to. He knew how to fight. He even took wrestling for a while before being kicked off the team for being too violent.

“So, will you tell me what my mom said she was doing? She knows I would have waited for her. I really need to go to class.”

“She said she was running late at the doctor's. She wasn’t sure when she would get out. You know how those things are. I said I could get you before practice though. It’s no big deal to miss one class.”

“To you with a scholarship, I might not be, but to me it is. I don’t like to miss classes. It will look bad on your resume.”

“How are they going to know that you missed one class? It’s not like you would never miss a day of work. Things happen. They will get over it. You will be fine.” I scoffed softly. I knew she had some of a point. She had to work hard to get somewhere. Where I didn’t have to work as much. I had everything in life handed to me. I wasn’t one to not know I was lucky. Winer wasn’t as lucky as I was. She was far from lucky. Though she had more than she thought. It was pretty lucky Dad let her return and agreed to pay for her school. He wasn’t so keen on the idea until her mom talked him into it. She had missed her daughter so much. I couldn’t help but feel a little responsible for Winter wanting to leave like that. I wish she hadn’t left and I wanted her to pay for it, but I knew I had some parts in it. I couldn’t blame it all on her. I still wish I knew who let those photos get out. They were supposed to be for only us to see. We didn’t want anyone else to see what we were doing with her. Not yet. We had too much to lose. I could just hear the gossip about us if it got out we had been together. My dad would be furious. I knew it was wrong for me to, but I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted her. No, I needed her.

“I just don’t like to. It could be important.” She sighed as she got in the car when I opened the dollar for her.

“If it was important, they will go over it again,” I said with a slight eye roll. Teachers always repeated themselves if it was important information. Just in case someone forgets. “I am sure you can get the notes from your new boy toy,” I said mentioning Nev. I didn’t want to say his name.

“Nev?” She asked raising an eyebrow. “He isn’t in that class. I can’t ask him. I will have to ask someone else. I guess it won’t be too bad since it's only the second week.”

I nodded. At least she was slowly coming around. “So, what is going on between you two?” I asked as I drove the car toward my Dad’s house.

“Nothing,” she said her eyes narrowing at me. “If there was, it’s none of your business anyway.”

“It is. I am your step-brother. I should know these things.”

“Like I should know about you and Amber?” She asked raising her eyebrow. She knew what she was doing. I could tell by how her voice when up an octave when she asked.

“That’s different,” I said focusing back on the road. I didn’t want to talk about Amber. Not with her. She was the last person I wanted to talk to her about. Amber wasn’t who I was interested in. I was dating her for reasons, but I didn’t want Winter to know that. She would have power. She would have something over me.

“That is quite hypocritical of you. You can talk about a guy I am only friends with, but I can’t talk about a girl you are dating.” She shook her head.

“Yup,” I said as I drove into the driveway. “Cause those are two different situations.” I wanted to leave the conversation at that. I didn’t want her to push any further. I might lose it like I did this morning if I did. I didn’t need to lose my cool at home when I didn’t know who was home. Who knows what my dad would think?