Chapter 1 Meeting my stepbrother
Stephanie
“Okay, I think that's the last of them.” Emily, my best friend, said as she dumped my newly released Ana Haung novel on the other pile of books.
“Careful with that.” I frowned and began arranging the books in the large suitcase.
Emily sank into the bed, sighing heavily. “I don't understand why you're packing your entire bookshelf. Your new stepfather is super rich and he's crazy about your mum. He can just buy everything back for you, maybe even buy you that gliding bookshelf you've been wanting.”
“Emily , I'm not going to start demanding things on the day I move in.” I took down the last three books on the shelf and arranged it neatly on the bed.
My new stepfamily was rich. The Sinclairs are well known in the city for their wealth. It was one of the reasons my mother had chosen William Sinclair out of all the many suitors who sort her hand. She wanted a bright future for me, she'd said.
The other reason, and the one I couldn't fault her for, was that she had fallen in love. Their feelings for each other were deep and very obvious. He made my mother happy.
After everything she'd been through, everything I had put her through, she deserved that happiness. It was why I had agreed to move with her to her new home at the other side of the city.
It was the least I could do after everything else I had taken away from her. I had nothing left here anyway.
I tried to keep the thought from my face but I didn't do a good job of concealing my emotions. Emily sat up and stared at me with sympathy and quiet rage in her eyes.
“You're still thinking about him, aren't you?” she seethed.
I didn't stop arranging those books and made sure not to look in her direction. Pretense. That was all I seem to do lately. I could only pretend that everything was fine, that my entire life hadn't imploded, that I hadn't nearly lost everything.
“Noah was an asshole, Steph. You should forget about him. Especially now that you're moving into a new life.” Emily said softly.
I finished arranging the books and sat beside her on the bed, a resigned smile on my face.
“I thought we hate him so much that we agreed to never mention his name again.”
Emily scowled. “I do hate him. He hurt you.”
The memory of junior prom flashed across my mind. The image of a brown haired boy in a tux, making out with a girl that wasn't me.
My boyfriend had cheated on me at junior prom. He had left me standing alone on the dance floor and went off to make out with someone else.
I shut out the memories of the conversation that happened after I caught him. He hadn't even tried to deny it. He had just tried to gaslight me into believing it was my fault he cheated.
“I'm so over Noah. The only thing I'm worried about now is how I'm gonna fit all these books in the suitcase and where to hide my bike. Mum insists on not letting me bring it along.” I sighed.
“I do agree with your mother on that. That motorcycle is a death machine, Steph. I can't believe you can still ride it after everything that happened.” Emily shook her head.
I swallowed. Neither my mother nor my friends liked my motorbike. Even Noah hadn't been a fan of my hobby when we were dating. They had warned me against it countless times but I hadn't listened.
I couldn't.
They didn't understand that I couldn't stop riding. The only time I've ever felt like myself was when I reading a book or riding my bike. My mother was right to fear it and everything it used to represent. She had suffered from and because of the man who had loved that bike.
But Emily…she used to understand me better than anyone. There was a time when she hadn't looked at me like I was a monster for still loving that bike, for still sneaking out late in the night to go for a ride despite everything that had happened.
“I'm just looking out for you, Steph.” Emily said, no doubt catching my trail of thoughts again. “You've been hurt enough.”
I pushed back the negative thoughts, even if those words had sounded like a lie, I nodded my thanks.
My phone pinged, a text notification. I grabbed my phone, reading the texts and my eyes widened.
“Shit!” I muttered.
Emily raised a brow in silent question. I rose from the bed and scanned my packed luggage to make sure I didn't miss anything.
“Mum would be here with Will soon. She asked me to get ready. Help me. Now!” I scanned the space again.
“There's nothing left to pack except your books.” She scowled down at the pile. “You could just leave them with me. I don't think they'd all fit into the trunk anyway.”
“You know I don't go anywhere without my books. I'm not gonna leave them behind. The only thing I need you to look after is my bike. I… I'll come back for it.”
I found myself holding my breath as I waited for Emily 's response. She might very well tell my mother about my request. Emily might be my best friend, but sometimes, she seems more my mother's daughter than me. It didn't help that they shared some of the same physical features and had similar interests in feminine things.
Things I had no interests in. Like going to the salon, getting sparkly nails, I'd always gotten my nails dirty by getting motorcycle grease on them. I was always the odd one out between them.
“I'll take good care of it.” She said. “Let's finish this before your mother and your stepfather comes.”
I let out a genuine smile of appreciation as we tried to get the overweighed suitcase to close.
“Do you think they're coming with Kendrix?” Emily beamed as she mentioned my new stepbrother's name.
Kendrix Sinclair wasn't an unpopular name. Almost every teen in the city knew him. The captain of the Eagles of King’s School for Elites, KSE for short, the reigning football championship, and my new stepbrother.
I had only seen him twice. The first was when our parents introduced us, and the second was at the wedding. During those times, he hadn't uttered a single word to me, had barely even glanced at me. I doubt he'd come pick me up.
“No, I don't think so.”
“Maybe his father will convince him to come welcome his new sister.” Her eyes glazed as if in a dream.
I wanted to snort at the assumption but another question snared my attention. “What's your obsession with him anyway? He's just a guy. A senior like us.”
He was just another rich and entitled teenager who felt like the world belonged to them. There was nothing special about him.
Well, aside from the cold and disrespectful attitude he had so gleefully displayed during our meetings.
Emily whirled towards me, gaping. “Hello! Do you live under a rock, woman? It's Kendrix Sinclair. He's the most popular teen in the entire city. He's been on the front page of countless magazines at only eighteen. He's like a mini god.”
I gave the suitcase one last push and finally managed to get it closed all the way.
“And?”
“And you're going to live with him. I need you to be my wing woman. Get me his number so I can work my magic.” She flipped her long brown hair for emphasis.
“First, no. I'm not your wing… whatever.” I cringed. “Second, even if I agreed, why would I set you up with Kendrix? You have a boyfriend.”
I dragged one of my big suitcase out of the room and down the stairs. The entire house was packed, the couch had been covered with white blankets. Emily fumbled with a bag until I told her to leave it. She sat on the bed again.
“Matt doesn't count if I can have Kendrix Sinclair.” she yelled from my room, her voice echoing through the almost empty house. “Have you seen his shirtless pictures on Instagram? He's like the hottest guy I've ever seen.”
I had no doubt she was indeed checking those shirtless pictures on his Instagram feed. She had been stalking his Instagram since she learned of my mother's marriage into the Sinclair family.
“I'd rather not see shirtless images of my stepbrother right before I move in, thank you very much.” I cringed again.
“Besides, I don't think he's that great. He's probably just another golden boy with terrible grades and an ego the size of Mount Everest, like the entire football team at Bradford High.” I shrugged.
My hand braced on the stair railings as I made to head back into my room for the remaining bags. A figure appeared from the front door and I froze.
“How presumptuous of you to determine my intelligence before you even met me, Stepsister?” Kendrix Sinclair said as he stepped into my house.