“There you are. You had me worried. I almost went looking for you. Where’s the beer—are you okay?”
Far from it.
“No. Beer is not going to cut it. I need a stronger drink. Stat.”
Chapter 7
Catalina
Everything is spinning. I wake with a start, throw my head over my bed, and dry heave. Why do I feel like death?
The party. Drinks. So many drinks.
Wait.
I shoot up, regretting it instantly. My stomach turns again, this time for sure wanting to expel last night’s mistakes. I grip my stomach, inhaling through my nose and breathing out my mouth. “Ugh…” I groan. The sun is shining through my window, slicing into my brain.
How did I get in my bed? How did I get home? “Great.” I slide my hands down my face. My mom is going to kill me. Were they awake when I got home? One of her rules was no drinking. It took me a whopping four days to break it.
I search for my phone. I have a missed text from Melissa saying she hopes I got home okay. If she didn’t take me, who did?
A loud bang hammers against my door, and I almost fall out of bed. “Yes?” I croak out.
“Downstairs. Now.”
Ugh. I slap my hands down on my bed.
My legs fall to the ground, and I search for my clothes, hoping I’m the one who decided to strip since I’m only in my bra and underwear. I slide into a pair of sweatpants and an old tank top, praying I don’t vomit all over my mom when she tells me I’m gone again. I make it down the stairs without tripping and walk into the kitchen. Before I can make it through, someone skates past me from behind.
“Excuse me, sis.”
What the…? I sway sideways into the entryway as Mom walks up to me. “Seriously, Cat?”
“Seriously what?” I ask, searching out that voice.
“You even have to ask?”
I know I probably still look drunk, but if I play dumb, maybe she’ll let it go. The fridge is open. Whoever bumped into me is digging something out. Assuming it’s William’s son, I take in a breath in an attempt to compose myself.
The fridge closes, and he stands.
“What the fuck?”
“Catalina! Your mouth!” my mom hisses. “Seriously, I can’t believe you. What did I not make clear when I said you were required to show up for dinner last night?”
She’s yelling, but my ears are ringing so loudly, her voice is mute.
“What are you…is he?” I begin to shake. No. Nope. Do not tell me—
“Who, Hunter? Well, if you hadn’t been hiding all week and showed up to dinner, you would have met him—”
“No. No! You’re—no. You’re not William’s son.” I better be fucking dreaming. This is a nightmare. It has to be. Asshole twists open a bottle of water and takes a hefty sip, a smug fucking smile on his lips.
“Cat, you’re being extremely rude. I expect this out of you, but this is going beyond your norm.” I turn to my mom, giving her a hurtful glare.
“You don’t understand. He’s…he’s been—”
Asshole steps in. “We’ve been getting to know each other. Actually, we met at the pizza place last night. Thankfully we did. She seemed to have some sort of food poisoning, so I got her home before she yacked. You owe me a car detail, by the way.” He looks at me with a fake smirk.
I’m about to tell him to fuck off when William walks in. “Oh good, you’re all here. Anyone want to grab some breakfast?”
The thought of food swirls the sourness in my stomach. I cover my mouth.
“Dad, probably a bad idea. Poor sis over here got food poisoning. May need to take a raincheck.” William thinks nothing of it and peers down at me with concerned eyes.
“Oh, kiddo, that stinks. Are you okay? Need us to grab you some ginger ale?”
I stare at Hunter, murder in my gaze. “No, I’m good.”
Mom steps up and places her hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “I apologize for her. She doesn’t always show her manners. Hopefully, when she’s not under the weather, she’ll apologize for being so rude and thank you for taking care of her.”
My mouth falls open as Hunter offers my mom a kind smile. She then turns to William. “I’m more than up for brunch. Hunter?” my mom asks with a look of love and sincerity, like she actually enjoys him being around.
“I’m good. I’ll stay back and make sure Cat is okay.”
That fucker!
My mom looks at me as if I’m a waste of time, then grabs William’s hand to leave. The second the door closes, I attack him. My hands form into fists, and I lunge at him, pushing him into the fridge. The jerk has the nerve to laugh.
“You asshole. You knew the whole time?”
“And?”
“You knew who I was. Our parents are married. And you let me…I let you…”
“Do what, fuck you with my fingers in the woods? Did you not enjoy it? Or would it have been better with the whole stepbrother fantasy? Maybe I should have spilled the beans beforehand. I could have gotten more than a little finger bang.”
My breaths come out in heavy pants. “You’re sick.”
“Not as sick as you. Mr. Gibson, huh?”
His comment last night resurfaces. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
His head falls back as laughter bursts from his lips. “Can’t get out of this one. I saw you two. The way he was looking at you. The way you were looking at him. What did I miss before I walked up? Was it the first time?” He takes a sip of his water. “Have you two—shit, have you fucked him already? Four days and—”
“Shut up,” I hiss.
He pushes off the fridge and prowls toward me, forcing me to step back. “I’m far from done.”
He starts to walk away when I ask, “Why are you doing this?”
He halts his step, and for a second, I think he’s going to continue without answering me, but then he turns around. “You and I do have one thing in common. Neither of us chose to be here. And I’ll do whatever it takes not to be. I figured…why not get the boot for doing something so unthinkable, they’re forced to kick me out?” He winks at me, which tells me I’m that unthinkable thing. “Plan on having fun while I do it, too. See ya around, Stray.”
Then he’s gone.
Chapter 8
Hunter
Now she knows. Little Stray let me violate her in the middle of the woods and not once did she ask who I was. Invaded my life and my head and never realized we’ve been living under the same roof for a week already. But I can see why. She was exactly how I heard her mother talk about her. Selfish. Ruthless. Weak.
It wasn’t until she ran right into me that I decided she would be my way out. I was going to fuck with her so bad, Dad would have to choose. I know he wouldn’t choose me. And my new little stepsister was so stuck up her own ass, she needed to be messed with. Taught a lesson. Our house has thin walls. I could hear the chatter between Dad and Olivia. Her promiscuous daughter had gotten caught in a compromising position with her mommy’s boyfriend and was sent away until Daddy decided to dump her back. Olivia didn’t want her but had no choice. I guess the poor girl is lucky my dad has such a soft heart.