Free My Stepbrothers Rock: Headliner by Stephanie Brother Page B

at least combined into one woman, me, his drug.
    “Take it easy. You're blowing all of this out of proportion. Just accept my offer as though I'm a stranger. Sign with me for a few years and albums. If you don't like where your career is at the end of that time, you're free to go.” There's a silence between them.
    “Yeah, I guess you're right, but I keep all money from my website downloads and I want at least thirty percent of all royalties.” Alex offers.
    “Twenty percent until you resign our contract and you're not touring with has-been band Incubites.” Grant counters.
    “Deal if I get my own tour bus.” I'm beginning to think my stepbrother is greedy or maybe he's more of a jerk than I realized.
    “Geez, you're spoiled. You got it.” Grant laughs. I can hear the two shake hands and a pat on the back, which I assume is Grant patting Alex.
    “Anyway, why don't you get a weekend pass and come to one of the shows?” Alex's face is lite up with a hopeful smile.
    “Yeah, right. Did you pay your dad to come get me out of school? God knows my mom won't. Besides, last I checked I don't have a car and my bank account has mold growing in it.” I laugh at the thought, but it's true. I'd used the last of my allowance on some incredible jeans that made my size twelve ass look amazingly hot. Not that I could wear them anywhere on campus since it was uniform dress only. Except for the one day per month where we got to choose whatever we wanted. Aptly named “Streetwise Day” it allowed us to wear the clothes that we'd only been able to prance around our dorm in and being an all girls school, it was less than exciting.
    “Hmmm, you've got a point. What about hitching with one of your friends who has the day off?” Alex's brows are furrowed as though he's truly trying to figure a way for me to break out of this jail. Either that or he's multitasking trying to work out the chords for a new song.
    “Nope, not gonna happen. They don't just let you piggyback on your friends who are lucky enough to have a lifeline to the outside world, silly.” I knew this from first hand experience. My room mate Sasha has a sister here too, but one weekend she was barfing up her heels and couldn't go with the family on their monthly shopping spree. I dressed up as her sister, wore a hoodie and stood outside of the office while Sasha signed us out. She told the attendee I had the flu and didn't want to spread it. I guess they'd had plenty of attempts such as ours because we weren't ten feet away before being stopped and my hoodie removed. Needless to say, I had two weeks of extra service duty to think about what a bad idea it was, but all I could think of was how to do it better next time.
    “Okay, well how about a birthday pass? You're sweet eighteen in two weeks! That should count for something.”
    “You'd think, but sadly no. It counts to make you a responsible adult that can stand trial if you strangle one of your stupid professors.” We both laugh.
    “Happy birthday Morgan just in case we don't see each other.” Alex stops and looks at the camera. I think I almost see sadness in his eyes, but try not to read too much. There's been so much time and space between us. I know my feelings haven't changed, but I can't hold Alex to the same promise. It wouldn't be fair and while the thought of him falling for another girl kills me, I can't claim him as my own. Not yet.
    “Thanks.” I smile into the computer and listen as he sings a round of the birthday song to me.
    “Hey girl! Here's your coffee.” Speak of the devil, my roommate enters slamming the door behind her and hurriedly setting cups on our counter as if they're burning her hands.
    “Oh, thank God. Thank you roomie!” I reach my hand out to her not wanting to move from my position under books and paper. She cocks her head to the side and smiles while giving me the large paper cup.
    “Girl, you are knee deep in this art history shit ain'tcha.” She laughs and takes a