Free Stepbrother Bestie (A Stepbrother Romance Novel) by Alycia Taylor Page A

me.”
    “Yeah, I am so sorry about that…”
    I shook my head. “No…Please…Don’t be. I
know that had nothing to do with you. Not after the text you sent last night.”
I looked at him seriously. “I know you aren’t really one for conflict.”
    “Yeah…She’s crazy.” He cleared his throat.
“Um…Speaking of conflict, I am also sorry about what happened the other day. I
was just angry and confused.”
    I thought about this before I answered,
“Are you still? Angry and confused?”
    He shrugged. “I’m not really sure. A
little…” He paused before he turned back to me. “Can I ask you a question?”
    “Anything.”
    He stopped and clasped his hands together,
and thought about what he was going to say. Even when he began to speak, he did
so slowly. “Please just answer the question, okay? Don’t ask me about it. Just
answer.”
    “Sure. I promise.”
    “After the other day…I didn’t hear from
any of you. Not you, which I get, but also not your Mom.” Then he rolled his
eyes before he added, “And I haven’t heard anything from my father since the
day I moved out. So, are you guys…done with me?”
    “What?” I asked genuinely outraged, “Not
at all!” I almost asked who put that stupid idea in his head, but then stopped
short, remembering my promise. I didn’t particularly like that he had made me
promise, because I suspected that it had to do with Dalilah, but I also figured
that was a conversation for a very different day. So, I just told him the truth.
“We just wanted to give you your space, like you asked us too. Honestly.” Then,
without meaning to, I reached out and grasped both of his hands in my own. “We
love you! We want what’s best for you, but we also know that you need to find
your own path. After what happened the other day, I wasn’t going to continue to
bother you and you did hurt me, but that didn’t mean that you were not on my
mind every second of the day.” I looked at him with genuine concern and I
honestly felt that we were bonding. At least, I hoped so.
    He smiled back, but in a sad manner.
“Yeah, I am really sorry. I never meant for any of that and I feel stupid…” He
sighed. “I did try to avoid you, but we just kept running into one another.”
    I was pleased that he didn’t recoil his
hand from mine, but was surprised when he turned his hands, so that we fit
together securely. He gazed into my eyes and I knew that I was not mistaken. We
were definitely having a moment. I was   sure of it.
    Our eyes locked and while the feeling of
friendship was in the air, there was also another, more serious and probably
problematic vibe coursing between us. Still, I was just happy for any emotion
to be sparked again and so, I let it play out.
    After a long moment of just sitting there,
staring at one another, I heard words I had longed to hear for a very long
time.
    “I miss you…” he said earnestly, shifting
closer to me.
    I beamed with contentment. “I miss you
too. You have no idea how much.”
    We took in the moment silently for a
little while longer, before he said, “You know, once upon a time, we were more
than just friends.”
    I smiled and nodded, knowing well the
implications of where this conversation was headed, but just didn’t care. “I
remember.”
    His eyes widened at this and I felt his
hands squeeze mine before he replied in a sincere tone, “I think…part of the
reason I was so angry when our parents finally got married, was because I
missed that too…and knew that it would be impossible…given the circumstances.”
    It was about now that I came to my senses.
I realized later, that it was only moments before I did something that I would
likely regret.
    I didn’t want to push him away, but I did
want to set boundaries. “I know how you feel…” I then detached my hands from
his grasp and said, “But unfortunately, you’re right. That is impossible.”
    Before he could say or do anything that
would change my mind, I added,