Free Score - A Stepbrother Romance by Caitlin Daire, Alyssa Alpha

really mattered.
    At first, I’d been a little scared about not fitting in with the crowd at this party, but I’d tried not to let it bother me all that much as I entered the house and scanned the main room. Landon and Michaela had somewhere else to be at the moment, and they’d apologized profusely about not coming with me, but they’d be free in two hours anyway, so if the party ended up being a total bust, I could meet up with them later.
    I’d been scared about not fitting in over nothing. As soon as my talk with Chase was over, I spoke to Brett for a minute, and then a few acquaintances from class waved me over. I approached shyly at first, but within a few moments, I was chatting away and feeling more relaxed than ever.
    “Did you see Professor Denver’s presentation on cell biology?” a classmate called Rebecca snickered at me. “She uploaded the wrong thing, and there was a photo from her vacation in the slideshow. She’s sooo drunk in it.”
    “Are you kidding me?” I giggled as well. “I haven’t logged on to the site yet, but that’s hilarious. I hope she’s not too embarrassed...”
    “She’s drinking a cocktail the size of my head and wearing a luau outfit in the pic!”
    Rebecca was laughing her head off and I soon joined in. The notion of my strict, frumpy professor on a booze-fueled vacay in Hawaii really was something.
    I kept chatting to my new group of friends, and every time someone offered me a drink, I politely declined. While most people my age would’ve been happy to accept a beer, I wasn’t having it. Getting wasted at someone else’s house and vomiting into a flowerbed wasn’t really my style, and besides, something about the idea of being drunk made me feel like I was perilously close to losing control of everything. I had no idea why that was, though. I’d been like this for what seemed like forever. Maybe I was just a control freak?
    “How’s college treating you, Lina?”
    I looked up at George, a guy I’d sat next to a few times in some of my lectures. He was a nice guy. He’d even let me borrow his notes when I’d accidentally spilled coffee all over mine—something I’d been told was almost unheard of in college.
    “It’s…different,” I replied with a smile. “But I’m really, really enjoying it.”
    He beamed at me and my smile reflected his.
    I finally fit in. I didn’t stand out like a sore thumb; something I’d been so afraid would happen amidst my privileged classmates. They were all loaded, from rich and influential families, and I was poor little Lina Diaz, broke and always badly dressed.
    Except I wasn’t anymore, was I?
    In only a few months, I would be the stepdaughter of a successful politician, and I’d be just as well taken care of as the rest of them. Even in recent weeks, Peter had regaled me with offers to take me shopping, but I’d declined every single time.
    I needed time to adjust. I was still me, and no amount of money could ever change that, but for once, I was comfortable in my own skin…and it felt really good.
    Throughout our chat, I kept glancing around the room, my eyes betraying my cool exterior and trying to find Chase. He was mingling, talking to anyone and everyone. Every so often, though, I’d catch his gaze and we’d make eye contact, and then he would give me the most delicious smile, the corner of his lips turning up slightly. Like it was just for me…
    I was grinning like a fool within an hour, feeling better than I had in ages.
    I’d just finished my Coke, and I excused myself to go to the kitchen for a refill. The party was definitely fun, and while there was some crazy stuff going on—I’d seen several keg stands, which made me feel like I was in a movie—I still felt safe.
    I was just about to head into the kitchen when I spotted some frames on the wall. I approached them with a grin on my face, realizing Chase was in one of the photos, his hand around Brett’s shoulders as they grinned at the camera.
    I