BAD HEART: A Stepbrother Romance (A Step Over the Line Book Book 2) (8 page)

Jake drops the bag. He sighs and
runs his hands through his hair.
“
I
always have cash on me.
”

“
For
what? Drugs? Women?
”

He snorts.
“
I don
’
t
pay for women, sweetie.
”

“
You
’
re gross. How
…”

The question is
How many have
you fucked since me?
but I can
’
t
ask that question. I can
’
t
go there. I don
’
t want to
know. But I kind of do.

“
How
what?
”
he asks.

“
How
could you be such an asshole all the time?
”

“
You
really want to know why I
’
m
carrying two grand?
”

“
Actually,
I really do.
”

“
Because
I always do, sweetie. Okay? Because I never know when something is going to go
wrong. If I need a place to crash and pay. If I need money to go somewhere for
a little while. My life isn
’
t
like yours, okay?
”

“
Like
mine?
”

“
You
’
re pampered,
”
Jake says.
“
It
’
s
all laid out for you. You have your father and his money. He chooses your
boyfriend. College is all taken care of. The path is there and you just walk
along it. Nothing bad can ever happen.
”

The words cut into me and hurt me.

“
You
really believe that, Jake?
”
I ask.

“
I
don
’
t need to believe it. I
see it. You all went to New York as the perfect family, right? And when I get
cut out and off for good, and I
’
m
forced to disappear
…
that
’
s why I keep some cash with me.
”

It
’
s
actually almost heartbreaking to hear.

We
’
re
almost home now. I don
’
t
know what else to say to him. So I sit in silence and just drive.

“
Want
to know about the fight?
”
I
ask.

“
Sure,
”
I whisper.

“
I
was about to go down on a woman in the bathroom. Then some guy that wants to
fuck her busted in with two of his friends. So I had to fight them.
”

My heart races with anger.
“
A woman
…
I should have guessed.
”

“
Hey,
I
’
m not fucking dead,
”
Jake says.
“
We have a deal again, right? I
still have needs. You have your boyfriend to fucking take care of you. What
about me, sweetie?
”

I clench my jaw shut tight. I want to
explode on Jake, but I don
’
t
know what I
’
d actually say
right now. Maybe he has a point. Maybe he doesn
’
t.
I don
’
t know.

What I do know is that when I see
the driveway to the massive house my father calls home (well, I guess we all
call it home, even Jake), I
’
m
somewhat relieved. He
’
ll go
into his room and I
’
ll go
into mine. I
’
m sure he
’
ll have hell to pay in the
morning (or in a few hours when the sun comes up) for the fight.

“
I
guess we
’
re done talking,
”
Jake says as I park the car.

“
What
else is there to say?
”
I
ask.
“
I can
’
t make you stop who you are.
”

I put the car in the park and he
puts his hand on mine, squeezing tight.

Everything seems to stop. Time
stands still. The car is completely silent.

We just sit there.

“
Jade,
look at me,
”
Jake says.

“
No,
”
I say.

“
Why?
”

“
I
just don
’
t want to.
”

“
What
the fuck do you want from me?
”
he asks.
“
You want me to
jerk off and wait for you to figure out what you want out of life?
”

“
I
’
ve seen you jerk off before.
”

“
Yeah.
I did that to get to you. Seems like it worked since you remember it.
”

“
Fuck
you.
”

“
Time
and place, sweetie,
”
he
says so boldly.

I have to get out of the car.

I wiggle my hand free from his
grip. I get out of the car and slam the door. I pout. I actually fucking pout.
My hearts wishes Jake wouldn
’
t
have let my hand go so easily. He should have pulled me. Right into his arms.
And press his lips against mine.

The car door slams and I turn to
see Jake already walking away.

I open my mouth but nothing comes
out.

He
’
s your stepbrother, Jade. Just let it go.
Let him go.

__

7.

(Jade)

The house is still quiet. I
purposely just stand in the foyer and listen to Jake as he rummages around the
kitchen. I look to the stairs. I can easily just walk up them. Right? Just go
right back to bed, right back to my dream. That
’
s
where everything is safe. My dreams don
’
t
count. I can fantasize about anything I damn well please. The temptation, the
risk,
the reward
, well, that
’
s
right there in the kitchen.

It gets very quiet and I wonder
where Jake is.

Maybe he
’
s passed out on the floor or over the counter.

I walk to the kitchen and look
around the corner. Just like the rest of the house, the kitchen is huge. Two
ovens, two countertop cook sets, two sinks, and two dishwashers. No lie. This
is what it takes to make my father feel happy.

Jake is standing at the main
island, hovering over the sink, a glass of water next to him. He dumps the
water and goes back to the fridge. He reaches up top and pulls a bottle of
whiskey from the top.

Secret hiding spot.

He twists the cap off and takes a
sip.

I just stare. I want to say
something to him. Like, didn
’
t
you just get drunk and get into a bar fight? Doesn
’
t your face hurt from getting punched? It was just
an hour ago you were in a jail cell. What the hell, Jake?

I take one step and I hear,
“
I can fucking see you, sweetie.
Whatever you think you need to say, spit it out. I
’
m not in the mood.
”

I swallow hard. He
’
s so goddamn sexy and
commanding, I hate it.

I creep into the kitchen like I
need to be quiet. Trust me, I don
’
t.
The house is so big that I actually have privacy. Which seems very weird and
contradicting to the life my father wants me to live.

I
’
m
creeping because I
’
m afraid
of Jake. Afraid of what he might do and afraid that I
’
ll like it. We have a deal to keep things calm, but
that
’
s only words. Words
aren
’
t worth a thing. That
’
s something my father taught me
a long time ago. Things he
’
d
say and do never matched up. Plus, look at this thing with Hunter. It was all
words. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I walk to the sink and stop. I
reached into the sink, grab the glass, and fill it with water.

“
You
should have some,
”
I
whisper.

“
Why?
”
Jake asks and looks at me.
“
Afraid I
’
ll be hungover when I get in trouble?
”

“
I
never said that,
”
I say.
“
It
’
s
been a long night.
”

“
Thanks
for that,
Mom
.
”

I swallow hard. He doesn
’
t even call his own mother Mom.
He calls her by her first name, Rebecca. I want to know why. I want to know
everything. But I know that if I dare to get closer to Jake, things will
happen. Risks will be taken. Hearts will be shattered. Maybe lives will be
destroyed.

“
Just
go to bed,
”
he says.
“
Okay? Please. Don
’
t stand there and try to figure
me out. Nobody will ever figure me out. Maybe not even me.
”

“
Jake
…”

He puts a hand to mine for the
second time tonight.

I don
’
t
care who he is or what he
’
s
done. He
’
s fucking
beautiful. Stepbrother or not. Whether he smokes or not. Whether he fucks women
for the fun of it or not.

He
’
s
simply fucking beautiful.

I can see it. And I want it. The
good, the bad, the everything.

“
Thank
you for coming to get me,
”
he says softly.
“
I didn
’
t want to have to crash there
all night and deal with whatever happens tomorrow. I
…
I kind of had nobody else to call, you know? You
were the only one I could think that would be sober and tucked into bed.
”

“
Like
a good girl princess?
”
I
ask.

Jake smiles.
“
No, sweetie. Like a good person.
Because that
’
s what you
are. I
…”

Jake sighs. He swallows. He takes
his hand away. Then he looks forward, trying to avoid my eyes now. 

I slowly back up. I make it about
ten steps and then stop. My hands dangling at my sides, my palms sweaty, my
finger twitching. I know exactly what
’
s
going through my mind right now and it
’
s
not good. Well, it
’
s
GOOD
but it
’
s not
good
.

I have a choice. I can start
stepping again and not stop. Or I can
…

“
I
haven
’
t slept with him,
”
I say.

“
What?
”
Jake asks.

“
Just
so you know. If it means anything to you. I haven
’
t
slept with Hunter. I haven
’
t
done
…
anything.
”

“
Good
to know.
”

Silence again.

“
I
don
’
t know
…”

He looks at me.
“
We have a deal. I don
’
t care what you do with your
fucking pussy, got it? And you don
’
t
care what I do with my dick.
”

I gasp.

The nasty, vulgar side of Jake is
lingering again.

“
Fuck
you, Jake,
”
I say.
“
I just wanted you to know.
”

“
Fine,
”
Jake says. He turns and steps
toward me.
“
Why did you
tell me that?
”

“
Because
I don
’
t want Hunter like
that. Or at all. It has no meaning.
”

“
Yeah?
And
…”

“
And
it drives me
…
I just don
’
t want you to get in trouble for
dumb reasons. Because you think I
’
m
fooling around with someone else.
”

“
Why
does it matter?
”
Jake asks.
“
We have a deal.
”

“
We
had a deal to begin with.
”

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck
…

Jake is closing in on me now. I
shuffle my feet a little, but I
’
m
not going to the doorway to the kitchen. I
’
m
going to the corner of the counter. And Jake isn
’
t
stopping. He
’
s coming
toward me, his eyes devouring me. Controlling me. Commanding me. Just like he
did that night in the bathroom when we shattered our deal for the first time.

“
So
what is it?
”
Jake asks.
“
You
’
re going to come to me for a quick fuck when you
need it? Nothing else?
”

My hand is on the move. I slap Jake
across the face. It just happens so fast. I don
’
t
want him as much as I do want him. My head is spinning.

I feel the corner of the counter
behind me.

I stop moving.

Jake doesn
’
t.