Read Online Stepbrother Bestie (A Stepbrother Romance Novel) by Alycia Taylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alycia Taylor
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didn’t have to be this way. Of
course, I would have never told that to Dalilah and was barely admitting it to
myself, but I slightly regretted what I had done last week.
Seeing her made me realize that if I was
right and I really had broken the threshold of their care and affection toward
me, I should have never pushed it that far. My mother had never cared about me.
They had done plenty for me and all I had done was hurt them; hurt Valerie for
sure.
Even though I realized this and had these
feelings though, I still wasn’t sure that I wanted to go through the hurt of
blatant rejection. Perhaps that was weak, considering that was exactly what I
had done to Valerie, but I knew, between my mother and my father, their simple
ways of pushing me away in the worst possible methods, I could not take another
shove into being alone.
Therefore, I should keep the distance at
my own terms. I should be happy that they
are leaving me alone, I thought to myself with a stern nod. Not having to continuously push them away is
far better for both of us. They got the hint, which means that I will never have
to do it again.
That was comforting to me and so, I was
able to turn back around and completely ignore Valerie and her wonder boyfriend
until after the movie.
Unfortunately, when the movie was over and
we were making our way out of the theater, Dalilah decided that she just had to
go to the bathroom before we left, despite the fact that I told her I was
uncomfortable and really wanted to go.
“Stop being such a baby,” she teased and
then made her way into the bathroom.
The cynical side to me thought about
leaving her there, but I knew that I couldn’t do something like that. It just
wasn’t right.
So, I waited, right outside of the
bathrooms, so paranoid, that obviously I actually had no earthly idea what I
was doing; because when I turned around, I was completely surprised to see
Valerie standing there.
“Hi,” she said cheerfully, staring
directly at me so that if I were to ignore her now, I would, once again, be a
total jerk.
“Hey,” I nodded, wondering what her game
was. “Where’s Zachary?”
She smiled at me and shrugged. “You know
me…always forgetting something. I left my purse in the theater. He went back to
get it for me.”
I smiled, knowing full well the extent of
her forgetfulness. “Good man…” I said, nodding my head, even though I knew she
didn’t need my approval.
However, before either of us could say
anything else, Dalilah returned. Immediately, she began to start trouble.
“Well, if it isn’t the traitor…” she mocked, glowering at Valerie in a way that
made me feel automatically defensive toward her.
I spun my head around and glared at
Dalilah menacingly, but Valerie was already on top of it.
“Excuse me?” she demanded. “I don’t
believe you were a part of this conversation.”
“Yes, well, after the other day, I was
under the impression that Shawn had nothing more to say to you.”
“Dalilah!” I exclaimed and then looked at
Valerie with an apology in my eyes.
It was at that time that Zachary showed
up. He saw who Valerie was with as well as the distress on her face and was
automatically defensive. “What’s going on here?”
“We were just leaving,” Dalilah spat. “We
don’t associate with such two-faced people.” Grabbing me quickly, she pulled me
away.
I couldn’t believe she had actually done
that and I was appalled. I turned toward her once we were outside and demanded,
“What was that?”
“That was me, sticking up for you in a
time of weakness,” she answered with a bite to her tongue that was sour.
“What?” I demanded. “No! You were just
rude.”
“Yeah, well it looked like you were
cozying up to the enemy and I would hate for you to fall back into her maniacal
little trap.” Carefully, Dalilah’s hand rose and she placed it against my face,
as though she was trying to make a caring motion. She dragged the back of her
hand down my
course, I would have never told that to Dalilah and was barely admitting it to
myself, but I slightly regretted what I had done last week.
Seeing her made me realize that if I was
right and I really had broken the threshold of their care and affection toward
me, I should have never pushed it that far. My mother had never cared about me.
They had done plenty for me and all I had done was hurt them; hurt Valerie for
sure.
Even though I realized this and had these
feelings though, I still wasn’t sure that I wanted to go through the hurt of
blatant rejection. Perhaps that was weak, considering that was exactly what I
had done to Valerie, but I knew, between my mother and my father, their simple
ways of pushing me away in the worst possible methods, I could not take another
shove into being alone.
Therefore, I should keep the distance at
my own terms. I should be happy that they
are leaving me alone, I thought to myself with a stern nod. Not having to continuously push them away is
far better for both of us. They got the hint, which means that I will never have
to do it again.
That was comforting to me and so, I was
able to turn back around and completely ignore Valerie and her wonder boyfriend
until after the movie.
Unfortunately, when the movie was over and
we were making our way out of the theater, Dalilah decided that she just had to
go to the bathroom before we left, despite the fact that I told her I was
uncomfortable and really wanted to go.
“Stop being such a baby,” she teased and
then made her way into the bathroom.
The cynical side to me thought about
leaving her there, but I knew that I couldn’t do something like that. It just
wasn’t right.
So, I waited, right outside of the
bathrooms, so paranoid, that obviously I actually had no earthly idea what I
was doing; because when I turned around, I was completely surprised to see
Valerie standing there.
“Hi,” she said cheerfully, staring
directly at me so that if I were to ignore her now, I would, once again, be a
total jerk.
“Hey,” I nodded, wondering what her game
was. “Where’s Zachary?”
She smiled at me and shrugged. “You know
me…always forgetting something. I left my purse in the theater. He went back to
get it for me.”
I smiled, knowing full well the extent of
her forgetfulness. “Good man…” I said, nodding my head, even though I knew she
didn’t need my approval.
However, before either of us could say
anything else, Dalilah returned. Immediately, she began to start trouble.
“Well, if it isn’t the traitor…” she mocked, glowering at Valerie in a way that
made me feel automatically defensive toward her.
I spun my head around and glared at
Dalilah menacingly, but Valerie was already on top of it.
“Excuse me?” she demanded. “I don’t
believe you were a part of this conversation.”
“Yes, well, after the other day, I was
under the impression that Shawn had nothing more to say to you.”
“Dalilah!” I exclaimed and then looked at
Valerie with an apology in my eyes.
It was at that time that Zachary showed
up. He saw who Valerie was with as well as the distress on her face and was
automatically defensive. “What’s going on here?”
“We were just leaving,” Dalilah spat. “We
don’t associate with such two-faced people.” Grabbing me quickly, she pulled me
away.
I couldn’t believe she had actually done
that and I was appalled. I turned toward her once we were outside and demanded,
“What was that?”
“That was me, sticking up for you in a
time of weakness,” she answered with a bite to her tongue that was sour.
“What?” I demanded. “No! You were just
rude.”
“Yeah, well it looked like you were
cozying up to the enemy and I would hate for you to fall back into her maniacal
little trap.” Carefully, Dalilah’s hand rose and she placed it against my face,
as though she was trying to make a caring motion. She dragged the back of her
hand down my
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