***

Present

Thinking about it tugs at my heart, but I can’t change the past. What’s done is done. I gotta look at the future and work to regain her love. It’s all I can do, all I want to do, and all I’ll fight for. Her.

Chapter 10

Emily

I’m writing a statement for the press to atone for Chris’s sins, or at least that’s what I call it, even though he probably thinks otherwise. He’s inside the office, wandering around and looking over everyone’s backs to see what they’re doing. I don’t believe he’s truly interested, and I think he’s just trying to annoy people so they’ll ask me to make him leave. And that’s exactly what he wants; for me and him to leave the building and go do something fun.

Unfortunately for him, there’s something called a ‘job’ that I really must do properly in order to be his PR lady. Sometimes I wonder if he doesn’t care that I might lose my job if I don’t do this for him.

From the looks of it, with him sauntering toward me with a giant smirk on his face, I doubt it.

My coworkers are all staring at him. I can see them talk amongst each other, muffling laughs, hiding their smiles behind their hands, while pretending to drink coffee. They’re gloating at his presence, probably admiring his muscled and tan body, his bright eyes, and his dirty grin, which promises trouble. No wonder the media is all over him. If my coworkers are swooning, then who knows how many girls stand in line just for a date with him.

It’s as if everyone adores him—or at least his looks.

I don’t belong to that group. Nope. Not a chance.

I swallow away the lump in my throat as he approaches me. He casually sits down on my desk, and the thing almost breaks underneath his weight. I didn’t know muscles could break wood this easily, but I could definitely hear it crack. I really hope he’s not going to bother me because I need to get this email done.

“So … when are we getting out of here?” he asks, leaning down on my desk, right between me and my keyboard.

I sigh. “I have to get this done first.”

“Why? Work is boring,” he muses, yawning to prove his point.

“Some of us actually have to do this to make an income.”

He shrugs. “I don’t see the appeal.”

“Neither do I when I think of sweaty suits, cocky assholes, and the constant need to be better than someone else. No, thank you; I prefer this any day.” I roll my eyes.

“Sure you do.” He rips away the paper I was checking for dates and info.

“Hey! I need that,” I say, trying to fish it out of his hand, but he holds it up too high for me to reach.

“Try a little harder,” he jests, jumping off the desk to increase his height even more. Now I have no chance of reaching it.

“Chris! You know I need that. I can’t write this email if I don’t know the dates and info.” I frown, pushing him to get the damn paper back, but he won’t let me.

He looks down at me with that playful smile he so often sports. “Write it later then. Let me take you out for coffee. You obviously need a break.”

“How am I supposed to do your PR for you, huh?” I say, putting my fists against my waist. “You’re not letting me do my job properly.”

“What, me? I’m not doing anything.”

“That’s the whole point; you’re just here to bother me.”

“No, that’s not true.” He lowers the paper, only to pull it back up again when I attempt to grab it. The smirk on his face makes me want to smack him.

“Chris!”

“Come and get it then,” he says with a grin.

I don’t think my face can show any more hostility. “Give it to me. Now.”

“Oh … I like it when you get feisty,” he growls.

“You won’t when I’m done kicking your ass,” I spit, pushing him forward. “Now hand it over so I can actually do some work.”

“You want this?” he says, cocking his head. “C’mon, then. Show me how much you want it.”

If I wasn’t boiling yet, I am now. “Chris!”

All my coworkers are looking at us, and this ridiculous show is starting to embarrass me. Why can’t he just let me work in peace?

“Are you just here to annoy me? Because you’ve succeeded, all right. Good job. Happy now?” I snarl.

“No,” he says, looking down at me with that smug smile of his. “But I like it when you’re all up in my face. Beats having to watch you stare at that computer screen all day.”

“Why are you here anyway?” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

He stops moving around to avoid me for a second, which allows me to grasp the paper and rip it away from him. He seems flabbergasted, and I wonder why.

“I don’t know,” he mumbles.

I shake my head. “I don’t get you.”

“Me, neither.” He laughs. “But I know that sitting at that PC won’t help you help me, if you get me.”

“I get you,” I say, sighing. “But this really has to be done.”

“Can’t you give me tips or something? To prevent that shit you’re trying to fix?” He points at the paper in my hand.

“Maybe,” I say. “But this comes first.”

His smile disappears, almost as if he’s sad that I have to do this. As if he actually wants me to come with him, instead of him just trying to annoy the hell out of me.

“I’m not trying to be a bother, honestly,” he says.

As I sit down behind the PC again, I say, “Okay, but let me do my job and then, maybe, we can grab a coffee and talk about it later.”

“Really?” he says, which surprises me.

“Yeah, I guess,” I say, shrugging.

I don’t know how to answer. Part of me likes the idea of taking a break, but I’m not sure if I want to do it with him. I mean, I don’t really trust him to care about anyone else but himself, so him being here feels like he’s just trying to mess with me. Again, like always. That’s just the way he is, and I have difficulty seeing it any other way.

It’s probably because he was such a dick to me in the past. I have a hard time forgiving him for that. Or maybe I’m just afraid to. Who knows what the consequences could be. I don’t even want to think about it.

Nope, he is and always will be that asshole stepbrother of mine.

***

Age 16

Walking around the school, I feel like a freak show because everyone is looking at me. I wonder if I have something on my face, or if my hairdo looks horrible, because they’re all giggling and smirking. Some even start to whisper, so I turn the corner and head straight for my locker. Right then, I bump into one of the guys Chris hangs out with.

“Sorry,” I mumble.

“Hey, Emily, right? You’re Chris’s chick.” A big smile appears on his face.

“What?” I blush from his comment.

“Way to go, girl!” he says, sticking up his thumb. “Nice.” He leans in to whisper in my ear. “Do you think you could, you know, do the same for me?”

I frown and lean back. “What are you talking about?”

“You know, what you did for him …” He winks.

In shock, I stumble backward. “I think I’m gonna go now.”

I try to pass him, but he keeps walking after me. “Hey, don’t run away. I mean it. I’m totally up for it.” He walks next to me, even though I’m trying to get away from him. “I’ll give you anything you want. I have cash.”

The moment he starts fishing in his pocket, I stop in my tracks and hold up my hand. “Wow, stop. No.” I look him straight in the eyes, so he’ll know I’m serious. “No. Big no. I don’t know where you got this idea, but I’m not interested.”

“What?” He makes a face. “Oh, c’mon.” He grabs my arm when I try to walk away again.

“Let go of me,” I say, jerking myself free.

After a stern look, I run into the hallway to try to shake him off, but I only run into more of my classmates who give me the dirty eye. I walk in the middle while they’re all walking around me in a circle, avoiding me like the plague.

And that’s when I hear one of them whisper, “She’s that slut.”