This morning I woke up feeling better than other days.
I came to London for university and that’s the only thing I’m going to focus on.
I took a shower, put on a knee-length black skirt with a red blouse. Some shoes and a little blush to give my face some color. Ever since I arrived here, my face had been losing color, shine, everything.
I took my notes and stuffed them all in my backpack. I went down with it to the kitchen and Nick was making coffee. He looked at me and I did the same.
Without saying a word, I sat on the sofa waiting for him to finish his coffee so we could leave.
I felt him approaching me so I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them, there was a cup of coffee in front of me.
“Do you want some?” He asked while sitting next to me. I didn’t answer him, I just grabbed the cup.
“Samantha?” I took a sip and looked at him.
I hate looking at him and feeling the need to hug him. His eyes showed regret, but I didn’t want to fall. Actually, I did want to, but I won’t anymore.
“It’s okay, Nick. You don’t have to apologize for anything.” Another sip. A fake smile. “You made things clear for me and I’m happy about that, it will make things easier for me.”
“Easier? What do you mean by easier?” He asked, frowning.
“I mean I won’t have to be in any relationship with my stepbrother.”
“Do you find it difficult to be in a relationship with me?”
“The other day when we were cuddled up on the couch, no. But yesterday when I saw Cady’s tongue down your throat I realized I could never be in a relationship with you.” Another sip.
He laughed and I knew he was going to say something to hurt me.
“Even if Cady hadn’t kissed me, you were never going to be in a relationship with me, Sam.”
“That’s good to know. Anyway, I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone like you. We’re very different.” I mentally patted myself on the back and stood up. “Shall we go?”
I turned around, left the cup in the kitchen and headed to the garage. I turned to see Nick. He was still on the couch, staring at the wall as if it was his new enemy.
I had a moment of weakness before thinking about everything he had said and done to me since I arrived at this house, so I continued my way to the garage and waited for him.
He appeared after a few minutes, walked past me bumping my shoulder, and got in the car. As soon as I got in, he started the car and accelerated. I bit my tongue not to tell him to put on his seatbelt and settled in my seat.
The moment we arrived at the campus and Nick parked, I got out of the car and approached Eva who was waiting for me, leaning on her car.
“Hey, what was that about yesterday?” She asked looking behind me at Nick.
“Nothing, it’s just that Nick gets protective sometimes.” I shrugged it off.
“He looks at you like you’re his property.”
“Well, he better realize I’m not,” I snapped bitterly.
“What a relationship you two have,” Eva said laughing.
“Tell me about it.”
The rest of the hours went by too quickly, especially literature. I loved it completely. The teacher asked us to write an essay on the novel “Wuthering Heights”. It has to be handed in in two weeks so I have plenty of time to do it and besides I’ve already read the book.
I asked Eva during the break to drive me home, so I quickly headed to her car. Nick was nowhere to be seen, but I still didn’t slow down.
“Samantha!” Someone shouted behind me. I turned around and saw Aaron running towards me.
“Hi,” I said forcing a smile and looking around to see if Nick was approaching.
“Is everything okay?” He asked, worried. “That guy gave you a hard time yesterday, is he your boyfriend?”
He was blushing this time. He wasn’t asking just because he was worried. These things didn’t happen to me often but I wasn’t stupid.
“No, he’s my stepbrother,” his expression told me he was confused.
“Your stepbrother acts like that with you?”
“It’s a strange relationship,” I said with a half-smile, looking at my feet.
“Anyway, that news doesn’t bother me at all,” I lifted my head to look at him and he was smiling. A real smile. One that reached his eyes and made me smile too.
“And why would that be?” I asked.
“Well, I wanted to ask you if you…
“We have to go,” a voice said behind me. It made me close my eyes and curse silently.
I turned around to see Nick throwing daggers at Aaron with his eyes.
“I’m going with Eva,” he finally lowered his eyes to mine.
“You’re coming with me,” he insisted.
“I won’t. I’m going with Eva and that’s the end of it,” I turned back to Aaron, giving him a reassuring smile.
“See you later,” I continued on my way to the car and heard Nick talking to Aaron.
“If you ever say or do anything, I swear I will kill you, and if I don’t succeed, I’ll tell the principal that you want to date a student. You’ll lose your job, pretty boy.”
Hearing Nick say that to Aaron made me turn around instantly, but he was already inches away from me and in the blink of an eye, I was over his shoulder.
“Let me go!” I shouted, hitting his back and kicking his stomach. He carried me to his car and stood still, but I was still on his shoulder hitting him.
“Stay still. Stop acting like a little girl, Samantha,” he bellowed.
“You’re the little boy!” I yelled. “Put me down, Nick!”
“Not until you listen to me,” he simply said. I stopped the hits.
“I will. Can you put me down now?” I tried to say calmly. He thought for a few seconds and then did.
“What do you want to tell me?” I crossed my arms defensively.
“I’m sorry for everything. For this morning and last night. Everything. Although not wanting to be in a relationship is true and I still stand by it. Why don’t we be friends?”
“We’re step-siblings.”
“Friends who are step-siblings?” He asked expectantly.
I saw that he was really trying. He didn’t want to leave everything like this. He really wanted to try.
Seeing that he had the guts to ask me that after everything he told me… I found it impossible to refuse.
“Alright,” I answered.
He smiled and I did too.