Crude: A Stepbrother Romance (4 page)

“Look, I know how that sounds, but it’s-”

“Princess, this is
way
worse than I thought. I mean it’s
really
up there, isn’t it?”

I frown; “What?”

But Knox just grins as he walks past me out of the room; “That stick in your ass.”

Oh shut up.

“So, Knox, what exactly are you doing this fall?”

We’re eating in the royal dining chambers, with the Lord of the Realm’s servants tending to our every need around us.

OK, we’re in the dining room, but it might as well be King fucking Arthur's castle. I mean there’s a goddamn
shield
on the wall, for fuck’s sake. And Joe might not be Arthur, but there
really is
a servant; OK, fine,
butler.

Let me highlight that; they have a butler, who serves them dinner. This is going to take some getting used to.

“Knox?” My mother looks up at me from four feet to my left where she’s sitting at this table the size of our entire kitchen back at our apartment.

What exactly are you doing this fall.

It’s a challenge; I get that. What it really says is “what
aren’t
you doing this fall.” Like, going to college. Like going to whatever Ivy League old-money bullshit school next fall and majoring in concert piano and winning at life, or whatever little miss secret-identity here is doing.

Of course, Joe doesn’t know that I don’t do well with challenges. I decide to play hardball right back and play the douchebag card; “Well, since my mom is marrying this new rich guy-” My mother shoots me this vicious look. I grin, ignoring her; “I think I’ll just, oh I don’t, see how that whole trust fund thing works!”

Paige chokes on her food, and my mother shoots me daggers with her eyes. I just grin as I see Joe frown at me. He hates me, I can tell. Alright,
hate
is a strong word, but I know damn well he doesn’t like me. He doesn’t like that I’m attached to this woman he wants; doesn’t like that I’m a reminder of another man who had her before him.

Fuck him.

“We respect hard work in this house, Knox, not sitting around with a hand out; don’t we Paige?”

“Hmm?” Paige glances up from her plate, as if she’s been zoning out; “Oh, yes.”

Yikes, what a perfect little daddy’s girl.

“And I’m not sure you understand what a trust fund is, Knox.” Joe says, putting his fork down and steepling his hands in front of his face.
 

I know perfectly well what a trust is, and I know perfectly well that Joseph McCauley has in no way set one up for me, or ever will.
 

“Knox did quite exceptionally on his SATs actually,” My mother says cheerily, trying to lighten the mood at the gigantic table; “He also got top marks in the business school pre-exam.”

I notice Paige raise an eyebrow at me, a teeny grin teasing the corners of her lips.
Fuck, thanks for that, mom.
 

Yeah, I aced the tests. I aced all the tests, actually, if for no other reason than to enjoy the look of shock and the shattering of pre-existing ideas about me on the faces of teachers and my guidance counselor back at school.

“You know, you could apply to some amazing schools with these scores, Knox.”

Yeah,
right
; and then what? I already know school isn’t for me. Believe me, after twelve fucking years of it and twelve years of teachers telling me to apply myself or pay attention or quit asking questions, I’m pretty fuckin’ sure. For one, it’s too Goddamn easy, for two, everyone there are shit-heads, and three, I can’t imagine college being any different.

“Well that’s great to hear, Knox,” Joe says, this big phony “proud” look on his face; “You know, your father was a hard worker too.”

Yeah, hard worker for you; hard at work not at being a father.
 

“I wouldn't know.” I say with a fake smile right back as I shove some sort of demi-glazed vegetable around my plate.

“Well,” He says, smiling at my mom; “Maybe it runs in the family, hmm? You know, I’ve been thinking, and I think there might be a spot for you out in the fields, Knox.”

I drop my fork and look up at him; “The oil fields?” Is he fucking kidding me?

“Well, yes, the oil fields.” He smiles at me; “You know, sometimes a little knuckling down is what you need, and maybe some sweat and hard work this summer will turn you into the foreman your father was.”
 

This isn’t a question, and by the way he and my mom look at each other and fucking
smile
like that, I can tell this has already been decided.

I can feel my blood boiling, but I shove it down and plaster a big shit-eating grin on my face instead. Joe wants to play hardball? Well step right up, Joe, I eat “tough love” for fuckin’ breakfast; “Nah, I think I’m just work on my bike and my tan this-”

“It’s not actually up for discussion, Knox.” Joe smiles thinly at me across the table; “You’re working for me this summer.”

I catch just a glimpse of Paige smirking at me out of the corner of my eye, and I know I’m done pushing that rage back down. Work in fields for the fucking tyrant King all summer before he marries my mom? That’s bad enough, but if I get his little princess of a daughter smirking at me from up in her tower the whole time, that’s the last straw. I shove my chair back and let my fork clatter to the floor, ignoring my mother calling my name as I storm out of the room.

Amanda starts to get up to go after him, but my dad stops her with a gentle hand on her arm; “Let him stew, he’ll learn..”

He’ll learn what, to obey? To come and sit and shake? He’s not a puppy, dad.

No, but he’s a big prick, that’s for sure. I’m still trying to process Amanda as a general concept, without even
trying
to delve into the whole stepmother thing. But she
seems
nice enough, at least so far. And no matter how much of a shock this is to him, I don’t think she deserves to be treated like that.

Knox is still gone by the time we finish dinner and after Martin clears the table.

“Paige, why don’t you find Knox and show him his room.”

I frown;
his room
. I didn’t know “he” - as in “him as my stepbrother” - even
existed
four hours ago. I raise an eyebrow at my dad; “His room?”

He chuckles, shaking his head; “Jesus, I’ve been so preoccupied with moving Amanda in, I didn’t even think about it. He furrows his brow, drumming his fingers on the table; “The west wing upstairs is still being redone for a the next few weeks, so I guess that’s out for now.” He nods slowly before he suddenly looks up at me; “Ah! Perfect!”

Uh-oh.

“Knox can stay in the guest room until that side of the house is finished and he can get a proper bedroom.”

I feel cold shiver run up my back; “The
upstairs
guest room?”

The guest room that’s the room
next
to mine? The one that freaking
connects
to mine through a damn
shared bathroom
?
My
bathroom?”

I quickly shake my head; “Dad, no, that’s the one that shared my bath-”

“Paige, honey!” My dad frowns at me, reaching across the table to take Amanda’s hand; “We’re going to be a family, Paige. Try to be a little welcoming and bit more understanding, OK?”

You have got to be freaking kidding me.

*****

He’s slumped in one of the patio chairs in the backyard by the pool smoking when I step outside.

“You should be nicer to her you know.”

He looks up at the sound of my voice and frowns; “Who?”

“Your mother.”

Knox rolls his eyes; “Oh yeah? For what; marrying Mr. Rich and not working the rest of her life while I get sold into slavery? Yeah,
nope
.”

I shrug as I walk over and sit in one of the chairs across the table from him; “OK, I get it, but you should lay off her. She lost a husband you know.”

Knox shrugs, still wrapped up in being Mr. Tough-guy; “Whatever, he was gone long before that anyways.”

“Well, I know it hurts.”

“Whatever you say.”

Knox blows smoke out in a thin stream into the warm evening air. My eyes once again land on the twisting, curling lines of ink that trace over the strong looking biceps of his arm.

“Want a closer look?”

I look up with a start, blushing as I realize he’s staring right at me; “No, I wasn’t-” I frown; “It doesn’t bother you? Your dad dying?”

He just shrugs again; “It phased me I guess. What do you know about it.”

I give him a look; “You
did
notice that my dad doesn’t
currently
have a wife, right?”

The smirk leaves his face, but he says nothing.

“My mom left when I was eight, you know. I
get
not having a parent, just in case you wanted to talk ab-”

“Super, guess we’re best buds then now, huh?”

I purse my lips as I frown at him; “You know it’s not like all this is
my
fault somehow. I didn’t
ask
for some hot-headed dick to come into my life and be my brother.”

“
Step
-brother,” He says sharply; “And I didn’t ask for a little uptight rich-bitch of a stepsister trying to give me life advice.”

I shake my head and look away; “Why are you such an asshole?”

“Because I’m good at it.”