Based: A Stepbrother Romance (Extreme Sports Alphas) (14 page)

Jess smiled tightly at me and then looked back at Aubrie. “Is that true?”

“Not exactly,” she said slowly. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Try. Take as long as you need.” Jess gave her a smile that was probably meant to be comforting, but she looked more like a jackal grinning at its dinner.

“It’s like, I don’t know,” she said slowly. “It’s like my dad didn’t need me anymore, you know? He had Jules and his films. I had a new life out there at school. I had something else.”

Jess looked at me. “Why did you stay away?”

I blinked at her. “I thought this was Brie’s interview.”

“Don’t dodge. Why did you move away and never come home?”

I looked at Aubrie and she cocked her head. I wanted to say,
I left because of you. I left because if I stayed I would have done something stupid.
Instead, I gave my usual answer.

“Europe had what I wanted.”

“What did you want?”

“To feel alive. BASE jumping gave me that.”

She glanced down at her notes and then back at me. “There are rumors about girls.”

“Is that a question?”

“Okay, let me restate that. Are the rumors about you and all the women you slept with true?”

I laughed. I knew what rumors she was referring to. Nothing bad or crazy, just that I had slept with a ton of women while I moved around Europe.

“True, more or less. A lot of it is exaggerated.” I avoided looking at Brie.

“Why?”

I frowned at her. “What do you mean, why?”

“Why did you sleep around?”

“Because it felt good. Because it was better than the alternative.”

“And what’s the alternative?”

Jerking off to thoughts of my stepsister
, I thought.

“Not sleeping around, I guess.”

Aubrie made a noise, but I ignored it.

“Why did you need to go to Europe for all of this?”

“They have some of the best jumpers in the world. The sport just wasn’t big enough in the States at the time.”

“Aubrie, did you ever see Lincoln during this time?”

She shook her head. “Like I said before, we didn’t see each other at all until I came home this summer.”

“Why?”

“He was busy jumping off stuff and doing commercials. And I was busy going to school.”

“Brie is a model student,” I said, nodding.

“Why do you say that?” Jess pressed.

“You should see all the awards she wins.”

“You seem jealous.”

I paused.
Shit, I need to be more careful.
“No, not at all. She’s just a big nerd, that’s all.”

Brie snorted. “Better a nerd than a meathead.”

“Meathead?” I said, laughing. “Hardly a meathead.”

“Fine. Jock then. Conceited asshole.”

“Conceited? That’s funny, coming from the world’s most perfect person.”

I could see Jess smile slightly and sit back in her chair. I knew it was stupid to be fighting with Brie on camera, but sometimes she pissed me off to no end. She was acting as if I were the one at fault, as if I were the enemy. She didn’t realize that the only person we should be worried about was the one with the cameras.

“Oh, good one. I’m not perfect, but at least I’m not an asshole.”

I grinned, trying to let it blow over. “You wound me, sis.”

She made a face. “Whatever.” She looked over at Jess, visibly composing herself. “Are we almost finished?”

“I have a few more questions.”

“Okay, fine.”

“This one is for you, Aubrie. What’s something about Lincoln that the world may not know?”

She paused. “He loves the
Power Rangers
.”

I burst out laughing and she grinned at me. All of the tension between us evaporated in an instant, and I grinned at Jess, who just looked confused.

“The
Power Rangers
? Like, the kid’s show?”

“That’s the one,” I said.

“Explain that.”

“What’s to explain? Some badass teens with cool powers and sick robots fight evil villains. That’s the definition of awesome.”

Aubrie grinned at me. “He’d be the pink ranger.”

“You’d be the robot.”

“I’d rather be the robot, at least he was cool.”

“Hey, don’t knock the pink ranger. She was just as badass as all the others.”

“Is this some kind of inside joke?” Jess cut in.

“Not really. I asked him one time what his favorite TV show was and he said the
Power Rangers
.”

“This was when we first met,” I said.

“I assume it’s still true?” Aubrie asked.

“Of course. Like I said, they’re the definition of awesome.”

We laughed together and Jess smiled.

“Okay, Aubrie, I might as well ask. What’s your favorite show?”

“
Hannah Montana
,” I said immediately.

She laughed. “No, not even close.”

“
Pete and Pete
?”

“Getting there.”

“
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
”

“What’s with the vintage Nickelodeon shows?”

“That was the peak of TV programming.”

“Well, you’re on the right track.”

“Okay, one last guess.” I gave her a long look. “
Rugrats
?”

She burst out laughing. “Yes!”

I gave her a triumphant grin. “I knew it.”

“So you both love old children’s shows?” Jess said.

Aubrie shook her head. “No. I mean, it’s not like I watch it anymore. But it’s the one show I can say definitely affected me.”

“Yeah, same here with the
Power Rangers
.”

“Okay, I get that. We’re almost finished here, so bear with me.”

“Bring it on,” I said, grinning at Aubrie.

“Lincoln, what do you think about your mother’s relationship with Aubrie’s dad?”

“I don’t think about it much, honestly. She seems happy.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“She likes Cliff. She really loves Aubrie.”

“She does?” Aubrie asked.

“Absolutely. You didn’t know that?”

“I mean, we get along. But I didn’t know . . .” she trailed off.

“You’re practically the daughter she never had and always wanted.”

“But I’m nothing like her.”

“Yeah, exactly. She always wanted a smart little nerdy kid to rear.” I paused and grinned at her. “Which is why she was disappointed when she got me.”

“I doubt she’s disappointed. You’re smart too.”

“Not in the way she wanted. Not like you.”

Aubrie looked thoughtful. “I guess now I feel bad that I hadn’t come home sooner.”

“Don’t worry about it. She was probably too busy feeling proud to care about that.”

Brie just nodded and stayed silent.

“What about Aubrie’s dad, Lincoln?” Jess asked.

“He’s fine. We get along.” I wasn’t interested in elaborating. Jess knew that I was lying, but that was okay with me.

“That’s it? He’s fine, end of story?”

“Like I said, I haven’t been around much.”

“And yet he’s done a lot for you lately.”

I glared at Jess. “Yes, he has.”

“And yet he’s just ‘fine’?”

I paused for a second to imagine all the different ways I wanted to smash the cameras.

“Cliff has done a lot for me lately. But I wouldn’t say we really know each other.”

“Why would he help you if you barely know each other?”

“I suspect my mom had something to do with it. Or maybe he can see the real good citizen inside me, hiding behind all these tattoos.”

Aubrie laughed softly but it didn’t seem to reach her eyes.

“What do you think, Aubrie?”

She looked at Jess. “About my dad helping Lincoln? I think he’s just doing what anybody would do. We all know Lincoln isn’t a bad guy, just jumped from a building he wasn’t supposed to and got unlucky on the landing.”

“He broke the law,” Jess pressed.

“Yeah, he broke the law”—Aubrie paused—“but breaking the law doesn’t make him a bad person.”

“Okay. I think we’re set.”

“Really?” Aubrie asked.

I unclipped my mic and stood up. Once the light indicated that the camera was off, I turned on Jess.

“What was that shit?” I asked her.

“Just trying to get something out of you.”

“By ambushing me?”

“You handled it well.”

“Fuck handling it well. You know the real answers to those questions.”

“Lincoln,” Aubrie said, standing.

I looked at her and then back at Jess, aware that the crew was staring.

“Keep pushing, Jess. I’ll go back to jail before I let you control me.”

She smiled innocently. “Wasn’t my intention, Based.”

I clenched my jaw and walked away. Aubrie said something to the crew, but I didn’t hear her, way too pissed off to think clearly. I kicked open the door and walked across the house, not stopping until I was in the game room surrounded by the pinball machines.

Aubrie wasn’t far behind me.

“What was that?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing. Just pissed about all this.”

“I’m sorry, Lincoln.”

I looked at her for a second and realized she was serious. “Why are you sorry?”

“I know my dad is forcing you into this. I guess Jess is using that to play off you. That’s probably why she wants me to be around, as an antagonist or something.”

I shook my head. “I know her game. I shouldn’t let it get to me.”

She perked up and smiled. “Despite that, I think it went pretty well.”

I laughed. “Oh yeah. We only bickered on camera once.”

“That’s what siblings do.”

“We’re not siblings,” I said flatly.

“You called me sis.”

“Just to piss you off.”

She looked away. “It worked.”

“What do you want me to say, Brie baby?”

“I don’t know. I’m just trying to make you feel better.”

“Thanks. But the only thing that would fix this is if my legs magically fucking worked again. And I didn’t have prison hanging over my head.”

“You don’t have to be an asshole about it.”

I clenched my jaw. “I know. But apparently I can’t help it.”

Her face remained blank. “Okay. I hope you feel better.” She turned to leave.

I sighed. “Aubrie, wait.”

She started for the door. I limped after her, ignoring the pain in my joints, and grabbed her arm. It was the first time I had touched her since the kiss, and immediately I felt myself stiffen. Her skin was soft, and her lips parted slightly as she looked back at me.

“I shouldn’t take it out on you.”

“No, you shouldn’t.”

“It’s just a lot of shit.”

“I know.”

“And I can’t stop thinking about the other night.”

“Lincoln . . .”

“I know. It’s wrong. But fuck, I can’t get that kiss out of my head. Your lips, your fucking perfect body, it’s the only thing I want.”

“We can’t.”

I moved closer to her, pulling her body against mine. She didn’t resist, but she turned her head away.

“Fuck can’t. I know you want this too.”

Suddenly she put her hands on my chest and pushed me away. I stumbled a step back. Her expression was fierce.

“You could go back to jail, you know.”

“What?”

She clenched her hands into fists. “If we get caught, if my dad finds out. He could have you sent back to jail.”

“That’s what you’re afraid of?”

“You just got back into my life, you asshole.”

“Brie—”

“No. Stop. You’re my stepbrother. I have a future and so do you. Drop it.”

I crossed my arms. She was so fucking sexy, her whole body tense and pissed off. I could barely keep myself from grabbing her and throwing her against the wall.

But I was so angry, too. Angry at all the shit in my life. Angry at my bullshit career and my fucked-up legs and Cliff’s insane, controlling tactics.

“Fine. If that’s what you want, Brie baby.”

“Stop calling me that. Just, it never happened, okay?”

“It never happened.”

“No kiss. We’re friends.”

“Yeah,” I said. “We’re just friends.”

“And talk to your mom about the charity event.”

“Fine. Anything else?”

Her expression softened. “Nothing. I hope my dad lays off you soon.”

“Me too.”

She looked like she wanted to say something else but shook her head instead. She turned and walked out of the room.

I stood there and watched her go, anger running through my veins. I didn’t totally understand what had just happened, but I knew I had fucked it up.

That seemed to be my thing lately.

I
t was so hot in my room. I didn’t remember it being so hot, but apparently my room was an oven. My fan was broken, true, but there should have been some air conditioning on somewhere in the house, right?

But I knew that wasn’t the truth, even as I thought it.

It was what he’d said to me. The look in his eyes. It kept ringing through my head.
Your lips, your fucking perfect body, it’s the only thing I want,
he had said. And at the time, the only thing I could think about was my dad sending him to jail, or his career getting destroyed because of the bad press, or even my own position at the lab getting compromised.

I sighed, sliding out of bed, feeling slightly damp from sweat. I pulled on a pair of shorts and slipped out into the hallway, not exactly sure where I was going.