My New Step-Dad (7 page)

“
Yours?” I question.

“
You know what I mean, Sophie. Don’t twist my words.”

I let my eyes drop to the floor, not wanting to look at him anymore. I need to keep my mouth shut. Everything he says I want to turn in my favor. Maybe I am twisting his words and hearing what I want.

“
Sophie, look at me.”

It takes everything in me to pull my eyes back to him. I can still feel the heat on my face from the embarrassment. That makes this much worse, knowing my fair skin is showing it to him.

“
You’re young and beautiful; you don’t want someone like me. Go find yourself a nice young boy who can give you flowers and hearts. I have nothing to give you. My life is my job, and nothing will ever come before it. I worked too hard for it to throw it away on a scandal that would ruin everything.” His jaw clenches likes he’s pissed he had to say the words.

But the reality of what he’s saying hits me harder than it should. At least he’s honest. His job will always come first. My mother always filled me with false promises. It’s like cold water being thrown on me. I can feel the lump in my throat grow, and I know if I speak it’ll all break loose. It would be an uncontrollable flood of tears, and I don’t want him to see them. Without responding, I jump down from the countertop, making a quick dash to leave the kitchen. I feel him reach out for me, but I brush past him, barely missing his grasp, and stumble into Lily.

Shit. Just wonderful. More people to see my embarrassment. I wonder how much she heard, and not wanting to find out, I push past her too, leaving both of them in the kitchen. I hear Bruce call my name, but Lily’s soft words seem to stop him from coming after me.

Slamming the door, I make sure to lock it behind me. God, I feel so stupid. Why am I always pushing myself on people who don’t want me? It’s like I make things up in my head and don’t see things for what they really are, dreaming up these futures that are so far from possible. Back at school, the girls and even a few teachers always said I lived in my head, my nose in a book. Maybe they were right. But is it so wrong to dream of big love? In reality, I’ve never had a taste of it.

Flipping on my laptop, I bring up rental properties and start searching through them. It’s time to move on. I can’t keep chasing after things that are just running from me. I also don’t have to be like them. Lily’s right. I can start a new life, be different from my mother.

I print off a couple listings and take a shower. I get dressed in another sundress, this one light purple. I make quick work in the bathroom, deciding to leave my hair down today. When I’m ready, I go to my bedroom door and pray I don’t run into Bruce. I grab my purse and the list of properties and try to make a fast retreat from the condo, only to slam right into Lily.

“
Sorry, Lily. Seems I can’t stop falling all over you today,” I mumble as I continue past her. I don’t know how much she heard this morning, but I really don’t want to relive it. She follows me into the entryway where I hit the elevator button. Damn, I should have explored this place better and found out where the stairs are. I would love to avoid this conversation I know Lily is about to make me have.

Suddenly, she snatches the papers out of my hand.

“
What the hell?” I snap, trying to grab them from her. She shuffles through them before folding them and putting them under her arm. “Are you going to give those back?”

“
No, you don’t need them.”

Her response is tart but clearly final. I remember the tone from when I was a child and she would watch me from time to time between nannies showing up.

“
I don’t know how much you heard, but it’s clear he doesn’t want me here. It’s also clear that he’s only keeping me here because he feels he obliged because of my mother. I was an unwanted burden on her, and I won’t be an unwanted burden on someone else.”

The elevator dings, answering my silent prayers. I reach my hand out, indicating for her to give me my papers back, but she makes no move to. Whatever. I’ll get new ones somewhere.

“
Keep them,” I say, stepping into the elevator, but she follows behind me.

“
Lily, I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t want to talk about this, and I want to be alone right now.”

“
He hates his job,” she says, ignoring what I said to her. “He’s different with you. Bruce Archer is losing control. I saw him pick you up and sit you on the counter. I couldn’t see your face but I saw his. Didn’t you see it?”

No, I didn’t. I closed my eyes and waited for him to kiss me, but I don’t say that out loud.

“
He was right. I should find someone else. I want someone I’ll come first with. It was silly and naïve of me to think he’d want me. Hell, I saw the woman he was with the night I got here.”

“
I’ve never seen him with a woman. You must—”

I cut her off. “It doesn’t matter.”

“
I have to do everything around her, don’t I?” she huffs.

I have no idea what she’s talking about.

“
Just don’t sign a lease or anything like that. Oh, never mind, you’re only seventeen, you can’t yet. So I have four days.”

I don’t respond to her because I’m not sure what she’s talking about.

The elevator stops on the third floor, and a boy about my age steps on. He nods at Lily before running his eyes over me. He’s cute, but I don’t feel the same spark I felt the first time I met Bruce. He’s tall, but everyone is taller than me. His light blond hair is a little shaggy, but it gives him a softer feel. Soft is nice. Maybe soft is what I should be looking for. His hazel eyes spark with amusement as he catches me looking him over.

“
You must be new,” he says.

“
She’s staying with Mr. Archer, Bryan. She’s new and doesn’t know anyone. You should show her around today.”

I feel my cheeks warm at Lily’s words.

A boyish smile spreads across Bryan’s face. “I’d love to…”

“
Sophie,” I say, giving him my name.

“
Sophie.” He rolls my name off his tongue, but it doesn’t give me the thrill like when Bruce does it. “Like I was saying, I’d love to show you around. I was just going to grab something to eat. Join me?”

“
Okay,” I say. When the elevator dings, Bryan grabs my hand, pulling me out. Glancing over, I can’t help but see the knowing smirk on Lily’s face.

BRUCE

I’ve had one of the longest days that I can remember, but it’s not really that late in the evening. I walk into my building at six o’clock, but it feels like today just dragged. I was distracted by Sophie again today, and it felt like I couldn’t get any work accomplished. I decided, after I’d read the same document a dozen times, to call it a day and just go home.

As I walk through the lobby, I wave hello to the doorman and head to the elevator. I’m not paying attention to what I’m doing, so when I hear a familiar sweet giggle, I jerk my head up and look around for Sophie.

My heart stops as I see her in front of the elevator with a man. After a second I recognize him as Bryan, one of the tenants on the third floor. He’s nice enough, always says hello, but in this moment, I hate him.

She smiles up at him, and he leans in close to her. Too fucking close for me. I feel a rumble in my chest and I realize I’m growling at the sight. Fucking growling. I didn’t even know I could growl until Sophie entered my life. They aren’t touching, but something about seeing her smile at someone else makes my blood boil. My words from earlier play back in my head:
go find yourself a nice young boy
. I didn't think she would do it so fast, but who was I kidding? Innocent little Sophie will have all kinds of men chomping at the bit to get a taste of her. A taste that I turned down. Fuck, I should get a goddamn medal for that shit.

Suddenly, Sophie turns and sees me. It’s as if she senses I’m near. For a second she looks contrite, like she’s been caught doing something she knows she’s not supposed to. But it’s only for a moment and then it’s gone. She turns back to Bryan and laughs at whatever it is he says. As she laughs, she reaches out and touches his arm. Before I realize what I’m doing, I’m in motion, heading towards them.

“
Mr. Archer, good to see you,” Bryan says as he extends his hand to me.

I take his hand in mine and squeeze much harder than I should. I see a pained look on his face, but I don’t let go.

“
I see you’ve met my Sophie.”

He glances over at her and then back at me, trying to pull his arm back. I reluctantly let it go, and I see him spread his fingers out, as if trying to get the blood flow back.

“
Yes, I was just showing her around the area a bit after lunch, and we got caught up talking.”

“
So kind of you,” I say, letting it drip with sarcasm. I practically gave her to him on a fucking silver platter. I should have told her she was too young for anyone. What possessed me to tell her to go find someone her own age is beyond me. I had bitten the words out this morning, thinking it was for the best, but it’s clear I worded it wrong. While she is staying with me there will be no boys. I’m sure it will take her months to find a new place. Maybe, with time, these feelings I have for her will lessen, and it won’t bother me to see her talking to other men.

I turn to Sophie and take her by the arm. “We’re late for dinner.”

“
But—”

“
Good to see you again, Bryan,” I say, walking into the waiting elevator and pulling Sophie with me. Once inside, I hit the ‘close doors’ button, not allowing Bryan to join us. He just stands there with his mouth open a little but no one says a word. I give him a look that screams
back the fuck off
. I’m sure he understands.

When the doors close I punch in the code for the penthouse.

“
That was so embarrassing.” She tries to pull away from the grip I still have on her arm, but I’m not letting go. I’m not sure I could if I tried. Her skin feels like silk against my fingers. No, it’s softer than silk. I’m not even sure there is a word for it.

“
He was just trying to get in your pants. You’re lucky I interrupted you,” I tell her, trying to make it seem like I did her a favor. To be honest, Bryan is probably a great guy. I haven't seen him coming and going with random women, but I don’t care. She’s mine for the next week.
My responsibility for the next week
, I mentally correct myself.
Maybe even longer if she can’t find her own place. Actually, after what happened downstairs it would be better if she stayed here longer. Maybe until she goes off to college. It might even be best if she just stayed here while she goes to school. It’s clear she needs me,
I try to convince myself

“
You’re kidding me, right? We had a nice time. He was fun.”

She says it in a tone that makes me think she’s trying to rub it in my face, or maybe I just think she is. Maybe I’m just letting my jealousy get the best of me. I don’t have a response that doesn’t make me sound like I want her for myself, so I just keep quiet.

“
You’re the one who told me to go find someone my own age.” She throws this in my face like I need the reminder. It only makes me angrier that I put myself in this position.

“
I didn’t say you should do that wearing barely any clothing and showing off your body for every man to see,” I say through gritted teeth, looking down at what she wearing. It’s actually not as revealing as I let on, but I don’t like that you can see every outline of her curvy body. The kind of body a man could grab onto as he thrust deep inside her virgin pussy.