Over the next week, Summer starts attending my high school. We don’t have any classes together, but to no surprise, she’s immediately becoming the shiny new student all the kids want a piece of. The guys want to know if she’s single, and the girls either want to befriend her or see her downfall.
I have baseball practice every afternoon after school. I’m warming up my arm with one of the guys when he whistles low under his breath.
“New girl could model the cheer uniforms.”
I glance over and look at where he nods. Summer is walking up the bleachers before finding a seat alone and pulling out a textbook. Her ass nearly hangs out of the pleated navy skirt. She’s full-figured, and it pisses me off that my teammates are noticing. I clench my jaw, launching the ball back toward Will at a much faster speed. Will is one of my best friends and has been since middle school.
“Ouch. Chill out. It’s warm-up. Hey, did you ever get that new stepmom and stepsister?”
I lick the front of my teeth, nodding slightly.
“How’s that going? Sucks, man. Where does she go to school?” He grins, knowing there’s only one high school.
I don’t reply as he throws the ball back.
“Keeping her for yourself? Is she homeschooled?” He flashes a shit-eating grin.
I throw the ball back—hard.
“Ha! I got it. So, she’s hot then? Do you call her sis?”
If he wasn’t wearing his catcher’s mitt, I’d be able to throw it hard enough to hurt his hand.
“Dayton.” I hear a sweet voice from behind me. “Your dad wants you to give me a ride home.”
Fuck.
Will’s jaw drops before he starts laughing. I ignore her, throwing the ball back to him. He smiles, catching it in his mitt before walking toward her.
“Hey. I’m Will. I can give you a ride. I’m a better driver than Dayton.”
Heat prickles the back of my neck as I turn to watch him approach Summer, who’s leaning over the railing of the bleachers. She’s chewing her bottom lip, eyes flicking from his face to mine, as her long hair blows in the island breeze as she plays with the golden ends.
“Okay,” she finally says.
I glare at the back of Will’s head as he stretches a hand up to shake hers. “Great to meet you. What’s your name? Or should I just call youbaby?”
She tilts her head, cheeks flushing as she shakes his hand. “Baby isn’t very original.”
“Sunshine? Gorgeous? Sweetheart?”
She smiles. “You can keep working on it.” She turns around, her too-short miniskirt lifting in the breeze.
Will watches her walk back up the bleachers before turning back to me. “Damn, dude, I think I have a thing for your stepsister.”
I’ve never realized before now just how fucking annoying Will is.
chapter eight
Summer
present day
After feeling a strange, unwelcome attraction to Dayton, I’m realizing maybe it’s been too long since I’ve had sex. Axel and I talk on the phone a few times a week. With his busy schedule and my tendency to withdraw from people when I’m sad, it’s never more than a fifteen-minute conversation, devoid of intimacy, emotional or otherwise.
After getting home from the birthday party, I plant my hands on my hips and survey my closet. I brought one sheer pink teddy with me from California for the potential weekend visit from my boyfriend. Since it looks like that may not happen for a while, I strip out of my dress and don the sexy outfit. I’ve never had phone sex before. When my ex-husband, Andrew, would travel for his work trips, he barely stayed in touch with me. Of course, that turned out to be because he had a thing with seducing the married women he was with while away from home.
I survey my reflection in the full-length mirror propped up in the corner of the room. My breasts fill out the sheer fabric nicely, framed by the frilly lace. I never wear lingerie. In amoment of boldness, I snap a photo of myself in the mirror. I look at it, frowning at the awkward pose. My frame looks straight and doesn’t show off the curves I know I have in a better position.
