Chapter 5
That night, Erik was in my room using my computer–his was broken. Margo had spilled a cup of water earlier when she saw her admission. results and got too excited.
He had taken over my chair, so I had no choice but to sit on the bed. The room was super quiet–just the sound of him typing and clicking away.
“You should go to France,” he said out of nowhere.
“Why?”
He paused. “To stay away from me.”
Of course. That is where his mom lives.
I looked at him. He scooted his chair even farther away like I might catch
fire.
Then he glanced back at me, the corner of his mouth curling just barely. “Come take a look at this school.”
He was back to playing big brother again. So unpredictable.
The A/C was on low, and the floor was freezing, I stepped off the bed barefoot, then quickly tucked my feet back in and glanced around for slippers.
Without looking up, Erik tossed his jacket to the floor. “Step on that.”
He started acting weird before drinking. I ignored him and tiptoed my way over to the desk instead.
He did not react and just moved the mouse slightly. “What do you think?”
Chapter 5
“Not bad,” I said.
He clicked around to a few different pages.
“Not bad,” I repeated.
“Anything’s fine.”
Erik leaned back in the chair and looked up at me.
Truth is, I had already made my choice. I just did not want to tell him.
Outside, a sudden summer storm rolled in, rain pattering against the
windows.
Then he asked, so quietly the rain almost drowned it out, “Are you mad at
me?”
Such a stupid question.
I thought about it seriously for a second. Then, I said honestly, “No.”
I was, in the beginning. Erik used to bully me and constantly told me to get out of the family. Said I was just like my mom–a gold digger who only cared about money.
Sure, my mom had a little money too, but not on the level of his family. And at school? He never treated me any better there either.
But honestly, my cold, distant stepbrother turning into a warm number in my bank account kind of made it all bearable. I stopped caring much about how he acted.
I actually saw him as a weird sort of benefactor for asking me to go abroad out of spite.
Now, though, I could not even be bothered to play the part anymore. There was no point.
Chapter 5
Then he asked me, “Was it all just to retreat in order to advance?”
That one threw me a little. I mean, yeah, acting soft and accepting his money could look like a strategy. Yet, it was not in the way he thought.
I pressed my lips together, like I was about to explain, and then stopped. myself.
Just then, his phone lit up on the table. Margo was calling. He hesitated for a second, picked it up, and stepped out.
Before shutting the door, I heard him say gently, “Sorry, I couldn’t answer earlier.”
He was so good with words.
He just never used them kindly with me.
