Hurricane Stepbrother Read Free Page A

would sit down together and play something. I think my mom was trying to force bonding time.”
    Erik scoffed, the sound reminding me of why I shouldn’t mention things like this to him. Before I had a chance to retract my statement he opened his mouth and said, “Bonding? What a fucking joke.”
    I’m so stupid.
    “I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to bring that up. I just-”
    “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” Erik said abruptly, turning around and marching out of my room with the focus of a laser, his eyes never once wandering to any of the other belongings scattered about.
    I felt a wave of panic wash over me. Was he abandoning me now? After I had admitted how terrified I was of the storm? Surely he wouldn’t just leave me alone because of an unintentional slip. I knew he was sensitive about the subject of his father, but I couldn’t have predicted this reaction.
    Either way, I chased after him. After a loud crack of thunder shook the house I shouted, “Erik!”
    He froze, sighing heavily as his hand pause mid-reach to the door knob of the guest room. “I’m really tired, Kristen.”
    “But what about board games? I promise I won’t bring him up again. Please,” I added for good measure, hoping he wouldn’t continue to hold the slip against me.
    For a moment he looked torn, his eyes glancing between me and the door to the guest room. His gaze went back and forth a few times before finally landing back on me and a small smile eventually appeared.
    “Alright, pick something and meet me in the living room.”
    I didn’t question his change of heart, I just ran back to my room and grabbed the easiest to reach box in my closet before dashing to the living room. I couldn’t describe how grateful I was that he was willing to do this for me, even if it was rather embarrassing to admit that I was afraid of the weather.
    “So what’d you get?” he asked from his position on the floor in front of the coffee table.
    I didn’t even know what game I had grabbed until I finally looked down and noticed that it was Clue. Clue definitely wasn’t my favorite game to play, especially not with the creepy sounds of thunder and heavy wind right outside.
    But Erik was here and I wasn’t going to just let him walk away. I needed his company.
    After I plopped the box down on the table, he started to pull it apart and took hold of the instructions, looking down at them with a quizzical expression.
    “I don’t think I’ve played a board game in fifteen years,” he muttered.
    The reminder of our age difference spiked my curiosity and I asked, “How old are you now?”
    “Pushing thirty,” he said with a long sigh, running his hand through his hair. “Although it doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes, I still feel like I’m twenty-one.”
    His gaze left the instruction manual and focused on the wall behind me, those light blue eyes glazing over with a faraway expression. I started to pull the game pieces out of the box while I wondered what memories he was reliving.
    “I don’t remember how to play this,” I mumbled in irritation as I looked down at the pieces, unsure of how to set up the game.
    Erik laughed, the sound so unexpected that it made me look up at him with surprise.
    “We don’t have to do this you know.”
    “Do what?”
    He gestured to the scattered pieces of the game on the coffee table. “ This . If you don’t want to be alone, we can just talk or something.”
    “Really?”
    “Sure,” he agreed readily, already reaching for the game box and shoving the pieces back in. “So how old are you?”
    “Just turned twenty-one.”
    Even though he wasn’t fully facing me, I could see his eyebrows raise and a grin appear. “Oh yeah? Enjoying it so far?”
    “Feels pretty much the same as twenty, just easier to get beer.” Erik hummed in agreement and I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Aren’t you going to tell me it’s all downhill from here?”
    He paused, looking up at me curiously. “Now why