Read OBSESSED WITH MY STEP (TABOO NOVELLA) for Free Online Page B

wasn’t in the mood.
    “Indeed,” he replied. “So what have you and Nick been up to today?”
    It was a casual question, spoken innocently, but it caught me off guard.
    “Oh, you know. The usual. Movies, games. Just getting comfortable with being siblings.” I was hot and flushed and muttering. I hoped he didn’t pick up on my nervousness.
    “Maybe Nick will keep that boy away from you.”
    “You mean Josh?” I asked knowing full well who he meant. Dad always referred to him as that boy. Josh was the boyfriend I planned to break up with when school started back in fall.
    “Yes, how is he these days?”
    That was how he always asked about Josh. Politely annoying, but well-deserved. Dad had always known Josh was not the right guy for me, but it had taken me a while to realize that he was super-conceited and just plain arrogant.
    “So, he asked me to marry him.” I was teasing and knew the effect it was going to have on him.
    Dad was speechless. He looked at me to determine if I was serious. I tried unsuccessfully to hide the laughter bursting inside of me.
    “No, Dad. Just kidding,” I said in bursts of laughter. He heaved a sigh of relief.
    “Just to let you know, I’m breaking up with him. Don’t tell me I told you so. I know you were right. He’s not the right man for me.” Nick was, but how in the world do I tell Dad and Alyssa that I was in love with my new step-brother?
    “Oh sweetheart, this is the best decision you’ve made all summer.” He kissed me again on the forehead. “Everything will be fine.”
    If only he knew he was right. Every other decision I had made regarding men that summer was ass backwards. Just then, Alyssa walked into the kitchen and Dad loudly announced to her that I was breaking up with Josh. Her eyes lit up in happiness. I figured they must have talked about Josh and me behind closed doors, wondering if I was going to ever see the futility in dating Josh.
    “Jeez, you’d think I announced I just won a million dollars or something.” I smiled to ease the sarcasm in my tone.
    “Feels like it to me,” Dad said. I laughed and turned around to stir the pot.
    “Something really smells good in here,” Alyssa said, walking over to the stove to see what I was cooking.
    The next morning, Nick and I found ourselves alone again and decided to go explore the town. We ended up at the National Harbor in Maryland, which was less than thirty minutes away from DC. The harbor was set on the Potomac River and the boardwalk was populated with hotels, restaurants, art galleries, and shops. We walked around, holding hands like lovers, and stopped for ice cream or a cool drink every so often. It was good to get away from the house and do something other than have sex. We ended up sitting on one of the chairs along the waterfront, feeding the ducks from a bag of crackers, and watching the calm water and people walking by. Along the opposite side of the harbor, there was a yacht show going on, and we planned to stop over there before we left. Our conversation soon turned to Nick’s ex-girlfriends.
    “So, what happened to your last girlfriend?”
    “She left me.” He didn’t blink an eye.
    I looked at his handsome face and wondered why anyone would ever leave him. He was so funny, smart, and caring.
    “Why? What did you do to her?”
    He shrugged his shoulders before replying. “She met someone else and dumped me. I guess I wasn’t good enough for her.”
    “Ha. I see.” I didn’t see how he wasn’t good enough for her, but her loss was my gain. She had left him and I had found him, and I knew what he was worth.
    “Why are you really waiting until September to break it off with Josh? Why not tell him over the phone?” Nick asked.
    I had thought it over several times and had contemplated calling him and calling it quits with him over the phone, but I thought that was mean and I wanted to wait until I saw him face to face. Unfortunately, he was travelling a lot this summer and it