Read Replace Me for Free Online

brush my teeth. Through the fogged up glass, I saw the shower curtain move and her head peek out. “What time did you get in?”
    “This morning. What about you?”
    She closed the curtain and continued talking. “I guess it was around one. That guy was a total flake. Seriously, he’s lucky I hung out that long.”
    I ran water through my hair and sprayed it to look like I’d showered. My sister took forever and my dad would bitch if we weren’t downstairs promptly.
    While walking to the elevator, Peyton put her arm through mine and leaned her head on my shoulder. “Thanks for takin’ me out last night, Shayne. You’re a great big bro.”
    I leaned my head on hers. “I feel like shit!”
    “So which one of those girls did you hook up with?”
    I looked at her and shook my head. “Does it matter?”
    “Geesh! What’s your problem?”
    I realized that I’d snapped for no apparent reason. She stared at me, wondering why. “Sorry! If you must know, I was with both of them. Happy now? Save the disapprovin’ grin, I know I’m an asshole.”
She backed away and covered her mouth. “Wow! Have you done that a lot? Do you totally get off on bein’ with two at once? You’re such a dog.”
    “Um, no! Don’t go tellin’ Parker either. I don’t feel like his young ass lecturin’ me over it.”
    “Parker isn’t a saint you know. He’s done that before with these two girls in high school. I think they were just making out and stuff, but he still went there.”
    Flashes of things that had happened just hours before hit me as the elevator doors opened. Peyton and I put on our fake happy faces and followed our parents out to the car.
    Aside from their morning grumbling with each other, they didn’t talk much to us, except for the one comment my dad made stating that I looked like Hell. I could always count on him being a total dick first thing in the morning.
    When we got to the campus, a few minutes later, Parker was already standing outside of his dorm with his girlfriend in tow. She was blonde, petite and totally his type.
    Parker always went for the classy girls.
    We got out and stretched while he told my parents where we should go to eat. After a ten-minute discussion, me and Peyton took the liberty of riding with Parker, so that we could avoid being in the car another minute with the parental units.
    I was surprised when he offered me the front seat and told her to sit in the back, but didn’t argue since I wanted the extra legroom anyway.
    “How was the hotel?”
    “Fine for the few hours we were there. Shayne took me out to that party you told me about.”
    I saw him look in the rear view mirror at his twin. “Really? Am I going to be hearin’ stories about some out of town chick getting all crazy, cause that really ain’t cool, Pey?"
    Leave it to Parker to act like a parent. Too bad the king of responsibility was a soon-to-be father himself.
    “Spare me the lectures. Shayne was the one who stayed out all night with two girls.”
    I turned around and gave her a dirty look. “Way to keep a secret.”
    “He’s our brother, for Christ sakes! Get over it.”
    She didn’t understand that as much as I enjoyed myself, I felt equally shitty about what I’d done. The more people that knew, the easier it would be for Lacey to find out. Then my fate would be sealed.
    It was all too much to think about with such little sleep. I wanted to be able to admit that I had enjoyed myself, a part of me had, but not the part that wanted to feel what only Lacey had made me feel.
    How could I have been so blind?
    “Dude, you need to watch who you stick your dick in at this school. There are some nasty bitches around here.” He looked back at his girlfriend. “I’m glad I found my girl when I did.”
    I smiled when I saw how happy my little brother was when he looked at her. It was a damn shame that it was all going to blow up on him. “I was safe, man. You don’t need to worry about me. It was a one-time thing.