No, that won’t work. Man, getting drunk is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Turning the corner I enter the kitchen, finding Maribel standing at the island, a white apron tied to her torso, her makeup perfect, hair styled. Her eyes lift from the pan of scones and she brings her hands together, a wide smile painting her face. “Oh, Vivienne, good morning.”
I lift my hand. “Good morning,” I say, returning her kind smile. Clearing my throat, I launch into my apology, because the truth is, I don’t want to be a problem for Maribel. “Maribel, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about last night. I thought waking you seemed cruel since Brooke offered to drive me back. But I realize you worried, and I’m so sorry for that.”
Her head droops to the side, a lazy smile playing at her lips. “Vivienne, that’s okay. I mean, thank you for your apology but I understand. It was your first evening with your new friend. You lost track of time. I get it.”
“Good,” I breathe out a breath of relief, glad to have that out of the way. The more I stand, the more I realize I need to sit, so I turn to face the table and my heart stops. I think itactually stops. Or maybe my brain stops working for a second. I don’t know. All I know is that I completely, utterly and totally freeze.
“What the–why areyouhere?” I spit out, narrowing my eyes at Reed, sitting at the table with a mug of coffee in his hand.
“Viv,” my father scolds, using his embarrassed but stern tone, the same one he used when I barged in on a Zoom call once screaming about a spider on my ceiling and he told me to step outside. I look at Maribel, who looks both concerned and puzzled.
Reed stands, pulling a chair at the table out, extending his arm like he’s inviting me to sit.
My dad comes to my side, grooves of concern etched into his forehead. “Vivienne, this is Harrison, Maribel’s son.”
I look at Reed, his eyes already on me. Our gazes lock, but his face gives absolutely nothing away. He lifts his hand, adjusting his glasses, and both greedily and annoyingly, my eyes slide to the swell of his bicep, the same arm that captured my horny attention yesterday in downtown Bipal.
“Hello Vivienne, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says, dipping his head and outstretching his hand. The same hand that had smears of my blood on it just hours ago. I look between my father and Maribel, trying to find some way to explain my reaction without putting myself deeper in the doghouse.
“I’m sorry I—” I look at Reed, nostrils flaring, heart palpitating. “There was this guy lingering around Arcane’s last night. At first glance I just thought–”
Maribel saves me, bless her soul. “You’re new. So many new faces. So much change. I completely understand.” Shetreads across the kitchen, tray of scones in hand, and pats her son’s cheek. “The more you look at him, though, the more you’ll see, there’s only one boy as handsome as my Harrison.”
Harrison? He uses a fake name? No. I mean,yes? That’s crazy. You don’t use a fake name unless you’re up to no good. Why would Harrison call himself Reed? Did he know who I was? I mean, Brooke said he brought me home so obviously he knew who I was. I take a sip of the coffee my dad pours for me, even though it sounds putrid and I’m already starting to sweat. Still, I feel like I need to buy myself some time to process. Reed–eh, Harrison–seems completely unfazed by all of this.What the hell?
He nudges his glasses up his nose, our eyes locked together in electric silence that must permeate the quiet between us because my father clears his throat. “How was your evening, Vivienne?”
Pouring the mini carafe of cream into my coffee, I stir slowly, my eyes on the surface as the onyx transforms to the color of peanut butter. “Good.”
“Did you meet anyone that attends Dulce?” Maribel asks, pushing scones onto everyone's plates as my dad settles into a chair adjacent to me.
Finally, I tear my gaze away from Reed, but only because I can’t think straight when I look at him. Maybe that’s what happened last night. Maybe his eyes are just so intoxicating that they scramble the brains of otherwise smart young women. I don’t know.
Last night was special. I’d hoped, deep down, to see Reed again. To stumble upon him one day while shopping downtown, at the most unexpected moment, neither of us anticipating the run in but both of us thriving off ofits existence. He’d look over his shoulder as we walked away, and I’d watch him go. Later we’d reconnect. We’d discover how much more we had in common than what we talked about on the beachthat one night.We’d fall in love. And the man who was my first would become my only, and my last.
I didn’t expect to see him at the kitchen table at my soon to be step mom’s house.
I didn’t expect to lose my virginity to my… step brother.
Chapter Seven
Vivienne
Ido my best to ignore Reed’s eyes burning a hole through my face at breakfast. I can’t focus when I look at him and now I have more questions than ever.
My mind moves a million miles a minute when I think of my new friend Brooke. She knows that Reed brought me home. Does she know Reed well? Eventually, everyone will figure out we’re related. That’s not something we can hide in a place like Bipal, where paparazzi follow wealthy people and everyone is a member of the same social club. Maribel is wealthy and affluent, evident by the size of her house and her careers. Bipal will find out. And then what?
Everyone saw us sneak away last night.
Heat spreads through my chest, spider webbing far too quickly for my liking. After finishing a few bites of scone, a piece of apple and some eggs–far more than I thought I could stomach when I came downstairs–I rinse my plate inthe sink and excuse myself, telling my father I have a headache and need to lie down.
Thankfully he has no reason to suspect that I lied to him, went out last night and got drunk while having unprotected sex on the beach.
Unprotected sex.
How stupid could I be? He could have a sexually transmitted disease, which I could now have. And what would I do? I’m not in California anymore. I can’t sneak away to a clinic after catching a ride with a friend. I don’t know anyone but Brooke in Bipal.
