“Is that a, ‘yes, you can share a bed with my daughter, Liam’?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. It worked, she laughed.

“Yeah, OK.” She nodded, rolling her eyes and sniffing loudly.

I kissed her on the cheek. “Everything’s going to be fine. Jake and I will watch out for you both,” I promised as I hugged her tightly.

She nodded. “I know you will. Just watch out for Jake for me too. I have a feeling he’s going to do something rash and get himself in trouble,” she said, frowning.

“I’ll watch him. Don’t worry about anything.” I smiled and rubbed her back gently. “I’m going to go grab some clothes and stuff from mine. I won’t be long.” I turned and practically ran to my house, trying to be as quick as I could.

My mom was ironing in the lounge. “Hey, Mom. I’m staying with Angel tonight,” I informed her as I breezed past without waiting for an answer. I shoved fresh clothes and my school books into a bag, before heading back out to see my mom. I hadn’t seen her since Friday morning when I came out of my room, pretending I’d stayed the night here as usual.

“How are you and Amber getting on?” she asked, grinning happily.

I smiled, thinking about just how great we were getting on before all of this happened an hour ago. “Awesome. Really awesome,” I admitted.

She beamed at me happily. “You two are being careful, right?” she asked, looking at me warningly.

I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Mom, Angel’s on the pill,” I stated, rolling my eyes. She had never asked me about my sex life before and now all of a sudden she was interested? “Listen, I’ve got to go. Margaret’s back so she’s making dinner. I just came back to grab my clothes.” I shifted the bag on my shoulder, looking at the door longingly; I just wanted to get back over there as quickly as I could in case she woke up.

My mom looked at me curiously. “Margaret’s home and she’s letting you stay with Amber?” she asked, looking a little shocked. I smiled, knowing that under normal circumstances Margaret would have kicked my ass just for asking to stay, but what with everything going on she didn’t seem to mind.

“Yeah, she said it was fine.” I kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow night about nine when Jake gets home from work, OK?” I called over my shoulder as I walked towards the door.

She sighed dramatically. “It was nice to see you, Liam,” she called sarcastically.

I laughed. “Love you, Mom.”

“Love you too,” she called, just as I shut the door.

I ran back to Amber as quick as I could, she was still asleep in the same position. It was only seven thirty; maybe she’d sleep all night. I laid down next to her again, just looking her over. Instantly, she snuggled closer to me, the same as she did every night. I wrapped her tightly in my arms and closed my eyes, trying to think of anything other than the worst memory of my life. The image of walking in on her father trying to force himself on her while she laid there bruised and bleeding on their lounge carpet. After he left, she admitted that her father had been touching her since she was about five. After that confession, she never spoke of it again. I think she buried it so deep inside her that she kind of pretended like it didn’t happen or something – like denial I guess. The only time that you ever saw effects from it, where when people touched her and she panicked.

A little while later, Jake brought in two plates of food. He looked at Amber with a pained expression on his face. “You think we should wake her and get her to eat something?” he whispered.

I shook my head. “No, let her sleep. If she wakes up hungry then I’ll make her something,” I said quietly, as I started scoffing my pasta, hungrily. He sat on the foot of her bed just watching her sleep for a little while. “She’ll be alright, Jake,” I promised.

He sighed and nodded. “Yeah I know. G’night, Liam.” He smiled sadly as he took my empty plate and Amber’s untouched one and slipped out of her room. I wrapped myself back around her and watched her sleep until I couldn’t stay awake anymore.

Chapter 17

~ Amber ~

When I woke up in the morning my head was pounding. I groaned. I really didn’t need a headache on top of everything else that was going to go wrong today. Liam was still asleep so I crept out of the bed, trying not to wake him. I headed to my bathroom for a shower. I stood under the spray, trying desperately not to cry as I thought about my father and his ‘new family’. What on earth was I going to say to this Johnny guy? I sighed and got out of the shower, wrapping myself in a towel.

Silently, I tried to convince myself that this boy Johnny probably won’t even want to talk to me today and that I was getting myself all worked up over nothing. It wasn’t this boy’s fault that my father married his mother and made him move here. Hell, he probably needed a friend right now because he would have just left everything and everyone he knows behind.

Walking over to the bed, I looked down at Liam. He looked so peaceful that I almost didn’t want to wake him up. I sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand, knowing we needed to get ready for school. “Liam?” I whispered. He woke up almost straight away, which was unlike him, he usually took forever to wake up in the morning.

“Hey.” He sat up and looked at me sadly.

I smiled reassuringly; he was worried about me I could tell. “Hi,” I replied, moving onto the bed with him and pulling him back down with me. “I’m fine. Stop stressing,” I promised, smoothing out the frown lines on his forehead.

He sighed and shook his head. “I’m here if you want to talk to me. You know that, right?” he asked, looking at me intently.

He really was just too adorable to me sometimes, I really didn't deserve it. “I know, Liam, but I’m fine. Let’s just get this over with and see what this guy says today,” I suggested, shrugging. He bent his head and kissed every inch of my face, making me giggle before he pulled away to go in the shower.

When we pulled into the school parking lot an hour later, Kate came bouncing up to the side of the car with a huge grin on her face. She wrenched open my door. “I’m officially in love!” she announced to me proudly.

I laughed. “Really? OK, well…. congratulations,” I replied sarcastically, whilst rolling my eyes.

She laughed. “I’m serious. There’s a new guy started today, and he is hot!” She fanned her face dramatically. I stopped dead in my tracks; I bet that was him, my new stepbrother. Well that’s just perfect, now Kate’s going to be falling all over him and I’ll be forced to hang out with him. Great, just freaking great.

“New guy?” I asked quietly. Liam rubbed his hand down my back gently.

“Oh, heck yeah! You should see him, he’s yummy. But you’ve got Liam so I’ve called dibs,” she said, grinning and skipping along beside me. “I don’t know his name yet, Hottie McTottie suits him though.” She waggled her eyebrows at me and I couldn’t help but laugh at her.

Jake threw his arm around her shoulder. “You know, I’m not used to you not wanting me, Kate. I’m not sure I like this new behaviour,” he stated, giving her his flirty smile.

She sighed dreamily. “I’ll always want you, Jake, there’s just some fresh meat to drool over. I guess you’ll have to work harder for my attention from now on,” she teased, winking at him as she shrugged off his arm. He actually looked genuinely shocked and a little pissed off. “So, I need to find out everything about him, want to help me?” she asked, linking her arm through mine.

Hell no I didn’t.

“His name’s Johnny,” I told her, shrugging and trying to go for the casual approach.

She laughed. “Psychic much? You’ve only just pulled up, how do you know his name’s Johnny?” she asked, shaking her head, looking amused.

“He’s my stepbrother.”

She stopped walking and looked at me, shocked. “You’re kidding me,” she gasped, with wide eyes.

I shook my head. “Apparently, my father remarried, and his wife already had a son. If it is him that you saw, then he’s seventeen and his name’s Johnny,” I said, shrugging as though it was no big deal.

She squealed and linked her arm through mine excitedly. “This is awesome! You can introduce me and I’ll have the advantage over the skanks.” She was grinning from ear to ear.

“I don’t know him. I can’t introduce you,” I replied quietly. I really didn’t want her falling all over him; I wanted to keep my distance from anything even remotely connected to my father.

“You are so damn greedy, Amber! Seriously, the hottest guy as your boyfriend, the second hottest as your brother and a very close third is your damn stepbrother?” she cried, looking at me with mock anger.

I was just about to answer when Jessica and three of her little clones came over, all of them looking at Liam hungrily. I couldn’t help but smile as Liam’s arm snaked around my waist. “Hey, Jessica. Have you got my money?” I asked, grinning.

She sneered at me. “Yeah right. As if, emo girl.” She turned to Liam and smiled seductively, making his arm tighten on my waist. “You didn’t sleep with her, did you, baby?” she purred confidently.

I heard Jake groan behind me. “I can’t hear this! I’m going to my locker. Ambs, if you need me today then call me, I’ll leave my cellphone turned on,” he said, as he walked off quickly.

“Well, baby?” Jessica asked, putting her hand on Liam’s arm.

He grinned and shrugged. “A gentleman never tells,” he stated, kissing the side of my head.

I laughed. “Well that doesn’t really help with the whole claiming the money thing, lover boy,” I teased, rolling my eyes.

He sighed dramatically. “Fine. Jessica, you owe Angel four thousand dollars,” he said, looking at me lovingly.

She stamped her foot on the ground and I couldn’t help but laugh. “How the hell could you do this to me?” she almost screamed at Liam. “You were supposed to be with me! You can’t sleep with some little whore!” People were stopping to watch now as her face got redder and redder. Maybe she’d forgotten to breathe.

“Jessica, we went out like twice,” Liam countered, looking uncomfortable.

“I don’t care how many times we went out! I’m head cheerleader! We’re supposed to be together. You’re not supposed to be with some brown haired, grey eyed, little freak,” she screeched, waving her hand at me distastefully.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Brown haired, grey eyed, little freak? Where the heck did that come from? “Wow, Jessica, be careful, we’ll have a pack of dogs here if your voice gets any higher,” I joked, laughing.

She turned her anger to me. “You! You stole my boyfriend! I was the secret girlfriend and you slept with my man,” she shouted, pointing at me accusingly.

Kate burst out laughing next to me. Oh no, she did not just go there!

I stepped closer to Jessica, looking at her warningly. “Yeah I did, and wow he was good. I take cash, or a cheque with a bank guarantee card, whatever’s easier for you. Oh, and Jessica, if you ever scream like that at me again I’m going to break your face. You understand?” I growled, angrily.

She flinched away from me slightly; I grabbed Liam’s hand and dragged him away into the school, with Kate skipping along behind me, laughing her ass off. “You should have bitch slapped her. I would love to see that,” Kate chirped happily.

Sarah and Sean came running up then. “You won the bet?” Sarah cried with wide eyes.

Wow, news travels fast in this school!

Liam laughed and kissed me, tangling his fingers into my hair. “I’d better go. It’ll give you some time to gossip about me before class,” he said, smirking at me cockily. “I love you, Angel.” He kissed me again gently, before walking off quickly in the direction of his locker.

I stood around, filling in my friends about how we were secretly dating, and yes I had won the bet. I had my doubts as to whether I would get the money though. Kate opened her big mouth and told them that the ‘hot new guy’ was my stepbrother. I was secretly glad when the bell rang so I could escape to class. I didn’t want to keep talking about Johnny. I hadn’t even met the guy yet and he was already too big a part of my life.

I made my way to English and sat in my usual seat, next to Kate. A few minutes later he came in. I knew it was him without even looking, I could tell by the way Kate gripped my arm way too tight. I glanced up and looked. He was totally hot; I could see what she was talking about. He wasn’t as tall as Liam or as well built. In fact, he was a little lanky, but he totally pulled it off. He had on ripped jeans and a black t-shirt with a black hoodie over the top. He had brown eyes, his brown hair was a lot longer than Liam’s and was messy and a little shaggy. He looked a little shy, his shoulders hunched a slightly as if he was nervous. I could definitely see the appeal he held, and so could every girl in the class who was now staring at him lustfully. I laughed; the poor kid didn’t know what he was in for. Once Jessica got her claws into him he’d be done for.

Kate nudged me with her elbow, making me look at her. She mouthed the word ‘hot’ and fanned her face, nodding excitedly, making me laugh harder. That boy really was in some big trouble.

“Class, this is my new student, Johnny Brice,” Mrs Stewart said, smiling at him warmly. He turned to the class and smiled uncomfortably.

“Told you! Seriously hot,” Kate whispered.