Page 6 of Screw Christmas
“But I’m pathetic...”
“I never said that.” He ran a hand through his hair again, this time his hand was shaking slightly.
“You never put her in her place either. How many times have you sat with her laughing at how your fat, gross stepsister has a crush on you?”
“Look. It’s—”
“You care more about your reputation than you do…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence because to say the words would make it true. Pushing myself from the sofa, I shook my head and sniffed. I couldn’t let him see that I was upset, but I think it was already too late for that.
“No. No, Maya, it’s not like that. I like hanging out with you.”
“As long as no one knows about it. I’m like your dirty little secret. I’m too pathetic to be with.”
“You’re my stepsister. It’s weird.” He walked across the room towards me, stopping short a few feet.
“So, you do think I’m weird. Pathetic. A pathetic little weird girl with a crush.”
“I’m flattered you feel this way about me, Maya. Really.” He took another step forward and attempted to grab my upper arms in his hands, but I was too fast for him, shrugging his hands off me. “
“Don’t touch me! You’re just like the rest.” The tears were going to begin to flow freely now. I needed to get away from him before he saw how badly I was crumbling inside. Spinning around I raced from the living room and up the stairs. Entering my room, I slammed the door behind me and locked it.
There was a part of me that hoped he’d come after me, but he never did.
In fact, an hour or so later I could hear female laughter coming from the living room. Katie’s laughter. I could recognize that shrill laughter anywhere. Of all the girls he could have chosen to be with, why did it have to be Katie, the one girl whose life mission seemed to be to ridicule and bully me? I don’t even know what I had done to her to cause such a hate within her for me. It seemed like one day at the start of the school year, she decided I’d be her favorite toy to torment, and it had never stopped.
He knew how badly she harassed me. Even if he didn’t like me like that, to start dating or whatever the fuck he was doing with her tonight knowing how badly she treated me was a complete and utter betrayal. I’d never do that to him.
Never.
I’d pushed away the fact that he ignored me when his friends were around. I’d tried to tell myself that he had his reasons. I was younger than him, albeit only a couple years. I was his stepsister. He didn’t want to ruin the friendship. I’d spent so much time trying to justify to myself that he would want me despite all those factors, but now the truth was known. I tried. I’d failed. I’d been lying to myself, and the realization cut me deeper than anything had ever before it.
No, never again.
I fell to sleep with tears running down my face, smearing all my impeccably applied make-up.
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Chapter 4
~ Present ~
Dylan
Whoa. Okay.
Just looking into her dark eyes and seeing the glare made me cringe. She hated me and that anger hadn’t faded with time. I’d hoped our issues were far enough in the past that she’d have gotten over what happened between us that night. We’d been foolish teenagers. I’d been dumb and ignorant and more invested in myself than anyone else.
I’d like to think I’d grown since the night she attempted to kiss me. The jury was still out on whether I had changed or not. Considering I was forty, single, and without kids of my own, maybe I hadn’t changed as much as I would have liked.
“Whoa. Okay, Maya. I--” I huffed.
“You what Dylan?”
“I am sorry for that night, I truly am. That’s why you’re angry I’m guessing.”
Her eyes flashed again. “If you were truly sorry then you would have apologized well before you needed a place in the city to crash.”
This really had been a bad idea, but perhaps it was well past due. The holidays were about being with people you cared about and making amends. “Maya. I’m not even sure what to say right now. I was a selfish, conceited asshole back then. I really was. And you have no idea how many times I tried to get hold of you and apologize, but you always refused my calls. When I came home from college you’d refuse to see or talk to me. I kept going through that night and then my horrible behavior the rest of the weekend over the years, but I just didn’t know how to apologize. Maybe I was just embarrassed.”
