Page 3 of Stepbrother's Inheritance

"Hello Vic," Ben says leaning against the archway.

My heart skips a beat. Gray eyes pierce me and I'm a little girl again. Torn between wanting to run to his strong arms for protection and my anger that he left.

I hate you.

Except now he's the one walking out the door instead of my mom. I was standing in the hallway, knowing he would turn back, that he wouldn't leave me too. He shook his head slightly with his eyes so sad and then walked away. My dad stood there shaking with anger, his mom was crying but no one said a word. Ben just left.

I sip my glass of water as he stares at me. The silence is uncomfortable. I think of dozens of things to say, discarding them all. What can bridge the last six years? I swallow, blink, and then say the only thing I can think of. "Hello Ben."

He smiles. It's a slow spreading thing, like a fire slowly grabbing hold of a fresh log that works its way across his face lighting up everything around it. Does he know he's striking a pose or is he just naturally this graceful?

"Been a long time," he says.

"Yeah," I reply.

Great conversation here. We can't even do small talk. Each statement creates a long pause. Is he as nervous as I am? Is he pissed? Does he hate me?

"Why are you here?" I blurt out.

He looks surprised and his expression turns dark. His smile fades. "Mom's lawyer is supposed to stop by."

Silence sits heavy between us. I wait. Then wait some more.

"Well, there's business to take care of here," he says at last.

"Oh, I see. Well." I push off the counter and start towards the bedroom. "I promised Dad I'd sort all of your mom's stuff for you."

I start past him but the archway isn't wide enough for me to go through without touching him. He reaches his arm in front of me stopping my progress. The intoxicating scent of him fills my nostrils.

"Ben, let me by."

He stares down at me and I look up at him defiant. I bite the inside of my lip to stop the quiver that threatens. It takes all my will to stare into his eyes, to not reach out my arms, embrace him and forgive the past. He doesn't get that, he chose to leave, I didn't.

He drops his arm and I push past him.

Chapter three

The front doorbell rings so I go that way instead of back towards the bedroom. When I open it Mr. Morian is standing there with his briefcase.

"Hello Victoria," he says smiling.

Mr. Morian's an older man, balding but with a nice smile and a round jovial face. He was my step-mother's lawyer for years and years so he's been to our home many times.

"Hello," I say giving him a return smile.

I feel Ben walk up behind me more than I hear him. My head aches as my shoulders tense.

"Oh good, you're both here," he says seeing Ben. "I need to go over some things. Shall we go into the den? There are some specifics of your mother's will to go over."

Specifics? What does that mean? If I'm cut out of the will I won't be able to finish college. Dad doesn't have any money of his own to put me through school. I'd already considered that she might not continue supporting me. It's my worst nightmare. I just need to finish my degree, then I can get a job.

The family lawyer leads the way with Ben behind him and I follow. My mind's racing about what I can do to fight this. I can't lose my education. Surely she hasn't cut me out?

"Sit down kids," Mr. Morian says motioning to the two leather chairs in front of Meryl's old desk. "Now, your mother thought the world of both of you. She told me that her greatest regret was that you two are no longer as close as you once were."

I look over at Ben and then back at Mr. Morian. Her regret? What? She never mentioned it to me. Hell she collected books full of Ben's exploits, I was just going through them.

"We talked a lot once she found out she didn't have long to live you see. She told me that you Victoria were every bit the find your father was. That when she married him it was so she could be a mother to you as much as a wife to him. She also told me that you Benjamin became a much better person when Victoria entered your life. That the two of you would be unstoppable together. This was important to her."

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