Wrong: A Stepbrother Romance

“I don’t even care! I don’t care about that guy! I don’t know why I’m crying.”

“I think it’s pretty normal, Riles, considering the Travis thing, and everything that went down tonight,” I said, combing her hair out of her eyes with my fingers. I took comfort in braiding it away from her face as she talked, despite the fact that it was what my mother used to do with me. But I’d always loved it. “Listen, it’s been a big week for you, so get it out. You need to. But know that you are going to bounce back.”

“No. I’m almost thirty.”

“Christ, Riley,” Liam laughed and took her hand. “Forty isn’t old, so thirty definitely ain’t either.”

“Yes it is.”

“No, it’s not,” Liam and I said in unison.

“But I let myself go since marrying Travis.” Riley’s tears returned in full force. She shouted over us when we protested. “I did. I don’t get attention the way I used to. Admit it. I’m not as pretty or skinny as I was on my wedding day! Right?”

“Wrong,” I said flatly.

Riley sneered at me to look pitifully at Liam. “Just say it.”

“Not a chance.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not true.”

“Yes, it is, and I need to hear it from guy, so just tell me!”

“Christ, you’re fuckin’ beautiful, Riley, are you kidding me?” Liam groaned. “You want the truth? The truth is any guy would be lucky to have you. You’re the classic blonde fuckin’ bombshell, and you’re perfect as it is, babe. All you need is to take off that wedding ring.”

Riley swallowed her hiccup. On came a fresh wave of tears, but I flashed a grin at Liam, because we both knew these were different. “Tell me you really mean that,” she said to Liam with big Bambi eyes.

“I wouldn’t lie to you about that, Riley.”

I chewed the inside of my lip, watching my sister gaze up at Liam with a look that worried me, because I remembered her tendency to let her crush spill when drunk, and I remembered the fact that I’d still kept that crush a secret from Liam. It wasn’t like the other secrets – I just knew Riley would kill me if she ever found out, and that Liam would feel at least a little awkward around her. But my years of protecting them from that little truth were about to fall apart as I watched Riley stare down at Liam’s hand in hers, her fingers gingerly trailing up the vein that went up his muscled forearm to his bicep. Nervous, I touched Liam’s shoulder.

“Hey, I don’t think the kitchen’s closed yet - can you go get us some food?”

“Yeah. Definitely.”

“No,” Riley huffed, pulling Liam back. “You go, Sash. I want to talk to Liam,” she said, rolling her eyes when I stayed put. “It’s nothing personal, okay? I just need a guy’s perspective so I don’t lose my mind completely.”

I pursed my lips and stood there for a moment, trying to think of a reason to defy her. But it was hard to win a standoff against her pitiful tears, so before I knew it, I was going to the bar and ordering every greasy item on the menu that might soak up our booze. Leaning against the counter, I turned back to keep an eye on Riley. My shoulders relaxed when I saw Liam herding her into the booth to take a seat, handing her his glass of water.

“Keep it open?” the bartender asked about the tab.

“We should probably close it out. But it’s not my card, so I’ll let him know.”

“Take your time. And hey.” She caught my attention before I turned around and slid a pint in front of me. “That’s for you. Drunk girl duty’s no easy job.”

I laughed and wrapped my fingers around the ice-cold glass. “Thank you. Appreciate it,” I said, not quite realizing how badly I wanted this drink. I slid a five onto the bar and brought the foamy top to my mouth.

But when I turned around, I nearly dropped the fresh glass to the floor.

My cheeks burned like hell as I watched Riley grasp handfuls of Liam’s shirt, climbing onto his lap and smashing her lips against his. No, no. Shit, shit, shit. One glimpse of her tongue and my legs were racing so I could help with damage control. I saw the shock frozen on Liam’s face as he pulled her quickly off his body, and I could see him immediately launching into a speech to soothe her. You’re drunk, it’s okay, I understand it’s a confusing time right now…

“Riley,” I said, urgently setting the drink down, but she was already sobbing.

“I don’t get it! You said I was a bombshell…”

As she shrunk away from him and against the wall, I stuttered and stammered, searching hard for something to say. “Riley… it’s okay. Our heads are all so fucking scrambled right now. Right? It’s been an emotional day. Let’s just go home,” I suggested, climbing into the booth. But her drunk legs kicked me away.