Stepbrother's Gift by Krista Lakes Read Free Book Online

my feelings and to let what just happened sink in.
    James had just invaded and ruined my life again. I couldn’t even have one night, one night to maybe get the world of Springfield to change its opinion of me, to move myself out from under all the wreckage James started heaping on my social life four years ago.
    It had to be his personal mission in life to ruin mine. There was no other way that he could do this to me. It had to be a sick desire to see me suffer.
    He must have saw my face because he let out a long suffering sigh. “How can you possibly be mad at me?”
    I didn’t answer him. Maybe he would figure it out himself. Mr. Billionaire should be smart enough to figure this out. He had figured out I was at Annie's easily enough.
    But he just laughed, that deep, gravely laugh. “Incredible. She tries to get herself raped, I save her ass, and I’m the bad guy.”
    I stared out my window, trying not to take his bait. I didn't deserve this.
    “You should be thanking me. If Aubrey hadn't called to let me know you were with Springfield's favorite creeper, who knows what that creep would have done. Dennis-fucking-Kamp.” He shook his head. “Fucking prick.”
    Finally, I couldn’t shut up any longer.
    “You didn’t save me from anything I couldn’t handle,” I snapped. “And even if you did, you’ve managed to humiliate me again in the process, which is worse than anything Dennis Kamp was going to do to me in that car.”
    James mouth fell open and his eyes went wide. I was almost afraid he would drive us off the road his shock was so big. “How could I have possibly humiliated you?”
    I shook my head. “Don’t act dumb. It doesn't become you,” I mimicked one of his favorite expressions and rolled my eyes. “What do you think Dennis is going to say about what happened? That he was being grabby and my big brother came in and stopped him from date raping me?” I let out a short bark of a laugh. “No. I’ll just be a slut or a tease or whatever terrible thing he can think to say about me to make himself look better now that you humiliated him.”
    “He won’t say anything,” James said. “Not if he likes walking, anyway.”
    “Would you just stop? He's going to say whatever he has to to keep his reputation.” I sighed and leaned back in my chair, incredulous. “I mean, who do you think you are? I didn’t ask you to do me any favors. God knows I’ve learned not to do that over the years.”
    James glanced over at me. We were the only ones on the road and his headlights were the only light for miles.
    “Ok, now you’ve lost me. What are you talking about?” he asked.
    I laughed, a crazy, shrill, hysterical laugh. There was no way he didn't know what he did to me. It was too intentional, too cruel to be by accident.
    “Please tell me you’re kidding? Tell me you’re just trying to make me angry by pretending you don’t even realize how you totally ruined my high school life by being a total jack ass?”
    James braked hard, and I fell forward as the car slowed rapidly. It was a good thing there wasn't anyone else on the road, or they would have hit us.
    He turned in his seat, dark eyes serious and focused entirely on me. The full weight of his gaze was almost too much to bear. “I’m not trying to piss you off, Allie. I know I wasn’t always the nicest guy with you, but I hardly think you could accuse me of ruining your life.”
    I shook my head. My throat tightened. I had wanted to confront him with this for years and now I suddenly had the chance and didn't feel prepared at all. “Do you remember my first day as a freshman? When I asked you for a ride.”
    He paused before answering. “Yes,” he said carefully, his eyes never leaving me.
    “Well, after you basically treated me like garbage every senior girl decided I was fair game for torture, and after they graduated the junior girls picked up where they left off. I was a game to them. If I told you some of the things they did to