Another Family Affair Read online

  I shrugged as I pulled open the door. “Pretty much.” Sage laughed, the sound punching me in the gut and making me want to pull her against me. My reaction was visceral, something deep inside me I could barely control. “Fuck,” I murmured, trying to get ahold of myself as she walked past me.

  My cell vibrated in my pocket, but I didn’t move to take it out because my attention was too focused on the girl in front of me. The girl who had come out of nowhere. The girl who already had me wound so tight. And I’d only met her thirty minutes ago. What the fuck was going on?

  She blinked up at me, her mouth moving, but I didn’t catch what she was saying. I was too in my own head, not paying enough attention to anything but the way her lips were moving. Sage waved her hand in the air and I shook my head, bringing myself out of the haze.

  “Huh?” I frowned and inhaled a deep breath as I pulled my cell out and read the message from Cody, my teammate. “Cody put Thalia in an uber last night. She made it home safely.”

  “Thank god,” Sage sighed. She paused, staring at me as if she was waiting for more, but when I didn’t say anything, she continued, “I asked which car yours is.”

  “Oh.” I swallowed and walked toward the black Mercedes sports car my dad had gotten me for my eighteenth birthday two months ago. “This one.”

  “Holy guacamole,” she choked out. “I thought you were a high school student.”

  “I am.” I grinned as I stared at her from the other side of the car. “Captain of the basketball team, if you must know.”

  Her eyes widened as she spluttered. “You’re Storm?” She stumbled back a step. “You’re Storm Hartley?”

  “That’s me.” I pulled open the driver’s side door and pointed at the passenger one. “Get in. I’ve got practice in a couple of hours.”

  “Oh shit, I…yeah…okay.” She threw herself into the car and snapped the belt in place. “Sorry.” She cringed, holding her hands in her lap tightly, causing her knuckles to turn white. “I just didn’t realize who you were, and—”

  “You follow sports then, huh?” I turned the engine on then drove around the driveway toward the bottom gates. One flick of a button on my steering wheel was all it took for them to open, then I took a right.

  “I know of you.” Her voice was softer now, surer of herself. “People at school talk about you all the time.” I wasn’t surprised one bit by that. If she lived on the other side of town, that meant she went to Lakemere Public, also known as our biggest rivals. They hadn’t won a game against us in years, much like last night. Although last night was just a friendly—a warm up until the season started next week.

  “You hang with the basketball crew then?” I had no idea where exactly she lived, but I headed toward the other side of town, knowing she’d tell me once we got closer.

  “Heck no.” She laughed again, but this time it was strained, like she was putting it on rather than it being a natural reaction. “People like that don’t hang out with people like me.”

  “And who are ‘people like you’?”

  “Nerds.”

  I glanced at her as we came to the bridge that separated the two sides of town. “You don’t look like a nerd,” I commented.

  “That’s because Thalia dressed me.” She shrugged then pointed straight ahead. “You can drop me on the corner of tenth and third.”

  “That where you live?” I asked, taking the turning and knowing I only had two more blocks before she’d be out of my car.

  “Yeah.” She squirmed in her seat, biting down on her bottom lip again, and fuck, I wished I was the one doing the biting.

  Halting to a stop where she told me to, I looked up at the apartment block, making a mental note of the place, knowing this wouldn’t be the last time I’d see Sage. Our schools may have been rivals, but there was no way I was letting her get away. Not yet anyway. Not until I knew why the hell I felt such a draw to her.

  “Thanks for the ride, Storm,” she whispered, opening the passenger door.

  “Anytime.” I leaned down so she could see me now she was standing on the sidewalk. “See you around, yeah?”

  “I…sure.” She closed the door gently then ran into the apartment building, leaving me wanting more of her.

  Who Is This?

  Sage

  Monday came around all too fast for my liking. It was the same as every other day of the week. I made the fifteen-minute walk to school, got there early, and waited for Thalia to meet me next to our lockers.

  I’d barely heard from her since I got home on Saturday when she finally answered me and told me she was dying from all of the drinks she’d consumed. I didn’t bring up the fact that she left me at the party alone, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t.

  Damn. I still couldn’t believe Storm had given me a ride home. I’d never been in a car like that before, never mind sat in such close proximity to someone like him. He was the best high school basketball player in the state.

  “Sage!” The shout was the same one I heard every morning when Thalia spotted me waiting for her, but unlike the other mornings, I didn’t have a smile on my face ready to greet her. Instead, I raised a brow and tilted my head to the side. “Uh-oh.” She halted a couple of feet in front of me. “You’re pissed.”

  “I see you haven’t lost your observation skills,” I whipped back at her. “What the heck, Thalia?” I stepped toward her. “Why did you leave me there alone?”

  “I’m sorry.” Her pale skin reddened, a sure sign she was sincere and feeling bad about it. “I was so drunk that I didn’t even realize. Then I woke up at home and I didn’t even know how I got there.”

  “I knew we shouldn’t have gone.” I shook my head, only half meaning it because if we hadn’t have gone, I would never have met Storm.

  “You got home okay, though, right?” She darted forward and grasped my arm, panic clear on her features. She gasped. “Oh my god, did something happen?”

  “Well…”

  “What?” Her eyes widened. “Did someone hurt you?”

  “No, no.” I shook my head so fast I made myself dizzy. “Nothing like that.” I inhaled a breath, not sure how to say what I was about to. “I fell asleep there.”

  “No way?” She chuckled. “Holy shit.”

  “It’s not funny.” I slapped her arm and turned to face my locker, feeling like I needed the barrier between us as the halls filled with students. “I had no idea where I was, and then this guy was there.”

  “A guy?” Thalia slammed her locker shut and held her books to her chest. “What guy?”

  “He gave me a ride home and—”

  “What guy?” she asked again, and I knew she wouldn’t rest until she found out. Thalia was a gossip—always had been. She never failed to stay up on everything happening at school, even though she wasn’t friends with any of the popular kids. She kept her ear to the ground, at least, that was what she always told me. It was the journalist in her. Sometimes I wondered if she realized she was a high school kid running a school paper, and not someone writing for the New York Journal.

  “Storm,” I whispered, closing my locker softly and turning to face her.

  Her expression froze in shock. “Storm?” she repeated.

  “Yeah.”

  “Storm?” Her features melted, the life coming back into her. “As in Storm Hartley?” I nodded. “The Storm Hartley?” She said it louder that time, causing some heads to turn. “Storm Hartley gave you a ride home?”

  “Yes.” I grabbed her arm and dragged her down the hallway as the first bell rang out. “Stop saying his name so loud, Thalia.”

  “What?” She stared at me, her brown eyes lighting with something mischievous. “I can’t help it that you got a ride home from Storm Hartley.”

  “Stop saying his name like that.” I let go of her as we walked into the classroom, heading to my usual seat in the front row. Thalia sat behind me, murmuring something, but I stopped paying attention. I wasn’t wrong when I’d told Storm I was a nerd. It
was exactly who I was, and I wasn’t ashamed of it even a little.

  Mr. Sheer clapped his hands twice to gain everyone’s attention then proceed to throw a barrage of math information at us, but I’d already studied this chapter in my textbook, so as my cell vibrated in my jeans pocket, I pulled it out, figuring it was Mom getting home from her nightshift at the hospital.

  Mom: Just got home. I picked up an extra shift, so I’ll be gone by the time you get home. We’ll have dinner together tomorrow though, okay, sweetie? <3

  Sage: Okay, Mom. Have a nice sleep. <3

  I smiled down at my cell, thankful that we were finally getting to have some time together but also sad that it wouldn’t be until tomorrow. Mom had been picking up more and more shifts lately. I understood that she was a nurse and had to be on call sometimes, but it meant I hardly got to see her anymore.

  Just as I was about to lock my cell and put it back in my pocket, a new message showed up from a number I didn’t recognize. I glanced up at the Mr. Sheer, making sure his attention wasn’t on me, then opened up the message.

  Unknown: I can’t stop seeing your face every time I close my eyes.

  My eyes widened as my entire body tensed up.

  Sage: Who is this?

  I stared at the three dots that signaled the person was typing. I waited with bated breath to see who it was.

  Unknown: Who do you think it is?

  I had no goddamn idea, and I was just about to type that when I scrolled up and saw a picture of me and Thalia sent to the number. I frowned. Why would I have sent that picture to a number not even saved in my contacts?

  I rolled my eyes as I saw the timestamp, wanting to facepalm. Of course he sent the picture to his number. He needed it to ask his teammates if they’d seen Thalia at the party.

  Sage: Storm?

  My stomach rolled as he typed back, butterflies taking flight.

  Storm: You got it.

  I typed out a message then deleted it. Doing it over and over again, not really sure what to say to him. I was nervous. I only ever got nervous when I was about to take a test. But this was a different kind. A kind of nervous that I’d never felt before.

  Sage: Why are you messaging me?

  Storm: Read the first message I sent.

  I read it again, not sure what he meant by it.

  Sage: …

  Storm: I want to take you out.

  I felt the smile break out on my face and couldn’t help immediately messaging back.

  Sage: Is that a question or are you telling me…again.

  Storm: It’s a question.

  Sage: I don’t think it’s a good idea.

  Storm: You won’t know unless you try.

  I huffed out a breath. I was being real with him. It wasn’t a good idea. We were from completely different worlds. He was rich, and I…wasn’t. He was a star athlete and I was a nerd. And then there was the small matter about our schools being intense rivals with everything they were involved in.

  Sage: Storm…

  Storm: Sage…

  I could almost hear his voice in my ear and I shivered.

  Sage: This is a bad idea.

  Storm: Never said it wasn’t.

  Storm: Doesn’t mean I don’t want to do it though.

  I blew out a breath and glanced up, seeing the time on the clock above the board at the front of the class. There was only a couple of minutes left until I had AP English.

  Sage: I don’t know.

  Storm: Think about it.

  Think about it. I could do that. I could think about it then explain that our worlds didn’t mesh. He’d understand, right? He’d get it because of who he was. People like him didn’t go out with people like me.

  The bell rang and I shot off one last message.

  Sage: Okay :)

  Patience Is Overrated

  Storm

  I never was good at waiting. When I was a little kid, I wanted what I wanted right away, and I almost always got to have it, no questions asked. But as each day passed and I hadn’t heard back from Sage, I was getting antsy—impatient.

  It had been three days, and it was only twenty-four hours until gameday. I couldn’t wait until after then, so I’d decided enough was enough. I was going to get an answer. Not just that, but the answer I wanted; the answer I needed to hear from her lips.

  I took a right turn, entering the other side of town. The streets weren’t as clean, the graffiti art on the wall dripping with anger and contempt. Each street I drove down had people turning to look at my car. They couldn’t see me through the tinted windows, but I witnessed each and every one of their looks. They were probably wondering what I was doing on their streets, and the simple answer was, I was getting what I wanted, no matter the cost.

  The building to the high school came into view, and without a second thought, I peeled into the lot, parked in front of the main doors, then pushed out of my car. The sun beamed down on the black metal, so clean I could see my reflection in it.

  It was only a matter of minutes until the school bell would ring out, and I intended to be front and center so Sage couldn’t miss me.

  I leaned against the side of my car, placed the bottom of my foot on the front tire, then waited. The shades covering my eyes concealed the look on my face, but as the students started to file out of the school, it was harder to keep the mask in place.

  I was here alone, without the back up of my team. They didn’t even know where I was, but I really didn’t give a flying fuck. They wouldn’t understand what I was doing, not that I did either. I was taking a risk; I just hoped it panned out.

  Gasps and whispers surrounded me as students gathered in pockets around the stairs, then the captain of their basketball team—Troy—made an appearance. I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears as he stared at me. I’d fouled him in the last game and got away with it. Both he and I knew I’d done it. It was yet another time I’d gotten one up on him.

  “This ain’t your turf, Hartley,” he ground out, flanked by several of his team members. I leaned back a little, trying to show him I wasn’t bothered by his veiled threat as he moved down the stairs and closer to me.

  “Yeah, Hartley,” the guy next to him repeated, puffing his chest out. “Get off our grounds.”

  I rolled my eyes, not that they could see thanks to the Gucci shades I had covering half of my face. “I’m good thanks,” I said, speaking just as chilled as I was acting. I wasn’t here for them; they just didn’t realize that yet.

  “You’re lookin’ for trouble,” Troy gritted. “We’re not on the court now.” He cracked his knuckles, coming to a stop only a couple of feet away from me. The threat was closer now, so I stood to my full height, not prepared to back down. I didn’t care if it ended up being the entire school against me, I’d never scurry away.

  “Not here for you,” I told them easily, keeping my gaze connected to his. Don’t take your eyes off the enemy. My dad had taught me that a long time ago, and I never forgot the advice.

  “Yeah?” Troy laughed, several of his teammates joining in with him. “Who are you here for then?”

  I raised my brow, finally taking my gaze off him as I glanced around the growing crowd. I couldn’t see her anywhere, and I wondered if she’d seen me and chosen to walk away. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea after all?

  My body screamed at me to walk away and to give in, but something inside me had me staying put. I couldn’t deny the way I’d reacted to Sage when I’d found her in my house Saturday morning.

  “None of your business,” I told Troy, my voice deeper now. I didn’t answer to him, I didn’t answer to anybody, especially not a douche who thought he was the best player on the court. He was fooling himself, just like his coaches were.

  “I’d say it is my business,” he growled back, stepping closer to me. “Considering you’re on my fuckin’ turf.”

  I pushed my shoulders back, clenching my fists at my sides, and preparing myself to throw down. T
here was no way I was backing down without a fight. “Step the fuck back,” I gritted out. “That’s your one and only warning.”

  “Or what?” he laughed. “What you gonna do, Storm?” He sneered my name as if it would affect me, but it didn’t. It rolled right off of me, just like his shit basketball skills did.

  “Storm!” someone shouted, the same voice I’d been dying to hear for days. “Excuse me,” the voice said again, softer this time. I searched for her in the crowd, seeing her coming from the rear end of my car. I didn’t hesitate as I left Troy and his followers.

  “Sage,” I called out, not quite seeing her, then a flash of blond hair appeared along with a hand in the air. “Move,” I ground out at the students piled at the back of my car. Their eyes widened as they parted like the red sea, leaving a clear gap for Sage to make her way through. Her gaze met mine and I knew in that moment I hadn’t made a mistake coming here.

  “Hey.” Her voice was soft and alluring, calling to me like a siren to a sailor. “What are you doing here?” she asked, coming closer to me.

  “Came to get your answer.” I winked, holding my hand out to her, hoping like hell she didn’t turn me down in front everyone. Her soft palm met mine, my long fingers able to wrap entirely around her small hand.

  “Really?” A blush flashed on her cheeks, but she didn’t move her attention off me for a single second. She was captivated by me, just like I was with her.