Page 1 of My Weakness

Prologue

Ava

I don’t like to use the word hate, it gets thrown around a lot. People will say‘I hate that food’or‘I hate that place’. Do you? Do you really? Or do you just dislike it? Because hate is a strong word; hate conveys an emotion that there’s not really any coming back from.

What I can tell you — with absolute certainty — is that Ihatemy stepbrother.

I hate him with a passion that matches nothing else in my life. For five years I’ve hated him. For five years I’ve watched himparade girls around like they’re an accessory, wheedling his way into my life. We were fine before he and his mom showed up; at least I thought we were, but apparently dad didn’t agree. That’s why at the age of seventeen I got a stepmom and a brother — a stepbrother.

River.

I didn’t have to live with him for long, he moved out a year after moving in, and to be fair for that first year he was away at college. But the few times he came home, intomyhome, he would make my life a living hell. And the same goes for every time since: every visit, every family dinner, every time he ‘stops by’ — my hate for him is cemented.

He’s the worst person in my life, and I know that will never change.

Chapter One

Ava

“I’m calling to remind you of dinner tonight.” My dad’s voice comes through the speaker of my desk phone.

I’m in my office at the charity I work for. I spend my days helping children who are less fortunate than I. Working at Shining Stars Foundation is a dream come true; I’ve always loved being around children, and now actually being able to make a difference to their lives? It’s priceless.

“I know, Dad. I’ll be there.”And I’ll hate every moment of it.

Not the spending the evening with my dad part; I love him to pieces. Not even the evening with my stepmom; she’s harmless and she makes my dad happy. I might have thought we were fine as we were when I was younger, but the older I get, the more I see how much he missed having someone in his life. She’s good for him, and for that, I will always be grateful to her.

What I’ll hate is the six-foot-two stepbrother who will also be at dinner tonight, bound to ruin what would otherwise be a lovely evening.

“Try not to pick a fight with River. I know you two don’t always see eye to eye, but it would be nice if we could have an evening without the two of you bickering.”

I don’t bother telling him it’s my delightful stepbrother that’s the problem, not me. My dad sees us both as the issue, and maybe he’s right — I certainly don’t back down anymore when River starts something. I’m not that shy seventeen-year-old anymore. I haven’t been for a while.

***

“Evening, pipsqueak.” The deep gravelly voice of my stepbrother sends chills up my spine as I hand my coat to the attendant. He’s called me that from the day we met. Actually, I’m not sure he’s ever used my real name.

We’re dining at my dad’s favorite restaurant tonight and unfortunately, River and I seem to have arrived at exactly the same time.

I turn to find him standing close behind me, and my body reacts the same way it always does. It’s what I hate the most about River. It’s not what he says to me, or the way he acts, or even how he puts me down constantly.

No.

It’s how fucking hot he is.

You’d think that someone so toxic on the inside would reflect that on the outside, too. But not River. No, all six-foot-plus of him is drop dead gorgeous. But then I’ve always had a thing for green-eyed, dark-haired men. Sometimes life really isn’t fair.

“River.” I smile up at him, having made the decision to kill him with kindness tonight — there’s no way I’m going to let my dad see me as the problem this evening. “How are you?”

His eyes narrow on me. “Fine. You?”

There’s no one around that knows us, so there’s no reason for me to be nice. I’d normally be ignoring him, so my sickly-sweet attitude has definitely thrown him.

“Fabulous. Shall we?” I nod my head towards the main room of the restaurant where my dad and his mom are no doubt already waiting; they’re always early. He nods and I begin to move forwards when his hand finds the small of my back and my steps falter.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, but it won’t work,” he whispers in my ear. I spin on my heel, my very high heel, and place my hand to his chest. His eyes widen and he swallows quickly.

Interesting.