AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Your father would be proud of you, Stella,” I said.
“He hated Greyson,” she said. “He’d be ecstatic right now.”
“I wasn’t talking about that,” I said. “I was talking about the woman you’ve become.”
For the first time that night, her eyes rose and connected with mine. Her wine was paused mid-air while she studied me from across the table, but all I did was sit back and cross my leg over my knee.
“You’re beautiful, Stella. You’re full of life and intelligence. You’re successful and well-educated. You’re passionate and driven, and all of those qualities would be things your father would boast about with his friends if he were still here,” I said.
“You think so?” she asked.
“I know so. You paid for your own education with scholarships and work on campus. You came out with little to no debt and did what you had to do to pay it off. You took on your own house sooner than anyone else in your close circle of friends. You are so financially sound and responsible, not to mention quick on your feet,” I said.
“Quick on my feet?” she asked as the waiter poured her another glass of wine.
“Intellectually,” I said.
“Well, so are you. You know things that blow even my mind sometimes. And I have to admit, you’ve impressed me with the way you’ve stepped up to run the company. I honestly thought you would just drive it right into the depths of hell. But you haven’t. You’ve surprised me, Christian,” she said.
“Thanks. I think,” I said, grinning.
“Do you really think he’d be proud of me?” she asked.
“I know he would be, and do you know how I know?”
“How?” she asked.
“He told me. Time and time again, before that man passed, there would always be a way he’d work you into the conversation. He’d talk about the incredible woman you were growing into and how you deserved better than Greyson. He’d talk about the lives you were saving and the things you were doing to help better this city that he loved so much. Pride glowed in his eyes whenever he spoke of you. And I got to see it every single time I talked with him.”
Tears fell from her face, and I reached over to take her hand. It was something she needed to hear, whether she was willing to listen or not. Stella had been my stepfather’s pride and joy, and there was nothing anyone could do, not even that asshole Greyson, that could take that away from her.
We ate our food while we reminisced about childhood memories, but I had to help her out to my car. By the time dinner was over she had practically polished off a bottle of wine by herself, and I figured she needed to sleep it off with someone there to help her if she needed it. She fell asleep in my car as I was driving us back to my house, but she woke up when I tried to get her out of the car.
“Where am I?” she asked groggily.
“We’re back at my place. I figured you could just crash here. You’re pretty tired, and I want to be here if you get sick,” I said.
“I’m fine,” she said, slurring her words. “Just fine.”
“Come on, Stella. Let’s get you inside.”
I picked her up into my arms after I unlocked my front door. I saw the confusion on her face as we walked through the door of my home, and I laid her on the couch before the question flew from her lips.
“Don’t you live in an apartment?” she asked.
“I call it an apartment, yes. It’s technically a townhome.”
“You call your townhome an apartment,” she said. “Why?”
“Don’t know. Just do, I guess.”
“Wow. A business and something that isn’t a dinky studio apartment. I guess people change,” she said, yawning.
I chuckled at her as I covered her body with the blanket behind my couch, and I dipped down to wipe the hair away from her face. Her eyes had already fluttered shut while I watched her shoulders rise and fall with her breaths, and something inside of me drew my lips to her forehead. She looked so peaceful and so happy with her cheeks flushed the way they were, and everything inside of me wanted to kiss her delicate forehead goodnight.
But, I pulled back before my lips made contact, and ventured up to my room.
I peeled the suit off my body and tossed it onto the chair beside my bed as my mind whirled with what just happened. She was my stepsister, for crying out loud. I couldn’t fucking feel this way about her. No, we weren’t related, but we grew up like we were. We fought and bitched and grew apart as siblings do.
