AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You all know my boyfriend as Jagger Whitlock. To me, he’s the love of my life and . . . and my stepbrother.”
Everlee slapped her hands over her eyes and peeked between her fingers. “Holy shit. Stepbrother?”
Teagan’s mouth nearly hit the floor. “Ari, you said he was dead.”
“Who the hell is Ari?” Leighton asked, frustrated.
I glanced at Jagger, who remained quiet.
“I am. Why don’t we sit down, and I’ll explain what’s happened over the last few weeks.”
“Oh, I gotta hear this, Phoebe, Ari, whoever you are. You’ve got some serious ‘splaining to do.” Everlee spun on her heel and plopped into the recliner.
“What she said,” Gabby added before she and Leighton sat on the couch.
Teagan remained standing, her arms protectively folded over her chest.
Jagger and I walked around the furniture and stood near the fireplace.
“I didn’t mean to keep any secrets. As I said, it was only last night that we talked.”
Jagger squeezed my hand, encouraging me.
“I’m sure you all remember that my house burned down. What I didn’t share was that my stepbrother didn’t make it out alive. Or so we were told by our parents. For the last four years, we both thought each other had died in the fire.”
“What the hell? Why?” Gabby asked.
“We don’t know,” Jagger replied, finally speaking up. “It’s one reason we want to keep our relationship quiet for a while. Clearly, we weren’t trying to hide anything from you or I wouldn’t have stayed the night with Ari.”
Nice save, Jag.
“I guess that’s true.” Teagan huffed then plunked down on the couch. “I’m sorry I blurted out your real name.” She glanced at me, sincerity written all over her face.
“So, you’re not Phoebe?” Gabby asked, her forehead creasing.
“My real name is Ariana Ellison. After the fire, my father changed my name to protect me from scrutiny and reporters. My father is Theodore Ellison.”
Shocked mutters filled the room.
“Theo is my stepdad. He married my mom when Ariana and I were nine and ten.”
“Oh, that’s juicy. So how long have you two been hooking up?” Everlee asked, sitting upright in her seat.
I looked at Jag, and he gave me a little nod. “Since we were teenagers. Then the fire ripped us apart. We have a lot of questions ourselves, and I’m sorry we can’t answer much else.”
“Ari only learned I was alive and at Whitmore a few days ago. Maybe a week. Then we talked last night and decided we would give us another chance.”
“This is blowing my damn mind,” Leighton said, staring at us as if we were ghosts.
We were.
“So, you two are a couple and keeping it from your parents. What about at school?”
I looked at Jag, giving him the lead on that. We hadn’t talked about it yet.
“I highly doubt anyone will run and tell our parents we’re together.” Jagger’s expression filled with adoration as he looked at me. “A part of me wants all the fuckers that want to date her to know she’s mine, but I think it’s best if we kept it between us for now. We need to figure out the reason we were separated from each other.”
The girls nodded, and Everlee chewed on her thumbnail. “I feel like there’s some shady shit going down with your parents. I won’t say a word. Besides, it’s not my place to announce to the world that you two are a thing. As far as I’m concerned, I think it’s hot that you both couldn’t keep your paws off each other since you were kids.” She winked at me.
