Brother After Dark

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Zach.

“Hook up with other girls. Keep fucking Stephanie Bell. Be a sex-crazed college jock. There’s a long line of girls wanting a piece of you. Take a pick.”

Was that why she was here on a date? Because she thought I was screwing another girl behind her back? After spending that amazing Friday with her and telling her how much I still wanted her?

I didn’t know Stephanie Bell personally. She was stalking me. Messaging me. But I was ignoring her. I made it clear that I wasn’t interested. For months now, there was only one girl who’d been constantly on my mind. And just when I thought I made it clear to her how much I wanted her, Stephanie Bell had to put other ideas in her head, and now, she’s here with some other guy I was about to murder. I just might include Stephanie in my hit list.

I went up the second floor and exited toward the balcony. This gave me a view of the pool and garden. I scanned through the area for her. I found her sitting in one corner, holding a bottle of Breezer in her hand. She was laughing with April and some other girls. I was relieved to see that. I could watch her from here. I promised myself I would not do anything rash. I was here to keep an eye on her, not to pick a fight with anybody.

“There goes Stephanie. Why aren’t you with her?” Drake asked me.

“Because it’s not true. We’re not hooking up. I’m not interested in her.”

“But she’s very much into you. She’s hot. Not very bright. But I’d take care for a good time.”

“Then take her. I’m not interested,” I muttered.

I watched as Blaire laughed at something that April said.

“Damn, that girl is hot!”

“Who?”

“My cousin’s new best friend. Blaire Stewart,” Drake replied.

I didn’t say anything. I took a gulp of my beer.

“You know her, right?”

I sighed. “More than I should, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah, I heard those rumors too. You almost beat the crap out of Andrew for making a move. I thought you were dating her, and then Stephanie told everyone that you were hooking up. I thought it didn’t work out with the Stewart chick. I was going to ask you if it was okay if I…”

“No!” I knew what he was going to ask me. And I felt my blood boil. I looked at him angrily. “Go near her, and this friendship is over, man. I’m not kidding.”

“Whoa!” Drake said, holding his hands up in the air as if in surrender. “Cool it, okay?”

I went to watch Blaire again. She seemed to be enjoying herself in the company of her girlfriends. I relaxed for a while.

“I guess I know why you changed your mind about coming tonight, huh. You knew she was going to be here.”

I didn’t answer. I wasn’t going to come tonight. I reserved two slots to play laser tag at Midfield tonight. She would have liked that. But somehow, she turned me down. And I knew the lies Stephanie Bell had been spreading had a lot to do with that.

“What’s wrong? You’re a very good-looking guy. I don’t know why you’re still not with that girl if you wanted her so much.”

I didn’t have an answer to that. I couldn’t tell him that she was not just the girl I wanted. She was also my sister. No, I wasn’t going to tell anyone who she was. Because right now, Kenzo’s advice was appealing to me more and more.

Maybe he was right. Maybe the reason why I couldn’t get her out of my system was because I came too close to having her but didn’t. I had a taste, and I wanted more.

“You better make your move. Because if you don’t… somebody will,” Drake said.

I saw a group of guys on the side looking at them. I knew at least one of them was interested in her. The group of guys started moving in, approaching them.

I started being tensed again.

“Jasper Litton,” Drake said. “Sophomore. April said he’s been bugging her to introduce them. He’s seriously interested in her, man.”

I stared at the guy. He was tall and looked like he’d been spending some time on the gym. He was not a bad looking guy. And that presented a problem. Right now, she was in the same situation as me, just on a lower magnitude, but the same. She wanted me. But she knew there was no happily ever after for both of us. Nevertheless, her body responded to me. And Drake was right, if I didn’t make my move, somebody else would. And right now, it seemed that this guy Litton was already starting to make his.

Drake’s other friends came and joined us in the balcony. They played cards. I didn’t mind them. I didn’t really come here for the party. I came here to make sure Jasper Litton, or any other guy didn’t go hot and heavy on my sister.

She danced, she laughed, she drank. She was with her girlfriends all the time. Jasper was trying to engage her in talks. She was evasive, and I couldn’t help feeling happy. She wasn’t like that with me. Even when we were at the concert. I affected her differently. She was as drawn to me as I was to her. By eleven o’clock, I relaxed a little bit. I was starting to believe that she could take care of herself. Litton wasn’t any tonight.

“You came here to watch her all night? I mean, aren’t you tired of doing that in the campus? You’re taking stalking into a whole different level.” Drake’s voice was frustrated.

“You should be thankful I came at all.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he said sarcastically.

My eyes went back to the pool area. They had moved. There was no sight of her or April. I scanned the garden and found that they were standing at the bar. Jasper was with her, and he was standing too close for my comfort, whispering something in her ear. His hand went to her back, playfully caressing her.

Suddenly, his hand went down on her lower back. I took a gulp of my beer. I could feel my heart pounding loudly inside my chest. Jealousy was seeping through me faster than I could control.

And then, suddenly, his hand went to her butt and gave it a squeeze. She pushed him away from her and glared at him angrily.

Fuck!

I didn’t think. I felt.

I didn’t act. I reacted.

I heard alarms ringing in my head. I saw red.

I heard Drake curse beside me, warning me to keep my cool, but I wasn’t listening to him. I don't care that almost half the campus was here to see what I was about to do.

I put down the bottle of beer on the table and bolted downstairs with a single purpose in my mind.

I was going to kill Jasper Litton!