003: Uno Reverse

MILES’ POV

Fuck. Me.

I slow to a stop, eyes locking onto the girl from earlier. Noah, or whatever the hell her name is. 

I blink hard, half expecting her to vanish, but she doesn’t. She’s standing right beside an older lady. 

What the fuck is she doing here? And what the hell did Henry mean by ‘our guests’?

Before I can ask, Dad’s voice cuts through my thoughts.

“Miles, son.” He comes down the stairs, giving my shoulder a light pat as he passes. “Looks like you’ve already met our guests.”

He walks straight to the woman, smiling the way he only does when he’s genuinely happy. He wraps an arm around her waist, kisses her softly, then turns back to me.

Beside her, Noah suddenly finds the marble floor fascinating. 

Smart girl. If she looked at me right now, she’d see exactly how close I am to losing my patience.

“Son,” Dad says proudly. “Meet Tiffany. The woman I want to marry.” He gestures toward Noah. “And this is her daughter, Noah.”

A humorless laugh almost escapes me.

So these are tonight’s guests. Noah and her mother? Fucking perfect.

At least he has the sense not to call Tiffany my stepmother yet. 

Still. Out of every woman in Michigan, he ends up with this woman? The mother of the same girl who turned my peace upside down this afternoon? 

If Dad marries Tiffany, Noah becomes my stepsister.

I grit my teeth until my jaw aches. Not happening. Not unless I’m six feet underground. 

First this girl invades my apartment, now she’s standing inside my father’s house? Once this bloody dinner is over, I’ll start with fixing the apartment situation before I figure out what to do about this dumb union. 

“Oh, hello.” Cross’s lazy voice drifts down the staircase. 

He claps a hand on my shoulder as he walks past, then flashes Tiffany the kind of smile that’s gotten him out of trouble his entire life.

Dad smiles. 

“Tiffany, this is my eldest son, Cross.” He beams with ridiculous pride. “Cross, this is Tiffany… the love of my life. And this is her daughter, Noah.”

Love of my life. Bullshit.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Tiffany offers her hand. 

Cross takes it and keeps hold of it. His thumb brushes lightly over her knuckles like he’s known her for years.

“Tiffany?” He smiles, eyes never leaving hers. “I think I’ll call you Tiffy. It suits you.”

Jesus Christ.

Tiffany lets out a surprised laugh and quickly pulls her hand back, her smile turning awkward. 

“Oh… thank you.”

Cross only smiles wider. “My pleasure.”

The asshole is flirting. With Dad’s fiancée. Right in front of him.

I scoff silently.

“Come on,” Dad says cheerfully, completely oblivious. “Let’s head into the dining room.”

I hang back, glancing at my watch. 

The only reason I’m here is because Dad blackmailed me into dinner. I’d told him I had late practice afterwards, but the truth is, I just want to get back to campus and sort out this housing mess. 

There is no universe where I’m sharing my apartment with a girl, especially not the daughter of the woman my father wants to marry.

Once everyone’s seated, Dad turns to Noah. 

“It really is wonderful finally meeting you. Your mother’s told me so much about you.”

“The pleasure’s mine, Mr. Presley.” She smiles politely, carefully avoiding my gaze. 

Perfectly fine by me. She should know she’s not welcome here.

I’ve spent years building my life around discipline and routine. I don’t tolerate people barging in and turning everything upside down. 

Today alone, Noah has managed to bulldoze through all of it.

While Dad keeps talking, I study her over the rim of my wine glass. 

The blue dress shouldn’t look that good on her, but it does. Against her olive skin, it makes those ridiculous emerald eyes stand out even more. She looks so much like Tiffany they could pass for sisters.

My gaze drifts lower before I stop myself. Long legs, pretty face, soft mouth. I’d be a liar if I said she wasn’t attractive. 

Under different circumstances, I might’ve flirted, taken her home, and gotten her out of my system.

But attraction has limits. The second someone invades my space and disrupts my life, every beautiful thing about them starts looking like a problem. 

And problems get eliminated.

“Call me Carl,” Dad says warmly. “Tiffany mentioned you’re majoring in Journalism and Media at Ashford.”

She nods. “Yes, sir.”

Dad turns toward me with that hopeful parental smile. “That’s Miles’ university too. It’ll be nice having your brother help you settle in.”

Brother.

There it is.

My grip tightens around my fork until my knuckles pale. One more minute and I’m either saying something unforgivable or flipping this fucking table.

“Speaking of my boys,” Dad continues, “Cross plays professionally in the NHL now, and Miles is hoping to follow him soon. Hockey runs in the family.”

Cross lifts his wine glass with an easy grin. 

“Dad makes me sound better than I am.”

“Cross is just being modest,” Dad laughs. “He also oversees several of our entertainment businesses around the city.”

Tiffany smiles. 

“That’s very impressive.”

“It pays the bills,” Cross says smoothly, eyes finding Tiffany again. “Though I’d happily give you the grand tour if you’re ever interested.”

This asshole. He doesn’t even pretend he isn’t flirting.

I lean toward him, keeping my voice low. “Continue pushing your luck and Dad won’t be the one who kills you.”

Cross smirks into his wine like he didn’t hear a word.

Having had enough, I toss my napkin onto the table and push my chair back. It scrapes loudly. 

“Gotta go, Dad. Told you I’ve got late practice.”

“Oh, right.” He nods like he’s only just remembered.

Before I can stand fully, Tiffany speaks up, her hopeful expression putting me on alert. 

“You stay on campus, don’t you? Since you and Noah attend the same school, would it be too much to ask if you could drive her back?”

Hell nah.

“Mom.” Noah gives her a sharp look. “We don’t have to bother him. You can drive me once we’re done.”

Good girl. At least she can read the room.

Then Dad opens his mouth. “Actually, I don’t think that’s a bad idea. It’s her first day. Besides…” 

His gaze shifts to me with a small smile. 

“It’ll be a great way for the two of you to get to know each other better. You can start exercising your brotherly role, Miles.”

Cross snorts quietly. I fight the urge to tell him to shut the fuck up.

Noah looks everywhere except at me, shifting uncomfortably. Tiffany watches with that hopeful expression.

Now that I think about it… maybe it’s not such a bad idea. 

A private space. Just me and her. No Dad, no Tiffany, or Cross. A space where I can finally stop restricting myself and give this little smart-mouthed nerd a piece of my mind.

“Great idea, Dad.” I paste on a small grin and turn to Noah. “We should get going already… sister.”

I make sure the emphasis isn’t hard to miss.

Noah nearly chokes on her drink. 

She finally looks at me properly for the first time tonight, swallowing hard. Her eyes narrow like she’s suddenly understood exactly what I have in mind. 

She gives a small nod.

Minutes later she’s on her feet, kissing her mother goodnight before following me out toward my black Porsche 911 Turbo S.

For the first few minutes the car is silent except for the soft sound of Noah shifting beside me and the smell of her perfume—warm vanilla and coffee with a faint jasmine undertone. 

Dangerously seductive. 

I’m not even sure this nerd realizes what she’s doing to the air around her. 

Tightening my grip on the wheel, I keep my eyes on the road. Just as I’m finally about to speak, she beats me to it.

“I don’t want to be the stepsister to a total jerkface either.”

Wait. What?

I scoff and glance over. Her emerald eyes meet mine, steady and surprisingly bold.

“I see someone’s finally grown some balls.” A smirk pulls at my mouth.

She laughs dryly, crossing her arms. 

“It’s barely been twenty-four hours since we met, and I already know how much bullshit I’ve tolerated from your arrogant, spoiled-rich-boy ass. You really think I’m going to put up with that for the rest of my life? Stepbrother, my foot.”

I blink, genuinely caught off guard.

“You know what?” She runs her fingers over her curly bun, frustration rising with every word. “I’ve had so much to deal with today, and I sure as hell am not ready to deal with this right now. Just drop me off already.”

My fingers tighten on the wheel, my jaw ticking.

Did she really just scold me? Me?

“I. Said. Fucking. Drop. Me. Off.” She stresses every word through clenched teeth. Something hot coils in my chest.

“With pleasure.” I force the words out in a low growl, then make a hard swerve and pull over. The sudden stop sends her pitching forward. 

Within seconds she shoves the door open. Before climbing out, she turns and gives me the most murderous glare I’ve ever received.

“If I could do anything just to stop this nonsense of our parents from getting married, I swear to God, I would. So stop acting like you’re doing us a service, asshole.”

Then she’s out, slamming the door hard enough to shake the car before storming away in her heels.

I sit there, mouth slightly open, watching her figure disappear down the sidewalk.

What in the Uno reverse…