There are three things you must never do. One, kiss a stranger. Two, kiss a hot stranger. Three, kiss a hot stranger you might never see again.
Why?
Because if the hot stranger is a good kisser, you will never forget about it. And for the rest of your life, you will compare the kiss with others.
I groan into the pillow and drag myself out of bed. C has ruined my life. I kissed Jackson on the first day of school but it was different. It didn’t feel like C’s soft lips. It wasn’t demanding and gentle. Hot and needy and delicate. It was just Jackson. I push down those thoughts once I’m in the bathroom.
Amelia will start honking like a little angry bitch if she gets here and I’m not ready. I round up to the room for a change of clothes and finish off in front of the mirror. The dark roots of my hair contrast with the pink flowing down my shoulders. Dad hasn’t gotten over my new hair colour. Dani, my stepmom, thinks it’s cool. I think she’s cool.
My phone vibrates on the vanity and I let out a groan. I’m not ready yet. I pick and Amelia murmurs, “I can’t make it to your house today.”
I’m closer to her than the other two but we are all pretty close. Since I don’t have a car yet, thanks to my driving phobia, she is my ride to school. I hate riding with my dad. He asks too many questions.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Amelia replies. I sink into the chair and frown at my reflection in the mirror. My blue eyes are the colour of the sky after a heavy downpour. Right now, they don’t look as pretty as C’s. Fuck that guy anyway. “Just a little dizzy. My sister is staying home to babysit me.”
Her elder sister is a nurse in training. They do nice, girly stuff together that I can’t relate to as an only child.
Twirling a strand of my hair, I nod. “Take care.” A sound from outside catches my attention. I apply my eyeliner and rush to the window to check. Dad is coming up from the backyard with a dead rabbit. “Bye.”
“Bye. Don’t have too much fun without me.”
I’m still laughing after she ends the call. There is no real fun without Amelia. My head pokes out of my window. “Dad,” I scream. He waves. His shotgun swings from his shoulder. He is still in the business of going out to hunt in the wee hours of the morning. “Good morning.”
“Morning, sweetie.” He stops below my window. My room is on the first floor. “You slept well?”
“Yeah. You’ll be late.”
“I’m the principal,” he answers.
How did Dani fall in love with this local man? I close the curtains and return to the mirror. One last smack of my lips and I’m good to go. I’ll need to call Rose or just follow Dad to school. I jog down the flight of stairs with my books jiggling in my backpack and my feet falter on the last stair.
Dani is not alone in the living room. She’s talking to someone seated on the couch. It’s not Dad, she never uses that patronising tone on him. I step down but none of them notices me. She’s obstructing my view of the person. Hands propped on her waist, back rigid, I feel bad for whoever she’s talking to. But that thought doesn’t stop me from heading to the kitchen to grab breakfast.
I walk out of the kitchen with a jar of milk and a plate of pancakes. Dani is not in the living room but her guest is. His head is bowed over his phone but he isn’t pressing it. When I brush past his couch, he raises his head for the briefest second and… hold on a minute. I drop the plate on the dining table and walk right back to him.
What the–?
C crosses his legs at the ankles, throws his arms over the couch, the couch my dad bought after my mum’s death. His eyes glide over me in a slow, appreciative sweep and I grow conscious of my pink long-sleeved top paired with black jeans.
I rub my hands over my eyes and look again. C is still here, staring at me with an arrogant smirk. I move towards him before my brain sends a signal to my feet. My hand lifts in an awkward wave.
“Hi. What are you doing here?”
His tongue swipes over his bottom lip and I am reminded of our kiss. I don’t know when C stands until he cups my jaw with one big palm. The warmth of his palm spreads through my face and my cheeks heat up. C is here. He’s real.
“What are you…”
He steals the rest of my words with a kiss, a painfully brief kiss and backs away. I release my breath when he sinks into the couch. My thoughts flood my mind in judgmental whispers.
What’s wrong with me? Kissing a stranger in my house? A stranger that might as well have been stalking me. No. Dani seems to know him so he can’t be a stalker. I steal another look at the familiar stranger. Without his overgrown beards and bushy moustache, C looks different, new and younger. The cut on his eyebrow is also gone.
Why did it take him so long to show up? Dani has been here for a month. If he had shown up when she did, I would never have kissed him.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
C grins and a dimple appears on his left cheek. His beards must have hidden it. My knees lock, legs turn to jelly. He’s so hot it’s unfair. My eyes lower to his arms and I wish he was wearing the tank top from that night, not a shirt that hides his tattoo. I clasp my arms at my back when his gaze strays to me.
“What do you think?” C teases.
Dani bursts into the living room at that point, saving me from his intense stares. She draws me in for a hug that makes me smile. Dani is nice. Maybe that’s why Dad loves her.
“Good morning, Cathy.” She holds me at arms length, following my curious gaze to the young man sitting on our couch like he owns the place and is about to kick us out. C’s eyes light up and I roll mine. Now, he knows my name and I don’t know his. “I see you met your brother.”
God forbid.
Brothers don’t kiss their sisters or leave them wanting for more of their kisses. That’s what C did to me. He crosses over to us and hugs Dani. She laughs when he places a sloppy kiss on her cheeks. There’s no trace of anger or annoyance to show she was scolding him earlier.
“Cathy, meet Calum, your brother.” He’s not my brother. We are not related. To Calum, she says, “Calum, meet your sister. Be nice to her.”
His nose flares. “Mum, I’m always nice.”
“Hmm, true.” Dani sizes her son up and smacks him playfully on his head. She mentioned a son, her only child but she didn’t say he was an adult male, a sexy one at that. “Pete is upstairs. He will be joining us in a bit.” She giggles like a little girl at the mention of my dad’s name. Me and Calum share a look. I’m the first to look away. I don’t want him to be my brother. She grabs his hand. “He’s so excited to meet you.”
Guess who isn’t excited to meet him? Me.
Side by side, the resemblance between the two of them becomes obvious. Identical blue eyes. Dirty blonde hair. Dani keeps her hair short, a little longer than a bob while Calum’s hair curls over his forehead. He could pass as Dad’s son based on eyes colours. Thankfully, he’s not. He’s not my brother.
“Where’s Amelia?” Dani directs at me.
“She can’t make it today,” I answer, gaze still glued to the floor. Our carpet is pretty. “Is Dad ready? I might have to go with him.”
Pushing me to the dining table, she says, “Yeah. He should be down in a minute. Finish up your breakfast so he will drop you off at school.”
“School?” Calum asks.
“Yeah, school. Carlton High. The best high school here within reasonable distance.” My heart shifts into overdrive. I school my face into a mask and pick the fork. Dani takes a seat at the head of the table. She’s not doing me a favour by freely giving Calum that information. “Her father is the principal”
A pin-drop silence settles over us. I don’t dare to look at Calum but I feel his gaze on the back of my head. I dig into my pancake that has lost its taste, chugging more of the milk to push the meal down.
Why did he have to show up today?
Calum heaves my backpack out of the second seat. “Is this yours?” Tongue tied, I can only nod. He settles into the empty seat. His knee brushes mine and I grip the glass. I clench my teeth when he throws an arm around my seat.
“I didn’t know you were in school, Cathy.” This is the first time he’s saying my name and it rolls off his tongue like the first part of a song. “You don’t look like you’re still in high school, sis.”
Because by nineteen, most people are in college, not high school. I might have lied.
“Really?” his mum cuts him off to defend me. I don’t want her to. She doesn’t understand what I did. “Weren’t you in high school at seventeen?” Dani adds a little too eagerly and I get the feeling she’s annoyed with her son. “Where would you prefer she was at this age? College?”
“Wait a fucking minute, Cathy is seventeen?”
“Calum,” his mum warns.
His head slowly turns to me, the familiarity in his eyes disappears and a cold glint creeps into them. Chills race down my spine. The pancake goes down the wrong pipe and I erupt in a coughing fit. Calum jumps into action, rubbing soothing circles on my back till I calm down.
“Sorry, sis,” he says in a tone as chilly as his smile.
Fuck him. I’m not and will never be his sister. He produces a handkerchief from his pocket for me to wipe off the mess I made on the dining table. I accept it with a big, fake smile.
“Thanks, bro.”
I should have taken Calum’s suggestion of a family dinner date. As I stare at the sauce in the pan, the colour changed by the black pepper I poured in, my brows wrinkle. This is not good. I touch the spatula to my palm to have a taste. It’s not horrible nor tasty but it’s edible. Turning off the cooker, I grab the plates for dinner from the cabinet.A kick from inside my belly has both hands lowering to cup my bump. I fold the hem of my shirt to reveal my protruding belly. This pregnancy is so much easier with Calum. I have someone to bother when the midnight cravings sweep in. Grabbing the plates and tray, I dish out dinner for Mace and I. Calum will be home past his son’s bedtime, thanks to Scott and the new album the band will be releasing next month.Through the open kitchen door, I try to spy on Mace. But the curly blondie is nowhere in sight. He must be playing with the guitar his dad gifted him on his last birthday. I’m not sure I want him to follow the same path as both of his
My ring is pretty. Too pretty. I stretch my hand in front of me and wiggle my fingers. Calum is all smiles beside me, and the rest of the table have similar grins. We changed tables when everyone arrived. Two bottles of wine sit open on the table. My glass is as full as it was when we shared a toast to my future with Calum. I can’t drink or eat with all the butterflies dancing in my belly.“Now we can call you Mrs Dissick,” Lucas says. The whole table laughs. They are all dressed so formally. No suits for them but matching button-up shirts and tailored slacks. Lucas even wore proper Oxford shoes.Rose smiles, and Taylor mirrors it. They are seated side by side. She glances at Calum, her red hair whooshing as she cocks her head.“You’re about to marry your stepbrother,” she whispers. Her voice is loud and carries round the table. The table falls quiet as nervousness creeps in. She brings her glass to her lips, offers a remorseful grin and gulps the entire content down. “Cheers.” Luca
CALUMI asked Pete’s permission to marry Cathy. I also asked Mum, and she was overly excited to give her blessings. Having both parents blessings builds my anxiety. I pace the entirety of our room, my sweaty palms closing and opening. Cathy is with her friends. Mace is with his grandparents.The phone on the bed rings. I jump. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and stalk to the bed to pick up the phone. It’s a missed call from Lucas. He didn’t even let it ring. I unlock the phone as a text from him enters. Luc: stop worrying. She will say yes.I roll my eyes at my screen, but a smile tugs the corners of my lips. Cathy has no choice. She’s my wife. Walking back to the front of the mirror, I smoothen my tux and adjust my stripped tie. My curls cling to my scalp, thanks to the excess gel I applied earlier. I massage my clean-shaven jaw, and the same hand slides to the back of my neck.The last time I had to dress formally was when I was Cathy’s music teacher. I spin as the door opens
Dad’s here. Oh my God. Dad is here. Dad. Jason. Rose and Taylor. I’m vibrating with happiness, too stunned to move or react. Calum nudges me with his hip, and I snap out of it. I jump into Dad’s arms, trying to draw all four of them into a hug.Laughter rings out around me as we tear away from the group hug. Dad grins. I smile but it wanes when I notice more of his grey hairs. I pat the greying hairs at his temples and his hand covers mine. He has aged.“You came,” I say to him.“Calum arranged it,” he replies.I hug him again. Only him. My tears wet his shirt as he strokes my lower back. A tug on the hem of my top forces us to break apart.“Mama,” Mace says. Squatting to his height, I offer him a weak smile. He wipes my wet cheeks, and his lips purse. “Mama. No cry.” “No crying for Mama,” I whisper. I hear a chorus of awws and oos, but I don’t look around. Handing Mace to Calum, I take turns hugging my best friends. I hug Jason last, and I hug him the longest. He’s a huge reminder
It’s the last day of the Manchester tour. We can spend a few days before leaving. There are mixed reactions to this. I’m excited to move to another city but reluctant to leave all the memories we created here. Calum doesn’t care as long as we are by his side.“What are you thinking?” Calum asks.His lips brush the space between my boobs. Hooded eyes stare at me, causing a flip in my belly. My lips part, but my reply dies on my tongue as his hairy jaw scratches my nipple. I shiver, and he offers me a wicked grin. On some days, like today, I find it impossible to believe this man was a virgin until me. I run my fingers through the mess of his hair. His fingers dip into my warmth, teasing a little to remind me how we spent our night. I’m quickly relearning his taste.Calum is always super hyped after every performance and if I don’t get away from him as fast as possible, we will fuck in whatever space avai
Voices from outside drag me out of dreamland. I blink fast, staring at the ceiling until my mind reels to a stop. Calum’s side of the bed is empty. Same with Mace’s crib. I roll over to the other end of the bed, smiling at Mace’s empty crib. A knot twists in my belly as the memory of our late night and early morning activities flood my mind. I’m alone in the room, but my cheeks still heat up due to shyness.If Calum is not here, he must have gone to get Mace. Father and son are most likely together, bonding. I grab my phone from the nightstand. There are missed calls from Dad. After a long call with Dad, Jason, Taylor and Rose, I head into the bathroom.The boys are performing today but I’m not. As exciting as yesterday was, I need a break. Mace and I will watch from the VIP section. I wear one of Calum’s big shirts over my skimpy nightwear. Calum can hardly keep his hands to himself and he proved that last night with the numbe