SCORE (A Stepbrother Sports Romance)
Mia Carson
Alyssa
Blake’s bedroom, I thought with disdain as I set down another box in the empty bedroom upstairs. Blake was my new stepbrother, and I cringed at the thought of having to live with someone I’d disliked my entire life. As I walked downstairs to grab more boxes, I saw him walking around the house, looking like he was judging his new home and finding it lacking.
I remembered the first time I met Blake when we were in high school. I thought he was so handsome with his silky blond hair and dazzling green eyes, but time revealed that Blake and I were very different. I grew to dislike him. He was just another shallow football player, as stupid and egotistical as they could possibly come. Despite knowing the type of person he was, underneath my disdain was still an unlikely attraction that I couldn’t deny. Perversely, that attraction made me dislike him even more, like it was something he did deliberately to torment me.
I stepped onto the moving truck, and Debbie handed me another box. She grabbed the last one and smiled at me. “All done!”
I managed a small smile. “Great.”
Debbie was Blake’s surprisingly kind mom—nothing like her son. I was glad my father had found someone he loved so much, which was the only reason I agreed to her and Blake moving in. While I already regretted it, I was determined to make it work, for their sakes.
We headed upstairs, and I tossed the last box in Blake’s room, where he was unpacking. He smiled slyly and said, “Careful with my stuff there, kid. It’s fragile.”
I allowed myself a scowl and left the room in a huff, hurrying to my room to shower the disgusting sweat off my face and body, relieved to be done moving their stuff. After my shower, I went downstairs, where Dad was helping Debbie unpack her kitchen supplies. He looked up at me with a huge smile, and I reminded myself that my dad’s happiness was important.
“Hey, Lyssa honey, we’re going out for pizza later since it’s kind of late to cook. Sound good?” Dad asked, beaming at me next to his new wife.
I smiled. “Sure, sounds good.”
I helped unpack until Dad called out that it was time to go. I grabbed my jacket and my wallet and bounced to the car, suddenly starved. All the energy I had used helping Blake and Debbie move in had left my stomach empty, and it growled in ravenous agreement. I popped open the back door, slid in, and found Blake already there. I frowned, keeping tightly to my side of the car. Stupidly, I’d forgotten—just for a moment—that he would be coming with us. Blake, oddly enough, must have shared some of my discomfort. He glowered and shifted in his seat, as if to increase the space between us. For some weird reason, that rankled me.
Our parents chattered happily as we drove to the restaurant, and while I tried to keep my attention on my phone or out the window, the proximity between Blake and I was distracting. I could feel an unfamiliar, almost electric tension buzz between us. The shadows cast on his face from the evening sky through the window made him look dark and enigmatic, and they highlighted his strong facial features. I imagined caressing his face, and inexplicably, small trembles ran through my body. Angry at my instinctual reaction, I turned sharply to stare at the moving landscape. I would have to stay away from him as much as possible. I couldn’t let his good looks and that silent, smoldering something he possessed get the best of me.
I was finally able to breathe when we got out of the car at the restaurant. I took a deep breath and followed my family inside. We were seated quickly, and Dad and Debbie sat across from each other, leaving the empty seat in front of me for Blake. He slid into the chair and flashed me a devilish smile. I couldn’t be sure, but I had an unsettling feeling that he was mocking me. Had he sensed my discomfort in the car and assumed it was due to the odd magnetic attraction that I struggled to conceal? Awkwardly, I looked away from his teasing gaze and took refuge in my disdain.
I glared at the menu, hoping he wouldn’t hear my stomach rumbling. We ordered and waited for our pizza, and I sipped quietly on my iced tea. Debbie looked at me and asked, “So, Alyssa, are you excited about your first semester at college?”
I nodded and swallowed my tea. “Super excited. The chemistry and engineering program I’m enrolled in will be challenging.”
As I explained to Debbie about schoolwork and what I was studying, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blake listening, most likely judging me for being such a dork. It didn’t matter, though. I loved learning, and once I was on campus, I’d barely see him, anyway.
“What about you, Blake?” my father asked, turning to look at him.
Blake shrugged and said nothing. His mother chimed in and answered for him. “We still haven’t decided yet. Blake has so many talents.”
I snorted out loud. The thought of Blake being considered good at anything besides football was hilarious. My snort earned me harsh looks from both Debbie and my father, and I quickly apologized. Blake smirked at me from across the table, juvenile and oddly playful even though I had just laughed at him. I ignored the quick start of surprise.
The pizza arrived, pulling the attention away from me. We ate in silence for the most part as any conversation seemed somewhat forced. Halfway through the meal, Blake nudged my foot. I looked at him and with a clenched jaw, kicked him back. He smiled, indicating I clearly hadn’t hurt him. In another few minutes, he did it again, knocking against me with his foot. I ignored him, but he did it again, so this time I kicked him hard, really hard. He let out a surprised yelp, but I looked innocently down at my food.