Falling For My Stepbrother

Chapter Fifteen: Stunned

Chapter Fifteen

The sound of a loud horn honking caused me to jump up from my sleep later in the evening. Through bleary eyes I glanced wildly around. I then realised I had passed out on the couch amidst watching my show after the encounter earlier with Tyler. For added proof, the television was still on. Little Susie was seated on the floor, messily cramming some Lucky Charms into her rosebud mouth. She appeared to be watching Sesame Street. Groaning, I turned my eyes away from that horrible show.

I got up off the couch and walked over to the nearest window, taking a quick peek outside. Ronald's van was in the driveway. I spotted him and my mother getting out of the vehicle. They had returned from their respective jobs. I ran to open the door for them as quickly as I could.

"Good afternoon, honey," Mom said to me as she unbuckled her high heeled shoes and placed them on the nearby shoe rack.

"Good afternoon, Mom. Good afternoon, Ronald," I said rather humbly.

"Good afternoon, Annabella. How was your day at home with Susie here?" Ronald asked me in a pleasant tone of voice.

"It was pretty fine. We ordered up some pizza and watched a few toddler shows together," I replied. Which reminded me of the change from the twenty he'd given me. I dug into my jean's pocket and handed it to him. "The change from ordering the pizza,"

"Oh, that's fine. You can keep the change," Ronald said distractedly as he strolled into the hallway.

"Daddy!" Susie cried happily as she got up and rushed over to her father.

"How's my little princess doing?" Ronald laughed as he lifted her up and swung her around in the air.

Watching them, I coudn't help but feel a little sad as I thought of my own father back at home. Any bet that he would be treating that new baby Meredith was having quite the same way that Ronald was treating Susie. It made me a bit angry to know that my dad was choosing some baby that was apparently an apology from the condom factory  over me, Bailey, and Jeff, children who were actually planned to be born.

"I'm okay, daddy. Annabella got me pizza and stuff," Susie answered in her cute little voice, looking down at me with adoring blue eyes.

I gave her a bright smile.

"How are you, Susie?" My mom asked, leaning over to kiss the toddler on her cheek. "Mwah!"

Susie ducked her head shyly. She still hadn't grown accustomed to my mom's presence around here but didn't necessarily found her as a threat, either. I knew that she would grow to love and appreciate my mom as much as I did overtime.

"Where's Tyler?" asked my mother. She turned to Ronald."Didn't you say he would be home by today from his soccer camp?"

Ronald sighed. "Yes, I did. He's probably holed up in his room as usual, unless he left the house to go hang out with his friends without letting me know,"

"He's upstairs," I said to Ronald.

"Would you mind running upstairs and fetching him down here for a second, Annabella? I want him to get acquainted with both you and your mother better," Ronald said.

Mom nodded in agreement. "Go on up and do just that for us please, sweetie. I'll be down here cooking up a nice dinner for us all-"

"No, don't bother about that, Rachel." Ronald interrupted. "There's a new restaurant that has opened downtown. I was thinking that we could all head over there for dinner tonight. How does that sound?"

"That sounds splendid, dear. Less cooking for me," Mom said way eagerly, causing Ronald to laugh.

Then arm in arm, they strolled over to the couch and sat down near each other, switching the channel from Susie's toddler show to some dumb adult show. Susie didn't notice, for she scrambled up the stairs close at my heels as I headed up the staircase.