The Step-Brother

Chapter 12:Dreams,Questions&Secrets

"Wake up sleeping beauty," Jade heard in the distance of her mind. Who was that? The voice was so sweet and calming, but where was it coming from? Fog lessened the amount of visibility that Jade could see, but an outline of something in the distance caught her eye. She slowly walked through the thick fog, glancing at the floor ever so often. The closer she got to the particularly large object there was a light that glowed brighter from somewhere above. She stopped when the light hit her face. 

"Oh my god!" Jade said, covering her mouth. She was staring down at a white bed, filled with white rose petals and three big pillows we're sitting near the bed post. "It's so beautiful!" she whispered, picking up a couple of petals in her hand.

"It's just as beautiful as you," the same voice as before called out. Jade looked around for the voice, but the fog was too thick to see through.

"Hello!!" Jade yelled. 

"That dress looks really attractive on you." Jade looked down, noticing the white evening gown that flowed down her body. She wasn't wearing this before was she? "I bet you look a lot better with it off though."

"Excuse me?" Jade nervously laughed, looking around again.

"You can stop looking for me, I'm right here." Jade turned around making out a densely outline of a male form coming from the other side of the bed. 

"Zach!" Jade said. Her breath caught in her throat when she noticed what HE was wearing! It was the same outfit he wore in that picture in the back of his book. Except, the white buttoned up shirt was freely opened exposing his chest.

Zach smiled and beamed. "So are you going to take that off or am I going to do it myself?" he asked using his sexy smile at the end.

Jade cocked her head to the side in annoyance. "Excuse me?" Jade said, crawling up on the bed and moved towards him. "You have no right to talk to me in that way asshole. Anyway, what the hell are we doing here?" She stopped in the middle of the bed and sat down on her legs.

"We…are…here…because," Zach said inching his form on the bed and crawled toward Jade. He stopped inches away from her and smiled, she returned the favor nervously. "There's some sexual tension between us!"

"Sexual what now?" Jade asked, staring at Zach confusingly.

"We both want the same thing, so why don't we just do it!" Zach said, touching her shoulder.

Jade looked at him disgustedly and smacked his hand. Something about his touch just wasn't right. "What's wrong with you, you're not acting like yourself Zach!" Zach widened his smile and backed away from her.

"I'm not Zach!" he said, raising his hand to his face. Jade watch in horror as Zach pulled his face off slowly. Damn it if he wasn't right he wasn't Zach…it was Josh! "Now, how about getting you out of that dress!?" 

Josh advanced toward Jade slowly and she couldn't move. She tried to scream, but she couldn't! She tried to move her arms, but she couldn't! What the hell was going on with her? Hands crept up her back and a swift breeze of air hit her back. She tried to look behind her, but no such luck!

"Josh?" she asked calmly, as the dress was being pulled down her body. "Josh, don't do this!" she pleaded to him.

"Why not huh?" Josh asked cynically. "You won't give me anything else! No kiss no hug..." Josh moved in front of her and smiled evilly, trailing his finger on the front hook of her bra. "So if I can't get anything else, I'm going to take the one thing that matters to you." Jade watched Josh undo her bra and he pushed it off her shoulder. Then her roughly threw her back on the bed.

"Josh…" Jade pleaded again. "Don't do this please…"

"You've been using me Jade," he angrily said climbing over her body. "You're in love with Zach, but you still led me on."

"In love…with Zach…" Jade whispered to herself.

"To think I thought you were the one!"

"Josh I never meant to hurt you…"

"Fuck you!" Josh said. He closed his eye and chuckled. "And I think that's exactly what I'm going to do," he laughed evilly. A rip there, a tear here and Jade was helpless. "Are you ready Jade?"

"No! Please don't Josh!!" Jade screamed, hot tears rolled down her eyes.

"Jade!" another voice called out. "Jade!" 

"Huh," Jade muttered, opening her eyes. She saw an asphalt road and the sun was shining in her eyes. 

"Jade are you ok?" Jade smoothed her hands on her face, noticing everything had changed. She wasn't in a bed…she was in the rental car with Zach driving beside her. "Jade!"

"I'm ok," Jade softly said and looked around. She settled back in her seat and sighed. "Umm…where are we?"

Zach glanced at her confusingly. "We're in Texas now! Good thing you woke up in time, to show me the way to your mom's house," Zach laughed, but cut it short. He was more concerned with the look on Jade's face when she'd woken up. "Feeling ok?"

"Yea sure, I guess I had a nightmare or something!" Jade said, smiling weakly. 

"If you're sure, then do you recognize anything around here?" Zach pointed out. Jade looked out the window and she did notice the area.

"This is where I use to go shopping with my girlfriends over there. Oh…oh that's the restaurant where we used to hang out," Jade said happily. "We're not that far away from home. Just take a left at that light and then go about two miles down…" 

Jade pointed out all the hotspots to Zach as they passed them and gave directions to her mother's house. Or should it be their mother's house? She looked at Zach and smiled. It was so weird! Not, just because of all the emotions and feelings she was going through, but because the way it was planned out. They were going to visit her mother's house, but wasn't her mother considered to be Zach's mother now too! And what the hell was up with that dream? She loved Zach? 

"Is that it?" Zach said stopping the car. Jade looked out, happy to focus on something else, and looked at the house in front of her. Everything erased from her mind that she had worried about. Seeing her house again she couldn't help but smile. She was back home after staying away for about…four months but, they had been the longest months of her life!

Jade got out of the car and stared at the house. Everything was the same still, but something was different about it that she couldn't put her finger on. It was still that cute tannish color that reflected the look of the big hills in the background. The yard was full of plant life, showing that her mother still had an excellent green thumb. Jade took in the air, able to smell the fresh country air. It was so different from the business and city life air. 

"Oh it's just as I remembered it," Jade sighed, wrapping her arms around her chest.

"It's nice, I can really see you growing up here," Zach said, coming from out the car. He joined Jade in front of the car and nudged her with his shoulder. "Nervous!?"

"Why would I be nervous about coming home?" Jade asked.

"I don't know…" Zach said. "I just thought you would be. But, since your not, we should go and say hi!" Zach walked up the neat little brick walkway and Jade followed behind him. "Sarah really loves her flowers."

"She's been doing ever since I was little. I even had the joy, as a kid, to help her plant something things," Jade said, as they stopped in front of the door.

"You…planted something? How long was it until it died?" Zach joked. 

Jade slapped his arm cruelly. "Don't play around you bastard. That's the kind of thing that will make me kill your ass!"

"You won't kill me because you enjoy my companionship," Zach said with a smile. 

"Don't be so full of yourself!" Jade said rolling her eyes. She raised her hand to knock on the door when she noticed a white piece of paper swaying in the wind. She ripped the, taped up, paper off the door. "It's mom's handwriting, it says: Dear kids, Me and Jacob didn't know if you guys were going to make it home today, but if you do that's wonderful! Jacob and I had errands and things to do today! You kids can get settled in; because the door is unlocked and you won't need a key. We should be back by eleven tonight or so, we have a dinner date with the Vicks, so eat dinner. Everything you need is inside and Jade, Grams and Pops are coming over tomorrow, so Zach will…" Jade trailed and looked at Zach. "…stay with you in your old room. Jacob was nice enough to move the spare bed from the guestroom into yours. (It's the twin one sweetheart!) It shouldn't be a problem since Grams and Pops will be sharing the king size bed in the guestroom. Kids we love you both and see you soon! Love Mom and Dad!"

"That leaves about five or so hours till they get home, maybe we should unpack and everything, what do you think?" Zach asked, looking down at Jade who crumbled the note in her hand.

"Ok!" Jade smiled and nervously moved a strand of her hair behind her ears. She turned around and walked to the car. "Don't just stand there asshole, you've got the keys to the car!" Zach opened the trunk while Jade went inside the car to get her 'bag' from the back seat. As she reached for the bag she noticed something hiding underneath the driver's seat.

"Do you want me to take this heavy suitcase for you?" Zach asked. 

"Uh…yea, but be careful I have something breakable in there," Jade yelled, looking at him in the trunk area.

"Ok then!" Jade looked back down at the 'mysterious thing' and tried to reach for it, but she couldn't get it.

"Dammit!" Jade sighed. She looked up carefully, watching Zach walk up the walkway and inside the house. This was her opportunity to check the thing out quickly. Jade crawled in the backseat, ducking down on the floor of the car. She reached out, pulling the 'mysterious thing' out from its hiding spot. She gasped when she noticed it wasn't a 'mysterious thing', it was a wrapped up gift, or so it looked. Pulling it out further she flipped it over noticing a to and from on the underbelly. "From: Zach To: A very special person." 

"Are you ever coming out of the car?" Zach called to Jade, making her jump slightly. She stuffed the gift back underneath the seat and grabbed her bag, crawling back to the front of the car. 

"Umm…yea…I had to get me bag," Jade responded. She opened her door and jumped out of the car, becoming face to face with Zach. "What?" Jade asked tensely, clutching the bag tightly in her right hand.

Zach looked over her shoulder suspiciously. "Hmmm…you need to show me where I can put my things. I think I need a tour of the house anyway."

"Follow me then," Jade said grabbing his hand. What was the meaning of that gift? Could it possible be for his dad or Sarah? Or could it even be for her? If it was how dare he get her a gift!? 

"Ok! I've seen the ever so popular kitchen, which leads to the in ground pool, and the living room, but what's down the hall?" Zach asked as he strolled back into the living room. He stuck his hands into his jeans and looked down the very wide hallway.

"Down there are the bedrooms and bathrooms," Jade said walking in front of him.

"Going to show me!?" Zach asked slyly, licking his lips seductively. 

Jade smiled slightly and turned around. "I will, but don't touch anything!" She turned around and pointed her finger in Zach's direction. "No puns intended!"

"What? I wasn't thinking about anything."

"Whatever, come on," Jade said, beginning to walk down the hall. "This is the parent's room, my room, the bathroom. And down that hallway is the guestroom and their bathroom. Do you have any questions?" Jade turned around only to notice that Zach wasn't behind her. She saw that her door was opened and walked in. 

"I never thought your room would be pink and full of teddy bears!" Zach said inspecting a shelf full of cute stuffed animals. 

Everything looked the same when she had left home. Her desk, curtains and bed were all in the same spots. The only thing that had changed was her bookshelf, which was across from her bed, was replaced by a twin bed. Jade watched Zach move over from the shelf, to the window that was beside her desk. She was going to be sharing a room with him! But, it would be almost the same as in the townhouse, except their on opposite ends of the same room!

"How about I bring our things in here hmm?" Zach said. Jade shook her head in compliance moving so he could get by. She walked over to the edge of her bed and sat down. Rubbing her arms together she sighed, looking across from her at Zach's bed. It looked so comfortable and inviting. "What the hell do you have in this suitcase anyway…bricks?" Zach asked, as he entered the room. 

"A woman has a lot of belongings that's a must you know. Just place it behind me," Jade told him. 

Zach placed the suitcase down on Jade's bed behind her and stretched. "I'm beginning to wonder what you really have in here!" Zach said unzipping the suitcase.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jade surprisingly said, turning around after she heard the zip. She sat up and quickly tried to pry his hands off the zipper. "You can't just open my personal things you asshole!" Try with all her might Jade couldn't get him away from the suitcase and she sat back on the bed.

"Oh my," Zach said with a whistle. "I didn't take you as the type to wear thongs!" Zach said amusingly, pulling out a blue lacy one.

"Prick, jackass, bastard…" Jade screamed and grabbed the item out of his hand. Zach laughed and stepped away from the suitcase. "Asshole!" Jade, red-faced, began to zip her suitcase back up.

"I'm sorry! I was just kidding around with you, but I like what I found!" 

Jade turned around to catch Zach's wide tooth grin and she crossed her arms. "You think that's funny!? Well!!" She stormed over to his side of the room and grabbed his suitcase and began to unzip it. "Aren't you going to stop me?" she asked looking over at Zach, who was still standing on her side of the room.

"Be my guest and open my things," Zach said with a smile. And Jade did exactly that. She opened the case noticing nothing out of the familiar, nor anything that she could possibly tease him with. She shut the suitcase and gave out an exasperated sigh.

Jade laughed. "Why the hell am I doing this? I'm stooping down to your childish behavior and why?"

"Because you like it when I act like this," Zach said modestly. 

"Don't lie to yourself!"

"Don't lie to yourself!" Zach said, giving Jade a warm smile. 

"Stop patronizing me! You know what!? Stay right there!" Jade yelled. She ran out of the room, grabbing the car keys and went out the front door. "He wants to play…ok I can play." Jade opened the car door and jumped to the backseat of the car, bending down to grab the gift that was underneath the driver's seat. She got out of the car and held the gift behind her back.

"I was beginning to get worried," Zach said when Jade entered the room. He was sitting comfortably on his bed and looked as though he had been unpacking some of his things.

"You like to go into my personal things, so I go into yours!" Jade chimed and bit the bottom of her lip.

"I told you, you can go through my suitcase if you wanted," Zach laughed. 

"Care to explain…" Jade stated as she pulled the gift from behind her back. 

"Uhhhh…"

"To: A very special person…hmm? Who could this very special person be?" Jade asked. 

"Ummm…look uhhhh…give it here," Zach said standing up off the bed and approaching her. 

"Oh, did I strike a nerve with you? Who's it to huh?" Jade placed the gift behind her back when Zach was a mere inch from her.

"It's to no one in particular just give it back."

"No."

"Jade…"

"I'm not giving it to you," Jade taunted. She walked to her bed and sat down. "Until you tell me who it's too!"

"Don't make me say Jade." 

Jade frowned when she noticed his expression drop. "Is…is…is this for a girl you like?"

"Umm…" Zach said quietly and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Who's this for Zach?" Jade asked again, smiling weakly.

"It's….umm…it's…for…" Zach stammered. "It's for Olivia!"