The Step Brother

Chapter Two

two weeks later

"Holy shit." I gasp to myself once I step into the foyer of the beautiful mansion my father calls home. After he came to collect me from Arizona, we caught up (to my dismay) and I've learned he now lives in San Diego. At first, that fact had made me even more reluctant to move. Like hell did I want to spend the rest of high school with stuck-up California girls, but looking out at the ocean view through the floor-length windows, it's not so bad. I think I could get used to this.

Dad excused himself to his home office telling me to make myself at home, but I'm not sure if this place will ever feel like home. Mom and me lived in a decent home and I couldn't complain about it, but this house... it's really over the top. It's like a celebrity lives here.

I make my way up the grand stair case and try to find the room Dad said was now mine, and locate it after two minutes of searching. There has to be at least ten rooms on this floor alone... that's definitely not necessary for my single father.

Opening the door, I realize I must have made a mistake. Maybe he said on the left, not the right? I don't know, but this certainly cannot be my room. The room is already full of items ranging from a queen-sized bed full of purple pillows and blankets, a large white desk supporting a computer, a massive window displaying the beautiful Pacific Ocean and an expansive walk in closet... and then I notice my name in white letters hanging on the wall. A little childish, but effective. Why is this room already made up for me?

I don't know what to feel about it all, but I know that I'm exhausted from the trip here, and I drop my bags to the floor and fall back on the bed. Oh God, this is the most comfortable bed I have ever laid on.

"Chloe?" Dad quietly says my name while knocking on the door.

I wake up slowly and look at the clock to see that I've fallen asleep for a few hours.

"Sorry to wake you, but dinner's in an hour. I have some people I would like you to meet." He explains from the door.

"Uh, okay... I'll just shower and be come down." I respond. I'm still not 100% with him yet. He hurt me and Mom so much by walking out so long ago, and I can't forgive him quite yet. He's obviously trying, I think to myself as I remember the room he has ready for me, but he has eight years to make up for.

"Of course. There's a bathroom through the closet." He points to the large closet while leaning against the door frame. "So do you like it?" He looked around the spacious room, proud of his work.

"Yes, it's nice. Thank you."

"Good, Anne has great taste I suppose. I'll have to tell her you like it." He smiled genuinely.

Anne? Must be his interior decorator or something. I'm sure he didn't decorate this ridiculously enormous house himself.

"All right... I'll be down in a little bit..." I awkwardly rock back and forth on my heels waiting for him to leave so I can grab a shower.

"Oh right, yeah. See you in a bit." God, this is painfully awkward. We still have such a weird relationship... He's trying to make up for lost time while making sure I'm okay after Mom's death and a part of me still hates him, but we're both working at this. We know we're stuck with each other, so we're trying our best.

Once he finally leaves, I make my way to the my own en-suite bathroom with matching purple walls and towels to go with my bedroom.

"Chloe!" Dad calls from downstairs just as I zip up my blue sundress. Growing up in the middle of a desert, I took a liking to the light-weight of dresses. And since I live on the ocean now, I guess my wardrobe full of them won't go to waste.