1- WIN
I had been running around, making sure everything was back in order for her arrival.
Mum had been gone for a month, so I had thrown a few parties in her absence.
I scrubbed our "obnoxiously large for just two people" double storey house from top to bottom, making sure to clear any trace of the carnage that had been left behind, before heading outside and sitting on the front step to wait for mum.
She was only supposed to be on her business trip for a week, but the clients she was supposed to be procuring had some setbacks and her trip was extended.
I was thankful though.
A week without my mum was definitely not long enough. We didn't exactly get along too well since she left my dad. She was one of those ridiculously spontaneous people that was generally too caught up in her own little bubble to pay much attention to me. Which ended up working in my favour though, because it meant I could do whatever I wanted, when I wanted, and she was completely oblivious.
I sat there finishing my smoke, completely lost in thought.
I'm both curious and terrified, mum said that she had a surprise for me when I spoke to her earlier. Not once has one of her "surprises" been a good thing. The last one was "we are moving to the other side of the country tomorrow, because I feel like it".
An unfamiliar SUV pulled up in our driveway, and my mum hopped out of the passenger's seat. She bounded over to me and wrapped me in an enormous hug, planting kisses all over my face.
"Winston!! My beautiful boy! I missed you so much sweetie!"
I rolled my eyes at her. "Ughh!! Don't call me that, mum.... I missed you too..."
I watched as a man I had never seen before got out of the drivers seat, and walked over to us. He wrapped his arms around my mums waist and kissed her cheek, before extending a hand towards me for a handshake.
"You must be Winston! I'm Alexander. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, your mother has told me so much about you." He beamed, a wide smile plastered on his face, showing off every single one of his perfect white teeth.
I looked him up and down curiously. This guy looked like he had just walked off the cover of some money magazine, from his slicked back light brown hair, down to his impeccably polished business shoes. His suit screamed "big money", and the gold brand of the thick black spectacles that framed his eyes glinted on the side of them in the sunlight. Gucci. This guy was either fucking loaded, or wearing a lot of very convincing knock offs.
"Nice to meet you too? I'm sorry, I'm a little bit lost here... Mum? What's going on?"
They looked at each other, as I stared in confusion. Mum let out a deep breath before she cautiously spoke.
"Oooookay, so you know how I said I had a surprise for you?" She said, sounding awfully guity.
"Oh dear god, what have you done woman?!"
"Well, Alexander here... Is your new step father! We got married in London!"
I was speechless.
One month, and she had married some British guy without even so much as a heads up.
I stood there completely dumb founded, while my brain tried to process what was happening. Mum looked worried at my silence.
"Winston, honey? Are you okay?"
".... Mhm"
I was very far from being okay.
I turned and walked inside without another word, because I knew that the next words that were going to come out of my mouth would probably have been a string of profanities.
I quickly climbed the stairs to my bedroom and lit up a cigarette as soon as the door was closed. Usually I would at least sit on my windowsill to smoke, but the thoughts in my head began to grow louder and louder, making me feel lightheaded. I flopped down onto my bed and blasted some music through my headphones to drown out the swirling thoughts that were threatening to explode.
A few hours had passed, and I was woken by my phone buzzing next to my head. I had apparently fallen asleep after I had finished my smoke, and my mum had text me telling me to wash up before dinner.
Begrudgingly, I slowly got up and made my way to my bathroom to wash my hands before heading downstairs. I opened the door and locked eyes with the most beautiful emerald green ones I had ever seen.
My eyes involuntarily wandered, taking in the entirety of the tall, freshly showered stranger in front of me, who was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped low around his hips.
The water droplets on him glistened in the evening sun that came through the skylight, giving his perfect body an almost god-like glow. His broad, muscular shoulders and chest, came down into a slim, yet perfectly toned waist and a ridiculously symmetrical six pack.
I'm not saying I'm gay or anything, but I could appreciate a perfectly sculpted body when I saw one.
My eyes travelled back up to his face, admiring his full, luscious lips, straight yet soft nose, and those gorgeous fucking seductive eyes..... Eyes that were wandering up and down my body too, before meeting my gaze again.
I quickly snapped out of my daze as he ran a hand through his thick, almost black, damp hair, pushing the longer section of hair in the middle back off of his face.
"Uh... Fuck.... S-Sorry...."
I awkwardly stammered, as I rushed back out and closed the door behind me. I could just make out a slight chuckle coming from inside the bathroom, which made me blush a little as I headed down towards the dining room.
What the hell was that? Who the hell was that? Half naked..... In my bathroom..
I took a seat across from my mum and Alexander at the dinner table, still in shock from what had just happened.
"Winston? You look a little flushed, do you feel okay?" Mum leant over and placed a hand to my forehead to check for a fever.
"... Mum, who-"
" -Grayson darling! Come take a seat! Oh I'm so excited to have our first family dinner together!"
Mum hadn't seemed to realize that I had even been speaking when she cut me off.
Grayson sat in the seat to my left and glared at me, while I looked between him and my mum in confusion.
"F-Family?"
There was a hint of annoyance in her next words. Apparently I had already done something to put her in a mood.
"Yes dear, family. If you hadn't stormed off earlier you would have known that you also have a step brother. This is Grayson."
I turned to face Grayson, who was still casting evil sidelong glances at me as he stuffed his face with pizza. I glared back at him hard. There was something about this guy that pissed me off already.
Mum continued to speak, completely oblivious to the filthy looks we were giving each other.
"He will be starting at your school on Monday. Grayson is only six months younger than you, so he will be a senior too. I really hope you boys will be able to get along like brothers. Winston must get lonely with me working so much."
"I'm fine mum.." I rolled my eyes, knowing that she thought I was some socially awkward loner.
In reality, I just hated people. Well, 98% of people at least. I had met a few decent ones.
"Don't worry Bethany, I'm sure we will get along perfectly...." Grayson remarked, with an over the top fake smile which of course, my mum took as genuine.
His stupid British accent prickled my nerves.
I already wanted to punch this guy in his stupid perfect face.
