Crying out, I clamped down on my lip hard, not wanting to alert him of my fall. But Cole peeked around the wall and eyed me as I clutched my foot. His face filled with disbelief, and I watched as his expression morphed into derision. “Seriously? What a drama queen. Is that how your mom managed to catch my dad’s attention too? I hope you get thrown out of the cheer team. They won’t have any use for someone as clumsy as you.”
He strode past me and I cowered, waiting for the heavy blow. Nothing happened, and I heard him pad up the stairs, leaving me to pick myself up from the floor. Somehow, somehow, I felt stupid, as if his words about me were true. I hated it. Why was I stupid enough to react to someone as cruel as Cole? I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. Stupid Ella. Stupid, stupid Ella. It wasn’t true. My mother and I may not have bottomless pockets, but that wasn’t why my mother had fallen for Marcus. But there was no point in trying to convince his sons, because why would they believe otherwise? They were unable to see past our poor background. They couldn’t see how sweet and caring my mother was, how she worried for you, how she wanted to know how your day went. They wouldn’t ever see that side of her because they didn’t give her a chance.
“Ella? Honey, what happened? Did u slip?”
I looked up to see my mother’s worried face. She still had her coat on. “Why are you so drenched? Didn’t the boys give you a ride home?”
“I chose to walk,” I lied. “Thought I would enjoy it. Then my phone battery ran out so...”
She tsk-tsked but then stopped when I took too long to get up from the floor. Reaching for me, she asked, “What’s wrong with your foot?”
At that, my eyes threatened to tear up again. Cole was right, the team wouldn’t have any use for me now. “I twisted it when I slipped,” I replied simply. I did my best not to show my mom how emotional I was feeling. I felt like a seventeen-year-old crybaby, and I didn’t want to give Cole the satisfaction of knowing how much he had affected me.
“Oh, goodness. Let me get the boys to help you...”
“No! I mean,” I glanced around helplessly, hoping Susan or Marcus or even Hans would walk through the door. I knew my mother wasn’t strong enough to help me up to my room alone. “Okay.”
As if he was summoned, Cole bounded down the stairs and stopped short at the landing. “Elle? Oh my god, what happened? Are you alright? Here, let me help you...”
My mouth agape, I watched stupidly as he played the best stepbrother act I had ever seen. My mom appeared so grateful it looked like she might hug him. “And this is why we need men in the family.” I could almost hear her clap her hands with joy.
Cole – and it was Cole, I could tell from the glint in his eyes – put his arm around my torso to support me then took my arm and placed it around his shoulders. He was quite a bit taller so this wasn’t the most comfortable position for me, but I suspected that that was the point. He smelled really, really good – that combination of spice-and-mint again - and I shuddered realizing how attractive he was. I was going to have to start writing down all the horrible things he was doing to me to remind me not to go soft on him.
“Will you be okay to help her up the stairs?” my mother asked.
“Oh no problem, ma’am. Ella's not exactly the heaviest.” His tone was jolly, his charm fully switched on. From where we were standing, my mom could not possibly see how he was leering down at me. He made a point to look at my chest and because of how drenched I was, I could see that my nipples were peeking through my shirt. “No problem at all.”
I gritted my teeth, feeling my cheeks warm up. Was this how the next few days were going to be, at least until my ankle felt better? His proximity didn't help. I could feel his muscles flexing as he took most of my weight. I was happy when we reached my bedroom but was shocked when he started to pull off my sweater. “I can take off my clothes myself, thank you,” I gritted through clenched teeth. I was freezing and wanted him out of there as soon as possible so I could dry off and get into some warm clothes.
“Well, go on then, show me.”
He let go of me and I found myself teetering on one foot and then falling into a heap on the floor. I cried out in pain as my ankle twisted painfully again. He looked down at me, not bothering to help me up this time. Instead, he looked around the room, appearing bored. “Glad to see you haven't finished unpacking. It’ll be a chore to pack everything up again once you go.”
I could almost hear his evil cackle. “Go! Leave me. You're not being helpful anyway.”
No sooner had the words escaped my mouth did I feel his fingers against my throat again, squeezing, his face right against in mine. He replied, “I hope you're not mistaking my actions as being helpful. Let there be no doubt. You. Are. Not. Welcome. Here. Don't even think of trying to fit into this
