Chapter 1

Cora

A ge 14

It’s like something from a fairytale. Every time I see this place, I think I’m dreaming. That I’m going to wake up and none of it is going to be real. Like how is someone like me going to be living in a place that looks like it’s fit for royalty?

“Cora. Would you please help me out with that box,” my dad shouts, snapping me out of the awe I feel as I stare up at this massive house.

“Yeah, sorry.” I shake my head and grab the box from the trunk.

Today we’re moving into my new stepmom’s house. She’s a really nice woman with a sweet smile and a kind voice. I knew I liked her from the moment I met her. She’s every girl’s dream mother.

Not that I’d know what it would feel like to have a mom. Mine passed away when I was too young to remember her. All I know about her is that my dad loved her, but she loved drugs more than us.

He raised me with the help of my grandparents but not long after my tenth birthday, they passed away, leaving my dad to raise a teenage girl all on his own.

For the most part it wasn’t too bad. Dad’s job makes him good money, so we’ve been pretty well off. I haven’t wanted for anything.

Okay, that's a lie. A part of me always had that need for a mom. Someone to talk to about everything I’ve been going through.

I’m a fourteen, almost fifteen-year-old teenage girl. No girl wants to have the ‘where do babies come from and why am I bleeding; am I dying?’ talk with their dad. Especially not someone like mine. He’s not a bad guy or anything, we’ve just never been close. We don’t talk about anything personal, I hardly even know what he does for work.

My life consists of going to school, hanging out with my friends, and boys. All typical things for a teenage girl.

At least it was until my dad made us move two states over. Now I’m heading into 10th grade at a new school, new home, new everything.

While this house is nice and so is my stepmom, I didn’t want to move.

“Cora, honey,” Rose says as she comes down the stairs. Her brown hair is pulled up in a messy bun. This is the first time I’ve seen her so casual. Usually she’s dressed in name brand dresses that cost more than the average car.

But today she’s in leggings and an off shoulder sweater.

A smile takes over my face. She has that effect on you. You can’t help but feel good whenever she’s in the room.

“Hi.”

“Your room is all ready for you. It’s the top floor, take a right, last door on the left.”

“Okay.” I nod and head up the stairs. When I get to the top, I take a look down and see Rose and my dad embracing each other.

They look happy, in love. I’m glad for them. I’ve never seen my dad like this. Maybe, maybe, she can change him. Maybe she’s the answer to getting the dad I’ve always wanted.

Shaking my head out of those silly thoughts, I head down the hallway to the door Rose mentioned.

“Wow,” I whisper to myself, eyes widening as I step inside the room.

It’s nothing like my old one, that's for sure. No posters on the wall, no single bed in the corner, not a fuzzy rug next to it.

No, this one is fancy. But it’s also the perfect rich girl teenage room. A queen size bed sits against the right wall. It’s got a white diamond cushioned headboard. A cream-colored bed set with a beige throw blanket lying across the bottom.

At the foot, there’s a white-cushioned bench. The windows are draped with light gray elegant drapes. But the thing that catches my eye the most is the stunning crystal chandler.

Slowly, I make my way deeper into the room and place my box on the bed. Forgetting about helping dad with anything else, I check out the closet. “Holy shit.” My eyes widen as lights turn on when I open the door, revealing a huge walk in closet. It’s almost as big as my old room. Who would have enough clothes to fill this thing?

I know I sure as heck don’t. I maybe have four boxes of clothes. I used to have a bunch, but I didn’t wear them. Why keep things when it’s just going to sit there and never get worn?

Shaking my head, I step out of the closet.

“Well, Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore,” I whisper to myself.

“I thought your name was Cora.”

My head snaps up and over to the door. Eyes widening, my lips slowly part when I find the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in my whole life.

I’m not even joking. It’s like the gods hand-picked him from heaven themselves.

He watches me, leaning against the door frame, this lazy smirk taking over his handsome face.

“I-a-I....” I struggle to speak. Gosh, this is embarrassing. He chuckles, running a hand through his messy brown hair.

“If I didn’t just hear you talking to yourself, I’d think you didn’t know how to talk.” He raises an amused brow, shoving his hands into his expensive looking brown slacks that pairs well with his white polo.

My cheeks heat. “I can talk.”

“So you can.” He grins harder.

“And my name is Cora.” I add stupidly. Wait, who is he? And how does he know my name?

“I assumed as much.” He nods his head, taking a quick look around my room before bringing his attention back to me. “How do you like the room?”

“It’s nice. Really nice.” I tell him, shifting awkwardly. “And you are?”

“Oh shit, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Zachary, but everyone calls me Zack. Apart from my mom. But she gets a pass and all, seeing how she birthed me and what not.”

Zack. Mom.

My lips part again in shock as realization hits me. This is Rose’s son. I’ve heard her talk about him. But what is he doing here? I thought he lived with his dad on the other side of town. Maybe he's visiting?

I didn’t get a chance to meet him at the wedding because he refused to go. I heard Rose crying to my dad over the phone about it. I guess he didn’t handle his parents’ divorce well and hated the idea of her with someone else.

Does that mean he hates my dad? And if so, does that mean me too? He doesn’t seem to hate the idea of me being here.

Given, we’ve only been talking for a minute or two. Well, him talking, me staring at him like a weirdo.

“What are you doing here?” I blurt out.

He raises his brows. “I live here. I should be the one asking you what your excuse is.”

“Shit. Sorry.” My eyes widen in horror. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean your mom said you live with your dad. I wasn’t expecting you here.”

“Ah.” He nods his head, pushing himself off the frame of the door. “And she was right. But, my dad is going to be doing a lot of traveling for work in the next few months, so Mom thought it would be best if I spent the school year here.”

“Oh.” Excitement, that confuses me a little, rushes through me.

“Yeah,” he says slowly.

My heart starts to pick up as his eyes slowly trail over me. I chew the inside of my cheek, wondering what he really thinks of me. Not that I should care. He’s my stepbrother.

My really hot stepbrother.

“There you two are.” Rose’s voice startles me, my eyes snapping over to where she’s standing in the doorway.

“Hey, Mom.” Zack greets her and goes over to give her a hug.

“Hey, sweetie,” she laughs. “I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

“I know. But Dad left yesterday and I was bored.” He shrugs.

“Well, good, then you can help Cora bring up the rest of her boxes.”

“Oh, no, that's okay.” I rush out to say. “You don’t have to.” I nervously tuck a strand of my blonde locks behind my ear.

“That's okay.” Zack says. “I don’t mind helping out my new sister.”

Why does it feel like a punch in the gut that he called me that? I know that's what we are. Brother and sister, even if it’s not by blood. But it still feels... wrong?

I don’t say anything as the two of them walk out of the room, me tailing behind them. Rose takes off to a different part of the house, leaving me and Zack alone.

“Here’s the deal,” Zack says, stepping in front of me when we get to the bottom of the stairs. “I don’t know your dad, but I don’t need to know him to know he doesn’t deserve my mom. He will never be worthy of her. Even my own father wasn’t. Therefore, I don’t like the guy. No offense. No hard feelings. He could be the best guy in the world and I’d still not like him.”

“He’s not.” I blink, not sure why I said that.

“Not what?” his brows furrow.

I clear my throat and look away. “The best dad,” I say before meeting his eyes again.

“Huh,” he huffs out. “Anyway, that doesn’t mean that I hate you. I mean, I don’t even know you, but still. So, we’re good. Unless you turn out to be a big bitch, and then not so much.”

I can’t help but smile. “Don’t worry. I don’t think there's a bitchy bone in my body.”

He grins. “I can tell it hurt for you to even say the word.”

“It did.” I giggle. Oh, heck. I don’t giggle. I never do. This is not a guy to be acting like this with Cora. Stepbrother, remember.

“Zack!” Rose calls out, saving me from myself.

We spend the next half hour pulling boxes up and down the stairs. Any time my dad tries to talk to Zack, he rushes away.

I almost feel bad for my dad. But, he’s the one who’s never tried to get to know Zack, at least not from the impression I’ve been given. He didn’t even seem upset for Rose that Zack didn’t come to the wedding.

Not that it was anything fancy. They had a destination wedding, with only the three of us and a few of Rose’s and my father's friends.

Sometimes I wonder how they ended up together. They seem to be from totally different worlds. Rose was born into money, so when she divorced, she didn’t have to worry.

While I’m sure she’s worth millions, we were just making it into the middle class.

Polar opposites.

Dad said he met Rose while he was here for work. They fell in love overnight, dated for a few months, engaged for another, then married. Now, here we are.

Hours away from the only home I knew and the friends I spent my whole life with. It’s not easy, but thankfully we have the internet and summers.

“Last box,” Zack says, stepping into my room and placing it on the floor.

“Thanks for everything,” I tell him. “You really didn’t have to.”

“No biggie,” he shrugs, straightening out his clothes.

I follow him out the door. “I’ll be sure to stay out of your way. You won’t even know I’m here.”

“You see, that won't be as easy as you think.” He chuckles, taking a few steps backwards. He turns the doorknob of the door across the hall, pushing it open. “Seeing how I live right across the hall.” He grins. “And the bathroom attached to your room has the most perfect water pressure in the whole place. So I guess we will be seeing a lot of each other, roomie.” He winks before closing the door, leaving me standing there stunned and flustered.

“I’m officially screwed,” I whisper to myself before closing the door to my room. I shuffle my feet over to the bed and flop forward dramatically. Why, why of all the guys to get a crush on, it’s my damn stepbrother?! Someone who I will never be able to have.

Good thing it’s just a high school crush, right? I’ll be over it by the end of the week. Zack who?

If only it could be that simple.