Teaching My Bookworm Stepsister

Kapri's P,O.V.

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I woke up the next morning bright and early. I stretched out my body before going to take a shower. Then I dressed for the day in a pair of jean shorts, and a loose light purple tank top.

After that, I brushed my teeth, and checked in on Mom. She isn't in her bed, and she's never up this early. Her bed doesn't even look slept in.

I walked to the kitchen with my phone in my hand.

"Hi honey."

I stopped and looked up at the sound of Mom's voice. My face grew confused as I noticed a man sitting next to her at our small kitchen table. He looks around Mom's age. His brown hair is pretty thick for an older man, and he has soft dark blue eyes. He's dressed in a navy blue business suit. He smiled brightly at me as I walked into the room.

"Uh, is he our lawyer? Did you do something?" I asked Mom.

Mom laughed as she stood up and walked over to me.

"Such a joker," She said with a forced laugh.

Mom wrapped her arm around my shoulders and walked me to the table. The man stood up to greet me. I looked between him and Mom.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Is this a new boyfriend? Why is she so nervous? Why is he so nervous? Oh my god, did he knock up my mother?!

"Are you pregnant?" I asked Mom, horrified.

"What? No sugarnut, nothing like that." She said, shaking her head.

Mom left my side, to go to the man's. They shared a look before looking at me.

"We have some news," She said excitedly.

I raised my brows expectantly.

"We're getting married!" Mom said as she held out her left hand for me to see her ring.

I blinked at her as the news settled in.

"You're what!?" I shouted angrily.

Mom glared at me. I squeezed my eyes shut, and took a deep breath. Then I addressed them more calmly.

"I'm sorry, you're what?" I asked again.

"We're getting married sugernut." Mom repeated gently this time.

"This is a joke, right? You guys are joking?" I asked with an uncomfortable laugh.

"Kapri, we are getting married." Mom repeated again.

Holy sh.it, she's telling the truth. Mom's getting married. Oh my god. What is she thinking?

What's going to happen now? When is this wedding? Surely not for a while, right?

I looked back at the man. He's dressed in a nice suit. What if he has the money to make this wedding fast? Is he going to move in with us? Are we going to move in with him? I started to pace in front of them.

"This is not happening. This has to be a dream," I muttered.

I stopped walking to look up at the two of them.

"What is your name?" I asked.

Then I let out a loud laugh.

"I don't even know your name." I said before I started to pace again.

The man cleared his throat.

"My name is Liam. Liam Penton." He said,

I froze midstep at his words. My eyes widened, and I slowly turned my head to him. I had to have misheard that.

"What did you just say?" I asked.

"Kapri!" Mom scolded me.

My tone must have been harsher than I intended.

"I'm sorry, but I'm freaking out okay! I don't even know this guy! And now I find out he's Maverick Penton's father?!" I shouted.

"Ah, so you know my son," Liam said with a cheerful smile.

"Not in any good way. I can't stand him. Are you anything like your son? Cause if that's the case, then you can kiss this relationship goodbye pal." I said.

"Kapri Lynn Lanza!" Mom shouted.

Then she sighed as she turned to her 'fiance'.

"I think that I need the night alone with my daughter." She told him.

"I understand completely," Laim said with an understanding smile.

Mom reached up on her tippey toes and kissed Liam on the lips. I fake gaged behind their backs. Disgusting.

Liam gave me another smile before turning to the door and leaving. As soon as he was gone, Mom turned an angry look at me. She walked passed me and went for the fridge.

"I can't believe you just did that. You embarrassed the hell out of me, Kapri." She said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Mom, this is not a good idea," I said.

"Kapri, I am the parent, you are the child." She reminded me.

"I know, but Mom.. This is way too soon. You didn't even introduce me to him until today, Mom. When did you even meet him?" I asked.

Mom poured both of us a glass of orange juice, and handed my glass to me.

"I've been seeing him for six months." She told me.

My eyes went wide.

"S-six months?!" I exclaimed. "You've never dated anyone that long," I said.

"I know sugarbear, but I wanted to keep it a secret for a while. It was kinda.. sudden, and at first neither of us intended things to escalate the way they did." She said. "Kinda sudden? Didn't intend things to escalate?" I asked.

Mom sighed.

"Listen Kapri, I've known Liam a long time. I grew up here after all." She told me.

"Yeah I know." I said.

"We went to school together. I was friends with his wife. Sort of. We weren't close, but she was always very nice to me. We all went to school together. They were the 'it' couple," Mom said.

"I'm sorry, his wife?" I asked. "You're.. marrying a man with a wife?"

"She died." Mom said sadly.

My face fell.

"That's.. so sad." I said.

I had no idea that Maverick's mom had died..

"It happened about six or seven years ago. She had cancer, they saw it coming." Mom told me.

How have I never heard of that? I've literally heard everything about Maverick Penton. Including the freckle right on the right side of his V. Whatever that is.

"How come no one knows?" I asked.

Mom shrugged.

"I knew that she had died. That part wasn't exactly a secret. Liam told me that they kept her cancer on the low so that people weren't constantly saying things to Maverick. You know how important the Penton family is. I'm sure they were constantly seeing people in and out growing up. Liam said that she didn't want that for her children." She said.

That's.. so sad. I had no idea any of that had happened. I'm sure that was hard to go through at such a young age.

"So, how did the two of you start.. seeing each other again?" I asked.

"Well, ya know how I got in that small accident that has had my car in the shop?" Mom asked.

I nodded.

"I hit Liam's car." She admitted.

"Mom." I groaned.

"I'm sorry. I was just putting on a little lipstick. I do it all the time." She said.

I gave her a bored look.

"Anyways, we just got to talking. Then we went out for coffee. And again for dinner. Then lunch, then breakfast." Mom said as she started to daydream.

"Okay." I said, stopping her train of thought.

"Well, one thing led to another. Then we were finding every reason to see each other. Before I knew it, he was proposing to me." She said.

"And you didn't think that was strange at all? What if he's a total creep? What if he's abusive? Mom, I really don't want to have to go to jail for killing my abusive step-father." I rambled. "Kapri, take a deep breath." Mom ordered.

I did as she said.

"Liam is not like that. You'll see honey. He's a very great man." She said.

"But you barely know him," I complained.

"I know him more than you think," She said.

"More than those losers you usually date?" I asked flatly.

Although, Liam didn't look like a loser to me. Not only did he not look one, but he owns half the freaking town. The man is filthy rich. Which also makes me nervous.

My mom isn't a gold digger. She's never been into a man for his money. Mom usually dates bikers and old men that still try to make it big in their bands. This is sort of new for her.

Still, it makes me nervous. I know my mom isn't a gold digger, but other people don't know that. The whole town is going to talk about her. That isn't something I would usually care about, but.. The Penton family is widely known around here. They go to fancy events, and host big parties that the mayor attends. Those are the types of people that would judge Mom.

I don't want that. As much of an a.sshole as I am.. Mom is not. She is very sensitive. I blame myself for not crying more as a baby.

"Yes actually." Mom said, answering my question.

"But Mom-" I tried.

"He makes me happy and I love him Kapri." She added.

I pouted.

"But what if-" I tried again.

"Nope." Mom said, shaking her head. "He makes me happy and that's all that matters."

"Mom-"

"Don't you want me to be happy, Kapri?" Mom asked.

I groaned feeling defeated.

"Of course I do Mom. Your happiness means the world to me." I told her.

I mean it too. Mom has been my rock my whole life. Of course, she's my mother, but.. I love her. She took care of ne all on her own, and has never once taken out any kind of resentment on me. Not even when I first started puberty and was a huge pain in the a.ss. "Then just trust me." She said.

"Fine. When is the wedding?" I asked.

Mom averted her eyes, and shrugged.

"The middle of August." She mumbled. My eyes bulged.

"You're getting married in two months?!"