Teaching My Bookworm Stepsister

Kapri's P.O.V.

***********

I successfully managed to ignore Maverick all day Sunday. I didn't sleep at all after our little talk that night. So as soon as the sun came up, I texted Brooke to come get me. I just needed to get away. Far away.

When I went downstairs, Maverick was there waiting for me. Mom and Liam had taken the twins out shopping. Since Mom has been forcing Liam to spend actual time with his kids. So Maverick made me breakfast and coffee. "You're leaving?" Maverick asked me.

"Yup," I replied.

"Where are you going? Another date with Josh?" Maverick bit out.

My heart panged, and the twist that's been in my gut since yesterday tightened. He says all of that like he wasn't just with someone last night. And I was stupid enough to think that we were going to fool around more after. Even after he admitted to being in love with someone else.

"I told you I'm going to do what I want." I replied.

"And what you want is to date Josh? The bad kisser?" He asked unbelievably.

I winced. Everytime he talks, I'm reminded of what he said last night. Now that he's uttered the word 'kisser', I'm reminded of the one he shared with someone else last night. Someone he's been with before. That he would be with now, if it wasn't for some other unknown girl. And it hurts.

I hate that it hurts. It's confusing and stressful. I don't understand why I'm so bothered by it, but I wish it would stop.

A horn beeped from the driveway. I headed for the door, but Maverick pulled on my hand, stopping me. I didn't turn around to look at him though. I can't look him in the eyes. Not yet.

"Kapri.. Don't you think we should talk after last night?" Maverick said.

"Nope." I replied.

I yanked my arm free, and opened the door.

"Kapri.. don't go please.." Maverick begged.

The tone of his voice had me pausing. He sounds so.. desperate.

"I will come hunt you down again, Kapri."

There's the Maverick I know.

"I'll tear you away this time, and embarrass all three of us if you-"

"I'm not going with Josh." I interrupted him.

Finally, I turned around to face him. My heart skipped a beat when my eyes met his honey brown ones. Why does this hurt so much?

"I don't have a date. I'm going to hang out with Brooke." I told him.

"Then I'll come with you," he said.

"Maverick.. I don't think.." I trailed off as I sighed.

What am I supposed to say? I need space from you because everything you do hurts and confuses me right now? I think I might have feelings for you, and I need space to figure out if that's true? I can't admit any of that.

"Hey," Maverick said softly as he grabbed my face between his hands. "It's alright Kapri. I'm sorry. You probably need space. Have fun with my friends." He teased.

Why does that make me like him more?

"Are you coming home tonight?" He asked.

"I-I think so," I said.

"If not, I'm coming to get you." He said.

I smiled despite myself.

"Okay." I said softly.

Maverick kissed my forehead. I blushed at the action. My eyes flickered up at him as he pulled away.

"I'll see you later," he said.

"Okay," I replied.

I walked out, and got in Brooke's car.

"Hey, you okay?" Brooke asked.

I looked up at my friend.

"Can we please go somewhere and get drunk?" I asked, pouting.

Brooke chuckled at me. She put the car in reverse, and we were off. We only made it a few miles down the road before Brooke started to ask questions.

"So.. You gonna tell me what happened?" She asked.

I sighed, and rested my head against the window.

"Do you know who Maverick is in love with?" I asked her.

Brooke's eyes went wide as she shook her head.

"Can't say that I do." She lied.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Fine, lie to me then." I grumbled.

Brooke chuckled again.

"Did he tell you he was in love with someone?" She asked.

"He told me that his heart belongs to someone else." I told her.

"Else?" Brooke asked, confused.

"Yeah. I assumed it was Sally, but he said 'someone else'. What does that even mean? Who doesn't love him back? I mean, it's fu.cking Maverick Penton." I grumbled. "Sally Martin?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah. Do you know her?" I asked.

"Uhm, yeah. She's fu.cking crazy." She told me.

"Crazy? Maybe crazy for Maverick." I muttered.

"You ain't kidding," Brooke said. "The girl has been cuckoo about Maverick for her entire life."

I frowned as sadness gripped my heart. How can I even compare with someone like Sally Martin? Who's father is rich and famous? She has money, class, and a thing for Maverick.

"So, Sally's back in town then?" Brooke asked.

I nodded.

"I guess she'll be at school tomorrow," I said.

"Why do you seem upset about it?" She asked.

"I wish I knew." I mumbled.

Brooke snorted.

"Look, if you're... worried for some reason that Maverick is going to date her or something.. Don't be. Maverick doesn't like her like that." She said.

I turned to my friend.

"That's not what he told me." I said, my voice coming out much sadder than I intended.

"Maverick told you that he likes her?" Brooke asked skeptically.

"He said that if his heart wasn't already taken that he would probably be with Sally." I grumbled.

I crossed my arms, and scowled out the windshield.

"Like, what does that even mean? And who does his heart even belong to? How many other girls do I have to compete with? Why can't Maverick just be normal? That stupid a.ssface. After the sh,it he pulled about me going out with Josh. He just leaves us to go hang out with some girl that he has feelings for. And stays out all night. All to come home, and try to kiss me again. And the worst part, is that I actually let him! I thought we were going to fool around some more! What was wrong with me!? He came home with another girl. I watched them kiss. And I was all ready to accept any amount of attention he was willing to give me.. All for it to not go anywhere? All for him to tell me to just go to bed? And I was upset about it? What is wrong with me?" I ranted. Stupid fu.cking Maverick Penton!

"The man is forever going to haunt me at this point!" I shouted. "Arggg!

"Uuuuuuuuhhhhhhh..." Brooke drawled out dramatically.

We pulled into Brooke's driveway. She put the car in park. Then she turned to me.

"You and Maverick did what?" She asked me.

My eyes went wide as I realized what I had just done. One of my rules was that no one is supposed to know. I just blurted it all out. Oh my god, Brooke probably thinks we are so weird! She's never going to move in with us now.

"Uhm, I, uh, we, uhm.. Nothing. N-nothing has happened." I lied.

Brooke gave me a bored look.

"You don't expect me to believe that, do you?" She asked.

I sighed.

"Maverick and I.. have been fooling around. But don't tell anyone! I made him swear that it would be a secret." I rushed out.

"Alright, alright. I won't tell." She said.

I groaned, and smacked my palm to my head.

"Is that why you were up so early? Because of everything you just said?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Sally was at Jasmyn's recital. She was all over Maverick, and asked him to hang out for the night. He went with her without a second though. I don't know why I'm even upset about it. I mean, I went on a date with Josh. I kissed him twice in front of Josh. Sally only pecked him on the lips, and it was like... It was like someone reached into my chest and squeezed my heart as hard as they could." I admitted.

"And he knew you saw?" She asked.

"Yeah.." I said softly. "He came to my room after and kissed me. I was really mad at first. The guy could have brushed his teeth between girls for crying out loud." I grumbled. "But then I asked him if he had slept with her before. That last time she was in town. I saw her. She came into the coffee shop. I always thought it was weird though. I was never friends with Sally. She came in just to tell me she was in town. She was wearing Maverick's hoodie. She didn't even get coffee. Just told me she came in to say hi." I said. "Well, Sally's ballsy, I'll give her that." Brooke muttered.

"Maverick admitted to sleeping with her. Then he started going on about his heart belonging to someone that's not Sally, but that if he wasn't already in love with someone, he would go after her." I said.

"And that makes you feel..." Brooke trailed off, giving me an opening.

I looked up at her.

"I don't know. I feel a lot of things." I admitted. "Sad. Angry. Betrayed for some reason. Hopeless."

I sighed again.

"Do.. Do I even have the right to feel this way?" I asked her. "I don't.. I don't even understand what's going on in my own head anymore."

Brooke put her hand on my shoulder.

"I think you are entitled to have your own feelings whether they are right or wrong. But I think you're just confused. To me, it sounds like the guy who has been bullying you for your whole life.. you now have feelings for." She told me. I whined dramatically.

"What am I going to do?" I asked.

Brooke smiled.

"I have an idea," she said. "Let's go get drunk."