My Jealous Stepbrother
UNKNOWN MESSAGE

My mind was racing, trying to replace a way to resist the attraction I felt. I knew this wasn't right, that I shouldn't be feeling this for my brother. Or actually, stepbrother, but the chemistry between us was so intense that I couldn't ignore it. Finally,

he pulled away from me a little, leaving a trail of electricity in the air.

"Why don't you trust me?" I asked Ryan, feeling the frustration in my voice.

"Of course I trust you!" he replied, his voice rising in volume. "But I don't trust other guys who get too close to you."

"It's not like I'm doing anything wrong," I insisted, "You don't think I'm capable of making my own decisions and choosing who I want to be with. I'm old enough to know what's right and what's wrong. I can't keep living under your or my father's overprotective rules."

"I care about you, Samantha. And I don't want you to get hurt, understand." His eyes burned with an intensity that made me feel vulnerable and exposed. Today he was different than usual; he looked much more mature. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "I shouldn't have done that."

"Don't worry about it," I replied in a shaky voice. "I'm sorry too."

Our eyes didn't part. We were alone in this room, caught in a dangerous tension that neither of us wanted to let go of. Suddenly, Ryan pulled completely away from me. I could feel his energy shifting, as if there was something else on his mind. He was silent for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"It was a mistake," he said, and I could feel his regret in his words.

"You don't have to apologize, Ryan. I just..." I replied, trying to keep my voice calm despite the sense of disappointment that came over me, and not knowing how to complete the sentence. Ryan sighed and moved toward the door to leave. "I won't do that again," he said, and walked away from me.

I left my room annoyed and went straight to the kitchen as I listened to Ryan's bedroom door lock. I felt relieved and sad at the same time. Was the attraction I felt for him real? I wasn't not sure, but I knew I couldn't let it affect our family relationship. I couldn't help but feel a knot in my stomach at the thought of how overprotective he had become of me lately. It wasn't like Zack was a stranger. He'd been my friend almost as long as Emily, and he was also friends with Ryan - but Ryan seemed to think that just because he was a guy, he didn't belong in my room.

As I walked down the hallway I got a text on my phone from an unknown number, I ignored it without giving it much thought; I couldn't help but think about the words from a moment ago that were still on my mind. What if I had been braver and risked following my feelings at that moment? What would have happened, would it have been worth it?

I stopped in the kitchen and leaned against the counter, trying to control my breathing. If only I could have had something positive in my life right then, something that made me feel good, something that made me feel alive. But no, first the flu at the worst time possible, then... whatever tonight was.

It seemed the universe was hell-bent on conspiring against me.

Why should Ryan be so involved in my life? It's like I couldn't have my own personal space without him having a say in it. Why did he have to try and control everything I did? I felt like I was living in a prison and he was my keeper. The phone wouldn't stop buzzing from the incoming messages.

I was shocked to read what had arrived. I didn't know who'd sent it, but I thought it was just another spam from some phone company trying to sell me something.

I was so, so wrong.

The message said my now ex-boyfriend was not only cheating on me, but cheating on me with my friend Lily, the captain of the softball team. The news hit me hard and left me not knowing what to do.

I wrote back quickly with trembling fingers:

-Who are you and how do you have my number?

The silence while I waited for a reply was so thick I could hear my own heartbeat.