The Stepbully She Craves

Chapter 2

My mom and stepfather left for a business trip at four that afternoon and I watched from my bedroom window, sad because my mom barely paid any attention to me since I told her I wasn't going to college. She didn't even bother to look up to wave goodbye when she crawled into her husband's luxury SUV.

I'd spent the time after that holed up in my room. I was still mad at Josh and didn't feel like playing his little mind games. Not only did he invade my privacy, but he had to embarrass me and hurt me right after that. How dare he bring up the fact that I had a crush on him when we were kids? He wouldn't have known it if he didn't constantly read my diary! A fact I didn't know about until I was sixteen. Since that time, I've hidden the book in a million different places, but the asshole always figured out where I put it.

Sitting on my bed and playing online, I heard a knock on my door and I looked at the clock. It was seven and I remembered Josh's warning that I had a blind date. Sure. Like that was going to happen.

Someone knocked on my door and I yelled, "Go away, asshole! I don't want to go on a date with whatever loser you've picked out for me."

He didn't answer, but within seconds I heard the lock on my door click open.

"Dammit, Josh!" I yelled. "You are such a damn criminal!"

Picking up a pillow, I raised it above my head to hurl it in his direction, but stopped when he opened the door. His wavy hair was tamed back, the shoulder length locks tied in a cue at the back of his neck. He wore a black suit with a crisp white shirt, the cut and material perfectly tailored to hug his muscular frame. My jaw dropped to see him, my eyes unblinking as I stared. He was even more beautiful when he was dressed up.

"You ready for your date?"

"What?" I asked on an astonished breath.

A crooked grin tilted his lips. "Your date. Are you wearing that? And are you bringing the pillow you're holding over your head? Because it's seven and we need to go."

Dropping the pillow into my lap, I regained my composure. "I'm not going anywhere, jerk. Get out of my room."

Moving towards my closet, he laughed. "No wonder you don't have a love life, Bailey. You treat your dates like crap." Grabbing a black dress from my closet, he tossed it in my direction. "You look hot in that. Put it on."

"What? No! And who's my date?"

"Me. Now, get dressed. Dinner is getting cold."

I was so confused. None of this was making sense. Josh was my date? What kind of mean trick was he playing now? But then it occurred to me that I could smell food, something spicy and rich wafting up from the downstairs kitchen.

"What are you doing, Josh? I don't understand." My voice was quiet because I didn't know if I should be mad or scared.

"It's simple. I cooked you a nice dinner, I cleaned myself up and I plan on taking you on a home date. So, get dressed." He turned around, "I won't peek,

but I'm not leaving until you put that dress on." “This is nuts, Josh! Why are you doing this?”

He glanced at me from over his shoulder. “I’ll explain when we get downstairs. Get dressed or Ido it for you. Either way, you’re putting that on.”

He turned back around and I huffed out a loud breath.

“Do it, Bailey. You have three seconds to start or I’ll put the dress on you myself.”

“You would do no such thing!” He turned. “One …Two …”

I was pissed, but the expression on his face told me he was serious. I didn’t want to get dressed with him in my room, but I really didn’t want him doing it for me. “Fine! Turn back around.”

He smiled before turning.