The Best Thing for Me

  "That’s it!"

  "Shh," she said gently, leaning over and squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. I love how when I met her she was this awkward, timid girl who made me in control of everything, and not it was almost the other way around. Her personal growth and confidence has increased so much. It was great to see her so open with me now. "It's okay. We'll work it out."

  "Maybe he didn't receive the message last time." I growled. "I think he needs another one."

  "Jason." she warned, glancing over at me. "If you're going to act this way, I won't tell you things."

  So much for being open.

  I grumbled under my breath at her statement. She pulled into my driveway and cut the engine. We piled out and I trailed behind her into my place. Now the mood was gone. I was just angry.

  But, I didn't want to upset Emma.

  We went up to my room and I stripped down. She glanced over at me, her face instantly going red. At least she didn't cover her eyes now. I went over to her, a smirk evident on my face. "You like what you see, Emma?"

  "Uhm..." she trailed over, averting her eyes.

  "Care to accompany me to the shower?"

  I heard a door downstairs open and mum's voice call out to me. I sighed.

  "Maybe not a good idea with your mum here. I'll go see Miranda."

  "Fine," I complained. I just wanted some quality alone time with her. If only we'd stayed at the pool car park a little longer...

  "Hi Miranda!" I heard her voice call. I also heard the faint falls of her feet as she skipped down stairs. I ran a hand through my hair, my thoughts unfortunately going back to Daniel.

  What was I going to do about him?

  Melanie Stewart

  I glanced over, seeing the outline of his body in the shadow. He was talking to Jason's Mum. We were in the back of the car, the other two in the middle. (By the 'two' I mean the inseparable, joined-at-the-hip, love sick puppies, Emma and Jason).

  We were heading for a double date to the movies. Just as Luke laughed at something Miranda said, I placed my hand on his thigh. I went up and instantly he tensed, whipping his head to me.

  I stayed in my position, gazing out the window. I didn't do anything. (Duh, I wasn't going to go feel up my best friend's brother while she was in the car, who do you think I am?), but the tension was still there. He latched onto my wrist and removed my hand, placing it into my own lap, away from him. He leaned over so that his lips flickered my earlobe.

  "Don't start something you can't finish, Melanie."

  A shiver ran down my spine at his words and I turned teasingly, my lips inches from his. Our breaths mingled and my eyes were trained on his lips. "Oh I'll definitely finish it."

  He made a sound in the back of his throat. Once again, he moved so that his mouth was firmly up against my ear. "Please don't say that. I can't take it."

  My smirk grew even more. I loved how I made him feel. I felt so dominant. I put my fingers on his chin and nibbled at his bottom lip. He ran his hand up my thigh, but at that moment, Miranda called something out again. We broke apart and I felt my breathing had turned heavier. I licked my lips and turned back to my position with looking out the window. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I was sort of regretting the decision not to stay in...

  If I kept my eyes on him, lust would override me once more. I couldn't allow that to happen, could I? Soon enough, we entered the cinema car park and all practically fell out of the car. Miranda waved as she indicated out. I let Luke throw is arm over my shoulder, as Jason did the same to Emma. We all headed inside, acting like a true, 'awesome foursome' group.

  After purchasing our popcorn, drinks and Maltese’s, we sat down and made ourselves comfortable. I glanced over at Emma, who was whispering furiously with Jason. A small smile found its way on my face. They had to be the cutest couple in town.

  Besides Luke and I of course.

  Emma Ross

  "Ouch!" I hissed as I felt myself get whipped by a towel. This had to be about the fifth time he'd smacked me. I turned around, my hands planted on my hips. "Do you have to?"

  "Yep," Jason replied swiftly, shrugging. He smiled lazily at me, looking absolutely adorable. I pushed that fact aside and scowled at him.

  "If you don't stop, we'll be asked to leave."

  "Let's be rebels!" He declared, fist pumping and pulling me to him. I squeaked and shoved myself away from him. I frowned again at his childish behaviour. I shrugged out of his contact and shook my head, walking away.

  "Believe it or not, I wanted to come shopping to actually shop... not have my first run-in with the law, thank you very much."

  He rolled his eyes. "Shopping is so boring.."

  "Then go home." I said, starting to get irritated. "I thought it would be a nice day to hang out and do something together. You obviously disagree."

  "Babe," he sighed, sobering up a little. "I do want to spend the day with you. I'm just bored."

  I chewed at my lip. I came to a stop and turned to him. "Okay, sorry. I just need to find a dress for Mel's cousin's wedding and then we'll go do something fun. Beach, maybe?"

  His eyes brightened at the mention of water and I knew I had him eating out of the palm of my hand. He grinned at me, showing off his perfectly straight, white teeth. "I second that idea."

  "Awesome," I smiled. "Alright, I'll try to be quick."

  I moved onto the next shop and made my way around it. I trailed my hand along the clothes. My eyes skimmed over all the different types, shapes and colours. I paused briefly at the dresses and rummaged through them. I had bought one dress, but I liked it more for just casual wear. I don't think it was formal enough for a wedding. Plus, it was white. I didn't want to wear the colour the bride was wearing. I hummed under my breath and bopped my head slightly to the beat of the music as I searched intently.

  "Babe." his voice called. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him holding a dress over his head. He waved it a little. My eyes widened. I liked it. I skipped over to him and pulled it into my own hands and examined it.

  It had a lacey, white top and flared out from the waist down. The bottom half was a violet colour and was absolutely stunning. Also, with a quick check at the price tag, it wasn't out of my price range. I grinned at him and slapped my palm to his in a high-five.

  "I'm impressed," I admitted, smiling at him proudly.

  He beamed at me. "I'm not just a pretty face, you know."

  I smiled and pecked his cheek. "I'll go try it on."

  "I'll see if there's anything else out here." he suggested, turning back to the wall. I nodded and made my way to the back of the store, where the clothing cubicles were located. I waited for a vacant one and slipped inside. The shopping centre was quite popular today. Instantly, I shed my clothes and slid the dress on. I studied myself in the mirror, doing a little twirl, so I could get a look at the back too. It was low-cut, revealing my shoulder blades and skin. I hoped it wasn't too revealing.

  I really, really liked it.

  I poked my head out the change room and scanned the area for Jason. He was dawdling around and I whistled, in attempt to gain his attention. He whipped his head to me and I waved him over. He padded over to me. I maneuvered myself out and pivoted, showing off the dress. I struck a pose, with my hand on hip and my left leg slightly bent.

  "Does it look okay?" I asked, running my hands down the material, feeling it softly fall underneath my hands.

  "Okay?" he choked, his eyes running all over me. "It's amazing."

  I felt my cheeks turn warm at his words. "Really?"

  "Yes, you look beautiful."

  I felt my heart dip a little lower and my stomach swirl. I smiled at him and re-entered the room. As I began to shut the door, something jammed it. Curiously, I turned back and saw Jason come in too. I quirked an eyebrow at him.

  "Uhm...?"

  He beckoned me closer and with his voice merely higher than a whisper. "Just go with it."

  "Huh?"

  "Oh, you
need help with your zipper?" he asked loudly and I stared at him with a baffled expression. I furrowed my eyebrows as he continued to talk. I was completely lost.

  "What are you babbling on about?"

  He smirked at me. He shoved me roughly backwards and I gasped, my back hitting the wall. He ran his fingers down my arms. He then did a trail of kisses from my shoulder to my fingertips. I stared at him in shock, was he really doing this right now?

  "Jason..."

  He silenced me effectively, by kissing me. I felt myself give into him. I tangled my fingers in his hair and pulled him closer. He wrapped my right leg around his waist, allowing our bodies to be pressed closer together causing me to gasp. He smirked at my reaction. He unzipped my dress and it fell to the ground. Just as I was getting breathless, I heard a familiar voice.

  Two familiar voices, actually. I quickly pushed Jason back, straining my ears to listen.

  "Hey, what gives?" he protested.

  I clamped my fingers down onto his lips. The way he looked reminded me of a duck. I would have been highly amused if this wasn't serious. I pressed my free finger to my lips, giving him the message to be quiet. He nodded once in understanding and I released him. I was completely frozen. Jason's hands still rested on my hips, my leg still attached to him. Upon hearing them, the mood was sort of killed. I waited until they got closer.

  "So have you had any more luck?" she asked. I heard a door close and coat hangers hitting the cubicle wall next to ours. Jason opened his mouth to speak and I slapped my palm to his mouth. I didn't need them finding out we were only just next door. That would be just great, wouldn't it?

  "Still the same. My Dad gets to use her and I get to watch her suffer. It's a win-win situation." he replied smoothly. I felt my eyes narrow and my fists ball up in anger. I could practically see the smile on her face.

  "What is its name again?"

  "Rachel."

  It. They described my mother as an It. This angered me so much I thought I could see red in my vision. Never before, had I wanted to punch someone so hard. Obviously my last, (and technically first) punch wasn't as effective as I thought. Jason's eyes widened at the mention of my mum, obviously only just realising who they were talking about. I almost shook my head at his slowness.

  "What are we going to do about Emma?" she continued. Jason tensed up and I warned him, well, I tried to with a 'look', to not speak a word.

  "I can't do anything directly to her," he spat. "Jason bashed me half to death last time."

  "Don't talk about Jason like that." she defended instantly.

  "Don't tell me you actually have feelings for that moron."

  "He was my boyfriend for a long time." she replied meekly. "He took a lot of my firsts..."

  I scrunched up my fast in disgust and Jason just shrugged, looking sheepish.

  "Well he's not anymore. He chose her over you."

  "I know. You like to remind me frequently." she snapped. "Anyway, I love you more than I ever loved him."

  I exchanged a puzzled stare with Jason and rested my head back, making sure I drank in every word they uttered. I was just getting more and more confused by the second. There was so much to take in with these guys!

  "Be careful where you say that," he said quietly. I removed my leg from Jason and slipped around him. I went close to the door, practically pressing my ear to it. If I only I had a glass... isn't that meant to help you hear through walls? "Some people are aware we are step-siblings. They don't know of our... affair."

  A startled gasp escaped my mouth and I slapped my hand to my mouth. Holy wow! I couldn't believe what I just heard. I slowly turned, staring wide-eyed at Jason. He had the same, baffled expression on his face as I did.

  I just couldn't comprehend it.

  Daniel and Brittney were in love...?

  And were step brother and sister!?

  50

  Jason Ross

  To say I was shocked would have to be an understatement. Emma's look of utter surprise mirrored mine. We stared at each other in silence for a couple of minutes, both of us processing what we had just heard.

  Slowly, Emma walked passed me and slipped her shorts and singlet back on, tucking it in. I didn't even have time to check her out, I was so stunned. With numb fingers, I unlatched the change room door and peered out, my eyes scanning over the shop. I could see the back of Britney and Daniel exiting. Her fake, blonde hair that I used to love so much, trailed down her back as she walked around the corner.

  How I used to think she was the most beautiful girl in the world, had me wondering if I had needed to go to Spec Savers...

  I glanced back at my girlfriend of now. She was gorgeous, but because of her personality, she was just that bit more beautiful. Her hair, which I wanted to run my fingers through every time I saw it, was almost down to her hips now. Her natural tan made her look so sun-kissed and beachy... It was perfection.

  Letting out a breath of relief, I turned fully around to Emma, who was standing there awkwardly, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She nervously bit her lip. I gave her a small smile and inclined my head towards the door.

  "Coast is clear. Let's get out of here."

  "Good idea," she murmured. I opened the door and let her out before me. We walked up to the counter and she fumbled around her bag for her wallet. Whilst she was busy doing that, I placed the sexy dress in front of the lady. She scanned it and while Emma was still getting flustered with her bag, I pulled out my card.

  "No cash out," I stated.

  Emma's head whipped to me, but I pretended I didn't notice. I swiped my card and typed in my pin. I glanced up and her eyes were bulging out of their sockets.

  "Uhm...?"

  "Uhm?" I echoed dumbly. I looked back to the lady and smiled politely. "Thank you."

  "Have a nice day," she smiled back.

  I grabbed the bag and turned, smirking.

  "I was going to pay!"

  "I know." I replied smoothly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "But I thought it would be my treat. Seeing as I might accidentally rip it off you one day..."

  Her cheeks began to glow red and she slapped me lightly. She pecked the corner of my mouth and smiled up at me. "Thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  With a sigh of content, she shrugged my arm off her and interlaced our fingers together. We walked out and I threw the bag into the back seat. I tripped slightly towards the car and spun instantly.

  "Emma, watch your step-"

  "Ack!" she cried, her foot getting caught on the cement. She went down straight away. As fast as humanly possible, I swooped down and yanked her elbow up. Just as her knee grazed, she jolted upright again. She winced, lifting up her knee. A bright, red gash was now there. "Ouch."

  I wrinkled up my nose and shook her head. How did I know she was going to fall?

  "Are you okay?" I asked, putting my hand under her knee and bringing it closer to me. I examined it. It was a bit dirty, but it wasn't too deep.

  "Yeah, thanks for catching me." she breathed. "I'm so clumsy."

  "It's alright."

  Shaking her head, she walked around and settled in the driver's seat. Automatically, I took shot gun. She seemed to like driving these days. I could hardly drive my own car anymore. She always shodied it.

  "Did you still want to go to the beach?" she asked.

  "Yeah, do you?"

  "Yep."

  She pulled out and we headed off. We parked and I got out, taking in a deep breath of the salty air. I couldn't wait to feel the cold water embrace my body. I really, really wish I had my surf board here right now. The waves were awesome. I swept my eyes over the water, spotting a couple of people out there.

  "I bet you're wishing you had your surf board." she guessed. "Do you want me to drive back and grab it?"

  "No, no. It's fine." I assured her. "Last one there has to cook dinner."

  She gasped as I took off. She sprinted after me. We were head to head as I forced my legs to thunder down
the beach. The icy water met my toes and I began bounding over the waves. She threw her head back in laughter and vaulted over them as well.

  "Ouch, my knee hurts." she complained breathlessly, trying to maintain her speed, although the water was gradually slowing us both down.

  I dive-bombed under the wave and submerged. I shook out my head, sending a shower of water droplets her way. She made a face at me as she was still partly dry. From the waist up, anyway. I smirked at her.

  "So obviously I'm cooking dinner then." she deadpanned, hands planted on her hips. "I must say I had a disadvantage. I'm injured!"

  "You are not," I rolled my eyes. "It's just a scratch. I won fair and square."

  "Yeah, well..." she spluttered. "You're fitter!"

  "Whose fault is that?"

  She responded by sending a ginormous splash my way. Without hesitation, I launched myself at her, wrapped my arms around her waist. We both plummeted into the water and she gripped me hard. When we came up for air, she punched me in the shoulder, but was laughing.

  "You idiot." she choked, wiping down her face.

  I stuck my tongue out to her childishly and she rolled her eyes. After paddling around and swimming for a good hour, we retired back up to the beach. We grabbed the towels from the back of my car and sprawled out. 'Working on our tan' apparently, even though we were both pretty tanned already.

  "Did you want to come to the wedding?" she asked me. She turned her head and placed her arm over her eyes, attempting to shield herself from the harsh sun, which was penetrating into our skin. I glanced over at her.

  "Am I allowed to come?"

  "Well Luke is going. I don't want to be third wheeling."

  I chuckled at her. "If Mel and her cousin are fine with it, then sure."

  "Okay. You have a tux and everything, right?" she asked.

  "Yep." I replied. "Mum always makes me have a tux. She said I'll never know what I need it for."