Attracted by My Stepbully

Hailey

COLE SMITH IS my nemesis.

It wasn't always like this. When I was eight, and he was nine, I actually considered him to be my best friend. But when he started junior high, he changed from the sweet childhood Cole I remember to the bully who's been tormenting me for the past six years.

I can't get away from him, though, because Cole Smith is also my brother.

Well, stepbrother-not that it makes much difference. Since his mom died, and my dad has a new family, we both just have the one home, and one set of parents between us.

Last fall, things finally let up for me when Cole went away to university. For the first time in as long as I can remember, things were peaceful. Quiet.

There were even moments where I almost missed Cole. If I'm being totally honest, he's not awful all the time. He can be funny. Every now and then I see a glimpse of the boy I used to be friends with. But more often than not, when Cole's laughing, he's laughing at me, not with me.

Still, though, I almost forgot how much I hate him until he returned for summer break.

In the three months he's been back, it's like he's been making up for lost time. He's on me even more than he ever was before. Constantly watching me, never letting anything slide, and picking on me at every opportunity.

Like right now at the dinner table. My mom and stepdad are completely oblivious, but Cole is glaring at me across the table, as if he's trying to intimidate me, while his ever-present best friend, Xander, is sniggering. I don't know what the joke is, but apparently I'm the butt of it.

I tried talking to my mom about Cole once, but she didn't take my complaint seriously. She seemed to think it was cute.

"He only teases you because he likes you," she told me. Like that makes any sense.

And by the way-gross. He my brother.

My mom, Greta, and Cole's dad, Barry, got married when we were both in high school, and then Cole and Barry moved into our house. My mom is a well-known actress, so ours was by far the better house. Now my tormentor sleeps in the

bedroom next to mine.

Greta gets up to get more wine, and Barry is looking at his phone, so when I reach for a bread roll and Cole knocks it out of my hand, they don't even see.

"Take it easy on the bread, chubs," he jeers, "or you'll never lose your fucking virginity."

Xander snorts, and heat rushes to my face as the bread roll flies out of my hand. I look over to Barry to see he's just answering a call. He didn't even hear what Cole said.

Cole was always that kid who knew exactly how to get away with everything. "Asshole!" I snap, picking up my bread roll and throwing it at Cole's face.

He lifts a hand and deflects it into Xander's lap just as my mom spins around from the fridge and shouts, "Hey!"

"He knocked it out of my hand!" I protest. My mom rolls her eyes and Barry gets up to take his call in another room.

"C'mon, Hails," she says, exasperated. "You're eighteen, for God's sake. We're all too old for this."

I'm furious. I'm so fucking sick of Cole's shit. I take my plate and announce I'm going to eat in my room. Greta rolls her eyes, and Cole and Xander snicker as I leave the room.

The subject of my virginity unfortunately came up earlier today, and now I'm pretty sure I'll never hear the end of it.

I was trying to spend a quiet afternoon working on my tan and reading my