Teaching My Bookworm Stepsister

Kapri's P.O.V.

************

"I don't want to go," Maverick said as he kissed my collarbone.

I giggled.

"You're the one that promised Trevor a boys' night. This is your fault," I replied.

"Yeah, but if you tell me not to go... Then I guess I'll just have to tell Trevor to forget it." He said.

Maverick leaned back to kiss my nose. We're sitting in my room. Maverick is sitting on my bed with me in his lap. He's been slowly trying to take my clothes off. I really want to let him, but.. "I can't do that, Mav. You know that we decided to have a girls' night since you two had to have a guys night." I told him.

"Why would I want to do all of that, when I can just do this?" He replied.

Maverick leaned in to capture my lips. I kissed him back without a second thought. Being with Maverick this way has become so natural for me. Like this is how it was always supposed to be.

We've been back to our normal lives for over a month now. Well, as normal as things can get between Maverick and I at this point. We still sneak around, still fool around, and still sneak into each other's rooms at night. Another thing that hasn't changed.. Maverick's constant back and forth attitude. I know that we are supposed to be keeping this a secret. That was my rule. I know that we aren't a couple, that it's only physical between us.

I know all of that. So why can't I stop feeling this way?

Everytime Maverick ignores my stares. Everytime he makes some comment about me just being his nerdy stepsister. Everytime that he opens his mouth, and doesn't admit that there is something between us... I.. I feel like I lose a little bit of my self-respect. I like Maverick so much that the moment he gives me a sliver of attention, I forget all about our relationship. I forget that we aren't actually together. I forget who we are, where we are, and everything else.

It's pitiful honestly. I'm pathetic. I can't muster up enough courage to tell Maverick how I really feel, and I can't let him go. No matter what he, or anyone else has to say.

It's sad on my part.

Maverick pulled his lips from mine, and rested his head against mine. These are the moments that make me not want to give up. When Maverick and I are like this, our relationship almost feels real. I can almost convince myself that Maverick likes me too. "Why'd we have to do this on a Sunday?" Maverick complained.

I chuckled as he pulled away from me to keep complaining.

"I won't even be able to take you to school in the morning. When will I get to kiss you?" He said, pouting.

Maverick Penton is pouting over not being able to kiss me. I hate how happy that makes me.

I pressed a short, but rough kiss to his lips.

"I can meet you somewhere in the morning." I told him.

"I have a meeting with the school counselor in the morning. Something about college applications." Maverick said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, how about during lunch?" I asked. "We can meet in the library. I have some books I need to check out anyway."

Maverick smiled at me.

"Alright, deal." He said.

"Good, now get out."

I turned my head to see Brooke in my doorway. Maverick groaned dramatically, and rested his head on my shoulder. "Tell her five more minutes." He whispered.

I laughed at him.

"Trevor is waiting for you downstairs. He just dropped Molly off," Brooke announced.

"Yeah, so beat it. Kapri is ours for the night." Molly chimed in as she pushed past Brooke to come into my room.

Maverick groaned again. He finally moved his head from me. Only to pout again. I laughed, and kissed his lips.

Then I moved off of his lap. Maverick grabbed my hand, and brought it to his lips. After he kissed me, Molly and Brooke practically had to shove him out of the room. Just in time for Megan to show up. "Geez, that guy has issues," Molly grumbled.

Megan laughed.

"That's for sure. Who would have thought that the Maverick Penton would finally be tied down?" She teased as she sat on the floor.

Brooke and Molly sat on the floor too. I joined them as Megan started to pull movies from her bag. While Molly pulled snacks out of hers.

"Maverick isn't tied down," I said.

"Please," Molly snorted. "That guy has it bad for you."

"No he doesn't," I argued.

"Uh, yeah he does." Megan said.

I looked between the two of them with a frown.

"Ya know, I gotta agree." Brooke said.

"You too?" I whined.

Brooke shrugged.

"I'm just saying, we've been friends with Maverick for a long time. He's had a lot of fu.ck buddies. Not one was he ever faithful to." She said.

I'm the only one Maverick has ever been faithful to? Wasn't it his idea to not be with anyone else?

I shook my head.

"It's just because we're stepsiblings. Maverick doesn't want me to get mad or something, and tell my mom." I told them.

"Yeah, cause Maverick Penton is so scared of parents," Molly said, snorting.

"I don't think that's it either," Megan said. "Not only is Maverick faithful to you when he has never been before... He's also.. Well he's.." She trailed off as she tried to find the words.

"He's obsessed with you," Molly finished.

I frowned at them.

"Maverick is not obsessed with me," I argued.

"Oh please," Molly said. "The guy can barely detach from you. He's constantly all over you, he's always making sure you have food or space to finish your assignments. He got you to join a freaking club." She rambled. I looked away from them.

"He's not constantly all over me. He barely even looks at me at school when other people are around," I said.

"Yeah, because you told him you didn't want anyone to know," Megan said.

I guess that's true.. I was the one that said I wanted to keep things a secret.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Maverick and I are brother and sister. We could never have a.. real relationship." I said.

"Says who?" Brooke asked.

I looked up to give her a confused look.

"No, seriously." Megan agreed. "It's.. weird sure, but who said you guys couldn't make it work?"

My jaw went slack as I stared at the two of them.

"Ya know, I didn't agree before, but.." Molly said. "It's not like you two share blood. I think that April would totally understand if you told h-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I said, interrupting her. "I can't even manage to tell Maverick how I feel about him. I can't tell my mom! Are you crazy?" I asked my best friend. Molly rolled her eyes.

"No one said you had to. I was just saying. But I do think you should tell Maverick how you feel," she said.

"I can't do that," I replied.

"Why not?" Megan asked.

"Because.. What if he laughs? What if he tells me he doesn't feel the same way? What if.. all of this ends because I had to open my big mouth?" I asked them. Megan gave me a sad look. Brooke just shook her head. And Molly rested her hand on mine.

"What if you never say anything? What if you keep feeling like this until we graduate? What if in five years you regret never telling him how you feel?" She said. "What if this turns out to be everything you're wanting?" Megan said. "Look, I'm pretty sure Maverick has feelings for you too. We all are. That's why we're pushing you." "Besides," Molly added. "You can't live off of what ifs. Just live Kap. Don't be scared." She told me.

"I'll think about it." I told them.

I spent the rest of the night thinking about it, actually. I was up all night because of it. I don't think it helped that I was so used to sleeping with Maverick either.

Are the girls right? Does Maverick also have feelings for me?

It's hard to argue with the facts.

One: Maverick has never been faithful to a girl in his life. We all know it. The girls at those times knew it. Maverick never kept it a secret. Not even when he and Savannah were 'dating'. But he has been faithful to me. That I'm sure of. We're almost always together. Even Sally has been keeping her hands off of him after that weekend.

Two: Maverick is always all over me. The moment we are alone. Even if he's just sitting with me in the library. He has to be touching me in some way. Even when we aren't having se.x, or fooling around, Maverick still wants to touch me constantly. He wouldn't do that if he didn't like me, right?

Three: Even our mutual friends agree that he likes me. That I should say something. So I definitely should.

And I'm going to. Today. I can't chicken out.

I paced in the library as I waited for Maverick to get here. I'm in the far corner where we usually meet to make out. Maverick should be here any minute now.

"Hey nerd." That deep voice had me pausing in my steps.

I turned around to face Maverick. He looks tired. Did he have trouble sleeping without me too?

"H-hey. How'd your meeting go this morning?" I asked.

Maverick averted his eyes, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Acutally.. There's something I need to talk to you about, Kapri," he said.

Oh no, I don't like the sound of that..

"W-wait." I said before he could start. "There's something I-I want to tell you too."

"Okay, you go first." He said.

I looked up into Maverick's eyes. I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"M-Maverick Penton.. I-I.. think that I'm in love with you."