Stepbrother Broken (The Hawthorne Brothers Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

just shake off his criticism and look forward to a summer full of
classes that won ’ t include a single money-minded
asshole.
    But
for some reason, Luke ’ s words cling to me like a wool
sweater in this summer heat. It wasn ’ t just criticism he had for me,
after all, but praise. He thinks I ’ m bright. He thinks I have
potential … and he thinks I ’ m wasting it. Well, add him to the list of people I ’ ll be proving wrong once I carve out the life I want
for myself, no matter what it takes. God knows, there are already enough names
on that list … what ’ s
one more?
     

 
     
    Chapter Two
     
    I ’ ll say this for Luke Hawthorne: he certainly motivates
me to bring my a-game to the final day of performances for the year. My fellow
drama students and I spend the day presenting our final scenes, songs, and
movement pieces for each other and our professors. Danny and I are scheduled to
perform our dance piece at the very end of the day, and I can barely contain my
excitement. When we get out on that stage again, it ’ s like we ’ re entirely different performers
than we were the day before. Our bodies are entirely attuned, our every
movement energized with a determination I haven ’ t
felt since first arriving at school. We leave everything on the stage, losing
ourselves in our last performance of the year. And our hard work doesn ’ t go unnoticed this time.
    “ Good goddamn, ” Gary gasps, wrapping us up in a bear hug as applause
rains down from our peers and teachers, “ I don ’ t
know what the hell happened to you two overnight, but I suggest you nail it
down and keep it forever! ”
    I
can ’ t help but laugh at the idea of
keeping Luke Hawthorne nailed down forever. If such a thing is even possible, I ’ ll happily leave the task to some other poor sap,
thank you very much.
    Elated
by our job well done, Danny and I walk on air as we leave the performing arts
building at dusk. We walk across campus with our arms thrown around each other,
taking in the gorgeous night. I notice more than a few women — and men — stealing glances at Danny as we
make our way past. I can ’ t blame them for starting. My
friend is Hollywood-handsome and stylish as hell. But even though we have great
chemistry as performers, Danny and I have never once hooked up here at
Sheridan. He ’ s bisexual, and I ’ m pretty sure every single one of our fellow drama
students harbors a crush on him. But our friendship has always outranked any
sexual tension that might crop up between us — and
I ’ m glad, too. I ’ m not very good at keeping my romantic interests
around for more than a couple of weeks, and Danny is someone I want to have in
my life for many years to come.
    “ So, what do you think for tonight? ” he asks me now, his arm thrown over my shoulders, “ Every single frat is throwing some kind of party.
Would you prefer togas or a tiki party? I ’ m pretty sure both will manage to
be offensive, but —”
    “ Ugh. I don ’ t want to ruin this day with a crappy frat party, ” I groan, “ You hate those things as much as I
do. Why bother? ”
    “ Do you have a better idea? ” Danny asks, “ We could go watch shitty Disney
movies with the drama freshmen, if that ’ s more your speed. ”
    “ Why don ’ t we go somewhere off campus? ” I suggest.
    “ Off campus? ” Danny gasps theatrically, “ What a novel idea! ”
    “ I know . But believe it or
not, there ’ s an entire world outside of
Sheridan, ” I reply, “ Why don ’ t we explore it a bit? ”
    “ Do you know a place? ” he asks.
    “ Not really, ” I shrug, “ But I ’ m
sure we can find something. Come on. Be a grownup with me! ”
    “ All right, fine, ” Danny sighs, “ But if we accidentally end up in a
serial killer ’ s basement or a furry convention or
something, it ’ s on you. ”
    “ I can live with that, ” I assure him, “ Nothing could be worse than another
undergrad party. ”
    Danny
and I part ways to go