Stepbrother With Benefits 11 Read Online Free Page A

hard if they get upset about it and get angry with each other."
    My mom grins, an excited glimmer in her eyes.  "What do you have in mind?"
    "Um... I don't know.  I didn't think that far ahead."
    "Campfire cuddling," my mom says.  "And storytelling.  We can all talk about what we've been up to for the past year.  I know you and I talk on the phone all the time, so we probably already know what we've been doing, but Ethan doesn't talk to his father much, so it'll be a chance for them to open up.  But also we'll be seeing each other in a new light, and if I'm cuddling with your stepfather at one side of the campfire and you're cuddling with Ethan at the other, we can all look into each other's eyes and really see what's going on.  What do you think?"
    "I think it's a nice idea," I say.  "I like it.  If they don't want to talk about what they've been up to, we could tell stories, too.  Ghost stories, maybe?"
    "With s'mores, of course," my mom says, extremely serious, nodding.
    "Of course!" I tell her, laughing.
    "I think it'll work," she says, nodding again.  "Like a double date, I guess, but also acknowledging each other.  I acknowledge you, Ashley!  Ethan, too."
    I laugh at the way she says it.  "Thanks?"
    "So what else have you been up to?" she says.  "When you and Ethan came back from the bathroom, you two looked a little strange.  Did something happen?"
    "Oh, um..."
    Before I can say anything, someone comes up behind us.  "Uh... Ashley?"
    Oh my God, it's Caleb.  Why is he here?
    "Um... hi, Caleb?" I say, offering him a small wave.
    "I saw a note at your campsite when I came to find you and it said you'd be here, so..."
    "Hi, Caleb!" my mom says, waving excitedly at him.
    "Hi," he says, sort of smiling and looking anxious at the same time.
    "Here," my mom says.  "Come sit with us.  We're fishing."
    "We're not actually fishing," I say, mumbling.  "We didn't know how to put the worms on our hooks."
    "Do you want me to show you?" Caleb asks, eager.  "It's not that hard.  Here, uh, where are your worms?"
    My mom points to the bucket of worms behind us, just sitting there on the ground.  Caleb goes to get it, then joins us.
    This is weird.  And awkward.  I'm not sure what I'm going to say to Caleb.  I guess it's not so bad since it's just me and my mom here?  She already knows, so...
    "Ashley, I don't mean to, uh... in front of your mom... but..."
    "What?" my mom asks, concerned.  "Is something wrong, you two?"
    "Um..." I say, unsure what else to say.
    "Er... well..."  Caleb pauses after that.
    I think that's going to be it and he won't say anything, but... nope...

*** Ethan
    I have no fucking clue where we are, and I'm pretty sure my dad doesn't, either.  Neither of us is willing to admit this, though.  I mean, fuck, maybe he does know?  He had a good point before, too.  Just because I don't recognize a damn thing around us, doesn't mean we're lost or anything.  The lake should be to the right, so if we just turn that way, we'll be fine.
    Just ignore the fact that we don't have a compass or anything.  Also the fact that we haven't exactly been going in a straight line this entire time.  How the fuck do you walk in a straight line in the middle of the woods?  I guess you can try, but good luck with that.
    We can probably just turn around, though.  We know where we came from, so it's not like we can't just go back that way.  Yeah, that's it.  We're fine.  It's cool...
    "So tell me about this girl you're dating," my dad says, kind of serious but friendly.
    "Yeah, she's cool," I say.  That's it.  Not sure I want to say more yet.  Better not to incriminate myself when I finally tell him the truth.
    "Who is she?" he says.  "Do I know her?"
    Shit.  "Uh, maybe?"
    "It's not one of Ashley's friends, is it?" my dad asks.
    How the fuck do I even have this conversation?  Someone help me out here, please, because I have no clue what I'm doing right now.
    "Kind of?" I say.  Ashley's probably