To Hate My Stepbrother

Ava’s POV

THREE YEARS LATER.

California, Los Angeles.

“Did you remember to eat and take your meds, you do remember that you have to right?” My mum’s voice from over the phone made me roll my eyes.

“Oh c’mon. I hope you also remember that I’m not a baby, I’m twenty two years old for crying out loud.” I answered and I could hear her try to suppress her laughter.

“To me, you’ll always be a baby and I don’t care if you’re a hundred years old, so please for my sake, try to eat something.” She advised me and I rolled my eyes again.

“Nagging will get you nowhere so this is my own two cents. Stop calling me to nag at me like you’re an old woman and just focus on your husband, okay?” I retorted.

Before she could say anything else, I hung up. If I’d left her on the phone, I knew we could go on and on and that would only delay what I was here to do.

Thinking for a while and scanning the supermarket, I went to the stand where I was going to get my groceries and I soon started shopping.

It was a little bit hot too so I couldn’t wait to get back home, taking out the little piece of paper that I had the things I wanted to buy written in, I started ticking the things I got already off the list.

Lifting my head up, my eyes darted around when I spotted someone familiar, I closed my eyes and opened it again hoping he was going to disappear and that I was imagining it, but I wasn’t. It was real.

He is really real!

Mason is at the same supermarket and he had a bouquet of flowers with him and he was also checking for another one.

Holding my chest, all my efforts to try and regulate my breathing proved futile and no matter what I did my heart wouldn’t stop beating so fast.

Bracing myself, I pretended not to see him and looked away.

**MASON’S POV**

Checking out the flowers at the supermarket, I groaned when I saw a wrinkled single rose and I dropped it at once before picking up a bouquet.

It looked good but another bouquet of cherry blossoms caught my eye and I was checking that out too.

Checking my wristwatch for the time, I knew my colleagues would be pissed if I showed up late but there was nothing I could do, I was late already.

Looking away from the flowers, I lifted my gaze and our eyes met but she looked away hurriedly. Shocked, I thought I was dreaming at first, I thought that there was no way she would’ve been the one but I would recognize her anywhere and anytime.

It’s been so long since I last saw her, talked to her and just seeing her now is so unexpected. I never thought I would ever get the luxury of getting to see her in person again.

Just as I remember, she was stunning as ever, her slender figure gracing the supermarket as she concentrated on the things she wanted to get and pretended like she didn’t see me before.

She’s still as beautiful except she was thinner and she had eye bags and dark circles. Thinking of the right thing to say to her, I smiled as I approached her.

“Some things never change, do they?” I asked, clearing my throat as she turned to look at me and it wasn’t until then did I realize how much I missed her.

“Running into me just like years ago when you did and spilled coffee all over me.” I added in an attempt to tease and make her laugh but she didn’t even crack a smile.

Clearing my throat, I decided to let it go and just ask her how she has been all those years and that was the first time she laughed.

“How have I been?” She asked before she stopped laughing abruptly, “I don’t know but taking a look at me should’ve given you an answer to your question.” She hissed as she turned to continue shopping.

I knew she would’ve missed me too and I also knew it would take a toll on her but what do I do? How do I make up for all those times lost?

“I missed you.” I finally said after a while of silence, my voice breaking as I took a step towards her.

“I called, lots of times I tried to reach you but you wouldn’t take my calls, I kept getting sent to voicemail and you wouldn’t reply to my texts too, I tried Ava. I really did.” I explained as she only stood there and stared at me.

I saw the slight drop of tear that lingered in her eyes and just at the moment she’d wanted to say something to me, her voice broke and she started crying uncontrollably.

“All those years, all those years Mason and you’re just now telling me you miss me?!” She yelled, hitting and pushing me as she spoke.

“I waited, I hoped and you don’t know, you have no freaking idea how much I tried to live without you but I kept failing. I kept failing and now you’re here…” she was still talking and hitting me when I held her hand.

Seeing her cry made my heart ache, I wished I didn’t hurt her like that, I wished I wasn’t the reason she was crying but I am. I’m the reason she’s like this.

Everyone in the supermarket were staring at us and Ava was causing a scene with the yelling and hitting. I held her hand and tried to keep her calm but nothing seemed to work.

Without thinking, I lifted her off her feet and carried her out of the supermarket. The scene she was causing was enough and it could get bigger.

I found a restaurant by the roadside and took her in.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.