The Step Deal - Season 3E3

Maxine’s unexpected awakening the next morning.

Image by Lunamarina

Chapter 3

She stirred awake from a knock on her door, too tired to open her eyes.

“Maxy, I’m nearly ready to go,” she heard her dad call to her through the door. “I haven’t heard you stir yet. Are you ok?”

She shot up, looking at her phone alarm. She’d obviously silenced it without even registering it, and it was really late now! If she hurried, right now, she might be able to throw on some clothes and run a toothbrush over her teeth without making her dad too late after dropping her off at work.

“I overslept,” she rasped out, her voice hoarse.

“Are you gonna be ready to go, though?” Dad asked her, his voice filled with concern. A throat cleared at her side, and Maxine was horrified as she turned to see Chris beside her in bed. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at him in disbelief. “You don’t sound so good,” her dad added, having probably heard the sound too and assumed that it was her.

Chris mouthed something to her, and it took her a second, in her groggy and stunned state, to realize what he was saying.

“Yeah, I’m just going to call out today, Dad,” she called to him, leaning into the raspiness of her voice. “I’m not feeling great, and I haven’t called out yet all summer.”

“Alright, cupcake,” Dad replied. “Feel better. I’ll put the electric kettle on for you so you can have some hot tea when you get up.”

“Thanks, Dad!”

Her head was spinning. How did this happen?! Not only the fact that she overslept, which she never did, but the fact that there was a guy in her bed with her, and she was lying to her dad about that!

“I’m sorry,” Chris whispered to her, his expression serious. “This is all totally on me. I should have left.”

“I need to call out,” Maxine replied, trying to think straight, turning her usual, responsible self back on. She grabbed her phone and glared at Chris, who still sat there, unmoving.

“I can’t go now - our folks are still home,” he explained softly.

Shit, shit, shit! Having a guy up in her room overnight was bad enough, but this guy happened to be her stepbrother, and their parents would likely flip their lids if they knew what they were doing.