Page 22 of Step Brother Bear

“You love it.”

“Have fun jerking off.” I swing the door open.

“I will. I’ll be thinking of you, of course.” It’s the last thing I hear before I slam the front door behind me.

“Hey, girl!” Chrishell waves from her Range Rover, and I’m thankful for the cover of night to hide my surely flushed skin.

“Hey!” I call back, walking toward her car.

“You look hot,” Rachel says from her passenger seat as I crawl into the back, her face devoid of emotion.

“Thanks.”

Rachel and I were never close growing up. She was always around, following Chrishell, but we never really clicked. Nothing is wrong with her, but we just weren’t each other’s people, and that’s okay. Glancing at the two women in front of me as I strap myself in makes me realize that, besides Chrishell’s cosmetic procedures, neither of them has changed much. Rachel is still low-key, her hair slicked back in a bun and a simple gray t-shirt and black pants. Chrishell is her total opposite, with blown-out bouncy hair, a full beat, and a white corset with matching shorts, not to mention the giant wings behind her that I’m honestly impressed she can navigate around while driving. Maybe their yin-and-yang thing is what makes their friendship work, since they’re still close after all these years. I’m too shy to be close to Rachel. Growing up, I needed Chrishell to bring me out of my shell.

“You two look great, too,” I say as Chrishell backs away from my house. I lean forward, examining them further. “What are you supposed to be?” I ask Rachel, since her costume is not super obvious.

She pulls up a mouse-ear headband from her side and holds it in my line of vision. “I’m a mouse, duh.”

“Right.” I turn to Chrishell. “And you’re obviously an angel?”

“Victoria's Secret Angel,” she winks. She pulls down the visor as she drives, rubbing a smudge under her lip. “And I’m hoping some hot guy will want to learn all about my secrets tonight.” She smiles at Rachel, who rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Wait, aren’t you engaged?”

“Oh, right.” She lifts up her left hand and slips off her ring, stuffing it in the middle console.

Rachel turns to me. “She cheats on him.”

“I do not!” Chrishell shrieks. “We have an agreement.”

“They don’t fuck.”

“Marriage is more than fucking.”

Rachel gives Chrishell a side eye. “It’s sure a big part of it.”

Chrishell pats her arm. “Roger isn’t a sexual person, which is fine with me. He is more than happy for me to enjoy myself elsewhere.”

Rachel turns to me again. “Yeah, he’s rich.”

“Rachel!” Chrishell yells, slapping her arm. “Whatever. Yeah, he’s rich. I’m not embarrassed by it.”

I hold my hands up and fall back into my seat. “Hey, I’m not judging you!”

She smiles at me through her mirror. “See, you always were understanding, unlike Miss Judgy over here. That’s why we had to bring you tonight. That and it’s been like a month since I got laid, and I knew bringing you around would help.”

“Help?” Ew, no thank you.

“Yeah, your tits always bring the groups of guys over, and I’m glad to see you have them on full display tonight.”

“Um, what about my beautiful face and my sparkling personality?”

She laughs. “Yes, you’re also completely hot and funny. Want any more compliments?”

“No, thank you. I’m good for a while. But you’re full of crap, I did not draw boys in growing up.”

“Are you kidding me? Even your brother wanted to fuck you.”