Hating, Hurting: A Stepbrother Bully Story

I looked at him straight in the eye but felt a sharp jolt of terror and mild disappointment when his expression didn’t change. It was his eyes that told me this was no ordinary prank. It seemed premeditated, as if he had wanted to terrorize me all along.
“What do you want?” I repeated, though not quite as bravely as before.
Within a split second, he moved forward, slamming me up against the tiled wall. His large hand reached for my throat and squeezed, ever so slightly. I gaped up at him, my mouth hanging open as my eyes began to water, perhaps out of shock. He certainly wasn’t squeezing enough for it to hurt. My breath came out in pants until I realized I could just breathe normally. I tried to calm my stuttering heart, but his dark, dark gaze shattered any semblance of calm I could conjure. I tried again. Without removing my eyes from his, both my hands reached for his calloused fingers and tried to pry them off me, but he held on easily. My mind raced. It was perfectly quiet outside, and in here, with no one around, it seemed like the perfect spot for a secret lovers’ rendezvous, had Cole and I been different people, in wholly different circumstances. This close, I could see what a work of art his face was. His eyelashes were dark and thick, his skin flawless, his lips soft and almost too full. Despite this, he was obviously masculine, overwhelmingly so. He had a warm peppermint scent that would make a girl long to nuzzle against him. My eyes appreciated the bulge of his biceps, the broad expanse of his chest, the way his shirt tightened over his back. His dark pupils dilated as he took in my gaze, and as if in response, he allowed his eyes to roam my face, lingering too long on my lips. I watched with fascination as his jaw twitched, a brief flicker of movement that for some reason made my heart race. Ella. He’s choking you. And yet he wasn’t. Yes, his fingers were tightening on my throat ever so slightly, and yes, he had me cornered in a deserted part of the school, but beyond that, we might as well be enjoying foreplay.
“Please.” It was a mere whisper. I didn’t like where my mind had headed. “Let me go.”
He released me and stepped back immediately, shaking his head forcefully. For a split second I thought he looked dazed, but then a sneer twisted his mouth into an angry jagged line, and I was back in the presence of Cole, the twin who hated me for no good reason.
“Stay away from us.”
“Us?”
“Me, and my family.” He almost spat out the word, the force of the venom in his voice sending me reeling. He was angry because my mom and I had entered his life? Despite my brain nagging me that I had known this all along, having it confirmed was no less difficult to accept. What was I supposed to do about it now? Split up his dad and my mom? I would never do such a thing, not when their happiness was so readily apparent in their faces and gestures. Not when my mom was the most deserving of a happy ending.
“They’re...getting married.” As if my simple explanation was even needed. Cole’s face turned a vivid red upon hearing my words.
“They. Are. Not. They won’t! I’ll make sure of it.” It was a low growl, but what surprised me was how clogged his voice was. I sneaked a quick look to confirm what I heard. His eyes were brimming with unshed tears. Oh. Before I could follow up that thought, he raised his arm high, and I immediately ducked and covered my face with my arms, anticipating the blow that would come next.
Instead, a loud bang sounded, and then silence ensued. I looked to find myself alone in the empty bathroom, my heart thudding hard in my chest, my mind racing, wondering why he had so much anger within him, and what I was going to do about his threat.
***
“And so Linda said, “Why don’t you bring those two handsome boys and that pretty daughter of yours to dinner with us?” My mother looked at us with a huge expectant smile. Across from me, I saw Cole stiffen. My own smile had yet to make way to my face, having been in hiding the entire time after being called downstairs to have dinner “as a family”. The topic of wedding preparations hadn’t even come up yet, hanging over us like a dark cloud, but the conversation was already strained, punctuated with silence and the occasional grunts from Cole. Even Hans, who was often cheerful, had trouble giving more than the occasional short response.
“That’s great to hear. I haven’t caught up with her or Simon in a while,” Marcus replied with a smile. You had to be blind not to see how fondly he looked at my mother. “Did she say when?”
“Next week, Saturday sound ok?”
Marcus nodded, then looked at all of us. I quickly nodded, focusing on quickly finishing the last of my salad. Cole didn’t reply, and Hans shrugged. Marcus gave them both a sharp look before saying, “Yes, that sounds good. Tell Linda we’d be happy to join them.”
Cole pushed back his chair and stormed off without a word. Soon, we could hear his bedroom door slam, too. “Well, at least one of us here is being honest,” Hans muttered drily. I cringed at his uncharacteristic jibe. His words didn’t go unnoticed the way I hoped they would.
“Enough!” Marcus barked. “You’re both acting like children. Don’t you want what’s best for this family?”
Hans spoke so quietly that I almost missed it. “But you never asked us what that was.” And with that, he joined his brother. My mother reached out and touched Marcus’ arm, who shook his head and suddenly looked his age, his eyes weary and mouth downturned. My heart