Note: This is the second book in the Forbidden Flames series. While it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the books in sequence.

***

Alex's P.O.V.

Fuck! My life is a totally fucked up.

I'm on my way to pick up my stepmother and stepsister from the airport—two complete strangers who are about to invade my life. I didn't want to go, but my father was busy with some meetings and forced me to do it.

I hate this. I hate everything about this situation. Even though my parents' marriage wasn't great and I grew up watching them yell at each other, I still can't accept the idea of someone else taking my mother's place. How am I supposed to just welcome this woman and her daughter into my life? Just like that?

Although I usually love driving, today I'm sitting in the passenger seat of the Range Rover, letting the driver handle it. I can't even bear the thought of standing outside with a sign, waiting for two people I don't even want to meet. And I didn't bring my car because there's no way I'm letting strangers sit in it.

I don't even know what they look like. My father showed me pictures once, but I didn't care enough to remember. I'm sure of one thing: I'm never going to accept them. I'm already hating them before even meeting them because I had to skip basketball practice—the first time in my life—to pick them up. Basketball is my life.

And now, I'm stuck here, going to the airport instead of being where I actually should be.

***

My driver stands outside the terminal, holding up a sign with their names on it while I sit in the car, getting bored.

A few minutes later, I spot them walking over toward the car. Just from their clothes, I can tell exactly where they come from and where they're headed—to my father's wallet.

The driver helps them with their luggage while I remain seated, staring straight ahead. They climb into the backseat, chattering, but I don't bother looking at them. I don't care who they are. I'm here because I have to be, not because I want to be.

"Hello, Alex," they say in unison, their voices all too cheerful for my liking, and I roll my eyes.

"Hi," I reply in a flat tone, sliding my shades over my eyes. I'm not at all interested in talking to them.

I glance in the rearview mirror, and my eyes fall on Stella, my stepsister. Her blonde hair with streaks of brown hair brushes her shoulders, and those eyes—they catch my attention. Golden-brown, it's the first time I have seen a woman with this eye colour. I can't deny she's attractive, but I immediately shut down the thought.

Stop it, Alex! She's your stepsister. You should hate her, instead of finding her attractive.

"Will you give me a tour of New York?" Stella asks suddenly, her voice filled with excitement, causing me to roll my eyes.

Tour of New York? Seriously?

"Excuse me, I'm not a guide," I snap back, my voice dripping with attitude. Who does she think she is? Does she really expect me to play nice?

"You're so rude. I just asked a simple question, and you could've just said no. Why do you have to be so harsh?" She fires back, pissed off.

"I like to be rude. You should get habitual to it." I glance at her through the rearview mirror, smirking.

Before she can respond, her mom grabs her wrist, shooting her a warning look. Stella falls silent, turning her attention to the window.

Good. The less talking, the better. I shove my shades into my pocket and start scrolling through my phone, doing my best to ignore everything else.

Finally, we arrive at the house, and I waste no time in dropping them off before heading straight to college in my car.

As I drive, my mind keeps drifting back to Stella and those amber eyes. There is something about them, something that doesn't leave my mind despite my best efforts to ignore it.

Fuck, Alex. Stop thinking about her eyes and focus on what matters—surviving this nightmare.

***

I enter the canteen to meet my friend Sky, who is also my teammate. I shake my head when I find him devouring the lips of her girlfriend, Zoe, the girl with the curtain bangs. They were best friends when they joined college, but from the beginning, I knew they would end up becoming a great couple.

They went through a lot two months ago because of Zoe's fear, but seeing them together now makes me happy.

Seriously, in the environment I grew up in, I never believed in love, but seeing them, I wonder if it's possible. If love can actually survive all the crap life throws at you. Sky and Zoe—they're proof that maybe it can. It's the kind of love you only see in movies or read about in books, but they're living it.

It's something I've never had, and something I'm not even sure I want. But watching them, there's a small part of me that wonders what it would be like to have that—to have someone who looks at me the way Zoe looks at Sky, like I'm her entire world.

Alex! Stop it. Love is for people who have time to waste. I'm too messed up, my life is already complicated with my father's new marriage, and the last thing I need is more emotional baggage.

I approach their table, clearing my throat loudly. "Can you two stop eating each other's lips for a second?"

Sky pulls away from Zoe with a grin and teases me, "Jealous much, Alex?"

"Please," I scoff, sliding into the seat across from them. "I'd rather play basketball than deal with all the drama that comes with a relationship."

Zoe gives me a smile, her eyes twinkling. "You say that now, but one day, someone's going to come along and change your mind."

I roll my eyes, ignoring her comment. "Yeah, well, if that happens, I'll be sure to let you know. But for now, I'm more concerned about surviving this new family situation."

Sky raises an eyebrow. "So, they finally arrived?"

"Yeah," I mutter, grabbing a fry off his plate. "And let me tell you, it's already a nightmare. My stepsister, Stella, asked me to give her a tour of New York like I'm some kind of tour guide. Can you believe that?"

Zoe chuckles. "She's probably just trying to break the ice. It's not easy being in a new city, especially with a stepbrother who's determined to hate her."

"I don't hate her," I argue, even though I'm not sure that's entirely true. "I just... don't want anything to do with her. Or her mom."

Sky leans back in his chair, studying me. "Sounds like you're already making up your mind about them without giving them a chance."

"What's there to give a chance to?" I snap. "They're intruding on my life, and I didn't ask for any of this. They're just here to make things more complicated."

Zoe's voice softens as she speaks. "Maybe it's complicated for them too, Alex. They're probably just as nervous as you are about this whole situation."

I don't want to admit it, but deep down, I know she's right. As much as I hate to admit it, they didn't choose this any more than I did. But that doesn't make it any easier to accept.

Sky says, "Anyway, we've got a game next week. The coach wants to see us put in some extra practice hours. You up for it?"

I nod at him. "Always."

I'm glad Sky changed the topic. Basketball is the one thing that makes sense in my life right now. It's where I can vent out all this frustration and forget about everything else.

As we continue talking, I push thoughts of Stella and her mother out of my mind. But no matter how hard I try, I can't completely take the image of those golden-brown eyes out of my mind. There's something about them that keeps pulling me back, something that I can't quite put my finger on.

And that's what bothers me the most.