Chapter 14
It was only a moment–a heartbeat, maybe two–but it felt as if the ground had vanished beneath me, leaving me lost in a storm of confusion and unspoken desire that both terrified and thrilled me. But then, common sense kicked in, and I shoved him back, my skin crawling.
Oh god! How could he? And… and… who knows where that mouth has been? Ugh!
I felt disgusted, furious, flustered and horrified all at once.
Kaiden leaned back, his expression maddeningly smug, as he wiped his own lips with a casual swipe of his thumb, his eyes glinting with
amusement.
“What the hell?” I spat, my voice trembling, a tight anger slipping into each word. My breath was heavy from our unholy encounter, and every fiber of my being screamed to make him feel the same–no, not by kissing him, but by choking him to death. My fists clenched at my sides, and I fought the impulse to step forward and make him pay for the audacity. Every inch of me was coiled with fury, the heat of it pulsing through my veins as I tried, desperately, to keep my composure.
“What?” he replied, that smirk deepening, his eyes gleaming like he was savoring every bit of my reaction. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“What do you mean?” I shot back, my heart hammering as I wiped my lips again, pressing harder than I needed to, like I could somehow erase the unsettling feel of him. My hand shook slightly, betraying the whirlwind of emotions I didn’t want him to see, each wipe rougher, as though it could scrub away the spark his arrogance had ignited.
He tilted his head, clearly enjoying himself. “You said you didn’t want to be my sister.”
“Yeah, I did. But-” I started, my voice faltering, but Kaiden cut me off with a lazy drawl.
“I thought you couldn’t control yourself after hearing our…” He threw a sidelong glance at the girl still sprawled on the bed, her shamelessness almost unbearable. With a giggle, she casually fluttered her fingers in my direction, purring a glamorous, seductive “hello.”
Kaiden turned his attention back to me, that maddening smirk still in place. “…workout, and wanted to join us.”
Come on! Seriously?
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes, forcing out a derisive laugh. “Keep your thoughts to yourself–not in my mouth. I might actually puke.”
“Ow! That’s rude,” he said, hand over his heart in mock offense, though his smirk remained unshaken.
I hated that smirk, and I hated those damn abs of his even more. They were too perfect–etched into his torso like they belonged in a sculpture, hard lines and defined muscles that rippled with every move–damn! What am I even talking about? I must have completely lost it.
“And… and… what you just did?” I shot back, my voice shaky as I forced my eyes away from his abs. “That was practically an assault!”
He raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the wall, crossing his arms. “And barging in here? Looking at me with those horny eyes of yours. That’s an invasion of privacy.”
“Wha-” I started, ready to explain that I’m not looking at him with horny eyes and it couldn’t be an invasion of privacy if he was practically broadcasting it to the entire house. But I stopped, letting out a small sigh as I resisted the urge to explain. What was the point? It was clear he’d just find a way to twist my words. Completely useless.
“Forget it,” I said, forcing calm into my voice. “The reason I came here is to tell you that you have to stop interfering in my life. Especially at school. I don’t want to be known as your sister. I have my own identity, and I work hard for it. But no matter how much effort. I put in, you always take the credit. Everyone thinks my achievements are because of you, and I hate it.”
I could feel my frustration building, the words spilling out faster, my past stabbing my chest sharply as I spoke. “So, starting today, we’re not going to school together. We’re not siblings–just strangers. And you’d better tell all your fans to stop being nice to me and start treating me like they would any normal person.”
“I never-” He opened his mouth, probably to make some smart remark, but I didn’t care to hear it.
“If you hadn’t told them to give me special treatment in the first place,” I snapped, “my life would be so much better.”
Without waiting for his response, I turned on my heel, slamming the door shut with a finality that seemed to echo. I pressed my lips together, willing away the feel of his mouth, the storm of frustration drowning out any trace of that disturbing flicker from before.
The Next Day…
Just as I’d asked, Kaiden didn’t wait for me. By the time I came downstairs, he was already gone. Mom gave me a sideways glare, but with Dan still lingering over his morning coffee, she held her tongue. For once, it felt like things were finally falling into place. I couldn’t help but feel a little rush of relief, like I’d finally taken back some control.
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3:26 PM
Chapter 14
When Dan offered to send a driver to take me to school, I politely declined, saying I wanted to experience normal public transport. He exchanged a look with Mom, somewhere between puzzled and impressed, but I didn’t linger on it. I let it slide, too focused on the tiny thrill of freedom.
The bus dropped me off at school, and as I stepped into the familiar hallways, the buzz of whispers hit me almost immediately. Heads turned, people stared, and the usual chatter around me quieted, as if I had somehow broken an unspoken rule. The air felt thick, charged with something I couldn’t quite understand.
“Weird,” I thought, but then I brushed it off, assuming it was just the aftermath of Kaiden telling everyone to treat me like they would anyone else. Maybe I wasn’t used to it yet, so maybe that’s why it felt… off.
Despite the strange looks, a sense of pride swelled in my chest. I kept my head high, my footsteps light as I walked through the crowd, finally feeling like myself. Lucy Hailstone.
I was nearly smiling by the time I reached my classroom. But then I saw my desk.
The smile faded as I froze, my jaw going slack. My stomach dropped. The shock morphed into anger, twisting in my chest as I took in the mocking grins of a few students watching from nearby, their expressions daring me to react. A cold shiver ran through me as I clenched my fists, my heart pounding with a mixture of anger and disbelief.
How could he?
To be continued…
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