Nope.
I’m taking her with me, once I leave this place in a couple of weeks.
My mind has been occupied all weekend with Fallon’s problems and concentrating on healing my body after that crazy Irish abused it in our “training session”. It felt more like a beating up Andrea for fun kind of session. Every time he got a hit in, the freak smiled and sometimes even laughed. Remember when I said he was quiet and observing? Fuck no. He’s the same kind of psycho breed as Lucan and his evil twin sidekicks.
I’m still reeling after mine and Lucan’s encounter the other night. I keep beating myself up for falling for his shit and not seeing through his mind games. How could I have let him pull one over me? It was a lapse in judgment, and it won't happen again.
It can’t.
I finish applying my makeup and look at my reflection in the mirror. My blonde hair is straightened to perfection without a hair out of place, I successfully mastered the wing eye technique and I'm quite proud of myself. Nikki makes it seem so easy on her tutorials and trust me it is anything but. My plump lips are painted a deep shade of red but that’s all. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, mom used to warn me that if I used too much makeup in my youth, I would accelerate the process of aging. The thought of looking like Dobby, the house elf, in my twenties scared the crap out of me so much so that I kept my makeup to a bare minimum.
I am almost done zipping up my boots when I hear a loud engine come up the driveway. I leave my spot on the bed and walk to the window to see who has arrived at the mansion this early in the morning.
There’s a black Maserati with black tinted windows parked in the driveway, it looks expensive and extra as fuck.
Must be a friend of the twins.
The driver steps out of the car and I know my day just went to shit.
Why must God keep testing my patience?
It’s Satan himself and I’m ashamed of myself for admitting that he looks good, smoking hot actually. His hair is styled as usual, with ray bans on and his tie loose like he gives no fucks if he gets called out for breaking the academy’s dressing code.
He walks around his car until he’s standing just below my balcony.
There’s a pull between us and I know he feels it too. I know this because he wouldn’t act like a wild animal that feels threatened when I get too close every time I’m around. I could use it to my advantage, and I will if he keeps interfering in my life.
I shouldn't feel anything but animosity and aversion towards him but, if I'm honest with myself, I feel intrigued by him. It makes me sick and makes me question my sanity because this guy’s whole mission since we met is to humiliate me, remind me that I don’t belong here and send me back to “my world”.
I’ll go back to my world once I have figured out what secret mom was hiding on her last days on earth. And, on the day of my eighteen birthday, I am out of here.
My dad.
I shouldn't care about him since he left and didn't care enough about me to stay.
Now that I am an orphan, I find myself wondering why. Why did he leave us? Was his life in any danger here? Did something happen that kept him away?
Those questions keep running through my mind and I just can’t move on and build a future for myself when all these ghosts won’t let me be.
I hope I find answers before I leave this city and everyone in it behind. I can’t let Lucan step in and ruin everything I ever wanted.
There’s so much to lose.
Shit, I am surrounded by wolves everywhere.
For a second there I forgot my current situation.
The devil is here.
I open the balcony door and walk to the railing. Lucan is patiently waiting and motions for me to come down.
And they say chivalry is dead.
“Why are you here, Lucan?” Dealing with his weird mood swings is exhausting and it is not something I want to do this early in the morning.
“Come down principessa, you are riding to school with me from now on.” He smiles that incredibly sexy and extremely annoying smile of his.
“Yeah, no, I don’t think so. Get lost.” I turn my back on him and close the balcony’s door behind me. I disconnect my phone off its charger, grab my bag and head downstairs to find someone to take me to the academy.
I’m at the top of the stairs when the doorbell rings and I know exactly who is behind that door.
Can’t he take a hint?
I can’t be the only girl that has ever rejected this guy.
What is his damage?
I stay rooted in place as one of the younger maids, Layla, answers the front door and greets Lucan. From my spot at the top of the stairs, I can't make out what they're saying. By the looks of her reddened cheeks and how she is playing with a lock of her hair, the asshole is charming the ugly skirt off her.
I clear my throat loudly to announce my presence. I’m saving sweet Layla from further embarrassment. She should thank me.
“Look who came to take you to school Andrea.”, she offers me a sickly-sweet smile, unaware of the evil bastard that she just let in the house. “Lucan offered to drive you to the academy since you don’t have many friends, dear.”
Oh, so the bitch is not so sweet after all.
I swear, I feel the spirit of the Holy Ghost restraining the catty bitch inside me before I snap.
I breathe through my nose a couple of times before I respond to her snarky comment. “Oh, isn’t that a lovely idea,” — I smile sweetly at them— “but I don’t think so. I prefer if one of Benedetto’s drivers takes me to the academy.”
Layla shakes her head while Lucan stares at me with annoyance written all over his stupid face. “Your grandfather strictly told us that from now on you will ride to and from school with Mr. Volpe.” I don’t miss the warning in her tone and the way her eyes soften when she mentions Lucan’s name.
Crap, since I don't have a car and none of Benedetto’s men will take me, I guess I'll have to suck it up and accept his offer.
Layla is not done though. “Also, Lucan here made an excellent point.”
“And what point might that be?” I find it almost impossible not to roll my eyes at how ridiculous this entire situation is. How come no one seems to see through his good boy act?
“That you are new to the academy and may need someone to have your back, and Mr. Nicolasi agreed. So, go on or you’ll be late.”
He smirks triumphantly at me and it just enrages me more. I want to smack that obnoxious smile right off his face.
I need to pick my battles with this one, so I give in and reluctantly follow him to his car. It is obvious that he’s very pleased with himself at this moment.
We reach the passenger door of his Maserati, he opens it for me and what do you know, the jerk has manners.
“Get the fuck in principessa, we don't have all day.” He snaps at me.
And just like that he opens that big mouth of his and ruins it.
17
Diciassette
DO YOU WANT ME PRINCIPESSA?
“He’s a guy.” - Hades
LUCAN
What the fuck am I doing?
When it comes to Andrea Nicolasi, my good judgment goes to hell. I’m supposed to make this girl hate me enough to leave town and go back to wherever the hell she came from. I even went as far as humiliating her in front of everyone but still, she won’t break.
The little principessa is tough as nails and not a pushover like I initially thought.
So, what makes a girl like her break?
Her mom is dead. She has no one besides a family that could care less about her and a loner for a friend.
From what I’ve observed in her short stay in this city, she has grown close to Fallon. Maybe if I threaten her little friend it might do some damage, but Fallon is tougher than she looks.
The only one that can do some serious damage is Valentino.
And he will.
It's just a matter of time.
Andrea cares to
o much even when she pretends that she doesn't and that will be her downfall. Doesn't she know that letting people in only causes heartache and opens the door to betrayals?
I turn and study her face. — She’s nervous, that I can tell. She is clutching that necklace of hers like it might protect her from me.
Silly little princess, don’t you know by now that no one can protect you from me?
Andrea keeps looking out the window in the passenger seat and has not said one word since we left the Nicolasi mansion. The stubborn brat refuses to acknowledge my presence and it’s starting to piss me off.
We are ten minutes away from the academy when she decides to talk. “So, what's your endgame?”, she asks with a hostile tone.
“What do you mean?” The cunning little vixen is so suspicious.
The girl is smart, she shouldn't trust me.
Or any of us for that matter.
“Oh, don't play games, Lucan.” —she’s staring at me now — “You don't seem like the type of guy that does something nice for someone else and not expect something in return. “So, I’m asking you again, what do you get out of spending time with me on these car rides to school?”
Even in the car, I tower over her and this gives me the perfect angle to look down her shirt. The first two bottoms of her shirt are undone, and I can see the straps of her red bra.
I may not like her bratty attitude, but my dick does and a whole lot.
Fuck.
I adjust myself without her noticing because I sure as fuck don't want her knowing I have a hard-on for her, but she does notice and by the triumphant look on her face, she’s enjoying it.
Huh, the principessa wants to play?
Then let’s play.
When we reach a red stop light in the middle of traffic, I turn the engine off.
“What the hell!” she screams. “What are you doing, you idiot! There are people behind us.” She is so loud that I think she fucked up my eardrums.
I turn in my seat to face her. “Do you want me, principessa?”
“No, I do not, you creep! — What's wrong with you? Turn the engine back on and keep driving.”, she screams at me.
Oh, how I would love to hear her scream for me.
“Lucan, come on, you could cause an accident.” She’s nervous now.
Good.
She should be.
“I’ll turn the car back on when you answer my question.”— It started as a joke but now I really want to know. — “I won’t ask again.” I warn her.
“Oh yeah, and what are you going to do if I don't answer your question?” she mocks.
In one quick move, I grab her face and shut her the hell up with my mouth.
She’s rigid.
I’m sure she didn’t see that coming. I’m about to pull away from her sinful lips before I become obsessed with them when she grabs me by the tie and kisses me back.
Fuck, her sweet tongue will be the death of me.
After a moment of ravishing each other's mouths, we pull apart and stare at one another. I’m trying to calm down my racing pulse when the little temptress runs her tongue all over her bottom lip before biting it. I zero in on her tongue and I’m caught off guard when she pushes me away from her and I land back on the driver’s seat.
She just beat me at my own game.
The fuck.
Thankfully, she’s the one that breaks the silence first.
“Not as much as you want me.” she winks and goes back to staring at the road ahead of us waiting patiently for me to drive us the hell out of there.
I ignore her comment because I’m lost for words.
She one upped me.
So, I turn the engine back on and head to the academy before I do something, we both might regret later.
Andrea: 1
Lucan: 0
Shit.
18
Diciotto
FALLON & VAL
“If two people are meant to be together, eventually they’ll find their way back.” – Chuck Bass
FALLON
Dreaming of someone you know you can’t have,
Missing them every hour of every damn day,
And knowing that their hearts will never be fully yours.
It’s the worst fucking feeling in the world,
Cause all you can do is dream,
All you have is dreams of them.
The room is silent except for Mr. Gonzalez's words of encouragement towards my poem and Drea’s clapping. I look around the classroom and everyone has a bored expression on their faces, turds.
They have no taste whatsoever.
“Ms. James, I didn't know you had a poet’s soul. Your words are tragically beautiful, and I think we can all agree. Job well done!”, he praises me. “Now, who’s next?”, he asks the class.
I take my seat right next to Andrea and find her smiling proudly at me.
“Why are you smiling at me like that?”, She can’t be that daft to think I wrote this poem, right? Well, it was an Oscar worthy performance if you ask me.
“Dude, you were amazing!” she whisper-yells. “Why didn't you tell me you were so good at writing poetry?”
“Girl, I am not that deep, but someone on Pinterest is.” I wink and laugh at the incredulous look on her face.
“Fallon, you did not.” She says laughing while shaking her head at me. The teacher is about to call on someone when the classroom door opens and the Grim Reaper himself walks in, interrupting Mr. Gonzalez’s mid-sentence.
After all this time he is still the star of all my dreams and fantasies. Two years and still he owns a part of me, the part of me that believed every lie and every promise that Valentino made me.
Since the day I started Holy Trinity, two years ago, I noticed everything about him.
Val wears black clothing, usually, turtlenecks, that make him look older and wiser than his seventeen years — mysterious too. The twins are a year younger than me, but Val skipped a grade whereas his twin brother did not.
Lorenzo is not book smart like his twin, so he stayed behind.
I knew everything about him — he was everything to me —but he ruined it.
He ruined us.
I exposed the most vulnerable parts of myself to him and he mocked me. I showed him my scars, in hope that he would heal them but all he managed to do was leave me with more.
He warned me he would ruin me and, still, I wrapped my arms around his demons, but he only used me to quiet them until I wasn’t useful anymore.
Valentino and I? We were toxic from the start, but somehow, he managed to decimate all my carefully build walls and steal my very weak and broken heart only to stomp on it and throw it away like it never meant anything.
“She’s just like every other hoe in this city. So ready to spread her legs for a Nicolasi.” Their cruel laughs still haunt me. “The only reason I gave her the time of day was because it was asked of me.”
I will never forget or forgive his betrayal.
We both lost everything that day, all because he lied.
“Mr. Nicolasi, what a surprise to see you in my class. What can I do for you?” Val approaches our teacher’s desk and hands him a pink piece of paper, then proceeds to walk by me and choose a seat at the back of the class, next to Lucan’s now empty one.
I make the stupid mistake of looking over my shoulder to where he’s sitting and catch his hateful stare.
He hates me.
Right back at you baby.
19
Diciannove
CONFUSING AS FUCK
“But mostly, I hate the way I don’t hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.” – Kat Stratford
ANDREA
I’m pissed.
How did I let Lucan get to me again?
Now he knows that a tiny, stupid part of me finds him somewhat desirable. After the kiss, we drove to the academy in complete silence. What was there to say really?
I could tell that I surprised him wi
th my reaction to his stupid stunt in the car.
I surprise my damn self.
Don’t get me wrong it was a mind-blowing and panty-dropping kiss, but I won’t have him thinking that he has me in the bag or has the upper hand.
He certainly does not.
He confuses me. One day he threatens me in front of everyone, humiliates me by calling me a bastard, then he defends me against Cassia’s vicious words and now he kisses the life out of me.
I’ve never been boy crazy, never acted like all the other girls that kiss the ground their bullies walk on. I was never that girl and I don’t intend to start now. Those type of girls gives me secondhand embarrassment, not because they are comfortable with their sexuality and know exactly what they want; my problem is with the ones that let men walk all over them and let themselves be treated like they’re disposable.
Let’s practice self-respect ladies, it is free after all.
Besides I’m just a game to him, he made that abundantly clear time and time again with every joke and derogatory word towards me. I need to stay focused on my goal and not get sidetracked by a pretty face with an ugly soul. One day he hates me, and the next he wants me.
His mixed signals are so confusing.
Andrea The Beginning (Holy Trinity, #1) Page 9