Again, that proud and haughty attitude!
My God, how much I hated her!
I should have thrown her into the pool instead of just wetting her clothes where my wet body had touched hers.
I swore to myself that I would do anything to make her life hell. At least until we left for college in two days.
Then I was going to make her disappear from my radar. Her mere presence was enough to make me lose my temper.
I pushed away the pain in my foot and followed the girl, pointing to the stairs to go upstairs.
Her room was at the end of the corridor, not far from mine.
Without saying a word, I opened the door.
"Welcome to hell!" I exclaimed with the intent of intimidating her, dodging when she passed me with her suitcase to enter.
“ Hell is my natural habitat. Better be careful not to get burned," she replied impudently, launching yet another challenge.
"Be careful what you say," I threatened.
"The same to you."
Irritated by her stubborn attitude towards those who always wanted to have the last word, I slammed the door and left.
I was about to go back to the swimming pool when Helena stopped me again.
'Your father will arrive in an hour. This time we will have dinner early. Can you notify Alice?"
"Can't you do it? She is your daughter, not mine," I snapped. I wasn't anyone's servant.
"I'm on the phone," she said, pointing to the cell phone near her ear.
Capitulating, tired from the mess that had been created because of Alice’s and now my father’s arrival; I quickly said goodbye to my friends and went back upstairs.
I was about to knock, but in the end, I decided to just open the door without being noticed.
“ I hope to stay in this house as little as possible. I don't feel welcome and mom ... She is no longer part of my life. She prefers the new one to me," she whispered upset and frightened, gesturing with trembling hands. “Dad, I know ... but I don't want to be here. I miss you."
Her father said something to her, and she broke into a faint, hoarse laugh. She seemed to be on the verge of tears, but eventually pulled herself together. “You're right, everything will be fine. I just have to get used to everything and distance myself from those who have given me the worst welcome of my life. When I think about it, my legs still shake."
And so, the proud and imperturbable girl is not as cold and insensitive as she seems!
I took a deep breath, savoring the power I felt that I already had over her.
Destroying it would be easier than expected.
Silently I closed the door and went back downstairs.
Who cares if nobody tells you that dinner is early!
2
EASTON
By the time my father arrived, the house was back to looking decent and nobody said anything. Not even the newcomer who only came down to eat and to meet my father, Mitchell Carson.
My father, always the do-gooder and very attentive to appearances, was somewhat disappointed by Alice's simple and sloppy appearance, while she showed no interest in wanting to know him better or to indulge him by taking note of his advice.
Dinner took place quickly thanks to the general silence.
My father had stopped asking questions because of Alice's monosyllable answers.
Helena was terribly uncomfortable, and it was obvious that her relationship with her daughter was as flawed as mine with my father.
And I didn't take my eyes off my cell phone for the whole meal, just to avoid further involvement.
What a happy family, huh?
I listened to Helena talking about a photo shoot for a fashion show, my father who had closed a sixteen million dollar deal with a single intercontinental call, Alice who wanted to be a journalist and was not happy with what had been served on her plate.
I didn't pay attention to all the boring stuff.
When she finished eating, Alice began to clear and load the dishwasher even though the maid was there, saying that she had always taken care of it at home. Instead I prepared to go out.
"Where are you going?" I was stopped my father.
"Having a drink with my friends," I answered briskly.
"You didn't say a word about tonight."
"Sometimes silence is worth a thousand words."
"Yes, but not tonight. We have a new guest and you have done nothing to make her feel welcome. I saw how she looked at you and she didn't seem happy at all. "
"Your problem."
"Oh no, Easton. Now we are a family and you have to act like a brother to her. And I don't mean how you act with Jake. I’m speaking of being a good example ow. "
"There's Jake for that."
“ Jake is in Stanford and will soon be a lawyer. Why don't you follow in the footsteps of your older brother and get your head together once and for all? "
"Are you done? My friends are waiting for me," I snorted.
'Bring Alice with you. I want you to introduce her to some people. "
"Don’t even think of it! I don't want that ball and chain all evening. "
"Easton! What did I just tell you?” my father said angrily. "Alice, dear, would you like to go out with my son?"
"Thank you, Mitchell, but I prefer to spend my time with intellectually stimulating people," she replied with that fake candor of hers that would have deceived only a fool.
I’ll kill her!
My desire to kill her must have been very evident, because my father did not have the courage to say anything, except a miserable, "Have fun."
***
ALICE
It had been difficult to fall asleep, but in the end, I managed to fall into a deep sleep.
Only a strong shock could have made me wake up, but as I opened my eyes, I felt something hot settle violently on my mouth and crush my head against the pillow.
I opened my eyes wide and saw above me a man with a black balaclava on his face.
I screamed but not a single sound came out. His hand pressed hard on my mouth.
I wriggled but I realized that my wrists were tied together by a rope.
The intruder motioned for me to shut up.
I satisfied him. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it throbbing inside my ears.
I saw him approach me.
His breathing was warm and smelled of alcohol.
"What are you dreaming of, little witch?" I recognized Easton's voice instantly.
Relieved not to be victim of a maniac or a serial killer (perhaps), I got mad and kicked so hard that I finally managed to hit him in the legs.
Finally, his hand broke away from my mouth and I took the opportunity to get up and teach him a lesson.
Even though my hands were tied, fortunately not behind my back, I punched and kicked him.
"Depraved! Maniac! Pervert! Idiot! You moron! Try to do this again and I'll castrate you.” I continued to insult him until he was finally able to stop me again and throw me on the bed. With his body over mine he held me nailed to the mattress.
I had to make a huge effort not to get caught up in the turmoil.
"You didn't tell me what you were dreaming about," he repeated, as if my anger didn't touch him in the least.
“ I was dreaming that you were going to be run over by a truck. They say dreams come true ... I hope so!"
"Liar! Say you were dreaming of fucking me."
“ You are out of your mind ... in addition, I am keen not to have a venereal disease. I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last man on Earth. "
"I don't believe you," he whispered to me a few inches from my face, before placing his lips on mine.
It was a kiss full of anger and revenge, aimed at making me submit and understand that I should no longer try to rebel or respond badly to him.
With difficulty I managed to move away.
"Get up!" I yelled at him.
"Sooner or later you'll have to learn who's in charge here."
"And you will have to learn that every action has consequences."
He laughed.
"Grow up! You are just an immature who hides his insecurities with blatant gestures and over the top to get attention. You are pathetic!” I added.
I must have hit the mark because he stopped laughing and seemed to want to kill me with his eyes.
"You are mature and confident, are you?" he countered, returning to kiss me with even more force than before.
Unfortunately, I wasn't good at those things. I had never been kissed like that. I found myself helpless and unable to escape the kiss, but I would rather die than show him how sexually inexperienced I was. This was a field where I felt that we were not playing on equal terms and it was not my intention to let him win.
I definitely had to invent something to keep Easton away from my body and my mouth.
“ My boyfriend kisses better!” I managed to lie, hoping to stop him and at the same time humiliate him.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" He laughed incredulously.
"Sure! And if he saw you in my bedroom at this time of night, he would beat you up! He is a bouncer in a disco, so he is no fool. He is also eight years older than me and has muscles that anyone would envy," I said in one breath, thanking my unstoppable imagination. It was true that I wanted to be a journalist, but my real dream was to become a novelist.
"What is this demon called?"
"Jacob Kowalski," I replied, naming one of the characters in the film I had seen before falling asleep, "Fantastic Beasts - The Crimes of Grindelwald."
"Never heard of him."
"I’m sure."
"So, you're going to cry to him that you were beat up by your stepbrother?" he teased me.
“ There is no need. He trusts me and knows I would never betray him."
"Aren't you afraid I can betray you now that you're away from home?"
I had to try hard not to burst out laughing at his attempts to undermine my fake relationship.
"No," I replied resolutely. “What about you? Don't you have a girl to bore with your crazy sex appeal?"
"I have you now."
"No, I mean a girlfriend."
"I'm not interested in long-term relationships."
"I understand. Besides, what woman could endure you besides a night of poor sex? "
"You're pulling my chain. Be careful because it could break," he threatened me hoarsely.
"Mine broke the moment I met you. Now get off my feet and let me sleep, you deranged person!" I countered, fed up with his constant attempts to frighten me.
"Goodnight then," he surrendered, getting up and going to the door.
"Untie me," I ordered.
"Get help from your boyfriend," he replied, before leaving the room.
I had to use my teeth to free myself. Only anger and the desire for revenge gave me the strength to loosen the knots and stay alert to avoid falling victim to another joke.
3
ALICE
The following day I got up late because of the sleepless night spent thinking and meditating revenge.
I was sitting at the kitchen counter, having breakfast with an apple and banana smoothie when I heard footsteps behind me.
I pretended I heard nothing and tried to calm my anxiety when I saw Easton's tattooed arm surround me and push me back against his chest.
"Have you called your boyfriend to tell him what I did to you and how much you enjoyed kissing me last night while I was lying on you?" He promptly provoked me, rubbing his cheek with its light stubble of beard against mine.
"I told him everything. I told him how revolting it was to have your sweaty body on me and your breath that smelled of alcohol," I replied dryly, trying to control my agitation. I was unbalanced by his spontaneous and not at all embarrassed way of touching me. It was difficult to control my breathing and my heart raced when he touched me.
"And what did he answer?"
"He trusts me."
"So, he won't be coming here to break my face?"
"No, he told me that I can handle it myself and that his intervention is not necessary."
"That's all?"
"Yep."
"Are you sure he wasn't fucking someone else at the time?"
"Completely. We were on a video chat and he was traveling around Seattle with his friend Newt, "I continued to invent. By now I was enjoying it. "Before he said goodbye, he also told me to go easy on you because he knows how lethal I can be when I get angry or don't feel respected."
Easton burst out laughing. Of course, he didn't believe me, but I had every intention of making him understand that he was to leave me alone. We were going to college in two days, and I wanted to start college without cares or worries.
Easton's impulsiveness was a threat to my mental health.
"Lethal, you? Do you really think you can scare me?” he teased me, stealing my glass, and drinking my smoothie.
"No, I don’t think so. I'm sure of it,” I pretended arrogance in the hope of pushing him away from me.
"Poor delusion! Girls like you, I eat them for breakfast," he whispered in my ear before he bit my neck, making me jump in surprise. "And you’re lethal, huh?" He chuckled, pulling away from me and going for a dip in the pool.
It was still extremely hot that day.
I spent the whole morning devising a plan to avenge myself, but in the end, I too gave in to the desire to take a dip in the water.
However, when I got to the swimming pool, I found Easton with three of his friends.
Embarrassed but too proud to go back after Easton had noticed me, I took a beach chair away from the group and read a book.
"Hey, Sister, come over here and meet my friends: Logan, Ryo and Ant," Easton exclaimed, pointing to those present.
I stared at them one by one.
Logan was breathtakingly beautiful. Blond with turquoise green eyes and a sculptured physique, down to the smallest detail. He had a swimmer's broad shoulders and muscles so developed that they made me look small and helpless against him. I looked him in the face. He had a virile, strong, mature, and calm expression but beneath that surface I could almost see the rebellious and unconventional disposition that he concealed under that angelic perfection.
Ant was brown with gray eyes. His face was like a work of art, it was so beautiful, not diminished or marked in the least by the dark frame of his glasses. Compared to Logan, he had a much drier physique and his nerdy air fought the self-confidence that oozed from the way he was sitting on the deckchair, with jeans so low on his hips that they led one’s gaze to under his navel. He was provocative and erotic in both the ways and the attitude shown to me, despite his apparent indifference. He certainly had a bright mind and only a fool would have underestimated him.
Finally, there was Ryo.
An enigma.
This I thought when my eyes collided with his ebony color.
He was the only one I couldn't define at first glance, but my sixth sense told me to stay away from him if I wanted to avoid trouble. He did not seem like someone who would forget or let a wrong go very easily. The tension I read on his face reminded me of a cheetah before it attacked its prey.
He was mysterious, fascinating, and disturbing. He reminded me a little of Easton as he stared at me, without looking away and not caring about my discomfort. He seemed to enjoy my embarrassment. I felt a shiver of excitement and fear run through my spine.
I sighed.
All three were incredibly beautiful and together with Easton they created a small group capable of breaking hearts.
They certainly didn't go unnoticed.
I waved a hand and went back to reading.
«Come on, come here. Why don't you join us?” Easton suggested, diving into the water.
"No thanks."
"Do I have to come get you by force?"
"Easton, why don't you leave the grown-ups alone and go play with the little ones?" I snorted, pointing to his friends who gave me a look.
&nbs
p; I must have crossed the line again because I saw Easton light out of the pool and come to me.
I thought he wanted to tie me up again or do who knows what. Instead he took the book from me and threw it into the water.
"That's one of my favorite books!" I got angry.
"I don’t care!"
"You're just a bully!" I exploded.
"One more word and I'm drowning you!"
This is too much!
"This time you don't get away with it!" I raged, running into the house.
All night I had been looking for a way to make him pay, and now that moment had come.
I took the tube of red gel food coloring I had stolen from the pantry that morning and went to Easton's room.
Like me, he too had a private bathroom.
Without showing myself, I went in and with a small screwdriver I unscrewed the shower head, as my father had taught me.
I took the gel and filled the shower head in the direction of the water outlets, closed and went back to the kitchen.
Driven by my desire for revenge, I quickly opened the freezer and grabbed a packet of chocolate ice cream.
I put a large portion in a large bowl, added a little hot water to melt it and when it had the effect of liquid cream, I went to the swimming pool, where I found Easton on the deckchair to dry in the sun while chatting with Logan.
"Oh, hell! Easton ...,” his friend tried to warn him, but it was too late. The chocolate that I poured had already landed on Easton's shoulders and back.
"Try to touch my stuff again and next time I won’t throw chocolate on you but something unpleasant and corrosive!" I threatened him furiously.
Easton got up; his slit-ice-blue eyes collided with mine. For a moment I felt the earth drop from under my feet. He was really angry, but it was that apparent calm that made me shiver.
“ You'd better go take a shower. You are dripping chocolate everywhere. Sorry, but it looks like you got it on. It's not a good look for you,” I managed to say, keeping my voice steady. His friends burst out laughing, saying that in fact that stuff didn't look like chocolate at all but a condor's attack of diarrhea.
Broken Rules (Love Storm series Book 2) Page 2