by T. L Smith
He bites his bottom lip in frustration and pulls me impossibly close to him. “Are you trying to make me want to dispose of you like I should have?”
“Do it.” I dare him.
He looks down at me with his eyebrows pinched together, almost forming a perfectly straight line. “You would rather that than deal with me?”
“Possibly.”
“Am I that bad to you?” he asks with sincerity in his voice.
“This is not what I want. This is not what I signed up for.”
Atlas loosens his hold, just a fraction, not enough where he lets go of me completely, just enough where I can breathe a little easier.
“You are a good girl, are you not?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“Have you ever done anything bad in your life?”
“No,” I answer. “And I don’t plan to. And I am more than happy with that choice,” I tell him. “Will you let me go now?” I ask, pushing at him once more.
He nods, steps back, and lets me put distance between us. “Lucy has done many things that are bad. Illegal. Can I tell you a bit about her you may not know?”
“I know my sister,” I tell him. I may not agree with her, but I know her.
Atlas walks over to the counter and taps his fingers along the top, then grips it as he turns to look at me. “Lucy’s been doing illegal shit for quite some time. And it all started with her first hit, when she got away with doing something she shouldn’t have. She never learned her lesson, so she went again, and again. She kept chasing a high that’s impossible to cure. But she didn’t care, and still doesn’t. No matter what her consequences are. It’s how she’s built and how she will continue to build her future. To her, the high is more important than the downfall.” He says it as if he knows this better than anyone, as if he knows Lucy better than I do.
“How do you know?”
“My father was the same. Smart businessman, but always chased the high. Anytime he could. And in the end it’s what got him, as it will Lucy. She’s lucky she is still breathing.”
“Is your father still alive?” I ask.
He eyes me as if he isn’t sure if he should tell me. “Yes.”
“Do you talk to him?” This is the most I have gotten from him in weeks, and as he’s giving me the information willingly, I will keep asking until he makes me stop.
His head drops to the side while he assesses me. “Why do you ask?”
“Why can’t I ask?”
“My father is incarcerated, where one day Lucy will be too. Because she will continue, and one day she will rip off the wrong person.”
“I’m sorry about your father, but it seems you’re on the way to visiting him permanently too.” I smile and head into my sister’s room. Finding the closest bag, I start emptying her drawers, throwing her things in there as quickly as I can.
“You have a smart mouth, Theadora.”
“So you say.” I keep going, walking around, collecting as much as I can carry, because the rest I don’t care about. I’ve already cleaned up enough of her messes. This time is the last. “If it bothers you, you know where the door is.”
Hands close around my waist, pulling me back. He’s always touching me. Why is he always touching me?
Pulling away, I shake my head, holding my hand up. “Why do you keep touching me?” I ask. “Stop. Just stop with the touching.”
“You like it when I touch you. You plan to stand here and tell me otherwise?”
“What…” I reply, confused.
“Every time my hand touches you, you suck in a breath, and your breathing becomes heavy. When I hold you long enough, you calm down and breathe normally, but your heart rate never slows.”
“Because you are a psycho,” I yell.
He chuckles. “I like touching you. It’s interesting.” He turns, walking out, and yells back over his shoulder, “Tomorrow at five?”
“Five?” I yell back, not sure what he’s talking about.
“A.M.” He confirms my running time.
I have started running again every day, and I feel good for it. It makes me feel awesome, and I start my day a little brighter.
How he knows what time I go, I don’t even want to know.
I expected him there all week, but thankfully he hasn’t bothered.
I really hope tomorrow is the same.
It’s not. He’s here when I walk out, stretching as I go. I don’t talk, my AirPods are in, and I don’t want to listen to him at all. I start, and he follows. He takes the same track I do and not once asks any questions. I don’t stop this time at the end, I just continue how I normally would. Atlas keeps up, and I can hear his breathing is heavier with each footstep he takes on the way back. When we reach my house, I catch a glimpse and see the sweat beading around his forehead where he has on a cap. His two nose piercings catch the light, and I have to remember to look away.
Opening my door, I don’t wait to speak to him. Instead, I go inside and shut the door behind me. He doesn’t knock or say a word.
The next day is the same. He runs with me and doesn’t say a word. It’s becoming nice to have company, even if it is silent. But it’s still a little strange as well.
The dress arrives instead of him that weekend. I try to hand it back to the lady with the glasses. She wrinkles her nose at me and shakes her head before she turns and leaves.
My front door opens not long after. “Holy shit! Is that Chanel?” Tina says, walking in as she eyes the bag in my hand.
I smile and turn to her. “Yes, for you.” I hand her the bag and watch her reaction. I cannot wear a designer label tonight. No, I have to wear my own label to show it off. It’s the whole point.
“For me? Are you shitting me?” she screams, followed by happy tears. Tina is usually my plus one to this event, and she looks forward to it every year, so I couldn’t tell her no. Besides, for all I know, Atlas could pull out, having other plans.
Highly unlikely, my inner voice says to me.
“For you, happy early birthday.”
“You can’t afford this. So tell me… who got it for you?” She hugs the dress to herself. “And why on earth aren’t you keeping it?”
“Atlas bought it, but he’s already bought me a few, and I don’t want that one. I will be wearing the company’s brand tonight.”
“You do too much for that company, and they give you fuck all in return,” she mutters while shaking her head. “Why you stay on is beyond me.”
“It’s my career. It’s what I’m good at.”
“Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that. Plenty of brands would hire you in a heartbeat, Thea, especially with all that experience.” She walks off, dress in hand, to my room.
I grabbed the dress from work today that I planned to wear, and when I see it next to the Chanel dress it doesn’t compare, not in the slightest, but it will have to do.
“Makeup and hair are on their way,” I tell her, checking my cell.
“How is Cruella De Vil? Made you fire anyone else lately?” Tina asks while opening a bottle of wine, sitting on the edge of my bed, and drinking straight from the bottle.
“No, but…” I bite my lip.
“But what?”
“I feel it’s coming. I don’t know why, but I just have that feeling.”
“Fuck her. Don’t do it.”
I take the bottle from her hands, taking a long sip. “If it were only that easy.”
“It is. You tell her conflict of interest, and if she wants to fire anyone, she can do it.”
“She will threaten my job,” I tell her.
“Please. You are used to being threatened. Lucy is a chump, making you do what she wants with a little threat. And you always fall down her damn rabbit hole so easily.”
“Yep.” I agree. If Tina only knew what I was doing, or right now not doing, for Lucy, she would flip her shit. She was the one who pushed me to give up on her last time. Cut ties completely because Lucy doesn’t care about
anyone but Lucy. And that’s a sad fact.
“Atlas said he was coming tonight.”
Tina pauses, taking the drink from me. “Do we like him?” She takes a huge drink. “Or… Lucy?” she says with an eyeball, knowing he’s in my life because of Lucy but not the reasons why.
“We don’t like him.”
Tina nods. “Okay, we can deal with that.”
Yeah, we can.
If he doesn’t kiss me again, that is.
Chapter Seventeen
Atlas
Theadora is out the front when I pull up, and her friend, Tina, is with her. I didn’t expect that, but I cannot tell her friend to go home, even if I want to.
“Nice dress,” I say, stepping out. It’s not the one I sent over. No. Her damn friend has that one on.
“Oh, this simple thing,” she says, smacking her red lips together. The dress Theadora’s wearing is short and red and looks amazing on her body, especially painted on over those hips. She doesn’t have unshapely hips like most girls, she has perfectly round and curvaceous ones, with a tiny waist. And that dress? It showcases everything she has to offer.
“Aren’t you going to tell me nice dress?” Her friend raises an eyebrow, then waves her hand at me. “I know. You don’t have to tell me I look like a million bucks, because I feel it,” she says with a cocky smile.
Looking back at Theadora, she’s sporting a wide grin at what her friend just said. When she turns to face me it’s gone, and it is replaced with the Theadora I have come to know.
“Thea never brings dates. What’s so special about you?”
I open the limousine door, then her friend slides in.
“You’ll have to ask Theadora that question.” I watch as her friend, Tina, looks up to Theadora and winks before she slides over. When I hold the door open for Theadora, she stops and leans in to me. “She doesn’t know anything.”
“I know,” I reply with a smile.
Theadora’s eyes flick to my smile, and she shakes her head. “Don’t smile, your face may crack.” Then she ducks her head to get in, but I stop her before she can.
“Lucy asked about you,” I tell her. Theadora’s smile drops, and I wonder if I like that I was the one who made it go away.
Maybe.
“How is she?” Her eyes bore into mine. I look down and cannot see her friend, but I can hear the music that’s pumping in the limousine.
“She is Lucy,” I reply, explaining as much as need be. She will understand that answer more than anyone. She nods and ducks in without me stopping her this time.
I’m sitting next to Theadora while her friend sits on the side seat. Tina pours herself a glass of champagne, and she turns to face Theadora and me.
“How do you expect to explain him to them,” Tina asks, raising her eyebrow at us.
“Easy. I’m her boyfriend. Isn’t that what you called me?” I tell her, not even bothering to look at Theadora for an explanation, who I know by now is more than likely scowling.
“Oh, yes, Atlas likes to tell everyone that we are together. It’s his new thing.”
I grin at her words and touch her bare leg which is crossed over the other one. I can feel her tense under my hand, and Tina ‘ooohs’ loudly.
“We would make the perfect couple, would we not?” I ask Theadora.
Theadora’s scowl doesn’t leave her face as she looks down at my hand on her leg, and then back again.
“So why are you here again? I know it’s to do with Lucy, but no one gets that involved with someone’s sister. Let me guess…”
We all go quiet. My hand stays on Theodora’s leg, waiting for Tina to speak.
“Lucy owes you money, and you are hoping she shows up at Theodora’s?” Tina guesses half right, apart from the fact I already have Lucy. But yes, she owes me money.
“Yep, but I keep telling him he will be waiting a long, long, time,” Theadora jumps in with her eyebrows raised.
“Happy to wait,” I tell her, giving her leg a squeeze.
Theadora looks at my hand and then back to me. Her eyes are saying something I can’t quite comprehend, and maybe I don’t want to either.
“So much sexual tension in this car. Maybe I should get out and give you two some alone time.” Tina winks.
As we get closer to the event, the car slows, and we get in line with the other waiting vehicles and crawl along.
“Oh, no, do not get out and leave me with Mr. Hyde. He and I are nothing.” Theadora turns to me. “Right?” she asks for clarification.
“Right,” I reply, moving closer so my breath tickles her neck.
She freezes at my closeness, so I lean down, not able to help myself. I was only going to tease, but now that I can smell her, my lips have a mind of their own and touch her neck, her very bare neck, thanks to the boob-tube dress she’s wearing.
She tastes like vanilla, and when I move my lips to taste her just a little bit more, my tongue darts out again and her breathing becomes rapid.
“Okay, I’m out. This is…”
I hear the click of a door, but neither of us moves.
Theadora’s frozen to the seat. So I take the opportunity to move around with my lips, and once I get to her chin, I place small kisses everywhere, then move up until I’m near her lips. Those soft, red lips that taste fucking amazing, and all I want is to smash mine on Theadora’s and hold her under me as I devour her.
But Theadora despises me, and rightfully so.
I dislike her as much as I want her.
Hands touch me, and at first, they push just a little before they grip. She opens her mouth, and soon, somehow, she’s in my lap. My hands wrap around her waist as she pushes down on me. My cock strains against my jeans as her short dress rides up. I drop my hands a little lower until I feel skin and the top her gorgeous ass. She’s got nothing on but a small piece of material, and, if I wanted to right now, I could tear that piece of fabric clean away to make her bare.
Hands push me back as she sits on my lap. The car starts to pull up out the front again—we must have done a lap, and the whole time, all I did was kiss her.
“This, can’t happen.” She goes to get off of me, but I grip the back of her blonde hair, which is straight tonight, and pull her back down for one last kiss before I feel the car come to a complete stop.
Kissable.
That’s all she is.
Theadora shakes me off and pulls her dress down, and I see a glimpse of her black lacy panties before she retrieves her red lip gloss and starts fixing her lips. My thumb wipes the red from my own lips as she looks up at me.
“That has to stop happening. This cannot happen.” Theadora shakes her head, looking between us.
Moving to the side, she gets out, leaving me sitting there fixing myself up before I can follow her out.
Chapter Eighteen
Theadora
Atlas isn’t far behind me when I slide out of the limousine. I don’t even know where Tina is when I walk through the doors. This year, Chloe didn’t want to go all out, so our event isn’t as flashy as it usually is. We had to stick to a tight budget, but with what we had, I’m glad it has managed to work out and looks reasonably good.
“Ummm… where is the food?” Tina comes over and grabs my elbow sliding her hand into mine.
“Chloe wanted to save money,” I tell her.
Tina rolls her eyes.
Marissa walks over with an edgy look on her face. “Chloe’s telling me not to let the food come out until later on. But, Thea…” she looks down at her sparkly watch, “… it’s already after dinner and people are hungry.” She bites her lip in nervousness.
Usually our events have tables overflowing with flowers and beautiful decorations where you can sit and take photographs. This year, we had to hire an outdoor area with bar stools and smaller tables with only a few flowers scattered around. Marissa and the other girls have been here all morning blowing up balloons to create balloon arches, which we would usually pay someone to do, and th
ey have done a magnificent job.
“Tell them to circulate the food. Where is Chloe?” I ask, putting a hand on her arm to relax her.
Marissa looks over her shoulder and motions behind her. “She’s with Jesse.”
Of course she is.
Marissa turns and looks at something behind me and her eyes go wide. I turn to see her staring at Atlas, who’s dressed like a sex god, standing directly behind me. He steps forward, placing a hand on my hip.
Again.
“Theadora speaks highly about your work.” Atlas nods which makes Marissa blush.
“Oh, gosh.” She looks at me.
“No wonder you turned my brother down. Look at that,” she says louder than she should have. Atlas doesn’t let go as she walks away.
Turning into him, I say so only he can hear, “What are you doing?”
“Perfect couple. It’s what we are,” he says. Then his voice drops. “Make them believe it, Theadora.”
Pulling back, I look up at him and see he’s staring right at me. His amber eyes are bright as they lock onto mine, and I know he’s serious.
Is this another one of his jobs and I’m just a pawn?
“You won’t make me lose my job.” I shake my head. “I draw the line at that.”
He chuckles, but it’s dry, then he reaches out, brushing my straight hair back behind my ear as he whispers, “You get no choice in the matter. Maybe in the future, you shouldn’t make deals with the devil.” Atlas stays where he is, his mouth close to my ear while I manage somehow to catch my breath.
“You are going to ruin me, aren’t you?”
“For everyone after me. Yes.”
“Atlas Hyde, that can’t be you.” Atlas pulls back as a woman says his full name.
I try to move, but he grips my arm, pulling me back to him, so I am pinned to his side.
She looks at me, and her eyes go wide. “Lucy’s sister, right?”
“Yesss,” I say, unsure of how I should answer that.
“She spoke of you. Said you ran a powerhouse clothing company.” She smiles.