by Lannah Smith
"I've had enough rest, Oniisan," she murmured up to him. "Let's go. Our guests will wonder where we are if we don't return now."
Haru studied her for a moment and John wished he knew what was going on in his conniving head.
Then he smiled and patted her hand. "You go ahead, then."
Her anxious expression turned to genuine fear.
"But—"
"Go, sister," he said softly but with a hint of threat in his voice. "Dad is also looking for you."
Terry's face changed once again.
She met Haru's gaze with a serene expression, a façade that belied the fear inside of her. John saw her hands turn into tight, trembling fists as she let go of Haru.
"Alright," she answered quietly.
Without looking back, she returned inside the ballroom. John too had the mind to return, he couldn't stand another minute in the presence of this bastard, but then Haru spoke.
"How have you been, John?" he asked with mild concern. "I've never seen you around anymore. Not since my sister's 12th birthday party."
John's eyes cut to him.
So it was going to be like this, huh?
He was provoking him to 'make conversation', to hide contempt behind politeness.
Haru was a master of this arcane art. He learned and harnessed the value of conversation even before he did. But still, John still learned it from his parents.
Two can play this game.
"I've been well," he answered in a controlled tone. "How about you, Haru? Are you staying in the US for a while?"
"I suppose. I've begun the semester there but I'm still considering it. You may not have heard but our mother is sick and is staying in Japan for the meantime."
"I'm sure she'll be fine."
"Of course, she will be. We have the finest doctors looking after her."
His barely there patience slipped when he said low, "But your mother is not what you want to talk about, is she? Cut to the fucking chase, Haru."
Haru smiled a humorless, condescending smile. "You used to be such a well-behaved and well-mannered child. You've really changed."
"And you haven't," he shot back angrily.
When John first met Haru, he'd been in awe.
As a child, Haru was quiet and insightful, showing noticeable maturity for his age. John met him before he even met Terry and back then, he was jealous of the girl for having a brother like him.
He was three years his senior and even though they lived in different cities, news of his prodigy reached his ears. Haru consistently scored the highest in each subject, quickly learned any knowledge and skill taught to him and ultimately became very popular among his peers.
His father constantly praised Haru, telling John he should be more like him.
And fuck if he didn't try.
Until he learned how he treated his own sister. And learned his true nature.
That was when he stopped seeing him through rose-colored glasses and stopped looking up to him.
He couldn't believe he'd been so deceived.
"My sister's beautiful tonight, isn't she?" now Haru's voice was filled with derision, "And she'll only grow even more beautiful as she matures with age."
John glared at him. What was he saying?
"I've always tried to protect my sister from people who may take advantage of her. And seeing how she looks tonight made me think I should tighten this protection even more."
Miraculously, John kept a tight rein on his temper. "Who's going to protect her from you?"
Haru laughed. "I see you've at least retained your humor."
His amusement only served to escalate his anger.
"I know what's best for my sister, John. And frankly, I don't think you're best for her."
"Do you think I care?" John responded smoothly.
Haru tilted his head to the side and arched a brow. "I think you would. Did you forget what you did to my sister?"
John's head jerked back.
"Did you forget how you hurt her?"
His body went still as a statue.
"Humiliated her?"
His mouth felt strange when it formed the words, "Shut up."
"Made her feel inadequate?"
John closed his eyes and dropped his head. "Shut up."
"And of all days, you had to choose her birthday."
He opened his eyes and lifted his head to shout, "I said shut up!"
There was a satisfied gleam in Haru's eyes when he smiled. "And do you know what the worst part was?"
John couldn't answer. His body was trembling with so much rage.
"It was that day when she needed you the most."
His throat constricted. Guilt and remorse weaved its way around his stomach. The steady flame inside him became a raging fire that burned a hole in his chest.
What did he mean?
Why was it the day she needed him the most?
Tormented, he couldn't find the words to tell him to fuck off. His skin felt strange, like it was prickly and his gut was tight. He never really thought about what he had done to Terry because he had wanted to move on. And Haru spelling it out for him made him feel sick to his stomach just as it made him feel like punching his fist into his smug face.
"Well, I should get back to my family," Haru said, his lips turned up in a familiar mocking smile. "I have something to talk about with my sister."
John didn't hear him.
His stomach still felt like he had a sledgehammer imbedded in it.
"Enjoy the party, John."
Like his sister, Haru left without a backward glance but John didn't even notice his departure.
The crush of the crowd made the large ballroom seem unbearable hot.
I stood next to my father's business partners, half-listening to them rave about the party. Catching sight of Haru enter the ballroom, I let a breath of utter relief escape me. I kept my eyes on him as he moved to join us to check if he had a broken nose or bloodied lips. I wouldn't put it past him to provoke John to fly into a rage and I wouldn't blame John if he did. I'd seen the way John looked at him and his expression wasn't happy, which was why I tried to intervene.
Haru gave me a tight-lipped smile and placed his hand protectively on my lower back. I tried not to recoil from his touch. After greeting the business partners, he gamely entered their conversation.
I couldn't help myself. My eyes kept straying to the arched alcove, searching for John. A full hour into the party and there was still no sign of him. He must have left and it made me worried. Haru must have said something to him.
I shook my head, thoroughly disgusted with myself.
Haven't I learned my lesson yet?
Was it going to take another heartbreak before I finally figured it all out?
He wasn't to be trusted.
But my contradictory actions made me think that there was something wrong with me, made me think I was a glutton for punishment.
Made me realize I was weak whenever it came to him.
"He's staring at you."
Haru and I were seated alone at a table when this statement came from him. I was looking at the gaggle of giggling girls in the next table behind us, idly wondering how they got their hands on the champagne.
Turning my attention back to him, I asked. "Who?"
"John."
Without missing a beat, I answered, "Maybe he's looking at April behind us."
His eyebrows climbed. "April Locke? But isn't she seeing his best friend?"
"No. His best friend has a girlfriend that is not her."
"Curious. And you think John's going after his seconds?"
I gave him a saccharine smile and said, "I didn't know you like gossip, Oniisan."
"I'm merely looking after my interests," he said, his lips twisting into a sardonic smile.
I didn't answer. Inside my head, I was reeling over how I managed to miss John's entrance completely.
"He's not interested in you, is he?"
Slanting an unaffec
ted gaze at him, or what I hoped was unaffected, I told him, "We're not even friends."
"So why were you alone together?"
I refused to answer and took a drink from the glass of water in front of me. He smirked.
"Just make sure he stays away from you, Terry." He leaned into me and went on in a low, menacing tone that made me shiver. "Because I have plans for you and he's not included in them."
My heart skipped then stuttered to a halt.
I leaned back from him, the horror in my face saturating my voice, "What do you mean?"
He gave me a cold smile and picked up his glass of champagne. "You don't need to know. At least not yet."
Oh God. Oh no. Oh God no.
"What did you do, Haru?"
His smile disappeared. "What did I say about respect?"
"Oniisan." My voice trembled and my throat burned. "What did you do?"
Something flickered in his eyes and then it was gone.
"Hush, sister," he admonished before his gaze slid to the side. "Ethan is coming."
I looked at my tutor who had sat next to Haru around the table. I swallowed the burn down my throat that was cutting off my air and doing it hurt. But it worked; I could again breathe though I was doing it shallowly.
"Ethan," Haru said, giving him a handshake. "How are you?"
"I'm well," Mr. Cameron said with a broad grin. "Good to see you, Haru."
I watched the exchange with practiced artifice and affixed a smile on my face even though I want to scream at him to leave us so I can continue my conversation with my bastard brother.
Mr. Cameron had met Haru when my father introduced him to us as my new tutor. Haru had visited from Japan and my tutor had been so amazed by the brilliance he possessed that he took it upon himself to befriend my brother, who was just in high school back then. Haru merely tolerated him because Mr. Cameron was from a prominent family himself and accepted the friendship he offered. And the connections that came with such relationship were also an advantage Haru simply couldn't pass up.
"Hello, Terry," Mr. Cameron said, a twinkle in his eyes.
I nodded at him. "Hello, sir."
"Why do you insist on calling me sir, Ms. Evans?" he teased. "We're not in school nor am I tutoring you right now."
"I'm sorry," I apologized. "Habit."
Mr. Cameron laughed and patted my hand. "I know. I'll wear you down someday." He moved his gaze to Haru, who was silently watching our exchange. "Are you staying in town for long, Haru?"
"My plans have changed. I need to go back tomorrow."
"What?" I couldn't hide the surprise from my voice. "But Dad told me we were going somewhere tomorrow. And college—"
He didn't let me finish. "I have to leave, sister. And as for college, I've talked to Dad about it and decided to study in Japan for the meantime." Haru's brow arched when he asked, "Are you disappointed, sister?"
He knew I wasn't, the bastard. He knew he had just given me reprieve from his plans. And damn if I didn't relieved just then. This, I was sure, I just communicated with my eyes to Haru. The bastard chuckled low, clearly amused by all of this.
"Of course she is." Mr. Cameron smiled kindly at me. "You should make time for your sister."
"Yes." Haru was staring at him as he said that. But what disturbed me was the odd, almost calculating look in his eyes as he stared at my teacher. "I will. But there was an unexpected change in my plans. It's merely an annoyance but there's nothing I can do but see to it."
"That's too bad. I was hoping you'd let me take you out for a drink or two as thanks for helping me with my dissertation. It's also been so long since we last hung out."
"I'll take a rain check. But I promise the next time I come I'll take you up on that offer."
"You better."
I took a tiny sip from the glass and put it down on my table, miserably listening in to their conversation.
"You're grandfather is waving for your attention, Ethan," Haru told him.
Mr. Cameron turned. "I see I've been summoned. I'll see you later, Haru. Terry."
Returning the smile he gave, I watched him leave. When I glanced at Haru, he was staring at me with the same odd look he gave Mr. Cameron.
He stood up and proffered his hand. "Come, Terry. We must see to our guests."
A sudden pang struck through me at the familiar gesture.
Come, Terry. A younger version of his voice flitted through my head. Let's go play.
The memory was gone before I could grasp it and analyze it. Haru, with slight impatience written on his face, grabbed my hand and pulled me up.
"I hope you'll remove that look of distress on your face before we circulate, sister."
As I tried to recollect myself, I stared at him
Then I said, "Of course, Oniisan."
John shouldn't have come.
He had been leaning against the wall for the past hour, half-hidden by a pillar at the corner of the ballroom after he left the balcony once he got his shit together.
He took a swig from his glass of champagne and looked across the room. He had a perfect view of everything from his secluded spot. He saw Terry talking to her brother. She looked perfectly composed, but she was noticeably pale. Still, he couldn't help but be impressed. She was good, all right. She entertained their guests with a bright, artificial smile that didn't quite reach her ears. She and her brother were just as rigid, just as polished and just as superficial as all the other people in the room while they did their duties as hosts.
They represented the sort of arrogant superciliousness that he most despised.
They represented the sort of superficiality that he used to embrace with a passion when he was younger.
"I'm glad you're here, son."
He turned to look at his mother, who was fast approaching him. How she found him he didn't know. She was a witch, remember? He didn't reply and his mother didn't expect a reply. She stood beside him, taking a leisurely sip from her own glass of burgundy liquid, her gaze studying the people in front of them.
"Are you done skulking in the shadows?" she said after a while with a hint of reprimand in her tone. "You're father is looking for you."
He ignored her.
His father couldn't care less about him as long as he behaved well in these functions and did not create any scandal. He'd already given up on his son since he started rebelling. He told John so.
"Are you listening, son?"
Can't she fucking see that there was no point telling him off?
She should really just give up on him just like his father.
"When will this defiance end, John? Just look at the Evans boy. Still in college but his competence has already made their company's profit nearly double. And the girl. Still a child herself but she's made all of their family's parties a success."
How dare she?
He clenched his teeth. His mother had a blank expression on her face as she stared at the Evans siblings' direction.
How dare she talk about her?
"You have it all, son. Money, security, comfort. You have it all but you're wasting all of it. All of this we didn't get for you by wishing upon a star. All of this was the product of constant, backbreaking work."
He downed his drink, put the glass on the tray of a passing waiter and picked another. Thank fuck for the roaming waiters that threaded through the crowd. He didn't think he be able to listen to his mother's voice without drinking a glass. Or five. His mother continued to ramble on and on about what a disappointment he was and he was in wholehearted agreement with her. Because that was exactly what he was right now.
A disappointment.
No longer the well-behaved prince but the prince of pissing people off.
The emperor of exasperation.
The ruler of rubbing them the wrong way.
He'd heard it all and he'd heard enough and wasn't going to hear more. Hopefully, his mother would take the fucking hint soon.
"I saw you with the girl earlier."
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