Decimate

by Sheridan Anne

  “Nope. That’s it. I promise. I’ll never keep a secret from you again. Please forgive me,” she begs.

  “Of course, you're forgiven. I just need to know that I can trust you not to keep things from me, otherwise, I’ll start to worry,” I say leaning forward and wrapping my arms around her. “But just so you know, you’ve got some explaining to do with Daniel. The poor guy witnessed your little show last night.”

  Her face flushes and her eyes widen in embarrassment. “Oh no.”

  “Don’t stress, you’ll have bigger problems when he finds out who the guy is and then you’ll have to come clean to Jacinta and Trey. Oh, and not to mention Mum,” I smile. A great deal of satisfaction sailing through me.

  “Oh man,” she groans.

  “Come on,” I say, getting up and clearing away our breakfast. “It’s about time I let you in on a secret of my own.”

  Chapter 13

  I push through the door to the shooting range as Millie trails behind me. “What’s this big secret? And what’s it got to do with the shooting range?”

  “You’ll see,” I groan as I push through the second door. Hoping I’m doing the right thing.

  Millie’s eyes light up as she takes in the room around her. “Whoa, do I get to shoot?” she asks.

  “Pfft, no,” I scoff. “You’re here to judge a competition.”

  “Huh?” she asks confused.

  We walk deeper into the shooting range, Millie’s eyes jumping all over the place as she takes in the room and weapons. We get to the end of the hall and enter into the large clearing space where we find Rylan leaning up against the back wall. If he is surprised to see Millie with me, he doesn’t show it.

  “Hey,” I say, stopping a few feet in front of him, with Millie close to my side, looking extremely confused about why I’ve brought her here and why my hunky instructor is here waiting.

  He gives me a warm smile, then turns his eyes on my sister. “Millie,” he greets a little suspiciously.

  “Rylan,” she responds, using the same questioning tone Rylan had just given her.

  They each turn to me as apparently, I am running this show. I turn my eyes on Millie, taking a deep breath, hoping that Rylan is ok with me spilling the beans, though, I know he is going to support me with whatever decision I make. You know, as long as it’s a smart one. “So, this morning, I kind of bombarded you,” I start when Millie cuts me off with a scoff, clearly thinking ‘bombarded’ was not a strong enough word to be used to describe her morning. I ignore her and continue on with my speech. “I knew you were hiding something and I needed you to be honest with me, especially when it comes to you starting to date. You promised me that you’d never keep anything from me again and it’s only fair that I do the same for you,” I say.

  “Out with it already. The suspension is killing me,” she groans, her eyes flicking between me and Rylan, trying to put the puzzle together.

  Butterflies begin to stir in my stomach and I let out a nervous breath. Rylan pushes off the wall and comes to stand behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders for support. I sink into him as his thumbs begin rubbing small circles on my back. “Um, well…,” I start, looking up at Millie who is currently studying Rylan’s hands on my shoulders.

  A grin spreads over her face and I realise she has figured it out. “I knew it,” she squeals. “I freaking knew it. God, I’m good,” she laughs, throwing her arms around us.

  “Hold on,” I say, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her back so I can look her in the eye. “What do you mean you knew it?”

  “Well, I didn’t know who,” she grins. “But when Daniel practically threw himself at you a few months ago and you rejected him, I knew it had to be because you liked someone else, it was just a matter of figuring out who,” she lets out a laugh and launches back into my arms. After what seems like forever she lets me go and studies the both of us “So really? You’re like a thing?”

  “Yes,” Rylan says, a smile in his voice. “For some insane reason I’ve fallen in love with your sister and I just happen to be lucky enough that she loves me too,” he says.

  She scoffs at his remark, “Geez, I think she’s the lucky one.” Yep. No questions asked, she is definitely my sister.

  Once she is done gushing about how romantic he is, I remind them of the reason we are here. “So are you ready to shoot? Or do you need another few years to practice?” I smirk.

  “Whoa… retract the claws, kitty,” he laughs.

  I grin at him as we make our way down the shooting range and set up beside each other. Rylan shows Millie how to control the targets and we get started on our little competition. Rylan shoots first, as impressive as ever. Millie hits the button to retrieve the target for us to study. With a 99% accuracy rate, he turns on me, a smug expression on his face. “Think you can beat that?” he asks.

  I look down at the target, then back to him, knowing I’m going to need a high level of concentration to beat that mark, let alone get the same. I turn back to the target and raise my gun. Rylan comes to stand behind me, watching the target, the same way he does during our training sessions. “Nope,” I say, turning on him. “I need to concentrate, go stand over there,” I say, shooing him away, pointing over to where Millie stands.

  He raises both hands in defeat and starts to back up. “Ok, princess. Whatever you need,” he mocks.

  “That’s more like it,” I laugh. I turn back on the target and concentrate with everything I have. I raise the gun and stare down the target like it’s the last thing I’ll ever do. I pull the trigger, the familiar feel of the bullet exploding out from the gun. I watch as if in slow motion as the bullet lodges itself into the centre of the target.

  I turn on Rylan knowing it is going to be close. Millie hits the magic button and Rylan walks over to unclip the paper. He brings it over and lays it down next to his. God, this is going to be close.

  “Close, but not close enough, 98%,” he confirms. “Looks like princess needs a little more practice,” he says smugly.

  “Damn it,” I groan. “It seems you are still the best.”

  His dark, gold speckled eyes sparkle at me in pleasure as a beautifully wicked grin takes over his handsome face, giving me all sorts of feels. “I’d give you a rematch, but I’d win that too.”

  “I’ll beat you one day,” I promise him.

  “I look forward to it,” he says, stepping into my personal space and pressing a kiss to my lips.

  “Ewwww… I don’t want to see that,” Millie groans from behind us. We break into laughter as he laces his finger through mine and begins dragging me out of the shooting range. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says, giving me another kiss. We step out into the fresh air as Rylan pulls the door closed behind us, tapping in the code to set the alarm. He takes off in the direction of the staff housing. Leaving me with Millie who’s busting with questions.

  Millie and I head off down to the oval where we can talk in private. She asks every question under the sun and demands a day by day rundown of how we got together.

  An hour later I drop her off, making sure she understands the importance of keeping our relationship on the low down. I promise Millie that we will spend next weekend together if she promises to come clean to Daniel, Trey, and Jacinta about her new relationship, which she reluctantly agrees to.

  I take myself back to my dorm, thankful to find it empty, needing some me time after the emotional roller-coaster this weekend has taken me on.

  I pull out our overflowing beauty kit and get to work pampering myself. I hop in the shower, deciding to start with a body scrub. I wash and condition my hair and make sure my legs are shaved. Hoping out, I wrap my towel around myself and begin rubbing lotion into my exhausted skin.

  Moving on with my pampering afternoon, I give myself a facial and follow that up with a Mani/Pedi.

  By late afternoon, I’m wrapped in nothing but my silk robe, I feel absolutely amazing, my hair is soft and shiny, blown out to perfection, my eyebrow
s plucked and beautifully arched and my skin is practically radiant. All I need now is a glass of champagne and a movie.

  A knock at the door draws my attention. Most likely the dorm matron doing her weekly inspection. I glance around the room and decide it is clean enough for a pass. I open the door and am shocked when I find Rylan standing before me. His eyes roam over my robe, which seems to be gaping in the front, giving him a nice view of my cleavage.

  “Wow, I didn’t know you knew where my actual door was,” I laugh.

  He glances up and down the hallway, then steps into my room. “Come on, I’m making you dinner,” he says.

  “Really? You cook?” I ask, dumbfounded.

  “Yep,” he grins. “Now, let’s go.”

  “K, let me get something nice on,” I say stepping towards my closet.

  He grabs my hand, stopping me and tugs me back into him. “You don’t need to put something special on, I’m sure whatever you’ve got on under here is fine.”

  “You sure?” I say feigning innocence.

  He nods down at me and gives me the briefest of nods. “K,” I say, slowly grabbing the tie that holds my robe together, I give it a light tug. I keep my eyes trained on his as my robe falls to the ground, pooling at my feet.

  His eyes widen at the sight of my naked body before him. He looks down at me with hooded eyes, running his tongue along his bottom lip, making me want to bite, I step up to him, pressing my body against his. His arms wrap around me and begin exploring the feel of my naked skin. “You’re going to be the death of me, Bianca Moore,” he warns.

  “I tried to tell you that I wanted to put something on,” I say. “But if this is want you want… I mean, we might get a few stares and people would start asking questions…”

  He takes a deep breath. “Go put some clothes on,” he orders. “Before I lose control,” he adds sounding almost like a plea.

  “Ok,” I say sweetly and sashay over to my closet, bending down to reach deep in my drawers. I giggle as he groans, then quickly get myself dressed, throwing on a summer dress so I don’t ruin our night before it’s begun. “I’m ready,” I say a few minutes later.

  He wraps me in his arms once again. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met,” he says, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Now, let’s go.”

  “How can we just go? There’s got to be millions of teachers and students out there.”

  “Usually, yes… But it's Ms. Layton’s birthday and there’s a huge party, nearly all the faculty are there and apparently, the seniors are having some party on the back oval… Which means, sneaking you into my place, is not going to be a problem.”

  How on earth does he know about our parties before I do?

  “I think you’ve got yourself a date,” I smile.

  True to his word, he takes me right across campus, not a soul in sight. He takes me straight through the double doors of the staff housing and right up to his front door. He pulls out a key, unlocks his door and ushers me in with absolutely no sneaking required.

  I walk into the little apartment, taking in all the sights. I walk through a modern lounge room, with the softest looking couch I have ever seen and make a note to check that out later. He grabs my hand and tugs me through the room and into the kitchen.

  He pulls out a stool from under an island bench and demands me to sit. I do as I’m told as I take in the state of the kitchen that surrounds me. “What are you making?” I ask as he begins rifling through his cupboards.

  “You’ll see,” he grins, I roll my eyes and send him a playful glare.

  “Who taught you how to cook?” I ask curiously.

  “Mum,” he responds, I want for him to expand, but apparently, that isn’t going to happen.

  “Do you see her much?” I ask, hoping this isn’t a touchy topic.

  He seems to go somewhere far away when he answers. “Not really, I used to see her more when I was a kid, but when Kaylee left, she kind of did the disappearing act too, she didn’t want much to do with The Guard after that,” he says as he fills up a pot and puts it on the stove.

  “Ok,” I say thoughtful. “What about your dad?”

  He gives me a sad smile. “I don’t know my dad. He left after I was born.”

  “Oh,” I say, a little shocked I didn’t know this stuff about him. “I’m sure he’d want to claw his way back in if he knew how amazing you turned out,” I smirk.

  “Yeah… he’s already tried,” he says regretfully.

  “Really?” I say in surprise. “And I’m assuming you told him where to go?”

  He sends me a wicked grin, confirming my thoughts. “That, I did,” he says.

  I get up off my stool and make my way around the other side of the island table, he sends me a disapproving look, probably for not following my ‘sit’ instructions. “Can I help?” I ask, taking in the array of ingredients before me.

  “Nope,” he says.

  “What, why not?”

  He turns to face me, placing both hands on my shoulders, fixing me with a look that tells me he is about to break some bad news. “Because, Bianca, as amazing as you are, I really doubt you have any kind of skills in the kitchen,” he says, keeping a straight face.

  “What?” I ask in outrage, narrowing my eyes at him. “I’ll have you know there are a few things I can do in the kitchen.”

  “Like?” he scoffs, “I’m sure you really good at two-minute noodles and burning toast,” he says, his eyes sparkling as he breaks into a grin. I let out an unimpressed huff and return to my stool. He follows me around, grabs my stool and spins it so fast that I am suddenly facing him. “Relax, I’m joking. Just be patient and let me cook you dinner, ok?” he says. He bends down and places a feather light kiss on my lips, making everything ok in the world.

  “Fine,” I grumble.

  Half an hour later he pushes a bowl of Mac-N-Cheese in front of me. “Really?” I ask with a grin.

  “Yep. I said I wanted to cook you dinner, I didn’t say it was going to be good,” he says.

  I break out into laughter and scoop the delicious meal into my mouth. “You know Mac-N-Cheese is my favourite?”

  “I had my suspicions,” he says, making me love him more.

  Halfway through dinner, a thoughtful expression crosses his face as he looks up at me. “What is it?” I ask.

  He cringes at how well I can read him. “How come you never dated Daniel? I mean you could have a normal relationship with him, no hiding or sneaking around, you could even go on proper dates, not-to-mention it wouldn’t have been a big deal telling your family about it.”

  “You trying to talk me out of this?” I ask trying to lighten the mood.

  “No,” he scoffs. “I’m way too selfish for that. You’re mine,” he adds. “I’m just curious.”

  “Is this about that conversation you had with Daniel in the infirmary?” I ask.

  “How’d you know?”

  “Please,” I scoff. “I know everything.”

  He fixes me with a look to say he is still waiting for an answer. “Ok,” I say. “Honestly, I thought about it a lot towards the beginning of the year, I kind of liked him and I knew he kind of liked me, too.” Rylan cuts me off with a grunt at the casual way I describe Daniels feelings, I ignore him and continue. “I wasn’t in love with him and that became startling clear the moment you came into my life. He’s one of my best friends and there’s no way I could pursue something with him knowing how I felt about you. That just didn’t seem right.”

  He nods at my confessions. “And all the other stuff? The sneaking around and secrets. That doesn’t bother you?”

  “No, not at all. I’d sneak around the rest of my life if it meant staying with you. I mean, would it be great to watch every girl on campus squirm with jealousy, knowing that I’m yours? Of course, but I don’t need that. I just need you.”

  He watches me with such love and adoration, that I’m rendered speechless. “Ok,” he says with a slight nod as a slow smile of pure jo
y spreads across his face.

  “Ok,” I respond.

  Following dinner, he actually lets me help clean up. I dry the last dish and hand it to him to place in the cupboard. I take my opportunity to get revenge for his earlier comments about my cooking skills. Using the now discarded wet tea towel that lays on the bench, I pick it up, taking a corner in each hand and spin it until it is as tight as possible. I let go of one end and let that baby fly.

  He glances up just in time to see the tail end of the whip shooting towards him. His eyes widen as he registers what’s about to happen. The grin I’m currently sporting nearly splits my face in two, as the towel whips down on him, leaving me to do the only thing that will possibly keep me alive in this situation. I run.

  I bolt out of the kitchen and down his hallway with Rylan close on my heels. I don’t get far before he is swinging me up over his shoulder and marching me out into the lounge room. “That was a bad move, Bianca Moore,” he says, taking me off his shoulder and cradling me in his arms.

  I’m about to make a snappy response, but it’s too late. I squeal as he throws me from one end of his lounge room to the other, landing on the couch with an ‘Oomph’ and in any other situation I’d be mighty impressed with his display of strength, but as he strides forward with mischief twinkling in his eyes, I find I have much more important things to worry about.

  I try to scramble my way off the couch, but it’s too late, he is already on top of me. “Apologise,” he demands.

  “Never,” I declare with a grin.

  He laughs and looks down at me, a grin of his own on his handsome face. He gives me a quick kiss. “Are you sure you want to play this game?”

  I take a second to pretend to think it over. “I think I’ll take my chances,” I grin. I bring my knee up, placing my foot on the couch and push as hard as I can, rolling us both off the couch. Rylan protectively cages his arms around me as we fall to the ground. He hits the floor with me on top of him. A loud thud echoing around the room.

  I smile down at him to find his eyes hooded and already trained on mine. “You’re going to pay for that,” he whispers, reaching up and running his knuckles softly over my cheek.