Kasper smirked as he tried to recover from a minor hangover from his fun last night. “Who's bit your spoiled ass?” Curiosity got the better of him. Nobody ticked Kelli off more than him. “Somebody thinks you're an unworthy queen in Kelli land this morning?” He bowed down at her presence.
Kelli was so not in the mood for this crap today. “I'm going to be late meeting Travis,” she muttered and exited out the kitchen.
Kasper felt his eyes roll out of disgust. The high and mighty Travis Bentley. He never could stand the pompous jerk, even when he found out they started dating. Welp, he dreaded this day long enough. It was time to face the music as promised, he went to school; yay how excited right?
《***》
“Well, well …”
An arrogant, conceited tone spooked her. Travis Bentley blocked her path. Everybody gloats in awe-struck about him, not to mention he’s a vanity, millionaire hotshot. Half of the school was oozing over this hunky captain. She was not one of those women. His short jet-black hair was shining in the sun. Her hazel eyes caught his, returning the same mischievous grin. She knew he had an idea.
Oh, don't even think about it, buddy, boy ... He thinks he's one of those jocks who can do whatever he desires because he runs the school.
A devilish smirk reappeared as he raised his hand to touch her hair, but she managed to smack his hand inches away. “Come now, Torrance, I’m merely making small talk with one fellow peer to another.” He leaned against the locker next to hers.
“Really? Is that what we call it now? Because I thought you’d be doing Kelli’s dirty work. So, feel free to give her a message … whatever the plan is. I'm not interested. Now if you’ll excuse me … I’d rather be anywhere but here.” She was about to escape until he spoke again.
“Are we still picky about that night, Torrie?” He whispered, leaning in close.
She rolled her eyes out of annoyance. Vaguely recalling that night. It was before he and Kelli got together. Travis asked Torrie out, she was the only girl who wasn't 'into' him at that time. He wanted to prove her wrong. That he was one of those good guys, things exactly didn't go according to plan. “You mean when I stood your ass up?” She confidently replied, cockily. “Were you going to shower me with gifts like you did Kelli? Is that the reason you two are together right now? You're spoiling her rotten?” Whatever the true intentions were, she didn't care about money. She doesn't care about Richy Rich Jr. or his bitchy girlfriend, whereas, she's concerned they deserve each other.
“It just eats you up doesn't it? Once upon a time, you could've been where Kelli is now.” Declaring his ever-so cocky tone. She always knew he was full of himself. And now? This was proving her point
“Wow, someone is full of himself today. Did you pump yourself up in the mirror, feeding your already massive ego?” Torrie wanted to punch that grin on his face like a fist form on the side of her hand.
The one thing he admired about Torrie, is nonchalant, an outrageous aura about her. “Why don't we have a do-over?”
Is he out of whatever brain he has left? Torrie laughed in his face and she noticed Travis's forehead furrowed. She started to walk away, but he grasped her wrist. “I don’t know what kind of kinky crap you and Kelli are into, but I’m going to pass.”
He pulled her closer towards his chest, where he could smell her perfume. His cologne almost made her gag of how strong it was. “Nobody turns a guy like me down.” The warmth from his breath touched her neck.
“There's a first time for everything. Hate to see how you are when girls dump you.” She interrupted him. “You know moneybags, your girlfriend isn't going to be too keen with your poor attempt to hit on me.” Torrie tried reverse psychology on him.
Travis guffawed at her idiocy ludicrous. “You'd believe that she'll choose you over me?” Travis started to interrogate her. “Look around, It's empty. Not a soul in sight, it's your word against mine.” With a free hand, he stroked her cheek.
Footsteps made Travis pause his conversation. He gazed at the figure from the corner of his vision, coming towards their direction.
“Hate to burst your bubble Bentley, but, it's your word against ours.” A stranger interfered.
Travis released her grip. Torrie's body collided back into the tall, handsome stranger. She couldn't figure out if he were a returning student or a bold newcomer.
The mysterious stranger turned to Torrie out of concern as she felt his strong hands on her waist. “You alright?” He asked.
For once, she was at a loss for words. She nodded like a simpleton.
“Didn't your mother ever tell you to be a gentleman to ladies?”
She eyed him and side-stepped in front of her.
Travis surveyed him, as he looked amused at this foolish kid in front of his view. He was going to enjoy punching his beautiful face. “Kasper Lockhart heard you broke out of prison,”
That name sounded familiar to Torrie. Kasper vowed to his mother that night he was released, he’ll turn over a new leaf, but it wasn't going to be easy. Especially with conceited guys like Travis. Torrie snapped back into reality, seeing his fist towards Travis's jaw. She was grateful she wasn't the only one who loathed him as much. Travis's face hardened, as he used his arms to block up his beautiful face. Torrie spun Kasper around as she didn't want him to get suspended on his first day back.
Travis reopened his eyes narrowed at Torrie's vision, and he smirks. “Letting girls fight your battles now, huh Lockhart?” He laughs at him.
Kasper was curious why she did that, as he was to say something, bam! Torrie ended up punching Travis square in the face instead.
“Oww, you bitch!” Travis yelled, holding his nose in pain.
Kasper couldn't help but grin. And caught Torrie once again.
She shook her tingled hand out of pain and glanced up at Kasper. “You had no idea how much I wanted to do that.” She grinned and heard Travis groan in agony still.
Travis breathed hard as her ring decked his eye pretty good. “You have no damn idea what you did,”
Travis growled at her. The pain once more to bearable for him to stay. He turned his feet in the opposite direction and sauntered away from both of them. Torrie grinned and walked away from him.
《***》
“What did you say to my brother?” Kelli assumed it was him as they rarely have gotten along. She spotted his reflection from the small mirror she kept in her locker.
“Your friend did this to me.” Travis’s nostrils flared.
Kelli couldn't help but grin. “Torrie?” Despite their long rival over the years, she forgot Torrie can impress her at times. Even if she doesn’t want to admit it. “Sorry babe.”
“What are you going to do about it?” He scowled at her.
She leaned against her locker. “What do you mean, what am I going to do?” She asked him.
“Well, my dear, it seemed your brother was a tad memorized by her.”
She heaved in shock. No, it was preposterous. Kelli tried to control her nonchalant manner. “My life is over if that happens!”
Travis wondered what she'd do and trailed behind.
《***》
“Hey! Wait up,” Kasper said as he tried to figure out who she was.
Torrie stopped as they reached the outside of school.
“I'm taking it you must be Torrie?”
She nodded her head. “You've heard of me, I presumed?”
He smirked at how cocky and mischievous she was. He liked that in a woman. “My sister complains about you. Anyone who provokes my sister is okay in my book.”
She felt her cheeks blush as his gaze never left hers. She couldn't help that her mouth curved into a small smile. “Thanks. Let's say I'm far from finished with her yet.”
He had no problem with that. “Hey, you have my blessing to sabotage my sister's intentions. Watch your back. Many have attempted and failed to take her down.” He recalled a few issues she had experienced
in the past.
Torrie wasn't scared; in fact, she was more determined than ever to succeed. “Thanks for the warning … but I can handle myself.”
Kasper did not doubt that. He forgot he had something in his pocket. He wondered if it belonged to her.
Torrie heard something that made her gasp in shock and turned around as it was what she thought. “My bracelet!” She delighted expressed in excitement. She had lost it one night. Torrie assumed it was gone forever.
He places it back on her wrist.
“Thank you. I've been looking all over for this.” He was her hero yet again. She planted a small peck on his cheek.
Recognition dawned on his face once more. Kasper never received his answer on one thing that troubled him. “Hey! Why'd you stop me from hitting Travis?” He yelled in her direction.
She went down the bottom of the stairs, as she turned her head around. The sun blocked her vision as she squinted to see him. She didn't know why, either. Torrie shrugged her shoulders. “I did it to save your ass!”
He became dumbfounded for a moment but grinned and had a reply for her response. “You don't know the first thing about me! I don't need saving.” Kasper made that loud and clear.
“That makes two of us then!” She returned the coy response.
《***》
Kelli and Travis lurked from inside the school. “Told you something is going on between them,” Travis said as Kelli rolled her eyes out of annoyance.
This won't happen, not on her watch. “Not if I have anything to say about it.” An infuriated Kelli stormed out of the room, unhappy about this whole situation.
Chapter 10
The clock blinked two hours passed since the last time she glanced at the clock that read 6:59 am. Her mind wouldn't let her sleep as a hopeless sigh comes out. “It's open!” Eileen mumbled from her closet. She noticed Torrie wasn’t in the room, as she figured she was downstairs.
“We know you're mad at us for what’s been going on,” Ryder began to say in an apologetic tone.
She was more frustrated than annoyed. Why can't they be good? What was hard about turning the other way? Christian sauntered around the room as he needed to find something.
Ryder tried to distract his sister. “We assure you, sis, he won't attempt anything that you aren't uncomfortable with.”
She was aware of what they were doing for the millionth time. “Why must you defend him? He's not flawless.”
Ryder's eyes narrowed at his brother's figure, who became shady behind her back.
“You two always defend him. He needs to be responsible for his actions. One of these days someone will put him in his place.”
Christian gave his brother the signal as he ambled back over by his brother's side.
“We meant what we said. We'll protect you no matter what the cost.” They closed the door behind her. Ryder peered over Christian’s shoulder once they were safe to talk again.
“You got it?” Ryder asked his brother as they hated deceived her like this.
Christian nodded as he held the cell phone he snatched and hoped it has Heagertigh number on it. “You know we're doing this to help her.” Avery's words taunt them inside their guilty conscience.
《***》
How was Michael going to face her now? He knew the secret. “How do I face her? I know they are her brothers. Why didn't she tell me?”
With Ethan's assistance, Michael sits back down onto the couch. Ethan heard a low-spirited sigh escaped Michael’s mouth. Ethan plops down beside him as he understood the frustration.
“Did you know who they were?”
A remorseful Ethan nods his head yes. “I did.” He admitted the truth to him. Ethan observed his agitated behavior. “Believe me, man, I was exactly where you are now.”
Michael's brow rose in a keen manner. His head slanted in his direction.
“It's up to you to make that choice. You hung out with her in the past few months. She is nothing like them. Are you going to turn her away because of some new information?”
Michael ran his hand through his hair. Wishing he knew what to say.
A few days later in school, Michael wanted to sort this out. “Eileen!”
Eileen tried to change her routine so there won't be any compilations. Deep-down part of her knew the compromise would backfire. She was startled once she heard her name and lifted her head to see Michael tried to get her attention. He learned by the lockers next to Ethan's. She took a deep breath and sauntered over.
Eileen spotted a visible bruised eye, no thanks to her brothers. She took a deep breath, as she watched him walk over towards her direction. “Surprised you wanted to talk to me,” she saw he was a tad vigilant about this reunion. She didn't blame him one bit.
He needed time to process everything and was going to give him all the space he wanted. Ethan was right. He didn't want to jeopardize his friendship with her. “I know I've been distant from you these past few days. For that, I'm sorry.”
Why should he apologize? “I'm the one who should apologize to you.” Her voice dropped shortly after a shadow appeared behind her.
Avery Maddox made his way over, as he grinned from ear to ear, which added more whispers already to the onlooking peers confused as well. He swung his arm around her shoulders. “Hey, darlin' you ready to go?” His purred voice echoed in her ears. That sent shivers down her spine.
Ethan gawked as he watched ready to pounce if he needed backup. Eileen remained silent. She never knew what the deal was she made with him.
“You need to get away from her now.” Michael's face glowered as his fists were ready for action in case he needed to defend her.
Avery titters eyeing his handiwork. “Oh, now I know you're full of crap. My boys took care of you last week, you expect me to believe your hundred percent. I can still see that shiner. Back away now, while you still have the strength to walk out of this fight.” Avery knew his stubbornness would cost him.
Eileen wanted to yank his arm off her shoulders, but she forgot the deal made by the devil. Ethan moved up the crowded circle and saw a glared confrontation began to form. He needed to stop this.
“Hurt or not, you don't own this school. To bully people for your amusement is not how high school works, and, last time I checked she doesn't belong to you.”
Eileen had knots in her stomach as she wished she was anywhere else but here.
Avery’s evil laugh echoed around her. Eyes glued with awe; whispers started to brew. “Oh, you haven't heard?”
Michael noticed how timid she became. Her eye contact was off. Ethan sensed something was wrong.
“See Heagertigh, she does belong to me, isn't that right, princess?” His finger caressed her cheek. He moved her inches closer to his body. Whispers became louder now as the students buzzed among themselves.
Michael felt a lump form in the back of his throat. “T—tell me he's kidding, right?” Michael's eyes burned with rage as he fought back the tears. He wanted answers to the millions of questions inside his head.
All Eileen could do was remain frozen in fear. Michael's throat began to close up. Eileen was going to open her mouth; nothing came out. The heartache pain on his face was eating her alive. All she could do was scurry away from both of them. Michael wanted to chase after her. But, Avery, smirked and blocked his path.
“I told you, kid, everything I touch is mine. That pretty young thing doesn't belong to you. You're a smart boy, I hope.” Avery gave him another warning and left satisfied as students began to scatter.
《***》
A ball formed on the side of his hand that began to tighten. He wanted to hit something.
Ethan blocked him from making a mistake. “Now is not the time, man.”
Michael punched the lockers as they shook. He needed to be anywhere, but here. He walked away in frustration as Ethan followed in hot pursuit. What the hell is going on with her? Michael and Ethan both had the same question
on repeat.
They couldn't concentrate after that gossip, which spread like wildfire. “Do you have—”
Ethan already knew what he was going to ask. “No damn idea, man.” They scratched their brains as they failed to figure the plot out. “But I do know she wouldn't do this without a very good reason.” Ethan inspirited him. She wouldn't have done this on her own free will.
Michael's deadpan expression remained flustered. Why would she do this? Ethan may have known the reason why, and he will sort this out.
True Love:Follow Your Heart Page 6