"Hey, little nerd. Long time, no see," Nica greeted as she sat beside her, while Dimitri sat with Klaus, arms folded.
"Hey," Morticia greeted awkwardly. "If you don't want them here, I can send them away," Klaus said coldly. "No, no, it's fine," she shook her head. They'd hate her if she said yes. "It's really nice to see you here, Morticia. I can't believe we're going to be attending the same college," Dimitri said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Right? I can't believe that either," she mumbled, glancing over at Klaus, who was quiet, wearing his usual cold look. "How about you come to my birthday party tonight?" Dimitri offered, and Morticia swallowed hard. She was inviting her to a party? Her? Klaus finally looked up. "No, she's not." "Why not? It'll be fun to have her there. You're showing her around, right? She should get to know the college better," Nica chimed in. "It's not a place for her. She's not going." "Why are you deciding for me? I can make my own decisions," Morticia snapped, not liking the way Klaus was trying to control her. "Bunnie..." "I'm going," she declared, and Dimitri smiled. 'The hell are you doing, Morty?' her subconscious scolded. "You're bold, unlike before. I like that," Dimitri said with a smirk. "I'm going shopping for dresses. Wanna come? I can help you pick something out. You could also spend the night at my place-I live alone," Nica offered. "Really? Thanks," Morticia smiled but caught Klaus's unreadable gaze. While picking dresses at the mall, Nica suddenly asked, "So, have you told Klaus about your feelings?" "Huh?" Morticia's face turned red. How did she know about her feelings for him? "Don't be surprised. A lot of people knew you were crushing on Sin. You stare at him a lot. I mean, who wouldn't crush on a demigod like him?" Morticia blinked. So many knew back in high school? But Klaus and her brother never noticed? "Why do you call him Sin?" Morticia asked, remembering Dimitri had called him that earlier. "That's his nickname here," Nica replied. "So why haven't you told him?" "I... I can't tell him." "Great decision, because he'd reject you without a second thought." Wow, that was harsh. "Why?" Morticia asked, wondering if it was because she was his best friend's little sister. "Look at you. You're nothing like the girls he likes. Not even close," Nica said, inspecting the dresses. "And to catch his attention, you've got to be the kind of girl he likes." "What-what kind of girl?" Even though she already knew, she wanted to hear it. Maybe his taste had changed. But no, she was wrong. "Bold, experienced, fun to be around, and so on. You've got to put yourself out there, girl, not hide behind sweatshirts and pants. And what's with those glasses you wear all the time?" she asked. Wow, another harsh comment. But Morticia knew Nica was right. "Aha! I've found it," Nica spun around with the most revealing dress Morticia had ever seen. It was a crop top with an open back, and the skirt barely covered anything. "I'm not wearing that," Morticia shook her head. Nica glanced at the dress again. "Right, this might be too much for a starter like you. I'll find something else." After searching for a while longer, she found the perfect one. "Eureka," Nica muttered. A little while later, Morticia stared at another version of herself in the mirror. Her cheeks burned at the thought of Klaus seeing her like this. "Damn, girl," Nica chuckled, and Morticia bit her lip nervously. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, turning to Nica, who removed her glasses and let her hair down, cascading almost to her waist. "You look crazily hot. Just a little touch, and you'll be perfect. Sin won't be able to handle it." --- Klaus arrived at Nica's place later that night. The party would start soon. He had left Morticia with Nica since she was the only one of his friends who seemed decent enough. Nica had been somewhat close to Morticia during high school anyway. "What's taking Nica so long?" he asked Dimitri curtly, his gaze shifting to the room upstairs where Nica was helping Morticia get ready. "Chill, Sin," Dimitri muttered. Klaus wore a black leather jacket, with strands of his jet-black hair falling onto his forehead, making him look effortlessly hot. Dimitri watched him, her eyes tracing every detail of his hotness. "Simon told me you wanted to quit." Anger flashed in Klaus's eyes. "So?" "Why?" "None of your business," he replied coldly. Dimitri rolled her eyes. She was used to Klaus's icy demeanor and couldn't wait to have him in her bed tonight. That would be the highlight of her evening. Finally, Nica's door opened, and she stepped out. "What the hell took you so-" Klaus's voice trailed off as Morticia stepped down the stairs. Fuck! He almost didn't recognize her. She wasn't the nerdy, shy, childish girl anymore. She was different. Everything slowed down as he took in her appearance. Her peach short flare spaghetti-strap dress barely reached her knees. It hugged her waist, pushing her breasts up just enough to reveal a hint of cleavage. Her smooth skin glowed under the lights. The flare of the dress accentuated her enticing backside, and her smooth thighs, slightly revealed, made his Adam's apple bob up and down. She wore light makeup, and her hair fell over her shoulders, highlighting her beauty. Klaus had never been speechless in his life. But right now, he was completely struck by the girl approaching him. Her gaze locked onto his as she bit her lower lip, making it wet before him. Fuck... fuck... fuck... Those words rang in his head as all he wanted to do was grab her, pin her to the goddamn wall, and ravage her lips until she was breathless. Was it because of the alcohol he'd had earlier? Because at that moment... He knew Vincent would kill him if he knew what he was thinking about his sister... Fuck.Morticia's cheeks burned under Klaus' intense gaze. Was this the right thing to do?His expression shifted quickly, replaced by his usual cold demeanor."How do I look?" she asked, excitement clear in her voice."Good," he said with a shrug, and Morticia's face fell. "Let's go," he added, leaving the room first.Good? Just good, after all the effort she put into dressing up?"I don't think he even noticed me," Morticia muttered as Nica drove them to the party. Dimitri and Klaus were in another car, already ahead."Tsk... Sin never tells a girl she looks good. He usually tells them to fuck off. But you, you're different.""That's not the first time he's said I look good," she mumbled. What was the point of all this? Though something felt different this time, she couldn't quite place it.Maybe he only said it to avoid hurting her feelings because she was Vincent's sister.Morticia expected the birthday party to be a typical event, filled with well-wishes and gifts, but it was nothing li
Morticia managed to get home, though she was shocked to have seen a taxi around at such a late hour. She slammed the door with a light thud after paying the driver.As she entered the house, the taxi driver made a call."I've brought her home, Sin," he said and drove away.Morticia quietly walked into the house. Her mother was sleeping on the couch with the television still on. She switched off the television and covered Ava with a blanket before heading to her own room.The weight of what had happened at the party crushed down on her, and her heart felt like it was ripping apart.She sat on the floor, resting her back against the door, and began to let her emotions out.Why did she have to fall for a jerk like him? She had asked herself this question several times and still got no answer.After crying for a long while, she drew out her diary and wrote:"Dear diary, Klaus has hurt me again. I knew getting into Washington College was a terrible idea. This is going to be hard, but I pro
Dimitri was beaten until she passed out. Nica and the other girls then took her to the nearby clinic.Klaus didn't care, even though he knew this might cause a stir, especially with Simon.Dimitri was Simon's cousin!The moment he saw the bruises on Morticia, her face wet with tears and her blouse soaked in apple juice, he wanted to end whoever did it.The picture of her pitiful state popped up on the school blog, and immediately, a comment from Vincent's account appeared.~Delete this, or I'll fucking hunt you.~Almost immediately, the post was deleted. Klaus gritted his teeth, frustrated that he hadn't gotten the name of the blogger before it vanished. He'd ask Vincent when he saw him."Ahhh," Morticia winced at the sting on her knee as Klaus helped her treat it."I didn't even put much. Stop being dramatic," he said, his voice cold, still showing his anger.Morticia took a moment and stared at his serious face, watching him as he brought out the bandage to dress her wound. Every si
Morticia's dorm preparation was finally approved, though her mother didn't love the idea, as she wanted to see her every single day."It'll be fine. I'm sure I'm going to have a really nice roommate," Morticia said to her overreacting mother as they drove to her school."What if she's bad? What if she hurts you or influences you in a bad way?" Ava asked."They won't, and for the millionth time, I'm not a kid. I can handle myself," Morticia sighed, then recalled something. "Right, Mom, what does Morticia mean?""Morticia? Why are you asking about the meaning of your name?" Ava asked."Just curious," Morticia shrugged."I got your name from my favorite movie, The Addams Family. Since we have the last name Addams and Morticia Addams was my favorite character in the movie, I decided to name my daughter after her," Ava shrugged."So, you don't know the meaning?""Nope. It sounds nice, so it should be nice. Go online and search."Morticia didn't like being online. Her phone's purpose was fo
Klaus watched her face contorted into shock and confusion. He didn't know why he said that, and also didn't know if he actually meant those words.Dirty things? With a girl he took as a sister.The same crazy thought that had dived into him when he saw her at Nica's place, descending down the stairs. He blamed that on Nica and ignored the stupid thought that had surged through him.Now she was in her usual clumsy dress, yet the way she said his nickname, brushing her tongue over her lips, bought the weird thought into him again...He won't deny the fact that he noticed the changes on Morticia, the day he arrived from the business trip with his father. He had roughly noticed the weight she had gained from the right place of a woman feature...Mehn! Klaus that's Vincent's fucking sister. Bunnie, the nerd. You should protect! Not drag her down into your own sinful world.She is off-limit!He snapped out of his thought and released her. "Sorry," he grumbled while her eyes flashed with c
By evening, Morticia asked her mother to help her dress for the bonfire. It was her first time attending one, and Ava was thrilled to assist.She picked out a dress and gave Morticia a light makeover, making her look stunning. Her black hair fell effortlessly over her shoulders.The gown beautifully accentuated her figure.“Wow, you look so... different,” Ava said, chuckling in disbelief. “Are you going with a guy? What’s his name?”“Jamie,” Morticia replied, blushing.“Aww, are you getting a boyfriend soon?”“Mom, that’s not it. Don’t tease me,” Morticia said, though her thoughts wandered to what it might feel like if Jamie became her boyfriend.“Just don’t forget to protect yourself, okay?” Ava added.Vincent wasn’t around. Sienna had fallen slightly ill, and he had stayed back to care for her. Morticia was secretly glad Vincent wasn’t there—he would have hated the idea of her going out with a guy. He had always been overprotective like that.But she wasn’t a kid anymore. She could
"Klaus?"Dimitri's voice snapped Klaus out of the dangerous thought of beating Jamie, wrecking his bones until he was half dead.He watched their lips part from each other, their eyes locked as a smile crept onto their faces.It was a fleeting kiss, a harmless one that lasted just a few seconds. But it felt like hours to him, and every nerve in his body wanted to destroy Jamie. It was hard to resist."Care for more drink?" Dimitri asked, and he finally snapped his eyes away from the two figures to Dimitri, who offered him his favorite alcohol.Taking it from her, he stood to leave."Where are you going?" Dimitri asked, but he didn't reply as he walked away quickly, knowing that if he stayed longer, he'd do something he would regret.Morticia's worried gaze followed him, but Nica and the others began to tease her, which brought her attention back to them.Klaus wove his way through the crowd and finally spotted a good corner to drown himself. He opened the alcohol and roughly took seve
"I’m sorry," she whimpered, tears falling from her eyes. "Please let go... it hurts."He let go of her. "You know what? You’re not allowed to go to your stupid dorm anymore. You’ll leave for school from home and come straight back. You know the consequences of disobeying me. I should have done this a long time ago," he said and left the room while she stood there crying for a while.She left the room, and her eyes met Mrs. Hanson's downstairs. Her eyes were filled with concern. Nica gritted her teeth and went to her room."Dear," Mrs. Hanson called gently as she watched her husband settle down to eat."What?" he raised a brow.Mrs. Hanson opened her mouth and then closed it. She swallowed and replied, "Nothing. Enjoy your meal," fear evident in her voice._Klaus's eyes slowly opened, his head feeling like it was splitting in two. Gosh, he hated hangovers. He must have drunk a lot last night.Before he could move, his eyes settled on a fragile figure. She was sitting on the floor, her
Klaus woke up late the next day, his eyes fluttering open to a slightly familiar room.Slowly, he sat up, meeting Vincent's blank gaze from the corner of the room. He glanced around but saw no sign of Morticia."She's home with my mother," Vincent clarified, sensing Klaus's confusion. "So Ava won't suspect anything and make Josephine worry.""Oh," Klaus muttered, and a long silence settled between them."How is she?" Klaus finally asked, breaking the stillness.Vincent raised a brow."I know you're mad at me, bruh. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Klaus said. "I planned to once you got back, and I never meant for you to find out like that."Another heavy pause hung in the air before Vincent spoke. "I'm not sorry for hitting you. But I'm sorry for not being there sooner."Klaus studied his friend. There was still anger in Vincent's eyes, burning fiercely. But beneath the rage was something else-something unfamiliar. It was the first time Klaus couldn't read him."I'm not gonna hurt her,"
Jamie stared at the unconscious Klaus with a satisfied grin on his face. Klaus's phone buzzed on the floor, flashing the name Bunnie on the screen.Jamie's smile disappeared as his gaze landed on it."She's calling him," he mumbled, his gaze darkening.Reaching for the hammer in his pocket, he slammed it on Klaus's phone. He did it again and again until it was completely destroyed.Taking a deep breath, his eyes settled on Klaus again. "Fûcking asshole," he chuckled darkly."I would have loved to kill you with my bare hands, but... sigh... that weird guy Simon who released me said I should make it look like an accident," he scoffed. "Let's see how this goes."Simon had chosen Klaus's favorite place-the beach-to stage the "accident." It was supposed to look as though Klaus had drowned himself, ensuring it would take time for anyone to find the body and making it impossible to trace back to them.Groaning, Jamie dropped Klaus onto the sand, gasping for air."This motherfûcker is heavy,"
Vincent finally stopped. Klaus spat out blood, sliding to the floor, bleeding all over. His breath was ragged."I'm sorry," he breathed, groaning at the intense pain surging through him.Two or three ribs were probably broken from the brutal hits. Blood trickled down his lips and nose. He was a mess, marred with his own blood and bruises."Get out before I kill you. And stay the fûck away from her," Vincent growled.Sucking in a breath, Klaus forced himself up. Vincent clenched his fists, tears falling from his eyes as his best friend staggered past him.Klaus gripped the table for support, his gaze meeting Morticia's, who was in tears."Klaus," she mouthed, her lips trembling."Don't worry about me," he said, his voice hoarse. "I'll get myself treated and reach out... I promise."Morticia shook her head, tears streaming freely. "You can't just leave like this. You're hurt, Klaus. Let me-""Don't," Klaus cut her off, his voice firm despite his battered state. "I don't want you getting
YEARS AGOThe Fire IncidentTrapped in a room engulfed by flames, Mr. Addams and little Morticia were the only ones inside. The fire grew worse with every second that passed.Sirens echoed outside as firefighters desperately tried to extinguish the blaze, but their efforts were futile. Morticia's eyes grew drowsy; it was getting harder to breathe. Still, she tried her best to hold on.Mr. Addams kept trying every possible way to create a path for them to escape. Finally, he succeeded, finding a small opening."Come on!" Mr. Addams pulled Morticia and began leading her out of the fiery trap. But a crack echoed above them. Mr. Addams quickly noticed a massive, cracked beam falling toward them.It was going to crush Morticia.Instinctively, he grabbed her and threw her through the small opening, just as the beam came crashing down on him."No!" Morticia's high-pitched scream pierced the air. Her father gave her one last look before taking his final breath."Dad!" Morticia screamed, tryin
It was evening when Rhea finally finished helping Old Nana on her farm, gathering corn and grains. They chatted and laughed, leaving Valerie wondering if they had known each other long before they met.Her attention lingered on Rhea's smile-the way her dimple appeared whenever she stretched, making her look even more beautiful.By evening, Old Nana promised to make something special for dinner. Rhea offered to help, but the old woman refused.Reluctantly, Rhea gave up and joined Valerie, who was sitting outside staring at the night sky."Hey," Rhea greeted, and Valerie smiled at her."Sorry my Nana has been stressing you," Valerie mumbled."No... it's fun here. She reminds me of my grandmother. She loved taking me to the farm. Doing it with Old Nana feels like a breath of fresh air. With Morty not around, I feel relaxed here," Rhea chuckled."She is kind of extravagant sometimes, though," Valerie mumbled."I'm fine," Rhea assured her.Silence settled between them."So, you... you said
The morning came quickly. Ava stirred awake, her eyes fluttering open to meet the empty space beside her."Morty?" she mumbled, getting out of bed. Heading downstairs, she found Katie preparing breakfast. Her expression soured immediately."Good morning, Ava," Katie greeted cheerfully, but Ava only cleared her throat."Is my daughter down yet?" Ava asked curtly.Before Katie could respond, Morticia's voice came from behind."Mom."Ava turned to see Morticia standing beside Klaus. Both were dressed casually and comfortably."I went to call Klaus for breakfast," Morticia quickly explained."Well, I'm not having breakfast here," Klaus stated flatly."You said you would," Morticia shot back."I would, but not a meal made by her," Klaus replied, gesturing toward Katie, who simply smiled despite the tension."Please," Morticia whispered. Reluctantly, Klaus moved to the dining table, ignoring his father's greeting as he sat down.Ava watched the scene unfold, surprised. She needed to clear h
Nica heard the store door open. She took a peek, only to be disappointed when it wasn't Vincent. Ever since he left that day, she hadn't set her eyes on him."He just returned-where could he have gone?" Nica mumbled."He went to meet his old dancing team," Old Evan replied, emerging from the room behind her."Huh? I mean, why?"Vincent's dancing team had disbanded after the last competition, where they hadn't performed well. Besides, they didn't want to be part of a company owned by Vincent's family. Since then, there had been no word from the team."After you left, they called Vincent. One of them found out he was back. He said he'll be there until his family returns."Nica's face fell. Oh, great. She'd have to wait for him again._Klaus woke up from his sleep when he heard the sound of his door creaking open at night. He looked up and saw Morticia."Hey," he greeted in a whisper, rubbing his eyes. He had fallen asleep at his desk while doing research.Morticia stepped closer. "You
Rhea watched as Valerie tended to her sick grandmother. She had never thought Valerie had this caring side of hers.After the incident last night, Valerie had brought her here, to a comfortable, small apartment with just a living room and a tiny bedroom.Rhea had slept on the couch while Valerie slept on the floor. They didn't exchange a word until the next morning."You have such a cute friend," Old Nana chuckled, chewing on the pasta Valerie had made for breakfast."Thanks," Rhea replied with a small bow as Valerie placed her share of pasta in front of her."Eat well," Valerie said with a smile before going to get her own plate.Rhea's face flushed slightly red."So, do you go to the same college as my Vee?" Old Nana asked."Yes, ma'am," Rhea nodded."This is the first time my Vee has brought a friend here. It's so unlike her, but I'm happy," Nana said."Don't talk too much, Nana. Eat so you can take your medicine," Valerie said, sitting beside Rhea at the small table."I'm just cur
The skinny guy also matched forward and attacked first. Valerie swiftly dodged his punch, grabbed his hand, and delivered an uppercut, hitting him once in the jaw and again in the nose.Holding his arm firmly, she swung him down to the floor; the impact made him lose consciousness. The fight played out too quickly.Valerie swept her hair back. "Who's next? Don't be a coward and come at me bastards."The remaining two scoffed, released Rhea, and drew their knives. Valerie smirked, gesturing for them to come with her fingers.They both charged towards her at once, swinging their daggers at her.Rhea couldn't believe how fast Valerie was. And what was with the smirk on her face? It was as if Valerie was enjoying the dangerous fight.Valerie twisted and broke one of the guy's arms, his scream piercing the air. She bowed, dodging the second who tried to slash her from behind, kneeing the one in her grip several times until blood spilled from his lips. When he weakened in her hold, she smas