I hate this life

Lily's pov :

I gasped when I fell into the water. I wasn't ready, and I inhaled a lungful of water.

My eyes burned, and I struggled to get my head above water, coughing and choking.

The next thing I knew, someone was pulling me out of the pool and into the air.

I coughed hard, struggling to breathe.

I felt the person holding me, and when I managed to clear the water from my eyes, I realized it was Hunter.

He had an anxious look on his face, his dark brown eyes boring into mine.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I couldn't answer and was still coughing. I could barely stand on my own, my knees trembling from the shock.

"I shook my head, my chest tightening as I gasped for air.

I didn't know what happened next, everything was a blur. All I remember is Hunter carrying me in his arms and taking me somewhere.

He held me tightly against him, and I could feel his warm body through the cold wetness of my clothes.

I didn't know how long it was till I could breathe normally again, but when I did, I was no longer in the pool area.

I was in my room, lying on my bed, and Hunter was kneeling beside me, still wearing his swimsuit. His hair was wet, and his expression was worried.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked softly.

I blinked at him. I was surprised to see him there, and even more surprised by how nice he was being.

"Thank you for your help. Now, you can go," I said weakly.

His brows knitted, and his face took on a slightly angry look. "Don't be so rude. I was trying to help you."

"Well, you helped enough," I snapped. "And why would you? You've always been mean to me like your brother."

He sighed and stood up. "I'm sorry for what my brother did."

"Why did you even help me in the first place?" I asked, sitting up.

His expression softened, and his eyes took on a warm glow. "I don't like seeing people hurt, especially if they don't deserve it."

I stared at him, surprised by his words.

"Why would you think that I deserve it? Do you enjoy seeing me suffer too?"

He shook his head. "No. That's not what I meant. I'm just trying to tell you that I'm not as bad as you think I am. I was also not part of my brother's bullying. And the fact that he hurt you makes me angry too."

I didn't know how to react. This was a side of Hunter that I didn't know existed. Even though they're twins, he's so different from Ryder.

"Whatever. You can leave now," I said dismissively.

Hunter frowned. "Fine. I was trying to be nice."

"There's nothing nice about you."

He stared at me for a moment, and then his eyes flashed with plead. "Can you keep this incident from our parents?"

"Excuse me? Why would I do that?"

"Please."

"Why?"

He hesitated, his eyes darting away from mine. "Just...because."

"Well, that's not good enough for me. If you want me to keep quiet, you need to tell me the reason first."

He let out a sigh of frustration. "Fine. I don't want my father to find out. He'll be really angry on Ryder."

Oh, so they just want to keep their image clean and show them how good of a step brothers they are.

But I can't tell them anyways. I don't want my mom to know about today's event and worry her more.

"I won't tell anyone," I said reluctantly.

His eyes lit up. "Thanks."

"Whatever," I muttered.

He looked at me with a pained expression, but I ignored him.

He turned and walked toward the door, his broad shoulders tense and his head bowed.

Just before he left, I called out, "Hunter."

He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

His eyes widened.

"For everything that I've said about you. It wasn't fair. Thank you for saving me."

"No problem." He gave me a faint smile and left the room.

As soon as he was gone, I fell back onto the bed, my mind racing.

I didn't understand how a day could be so eventful, and I wondered what tomorrow would bring.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax.

Suddenly, the sound of my door opening jolted me out of my thoughts. I quickly sat up, expecting to see Hunter, but was startled when I saw Ryder walking towards me instead.

"What are you doing in here?" I said, backing up.

He didn't answer. He just stared at me, his eyes gleaming with something dark.

"Get out."

He ignored me, walking slowly toward the bed.

I scrambled back, trying to get away from him. "Leave, or I'll scream."

"Go ahead."

"Stop right there!" I warned.

He came closer and leaned in.

"Don't," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, even though inside I was trembling.

He ignored me and kept coming, until he was right beside me.

I could feel his warm breath on my skin, and I shivered.

"Do you have a death wish?" I asked, trying to sound threatening.

"Not really. But if I did, it wouldn't be at your hands," he smirked.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. Just checking up on you. That's all."

"That's a lie."

"Maybe," he chuckled, and then his expression grew serious. "But you were asking for it. Who told you to go and provoke me. You got yourself into trouble. So don't blame me for this. Now, I have to do something to shut that big mouth of yours."

"I wasn't the one who started it," I said defensively.

"Well, I wasn't the one who ended it," he retorted.

"What are you talking about?"

He raised his eyebrows and looked at me. "You seriously don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

"What happened earlier, before Vanessa found us."

I stared at him, trying to remember. Then suddenly, a flash of memory came to me.

"You...kissed me," I breathed.

"And you kissed me back," he said.

My face turned red, and I felt like the temperature in the room had risen. "No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did," he said, leaning forward. "And now, I'm going to make sure that it happens again."

"No, you're not."

He ignored me and closed the distance between us, his lips pressing against mine.

The kiss was soft at first, but then his lips became demanding. His tongue slipped into my mouth, exploring and teasing.

I moaned softly and then quickly broke the kiss, pushing him away.

"What the hell is your problem? For someone who hates me. You sure like kissing me," I breathed out while wiping my mouth in disgust.

Suddenly, he clutched my hairs and glared deep in my eyes. "If you snitch to my dad, you're dead."

Oh, so that's why he's here. Then why not threaten me directly? Why kiss me? Asshole!

I winced in pain but smirked. "Why? Are you scared? Humph, pussy!"

His eyes gleamed dangerously.

"I'll ruin your life," he sneered.

"Like you haven't already?" I sneered back.

He let out a dark chuckle and tightened his grip on my hair. "You'll regret this. Mark my words, little girl."

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard that a million times. Bring it on, asshole."

He grinned menacingly. "You'll regret those words too. And remember, I'm not as nice as my brother. He won't be there to save you next time."

He let go of my hair, and I gasped, rubbing my sore scalp.

I glared at him. "Get out."

"With pleasure," he said, and then he left, slamming the door behind him.

I flopped back onto the bed, exhausted and angry. I rubbed my scalp and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

My eyes burned, and I swallowed back a lump of emotion.

I can't cry. I won't. Not in front of them.

So, I rolled over, burying my face in the pillow, and screamed.

I hate this life.

I hate Ryder.

I hate Hunter.

Most of all, I hate myself.