Chapter 4

By the time I completed all my manuscripts with the help of Holly. The both of us left for home. Dawn had already started to set in and we were the last to leave the firm. I was a bit exhausted and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and nod off into wonderland. That was the only place that I felt comfortable and safe at the moment. Of course Holly was always there to squash my hopes and dreams like a little bug. 

A yarn left my mouth when I rested my head against the car window. I watched sleepy as the cars passed us by. Holly reached over and squeezed my hand. It was her way of telling me everything was going to be alright. I smiled weakly over at her before closing my eyes. 

I felt a hand nudge my shoulders before my eyes involuntarily fluttered open. I looked over to see Holly staring down at me. I wiped away the drool that covered the back of my hand into my dress before removing the seat belt. 

"I will be back for you in an hour." She wiggled her index finger at me. "You better not mess with me."

I rolled my eyes and exited her car. She honked the horn at me before she drove off further down the sub Urban. The sky was pitch black and the stars were hidden behind the thick clouds. The only source of light was the street lights and the lights that were eliminated through the windows. 

The breeze was harsh in my hair. I hugged myself as goosebumps erupted on my skin. I hurriedly slipped into the room and closed the door behind me. I removed my shoes and headed straight upstairs. 

I was so glad that the day had ended. I could finally relax in my bed and have a piece of mind at least for a few minutes. I entered my room and I was greeted by Ava who laid across my bed. I furrowed my eyebrows. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked as I placed my backpack on the floor gently. 

She sat up abruptly upon hearing my voice. " Thank goodness you are here. I have been waiting here for over an hour." She added. 

"Why have you been doing that?" I asked pretending not to know. I picked up the clothes that were thrown all over my messy room that I haven't got time to clean. 

She got up and folded her arm across her chest. "You are going out with me right?" She said with a questioning gaze. 

I opened my mouth to speak but I didn't know what to say. I wanted to bond with my sister but on the other hand I couldn't disappoint Holly. She was my best friend in the world. Holly would never find it in her heart to forgive me if I turned her down. 

"I don't think I will be able to make it tonight. I am a bit tired. Maybe you could ask one of your friends to join you." I suggested. 

She paced the room and let out a nervous laugh. "They all came up with an excuse not to hang out with me. I think it's because I am mated to the Alpha."

"Oh." I voiced out as I felt disappointed. I was hoping she wanted to hang out with me because I was her sister but that was clearly not the case. 

She only wanted me to accompany her because she felt lonely. I knew deep down she was embarrassed for me. I was only a rebound. 

She clasped her hands and pleaded with me. " 

I know we don't hang out much but this would be a great opportunity for us to get to know each other."

Staring at her I knew I couldn't say no. She probably wanted to bond with me. I wanted to say yes but I knew I couldn't. I already agreed to go out with Holly. 

"I already agreed to go out with Holly." I said.

"I am sure she wouldn't mind me stealing you for tonight." She tugged my arm and forced me to sit in front of my mirror. "You guys are always together."

Of course she would mind. It was Holly for Christ sakes. She would continue to lick the nail on the head until she felt satisfied. She would have my head for ditching her. I was not up for all of that. I had to come up with some excuse. 

"What about your mate?" I said. A bile rose in the back of my throat as silence ensued for what felt like an eternity. The word tasted like poison as it rolled of my tongue.

I watched her expression in the mirror. Her cheeks began to flush and a smile that could compete with the sun formed on her lips. If I did have a dirty mind I would have thought something went down between the two. 

"He's a busy man, you know. He would have been accompanying me this afternoon if he didn't have a business meeting to attend."

I was out of options and I was running out of time. Holly would be bursting through my bedroom door anytime soon. How was I going to explain this to her without getting her angry? She despised Ava for reasons known only to her. Ava was horrible back then but she was older and more mature now. Now was the time for us to point out our differences and move on. I have already moved on from the past but Holly didn't seem to. I loved my sister dearly and I wouldn't allow some silly mistakes ruin that. 

"What am I going to do with your hair?" She ran her hands through my red curly hair and fussed. "Your hair is a mess."

A smile formed on her lips as she gasped. "I know just the right hairstyle that would fit you."

I fiddled with my fingers and looked at my red curly hair. I furrowed my eyebrows and stared over my shoulder at her as she rummaged through my messy closet. It was the thing I hated most. I disliked people that went through my stuff. It made me feel uncomfortable. 

"Do you ever clean your closet. Nothing is in order here." 

"What are you looking for?" I furrowed my eyebrows. 

"Don't you own a flat iron or something of the sort?" She asked.

My eyes went wide when I figured out what she was about to do with my hair. Others would consider my hair to be messy but I like it that way. I was not a lover of straight hair. 

I shook my head as my eyes rounded. "There is no way I am letting you ruin my hair? The last time I used a flatiron I ended up burning off a big chunk of my hair." 

That was the worst day of my life. I had to cut my hair really short. It resulted in me getting mixed up at school as a boy instead of a girl. It was also the cause of bullying. My hair took around four years to grow back to its natural length. 

Ava rolled her eyes and sighed frustrated. "What kind of person do you think I am? I am trying to get to you, Alessandra no the other way around. I need you to trust me." 

How could I trust you? You did a lot of horrible things to me. I thought to myself. I was not strong enough to say it to her face. I was nothing but a little scared girl. A woman was not scared to speak her mind. 

Looking in her eyes through the mirror, I saw a speck of something. Hope? I was not sure what it was. It sure seemed like a good sign. I like she was now someone I could confide in. She was trying to get closer to me. It was hard for me to accept the fact that Ava was a changed person. Could it be that her mate brought out this side of her? I hoped so. 

"You are right." I nodded. Maybe it was time for a change. We needed to put the past behind us. She was trying to get to me. I should also reach out to her. That was the only way things would work out between us. 

A smile crept to her lips. "Great!" She clapped her hands and sprinted to her room and returned with her curling iron and a makeup kit. 

Ava spent what felt like forever on my hair. I was already getting fussy about the damage the heat of the hot iron would cause to my hair. She was sweet enough to reassure me it was safe. It didn't stop me from fretting. I wasn't allowed to look in the mirror. To stop me from taking a peek in which I was anxious to do. She gracefully covered it with a sheet.

My phone buzzed on my bed and I knew exactly who it was. My heart dropped to my stomach as realization struck. How was I going to explain all of this to Holly? I got up to retrieve my buzzing phone but I was forced to sit back down in the chair. 

She said,"Whatever it is, I am sure it could wait a while longer." 

No it couldn't wait! "How much longer?" 

"Not sure. Your hair is in bad shape." 

I sighed nervously when my phone began to vibrate for the tenth time. She was probably outside waiting for me to let her in. I could hear the blaring of her horns outside. 

"That is Holly I should probably get that." I slipped out of the room and sprinted down the stairs to the front door that was being banged down by the loud girl. I opened the door and I was greeted by an angry girl. She almost punched me in the face. 

I stared at her wide eyed. 

"Don't tell me you have been sleeping because it sure as hell didn't look like you were. She stepped past me and headed upstairs as if she owned the place. I shut the door and trailed behind her like a lost puppy. 

Her composure changed when she noticed Ava holding a hot iron in my room. 

"What is she doing here?" She scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes. 

"I thought we were hanging out ALONE tonight." Ava placed emphasis on alone. 

I could sense the tension between the two. An awkward moment of silence followed as a staredown began to ensue. Fire was blazing in both their eyes. I was hoping their hatred between each other was because of me but deep down I knew it was bigger than just that. It was almost as if something was going on between the two of them. 

I cleared my throat to break the ice that formed in the room but it was to no avail. They continued to glare at each other. I decided not to intervene anymore. One of Holly's looks was enough to send me six feet underground. It was like that for the rest of the night. They argued over what I should wear or what makeup would look good on my face. I was getting pretty fed up with it. 

All I wanted to do was tear my hair out from the scalp if I had to endure another second of them arguing. They never came to term and ended up adding me to the mix which was what I tried to avoid by remaining invisible. I was able to successfully say things correctly and not have my head chewed off. 

A sense of relief washed over me when my hair and makeup were done. I was also wearing a black dress that stopped mid thigh. It hugged my curvy body like a second skin. I could hardly breathe. The dress crushed my ribcage. I felt naked in what I was wearing. Despite not getting along, they both looked at me with satisfaction.

I struggled to turn towards the mirror but after a few attempts I was successful. My feet felt as if they were being pricked by tiny needles and my legs felt tired. They shook vigorously as I placed all my body weight on them. Ava removed the sheet from the mirror and my mouth dropped open. I didn't recognize myself in the mirror. It was as if I was an entirely new person.