Chapter Two
“Do you know what Thor’s favorite word from my vocabulary is? It starts with an ‘a,’ then a ‘tta,’ and ends with a ‘ck,’” Nick said, standing at my back while Thor kept barking. “That’s not funny, Nick,” my voice shook as I went closer to grab my phone, which was on the floor. “He doesn’t like you. He must think you snuck in without permission, but that’s not true,” Nick said from behind without moving an inch. “That’s enough, Nick!” I said, grabbing my phone from in between Thor’s legs. “He’s like a poodle, but smarter,” Nick said, stepping back with a little smile across his face. “Did you hit your head as a baby, you jerk?” I gently pulled myself away as Nick bumped into me. “Shhhhh, Thor hates it when people insult me,” Nick said as he bent down, slowly lowering to my neck level. I pushed him to the front as I held his dress from the back. “Calm down,” Nick said gently, calming Thor down. Thor kept on barking as he kept coming. I grabbed him tightly. “Say something, damn it!” “Thor, stop!” Nick spoke jokingly. I picked up a pan right in front of the cabinet, which was close to the fridge. “What are you doing?” Nick asked, surprised, his eyes widened with a mean look across his face. “Tell him to stop, seriously, or I’ll hit you.” “Stop that! If he senses a threat, he will rip you into shreds,” Nick said, giving me a straight look right inside my eyes. “You’d still get a pan in the head,” I said fearlessly. Although I felt shaky inside, I couldn’t let Nick know I was scared. “Thor, sit!” Nick said immediately. Thor took a step back as he sat on the floor. “You are crazy, aren’t you?” Nick said, stepping close to me. Pressed against the cabinet, I couldn’t move with the pan held up in my arm. Our faces got so close. I looked up at his eyes, then down to his lips. I felt like he was going to kiss me. “By the way, from a distance, I couldn’t see your freckles, sis.” Nick stepped forward so close that I could feel our breath. I pushed him away. “I’m not your sister, nor anything like it,” I said as I made my way to the door. Not long before, Mr. Leister and Rabel came in. “Hey! I see you two have already met.” “Oh, yes, Nick is very nice. But I like Thor best. Right, cutie? Come here! Come over here, little boy. Hey! I don’t know what’s wrong. I must have scared him.” I turned around, looked at Nick angrily, and stormed off. Nick had a mischievous look on his face as he watched me storm off. His eyes squeezed, his lips rubbed against one another, and his lips shifted a little bit as he smiled lightly. I walked up to my room and closed the door, my back resting on the door as I took a deep breath. “That was awesome! Daby? Are you still there?” “Oh my God, your stepbrother! Was that the sweet boy your mom mentioned?” Daby said amusingly. “You see? A total dick,” I said, sitting on the bed. “So, he’s a total hottie, then?” Daby asked playfully as she put her makeup on. “I don’t know. I didn’t look at him,” I replied defensively. The evening took place, and it was time for dinner at Mr. Leister’s ceremony. The evening went cold as the wind blew over the leaves, giving it a welcoming atmosphere. Being unprepared, I wore a single piece of cloth with a bum short, which made me feel more unwelcoming. “I don’t mind the lack of punctuality, but this dinner is bad timing,” Nick said as he turned around to Mr. Leister and Rabel. “I’m sorry. It’s not negotiable,” Mr. Leister replied to Nick immediately. “ She must be choosing a dress. We went overboard in the store, right, sweetie?” Rabel said as she held Mr. Leister’s button, smiling at him. Rabel turned towards the stairs as I came down, her eyes fixed on my clothes. She looked down at every step I made until I was in sight. Her face boiled red with anger. She would have expected me to wear one of the clothes in the closet. On the other hand, Nick stood in his suit. He looked lovely, his hair relaxed with gel. His eyes were fixed on my dress. He stood speechless, but his eyes were so obvious that he looked uncontrollably at me. “You look stunning, Nona,” Mr. Leister said, giving me a smug smile on his face. “Let’s go.”Our car sped off on the highway. The evening warmth made the drive smooth. We were half an hour late for the conference. The music volume lit up in the car as we drove. I sat at the back of the car with my mom and my stepdad. Feeling worried, I sank into the chair, my eyes drained with weakness.“Should I change the music? Maybe she likes something more… right?” Mr. Leister asked.“You’re riding, you choose,” Rabel replied while maintaining her makeup.I stared at the picture on my phone, my eyes fixed on Joel. I missed him so much. I went to our text messages and typed: CALL ME WHEN YOU GET THIS. Minutes later, my phone beeped with a message: I WILL CALL YOU LATER, GOTTA GO. BYE, LOVE YOU. Kisses.Looking out the window, a car zoomed by, ruining the slow drive. Inside, there was Nick. He had a cigarette in his hand, a smirk on his face as he winked at me and zoomed off.Reaching the conference, the room was well decorated, with a lot of people talking to each other. As we stepped in,
Standing out in the cold evening, frozen in the cold, I stood in place, my hands wrapped around my arms, rubbing them, caressing. I couldn’t believe Nick had abandoned me in the middle of nowhere.From behind, a flashlight came drawing closer. I tried to stop it by running toward it, but zoom—it went away.“This can’t be happening to me.”I reached for my bag, hung on my shoulder, and grabbed my phone.“And now, I’m out of battery. Goddamn… Fuck! That asshole!”I stood at a corner, and with no means of transportation, I started walking, but I was still in the middle of nowhere. I stamped my foot on the ground so hard that I almost broke my ankle.Out of nowhere, a car’s headlights beamed at full speed.“Hey! Hey!” I reached out to stop it.“Fuck yeah, don’t stop. I bet you’re a serial killer. I probably dodged a bullet there!” I shouted aloud.Screeching, the car stopped, and suddenly, it reversed, making my heart pound like crazy.“Shit!” I said, holding my hands to my chest as I tur
Eyes on the road, Your Highness.”Nick.I looked up and saw him smirking at me, drink in hand. His white dress shirt was half unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up. He seemed as effortless as ever, as if the world were his.“You abandoned me,” I snapped.“And yet, you’re here. Guess you survived.”I clenched my jaw. “You’re an ass.”Nick simply chuckled and took a slow sip of his drink. “Relax, freckles. You could use a little fun.”“Fun? Like almost running me over and then leaving me stranded?”“Like, loosen up,” he corrected. His smirk widened. “Tell you what—let’s make a bet.”My eyes narrowed. “What kind of bet?”“You’re new here, and clearly, you hate it,” he said. “I’ll bet you won’t make it a month in this house before trying to run away again.”I crossed my arms. “And if I do?”He tilted toward me, lowering his voice. “Then I’ll do whatever you want.”My stomach twisted, but I wouldn’t let him see how much he got under my skin.“And if I lose?”“You admit I was right about you.”I sc
Walking into the party made me look amazing , people kept swinging their heads backwards as we walked. I wouldn’t be surprised thou cause I was pretty and absolutely my first time here so the must be amazed and with jessie walking with me it must be fire cause she’s a quite popular here and she’s cool, I thought to myself. Coke or mojito? A stranger asked. Coke , I hesitated . Okay here he handed the drink over to me . I poured the drink out immediately, shit this has rum in it. He smiled mischievously, just a little My stomach knotted, and I frowned. “I said Coke,” I said sharply, nudging the glass back to him.The man just grinned, coming in closer. “Relax. “A little rum never hurt nobody.”I frowned, my innards knots of alarm. “I said Coke,” I snapped, sliding the glass back over to him.The guy just laughed, moving closer. “Relax. “A little bit of rum never hurt anyone.”Seeing the exchange, Jessie squeezed between us. “Back off, Jason,” she said, her tone bracing“She doesn
No, man, not again. No, let me drive! I always wanted to drive one of these. I uttered intoxicated remarks. “No, baby, no way. You are drugged and don’t have a license.” A slight smile crossed Nick’s face. “I’m just dizzy, okay! But wait, you did drink though.” I pointed straight at his nose shakily. “Just one shot, okay?” he countered. “Yeah, but off of someone’s boobs. Nice and salty tequila mixed with sweat. Tasty, huh?” I chipped in. “What will Freud say about pouring liquids and sucking them up like that?” We drove for like five minutes before we got to Nick’s mansion. I was wrapped around his shoulder like a baby. He carried me with ease. Sure enough, I didn’t weigh anything on him ‘cause he moved effortlessly. “Freud isn’t some trap singer, so you know. He’d say that it’s shedding tears, or something worse, on your mother’s breast. So suck on that!” “Leave my mom out of this,” he said calmly. I tripped over the stairs, letting out a loud noise. “Shhhhh.” Nick softly pl
“Were there boys your age?”“I don’t need any more friends, Mom. You separated me from Joel, but I won’t forget him.”“Sweetie…”“He’s much better than all these snobs,” I cut her off, my gaze locked on Nick as I shouted before storming off.“Damn!” Nick remarked, giving an unserious yet serious look at Rabel.“Her boyfriend—she misses him. She must’ve had a bad night.”“Any more pancakes?”“No, Petal, we’re okay,” she replied, sitting down.“Right here’s fine.”Someone called out, “You’ll get sunburned!”—their voice carrying like a distant chant, yet not too far away.Sitting at the beach, I held a book up in my hands, reading. The sun beamed down as my phone suddenly rang from an unknown number.“Hello?” I answered.“Yes?”I pulled the phone away from my ear, ended the call, and tried to guess who it was.“Watch out, Lion! So cool, I almost hit you!”Jessie and her boyfriend, with Nick and others, chatted as they walked on the beach.As soon as I saw them, I quickly put my book in m
Chapter One “Nona, are you ready?” Nona sat down with a book covered around her face, her stare looking disturbing as she kept reading. “So, what are you reading?” Rabel said, taking a glance at Nona as she kept driving. Nona shifted the book a bit closer off her face. “Just tell me. I’m not wearing my glasses. So you’re not gonna talk to me? This isn’t easy for me. You spent your life trying to get to the next level, but the same monster keeps getting in your way. But one day, when you’ve run out of hint points, you are given an extra chance at life, just like that,” Rabel said, giving a quick stare at Nona as she faced her eyes back on the road. “Mom, enough video game metaphors! I’m not ten!” Nona said, her head still facing down at her book. “Well, it’s like opening a new book, and a new story begins. Better?” Rabel said. Nona raised her head and slammed her book cover as she threw her face towards the window, ignoring Rabel. She desperately didn’t want to leave her friend
“Were there boys your age?”“I don’t need any more friends, Mom. You separated me from Joel, but I won’t forget him.”“Sweetie…”“He’s much better than all these snobs,” I cut her off, my gaze locked on Nick as I shouted before storming off.“Damn!” Nick remarked, giving an unserious yet serious look at Rabel.“Her boyfriend—she misses him. She must’ve had a bad night.”“Any more pancakes?”“No, Petal, we’re okay,” she replied, sitting down.“Right here’s fine.”Someone called out, “You’ll get sunburned!”—their voice carrying like a distant chant, yet not too far away.Sitting at the beach, I held a book up in my hands, reading. The sun beamed down as my phone suddenly rang from an unknown number.“Hello?” I answered.“Yes?”I pulled the phone away from my ear, ended the call, and tried to guess who it was.“Watch out, Lion! So cool, I almost hit you!”Jessie and her boyfriend, with Nick and others, chatted as they walked on the beach.As soon as I saw them, I quickly put my book in m
No, man, not again. No, let me drive! I always wanted to drive one of these. I uttered intoxicated remarks. “No, baby, no way. You are drugged and don’t have a license.” A slight smile crossed Nick’s face. “I’m just dizzy, okay! But wait, you did drink though.” I pointed straight at his nose shakily. “Just one shot, okay?” he countered. “Yeah, but off of someone’s boobs. Nice and salty tequila mixed with sweat. Tasty, huh?” I chipped in. “What will Freud say about pouring liquids and sucking them up like that?” We drove for like five minutes before we got to Nick’s mansion. I was wrapped around his shoulder like a baby. He carried me with ease. Sure enough, I didn’t weigh anything on him ‘cause he moved effortlessly. “Freud isn’t some trap singer, so you know. He’d say that it’s shedding tears, or something worse, on your mother’s breast. So suck on that!” “Leave my mom out of this,” he said calmly. I tripped over the stairs, letting out a loud noise. “Shhhhh.” Nick softly pl
Walking into the party made me look amazing , people kept swinging their heads backwards as we walked. I wouldn’t be surprised thou cause I was pretty and absolutely my first time here so the must be amazed and with jessie walking with me it must be fire cause she’s a quite popular here and she’s cool, I thought to myself. Coke or mojito? A stranger asked. Coke , I hesitated . Okay here he handed the drink over to me . I poured the drink out immediately, shit this has rum in it. He smiled mischievously, just a little My stomach knotted, and I frowned. “I said Coke,” I said sharply, nudging the glass back to him.The man just grinned, coming in closer. “Relax. “A little rum never hurt nobody.”I frowned, my innards knots of alarm. “I said Coke,” I snapped, sliding the glass back over to him.The guy just laughed, moving closer. “Relax. “A little bit of rum never hurt anyone.”Seeing the exchange, Jessie squeezed between us. “Back off, Jason,” she said, her tone bracing“She doesn
Eyes on the road, Your Highness.”Nick.I looked up and saw him smirking at me, drink in hand. His white dress shirt was half unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up. He seemed as effortless as ever, as if the world were his.“You abandoned me,” I snapped.“And yet, you’re here. Guess you survived.”I clenched my jaw. “You’re an ass.”Nick simply chuckled and took a slow sip of his drink. “Relax, freckles. You could use a little fun.”“Fun? Like almost running me over and then leaving me stranded?”“Like, loosen up,” he corrected. His smirk widened. “Tell you what—let’s make a bet.”My eyes narrowed. “What kind of bet?”“You’re new here, and clearly, you hate it,” he said. “I’ll bet you won’t make it a month in this house before trying to run away again.”I crossed my arms. “And if I do?”He tilted toward me, lowering his voice. “Then I’ll do whatever you want.”My stomach twisted, but I wouldn’t let him see how much he got under my skin.“And if I lose?”“You admit I was right about you.”I sc
Standing out in the cold evening, frozen in the cold, I stood in place, my hands wrapped around my arms, rubbing them, caressing. I couldn’t believe Nick had abandoned me in the middle of nowhere.From behind, a flashlight came drawing closer. I tried to stop it by running toward it, but zoom—it went away.“This can’t be happening to me.”I reached for my bag, hung on my shoulder, and grabbed my phone.“And now, I’m out of battery. Goddamn… Fuck! That asshole!”I stood at a corner, and with no means of transportation, I started walking, but I was still in the middle of nowhere. I stamped my foot on the ground so hard that I almost broke my ankle.Out of nowhere, a car’s headlights beamed at full speed.“Hey! Hey!” I reached out to stop it.“Fuck yeah, don’t stop. I bet you’re a serial killer. I probably dodged a bullet there!” I shouted aloud.Screeching, the car stopped, and suddenly, it reversed, making my heart pound like crazy.“Shit!” I said, holding my hands to my chest as I tur
Our car sped off on the highway. The evening warmth made the drive smooth. We were half an hour late for the conference. The music volume lit up in the car as we drove. I sat at the back of the car with my mom and my stepdad. Feeling worried, I sank into the chair, my eyes drained with weakness.“Should I change the music? Maybe she likes something more… right?” Mr. Leister asked.“You’re riding, you choose,” Rabel replied while maintaining her makeup.I stared at the picture on my phone, my eyes fixed on Joel. I missed him so much. I went to our text messages and typed: CALL ME WHEN YOU GET THIS. Minutes later, my phone beeped with a message: I WILL CALL YOU LATER, GOTTA GO. BYE, LOVE YOU. Kisses.Looking out the window, a car zoomed by, ruining the slow drive. Inside, there was Nick. He had a cigarette in his hand, a smirk on his face as he winked at me and zoomed off.Reaching the conference, the room was well decorated, with a lot of people talking to each other. As we stepped in,
Chapter Two “Do you know what Thor’s favorite word from my vocabulary is? It starts with an ‘a,’ then a ‘tta,’ and ends with a ‘ck,’” Nick said, standing at my back while Thor kept barking. “That’s not funny, Nick,” my voice shook as I went closer to grab my phone, which was on the floor. “He doesn’t like you. He must think you snuck in without permission, but that’s not true,” Nick said from behind without moving an inch. “That’s enough, Nick!” I said, grabbing my phone from in between Thor’s legs. “He’s like a poodle, but smarter,” Nick said, stepping back with a little smile across his face. “Did you hit your head as a baby, you jerk?” I gently pulled myself away as Nick bumped into me. “Shhhhh, Thor hates it when people insult me,” Nick said as he bent down, slowly lowering to my neck level. I pushed him to the front as I held his dress from the back. “Calm down,” Nick said gently, calming Thor down. Thor kept on barking as he kept coming. I grabbed him tightly. “Say so
Chapter One “Nona, are you ready?” Nona sat down with a book covered around her face, her stare looking disturbing as she kept reading. “So, what are you reading?” Rabel said, taking a glance at Nona as she kept driving. Nona shifted the book a bit closer off her face. “Just tell me. I’m not wearing my glasses. So you’re not gonna talk to me? This isn’t easy for me. You spent your life trying to get to the next level, but the same monster keeps getting in your way. But one day, when you’ve run out of hint points, you are given an extra chance at life, just like that,” Rabel said, giving a quick stare at Nona as she faced her eyes back on the road. “Mom, enough video game metaphors! I’m not ten!” Nona said, her head still facing down at her book. “Well, it’s like opening a new book, and a new story begins. Better?” Rabel said. Nona raised her head and slammed her book cover as she threw her face towards the window, ignoring Rabel. She desperately didn’t want to leave her friend