《The Bad Boy鈥檚鈥?hat?》


 Chapter 1 New Faces In Unwanted Places

    Goodbye.


    One word with different meanings. It could mean ¡®see youter,¡¯ ¡®see you tomorrow,¡¯ or ¡®see you in a while.¡¯ It can also mean goodbye forever.


    For example, when I left my house today and told the housekeeper goodbye I meant it in as a see you after school. Never did I think I¡¯d end up in the situation in which I am now in. You see, I have dealt a lot with that word, goodbye.


    Six years ago when I bid my parents adieu on their business trip I was expecting them toe back. I didn¡¯t expect a tall man in uniform toe knocking on the mansion¡¯s door with the unbearable news of my parents¡¯ demise. It was at that time that I secluded myself into a shell of the lively girl I used to be. I mean, I¡¯m still the same person but I don¡¯t let many people in.


    In school I¡¯m known as Khloe ¡®the nerd¡¯ Mason. Who cares, I certainly don¡¯t pay attention to thements that run the rumor mill at school. People make fun of you for actually going to school to learn and wanting to educate yourself, okay. Sure, I don¡¯t need a career I have plenty of money that I will inherit in a couple of months when I turn eighteen but my parents loved what they did and I want to find something equally as fulfilling.


    In school, I¡¯m not only a nerd but I think you could call me the outcast as well, people take too much time envying what others have that they turn it into hate. You may find this preposterous but yes, I am shunned because I have more money than others.


    So, here I was another day and another round of idioticments that don¡¯t even make sense because I¡¯m sure calling the nerd ¡®stupid¡¯ is very creative, note the sarcasm. I decided that I needed to clear my mind after school, so I went for a walk. There are two parts in this town, the ¡®lower ss¡¯ and upper ss¡¯ which is really stupid no one is extremely poor or extremely rich, well, except for me. I own the only mansion in the neighborhood but my parents chose to live here.


    I hadn¡¯t notice my bearings as I walked, I was too lost in thought. I furrow my eyebrows as the street bes quieter and that¡¯s when I notice dark haspletely fallen upon me. People have made their way home and are now enjoying thefort of their house. I pull my hoodie over my head and hug it closer to my body as the temperature descends with the sun.


    After walking for a while I begin to grow weary, I may be the school¡¯s nerd but when ites to directions I mine as well be a mathlete learning to y football. Utterly confusing. My lungs are practically screaming for much needed air.


    Ie to a stop in a secluded spot and lean against the wall trying to even my erratic breathing. My head snaps up to my right as a door bangs open in the alley that I apparently was standing in. Two men stagger out throwing punches at the other. I hold my breath trying to remain unseen, invisibility don¡¯t fail me now. Three more mene out to watch the event unravel. Well, I thought they were men, but they are indeed younger. There I say my age. Wow, who knew gangsters came in different shapes and sizes.


    As all of this is unraveling I hear a speeding car to my left and I turn to face a ck tinted car. Theye to aplete stop in the alley that I was standing in. I sink further into the wall if that¡¯s even possible. The three Adonis¡¯s face turn towards our direction but I¡¯m d to say no one is looking directly at me.


    ¡°They came for Lucy!¡± a man frantically tells the younger guys. That snaps them out of their macho stare down causing them to hurry inside, probably to go check on this Lucy person. For some reason, I scoot down to my right, having the eerie feeling that the people in the car aren¡¯t so nice. Maybe the others know about a thing called mercy.


    I am now so thankful for that flickering street light because it¡¯s helping in keeping me concealed. In what seems like secondster the three guyse out with guns and one holding some sort of package and that¡¯s when the ones in the ck car decide toe out. Is this like the door to Hogwarts and I didn¡¯t get memo? I shake my head from my thoughts and focus in on the action once again.


    It looks like it¡¯s all happening in slow motion when in reality everything is going so fast. The guys that came from inside begin to chase the other ones down but the leader seems to be looking around frantically. I wish I could say what he looks like but it¡¯s too dark to make out any features. As the streetlight flickers on again he takes notice of my figure trying to remain concealed.


    He seems to debate with himself on something but makes a quick decision, a decision that may have changed my life forever. He runs towards me and I back myself further into the wall.


    ¡°Here hold this,¡± I can¡¯t see his eyes, all I know is that he is very tall. I look down at the bundle he put in my arms and immediately shake my head assuming it¡¯s some sort of drug package.


    ¡°You will take this,¡± his voice leaves no room for argument. It¡¯s as if he has authority and a shiver runs down my spine. I will never forget that voice.


    ¡°Come on!¡± I hear the others¡¯ screams. He looks back and turns onest time bending down to the package in my hand.


    ¡°I love you, goodbye Lucy,¡± I tilt my head in confusion but he¡¯s already gone. What kind of drug lord names their drug packages?


    I look down at ¡®Lucy¡¯ and move the nkets a bit to the side. My eyes widen at the not so little package, it¡¯s not even a thing.


    When he said goodbye I didn¡¯t know if he meant it as in ¡®I¡¯ll be right back¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯ll see you tomorrow¡¯. I stood there holding the nket close to me.


    ¡°Go!¡± he turns back screaming and I ran, well as much running as one can do.


    This is how I was stuck with the bad boy¡¯s¡­ what?


    Drugs?


    Gun?


    No, this is how I ended up with the bad boy¡¯s baby. I hold the little girl closer to me, shielding her from the cold weather.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lucy, I¡¯ll keep you safe,¡± I ce a kiss on her forehead and she giggles. As if she understood, a bond is formed.


    ¡°Here you go Lucy, eat up,¡± I coo the adorable little girl in the highchair in the kitchen. She giggles before opening up and taking her food.


    It¡¯s been a month since that bastard gave me this little gift. I mean, who would just give away a child? I returned to see if he¡¯d show up but there was no sign of him, nothing at all. I went to the police station to look at any missing child reports but nothing appeared. I took Lucy to get checked at the hospital and she hadn¡¯t even been registered.


    I took all of this in and did the rational thing to register her as Lucy Mason, yeah, I gave her myst name. So, technically this little girl is mine. ording to the doctor she¡¯s one month shy of a year and is already attempting to walk. She¡¯s been crawling around the huge house eagerly, the house that had to undergo a whole lot of baby proofing.


    My nanny and housekeeper, ire, fell in love with the little girl that I brought home in my arms that eventful night a month ago. Of course, she did state that Lucy would be my responsibility but she helps take care of her when I go to school and such. She can¡¯t deny that the little blue eyed girl captured her heart.


    Even my butler, Roger, the stone faced man that handles all of my assets cracks a smile in the presence of Lucy. And these are about the only people Ie in contact with. Like I said before, not many people favor me in school. Well, nobody really with the exception of the teachers. But, the three of us will be enough to provide Lucy with everything that she needs.


    Lucy is a part of my daily routine now, we¡¯ve grown quite close and she even made me cry a week ago when she addressed me as ¡®mama¡¯. She¡¯s been trying out new words but still has some difficulty, I¡¯ve been studying up on babies and it¡¯s these stages where she¡¯s developing her speech. The process takes ce in her first two years of life, so she definitely has a long way to go.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    She loves her room and crawls and staggers around there all the time. I decorated it with lc patterns, not too flowery and not too in. I bought her a beautiful mahogany crib, I had a changing table brought in. I think that¡¯s the only down side to being a new mom, changing diapers. Not so fun and easy, well at least Lucy isn¡¯t a boy. I heard that can be quite the experience. I also had a rocking chair brought in for the nights when she can get a little testy or I just want to keep an eye on her.


    It can get hard because I¡¯ve grown attached and sometimes I find myself looking over my shoulder, wondering if someone¡¯s after her. Many times I recall the night that brought us together and I wonder if someone could be as ruthless as to actually be going after her. But, why would that guy with the unforgettable voice give her up, just like that? These are questions that may never be answered.


    ¡°Khloe, you better get ready for school or you¡¯re going to bete!¡± I hear ire yell as she descends the back staircase into the kitchen. I straighten up and spare her a quick nce before turning my eyes on Lucy once again. She¡¯s sporting one of her new purple outfits that I bought her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave her,¡± I pout at my nanny. She rolls her eyes making her way towards me, taking the baby food out of my hands and taking over feeding the adorable little girl. Lucy is undergoing the transition from bottle to cup but still has the asional bottle. Roger has taken it to him to prepare a variety of healthy food for Lucy that are ready to either heat up or just feed her.


    ¡°You say that every day but you need your education,¡± she shoos me out of the kitchen and up the stairs, where I reluctantly head to my room. I choose a casual outfit and step into my en suite bathroom. I quickly take a shower and get ready for another day in the hellhole we call school.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love school, it¡¯s the people in it that takes away from the ce¡¯s appeal. People can be so, I don¡¯t know, there are so many ways to describe people. You have the superficial ones who only care about looks and materials. You have the ones I appointed ignorant because they will just about make anyment about anyone ording to stereotype. They also are the homophobic assholes who take it upon themselves to bully and torture somebody because of their differences.


    Yes, the ¡®oh so lovely¡¯ building really is more of a torture chamber. I shake he thoughts away and make my way downstairs.


    ¡°Okay re, remember to put the guards on both staircases and by the doors so Lucy doesn¡¯t crawl anywhere that¡¯s not safe. Oh, and if you take her to the park make sure to put on some sunscreen to protect her from the sun. Make sure to burp her after you-,¡± she raises a hand to stop my rambling.


    ¡°Do you forget that I helped raise you, we go through this every day, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± she assures motioning for me to be on my way.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, just take care and be careful,¡± I sigh as I make my way towards the front door. I step out into the cool air. Roger¡¯s waiting outside in the car, he insists on driving me to and from school, at least it¡¯s not a limo. But, it will all change in one month on my eighteenth birthday where I get my money and I get to buy my dream car.


    ¡°I can see the glorious glint in your eyes at the thought that I won¡¯t be driving you anymore, am I really that horrible?¡± he ces a hand over his heart as I climb into the passenger¡¯s side. I shake my head at his theatrics.


    ¡°Of course not, you know I love you but it¡¯s the thought of freedom that makes me smile,¡± I exin as he pulls out and we begin the dreadful ride to school. I lean my head on the cool ss of the window, just watching everything pass by.


    ¡°Khloe, we¡¯re here,¡± Roger snaps me out of my thoughts after a while and I notice that we have indeed pulled up to the forsaken two story building. I turn to look back into the brown depths of my butler who¡¯s been more of a father figure throughout the years, silently asking the impossible.


    ¡°No you cannot skip, now go on,¡± he waves me off and practically drives off while I¡¯m still in the process of removing my body from the car. I turn back around to re but the car has long gone, speeding out of the ce. I swear he can feel the bad vibesing from this ce.


    With a heavy sigh, I turn towards the front and make my way to the entrance. I can feel several pairs of eyes on me, the usual but it seems as if the whispers filling the ce are not revolving around me. God, I hope so, if for only a little while to divert the attention from me.


    I move along the hallways, staring nkly at the pale beige color of the walls that could have been white in the beginning, guess we¡¯ll never know. I stop at the ck locker in which I deposit some books and take some out for my early sses. As I was rummaging through my bag I feel a slight change in the air. The girls begin to open their locker doors taking quick nces at their mirrors. Must be fresh meat, these girls are like vampires sniffing for blood.


    The girls begin to giggle as their obvious target begins to walk down the hall but I don¡¯t bother to look up, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be socializing. They won¡¯t be any different than anybody else. I feel a shiver run down my spine as I feel eyes boring into the back of my head but I ignore it. I stick to blending in and trying to remain invisible. I nce up curiously but no one important sticks out.


    I close my locker door shut and resume my way to my first ss. English, the best ss of the day. I make my way towards the ssroom fifteen minutes too early but the teacher knows me and my nonexistent ¡®social¡¯ status. Sometimes he¡¯ll just have me run some errands before ss. He¡¯s a very great teacher and definitely knows how to delve into the great world of literature.


    I step inside Mr. Pine¡¯s ssroom which happens to be inplete darkness, not random. Since it¡¯s the first ss of the day sometimes he does arrivete, much to the girls¡¯ dismay. Mr. Pine is one of the cutes teachers in school with his grand stature, brown hair trimmed neatly bringing out his blue eyes. Yep, he¡¯ll definitely have you attempting that whole student/ teacher forbidden rtionship thing.


    I head to the back of the ss and take my usual seat at the corner. I take out my new copy of Divergent and begin to read as I wait for the ss to start. A couple of minutester the teacher walks in looking as fresh as ever, and no, I don¡¯t have a crush on him. he gives me a small wave but makes no move for conversation as to not break my focus on the riveting book in front of me.


    In no time the ss haspletely filled and the tardy bell has rung. I put my book back into my bag, albeit reluctantly, but do so nevertheless.


    ¡°Okay ss,¡± Mr. Pine clears his throat immediately silencing the room. He leans on the front of his desk and begins.


    ¡°Today we¡¯re going to begin on our new unit which is poetry,¡± he informs followed by a few groans from the guys. I, on the other hand, am ecstatic to be learning about some of the best poets of all time. Although, I do have a slight preference for Shakespeare and Alfred Lord Tennyson.


    ¡°Today you¡¯re just-,¡± he¡¯s cut off by the ssroom door banging open. I turn to re at whoever interrupted the ss but am surprised as I don¡¯t recognize the face.


    ¡°Yes?¡± our teacher raises a brow.


    ¡°New student,¡± the guy holds up a pass in between two fingers as he moves further into the ssroom. The girls already begin to swoon over his ¡®bad boy¡¯ attire consisting of ck pants, white v- neck, and the famous leather jacket andbat boots. He scans the ss for all I can think of to be new prey and I nce down and begin the assignment the teacher now wrote on the board.


    As I continue to work quietly I begin to feel eyes boring into me from everywhere. I look up to find many res directed at me, I stare confusedly until I look beside me and take in the boy leaning in closer to my desk. His brown eyes lighting up with amusement at my ignorance. I spare him only a quick nce before looking back down at my work and refusing to pay any attention to him for the rest of the ss.


    Once the bell rings, I release a breath I didn¡¯t realize I was holding and rush out of ss as if my ass were literally on fire. Once I¡¯m an enough distance away I slow my pace down to my next ss. My heart beat has just calm down from its erratic breathing when I feel an arm being draped over my shoulders. I look up and am met with the same ck hair and brown eyed guy from before, sure he¡¯s hot but I¡¯m just not interested but obviously someone can¡¯t take a hint. I shrug his shoulder off and quicken y pace which he easily matches.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Lucas,¡± he introduces. I nod and continue on my merry way. His voice is very deep and I¡¯m sure any girl would give anything to be on the other end of this conversation, every girl except me.


    ¡°So¡­,¡± he trails off as f expecting me to keep up with this conversation. I ignore him and continue to stare straight ahead. I can feel his eyes on the side of my head, he¡¯s obviously not rejected often if ever. He drapes his arm over my shoulders once again and I was just in the process of brushing him off when a voice stopped him.


    ¡°Lucas, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± that voice fills me with dread. I feel something at the pit of my stomach, something akin to fear. At the sound of that voice it¡¯s as if someone poured a cold bucket of water over me and I can literally feel the chills.


    I feel Lucas turn around to face the owner of the demanding voice as where I just stay in my spot staring straight ahead. I try to move and haul my ass out of there but it¡¯s no use. I¡¯ve lost control of my limbs.


    ¡°Who¡¯s you friend?¡± I hear another voice question. I shake myself out of this odd state and turn around to face two people. A brown haired brown eyed boy with broad shoulders and the same handsome looks as Lucas. Next to him, is a very cute guy with his arms crossed over his chest, scrutinizing me? His light brown hair framing very strong and rugged features, but the one thing that pulls me in, are those cobalt blue eyes. The same blue eyes I left back home on a certain little girl named Lucy.


    I gather my strength and with onest nce, run out of their sight. It can¡¯t be, what are they doing here? It can¡¯t be just a coincidence.

 Chapter 2 Won鈥檛 Go Away

    I manage to make it to one of the upstairs bathroom, just a couple of feet away from my next ss. I check to make sure there¡¯s nobody else in the enclosed space before locking the door. I move towards the sink and look into the pristine, reflective ss. I breathe in deeply and exhale.


    ¡°It¡¯s not working,¡± I mumble to myself. I begin to pace the tiled floor, biting down on my thumbnail as a nervous habit.


    Okay, so the presumed father of my new daughter, that I did not give birth to, is attending the same school as I, it should be no big deal. Oh, who am I kidding? It¡¯s a humongous deal.


    First, he leaves his child in my hands, just giving away the precious little girl that I¡¯ve be way too attached to. And now, to make matters worse, he decides to attend the same school as me. What could he possibly be doing here?


    I run my hands through my brown wavy hair in frustration. There¡¯s only one advantage I have, the hoodie I wore that day. He never saw my face as I hadn¡¯t seen his, the only difference was I heard his voice, but I didn¡¯t speak.


    What if he¡¯s looking for Lucy? What if he wants her back?


    No, he¡¯s going to have to go through me. I will not give her up that easily.


    Okay, damage control, I just have to stay away from him and his little ¡®posse¡¯ and I¡¯ll be fine. Oh, and I also have to watch out when I go out with Lucy, just in case I run into them.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± I whisper to my reflection as I stop my relentless pacing. I fix myself and assume a nk expression, trying not to show any type of emotion whatsoever. I pick up my bag, which had been left forgotten in a careless heap by the door, and hoist it over my shoulder.


    I unlock and open the door before stepping out. I peer to both sides of the hall to find itpletely silent. No one roaming the wide space, I take onest deep breath before walking down and stepping inside the dreaded ssroom.


    As soon as the door closes all heads snap up to scrutinize me. Not once, in all my high school years, had I beente to a ss, especially over ten minuteste. I bring my hands in front of me trying hard not to fidget as I look down at the dusty floor.


    ¡°Ms. Mason is there any excuse as to why you are fifteen minuteste to ss?¡± the stern history teacher voices making me look up at him.


    I open my mouth but shut it as no wordse out, I¡¯m too nervous to voice anything with all of the constant staring. I heave a sigh looking down and shaking my head.


    ¡°Very well, it being your first offense I¡¯ll only punish you with a lunch detention,¡± he sighs. I tilt my head up at him and furrow my brows, usually it¡¯s an after school detention. He inconspicuously gives me a sly grin, knowing that I spend my lunch time cooped up in a dusty old corner in the library every day.


    ¡°Take your seat,¡± he motions for me to move. I hurriedly walk to my seat in the far corner of the wall next to the window, hoping that as soon as I¡¯m seated the staring will halt. I plop down on the wooden desk and take my book out.


    As I nce back up to the front of the ss, the scrutiny has ceased except for one pair of eyes I can clearly feel boring to the side of my head. That¡¯s weird. No one sits in the seat next to me. I carelessly give a quick nce to my left and wish I hadn¡¯t as I look back down at my book. The words blurring together making everything iprehensible, much like my life right now.


    I try to pay attention for the rest of ss, trying oh so hard to ignore those mysterious blue eyes that continue to stare at me. I begin to tap my pencil repeatedly, willing the hands on the clock that sits at the top of the board to move faster. Why won¡¯t he stop looking at me?


    I was trying so desperately to stop fidgeting, when guess what? My leg begins to move up and down, in rhythm with my tapping pencil. I seem to have no control over my limbs any longer. I look down at my paper and try so hard to word the answers to the questions in my head so that I can put them on paper but it¡¯s no use.


    The words drifting through my mind are a jumbled mess.


    The tapping increases its pace as I try very hard to not look to my side and snap at the boy whose constant stare is bing a nuisance. Just as I was reaching for my bag with my other hand in an attempt to run for the hills, I feel a hand cover my much smaller one.


    I trace the hand all the way up to the face of the guy inhabiting my apanying seat, as soon as my brown eyes connect to those blue ones I snatch my hand as if he held fire. Thest thing I see is confusion shing in those azure depths as I look back down at my nk sheet of paper, mentally willing my heart to slow its beating.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay¡­?¡± The question trails off as the loud ring fills my ears signaling the end of ss. I ignore him as I gather my things and leave in a haste.


    Why, oh why, is fate working against me? I¡¯m a good person, I barely break the rules if ever, but it¡¯s as if Karma herself is out to get me. I rush into a back table in the library in which I spend my study hall time as well as my lunch period that follows. Although, today my time in this haven will be cut short as I serve detention.


    I let my bag fall to the floor at my feet as I slide down the back of the mahogany bookshelf that stands in the back. Away from all the other cluttered shelves around the library. I breathe in deeply, reminiscing in the scent of old and new books that surrounds the stuffy room. It¡¯s like an instant tranquilizer. I rummage through my bag and pull out my Divergent novel and lose myself in the action filled world.


    There¡¯s nothing that can piss a reader off more than an immense interruption in a very good part of a book. So, with a scowl on my face I turn with a re, scanning the room, ready to unleash my anger with my eyes on whoever decided to have an argument in the library. These ces are quiet for a reason. Whoever it is should be close because their voice shouldn¡¯t carry all the way back here from the front of the room.


    I decide to just lean my head back on the cold wood and wait for the murmurs to dissipate.


    ¡°Just remember not to drag to much attention to you, Lucas. You¡¯ve already flirted your way through half of this school¡¯s female poption,¡± my ears perk up at the aggravated voice.


    Why do we keep crossing paths? All I want is to stay away from these people, is that so hard? Now, I¡¯m dead on set on keeping quiet and out of sight.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, there was that cute little nerd that ignored me,¡±es Lucas¡¯s clear rebuttal. Wait, is he talking about me?


    I hear a scoff.


    ¡°Please, that nerd¡¯s got some sort of problem, she runs from people like they¡¯ve got the gue,¡± is my enemy¡¯s reply. I take offense to that. I only ran because it is them in particr that I¡¯m trying to keep away from.


    ¡°Actually, I heard she¡¯s a rich brat that doesn¡¯t speak to people she deems beneath her,¡±es the third persons voice. The unknown one, the other guy I hadn¡¯t yet heard from until now. It¡¯s true what they say, problems doe in threes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± aw, at least Lucas doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m some sort of stuck up bitch.


    ¡°Look, whatever she¡¯s a ¡®nobody¡¯, we are here forpletely different reasons, stick to the damn n,¡± blue eyed guy¡¯s voice hisses. Perhaps I should learn his name, I only know Lucas and that¡¯s only because he seems to be very social.


    That¡¯s right I am a ¡®nobody¡¯, to them I am no threat. With a sigh of relief, I pick up my bag and begin to make my way out of the library. I nce back at the clock and notice there¡¯s only five minutes before I have to fulfill my detention. I slowly make my way upstairs and back into the history hall.


    I peer inside the room but there¡¯s no one there and the door is locked. I lean back on the wall and decide to wait. I close my eyes to enjoy the nice solitude.


    ¡°Well, well, well, what do we have here?¡±es the all too familiar sneer. Seriously, it¡¯s like I can¡¯t get a break today.


    I open my eyes and surely enough, Mike is standing there with two of his cronies backing him up. Mike is the school¡¯s jock and let me tell you he can¡¯t get any more stereotypical. He dates the head cheerleader, who happens to be a bitch, and likes to bully the outcast crowd. And like any typical bully, he has to have what I like to call his ¡®bitches¡¯ back him up. I mean, he already towers over me, do you really need the backup dude?


    I roll my eyes internally, not willing to do it in front of him, and remain quiet. Why speak? It¡¯s not going to help me in any way? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be able to form any coherent words, I¡¯m far too intimidated for that.


    ¡°Still too good to speak to us?¡± he steps closer. I was at a disadvantage leaning on the wall. I basically cornered myself for him. I look down. I don¡¯t want to see the malicious intent in those brown eyes of his. They might show more than I¡¯m actually willing to see. I flinch and cower further into the wall if possible, when he punches the wall, right beside my head.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re too good for us? Huh, you little nerd? It doesn¡¯t matter, you are and always will be a ¡®nobody¡¯,¡± he says with his jaw clenched.


    Huh, I guess I really am a ¡®nobody¡¯, since people seem to be referring to me as suchtely.


    My eyes widen when he grips my shirt tight, pulling me a couple of inches from the ground. Never in all my years had Mike physically touched me. It¡¯s always been verbal abuse or the asional shove in the hall but never has he hurt me face to face. I¡¯ll admit I am scared. He¡¯s a huge jock while I¡¯m just the puny little nerd.


    ¡°Talk,¡± he suddenly screams in my face. I have the urge to cough at the stench in his breath, it might be irrelevant right now but I don¡¯t know how his girlfriend kisses him with breath like that.


    When I remain silent he pulls his arm back and I know this is the moment where he¡¯s going to really hurt me. I close my eyes waiting for the blow, but it surprisingly neveres. I open my eyes when I feel his weight pushed back away from me and if the loud thump is any indication, I¡¯d say he got mmed against the other wall.


    I¡¯m afraid to look up at my savior for no one in this school had ever stood up for me before.


    ¡°You don¡¯ty a finger on ady,¡± I hear someone seethe. My head snaps up just in time for those cobalt blue eyes to meet my brown ones. The anger dulls reced with slight concern. He almost resembles a human being, but I know better.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think you might¡¯ve hit him too hard, Drew,¡± Lucas goes to pat him on the shoulder. So, the heartless bastard¡¯s name is Drew, I don¡¯t know why but it fits him.


    ¡°Hey Adrian, did you see how Drew kicked ass?¡± Lucas gloats towards the other brown eyed boy with the broad shoulders. I would think him a jock if not for his totally badass attire.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± my eyesnd back on Drew. I don¡¯t like him, hell, he was capable of handling his daughter to some random stranger but he saved me. My parents always taught me to be grateful of others¡¯ chivalrous actions. I nod my head in response.


    ¡°So you really are to cool to speak to the rest of us?¡± I turn to Adrian who¡¯s ring at me with enough malice to burn me to ashes. I raise my eyebrow in amusement but I try to mask my real emotions.


    I shrug, which only seems to piss him off more. I ignore their scrutiny and move to pick my bag up. I think I should head home early today.


    ¡°You should be thankful,¡± Adrian continues his mini rant as I begin to walk off. I turn back meeting all of their gazes.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± and with those two words I walk off. Praying that I no longer have any encounter with the dangerous trio. They might¡¯ve helped me but they abandoned Lucy and they can also take her from me. I have a feeling fate has other ns in store for me.

 Chapter 3 The Unexpected

    ¡°When you readye and get it, Na, Na, Na, Na,¡± I belt out while dancing around like a three legged hyena and my arms frantically waving in the air. Small giggles have me snapping my head towards the small matt in the far corner of the room.


    ¡°Oh you like that?¡± I coo at Lucy, who took time off of her blocks to look at me making a fool out of myself. I smile when she shakes her head. She doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about, she¡¯s a kid. I¡¯m a great dancer and singer.


    ¡°Whatever Lucy, I¡¯ll be stacking paper one day with these moves,¡± I continue the one sided conversation. Though I can tell she stopped listening as she picks on her blocks once again.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go in there!¡± I hear amotion down the hallway getting closer by the second. I furrow my brows, it sounded like ire was talking to someone else. A minuteter the door to the room opens with a bang and I hurry to a frightened Lucy¡¯s side. I pick her up and hold her close in my arms.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± he screams, more like bellows, he has a deep voice. I stare at him in confusion and fear. The guy seems oddly familiar. He¡¯s tall, brown hair and eyes with a lean muscled frame. I tighten my hold on Lucy.


    ¡°Are you going to exin this Khloe?¡± he asks a lot calmer now, when I hear his voice clearly realization dawns on me.


    ¡°Kohl?¡± I whisper but in the now silent room he hears. ire, who hasn¡¯t said a word,es closer and takes Lucy out of the room.


    ¡°How¡­ why are you here?¡± I voice, trying to desperately form a coherent sentence.


    ¡°Khloe is that baby yours?¡± he asks nodding his head in the direction of the door. I just stare at him in disbelief, barely listening to what he¡¯s saying.


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°Kohl?¡± he sighs and steps closer to me. I take a step back not knowing what he¡¯s up to, he merely smiles and envelops me in his arms.


    ¡°Yes Khloe, it¡¯s me Kohl, your twin brother,¡± he mumbles into my ear while he holds me in his arms. He he, guess I forgot to mention I had a twin brother huh? Well, I never thought I¡¯d see him again, can you me me?


    ¡°Where have you been, you weren¡¯t here for the funeral, you left me all alone,¡± I demand as I step out of hisforting hold. He may be my brother but he has a hell of a lot of exining to do.


    ¡°I wanted to be there Khloe, I did but I couldn¡¯t. After our parents sent me to study abroad I was angry at them, they separated me from my family, from you, I was mad. When I was informed of their death, I was angrier. They sent me away only to leave us alone, literally. I couldn¡¯t handle their death, I was mad at everything,¡± he exins.


    ¡°It was just a couple of months ago that I finally responded to one of Roger¡¯s many letters and I asked if I coulde home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I stopped writing but when you wouldn¡¯t respond I automatically assumed that, that was it for us,¡± I exin.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t me you. Now, what I wasn¡¯t informed about was the little girl out there,¡± he raises an eyebrow. His brown eyes, the same as our father¡¯s, glinting with curiosity.


    ¡°He, he, well, you see,¡± I begin to ramble.


    ¡°Now, before you continue, know that I will beat the idiot that dare touched my little sis,¡± he stops my babbling.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± he pats Lucy¡¯s mat on which we sit and I tell him all about my adventurous life. I don¡¯t think I could lie to him.


    ¡°So, you adopted her as yours?¡± I nod.


    ¡®Well, let¡¯s go meet my niece,¡± he gets up and help me up as well and we head in search of our nanny and my daughter.


    ¡°ire,¡± I call out.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the garden with Lucy,¡± Roger scares us from behind.


    ¡°You need to start wearing a bell,¡± I exim as my heart beats erratically. He follows us as we make our way out.


    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you tell me Kohl wasing?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t know how you¡¯d take it, but he¡¯s the only family you have left,¡± the wise man exins.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, you and ire are family,¡± I¡¯m surprised that Kohl was the one to correct him.


    Roger doesn¡¯t respond as we head downstairs and out the garden. That doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t care, he¡¯s just one of those people that express their feelings. If he didn¡¯t care he would¡¯ve stopped trying with Kohl a long time ago. We begin to hear Lucy¡¯s giggles as we near them.


    Lucy has taken kindly to our vast garden. She loves to be brought out. Her little blue eyes lighting up as she inhales the fresh air. Speaking of blue eyes, I should warn Kohl of Drew and the guys before he starts school. I mean, he¡¯s my brother I can¡¯t lie to him. He¡¯s always had a way of making me talk.


    ¡°Come here boy, let me greet you properly,¡± ire says before attacking my brother. I don¡¯t miss the faint smile on his lips as she crushes him with one of her motherly hugs while nting various kisses on his face.


    I take Lucy out of her swing while smiling widely. I can feel my face stretching with my smile. It feels like a missing piece of my heart has been put back in ce. I¡¯m sure it feels like that with nay brother or sister, but he¡¯s my twin, thest of my blood. It¡¯s a huge deal right now.


    ¡°Lucy, I want you to meet my brother and your uncle Kohl,¡± I hope she understands what I¡¯m saying. You can never tell with kids.


    Kohl turns to look at her, it seems like they analyze one another before breaking out into a smile simultaneously. My brother takes his niece out of my arms and holds her tightly and carefully in his. He begins to bounce her in his arms and she giggles uncontrobly.


    ¡°See, my niece already loves me,¡± he turns to smile at me like a fool. Hepletely ignores the fact that ire is standing inches away from him with her arms stretched out, as if he will drop Lucy at any moment. He won¡¯t, I¡¯d kill him.


    I¡¯m serious.


    ¡°We should be heading inside for dinner, Roger have you arranged for Kohl to go to school with Khloe?¡± ire turns to our butler. You know, I don¡¯t want to get all soap opera on you but I always thought those two had a thing.


    ¡°It has been arranged, you two will have the same schedule so Khloe you¡¯ll have to apany him in the morning. Kohl, I hope you can keep the bullies in check,¡± I think I just choked on air.


    Oh God, please tell me he didn¡¯t just say that.


    ¡°Bullies?¡±


    ¡°Yes, some people have taken it upon themselves to give your sister problems,¡± Roger continues.


    Does he not have an off button?


    ¡°I entrust that you will keep them in check,¡± Roger continues while staring at Kohl in the eye.


    ¡°You can bet I will,¡± Kohl smiles mischievously.


    Oh God no, this can¡¯t be happening. There¡¯s a reason Kohl was sent away.


    After Roger basically dooming the school poption, we head inside for dinner. Roger sits at the head of the table while ire takes the other end. I sit with Lucy and Kohl sits across form us on the other side.


    ¡°So, who are the bitches I¡¯ll be taking care of?¡± Kohl asks nonchntly.


    ¡°Kohl,nguage,¡± ire scolds.


    ¡°No he¡¯s right,¡± Roger interferes.


    ¡°Look Kohl, it¡¯s nothing. Ignore them like I do,¡± I instruct while resuming to eat. Lucy just seems to be following the banter with her head, looking from one of us to the other. She already ate so she¡¯s just here for her entertainment.


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll figure it out sooner orter,¡± he waves me off.


    This isn¡¯t good. I know Kohl and I know he won¡¯t let it go. He has a way of getting explosives, and then he just ims he knows people. I meane on. Seriously, a rich kid out for revenge just spells trouble.


    Once we finish dinner, I ce a sleepy Lucy in her crib and head into my room. Iy out different papers on my desk from various subjects. At least I find homework easy. I think Roger led Kohl to his room, apparently he had the room across from mine fixed into Kohl¡¯s own little bachelor pad.


    Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I wait until Kohl makes his way inside to turn myself around. Call it twin intuition, but I just knew it was Kohl behind that door. I turn my swivel chair to face him face nted on my bed.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I smile.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell me who hurt you?¡± he mumbles. Ah, he¡¯s ying the guilt card, I know him far too well, and the years have barely changed him.


    ¡°Look, leave them alone. I have bigger problems, like Lucy¡¯s dad being in school now,¡± that catches his attention.


    I proceed to exin everything about Drew¡¯s sudden appearance and am d he¡¯s on my side. It¡¯s good to have his support. Maybe having him in school with me won¡¯t be that bad.


    The Next Day


    I take it back, I take it all back. Having Kohl in school has been terrible so far and we haven¡¯t even made it into first period. When Mike tried to approach me in the morning Kohl just assumed straight on and punched him, an instant knockout.


    My brother may looknky and like he can¡¯t fight but they don¡¯t call it military school for nothing. I lead him to the office and wait for him to get his papers sorted before we go into our first ss. We get there early as usual. Well usual for me.


    ¡°Hello Mr. Pine, this is your new student,¡± I stop by me favorite teacher¡¯s desk to introduce Kohl. Mr. Pine takes a look at his schedule and looks up confused.


    ¡°You¡¯re rted?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her twin brother Kohl,¡± Kohl speaks up. The teacher nods and motions for us to take our seats, which Kohl decides to, follow me to the back. It¡¯s like he¡¯s appointed himself to be my living, moving shadow.


    Freaky.


    I look down when Lucases in the ss and takes notice of his now upied desk. He says nothing as he steals the one in front of me. Damn, I thought for sure that would get rid of him. I turn to Kohl who gives me a questioning look.


    He¡¯s one of them, I mouth.


    He looks pensive for a moment before nodding. The day goes on like this with me teaching Kohl what¡¯s what and who¡¯s who in the school, for an outcast I sure do know a lot. Kohl would re at anyone whom he thought was looking at me the wrong way and it was surprisingly effective. People have indeed been backing off.


    Unfortunately, my dear brother ordered me to stop being a punk and forced me to go to the cafeteria and eat lunch with him. People stared but they were more like curious stare. Although when we sat down at a table to Kohl likes, people gaped.


    ¡°This school is full of weirdoes,¡± Kohl mumbles before chomping down on his sandwich. We look up as someone clears their throat. Great, the person I¡¯d been able to ignore all day finally makes an appearance.


    ¡°This is our table,¡± Drew states.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Kohl looks at him and realization dawns instantaneously, those eyes are so alike it¡¯s scary. I thought Kohl would haul my ass out of the room, or at least that¡¯s what I hoped for, but instead he did something totally unexpected.


    ¡°Hey I¡¯m Kohl, Khloe¡¯s twin brother,¡± he gets up to greet while I choke on my sandwich.


    Just kill me now, somebody please.


    I continue to watch in horror as Kohl continues to make friends with my mortal enemies. This is worse than when I thought Derek was dead in Teen Wolf, or Toby for that matter in Pretty Little Liars. Bottom line is, I¡¯m going to kill him and what a sweet and painful death it¡¯ll be.

 Chapter 4 Clashing With The Mystery Bad Boy

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I hiss at Kohl under my breath. He pretends he didn¡¯t hear me and continues to smile at the group of guys sitting in front of us.


    Is he the only one that fails to realize the awkwardness of the situation?


    ¡°So, twins huh?¡± Lucas smiles as he looks from Kohl to me. I guess he¡¯s trying to see the resemnce.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Kohl chirps. He seems a little too happy with this situation if you ask me. Meanwhile, I¡¯m just hoping a hole will open up and swallow me whole or Kohl for that matter.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go,¡± I say slowly as I point in the direction of the doors. I gather my bag and stand up but I¡¯m pulled back down abruptly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave yet,e on we should get to know each other,¡± my brother protests. God, would it be so hard if you just make him lose his voice right now? It doesn¡¯t have to be permanent, I¡¯ll settle for temporary voice loss.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? Do you not see that nobody wants to be here?¡± I seethe in his ear.


    ¡°You guys know we can hear you, right?¡± I jump at the sound of Adrian¡¯s voice. Wow, so he can do more than just brood in a corner. Although, I must say he rocks the mysterious guy persona. I turn to look at him only to find his icy re, no surprise there.


    ¡°Yes, well, we¡¯ve got to go,¡± I get up once again with no protest from anyone. I drag Kohl by the ear and take my leave.


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow, please let go,¡± Kohl¡¯s cries fill the empty hallways as I lead him towards my sanctuary, the library.


    I pull open the door to the musty scented room and throw Kohl in, right now pleasantries are thest thing on my mind.


    ¡°Abusive much,¡± he grumbles under his breath. I give him no answer as I grab a book from a nearby rack and begin to beat him with it. Maybe this will literally knock some knowledge into that thick skull of his.


    ¡°Would you stop abusing me?¡± he screams. The old librarian immediately snaps her head up to re at him, her features soften as she takes my figure in. I smile sweetly at the olddy seated behind the old desk.


    She¡¯s a wise old woman that adds re to the school with her entric ways. Everyone around here has heard of old Mrs. Winston, it¡¯s not every day you see a blue haired woman parade around her love of books. On my lonely days at the school, I loveing here to hear her tell me old stories of her young and rebellious ways back in the day.


    I mean I love to hear all about why you can¡¯t remember the sixties. And no, rock n¡¯ roll wasn¡¯t the only reason and that¡¯s all you¡¯re going to get out of me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not abusing you. I¡¯m trying to beat some sense into you. I heard the process can be painful but quite effective,¡± I exin. He just stands there and looks at me as if I told him ACDC can¡¯t rock.


    Trust me, never get into an argument with Kohl about who can and can¡¯t rock. The world doesn¡¯t have time for one of his legendary music lectures. I learned that the hard way when we were younger. So did the kid that wore the ¡®Ban Rock n¡¯ Roll¡¯ t-shirt to middle school, he was also the one that got sent home with a bloody nose. Yet, the whole crowd swore they didn¡¯t see who did it.


    ¡°You need to get out more,¡± he suddenly states.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You know socialize, the process of making friends,¡± he states slowly. I¡¯m not the one with the low IQ, buddy.


    ¡°That¡¯s not relevant right now. What is relevant is the fact that you areplete out of your mind. What was that stunt you pulled in lunch, did the fact I¡¯m trying to stay away from those threepletely bypass your brain¡¯s processing of words?¡±


    ¡°Okay, breathe,¡± he instructs and backs off at the re he receives in return.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of the saying ¡®keep your friends closer, and your enemies closer,''¡± he responds.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that n, it has too many ws,¡± I deadpan.


    ¡°Chill dude and trust me, I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± he ces what I guess should be aforting hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°I better not see them around my house, if I lose Lucy, you¡¯re going to wish you were back in military school,¡± I threat while shrugging his arm off. With onest threatening re I leave him standing there and head off to the big desk where Mrs. Winston¡¯s already waiting for me.


    ¡°Hello dear, look what just arrived,¡± she slides a copy of Alfred Lord Tennyson¡¯s collection of poems.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d like it, so I took the liberty to check it out for you, it¡¯s already for you to take,¡± she states at the beaming smile that I¡¯m sure lights my face up at the gesture. I eagerly grab the book and ce it inside my bag.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± are the only words I¡¯m allowed to say as the bell rings and I have to rush off to my Art ss.


    Now don¡¯t go thinking I¡¯m some Art prodigy, because I¡¯m not. I really just took the ss because I needed a rxing one. I really did think people didn¡¯t do much in ss. Oh, how I was wrong. Our teacher, Ms. Nelly, pushes us to the core. It¡¯s like boot camp for artists. I know what you¡¯re wondering, why don¡¯t I just drop the ss? Well, I actually like her. Past all the screaming and yelling, and the constant hurling of inanimate objects at my head, she¡¯s really not that bad.


    The loud chiming of the bed over the speaker system ms me back into reality, harshly. If there¡¯s one thing Ms. Nelly doesn¡¯t like is tardiness. I finally near her ssroom at the very end of the arts hall. I take a deep breath before opening the door and heading inside to m possible doom. I sigh in relief as I step further into the ssroom and I hear nothing. It¡¯s as silent as a dead forest.


    I hastily make my way to the back table where I sit by myself. No surprise there. I hurriedly pull out my chair and slump down in my seat.


    ¡°Khloe!¡± I jump at the loud yell. I knew it was too good to be true. Nothing can go past Ms. Nelly, she literally can see past bullshit, she told me so herself.


    ¡°Why are youte?¡± I can hear her voice from behind. She must¡¯ve been outside, there¡¯s a door in the ss that leads to an outside clearing, and we use it for still life drawings or for some paintings to air dry.


    ¡°I was in the library,¡± I murmur. Now, in the scrutiny of around fifteen pairs of eyes, I snap back into the shy little girl. That¡¯s also the weird part, he has a soft spot for me, yet we¡¯replete opposites. She can literally give you a great painting with her eyes closed where as I have trouble drawing stick figures. She is really loud and I¡¯m very quiet. I guess you could call our rtionship abnormal.


    I just realized something. I talk to a lot of adults and not many people my own age. I groan at the thought of Kohl being right, I do need to get out more.


    ¡°Well here, you¡¯re all going to be working in pairs on a major project,¡± she hands me a sheet of paper with instructions on what to do.


    ¡°Can I work alone?¡± I look up into her eyes, hoping that deep down she has a soul and would grant me this one wish.


    ¡°No, in fact I already chose your partner,¡± she states tly. I should¡¯ve known there was no soul to begin with, yet, you can¡¯t help but love her. She¡¯s an outstanding teacher. She walks off and I look down at my paper, reading over what is expected.


    I can¡¯t help but wonder who she¡¯ll pair up with me. Maybe it will be someone somewhat nice and I can make a friend my age for once. I highly doubt it but hope lives eternal.


    ¡°Ow, I already told you I hate people. I will not work in pairs with anybody,¡± I hear a deep voice grumble from behind. Damn, what stuck up his ass? I sure hope he¡¯s not my partner.


    ¡°Khloe, meet your partner. I will be checking daily for updates so, you better be doing your work,¡± she pushes whoever on to me and scurries of to her cluttered desk.


    I turn to meet whoever it is. I mean maybe we could get along. We have one thing inmon, we obviously don¡¯t socialize much. As I turn, I meet my partners eyes, mine widen in realization. We both groan simultaneously at the thought of being paired together for anything. I think we also have another thing inmon, our obvious dislike for one another.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°God, why do I have to work with you,¡± he grumbles as he takes a seat across from me at the empty table. Guess sitting next to me is way too repulsive.


    ¡°Who says I¡¯d want to be partnered with you?¡± I retort. Oh god, to him I can speak properly to. This is just great, note the sarcasm.


    ¡°At least you can do something else but just sit and stare like you¡¯re scared out of your wits,¡± I¡¯d argue but I have noeback. He may be somewhat right, though I will not admit that out loud.


    ¡°What cat got your tongue?¡± he taunts with a stupid smirk over taking his stupid face, amusement dancing in his stupid brown eyes. How does he even get his stupid brown hair to look that good? It¡¯s like the perfect tousled look.


    I ignore whatever it is he said. I don¡¯t have time for foolishness.


    ¡°Aw, am I getting the silent treatment from the little rich brat?¡± he continues. My knuckles begin to turn white from the tight hold I have on my pencil.


    ¡°Ah, look at that, you¡¯re getting angry. You look like a kitten who just came out of water like that,¡± can¡¯t he ever shut the hell up?


    I¡¯m just going to ignore him. I¡¯ll be the bigger and better person.


    He begins to tap his pencil obnoxiously on top of my art book. I give him a re that clearly tells him to stop. He smirks and picks up his pace. What if his head just exploded right now? Just vanishing him from the face of the earth, that¡¯d be a sight I¡¯d want to see.


    ¡°Would you stop,¡± I snap at him.


    ¡°Or. What?¡± he emphasizes each word with another tap of his pencil.


    I think my eye twitched when he smirked. I grab the art book from my under his hand and smack it on his head. Don¡¯t follow my example. Violence is almost never the answer.


    ¡°Did you just hit me?¡± he res at me. Let me tell you something, there¡¯s nothing colder than a reing from Adrian ck himself.


    ¡°I most certainly did,¡± I hold my head high to put up a front. Although, I¡¯m shaking on the inside, he¡¯s one scary dude.


    ¡°Watch yourself. You¡¯re going to pay for that one. The other guys might think you¡¯re all sweet and innocent with a weirdo as a brother but I know you¡¯re hiding something. You all are and when I find out, well, you¡¯ll see,¡± he threatens in a low voice. A voice so deep I¡¯m sure he scares little kids for Halloween.


    ¡°How do you get your voice like that?¡± I squeak before I realize what I said.


    Seriously, I¡¯m getting threatened by a guy that¡¯s already acquainted with guns and that¡¯s the first thing I ask. Way to go, Khloe. He surprises me by chuckling slightly.


    ¡°Perhaps, you are just that na?ve,¡± he states more to himself than to me.


    I say nothing in response. I seriously think I peed my pants a little. Yeah, he¡¯s that scary. I did learn one thing.


    I think Adrian ck is in the Mafia, the Italian one.

 Chapter 5 Conversing With Sexy Blue Eyes

    ¡°What¡¯s got your panties in a twist today?¡± Kohl nces at me as we walk inside the school building doors. I merely look up at him and scowl.


    ¡°What, did I do something wrong?¡± he asks rmed.


    You know, I love having my brother back but sometimes I do wish I could kill him. I don¡¯t ask for much, I never go out to parties or sneak out of the house. The one thing I value, other than Lucy, is my slumber. I love to sleep, who doesn¡¯t?


    That¡¯s kind of hard when you have a brother that likes to wake up in the morning with the sole purpose of causing a ruckus.


    ¡°You fucking woke me up when you started singing along to Aerosmith¡¯s Dude Look Like A Lady,¡± I re at him. I don¡¯t like to be disturbed in my sleep.


    He says nothing, just stares at me in amazement.


    ¡°You cussed, maybe there is still hope for you,¡± he smiles while draping an arm over my shoulder.


    ¡°And where were you yesterday, you didn¡¯t show up for art ss, now I¡¯m stuck with the, oh so obnoxious Adrian,¡± I scowl at just mentioning the wretched name.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Kohl exims.


    I really wish I had a book right now, that way I could beat him with it. See, this is not good, he¡¯s turning me violent. We stop at our lockers that happen to be ¡®coincidently¡¯ right next to each other. It¡¯s like I can¡¯t get rid of him, Kohl¡¯s like the gue.


    We gather our books and head upstairs to our English ss. I greet Mr. Pine with a smile which he returns. Kohl assumes his ¡®too cool for school¡¯ aura and greets him with the head nod. You know, the one that guys seem to always do, the wordless greeting.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    I head to the back to my seat and do a double take when I notice Lucas is already in ss. I raise my eyebrow in question but don¡¯t expect him to answer, just mere curiosity. Kohl and I take our seats, I, of course being behind Lucas. I take my notebook out and begin taking my notes.


    ¡°Sup Kohl,¡± I snap my head up at Lucas greeting Kohl like they are the best of friends. You know what¡¯s really messed up, when Kohl fist bumps him in return.


    I¡¯m going to kill him.


    ¡°So, Kohl, the guys and I are going to go out, you wannae?¡± Lucas asks looking directly at Kohl. Nice to know I¡¯m left out of everything.


    I look at Kohl and send a message with my eyes. ¡®Agree and I¡¯ll kill you.¡¯


    He clearly didn¡¯t get it or just straight up ignored me as he begins to nod his agreement. Okay, I think cyanide is one of the best ways for him to leave this earth, not many traces are left with that certain poison. Although plunging an empty syringe right on the vain on his neck will cause him to go into cardiac arrest, stopping his evil little heart¡¯s beating.


    ¡°Yeah, can I bring Khloe around? You know I¡¯m trying to get her to socialize more,¡± my soon to bete brother asks whilepletely ignoring my presence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s her scene really,¡± Lucas looks at me uncertainly.


    People really need to stop offending me as if I¡¯m not right here. It hurts people, it hurts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she can be quite the party animal once you get to know her,¡± Kohl retorts. I wonder what Khloe he¡¯s talking about because I certainly do not like to party.


    Sweaty bodies dancing around while intoxicating themselves with alcohol, only to get wasted and possibly spill your guts out. I missed the fun part. Well, at least that¡¯s what it looked like on TV. Not like I have anything to go by on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Drew, if he gives the go ahead then yeah she cane,¡± Lucas finally answers.


    You¡¯ll be asking nothing of my mortal enemy, I wanted to blurt out saying with a deep British ent just to make it sound cool. But, of course I didn¡¯t, I¡¯m much moreposed than that.


    ¡°Cool,¡± the person I thought was my brother responds.


    Thankfully, the bell rings soon and I gather my things and hurry out of ss. I don¡¯t spare Kohl a second nce as we¡¯re certainly not on the best terms now, oh, but he¡¯ll certainly pay for this. In no time, I step into my most dreaded ss, History. I love the subject, learning about times past and how things worked back then.


    Unfortunately, he who shall not be named is in this ss as well.


    Drew.


    I plop down on my seat and gaze out the window. Dark clouds cover the sky and there¡¯s a noticeable wind as the trees sway from side to side, as if they¡¯re dancing to a beautiful melody. The chair to my side scrapes out causing that awful screeching sound until its owner plops down. I spare a nce out of the corner of my eye to see if it¡¯s my brother. Sadly, it isn¡¯t, it¡¯s Drew.


    And as usual his gaze is fixed on me. His eyes roam my body sending chills up my spine. How can he have such an affect without even physical contact? Why does he have an effect on me? Why does he stare intently my way?


    I face the front of the ss as the teacher walks in and begins his lecture. I try hard to keep my focus on the bald man in front of the room, but the blue eyed unwavering gaze is having certain effects on my body that I can¡¯t quite exin.


    ¡°Now, I want you to get into partners, we have an uing project,¡± the teacher¡¯s voice resonates through my mind.


    What is it with these teachers and trying to get students to mix with their peers? I mean, is it so horrible if I don¡¯t want to talk to anybody. More like nobody wants to talk to me, but whatever. I stay seated, I¡¯m on strike. I refuse to partner up with anybody.


    Drew sits on my side, immobile as usual.


    I turn my head to nce out the window, ignoring the moving bodies roaming around the room looking for someone to partner up with. As usual, nobody dares to approach me. I wonder where Kohl¡¯s at. I could sure use a freaking partner.


    I jump as my desk is pulled to the side, screeching on the tiled floor causing many pairs of eyes to snap in my direction. They gape as Drew pulls my desk to his side until the wooden nes are touching side by side.


    ¡°You¡¯re my partner,¡± he whispers close enough for me to hear. And I mean he¡¯s seriously invading my space as he murmurs his words in my ear. I scoot my desk three inches away to give me some proper breathing space.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a partner,¡± I manage to squeak out in such an alluring presence. I hear a slight chuckle that has my body tingling right before he pulls my desk right next to his, once again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, I said you are my partner,¡± his amused voice literally drifts through my ears. I hide a shiver as his warm breath hits my neck.


    I try to scoot away again but he ces his shoulder at the back of my desk, managing to hold it in ce. Damn, just how strong is he? I inconspicuously try to measure his biceps, eh, I¡¯ve seen better.


    ¡°Look Donald,¡± yeah, I went there, I know he knows that I know his name. ¡°I don¡¯t want a partner,¡± I shrug his arm off my chair.


    ¡°Cupcake, that¡¯s not my name,¡± he whispers huskily in my ear. Can he get any closer?


    ¡°And my name¡¯s Khloe,¡± I retort, trying to desperately ignore the feelings he may be evoking.


    ¡°I know your name, cupcake,¡± he finally pulls away. I take in a deep breath finally realizing that I¡¯d stopped breathing altogether. He¡¯s a walking, talking weapon.


    Much like us, he¡¯s alluring but deadly.


    ¡°Miss Mason, nice to see you finally working with someone,¡± the bald man gives me a knowing smile. I want to know just what the hell he knows.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not-,¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re very much working together,¡± Drew smiles politely towards the old man. We both watch as he continues to walk around the ss checking on other students.


    ¡°I liked you better when you didn¡¯t speak,¡± I re at the blue eyed boy next to me.


    ¡°So you liked me?¡± he raises an eyebrow.


    ¡°No,¡± I answer tly. Instead of looking insulted, like I just physically hurt his ego, he gives me a genuine smile. Not a smirk, a smile.


    And as his pearly whites glint at me sunlight suddenly streams through the window on our side as the dark clouds part and birds flutter through the glorious skies, chirping at such an attribute. Okay, maybe I¡¯m exaggerating but it sure is a different feeling to have Drew smiling. Even weirder, when it¡¯s me he¡¯s smiling at.


    I breathe out a breath I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d been holding as a packetnds in front of me, anything to distract myself if only momentarily from the boy wreaking havoc on my life. My eyes scan the paper greedily and my eyes bulge out when I take in the fact that this will also be an out of school project.


    This means there¡¯s a slight possibility he¡¯ll being home with me, the home Lucy now inhabits.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should work together,¡± I state a bit more assertively. It¡¯s as if the mere thought of Lucy gives me an air of confidence.


    ¡°If only life were that easy,¡± he states seriously.


    What the heck?


    Since when the bad boy get deep?


    ¡°I think I have a choice in whether if you¡¯re my partner or not,¡± I ground out, not liking the thought of being controlled.


    Hey, even nerds can¡¯t be tamed. We like to party as well but back to the matter at hands.


    ¡°Look, we both hate the people around us and I don¡¯t quite really hate you, so, this would be much more convenient,¡± he deadpans. Aw, he doesn¡¯tpletely hate me.


    ¡°Fine, but we¡¯re not working together at my house. Either we go to yours or we¡¯ll set up a meeting ce,¡± I bargain.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a private person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird, your brother invited us to your house today and I heard you wanted to go out with us,¡± he raises an eyebrow.


    Forget cyanide, I want Kohl¡¯s death to be as painful as possible.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s just my idiot brother trying to get me to ¡®socialize¡¯,¡± I use air quotes on thatst bit.


    He surprises me by chuckling, a deep sound resonating from within his chest.


    Don¡¯t get drawn in by his sexiness, ignore it, I chant within my head.


    ¡°So we got a deal?¡± his voice snaps me out of my wild thoughts. I look down to see his calloused hand outstretched.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sigh taking his hand. I jolt at the feel of our hands intertwined. He gives me an odd look and I hastily remove my hand from his grasp.


    He may have the looks of an angel but I think I just shook hands with the devil. I just hope this doesn¡¯te to bite me in my hinnyter on.


    ¡°Oh, and before I forget, be ready by seven, we¡¯re going out,¡± his words leave me breathless. No, not in the ¡®do dirty things to me you sexy bastard¡¯ way, but in the ¡®I think I need my inhaler, quick¡¯ hyperventtion mode.


    Oh yeah, he¡¯s definitely sinful andpletely not magically delicious.

 Chapter 6 Out With The Bad Boy

    ¡°Would you stop pacing child, there¡¯s no need to give yourself a heart attack,¡± ire chides as I continue to pace relentlessly in Lucy¡¯s room. Said child begins to giggle as ire begins to mock me behind my back.


    ¡°What if he sees her and tries to take her, I swear I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Kohl, why would he do this?¡± I run a hand through my hair in frustration.


    ¡°Your brother has his reasons for which he does the things he does, but you have to believe he has your best interests in sight,¡± the wise woman cates. Her words finally sink in.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Instead of wording an answer she waves me off and continues to entertain the giddy child in her hands. Lucy seems especially happy today, she seems to be jumping in ce.


    ¡°Just go and get ready, Iid some proper clothes out on your bed already. Things have been taken care of, the young man will not see Lucy, rest assured,¡± she motions for me to leave the child¡¯s lc room.


    I sigh in defeat and make my way out of my princess¡¯s room and head to my own. I head into the bathroom to take a rxing shower before having to face a walking devil. Just the thought of Drew causes a weird feeling at the pit of my stomach. I stand under the hot water allowing it to pelt my skin and relieve the tension from my stiff muscles.


    What could have ire meant, does Kohl know something I don¡¯t?


    I shake my head from my lingering thoughts and finish my shower. I wrap a towel around my body and head out to look at the clothes ire picked out. I¡¯m not one to dress over the top so I hope it¡¯s something remotely close to what I¡¯d usually wear. I smile when I see the dark jeans, a blue dress shirt and some matching heels. She¡¯s been waiting to get me into those for quite a while.


    I put some light make up on and let my hair fall down in its natural wavy state before finally getting dressed. I¡¯m d the heels aren¡¯t so tall, the height adjustment seems to throw me off a bit but I manage. I throw a ck jacket over the outfit just toplete it to my taste and head downstairs with my gaze on the ground.


    ¡°Wow sis, you look beautiful,¡± I hear Kohl whisper as hees to stand by me. I keep my head down as a faint smile curves my lips, but I¡¯m not willing to give him the satisfaction.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re mad but trust me, I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± he squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. I nod and finally look up just in time to see joy fill his brown eyes. The doorbell ringing moves our gaze towards the front door. Guess the guys are here, I look over at the clock by the mantle and they are indeed punctual.


    Out of the corner of my eyes I catch ire take Lucy out the backdoor towards the garden. I sigh in relief, the fear of losing someone I love subsiding a bit with the small reassurance that Lucy will be a way¡¯s away. I faintly hear Roger greeting the guys as they step inside. All three gaze around the vast house, they are the only people from school who have ever stepped foot into our home.


    ¡°Wow, I feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman,¡± yes people, Lucas just made that reference. Adrian looks at him like he lost his mind while Drew¡¯s unnerving gaze is on me. Kohl seems to notice and clears his throat.


    ¡°Cool house,¡± his blue eyes snap towards Kohl momentarily before finding their way back to me. I let my gaze linger on his frame, he¡¯s wearing ck cks with a blue button up shirt thatpliments his eyes perfectly. I furrow my eyebrows. His attire looks different than the other guys¡¯ more casual one, including my brother.


    ¡°So, where are we going?¡± I finally voice to no one in particr.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to a club,¡± Kohl points to himself, Lucas and Adrian. ¡°You, you better take care of my sister,¡± he says pointedly to Drew. Whoa, wait, am I missing something?


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I have something else nned for us,¡± Drew answers. I think my face visibly paled much to Drew¡¯s satisfaction because he shed a smirk in response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m feeling too good,¡± I begin to mumble to no avail, as Drew grabs my hand and lead me outside. What is with him and invading my personal space?


    I nt my feet on the ground preventing him from hauling me around anymore. I thought I had won this battle, until he wrapped his arms around my waist and carried me out into the driveway and towards a ck car. I look at the ck sports car with a scowl as I¡¯m set on my feet right in front of its sleek exterior. I refuse to get in. Drew takes the liberty of opening the passenger door for me.


    ¡°Do I need to buckle you in, too?¡± he smirks as he leans on the door, waiting for my reaction.


    Fight or flight?


    I begin to stroke my imaginary beard as I ponder over my options. There¡¯s a big possibility I¡¯ll never make it back inside before he catches me, so I reluctantly nt my tushy inside his stupid awesome car.


    Momentarily forgetting that I¡¯m practically being ambushed into whatever this is, I begin to stroke the dashboard and all its glorious features. It reminds me of my fast approaching birthday and the car I¡¯ll be getting then. Just the thought fills me with joy.


    ¡°You like the car?¡± Drew¡¯s voice snaps me out of my small indulgence. I shrug in response, not about to let him know I¡¯m in love with his car.


    ¡°y nice and I might let you ride on the way back,¡± he smirks at my stunned face. He¡¯d let me ride this beauty?


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I ask calmly, yet on the inside there¡¯s a unicorn galloping his merry way about at the thought of me driving this car. So I like cars, sue me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± he turns in his seat, starts the car and swiftly speeds out of our driveway. Oh, I just love the speed and the quiet rumble of the engine.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not taking me to some stupid fancy dinner,¡± I singsong, sure that that¡¯s what he¡¯s up to.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he smirks at me before returning his nce onto the road. Damn, I thought that for sure would ruin the evening. I sink lower into thefy leather seat and just breathe in deeply, allowing the car to soothe me.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your favorite color?¡± Drew pops out with one of the most clich¨¦d asked questions, making me burst outughing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s purple, you?¡± I redirect the question.


    ¡°Brown,¡± I roll my eyes.


    ¡°Is this where you say because it¡¯s the color of my eyes,¡± I taunt. He turns to me smiling and ces a hand on his chest, above his heart.


    ¡°Conceited much, and no, I have a slight obsession with chocte,¡± he rifies. Oh, a blush of embarrassment creeps up onto my face and I look away making him chuckle.


    ¡°Chocte, huh?¡± I smile out the window while trying to dissipate my small moment of embarrassment.


    ¡°Yeah, can¡¯t get enough of the stuff. I have to custom order some from a small little shop in France because they don¡¯t sell those delicacies anywhere else,¡± he exins.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve never guessed,¡± I respond honestly. Who knew the bad boy¡¯s weakness was chocte? Just imagine: ¡®Drew, either you do your homework or no Snickers for you,¡¯


    That¡¯d be a sight to see.


    ¡°What about you, there¡¯s got to be something you like?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Hm, charm bracelets, ever since my dad bought me one for my eighth birthday I¡¯d beg him to bring me one from wherever he went,¡± I exin. I can feel a faint smile slip into my lips as I reminisce in those memories.


    ¡°Where are your parents, nobody¡¯s ever mentioned them before,¡± he questions.


    ¡°It¡¯s a taboo subject for Kohl and I, they died years ago,¡± I borate.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I know about that, my mom died not so long ago,¡± he whispers. I turn to him and notice he seems a bit crestfallen, must be a fresh wound. I sigh and do something I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll regretter, I grab his hand and give him a reassuring squeeze.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, I can assure you it does get better,¡± I smile.


    ¡°What about your dad?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t really speak, the guys are my family,¡± he brushes off. Okay, no more personal questions. Hm, he didn¡¯t mention a daughter though.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he jumps out of the car as soon as he cuts the engine. I, however, take my time until he grabs my arm and stops me.


    ¡°Get in,¡± he motions towards the car.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of driving here if we¡¯re just going to leave?¡± I raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°The point is I¡¯m trying to be a gentleman so I¡¯m going to open the door for you, now get in,¡± I huff and get in very undy like. His tone of voice leaves no room for argument.


    I look up when the door¡¯s opened once again.


    ¡°Can I get out now?¡± I ask sarcastically.


    ¡°You¡¯re ruining the mood,¡± he pouts like a little kid. Aw, he¡¯s so adorable.


    Ugh, now he has me thinking about how cute he is, resist the charm, resist the charm, I repeat. I sigh before stepping out of the warm car.


    ¡°So, where are we?¡± I look up at the big building with intricate design, trying to somehow figure out where we are.


    ¡°A little bird told me you have a soft spot for Shakespeare,¡± he mumbles before leading me past the architectural columns and into the pristine building. Marble floors give the ce an air of mystery while the arches make the ce look grandiose.


    ¡°Wait, are we here to see a y?¡± I halt in ce.


    ¡°Two Gentlemen of Verona,¡± he holds up a pamphlet. Manners fly out the window as I actually squeal and jump in ce which is a bad idea, considering I¡¯m wearing heels.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Drewes to my side and leads me into a room. I look around but there are only two seats in the small booth.


    ¡°I rent the ce out, I¡¯ve got season tickets, my mom had a great affinity for the theatre,¡± he exins as he leads me to a chair. I descend upon it with him on my side just as the lights dim and the crowd quiets down.


    ¡°I take it you like it-,¡±


    ¡°Ssh,¡± I cut him off as I sit there mesmerized. Watching the y written by one of the best ywrights of all time, unfold. He chuckles but I send him a re resulting in him snapping his rosy lips shut.


    I sit there all throughout the y until thest act, until the actors take a bow, until the lights dim and finally the curtains descend. All of this with a look of awe on my face, a feel of pure joy at having the honor to witness such a beautiful y.


    ¡°Khloe, everybody left already,¡± I feel hands shake me. The light jolt that goes through my body informing that it¡¯s Drew the one that¡¯s spoken.


    ¡°That was awesome,¡± I turn to him beaming.


    ¡°Jeez, I wonder if you¡¯d have acted like this if I had taken you to see Channing Tatum in Magic Mike,¡± he huffs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I would¡¯ve been giggling uncontrobly, Alex Pettyfer would¡¯ve been there as well,¡± I shake my head incredulously. I mean just imagine, Channing, Alex, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, etc., it¡¯s a recipe for a heart attack, a pleasant one, but a heart attack nevertheless.


    ¡°I thought you were a little nerdette,¡± he pinches the bridge of his nose as hands me my jacket and waits while I put it on.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep nerds from seeing what¡¯s true,¡± I shake my head at him. I smile in thanks as he holds the door open for me before exiting the booth himself.


    ¡°So, what now? You entertained me now I beg of you, I must be fed,¡± I pat my stomach. Hey, girl¡¯s got to eat.


    ¡°Sure, where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the mood for a Big Mac,¡± I decide.


    ¡°Seriously, you want McDonald¡¯s on your first date?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this isn¡¯t a date and if it were what makes you think it¡¯d be my first?¡± I turn to him before he opens the door to the car.


    ¡°It is a date and Kohl said you¡¯d never been on one before,¡± curse you Kohl Mason.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed of this being a date,¡± I raise my chin indignantly.


    ¡°Well now you¡¯ve been informed, get in,¡± he holds the car door open for me.


    ¡°Uh- hem,¡± I clear my throat before holding my hand out.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You said I could ride back,¡± I motion for him to give me the keys. He rolls his eyes as he digs in his pockets before fishing his keys out.


    ¡°You take care of her, you hear me,¡± he states before cing the silver beauties in my hand. I smirk at him before running over to the driver¡¯s side. I think I¡¯ve been hanging out too much with Kohl and the guys if they¡¯ve already got me smirking.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright my little ck Beauty,¡± I hear Drew murmuring as I hop in.


    ¡°Buckle up,¡± I chirp before speeding out of the ce. Hey, I love speed.


    ¡°Jeez, slow down, you drive faster than Lucas,¡± Drew chides. I roll my eyes.


    ¡°Should we go drive thru or inside?¡± I wonder aloud as we near the fine food restaurant.


    ¡°Just go through the drive-thru,¡± I hear him response as my eyes lock on the picture of a Big Mac on the window. I can feel my mouth begin to drool, my eyes following the picture of the delicacy.


    Unfortunately, my eyes followed a little too much as the car heads straight through it. Don¡¯t worry. The car didn¡¯t go all the way, just about a foot inside the ce.


    ¡°My baby,¡± I hear Drew cry out, his voice resonating closer than the gasps that fill the upants of the store.


    ¡°Uhm, can I get a Big Mac with therge fries and arge diet coke?¡± I call out sheepishly. Hey, mine as well cut on some calories.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some nuggets and an apple pie,¡± Drew groans out. I turn to him smiling slightly, afraid he mightsh out at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to start calling you Bullet,¡± he smirks before looking at his car longingly.


    ¡°You mad bro?¡± is all I¡¯m able to ask his pain filled face. It¡¯s not like I dent it that bad, I meane on.


    The good thing of this so called date was that Big Mac, it was delicious.

 Chapter 7 Interesting Revelations

    ¡°So, were you so enthralled with the young man that you couldn¡¯t keep your eyes on the road instead of off him?¡± is the first thing that Roger questions as I sit across from him at the kitchen table. Having to exin this little ¡®date¡¯ ordeal to my family is a bit embarrassing.


    ¡°No, I was hungry. It was the burger on the disy at McDonald¡¯s that I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off, can¡¯t you just spare me the embarrassment and just arrange to pay for the damage?¡± I cross my arms over my chest. This confession does not help my situation.


    ¡°Oh god Khloe, the burger, really?¡± Kohl gasps from his spot on the floor where he currently residesughing his butt off.


    ¡°Kohl stopughing at your sister, and Roger stop harassing the girl, you¡¯ll pay either way,¡± ire scolds as she strolls in bouncing a giddy Lucy on her hip.


    ¡°Lucy, why aren¡¯t you asleep baby?¡± Kohl asks as he pushes me out of the way and takes my little baby into his arms. I scowl as he sways her in the air.


    She¡¯s my baby.


    ¡°Let me see her,¡± I move closer to Kohl, only for him to move away from me.


    ¡°Come on Lucy,e with uncle Kohl,¡± he coos as he takes her with him upstairs. With a huff I trail after them, leaving aughing ire and a smirking Roger behind. My footsteps echo the empty hallway, leaving me alone to my thoughts.


    I smile at the memory of Kohl ring at Drew, assuming his big brother role, as he walked me to the door. The crestfallen face Drew permanently wore on his face at the thought of his wrecked car is still burning clear. I bring a hand up to my mouth to trap theughter that wants to escape as I stand in Kohl¡¯s doorway watching him put on a show for Lucy.


    ¡°I like big butts and I cannot lie..,¡± his hands hold a bouncing Lucy as their smiling figures sit on his bed.


    ¡°Kohl, why are you singing that to her?¡± I huff as I walk into the surprisingly neat room. Guess they did show him something in military school.


    ¡°What, she likes it, just look at that face,¡± he pouts. I think he¡¯s influenced Lucy a little too much because as he brings their faces together, they both give me award winning pouts.


    ¡°Lucy, ignore uncle Kohl,¡± I state as I sit on the other side of the bed.


    ¡°Lucy, listen to uncle Kohl, he knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± he counters as he continues to y with Lucy. I have a feeling that there¡¯s a double meaning in there somewhere.


    ¡°Whatever Kohl, I¡¯m sleepy,¡± I yawn as I try to get a hold of my baby to go to bed.


    ¡°Come dear,e to your wiser, better looking brother,¡± he ces Lucy on his chest as heys back in his bed, motioning for me to go to him.


    ¡°And modest too,¡± I huff as I curl up into his side. Since when did my big brother get sofortable?


    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m like a big teddy bear, I know,¡± he pats my back as Iy with him. I don¡¯t even take the time to throw aeback as I close my eyes.


    ¡°You know, mom and dad would¡¯ve been very proud of you, little sis,¡± is thest thing I hear him murmur as I sumb to sweet bliss.


    ¡±¡±¡¯*¡±¡±¡±¡±*¡±¡±¡±¡±*¡±¡±¡±¡±*


    ¡°Get the camera, they look so cute together,¡± a hushed voice gushes as I try to retain to a shirtless Channing Tatum.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to wake them up,¡± a male voice grunts. I immediately recognize that voice as a grouchy Roger. Yawning, I stretch my hands over my face and hit something, hard.


    ¡°Ouch, damn don¡¯t give me a ck eye this early,¡± Kohl grumbles as he squirms in bed. I look down towards his chest where a drooling baby Lucy is sleeping soundly. Looks like Lucy really loves uncle Kohl.


    Apparently, we all fell asleep together. I, curled up to Kohl¡¯s side with his arm over me and the other one holding a sleeping Lucy, who fell asleep on top of him. I know, we make a cute family, don¡¯t we?


    ire rushes over to Kohl, grabbing Lucy before rushing downstairs to feed her, no doubt. I look at the rm clock on my brother¡¯s bedside table and make a run for it to my room. I hurry into the bathroom, rushing my shower before heading into my closet. I put on my normal jeans and shirt before grabbing some boots and bolting downstairs.


    ¡°Kohl, why are you in your boxers eating cereal instead of getting ready for school?¡± I exim, as hezily sits at the kitchen table.


    ¡°Beingte never killed anybody,¡± he waves me off. I roll, my eyes as I take a seat across from him. Apparently, I¡¯m going to bete today since I have to wait for my idiotic brother.


    ¡°Eager to see Drew?¡± Kohl smirks around a spoonful of Cocoa Puffs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like Drew like that, and stop pushing us to be friends. Do you know what could happen if he knew about Lucy?¡± I scold. Do I always have to be the voice of reason?


    ¡°Rx, he hasn¡¯t caught on yet,¡± he rolls his eyes before pushing out of his seat and heading back upstairs.


    I sit there and ponder over what he said. No, Drew hasn¡¯t found out yet, but what if he did? Would he go ballistic, get furious, try to shoot my family and I? Oh my, well would I miss Kohl? Oh, who am I kidding, of course not.


    I sigh. Of course I¡¯ll miss my big brother.


    ¡°K, I¡¯m ready,¡± he slides down the banister in a clean white V-neck and ck jeans.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your backpack?¡±


    ¡°At school.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you do your homework?¡± he looks at me like I¡¯m crazy before cackling out loud and leading me out the door.


    ¡°Two more weeks,¡± I sing to Roger as I smirk at his waiting figure, leaning on the car.


    ¡°Until then, I will enjoy driving you around,¡± he counters nonchntly.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I huff as I climb into the back because Kohl beat me to the front. That seat stealing cunt, yeah I know British, I think.


    I look out the window while I continue to think over the consequences of hanging around Drew. They¡¯re not looking really good. Perhaps, it¡¯d be best to avoid him as much as possible. It shouldn¡¯t be hard.


    ¡°We¡¯re here Klo,¡± Kohl¡¯s voice reels me back into reality. With a sigh, I mimic his movements and mber out of the car. I look for Kohl but he¡¯s already to the side of the parking lot fist bumping Lucas and cajoling with the other two guys. It irks me that Adrian actually likes Kohl but hates my guts. I did nothing to that guy.


    I head towards the front doors of the school, eager to escape the gaze that currently follows me. Up until I disappear into the building. I sigh in relief as I look down at my watch and notice it¡¯s time for History ss. It looks like Drew won¡¯t be showing up, the perfect time to make new arrangements.


    I think I¡¯m glowing as I sit across Ruby, my new project partner. She smiles nervously at me, what is with people not wanting to talk to me? Am I really such a nerd?


    ¡°So, should we do the project?¡± I raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, do you mind focusing around Civil Rights time, I think that walk outs and sit-ins were awesome,¡± she beams as she continues to talk about the fascinating past. Is this what it¡¯s like to have a girl friend?


    ¡°Yeah, and we could also focus on some of the major figures around that time,¡± I put in.


    We continue to talk animatedly on how to put this project together. We have around ten minutes left when the door ms open. If that tingling, creepy feeling wasn¡¯t proof enough, the girls¡¯ dreamy sighs was enough to know just who walked in through that door. My leg begins to bounce as his intense gaze begins to make me nervous.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ruby leans down to whisper. Her brown locks falling over her shoulders while her ruby lips turn down in a worrying frown.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I wave off with a nervousugh. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be winning an Oscar soon, I deadpan in my head.


    ¡°He makes you nervous too?¡± she nods inconspicuously towards the blue eyed bad boy.


    ¡°Yeah, more like makes me want to pee my pants,¡± I retort.


    ¡°Is that why you switched partners?¡±


    ¡°So, so,¡± I vaguely respond. She nods condescendingly while cing her hand on top of mine.


    Soon enough, the bell sts and I grab my things and haul ass out of that suffocating room. I head downstairs while changing my daily route. I tread through hallways trying to remain hidden. I am so not going to lunch today. Once, the hallways are finally clear, I slowly make my way back upstairs heading to my English ss. I feel the need to gather the missed work, thanks to Kohl, and exin to Mr. Pine, why I waste.


    ¡°So, have you found the girl yet?¡± I hear a deep male voice question as I approach my destination. Mr. Pine¡¯s door is slightly ajar as I approach.


    ¡°No Kris, I haven¡¯t,¡± Drew¡¯s voice answers with a tired sigh.


    ¡°You know you need to find her before they do, or she¡¯ll have the same fate,¡± the voice continues. I look through the small opening and finally recognize Mr. Pine, or Kris. It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s him without his usual teacher aura.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that, I¡¯ve been trying so hard to find her but my mom didn¡¯t exactly leave specifics,¡± Drew retorts heatedly.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s the other matter at hand,¡± Mr. Pine continues.


    ¡°Yes, yes, mine as well ask me to dig up the lost city of gold,¡± no need to be sarcastic Drew. Maybe I should stop eavesdropping.


    Now I¡¯m thinking of Penn Badgley and his perfect biceps in Gossip Girl, let me tune back in to the conversation.


    ¡°And why are you hanging out with Khloe Mason?¡± my favorite teacher questions.


    Hold up, how did I get involved in all of this?


    You stole the dude¡¯s baby, that sarcastic voice inside my head answers.


    Not stole, he gave me the baby, I answer back, which ispletely crazy because I¡¯m talking to myself.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I watch as Drew wipes his face clean of emotion.


    Interesting.


    ¡°I mean she¡¯s a good person, you shouldn¡¯t get her involved in any of this,¡± Mr. Pine borates.


    ¡°Involved? You act is if we¡¯re engaged, I don¡¯t even think we¡¯re friends,¡± Drew exims.


    Thank god, that way he won¡¯t be hurt I ditched him in history.


    ¡°Just, be careful,¡± the tired English teacher sighs. I must be a vampire if I can hear all of this.


    ¡°She means nothing, just thought I should keep her close in case anything happens, she knows this town. She¡¯s been living here since she was born, she knows the ce better than anybody,¡± Drew states matter-of-factly.


    So, he¡¯s using me, huh.


    ¡°I swear, she better not get hurt,¡± Mr. Pine warns.


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± yeah, why do you care, Kris?


    ¡°I knew her parents before they died, I owe it to them to look after their daughter,¡± he exins. Wait, he knew my parents?


    You learn something new every day.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to head to lunch,¡± I hear as he begins to shuffle around after a long moment of silence, or where my vampire hearing failed to work. Whichever. I hurriedly walk to my left and open the secret door to some secret stairs that lead t a secret entrance inside the library.


    You know you¡¯re a nerd when you know the secret entrance to the library, or Narnia. I head towards my usual bean bag chair in the back and quickly flip to my page in Starcrossed, having finished the Divergent series way too quickly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± I jump at the sound of that voice. I look up and cringe at the sight.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat, Adrian?¡± I retort.


    ¡°I would, but I¡¯ve been ordered to find you,¡± he responds.


    ¡°By who?¡±


    ¡°You know who,¡± he gives me a look.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Drew you found me,¡± I plead.


    ¡°Fine,¡± and with those great words he walks away.


    I look down to continue my journey in discovering what¡¯s up with Lucas, the main character in my book.


    ¡°Having fun?¡± once again, I jump. I look up into angry blue eyes.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Uh-oh, this is worse than when Tyler bit Damon.

 Chapter 8 That Boy鈥檚 A Monster

    ¡°Heyyyy, hey Drew, what¡¯s up?¡± I look up into those unyielding eyes. Anger is what emanates from Drew¡¯s imposing form. I look down momentarily at my book to mark my page before closing it and carefully cing it back in my book bag. He looks like a stalking lion and I¡¯m the easy prey, any sudden movements and it¡¯s like I¡¯ll be nothing but a blood spatter on the old carpet.


    Yes, he¡¯s that scary.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say, really,¡± he crouches down in front of me and I back myself further into the bookshelf in which I currently lean on, causing it to dig painfully into my backside.


    ¡°Uhm, are you still mad about your car?¡± I shrug uncertainly. What could I have done to piss of the cold eyed, bad boy?


    ¡°No, a guy named Roger paid for the repair even thought I told him it was fine, your butler I presume?¡± that does sound a lot like my guardian. The man doesn¡¯t know how to take no for an answer, much like someone in front of me.


    ¡°So, why are you here?¡± I ask tentatively. I don¡¯t want to be straight up rude and tell him to just hit the can. I do have some faint form of decorum.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you switch partners?¡± his eyes narrow in on mine, making it impossible for me to look away ande up with a usible lie. What, am I supposed to just tell him he scares the pee out of me? Those blue eyes seem to get darker, in anger or something else, I wouldn¡¯t know.


    ¡°You see, uhm, yes well, the teacher thought it¡¯d be a better match,¡± I am such a shitty liar. I flinch back as he raises his hand causing him to hiss in anger. He¡¯s the snake and I¡¯m the feeble mouse.


    ¡°You think I¡¯d hit you?¡± he asks through gritted teeth. Oh, don¡¯t you clench those pearly whites at me, buster. I merely shake my head with a squeak in response. He nods in disbelief before resuming moving his hand towards me, his warm touch descending on my cheekbone before trailing down to my exposed neck. Two fingers caress my breakable neck.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you switch partners?¡± he repeats softly.


    ¡°I, I told you, the teacher thought it¡¯d be better,¡± I stutter slightly at his close proximity. It¡¯s like people diminish the idea of my need of personal space. I watch as a side smirk takes over those rosy lips.


    ¡°Why are you lying?¡±


    ¡°I am most certainly not lying to you,¡± I raise my chin indignantly, his finger being held in ce by this beautiful monster. That boy¡¯s a monster¡­ this is so not the time to be singing, I scold myself.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°There it goes again,¡± he rewards me with a side grin while I look at him in a state of utter confusion.


    ¡°This pulse right here in your neck,¡± he trails his index finger over the delicate spot. ¡°This pulse jumps every time you lie,¡± he continues to exin while my eyes widen in something akin to horror. This boy really is a monster, what is he, a specialist in torture techniques involving getting the truth out of unwilling victims? I feel so vited.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± I ask as I look down those unmoving fingers still positioned above my neck.


    ¡°Curious aren¡¯t we, it¡¯s a technique I learned a while ago,¡± is his vague answer.


    ¡°Can you let go now?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell me the truth?¡± I heave a sigh before nodding. I wait for him to remove his calloused fingers from one of my most coveted arteries before responding.


    ¡°I just think we should distance ourselves, I mean we¡¯re not friends or anything so it doesn¡¯t really matter right?¡± Iugh nervously. Oh god, I¡¯ve turned into aplete baboon.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to ¡®distance myself,¡¯ what would you do then?¡± I was about to gopletely off on him, in my mind of course, before I saw that teasing smirk carved onto his features.


    ¡°Look you can hang out with Kohl if you want, just keep away from me,¡± I harrumph as I gather my things in order to escape this ungodly creature. I swear, sometimes I just expect him to go all Rambo on me. I give him a look telling him to back up off me so that I can stand up properly and take my leave.


    With a surrendering motion, he begins to stand from his crouched position and giving me some proper breathing space. I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding before heaving myself up from the dingy, carpeted floor. I spare the bad boy no attention as I make my way to the front of the library and out into the still solitary hallway. I would have thought I was walking alone if it hadn¡¯t been for his echoing footsteps following behind me in the hall.


    ¡°Why are you following me?¡± I turn around slowly.


    ¡°Since we can¡¯t be friends, I guess I¡¯ll have to resort to stalker mode,¡± he shakes his head in mock dejection. Oh, he¡¯s good at acting. If only I could point out the fact that he¡¯s merely using me for geographical purposes without giving myself away for eavesdropping, I¡¯d have the upper hand. Oh well, c¡¯est vie.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell my brother on you if you don¡¯t stop,¡± I warn with what I assume to be a deadly re. It unnerves me that he merely breathes a chuckle. If only I weren¡¯t five foot four of pure muscle, I could take him. And I¡¯ll just continue to live truly believing that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really think Kohl would mind, do you?¡± I chew on the inside of my cheek as I stare at him, trying my hardest not to unleash my fury up on him. Why couldn¡¯t my brother be some big linebacker that scared any guy that even tried to approach me? No, instead my brother goes and sets me up with one of the bad boys. The universal scale is seriously off bnce.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Roger,¡± I retort.


    ¡°Would you?¡± he steps closer and I, of course back away.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answer back quickly. Would I tell Roger, though?


    ¡°What if I had a way of making sure he didn¡¯t get in the way, what would you do then?¡± his voice taking on apletely different tone. This one more authoritative and fiercepared to his deeper, mysterious baritone. This one scares me even more.


    ¡°Would you really do that?¡± I look up into his eyes, waiting for an honest answer. I mean, only a truly malicious person would threaten someone with their only family. A couple of seconds of pure silence pass before he responds.


    ¡°Not to you, no,¡± he shakes his head with a barely there smile. Someone¡¯s not cut out for a Hallmark card, just saying.


    ¡°But you¡¯d do it to someone else?¡± I resume my walking as he falls into step beside me. Hey, mine as well get some answers from him.


    ¡°Under certain circumstances perhaps,¡± he looks away, as if the nearby lockers have suddenly be interesting.


    ¡°You know what. I don¡¯t even want to know. Ignorance is bliss,¡± I wave him off. This way I can¡¯t be counted as an essory to a crime.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± he protests.


    ¡°I¡¯m not listening,¡± I counter as I ce my hands over my ears. This gangster boy must be out of his mind. Just as that thought crosses my mind, the bell chiming sounds over the speakers.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s art ss going?¡±


    ¡°How did you know I had art next?¡± I turn to see a smirk nted in ce.


    ¡°Adrian¡¯s been bitching about how he¡¯s stuck with you for a partner. He said you can¡¯t even draw stick figures,¡± he stops as we reach my ssroom door. Aw, he walked me to ss, if only I didn¡¯t have high suspicions about him being a delinquent. Oh, and if I didn¡¯t have his baby which he¡¯s now currently searching for. If only, then, then things could be different.


    ¡°In my defense, they are very hard to get right,¡± I smile sheepishly.


    ¡°Well, have fun,¡± he waves before turning on his heel and walking away. What just happened, wasn¡¯t I supposed to ignore him? I stand there watching his retreating back, somehow this bad boy is good at jumbling my thoughts and leaving me questioning myself.


    I tighten my hold on my book bag as I walk into ss. I put on my best re as I take a seat across from Adrian. This idiot told Drew where to find me. He merely smiles and begins to whistle some unknown tune.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t cool,¡± I remark.


    ¡°And neither are you,¡± I stepped into that one. He didn¡¯t have to be so hurtful though.


    ¡°Whatever, what are we going to do for this project?¡± I change the subject.


    ¡°I got it figured out, I¡¯m going to draw you,¡± he answers. Say what now?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a good subject to draw,¡± I muttermely.


    ¡°I think Drew would think otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡± he leans forward to cradle his head in his hands on the table.


    ¡°Meaning he¡¯s like so into you girl,¡± he exims in a high pitched voice. Some nearby people turn to look at us funny.


    ¡°No he¡¯s not,¡± I retort, resulting in him rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Oh please, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s not making it obvious. He follows you around, stares at you like some psycho stalker, he¡¯s even hanging out with your bro,¡± he leans back in his chair with a triumphant grin nted on his face.


    ¡°My brother is so stupid he¡¯d hang out with a pedophile and Drew is some type of psycho stalker,¡± I contradict.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t like him, you don¡¯t want to bump uglies with him?¡±


    ¡°Bump what?¡±


    ¡°Do the deed, pop your cherry,¡± oh, oh god no.


    ¡°There will be no cherry popping for me, thank you,¡± I mean just imagine, no I can¡¯t even imagine that happening.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you say now, but you don¡¯t even begin to imagine how many cherries Drew¡¯s popped,¡± Adrian smirks at what I assume to be my horrified face. I knew Drew was a little yer, I mean he¡¯s already ying me. He¡¯s crazy if he thinks he¡¯s going to get his sleazy little hands on me.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m not interested,¡± I shrug.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t care?¡± he gives me an incredulous look. I nod in response, why would I care about Drew¡¯s misdoings.


    ¡°You might just not be so bad,¡± he smirks.


    Adrian¡¯s an asshole. I think anyone could see that.


    The rest of the period goes on like that, Adrian making some sort of remark trying to get a reaction out of me as he doodles in some sketchbook. I spend my time ignoring Adrian and perfecting my stick figures, they are an art that needs to be mastered, or so I tell myself. It doesn¡¯t help when Miss Nelly, the art teacher, walks by and I hear the underlyingughter as she inspects my work. Apparently, my work just so happens to be a joke.


    ¡°Do you know where Kohl¡¯s at?¡± I ask Adrian as we gather our things together. Kohl and I are supposed to have the same freaking schedule, yet, he manages to disappear when I need him the most.


    ¡°He changed his schedule, didn¡¯t he tell you?¡± I don¡¯t know what¡¯s more surprising, that Adrian answered or that Kohl never told me about his recent amodations.


    ¡°Oh man, he didn¡¯t tell you,¡± Adrianughs as I manage to snap the mechanical pencil that was in my hand. It¡¯s all about your inner strength, or finding something that pisses you off enough to make you strong.


    In other words, an older brother Kohl.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up with you and your brother? He wasn¡¯t here when we first came around,¡± Adrian points out as we exit thefortable ssroom.


    ¡°He was in military school, he got here a bitter than you guys,¡± I exin.


    ¡°He¡¯s not bad, but don¡¯t tell him I said that. Wouldn¡¯t want him thinking of us as ¡®bffs,''¡± he uses quotation marks to carry out his point. I¡¯m surprised that I find myselfughing with the hostile guy.


    ¡°Looks like Drew found a new toy,¡± Adrian points out as we step out into the parking lot. I move my gaze towards where he¡¯s looking at, there stands Drew with a cute brte, both talking animatedly.


    At least he found someone else to y.


    ¡°He works fast,¡± I nod in acknowledgement.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± I turn at his teasing tone.


    Why would I be jealous? Why do people not understand that I have no interest in Drew?


    ¡°Not even a smidge, I¡¯m d actually. This way he¡¯ll leave me alone,¡± I pat Adrian¡¯s arm.


    Wow, he didn¡¯t murder me. It must mean something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t count on it, I think he¡¯s set on you,¡± Adrian remarks. I turn to look at his serious brown eyes, he can¡¯t be telling the truth, can he?


    ¡°Yeah right, I¡¯m inconsequential,¡± I snort in disbelief.


    Yes, verydy like, I know.


    ¡°You might be more important to this whole thing than you think,¡± he mutters before walking over to Drew and his little friend. Leaving me questioning just what the hell he meant.


    How am I important to this grand scheme? If anything I¡¯m irrelevant.


    Except for the fact that you have his baby, that inner voice of mine taunts.


    Well other than that, I¡¯mpletely irrelevant, I retort.


    Something snaps within me as I watch the pretty brteughing frivolously with Drew. But, what captures my attention more is the way Adrian¡¯s eyes follow the duo closely, his eyes narrowing when the girl¡¯s hands move on Drew with great familiarity. I think we have a high sense of jealousy going on, make that with a side of stupidity as Lucas and Kohl leap frog their way to the now trio.


    My brother¡¯s an idiot. And I may just be in deep shit with this gang of guys. I have a strong feeling things are just going to go downhill from here. All that matters is Lucy, and staying away from a certain blue eyed bad boy that has a tendency to always be where I am.

 Chapter 9 The Gangster Boys

    That night Iy in a restless heap, tossing and turning. My thoughts all puzzling over many things but the main subject seeming to revolve around Drew. Sometimes, I get the feeling that he¡¯s honest with me, but then is he really the type to y someone? Who was that girl, clinging on to him so freely? I huff as I throw the covers off of my agitated body and peel myself from myfortable mattress.


    My feet touch the cold wooden floor as I pad over to the door, opening and shutting it quietly as I make my way to Lucy¡¯s room. The little girl¡¯s bedroom is dark and quiet with only her soft breathing as a melody as I walk over to her crib. I caress the sleeping angel¡¯s soft cheek, watching her sleep bringing me some unexinable sense offort. I head over to the corner of the room, where the rocking chair sits illuminated by the eerie glow of the moon streaming in through the window.


    Lowering myself slowly quieting the slight whine it causes, I manage to plop down without major incident. In other words, I didn¡¯t wake up a sleeping Lucy because a tired Lucy is a grouchy baby. I begin to rock myself slowly, keeping watch over the crib, and slowly releasing my mind from thundering thoughts.


    What could Adrian have possibly meant, how could I be important to the situation? He spoke as if he knew what he was talking about, yet, what could he know that I don¡¯t? Lately, it¡¯s been as if I¡¯m all alone in this thing, I don¡¯t know if my brother really does have my back sometimes. It¡¯s as if we¡¯ve drifted apart, could so many years cause such a great change in our rtionship?


    Kohl and I had been inseparable when we were younger. He used to be the guy that warned any guy away from me. He used to be the epitome of the overprotective and annoying brother. We were in middle school around the time he was sent away, before our parents died shortly after. I guess blowing up the mayor¡¯s car will do that to you, yes, he blew it up. The mayor¡¯s son had been bothering me for quite a while then, Kohl made aint at one of the town¡¯s meetings. When nothing changed he took matters into his own hands.


    If anything were to happen, could I really count on Kohl?


    A haunting melody begins to reach my ears as I mull over so many things. That melody, it must be imagined, something so beautiful seeming quite unreal. I know the tune but it¡¯s as if something in my brain won¡¯t allow me to identify it. My rocking slowlyes to a halt as the tune begins to ring clearly. The more it registers within my brain, the more haunting it bes. I slowly exit my baby¡¯s room, quietly shutting the door as I follow the nostalgic melody.


    Laughter rings in my ears as Kohl chases me around with a bucket of earthworms, trying desperately to dump it on me. My brown locks bounce as I run around mom¡¯s coveted garden, I listen carefully to Kohl¡¯s resounding footsteps follow behind me none too quietly, never one to seed in being sneaky. I try to hide myughter as I hurry my way around my mom¡¯s precious willow tree, leaving the safe shade of the hanging leaves.


    Ie to a halt as I bump into an imposing figure, I look up the tall, muscr frame up to those familiar brown locks and smiling brown eyes that contradict the face he¡¯s trying to pull. My father tries to re down at me but his eyes give him away, they always do. His dress shirt rolled up his sleeves, his tie loosened, his attire confirms he just got back from work.


    ¡°Is Kohl bothering you again?¡± he crosses his arms over his chest, desperately trying to give off the vibe as the authoritative figure. I look up innocently as I quickly shake my head. If I snitched on Kohl, I¡¯d have to tell him how I started this whole thing by shoving his face in a mud puddle.


    ¡°Khloe, where are you?¡± Kohl¡¯s threatening voice creeps closer along with his figure. He immediately drops the bucket of worms as he takes in our father¡¯s form standing before me.


    ¡°Were you lying to me?¡± my dad pretends to re at me before hauling me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Kohl¡¯sughter stops as my dad takes him in his other arm, his ever so strong arms holding us tightly as he rolls us all on the grass. Iugh as I look down at my dad¡¯s now grass stained cks. The man cares not about etiquette.


    We all stop as a beautiful melody rings through the inside of the house and reaches our ears. My dad stands up with a knowing grin on his face. He motions for us to be quiet and follow him into the house and up the winding staircase. We creep quietly through the halls as we reach their long hallway. My dad leads us into the room at the end of the hall, the one we¡¯ve never been into, finding it always locked.


    Kohl and I eagerly follow our dad¡¯s figure as he quietly opens the door, allowing us to step inside and listen to the now louder melody. We step to the side of the room along with our father as we watch the beautiful brte y vigorously, her fingers melding into the keys of the piano. Kohl and I watch enthralled as our mother livens the ce up with such music. A smile takes over her face as shees to thest key. We surprise her by awarding her with our apuse.


    ¡°Did you guys sneak up on me?¡± her blue eyes glint as she stands up from the piano bench. Her dress clings to her figure beautifully as shees before us.


    ¡°They snuck up in here and I tried to stop them,¡± our father lies.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± both Kohl and I exim simultaneously.


    ¡°Have you been rolling in the grass with our kids again?¡± she ces her nimble fingers on her hips as she looks up condescendingly at the tall man.


    ¡°They threw me down,¡± he points at us before stepping closer and cing a loving kiss on her rosy lips. The love they have for each other showing through their caring gaze.


    I find myself standing in the doorway reying the memory of our eight year old selves as we watched our mother, enthralled by her ying. Kohl sits at that same wooden bench, his fingers relentlessly moving over the beautiful piano. He¡¯d insisted our mom teach him after he witnessed such magic, dedicated his time to learning and perfecting plenty of pieces. I watch just like I did all those years ago, stunned by the beauty of the sound, this tune not having been yed in a long while.


    I barely even make it a habit toe towards this hallway, too many memories, too many painful memories reminding us of what we had and lost. Kohl¡¯s never been one to show what he¡¯s feeling so publicly, instead resorting to recklessness to deal with his emotions. He¡¯s always been more of the fist talk kind of guy, so something in my heart snaps as I watch his moon illuminated cheek glisten with one lone tear making its way down his skin.


    I nowe to the conclusion that I was never there for his grieving period, he¡¯d been away at military school. How did he cope? Did he have somebody with him, to help him in his time of grief? I had ire and Roger to fall back on, but who did he have?


    I snap my gaze towards him as the tune transitions into one of anger and sorrow, his fingers moving religiously over the keys. Why so much anger, is he still mad at our parents? So much pain, all melded into one beautiful piece. It all clicks as he abruptly stops, his chest heaving as he catches his breath. One sob, that¡¯s all it took for me to figure out my brother, was mad at himself, why? I do not know, but the pain is in to see in this moment in time.


    Without questioning my actions, I move closer to him and plop down on the bench next to his crumbling figure. He doesn¡¯t acknowledge my presence as he begins the melody one more time, reconciling within himself perhaps. He doesn¡¯t need to speak to know that I am here for him, he knows. He continues to y and get lost in the haunting tune and I sit there, listening carefully.


    ¡°They came to me, the day they died,¡± he speaks up over the sound.


    As he speaks the tune begins to be angrier.


    ¡°They wanted to see me, but I was too damned pissed off that I never showed up to the meeting room, they left after two hours of my ignoring them,¡± he continues to ry.


    It is guilt what he¡¯s feeling.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say goodbye because I was too damn stubborn,¡± he emphasizes with an angry stroke before finally turning to look at me.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m the reason they died,¡± finally, his tortured gaze meets mine. I don¡¯t think, I just embrace my brother.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It was an ident,¡± I manage to choke because suddenly I feel as if I¡¯m suffocating. His pain bing my pain.


    ¡°They dyed their flight for me, I think I killed them. You know, I never even opened the letter they left me, it¡¯s still in its sealed envelope,¡± he mumbles into my neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault and you should read it when you¡¯re ready, for closure,¡± I advise my older brother. And it¡¯s true, I don¡¯t me Kohl, or anybody, never did.


    The ne crash was an ident.


    ¡°Why were they even there?¡± Kohl mumbles.


    I wonder that too, they never mentioned visiting Kohl.


    ¡°Stop with the lovey dovey bonding feelings,¡± a voice grumbles from the door.


    Kohl and I snap our gazes towards the voice, a feeling of utter dread flowing through me as I face a smirking Adrian standing in the doorway.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Kohl greets while I take apletely different approach.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Careful, wouldn¡¯t want to make profanity an everyday urrence,¡± Adrian mockingly remarks.


    ¡°Why are you in our house?¡± I seethe.


    ¡°Protecting Lucy, or would you rather risk losing her,¡± he res at me.


    What? I got it, I¡¯ll y dumb.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Lucy?¡±


    ¡°The baby Drew handed over to you that night, you gonna y stupid now?¡± he steps closer.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± I drop the charade, not much to gain in pretending now.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to ask what I don¡¯t know, I can find out a lot of information from people,¡± Adrian smirks.


    ¡°So, why isn¡¯t Drew here for her?¡± I look up sadly at Adrian¡¯s looming figure as he stops in front of us.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told him,¡± he shrugs.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s safer for Lucy to remain with you for now,¡± the brown eyed bad boy, exins vaguely.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± I question again. It¡¯s as if I have a rey button.


    ¡°I know everything, including that F you got in mathst year,¡± Adrian smirks.


    In my defense Algebra can be pretty tricky.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to know ¡®everything,''¡± I retort.


    ¡°Your father owned a very sessful importing and exporting business, franchised all over the world, apany Kohl will be taking over. Your mom started her own modeling agency which will be given to you. You guys were born on December 13th, Kohl being born eight minutes before you,¡± Adrian lists off.


    One perfect exnation, he¡¯s a cyborg.


    ¡°You both have a heart shaped birthmark inherited by your father on your asses which is pretty rare,¡± the leather jacket d bad boy adds on.


    He does know everything.


    ¡°That was awesome bro,¡± Kohl finally speaks up. He seems to be taking this pretty easily.


    ¡°Wait, Kohl did you freaking know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I told you not to worry and you¡¯d be safer closer to Drew,¡± my brother shrugs.


    Just what the hell is up with Drew?


    ¡°A lot of shit is up with Drew right now, which is why I haven¡¯t told him yet. There are other matters at hand that need to be taken care of. I told you, you might just be more important than you originally thought,¡± Adrian resorts to walking around, inspecting the ce. Wait, did I ask that out loud?


    ¡°Just who the hell are you guys?¡± I blurt out.


    ¡°Need to know information,¡± Adrian turns to look at me.


    ¡°Look everything¡¯s going to be fine, oh who am I kidding your ass is toast,¡± heughs.


    Adrian is pure evil.


    ¡°Does Lucas know?¡± I question curiously.


    ¡°No, but only because the little bitch can¡¯t keep a secret,¡± Adrian responds.


    ¡°So, why are you here right now?¡± I ask slowly. Seems like all I dotely is question everything around me.


    ¡°Lucy needs protection, I¡¯m here to provide such,¡± he points to his jacket.


    Please tell me that¡¯s not the outline of a gun I see.


    ¡°You get that gun nowhere near her,¡± I warn as I stand up.


    ¡°Okay, okay mama bear. Now, where¡¯s my niece?¡± and for the first time Adrian smiles. It¡¯s faint and miniscule but still there.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re her uncle?¡±


    ¡°Makeshift,¡± I shrug as I lead him to our hallway and to the lc room. I cough to get his attention before opening the door.


    ¡°What?¡± I look down to his jacket. With a curse he gets the gun out before shoving it into my hand. Grumbling, he flings the door open before walking over to the crib.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the death contraption in my hand, I would revel in the fact that Adrian actually cares about somebody. He ces something in the crib next to Lucy before walking back out almost silently. No wonder he creeped up on us.


    ¡°How did you get in?¡± I wonder out loud.


    ¡°It was easy, I¡¯ve broken in to much more secure ces,¡± he shrugs, as if mentioning the fact he¡¯s broken thew many times before has no effect on him.


    ¡°How do you know so much?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m the information supervisor for the guys, give me that gun before you shoot yourself and I waste a bullet,¡± he grumbles as he removes the metallic object from my hands.


    Excuse me for not being a gun expert, Grouchy. I should start calling him that, when I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t murder me for it.


    ¡°Is there something else you know?¡± I don¡¯t know why, but I have the feeling he¡¯s hiding something from everybody.


    ¡°Yes, but now¡¯s not the time to be divulging secrets,¡± he waves off.


    Why does he have to be so damn secretive?


    ¡°Stop overthinking things, now where am I going to stay?¡± he ps his hands as we walk down the hall.


    Bad boy say what now?


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just go back to where you came from?¡± like hell.


    No need to be mean Khloe.


    ¡°What part of Lucy¡¯s in danger did you not understand? Sooner orter I will have to move Lucas and Drew in. Just figure out which one of us is going to tell him,¡± he states before opening the door to one of the guestrooms.


    How did he know theyout of the house?


    How did my life get so fucked up? And yeah, I know I¡¯m cussing but I don¡¯t really have the time to care now, do I?


    This is just great. I have a baby that needs taking care of, a brother whose guilt is eating him alive, one grouchy bad boy that seems to know all of your dirty little secrets. To top it all off, add another set of boys, one that seems way too creepy, to the situation and you¡¯ve got the perfect recipe for disaster.


    To make matter worse, I forgot to do my math homework.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Fuck my life.

 Chapter 10 F*ck You Adrian, F*ck You To Hell And Back

    ¡°You¡¯re staring,¡± Adrian states as hees to stand beside me the next day in the school parking lot. Kohl and Lucas already headed off to god knows where as Roger dropped us off.


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I turn around indignantly. In reality, I was looking across the parking lot at a certain blue eyed boy leaning on his Camaro. On his side the cute little brte.


    ¡°Oh please, you might not want to admit it to yourself, but, Drew¡¯s getting to you,¡± Adrian smirks as he brings his arms over his chest. I was currently leaning on the brick wall before heading inside the building, when Adrian popped out of nowhere.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± I ignore his preposterous remark.


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Samantha, they¡¯re on and off, but he never sticks with her. Drew likes to explore the horizon,¡± Adrian exins as he rolls his grey shirt¡¯s sleeves up. The first time I see him without his leather jacket.


    ¡°That¡¯s good for him, like I said as long as he stays away from me,¡± I shrug.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not really what you want,¡± Adrian sing songs teasingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± I stomp my feet in frustration.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t mind that he¡¯sing over here with his girl?¡± what? I turn around, and yes indeed, Drew and the petite girl are approaching us.


    ¡°I gotta go to ss,¡± I mumble quickly before turning on my heel and heading into school.


    Coward am I, yes but who cares.


    I walk quietly to my English ss. Just another thing to question, how did Mr. Pine know my parents? Howe I never knew about it? I find the ss with the lights on and Mr. Pine arranging some papers on his desk.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Pine,¡± I chirp my usual greeting to my still favorite teacher.


    ¡°Morning Khloe, you been doing alright?¡± he pushes his sses up on his face, his blue eyes looking at me questioningly.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been fine,¡± I answer as I head to the back of the ssroom. I plop down before digging in my bag for my book.


    ¡°Has anyone been giving you problems?¡± he tries to make the question casual but I find it odd. If it hadn¡¯t been for my eavesdropping, I would¡¯ve brushed it off, but now I find it strange. Why does he care?


    ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine,¡± I send him a reassuring smile. He was about to open his mouth again when Lucas strolls in giving him a warning look. Weird, since when did Lucas look so serious and where¡¯s my brother?


    ¡°Hey, Khloe,¡± Lucas smiles as he sits on my side, on my brother¡¯s chair.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Kohl?¡±


    ¡°Uh, he¡¯s busy downstairs,¡± he gives me a bullshit excuse but I let it go. From his tone, I can tell I don¡¯t want to know just what my brother is doing. I nod and turn around as I begin to take notes from my book.


    ¡°Psst,¡± I turn to Lucas with an expectant look.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Can I borrow a pencil?¡± he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. I smile before fishing one out of my ck faded bag and handing it to him.


    ¡°Do you have an extra book?¡± he murmurs. I turn to look at Lucas and notice he has no books with him.


    ¡°Just scoot over here, we can share mine,¡± I sigh tiredly. He smiles as he drags his desk towards mine without getting up, causing a long and loud screeching sound to erupt around the room. I give him paper without question as we both begin to take notes.


    ¡°So you and Drew, huh?¡± I turn to look into Lucas¡¯s glinting brown eyes. Amusement dances in those questioning orbs.


    ¡°No, no Drew and me. Drew nothing,¡± I yell without thinking, only realizing my mistake as about twenty pairs of eyes turn to look at me weirdly, no surprise there. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Mr. Pine holding in someughter with a fist.


    ¡°Sheesh, calm down, it was just a question,¡± Lucas raises his hands up in surrender.


    ¡°So, what do you like to do for fun?¡± he changes the subject and I smile in pure gratification.


    ¡°Read,¡± I answer without hesitation.


    ¡°Genre?¡±


    ¡°Any genre, really,¡± I rify.


    ¡°I¡¯m more of a ssics fanatic,¡± he responds carelessly.


    The bad boy can read?


    ¡°I would never have guessed,¡± Iugh honestly.


    ¡°I know I don¡¯te off as the reading type so we¡¯ll keep this our little secret,¡± he brings his index finger up to his lips in a shushing motion. I smile and nod.


    ¡°Well, time to go,¡± he mutters as he hands me his notes and the borrowed pencil, I guess I¡¯ll be keeping these safely for him. As soon as I¡¯m done putting the stuff away the bell rings and Lucas is nowhere to be seen.


    He¡¯s fast, I¡¯ll give him that.


    I hoist my bag up higher as I exit my favorite ss and head into history. Hopefully, Drew won¡¯t be there to unnerve me with his unwavering gaze. Plus, he has Samantha. I head inside and look for somewhere to sit as everybody¡¯s rearranging the ssroom, sitting with their partners.


    ¡°Khloe, over here,¡± Ruby¡¯s hands wave highly in the air, her brown hair iling around wildly, her ruby lips not failing to curve upwards in an eternal smile. I smile as I head over to the desk she pulled over for me. I think we can actually be good friends.


    ¡°Hey Ruby,¡± I greet as I plop down on the hard desk chair.


    ¡°Oh my god, Drew just came in and he¡¯s totally staring at you,¡± she leans in to whisper.


    Here we go again with Drew.


    ¡°He¡¯sing over here, he¡¯sing over he-,¡± she¡¯s cut off by a demonic voice.


    ¡°Hellodies, the teacher and I came to an agreement, we¡¯ll all be working together on this project,¡± he greets as he carries a desk over to our location.


    I totally did not stare at his biceps flexing with the force exertion.


    ¡°It¡¯s cool,¡± Ruby nods her head excitedly. I can tell she just wants to know what¡¯s going on between Drew and I, not that there¡¯s anything going on.


    ¡°Is it?¡± he asks, and I can feel his gaze on the side of my face. It¡¯s as if the question has a double meaning, I roll my eyes as I take out the notes we currently have on the project. Ignoring him is the way to go, as staying away from him is clearly not working.


    ¡°Totally, right Khloe?¡± Ruby answers while kicking my foot under the desk.


    I send her a cruel re.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s great,¡± I respond tightly without looking at that sinful creature. Not like that stops him from staring at me. We finally stop with the mindless banter and begin to work on how we¡¯re going to present this thing to the ss. Time in which Ipletely manage to ignore Drew, does that stop him from staring at me?


    No, it doesn¡¯t and his stupid stare is giving me the urge to pee. Why, I do not know.


    ¡°Hey Khloe, do you want to hang out on Saturday?¡± Ruby asks as soon as the bell rings and we gather our things to head out. I stop to think about it, I really want to spend time with Lucy but would it be bad to hang out with a friend? I¡¯ll just spend my day with Lucy on Friday and Sunday.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I smile as she nods and skips her way out the ss and down the hallway no doubt. I sigh as I step out and hear a close set of footsteps behind me. I know Drew will not stop following me, so why bother asking, right?


    ¡°Are you going to continue to ignore me?¡± Drew falls into step beside me and for some reason, I can feel his body¡¯s heat at the close proximity. I don¡¯t answer him and continue on my way to math ss, which now reminds me of that homework I didn¡¯t do.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just keep following you,¡± he sings under his breath. I can feel the res some girls throw at me and hear the sighs as Drew struts down the hallway with me on his side. What must people wonder?


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to ignore me all day?¡± he groans.


    ¡°Why does it matter, go hang out with your girlfriend and leave me alone please,¡± I finally turn to him, causing him to stop abruptly.


    That¡¯s right yer, I caught you in your own game.


    ¡°Girlfriend?¡± he raises an eyebrow, I can tell Drew¡¯s amused by my rambling because he has that certain glint in his eyes when he finds something funny. Every time he¡¯s amused or seems genuinely happy his eyes take on a much lighter shade, almost reflecting the sky.


    ¡°Yes, girlfriend, so shoo, go away,¡± I motion with my hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend, sweetheart, yet,¡± he adds thatst part with a smirk.


    What¡¯s that supposed to mean?


    Ugh, never mind.


    ¡°y girl, whatever you call it,¡± I huff as I resume my walking. He trails behind me without a word, probably giving me time to cool off or debating whether or not to call the nearest asylum. Relief floods through me as I reach my ssroom door. I was about to step inside when I¡¯m pulled back by a hand on my book bag strap.


    I¡¯m pulled back into a warm, hard chest.


    Drew¡¯s hard chest d by a thin, ck, long sleeve shirt, he ain¡¯t all that. He ces his hands on my shoulders from behind, giving them a slight squeeze as my breath hitches. Damn it, how does he do that? He¡¯s a hazard to all things living, I tell you. His hands caress my delicate neck before trailing down simultaneously down my arms. One arm disappears as he reaches my hands, with a sharp tug on my left hand. Drew turns me directly into his chest.


    I keep my startled gaze on his chest, not willing to look into those prating eyes. Two warm fingers grab my chin as they roughly force my head up, Drew¡¯s eyes unrelenting, allowing me to go and look nowhere, but at him. People in the hallway have disappeared, uninterested or afraid of this bad boy, perhaps.


    ¡°I was going to ask you to have lunch with us instead of at the library, so that I could introduce you to my younger sister, Samantha,¡± he frowns at what I¡¯m sure is my scared expression.


    His intensity frightening sometimes.


    ¡°What?¡± I whisper dumbly.


    Fuck you Adrian, fuck you to hell and back. I can¡¯t believe I fell for his stupid lies.


    ¡°I must admit, jealousy is a lovely color on you. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s nopetition for you, if you don¡¯t show up at lunch I¡¯ll have to find you and drag you there and I won¡¯t be happy,¡± he says thest words with a warning edgecing his tone.


    Uh, demanding much.


    ¡°Understood?¡± he tugs on my chin to recapture my attention. I re as I force my disturbed body to nod. He pulls me closer than we already are, my breath hitches in thought at what Drew could possibly do. His hand still clenching my chin softly pulls me closer our breath mingling together, colliding into nothing.


    Drew smiles softly as he notices my body¡¯s reaction, he brings my face close only to lean in and ce a scorching but chaste kiss on my forehead, almost caringly. Why, why must this happen to me?


    ¡°Lunch, don¡¯t forget,¡± he smirks before finally releasing me and stalking off to heaven¡¯s knows where.


    ¡°That was intense,¡± I hear a voice exim in awe. I turn around to find Ruby smiling with pure excitement.


    ¡°That was invasion of personal space,¡± I huff contradictorily.


    ¡°Hate to break it to you, but I think the bad boy¡¯s got the hots for you and you¡¯re definitely going to lunch with him,¡± she orders in a motherly tone.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in ss?¡± I wonder.


    ¡°We have this ss together, I just wanted to give you time alone with Drew so I left you alone with him,¡± she exins while she loops her arm with mine and drags us into ss. It is only when I sit in my desk that a question pops up in my mind.


    Just what the hell did Drew do to me?


    I sit fidgeting all throughout math ss, dreading the end of this ss and the beginning for lunch. Honestly, Drew scares the beejezus out of me. I mean, is there really a point in avoiding him now that apparently Adrian knew everything. Adrian gave me the ultimatum, either I tell him eventually or he will. Either way, I¡¯m pretty sure Drew will end up hating me as he finds out I had his daughter all along. Did I really think I could keep Lucy forever?


    Sure, I built up a great bond with the blue eyed baby girl, who wouldn¡¯t? I¡¯ll remain happy knowing that for some time I was able to provide for her and keep her safe. On the other hand, what is really up with Drew and the guys? It seems like all of us around here are keeping our own secrets and as we get close to discovering them, more begin to pile up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, I¡¯ll go with you if you want,¡± Ruby stops my bouncing knee with her hand.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± I nce at her as she offers her moral support. She smiles and shakes her head in response. I beam at her as the sses to an end and we walk out, side by side. We walk into the crowded and bustling cafeteria. Some heads turn but most brush us off.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in a while?¡± Ashley, one of my haters, sneers as she nears us. I guess I spoke too soon. I was beginning to think they¡¯d finally left me alone.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I grumble as I pinch the bridge of my nose. Frankly, I¡¯m not up for her low IQ ramblings. I have enough on my te right now.


    ¡°Oh, has the little brat finally got some spine?¡± she gasps in mock surprise.


    ¡°Just leave her alone,¡± Ruby demands in frustration.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t talking to you little nerd, I was talking to this bitch right here,¡± she points a manicured finger at me. She uses the same hand to fling her long red hair over her shoulder before stepping closer.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been hanging out with the new inventory, does that make you feel special?¡± she asks sweetly.


    Sweet venom.


    I say nothing and merely stand her, letting her release whatever it is she¡¯s holding against me. She can¡¯t possibly hold a grudge over my refusal to befriend her a long time ago, it was nothing against her. My parents had just died, I was still grieving, I wasn¡¯t looking for friendship and what good it did me.


    ¡°Nothing to say?¡± she sneers as she brings her hand up.


    ¡°I find it pointless to argue with you,¡± I snap, too much on my mind to really care. She pulls her hand back, no doubt about to bitch p me. I close my eyes waiting for impact. I¡¯m not much of a fighter.


    The impact neveres.


    ¡°Ever try to touch her again and I¡¯ll make sure you have no fingers left to manicure. Next time you wanna call somebody a bitch don¡¯t forget to mention the fact that you¡¯re pissed because of the fact her brother refused to bang you,¡± Lucas sneers loud enough for our small group to hear as he mps onto her hand tightly. I watch in satisfaction as her face reddens in anger and embarrassment.


    ¡°Whatever, Kohl¡¯s not all that anyways,¡± she fumes as she tugs her arm out of Lucas¡¯s grip roughly. I¡¯ve never seen Lucas so mad and serious in one day, his brown eyes seeming ck with anger.


    ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s why I had to practically throw you off me, right? You ever touch my sister again and I¡¯ll make sure you truly regret it,¡± Kohl¡¯s voice snaps from behind me as I feel hisforting hand on my shoulder. I smile at my brother¡¯s words, guess I¡¯m not as alone as I originally thought. With onest re, Ashley struts off.


    ¡°You okay sis?¡± Kohl¡¯s caring voice carries into my ears.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answer with a slightugh at the situation. We all begin tough as we walk to their table, Ruby and Kohl on my sides.


    ¡°If anyone bothers you again you tell me, okay?¡± Lucas says as he sits across from me.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Drew?¡± I ask as I nod to his first question.


    ¡°Hey Lucas,¡± a feminine voice chirps as soon as I asked. Lucas smiles and nods in acknowledgement to someone above me. I turn around to face the petite brte. Now that I see her face to face, those trademark blue eyes appear.


    Drew¡¯s sister, and on her side the devils themselves, Drew and Adrian.


    ¡°Hello Adrian,¡± I greet with clenched teeth as he smirks, clearly knowing I made a fool out of myself because of him. He gives me a pretty wave with that smirk still in vision.


    ¡°Are you Khloe?¡± Samantha gushes causing me to look at her in confusion. How does she know who I am, oh my god, is she a spy like Adrian?


    ¡°I¡¯m Samantha, Drew¡¯s sister,¡± she holds out her hand. Finally, one with manners, I smile as I shake her hand.


    ¡°You already know me so..,¡± I trail off uncertainly. I am so not good at making conversation.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Ruby, Khloe¡¯s friend,¡± my new friend saves me from my small disaster.


    ¡°Hi, oh my god, I love your lipstick,¡± Samantha gushes as she notices Ruby¡¯s red lipstick.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± why can¡¯t I make easy conversation like that.


    ¡°You guys can call me Sammy,¡± she states as she sits with Lucas across from us, Adrian plops down on her other side while Drew sits beside me.


    Oh great.


    ¡°Here you go little sis,¡± Kohl hands me a te of pizza as he arrives with food to feed an army. He hands it all out before sitting down on Lucas¡¯s other side. Everybody begins to chat around with each other while I sit ufortably next to Drew.


    ¡°d you came,¡± hot breath hits my neck as Drew whispers in my ear. I suppress a shiver, curse my traitorous body.


    ¡°Mmhm,¡± I know if I speak I¡¯ll stutter in pure nervousness.


    ¡°Are you still ignoring me?¡± Drew teases as I feel a warm handnd on my thigh.


    Oh no, he didn¡¯t.


    I smile as I grab my stic fork and shove it into his skin with force, his hiss in my ear like bells ringing in Christmas.


    ¡°Not nice, cupcake,¡± he leans into my ear once again before nipping it lightly.


    ¡°No wonder you talk about her so much Drew, you guys look cute together,¡± Sammy¡¯s voice snaps us out of our own little world. I look towards her.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I shake my head in pure denial causing her tough. I notice Adrian looking at her with a foreign emotion in his eyes. He likes Sammy, no wonder he was jealous. The brooding bad boy has a crush on Drew¡¯s sister.


    ¡°She¡¯s still in denial,¡± Ruby pipes up with augh at my flushing face.


    ¡°I like it when you blush,¡± Drew whispers in my ear, once again nipping it.


    He is so going on the naughty list this year, the Christmas time creeping up on us soon, right after Kohl¡¯s and my birthday.


    ¡°Has nothing to do with you,¡± I mutter under my breath for Drew to hear.


    ¡°You sure?¡± his hand moves up and down on my thigh but never higher as he smirks.


    ¡°One hundred percent,¡± I answer sweetly, acting like his touch doesn¡¯t bother me. In reality, it causes unexinable andpletely foreign feelings to arise within me, but I¡¯m not willing to admit all of that.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± he smiles as he begins a conversation with Kohl and Lucas, his knee remaining in its same spot all through lunch. Almost melting me into the bench, and while I try to distract myself from his touch a weird question pops up.


    Why do I feel a small sense of satisfaction at the fact that Sammy¡¯s nothing but Drew¡¯s sister? Why did she just nowe to our school? Why is Drew dangerous yet alluring at the same time? How long until everything unfolds and he begins to hate me? How will I patch up the hole of Lucy¡¯s absence? Will I get another F in math this year because of my missed homework? When will Derek return in the uing season of Teen Wolf?


    I just don¡¯t know anymore.

 Chapter 11 Mishaps In The Love Club

    I head into my room after a tiring day, and into my bathroom to change and take care of my business. Once clean and in my pajamas I head over to my veryfortable bed. I notice my phone blinking and grab it to read two texts.


    ¡°What do I tell Drew?¡± Adrian asks me on Friday as he hands me a calm Lucy before grabbing his bag. His stay here has be customary due to the fact that he now seems to be a permanent fixture in the Mason household. Not that I mind, this ce is so big and solitary sometimes.


    ¡°Why do you have to tell Drew anything?¡± I scowl at Adrian¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s going to want to know where you¡¯re at or would you rather have hime to check on you himself in the house, where Lucy¡¯s at?¡± Adrian¡¯s sarcasm is not appreciated. He¡¯s referring to the fact that I won¡¯t be in school today. It¡¯s a half day for me anyways but Lucy has a checkup with the doctor and then we¡¯ll be spending the rest of the day together.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Just tell him I had ns or something,¡± I wave him off. It¡¯s not like Drew will seriously care if I¡¯m there or not.


    ¡°Look, Drew is my boss per se, I¡¯m his information source, and I¡¯m supposed to know this shit. I¡¯m covering for your ass soe up with a lie because if Drew bitches at me, I¡¯ll bitch at you,¡± Adrian scowls at me.


    So, he doesn¡¯t bitch at me already?


    Wow, I feel so special.


    ¡°Tell him I had a meeting with my parent¡¯swyers, you know since our eighteenth birthday ising up, that should be usible,¡± Ie up with this lie.


    Because I¡¯m a pretty little liar, no, I¡¯m kidding.


    ¡°Wow, finally I¡¯m not the only brains here,¡± I think Adrianpliments me. You just never know with him.


    ¡°Bye baby,¡± he leans in to kiss Lucy on the forehead.


    ¡°Call me if anything happens and please be careful, don¡¯t talk to strangers, I¡¯ll meet youter to make sure everything¡¯s fine,¡± Adrian warns before heading out the door and climbing into the car with Kohl. They¡¯ve been dropped off a block from the school so that the others don¡¯t get suspicious.


    ¡°Uncle Adrian is so grouchy, right Lucy?¡± I coo down at the little girl in my arms who just looks up at me with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Come on Lucy, we have to get ready,¡± I pass a smiling ire as I head up the familiar winding staircase and into her room, the lc color on the walls having a strange calming effect as I walk in. I head into the bathroom after I grab her baby shampoo, in order to give my baby a bath.


    ¡°Do you like bubbles?¡± I coo in my baby voice as she sshes the soap in the bit of water around her. She should be turning one pretty soon, I¡¯ll ask Adrianter today her real birthdate. That way a true celebration can be set in ce, the best for my baby.


    ¡°Da, da,¡± she babbles, I smile down at her. You¡¯ll be with your dad soon, sweetie. Even though she¡¯s not speaking yet and nowhere near close, she¡¯s started to babble small wordstely. I take her back out into the warm room in a small, fluffy, purple nket. I ce her on the changing station where ire has alreadyid everything I need out, I smile at the thought of my makeshift mother.


    I put on a new diaper on the baby¡¯s tushy all the whileughing at her baby nonsense, after powdering her behind of course, never forget the powder. I put a cute little mauve dress on my baby with a lc bow to match, we love purple. I check her bag to make sure everything¡¯s in there before heading into the kitchen and handing her to ire as I head back up to get ready.


    I quickly step into the shower and getting cleaned before drying my hair and getting dressed. ck jeans, purple sweater and a ck leather jacket, and my outfit isplete with my ck boots. My baby and I match, I smile at the thought. I put some light make up before heading back down to the kitchen just as Roger steps in, cheerily whistling an old tune.


    Show off.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat something?¡± ire¡¯s motherly instincts kick in.


    ¡°No time, you ready Roger?¡± I ask in haste as I head over to ce a kiss on ire¡¯s cheek before grabbing Lucy and following Roger out the door. I bounce Lucy as we walk out into our private driveway. Roger opens the door for me and helps me strap Lucy in, double checking it before dering us ready to leave.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Roger gives me a quick nce from the driver¡¯s side as I sit in the back next to Lucy, seeming to jump in ce.


    ¡°I¡¯m nervous,¡± I admit sheepishly.


    ¡°Just like your parents every time they took you guys to the doctor¡¯s office, especially your mother. I¡¯ll tell you what I told them, you¡¯re a good caretaker, mom, Lucy¡¯s fine and she¡¯s lucky to have you,¡± the old man has never been so talkative before. I smile in gratitude as we pull up into the dreaded office. He helps me out of the car and into the office where the receptionist greets me brightly.


    ¡°Hello Khloe, hello Lucy,¡± she coos at the baby. She motions for me to follow her into an empty room to wait for the private doctor. Roger gives me a nod of encouragement before heading out into the waiting room. I have to do this myself.


    I huff as the door closes and Lucy and I are left alone in the white sterile room. I look around, reading the instructions on how to wash your freaking hands three times. The cotton balls look fun, Lucy has the same idea as she bounces and ps in their direction. I smile down at her and continue to bounce her on myp, praying to god that everything¡¯s okay with my baby.


    Is this how all parents feel when they go to the doctor¡¯s, even for just a routine checkup?


    A faint beep makes me jump before I realize it¡¯s an iing text. I fish my phone out of my pocket before reading the screen.


    Where are you at? ¨C Adrian


    I don¡¯t even have to ask how he got my phone number. The guy beats a freaking search engine. He¡¯s like a walking Google.


    Doctor¡¯s office, I reply simply.


    I¡¯ll be with you soon. Drew almost went bat shit crazy with your absence, his replyes a momentter. I can see the smirk as he sent this text. I was about to respond when a pretty older woman walks into the room gracefully. She smiles at me as she heads to her chair with a file in her hands.


    ¡°Lucy Mason, alright, let¡¯s make sure everything¡¯s fine,¡± she chirps as she motions for me to take the baby closer. I answer all the questions asked efficiently and hold Lucy tight during her checkup. After a while, more like an eternity, we¡¯re dismissed with a perfect score. Lucy¡¯s good and healthy.


    When I head back out into the front of the small clinic, Roger¡¯s been reced in the waiting room by a silent Adrian, leather jacket and all.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Roger?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I told him I¡¯d take it from here,¡± he shrugs.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the car?¡±


    ¡°I gave him mine so we could drive Lucy in his,¡± Adrian answers. Good thing we won¡¯t have to drive Lucy in his sports car. He stands up and takes the bag from my hand as we walk out into the small, quiet parking lot. He helps me strap Lucy, double checking it again, before he gets behind the wheel and I next to the baby.


    ¡°Where do we go now?¡± Adrian nces back at me from the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Can we go get something to eat for us? I¡¯m starving and just go to the park to eat there?¡± I ask as I make funny faces at a giddy Lucy.


    ¡°Sure, what do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I respond without taking my eyes from the baby girl. Her blue eyes shine in amusement as herughter rings inside the car. We continue to drive in peace as I y with Lucy.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re here. What do you want me to order for you?¡± I scowl as I look up and notice the smirk on his face.


    ¡°I hear you liked McDonald¡¯s, Big Mac?¡± he asks teasingly.


    ¡°Who told you about that disaster?¡± I ask as I recall that ¡®date¡¯ with Drew.


    ¡°Kohl wasughing his ass off at you,¡± Adrian chuckles as we wait in the drive thrune.


    ¡°Watch yournguage,¡± I re at him.


    ¡°Oops, my bad,¡± he smiles sheepishly and actually looks sorry.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a chicken club sandwich and a mocha frappe,¡± I list off as we pull up into the speaker box. He nods as he puts the order in along with his before moving down thene. Finally, we¡¯re on our way to the park.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I giggle as I carry Lucy to one of the pic tables under a nice shade, leaving Adrian to carry all the bags by himself.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve helped,¡± he grumbles as he sets the things down on the wooden table.


    ¡°I¡¯m with baby,¡± I point to Lucy as I dig in the baby bag for her packed food. I finally dig it out and begin to feed her, making little airne motions that cause her tough.


    ¡°Here, you eat too,¡± I look to see Adrian has set my food up before taking the baby food out and feeding her himself.


    ¡°So, how was the check up?¡± he asks without looking at me.


    ¡°She¡¯s perfectly healthy,¡± I answer after I swallow a round of fries. I sip the heaven that is my frozen coffee.


    ¡°She¡¯s lucky to have you,¡± he surprises me. I give him an incredulous look.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s the truth, I¡¯ve see how you take care of her, you really do care about her,¡± he borates. He gives me a small smile before giving all of his attention to a pampered Lucy. My little girl loves the attention.


    ¡°Now you eat,¡± I wipe my lips with a napkin before taking the food out of his hands and finishing the task myself.


    ¡°How was school?¡± I surprise myself by asking, but I find myself wanting to ask, how was Drew?


    ¡°School was school,e on, just ask what you want to?¡± Adrian smirks as if reading my thoughts.


    ¡°How were the guys?¡± I ask referring to our whole group. I smile as I realize I¡¯m part of a group now, if only temporarily.


    ¡°Lucas, Sammy, and Ruby were all fine, you already know how Kohl was doing,¡± he shrugs, that stupid smirk ever present on his face.


    ¡°And Drew?¡± I murmur lowly looking away.


    ¡°What, I couldn¡¯t hear you,¡± Adrian cups his ear. He¡¯s having a little too much fun at my expense.


    ¡°How was Drew?¡± I finally snap.


    ¡°Devastated that you weren¡¯t there,¡± Adrian ces a hand over his chest in mock hurt.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Iugh as I throw my dirty napkin at his face.


    ¡°He was murderous, thought you were avoiding him. He was a bit suspicious about Kohl not attending the supposed meeting, but your brother came through. Said he didn¡¯t like the boring meeting so he left it all to you and Roger,¡± Adrian exins.


    ¡°He¡¯s weird,¡± I mutter as I continue to sip my frappe.


    ¡°He likes you,¡± Adrian shrugs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I contradict quickly.


    ¡°Think what you want,¡± he shrugs.


    ¡°What about Sammy, you like her?¡± I ask curiously, Adrian has never been this open, mine as well take advantage.


    ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend, of course I like her,¡± he looks at me like I¡¯m crazy.


    ¡°Oh, I thought you liked her from afar or something. You know, with her being one of your best friends¡¯ sisters,¡± I ramble.


    ¡°No, I liked her so I went for it and took the brutal beating from Drew,¡± he exins as he drinks his soda.


    ¡°You guys just didn¡¯t seem so cozy at lunch yesterday,¡± I exin.


    ¡°Do I look like the cozy type of guy to you?¡± he raises an eyebrow in amusement as I blush in embarrassment.


    ¡°Wait, so Drew beat you up when he found out about his sister and you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he went ballistic, he¡¯s very overprotective of his family,¡± Adrian chuckles at the memory.


    ¡°He seems scary, I just can¡¯t picture him doing that to you,¡± I cock my head to the side trying to picture the scenario.


    ¡°That¡¯s because he treats you like a fucking princess, no one¡¯s ever seen him act like that with anybody,¡± Adrian leans in so Lucy won¡¯t hear his profanity. I re at him nevertheless.


    ¡°Well, that won¡¯tst long when he finds out about Lucy,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t count yourself out yet, you might justst,¡± Adrian states before mentioning that it¡¯s time for us to leave. I help him dispose of the trash and strap Lucy in before heading home. I head upstairs to ce a tired Lucy into her crib, as I was pulling the nket over her something silver catches my attention. I pick up the small beautiful object, a bejeweled silver cradle, and the sapphires do not look fake. This must be what Adrian ced in the crib that night he came.


    ¡°It was given to each of the Collins¡¯ kids, Drew, Sammy and of course Lucy,¡± Adrian exins from the doorway. I look at him in confusion before he pushes off the doorway he was leaning against and stepping closer.


    ¡°It¡¯s a family heirloom, Drew¡¯s father had it custom made due to the hereditary blue eyes, gene they get from their mom,¡± he continues.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Drew, Lucy¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s her caretaker, she¡¯s his youngest sister and his responsibility,¡± Adrian smiles as he strokes the sleeping baby¡¯s head. I now remeber Drew saying his mother died, obviously leaving Lucy to him.


    ¡°And the cradle?¡± I hold up the beautiful ornament.


    ¡°Drew¡¯s father fell in love with a blue eyed, brte. They got married, had children, all of them taking after their mother. Brown hair and blue eyes, not one has had their father¡¯s green eyes. He loved her eyes so much that he had this cradle made, the sapphires resembling the eyes he fell in love with. Giving it to his other loves, his kids,¡± Adrian tells the beautiful tale.


    ¡°That¡¯s so sweet,¡± I whisper.


    It was such a beautiful gesture.


    ¡°He used to be,¡± Adrian looks away.


    ¡°There¡¯s more, isn¡¯t there?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Nothing I¡¯ll tell you now,¡± he answers as I ce the cradle close to Lucy. He walks me outside the room and to the door of mine.


    ¡°Kohl and I have agreed to take care of Lucy tomorrow while you hang out with Ruby,¡± he tells me.


    ¡°Are you sure, I could get ire so you could be with Sammy,¡± I offer.


    ¡°Nah, Sammy¡¯s going with you guys, they¡¯ll probably tell youter,¡± he smiles and waves before heading into his now bedroom. Maybe it¡¯s not so bad having him around the house, but too much testosterone can be quite suffocating.


    Sammy¡¯sing tomorrow, yey, girls¡¯ day out. ¨C Ruby


    I smile and send a quick reply before looking at the unknown number and reading it.


    Sweet dreams, cupcake. ¨C Drew


    I stare at the screen for a long while trying to figure out if it¡¯s a joke from maybe Adrian. I decide to send a reply.


    Adrian, stop fucking around.


    I wait before the little ding goes off again.


    Why would Adrian be texting you?


    I can feel the underlying anger emanating from the text.


    And just like the bad bed joke goes my mind uttered two words fitting the situation.


    Oh sheet.

 Chapter 12 Sugar, We鈥檙e Going Down

    ¡°So, what did you do to my brother?¡± is the first thing Sammy asks as I climb into the small, candy apple red bug that belongs to Ruby, when they pick me up on Saturday.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask slowly as I take a seat in the back.


    I did nothing to Drew, how the hell was I supposed to know that he had my number? The bad boy should give a warning before he blows my phone up.


    ¡°He¡¯s been a little angry,¡± Sammy pinches her thumb and index finger to emphasize her point.


    ¡°It was just a little mishap,¡± I shrug sheepishly. Ruby and Sammy, both give me expectant looks as they wait for the fresh gossip.


    Well, Khloe, you wanted some girlfriends so here you go. I heave a dramatic sigh, before rying Friday night¡¯s events, adding the fact that I ignored Drew after I realized it really was him texting me, and excluding the why Adrian would text me.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± Sammy shakes her head sympathetically from the passenger¡¯s seat.


    ¡°How?¡± I huff.


    ¡°Look, the guys are what you could say bad boys, and when a bad boy has his eyes on a girl they tend to get jealous and possessive. Drew is the worst kind and you not texting him back about Adrian just set off a whole bunch of scenarios in his pretty little head,¡± Sammy exins while Ruby nods along in agreement. I find it hard to believe, the way they talk about Drew. Sure, he always seems mysterious and scary, but I never have seen him angry.


    Could it really be as bad as Adrian and Sammy make it out to be? And to just what extent could Drew¡¯s anger go? I have a feeling I might find out pretty soon.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do what he says and I can talk to whoever I want,¡± I scowl at the way these guys think, plus I don¡¯t belong to Drew.


    ¡°You know that, Ruby knows that, and I know that, the guys don¡¯t have to know that. Do you think Adrian is any different? Please, he gets jealous of Drew, my brother. It is our jobs as the girls to make them believe they have the power, but in reality we all know that we¡¯re their pimps,¡± Sammy exins while fixing her long, brown hair.


    ¡°Yes Khloe, you have to talk to him before he goes berserk,¡± Ruby pitches in as she looks at me from the rearview mirror.


    ¡°He already did, I¡¯m telling you he¡¯s pissed off, ande Monday he¡¯ll most probably stake his im,¡± Sammy continues.


    I groan at the thought of butting heads with Drew, again. Why can¡¯t this bad boy leave me alone?


    ¡°We¡¯re here, have fun today and I¡¯ll help you control my brother on Monday, okay?¡± Sammy reaches for my hand from her seat. I smile and nod, yet, my mind is buzzing with many dangerous and possible scenarios.


    We head inside the mall and into the spa to get manicures, pedis, and facials, girl heaven. After getting pampered we head into various stores, trying on an endless variety of clothes and shoes, which Sammy and I purchase for Ruby. She deserves a little something. We currently stand in front of a massive dress rack.


    ¡°Try this one on,¡± Ruby hands me a little ck dress. I look at it skeptically but then I remember that ever girl should have a little ck dress. Audrey Hepburn, hello, so I take it back with me into the dressing room with a smile. It¡¯s nice to do this with some friends. You don¡¯t know you¡¯re lonely until you have someone you could lose.


    That thought has me fishing my phone out and looking at thest text from Drew.


    Ignoring me isn¡¯t going to work, cupcake. You¡¯ll learn, I can picture the smirk he must¡¯ve sent this text with. He can be so annoying sometimes but I have to admit, knowing that I¡¯m one of the few people that see his more caring side is pretty awesome. I smile at the memories of Drew showing a somewhat nicer guy to me, I don¡¯t think I ever want to see him pissed if Adrian¡¯s right about Drew¡¯s temper.


    ¡°Here try this one on too,¡± Sammy¡¯s voice snaps me out of my internal rambling as a dark purple dress falls on top of my head over the door. The dark fabric gives off a shimmer as light hits it, the sweetheart neckline designed with a bit of sequins but not much. It¡¯s simple yet beautiful, I try it on without hesitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s cute but I don¡¯t think I should wear it, I mean I¡¯d have nowhere to take it,¡± I mumble looking down as I step out of the dressing room.


    ¡°Are you kidding, you look great and you totally do have somewhere to wear it,¡± Ruby exims as she steps out in a red vintage style number.


    ¡°Where?¡± I turn to look at her, appraising her choice with a nod.


    ¡°Adrian told me your birthday¡¯sing up in about a week, so you¡¯ll wear it to the party I¡¯ve nned,¡± Sammy informs as she steps out in a cute little ck dress thatpletely goes with her figure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I say uncertainly.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to your party, I¡¯ve worked hard for this and Kohl¡¯s going to give you a very special gift,¡± Sammy bargains.


    ¡°How can you n a party so short notice, we barely know each other,¡± I question.


    ¡°Adrian told me and hello, my brother¡¯s Drew, he can get anything done, you¡¯ll know one day,¡± Sammy winks before turning back to the mirror.


    Why do people keep acting like Drew and I, are a thing? There¡¯s nothing there.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I finally give in causing the girls to squeal in excitement before heading over to pay for our choices. After buying essories because we just had to, ording to them, we finally head home. Sammy and I are dropped off on my driveway and Adrian immediately pops up out of nowhere to give his girlfriend a ride home. They make such a cute couple, her bubbly personality with his inplete contrast, is just cute.


    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± I call out as I head inside with hands full of bags.


    ¡°Did they make you get something for our birthday?¡± Kohl pops out of the top of the staircase, carrying Lucy in his arms. I smile at my brother.


    ¡°Yeah, they did, thanks for the heads up about the party,¡± Iin.


    ¡°You know now, so what¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    ¡°I also heard something about a present,¡± I bait causing him to smirk.


    ¡°Nope little sis, until your birthday,¡± he shakes his head before disappearing down the hallway. I head into my room to put all the stuff I bought away, good thing I have a big room. After a while I find myself bored out of my mind, I throw myself onto my bed face down. I dig my phone out of my pocket as I feel the vibration of an iing text tickle me.


    Time¡¯s almost near my dear, things are about to change, ¨C Unknown.


    What is this supposed to mean? Is this a cryptic threat from Drew, or is Adrian trying to scare me? Did the freaking mafia finally find me and they want to recruit? No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d make a good addition to the mob.


    ¡°What are you doing, you look like someone just told you leprechauns aren¡¯t real,¡± Adrian¡¯s voice taunts as he suddenly appears in my doorway. I need to remember to lock that door, he¡¯s like a ninja, a rude and evil ninja.


    ¡°I got a weird text,¡± I mumble in aplete state of shock.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± my statement doesn¡¯t seem to rm Adrian as he takes a couple of strides towards my bed. He snatches the phone out my hands, never one for subtleties, and reads the text over.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he grumbles under his breath, nevertheless, in my quiet room I still managed to hear.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?¡± I will finally admit, reluctantly, that I, Khloe Mason, was panicking. My usual calm andposed demeanor finally crumbling as I realize the threat was real. Sure, I¡¯d been afraid of Drew and the guys before, like pee your pants scared, but now this was something that sent a wave of fear strangely rippling through my body.


    ¡°Damn it, Khloe breathe, before I p some sense into you,¡± I hear Adrian¡¯s obnoxious voice in the background as I feel the walls closing in on me.


    ¡°Is Lord Voldemort himself out to get me?¡± I exim as Ipose myself.


    ¡°You really are a nerd, aren¡¯t you? And no, it¡¯s someone else. Don¡¯t worry about that right now. What you do need to do is figure out how you want Drew to find out, because sadly, you¡¯re time¡¯s up,¡± Adrian tosses my phone on the bed as he rubs a hand over his face tiredly.


    ¡°How do you know who it was from?¡± I cock my head to the side to look at him skeptically.


    ¡°I told you I know things and before you ask, no, I¡¯m not telling you who it was because you¡¯re not ready for that truth,¡± Adrian just thinks he knows everything.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell Drew, what if he goes all psycho on me, I¡¯m not a cat I only have this one life and am very much attached to it,¡± I ramble.


    ¡°Look, he can¡¯t get fucking mad, or at least too much, he handed Lucy to you and told you to run, so you did. Build a bridge and get over it, plus I have your back,¡± he shrugs carelessly.


    Adrian really has no care, does he?


    ¡°One thing that has been going through my mind though, since when did you know Drew was Lucy¡¯s brother, or ¡®father,¡¯ since that¡¯s what you originally thought?¡± Adrian asks curiously as he looks at me before patting my head like a dog.


    I think that¡¯s his way of saying, ¡®I¡¯m here for you.¡¯


    ¡°The first day you guys got to school, when Lucas was trying to flirt with me and you guys caught him. The moment I heard Drew¡¯s voice, I knew he was the one that had given me Lucy that night,¡± I puff out a breath, making a few strands of hair to blow upwards.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to admit, you guys were tough to crack down. You guys know how to keep on the down low,¡± Adrian chuckles as he walks around my room. He stops in front of my dresser as he inspects an old photograph that¡¯s hanging there. He grabs it beforeing to plop down on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± he points at theughing adults with the two infants in hand.


    ¡°My parents, we were two years old back then, I don¡¯t remember it but the picture has all four of us together,¡± I smile as I look at the smiling figures of my parents. My infant body in my dad¡¯s arms and Kohl¡¯s clutched tightly by our mother.


    ¡°They seem like good people,¡± Adrian squints his eyes as he brings the picture closer to his face.


    ¡°They were cool, always tried to make time for us, until they sent Kohl to military school out of the blue,¡± I recall.


    ¡°I thought your brother was sent away because he blew up the mayor¡¯s car,¡± Adrian remarks.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but Kohl had done worse things and they never would have sent him away. They were some of the most protective parents, they punished us when needed and stood up for us always. Sending Kohl away, so far away, it was so unlike them and I never knew why they did it,¡± I exin.


    I never told all of this to anyone, not ire nor Roger, but this question always invaded my mind. Why send Kohl away like nothing? It was so unlike them, it never made sense, doesn¡¯t still, but I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I can¡¯t believe that I tell Adrian of all people.


    ¡°Maybe they had their reasons,¡± Adrian says thoughtfully, almost to himself.


    ¡°What could possibly have made them do that?¡± I ask incredulously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ll I¡¯ve got to go and you¡¯re definitely going to have toy low and don¡¯t talk to any strangers, I can¡¯t stress this enough,¡± he orders as if I were a child. I mean, what am in going to do, head over to a van with the shady man asking for help to find his puppy?


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± I wave him off with a yawn as he shuts my door with an audible click. I fall into a surprisingly calm sleep, my dreams haunted by a pair of familiar blue eyes.


    The next morning I wake up refreshed and strangely, the first thought to pop up into my head is Drew. I shake my head and giddily skip over to the bathroom where I take a long, rxing shower and get ready for the day.


    I finally emerge from upstairs to the kitchen in jeans and a grey pull over sweater. I find ire cleaning up what I assume is an already full Lucy.


    ¡°Thanks ire,¡± I smile sweetly as I grab Lucy from her working hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, why don¡¯t you head out into the garden with the baby and I¡¯ll have breakfast set up outside with the other guys,¡± she suggests. I nod excitedly, my mom used to love to have breakfast in that garden. I head out and ce Lucy in her swing as I sway her gently causing her tough, I breathe in the crisp air as a smile lights up my face, I run back inside as I notice I didn¡¯t put any sunscreen on the baby.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I¡¯ll take her to get changed because she got dirty and I¡¯ll put the sunblock on her, just head outside,¡± ire notices my on the verge of panicking form. I sigh in relief before heading back out, enjoying nature I take a seat on the bigger swing that hangs from one of the willow trees. I kick my tennis d feet as I push myself higher on the swing, the giddiness of a child filling my body with unreleasedughter, causing a huge smile to stretch across my face.


    So much that I know I must look like the Joker.


    Oh, who am I kidding, I¡¯m Batman.


    ¡°I heard we were having breakfast out here,¡± Adrian stretches as he steps outside.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I chirp as my ponytail swings from side to side as I answer midair.


    Roger and Kohl step outside and begin to set the long wooden table at the back, shaded under two willow trees. Adrian heads over to help as I continue to y with like a child at the park for the first time. They all head back inside to bring the feast out, knowing ire, she¡¯s cooked up a buffet.


    ¡°So, this is your hideout?¡± I hear a voice call out from behind. Too lost in my bliss I didn¡¯t notice I hadpany, much less that it wasn¡¯t wantedpany. I hold my breath as I refuse to turn around, hoping, that if I believe I¡¯m invisible, I¡¯ll truly disappear.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    My feet scuff the dirt as I bring the swing to a stop, my lungs refusing to breathe as my heart pounds wildly in my ribcage. I hear shuffling as Drewes closer, I can feel his presence profoundly with each stride he takes.


    ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± I don¡¯t even have to look back at him to know that Drew¡¯s smirking.


    ¡°Breakfast is ready,¡± Adrian¡¯s bored voice sounds as he steps outside with a basket of biscuits. He stops his steps as he notices Drew, whom I have yet to look at, behind me. I can just imagine the look Drew has on his face right now, I know that Adrian¡¯s shocked state doesn¡¯tpare.


    ¡°So, this is why Adrian would be texting you, for a little rendez vous,¡± he says thatst part with a certain malice in his tone that causes me to flinch.


    ¡°Did he tell you he¡¯s my sister¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Drew asks as he ces a hand on my neck, not dangerously but definitely not caringly either.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± I finally manage to utter a phrase, the most clich¨¦d one out there, but the truth nevertheless.


    ¡°This is why you haven¡¯t been doing your job right, Adrian, banging the subject?¡± Drew sneers towards Adrian.


    ¡°Whoa, hold up Drew, you know that I wouldn¡¯t do that to Sammy or you,¡± Adrian drops the basket of biscuits as he pleads his case.


    Man, I really wanted one of those biscuits. Stupid ants are going to enjoy my food.


    Wait, did Drew just insinuate I was a slut?


    ¡°And you, Khloe, with one of my friends, really? You can¡¯t be that stupid to not realize I had my sights on you,¡± Drew sneers as he brings my head back to look up into furious, darkening blue eyes. I pull myself roughly from his hold, fed up with his stupid assumptions.


    ¡°First of all, this isn¡¯t a game of dibs, Drew. Second of all, if you fucking let us exin you¡¯ll realize that Adrian was helping you out,¡± I yell as I stand up.


    ¡°Heree the pancakes and syrup¡­ ay, should I say holy guacamole,¡± Kohl¡¯s voice turns into confusion.


    ¡°What is there to know, that my best friend is a cheater, and on my sister no less?¡± Drewughs humorlessly. I watch as Adrianes closer to us out of the corner of my eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take another step Adrian, because I¡¯m very close to beating you to a bloody pulp,¡± Drew warns. For once, Adrian looks vulnerable, they must really think of each other as family.


    ¡°I have Lucy!¡± I scream, not willing to be the reason these friends have a falling out.


    Drew¡¯s gaze snaps up to mine, giving me a look before resorting to the cold, guy I met that first day of school. Adrian rolls his eyes at me, not grateful that I just saved his ass.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Drew questions much calmer than before.


    ¡°Lucy, your sister, who I thought was your daughter when you gave her to me. Adrian¡¯s been staying here to keep watch but only because he said you had a lot to deal with and I was nning on telling you very soon,¡± I ramble nervously.


    I think I know what Adrian meant about Drew¡¯s anger now.


    He seems worse than the Great Khali.


    And that¡¯s when all hell broke loose as Drew tackled Adrian to the ground, screaming a variety of profanities that could put a sailor to shame.


    Shit definitely just hit the fan.


    And as if the universe feels for me, Kohl¡¯s phone begins to ring, ring Fall Out Boy¡¯s Sugar We¡¯re Going Down.

 Chapter 13 Banana Peels and Sour Feels

    I watch terrified as Drew and Adrian roll around on the ground, grass stains and dirt clinging to their clothes, not that they care about their ¡®fashion don¡¯ts¡¯ right now. My body stands paralyzed as both guys try tond a punch on the other. I wince as they each manage to get a few hits. I notice Kohl standing off to the side in my same state of shock, snapping me out of it.


    ¡°Kohl, help me stop this!¡± I yell over the guys¡¯ curses.


    ¡°Uh, I got twenty bucks on Drew,¡± he states as he reaches for his back pocket, pulling a twenty dor bill and pping it down on the table he had been setting.


    ¡°You knew where my sister had been at all this time?¡± Drew¡¯s voice booms as he hauls Adrian up from the cor of his leather jacket.


    ¡°Calm the fuck down because you are acting irrational now,¡± Adrian states calmly, looking the bull directly in the eyes. That is one fearless dude.


    ¡°Why the hell did you not tell me?¡± Drew tantly ignores Adrian¡¯s reasoning.


    ¡°Oh, forgive me for not announcing it so freely, only managing to add more to the crap you call your life right now, it¡¯s not like I wasn¡¯t going to tell you at all,¡± Adrian states not breaking eye contact.


    ¡°Does Sammy know you¡¯ve been staying at another girl¡¯s house, huh?¡± Drew tightens his hold around the fabric, bringing their angry faces merely a breadth away. I hope they brushed their teeth, but I shouldn¡¯t really be thinking about that right now. Adrian¡¯s face shes with pure anger and disbelief at Drew¡¯s insinuation, as strong as lightning breaking through the dark skies.


    ¡°Come on Drew, you know Sammy¡¯s got no fuckingpetition. Get your damn mind out of the gutter. Do you even realize who you¡¯re acting like?¡± Adrian sneers. That statement has Drew goingpletely off his hinges, his eyes almost seeming as dark and cold as a midnight, gloomy sky nketing an eerie forest.


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously going topare me to that fucker right now?¡± Drew sneers, morphing into aplete stranger. If I thought that Drew was scary before, this is an eye opener. I gasp audibly as he throws his arm back before ramming it into Adrian¡¯s face. I watch in horror as blood trickles down Adrian¡¯s now broken nose, not that, that seems to stop the unflinching bad boy.


    Who was Adrianparing Drew to? It must not be good to get a reaction like this, like waving a red g in front of a bull.


    ¡°Is that all you got,e on Drew, I know you can do better than that,¡± Adrian taunts, should he really be baiting Drew right now while he looks like that? I step closer to the duo, Kohl nowhere to be seen now, and grab a hold of Drew¡¯s arm just as he was about tond another punch.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I whisper, not daring to raise my voice startling the beast. I flinch as he shakes me off roughly and pushes Adrian back, whom I step close to. For some reason, and I never in a million years thought I¡¯d say this, I feel safer with Adrian right now. Though, his state doesn¡¯t seem very protective right now, more like someone should protect him.


    ¡°How long did you know?¡± Drew directs his zing re towards in my direction as he steps closer to me.


    ¡°About?¡± I look towards the ground, not liking the way his eyes stare at me now. Their usual curious thirst or that sly smile they crack nowhere to be seen now. Nothing but anger shes through those orbs, but can I really me him?


    ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know, how about we start with how long you knew Lucy was mine?¡± he seethes closer now.


    ¡°Watch yourself, you¡¯re fucking scaring her,¡± Adrian states in a firm tone as he steps in front of me. Yes, Adrian, defend me while you have a bloody nose.


    ¡°Get out of the way,¡± Drew¡¯s hard tone is, well it¡¯s pretty sexy dare I say it, but yeah, scary, very scary. And I thought I looked scary enough to kill when I wake up in the morning, life just proved me wrong. If Drew were some sort of awesome freak with heat vision, Adrian and I would not have time to say ¡®goodbye¡¯ to life as we faded into ashes.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Adrian pops his ¡®p¡¯ childishly, yes Adrian, anger the beast even more now, why don¡¯t you? I raise myself slightly on my toes to watch Drew¡¯s reaction, let¡¯s just say that his eyes shed faster than a pissed off werewolf.


    ¡°Get out of the damn way Adrian,¡± I watch as both of them have a stare down.


    ¡°Oh god, they¡¯re at it again,¡± I hear Lucas¡¯s voice as the backdoor opens.


    ¡°Told you they were beating the shit out of each other,¡± Kohl points to Drew¡¯s now ckening eye and Adrian¡¯s bloody face.


    ¡°Oh god, not again,¡± Sammy groans as she pops up behind the neers and strides towards Adrian.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she turns her petite figure towards a still Drew, before cing her hands on her hips. I¡¯m assuming to give him a no nonsense look.


    ¡°They fucking lied to me and what the hell are you doing here?¡± Drew finally answers, backing away now that his sister, or should I say one of them, is now apparent.


    ¡°Kohl called us over here iming that shit was going down and to hurry over here before missing the match,¡± she exins while walking back to Adrian and inspecting his face from side to side. I think she¡¯s used to violence with these guys.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, and what have I told you about baiting my brother? One of these days I¡¯m going to dump your ass because I can¡¯t stand to look at your bruised up face,¡± she scowls pushing his head away roughly. This is so not the moment tough as I watch the edgy bad boy be talked down by his small girlfriend.


    ¡°Can we get back to the matter at hand right now, you, how long did you know?¡± Drew points at me as he moves closer. I take a step back in fear of his imposing figure. I think the guys had the same idea as Lucas, Adrian and Kohl nk me on each side, while Sammy just looks around in confusion. Clearly not knowing what the hell is going on.


    ¡°Since you first came here, I, I recognized your voice at first, from that night. But then I looked at your eyes and they¡¯re so alike, I thought you were her father,¡± I exin nervously. ¡®The truth will set you free,¡¯ that¡¯s a bullshit lie as Drew¡¯s eyes seem to darken in even more anger. He clearly does not like to be made a fool of and that¡¯s what it seems like.


    ¡°Wait, what are you guys talking about?¡± Lucas asks, finally noticing the seriousness of this atrocious situation. Bless your soul Lucas, I praise as his question diverts Drew¡¯s unwanted attention from me.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s funny really, you guys wanna tell them or should I?¡± Drew waves off with a menacing smile.


    No one speaks. I walk towards the backdoor as I notice ire wave me in from the small window. I say nothing but give a small smile as I take a smiling Lucy from her arms and head back out with the baby now in my arms. I see Kohl give me a sad smile as he notices the bundle I now clutch tightly. Lucas furrows his eyebrows as his eyes narrow skeptically, unwilling to believe that I¡¯m holding Lucy. Sammy turns to look at Adrian questioningly, he merely nods and she¡¯s the first one to step closer. She gives me a small smile as she grabs Lucy, and I reluctantly let her go.


    ¡°You had Lucy?¡± Lucas asks as he steps closer and holds the baby for a while. It¡¯s a bittersweet moment, this time and ce right here. Where a family is reunited with a loved one, and where I lose one of those I love. I watch painfully as the tight knit group crowds closer to the unknowing child. I watch as Sammy¡¯s face lets out a small tear as pure happiness extends through her features. The way Lucas steals Lucy again and hugs her close to his body. I watch as Adrian cracks a smile on his usual stony demeanor and the way even Kohl smiles bitterly at the moment.


    They all stop in a sudden movement, the crowd parts and Sammy steps up, closer to Drew. The way Sammy beams at him as she ces a smiling and calm Lucy in her older brother¡¯s hands will forever be engraved in my head. We all simultaneously look away as one lone tear cascades down Drew¡¯s cheek. I think this way we¡¯ll all be able to say we never saw Drew cry. Theughter that escapes his form a whileter has us looking back, I smile as the mystery bad boyughs and caresses the baby¡¯s small head in disbelief.


    ¡°She kept her safe Drew, and you handed the baby to her, if anything we all owe her,¡± Adrian finally speaks up, looking back to give me a small smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s got my awesomest nerd vote,¡± Lucas raises his hand like a kid. Drew turns to look at him with a look that even I can clearly read, ¡®what the fuck?¡¯


    ¡°Mine too,¡± Sammy smiles as she loops her arm through Adrian¡¯s, who only smiles down caringly at her.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Fine, thank you for protecting Lucy, but now that we have nothing keeping us here, you won¡¯t be seeing us much. I¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± Drew turns around with the baby in hand. I feel my heart constrict as Drew walks away with a part of my heart in his hands, not even sparing me a second look. And, that¡¯s why everyone¡¯s weary of his anger, I see that now.


    My brother pulls me into his arms as I finally let out a tear at Drew¡¯s retreating back. Lucas and Sammy turn to give me apologetic faces as the one tear turns into a broken dam, bursting as I turn my head into my brother¡¯s chest. Hisforting hand rubbing my back not lessening the pain I feel as I watch how a now part of me is taken away. I feel Kohl handing me off to someone, new arms wrapping around me. I look up into Lucas¡¯s sympathetic brown eyes as he now holds me.


    ¡°Drew, you can¡¯t just permanently remove Lucy from Khloe¡¯s life, she¡¯s been her mother all this while,¡± I listen as Kohl pleads.


    ¡°Lucy is my sister and my responsibility, I¡¯ll have a check made out for your services,¡± I hear Drew¡¯s cold voice snap.


    Ooh, I really hate yo ass right now, yes, I just went Cee Lo Green on him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an asshole, D,¡± I hear Sammy¡¯s voice lose its cheeriness.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving, let¡¯s go,¡± I hear themand loud and clear but I hear no one moving. Nothing but Drew¡¯s angry footsteps as he moves, further and further away, much like my sanity right now. Now I know what they mean when they say ¡®love makes you crazy.¡¯ When you lose it, your sanity drifts away with it. I let out a strangled sob as I try to tell them to let it go, she belongs with them.


    I pull away from Lucas and smile reassuringly at him as I motion for him to follow Drew, his loyalty should lie with him and not me. He gives me onest squeeze before going after Drew. Sammy res at Drew¡¯s back as she debates on what to do.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over, trust me, we¡¯ll make sure toe back with Lucy,¡± she smiles before giving me a hug and chasing after her brother.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be alright while I¡¯m gone, I gotta deal with the after math, but I promise you, that Lucy will be back in your life. I still got a couple of cards up my sleeve, trust me,¡± Adrian smirks and once again pats me like a dog, is this how heforts Sammy? Poor her. I don¡¯t even smile at his words, not knowing whether I should believe them or if he¡¯s just trying to make me feel better. With onest nce, he follows the exiting group plus one new member while I stand there as my heart is shattered to pieces.


    This reminds me of the time when my parents died, when nothing seems like it will get better, when even the sunlight seems to piss you off, as you watch the world continue to go on. While you¡¯re still wondering if it¡¯s worth it, if the hole in your heart will cover itself up? Kohl¡¯s arms wrap around me as I now realize that I¡¯m crying my eyes off. Kohl doesn¡¯t say anything as I fall to the ground on my knees, pouring my heart out. He knows that nothing he says will make life better.


    I say nothing as the sobs quiet down andpletely stop like the beating of my heart, and my older brother carries me into the house. I motion for him to let me down as he stops at my bedroom door. I send a miniscule smile his way in fake reassurance that we both know, nevertheless, he takes it and leaves me at my door. I breathe in arge gulp of my air as I feel my lungs contract, it feels as if my body has lost all oxygen.


    Instead of heading inside thefort of my room, I walk down the hall. Not knowing where my feet are taking me in my mind, but my heart seems to be made up. Another sob erupts as my parents¡¯ closed bedroom doores into view. With a new set of tears I open the wooden contraption and step inside the familiar room. I inhale deeply, their intoxicating scents seeming to linger in the bedroom. My father¡¯s woodsy cologne reminding me of the times we spent together outside, the floral scent of my mom¡¯s perfume adding to her captivating persona.


    I grab their picture frame that sits on the bedside table as I drag it with me on their bed. I hug it close to me, as if they were really here to provide their warmth andfort that I freaking miss so much. Before my life all seemed to go to hell, before my sadness made me look like a roon, which is what I¡¯m pretty sure I look like with my tears ruining the little bit of make-up I ced on my face. Their presence letting me know that things get better before all I want to do is plunge in a bucket of Nute and prate my eyes with nothing but pictures of Nichs Sparks¡¯ movies.


    I let my sadness take over and my tears blur my vision as thoughts of another loss creep into my mind. It¡¯s so easy to get attached to children, their innocent souls like a call to those of us who already know more about the cruelties in the world. Their presence making the world seem a better ce, if only for a little while. Lucy was a beacon of light that mended itself into my life, the solitary existence I was used to. If fate hadn¡¯t taken its cruel course and given me Lucy, would Kohl even be back now? Not only my family, but Lucy brought in a new set of people into my life.


    Adrian, who I actually wanted to unload an AK 47 on when we met, now that I know he¡¯s not as bad as he seems will be missed. Sammy, whom apparently can keep Adrian on check, the bubbly girl that seems too nice to be in this situation, we could¡¯ve grown to be good friends. Lucas with his over flirtatious personality, yet he has a wicked sense of humor and intelligence if you actually got to know him, andstly and right now least of all, Drew.


    I¡¯m so mad at him right now that I could write an Adele song just for him. What would have happened if we actually became friends? Nah, in another life we would have never crossed paths. What will it be like to not have his imposing frame stalk me around school, his stupid stare not giving me urges to empty my dder? I think the question I¡¯m afraid to ask myself is, why do I get the feeling that apart from Lucy¡¯s absence, why do I feel a slight pang at not ever seeing him again? No, his presence will just be cause for more Adele songs and one or two Taylor Swift, like right now. I so knew he was trouble when he walked in.


    My tears seem unrelenting in sadness and fear at what I lost, but also in happiness at what I got to experience. I jump startled as a loud banging sound resonates through the room. I look in the direction of the loud echo, over the pounding of my heart. A book lies on the ground at the foot of the dresser. I get up and crouch down to pick up the leather bound book. I remember this book, my father used to carry it around all the time. He¡¯s the reason I love to read, he told me once that this book inspired him when his third attempt at starting his own business failed. Yet, I never read the book.


    I caress the title less cover, the old wearing leather feeling nice under my fingers. The spine is visibly wearing as I know how many times my dad opened up this book. I¡¯m scared to open the book, not because of what I¡¯ll find, but at the thought of possibly deteriorating something that was held so dear by my father. With a breath of courage, and a little cowardice as I close my eyes, I open the book. Augh manages to escape my lips as I finally look down and read the first page.


    ¡®Empires copse,


    Civilizations disappear,


    Health deteriorates


    And bodies turn to ash,


    But life will always go on,¡¯


    ¨C Mouloud Benzadi


    I heard my father say these exact same words while giving speeches at a business banquet, or for when he was trying to settle things between Kohl and I. When Kohl broke my stupid My Little Pony, he gave me this same speech so that we¡¯d stop fighting. When I never relented he left the house, came back an hourter and threw arge box in Kohl¡¯s direction. Told him he had an hour to build it or he was going to be in trouble. Iughed as I watched Kohl go out of his head trying to build the purple My Little Pony castle. Nevertheless, the castle was standing tall and proud by the time the hour was up, it copsed as soon as I ce the stupid horse in there, but hey, a sturdy contraption was not part of the deal.


    I clutch the book tightly with the picture frame a small smile lights up my face before I slip into sweet oblivion. My dreams transporting me to much simpler and happier times, where death hadn¡¯t been a factor and the only loss I knew was Kohl getting lost as he chased after an ice cream truck.


    The sunlight streaming wakes me up the next morning, my eyes feeling heavy as the sorrows of the day before made their presence known. I try to get up from the bed as nature begins to call. I swear I got a dder the size of a peanut, trait I¡¯m pretty sure I got from my mom, ording to my dad, of course. I turn only to realize I¡¯m blocked as Kohl¡¯s stinky foot is all up in my face, his body half off the bed. I smile before throwing him off of me, hurrying to the bathroom.


    Ie back out and actually manage to smile as Kohl¡¯s face is snoring on the floor, the brunt of the fall not even stirring his sleep. I smirk evilly as I walk around the bed for the ss of water on the nightstand to pour on him, the smile dies as I trip on air andnd face first with his feet. At least my crashing body woke him up.


    ¡°Hey, you feeling better?¡± he asks with a yawn as his calloused, piano- ying hand rubs his eye.


    ¡°Yeah, a bit, how¡¯d you find me?¡± I ask referring to the fact he knew I was in our parents¡¯ room.


    ¡°We¡¯re twins, it¡¯s the telepathic connection Khloe,¡± he points to his head.


    I give him a t look.


    ¡°Where else would you be, Lucy¡¯s loss must¡¯ve reminded you of them,¡± he sighs as he gets up from the floor before hauling me up with him.


    ¡°You gonna go to school today?¡± he asks, his blue eyes sympathizing with mine.


    ¡°Not today, you go ahead, I¡¯ll just stick around here,¡± I wave him off. He nods before stepping out of the room to get ready. I head back to my room, trying to desperately ignore the door I pass to get to mine. I sigh in relief at thefort of my room. I head to my own bathroom to wash away the dirt off my skin, if only I could wash the sadness as easily. I let the cold water numb my skin, if only it¡¯d numb my heart to these earthly feelings.


    I finish getting ready inplete and utter silence, no music to get me ready for the day. I head downstairs to find a crestfallen ire and a quieter than normal Roger, no one says anything as I barely eat a piece of toast with a ss of orange juice.


    ¡°You need anything?¡± Roger finally speaks up.


    ¡°A tub of chunky monkey and a gallon of Nute,¡± I nod looking ahead. I¡¯m going to pig out and watch movies, scary movies. I¡¯ll pretend Chucky¡¯s knife went through Drew¡¯s cruel heart. I guess I¡¯m a bit bitter. I head up to the theater room, its darkness enveloping me and I wee it. I put in a collection of scary movies and merely smile in gratification as Roger brings me my ice cream and chocte. I stay cooped up in the theater room all day, Kohles back takes a look at my uncaring frame and leaves while muttering something about cutting Drew¡¯s balls off. I couldn¡¯t really tell, maybe that¡¯s just what I wanted to hear.


    It goes on like this for the next three days, no school, just my wallowing in self-pity. Nothing seems to break through me, not even Channing or Alex in Magic Mike, I can still speak that the magic was very much present though. Kohl seems to feel some of my pain through the supposed twin connection as he joins me in the evenings, just watching movies with me. The only way I leave is to shower, change, get more food, and asionally sleep.


    Thursday approaches fast, and my uing birthday on Sunday does nothing to lift my beaten spirits. Not even Roger and the catalog of cars from which I¡¯ll choose my new ride from. They just remind me of the way Lucy can¡¯t ride them because of the safety hazards. Just another day in this cruel life and I¡¯m seriously low on ice cream and cookies. I hear some shuffling behind me, I assume it¡¯s Roger so I don¡¯t bother turning around.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need some more chunky monkey and cookies, please,¡± I ask with my eyes still glued on Freddie Prinze Jr. on the screen in, ¡®I Know What You Did Last Summer.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re beginning to look like a chunky monkey,¡± an all too familiar voice taunts.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± I snap as Adrian creeps out of the shadows.


    ¡°My, my, my, what a warm wee, here I thought we were bffs,¡± he teases but I¡¯m in no mood for jokes. I just continue to look at him with no mirth present.


    ¡°Fine, fine, I can¡¯t believe Kohl was right, you are fucked up. Well since you haven¡¯t been going to school, I thought I¡¯de check on you,¡± he smirks as he nts himself on a couch. I jump onto him as he grabs one of my cookies.


    ¡°My cookie,¡± I remark as I eat in front of his face with a grunt before going back to my seat.


    No one eats my cookies.


    ¡°Okay Shrillsbury Doughgirl, chill, I came here to offer my moral support or some crap. You need to get off your ass and get back to life, I already told you we¡¯ll get Lucy back, she belongs with all of us. I already have it figured out, but I¡¯m going to need your help,¡± Adrian states as I continue to stuff my face.


    ¡°No, she belongs to you guys, I don¡¯t matter,¡± I mutter around a mouthful of cookies.


    ¡°Well too bad nerdy, you¡¯re in this already, plus things are about to get rough for you. Drew¡¯s being an ass right now because he hates when things don¡¯t go his way, Lucy¡¯s been giving him hell. I think she misses you, and frankly he¡¯s not doing so well either. I mean he hasn¡¯t hit rock bottom like you but close,¡± Adrian looks at me in something akin to disgust.


    This is his moral support?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m doing perfectly fine,¡± I raise my chin indignantly.


    ¡°Hate to break it to you but you have chocte all over your fucking face,¡± Adrian states none too nicely.


    ¡°And you have mean all over yours,¡± I retort childishly.


    ¡°This is how you¡¯re going to prove you love Lucy, by doing shit?¡± his voice takes on a crueler tone.


    ¡°No,¡± I mumble looking down like a scolded child.


    ¡°Are you gonna go fix your appearance so we can go to school?¡± he yells like some form of life coach. I hate to say it but it¡¯s working.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I scream back, jumping onto my fuzzy sock d feet.


    ¡°Then you go back to your room and fix your face so we can be on our way,¡± he states before walking out of the theater room. I walk out and run up to my room doing as he said. I did look like a mess. In no time we¡¯re on the road and on our way to school. Nervousness has me fidgeting in my seat, annoying Adrian.


    ¡°Look, we have Sammy¡¯s and Lucas¡¯s support, now we just need to give Drew no choice but to see things our way. You¡¯re going to have to cut that shy act and be a hard ass, okay?¡± I nod in answer.


    Hardball, I¡¯ll be like a pit-bull.


    ¡°Now I didn¡¯t say look constipated, I said look tough,¡± he remarks. I wipe my face clean of all emotion, he nods approvingly before getting out of the car as we pull into the parking lot.


    I walk confidently by his side, his support doing something to me. Giving me a much needed boost, I smile a bit before wiping it off my face. Damn, now I have to fight off the smile,pletely throwing me off my mojo. I debate within myself as how to keep my tough fa?ade, causing me to only trip on air again,nding face first in a trash bin. I faintly hear Adrian¡¯sughter as I dig my head out of the trash can, only to meet blue eyes as I finally manage to pull my head out. That coldness still very much present, but the lighter shade of his eyes letting me know he finds the situation amusing and he¡¯s currently trying to fight it.


    Drew tries to fight off a smile as a banana peel falls down my head to the ground by my feet. I got all cleaned up and motivated for this. Adrian¡¯sughter is not appreciated. I try to stomp off and out of sight, bad idea. I only end up tripping on the discarded peel, making mend on my butt on the hard tiled floor.


    Khloe, a coordinated person you are not.

 Chapter 14 Becoming The Bad Boy鈥檚鈥?hat?

    Adrian manages topose himself and offers his hand before pulling me up off the floor. Whatever, I made the floor look good, that¡¯s my excuse and I¡¯m sticking to it. I watch out of the corner of my eye as Drew coughs into his fist trying to hide hisughter while he stands a couple of feet away from us. Yeah,ugh it up buddy, I¡¯ll beughing in the end.


    ¡°Pay him no attention, make it look like you don¡¯t care about him, like you barely see him,¡± Adrian whispers in my ear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about him,¡± I bite back quickly. I mean seriously, Drew means nothing to me, except for he took Lucy away and the fact that he scares me yet makes me wonder at the same time, aside from all of that he means nothing to me.


    ¡°Suuure, and you¡¯re not a klutz,¡± he remarks.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to trip on air, you can¡¯t see it,¡± I protest with a scowl on my face.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he puts his hand on my back as he leads me away from that hall. I make a show ofpletely ignoring Drew, adding in a toss of my hair over my shoulder. That¡¯s right I can be a bitch too.


    ¡°What was that, it looked like your neck was having a spasm,¡± Adrian points out as he leads me to the cafeteria. Ourte arrivals making our appearance seem kind of pointless. I follow Adrian towards the lunch table where everybody sits, except Drew of course. Kohl¡¯s eyes light up as he notices me, getting up and pulling out a chair for me right next to him. I smile and reply to everyone¡¯s greetings, all of them knowing why I¡¯ve been absent except for Ruby.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± she exims as she takes in my disgruntled appearance.


    Falling into a trashcan will do that to you.


    ¡°She fell into a pile of shit,¡± Adrian answers the unasked question.


    Yes, thank you Adrian.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just been out,¡± I give Ruby ame excuse.


    ¡°Well, I missed you and the project¡¯s almost done, Drew helped a lot in your absence,¡± she exins. I just nod and give her a tight smile at the mention of that wretched name.


    Speak of the devil and he shall appear.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Drew mumbles as he takes a seat at the other end of the table. We all give him careless ¡®hellos¡¯ as we look away from him, except for Ruby, whose smile always manages to light up the ce. I feel a shiver crawl down my spine as I feel that all too familiar stare on me.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go to the bathroom, to fix this,¡± I point to myself as I get up from the table trying to get away from Drew.


    ¡°Wait up,¡± I hear Sammy¡¯s voice calls out making me stop. She catches up with Ruby on her side, we all head into the restroom and they help me clean up.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up with you and Drew?¡± Ruby asks curiously.


    ¡°They had a falling out, my brother¡¯s an ass,¡± Sammy exins with a scowl as she fixes my hair.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I tell them both as I step down from the counter with a small smile.


    We all head out and we go our separate ways as the bell rings. I head off thoughtfully on my route to Art ss, why did I evene to school for one ss only? Oh yeah, to get back at Drew. I step into ss and head to my table where Adrian already slumps carelessly at.


    ¡°Nice job ignoring Drew,¡± he smirks as I take a seat. I nod before cing my head on the cold table.


    ¡°Your enthusiasm is riveting, really,¡± Adrian sarcastically remarks.


    I ignore him.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to need you toe outside with me so that I can finish our project,¡± he states while standing up with the outside pass and sketchbook in hand. I huff as I follow him into the small courtyard. I watch as Adrian sets up in front of a small tree, motioning to a swing that hangs there. I reluctantly move to sit on it. I am so not in the mood to y Venus de Milo. I don¡¯t even smile as I sway lightly with the wind on the vine covered wooden swing.


    ¡°Come on Mona Lisa, you better smile,¡± Adrian teases making me crack a small smile. Who would¡¯ve thought Adrian of all people would be the one to get me out of a slump? We continue on like that for the rest of the period, with only minor quarrels. We exit the ssroom side by side, my day looking slightly better than the way it actually started.


    ¡°Okay, I gotta go talk to Drew, wait here,¡± Adrian orders. I nod and watch as he heads off to the grouchy bad boy. Lucases to stand by my side with a beaming smile on his face.


    ¡°Drew getting to you?¡± he questions.


    ¡°Why would he be getting to me?¡± I cross my arms over my chest. How could the cute, heartless bad boy with the captivating blue eyes be getting to me?


    ¡°You know why,¡± he sings yfully while nudging my shoulder causing me to scowl.


    ¡°No, I hate him, just like he does me,¡± I reply. Lucas moves to stand in front of me, blocking my view of Adrian and Drew as they speak.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t hate you,¡± Lucas shakes his head, I merely wave him off.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prove it to you,¡± I step back as he leans in closer to me.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask nervously.


    ¡°Watch, it¡¯s going to look like I¡¯m about to kiss you to Drew, he won¡¯t allow it,¡± Lucas smiles. I stand there with an unbelieving expression as Lucas leans in nearer and nearer, a mere breath away¡­ a cough snaps our attention to the side. Drew wears a scowl alongside a smirking Adrian, somehow I think these two bad boys nned this.


    ¡°What do we need to talk about?¡± Drew grumbles.


    ¡°Not here, we¡¯re going to Khloe¡¯s house to have this conversation,¡± Adrian states.


    ¡°Fine, you need a ride?¡± Drew directs his blue eyes to me.


    ¡°No, thank you, I¡¯m riding with Adrian,¡± I decline as I head to Adrian¡¯s ck and red car, not sparing another nce to those blue eyes. We drive silently to my house and pull up at the same time, one car after the other.


    ire lets us in happily as mying out of my secluded haven has made her happier. We all head to the living room. Adrian, Sammy and Lucas all take a seat on the loveseat. I head for one of the armchairs, where Kohl ces his butt on my side and Drew takes the other one. It¡¯s quiet for a while, none of us saying anything.


    ¡°You have one minute to say whatever it is you dragged me here for,¡± Drew¡¯s cold voice speaks up.


    ¡°I want you to bring Lucy back in here where she¡¯ll be hidden safely, along with providing protection for Khloe,¡± Adrian exins.


    ¡°Why would Khloe need protection?¡± Drew shrugs.


    Nice to know you care, bro, wait, why do I need protection?


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure before but I just confirmed that she¡¯s the girl your mom asked you to protect before she died,¡± Adrian continues, surprising us all. Wait, why the hell do I need protection? I need to stop getting so distracted in situations of duress.


    ¡°So, you knew that too and failed to tell me? You¡¯re seriously fucking up, Adrian,¡± Drew snaps.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some guys set up around here and keep watch on her,¡± he adds before getting up.


    ¡°What about Lucy?¡± Sammy speaks up.


    ¡°She¡¯s staying with us, now let¡¯s go,¡± Drew orders but no one makes a move.


    ¡°Mom gave that job specifically to you, Drew. It must¡¯ve meant a lot. You have to do this yourself,¡± Sammy protests.


    ¡°Wait, why do I need protection?¡± I question to no one in particr.


    I¡¯m dying to find out how my life is hanging on the edge of a precipice, sarcasm debatable.


    ¡°I said I¡¯d have someone watching over her, now let¡¯s go,¡± he orders once again getting the same reaction.


    Nothing.


    ¡°You guys seem to forget who the boss is,¡± he sneers, wow, I like the way his eyes darken when he gets all murderous.


    So not the time to think about the shade of his eyes Khloe.


    ¡°Drew, move Lucy back in here and let us all keep watch over them,¡± Sammy bargains.


    ¡°Nope,¡± he moves closer to the door now.


    ¡°Fine then, Lucy¡¯s not yours to keep,¡± Adrian calls out, making Drew halt his steps.


    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± he turns back.


    ¡°Lucy is registered as Lucy Mason, with Khloe as her mother, technically you have no rights,¡± Adrian shrugs condescendingly.


    Maybe it¡¯s not so bad having Adrian know everything.


    ¡°What do you want me to do, move us all in here?¡± Drew scratches his eyebrow.


    ¡°Did I hear someone was moving in, how many rooms do I need to get ready?¡± ire asks as she pops out of nowhere, wiping her hands on a white dish towel. We all seem to mentally debate over her question, how would this possible living arrangement work out? On the up side I¡¯d have Lucy close with me once again, but two certain annoying boys would be here as well, and I¡¯m not talking about Lucas. There¡¯s silence before someone finally speaks up.


    ¡°Well, we could share, so maybe two?¡± Drew shrugs uncertainly causing ire tough along with Kohl. He seems to have answered the question for all of us, I spare no thought of this bad boy being in close proximity as tion at the thought of being reunited with Lucy flows through me.


    ¡°Adrian¡¯s room is still avable, just prepare three more,¡± I smile at ire.


    ¡°You sure you guys have enough room?¡± Drew asks.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cute,¡± ire gushes as she pinches his cheeks causing him to turn pink in embarrassment and us tough. She hurries of muttering something about calling for us when dinner¡¯s ready.


    ¡°Where will Lucy stay?¡± Drew sighs as he plops down on the chair again.


    ¡°She has, had her own room,¡± I answer looking away, ignoring those captivating azure eyes.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go change,¡± I state before getting up and heading to the winding staircase. I head inside my room with a smile and a different perspective on life. I can¡¯t believe Adrian pulled through, wait, why do I have to be protected? No one ever answered my question.


    I shuffle around my room grabbing some clothes before heading into my bathroom. Good thing most rooms have their own bathroom. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like to share with a guy, it¡¯d just be weird. I step out of the shower freshly cleaned, when I realize I forgot my underwear. I walk out into the room with the towel wrapped tightly around my body. I halt as Drew¡¯s sitting on the beanbag chair in the corner of my room, while he carelessly looks at my books, failing to notice me.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I exim as I clutch the towel tighter. That snaps him out of it, his eyes widen at my appearance and just then one of the hardcover books he misced falls on his head. He jumps up from his seat holding his forehead.


    ¡°You should get out, now,¡± I point to the door. He nods while making his way out of the room, why is he smiling? Is heughing at me? I¡¯ll kill him. I lock the door, double checking it before getting my things and finish getting ready. I finally emerge from my room and downstairs as a couple of muscr looking guys bring in some suitcases and a chest of some sort. I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s the guys¡¯ stuff.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the chest?¡± I ask Lucas who is hurriedly trying to take it upstairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s, uhm, it¡¯s, special clothes,¡± he rubs the back of his neck and I nod my head to his obvious lie.


    ¡°Am I ever going to know just what the hell you guys are involved in?¡± I ask the question I think we¡¯ve all been waiting to know the answer to.


    ¡°A gang, duh,¡± Lucas answers without hesitation as he tries to haul the heavy looking chest upstairs.


    Wait, what?


    ¡°Wait, a freaking gang, what the hell, why?¡± I ramble, well, I was sort of right when I thought Adrian was part of the mafia.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s the way things are,¡± Drew states as hees into the room with Lucy in his arms. Her face lights up as she notices me standing there. I walk over to him slowly. He sighs before handing her to me, making us both smile widely.


    ¡°Can you show me to her room, she hasn¡¯t been sleeping well and she seems tired,¡± he asks. I nod as I lead him upstairs and into the lc room, located next to mine.


    ¡°Whoa, what did you do buy Toys R¡¯ Us?¡± he teases as he steps in. I roll my eyes as I ce Lucy in her crib.


    ¡°I guess I did go a little crazy,¡± I smile sheepishly.


    ¡°So, you and Lucas, huh?¡± he asks as he leans on the wall, his eyes seem to darken as he waits for an answer.


    ¡°A gang, huh?¡± I use his same tone.


    ¡°Does it bother you?¡± Drew¡¯s blue eyes lock me in ce as they always do, waiting for an answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answer honestly. I don¡¯t know how to feel about this situation? I mean everybody has a reason for what they do in life, why can¡¯t he? Oh my god, a thought just crossed my mind, I¡¯m now living with the gagster boys, scary but it sounds cool.


    ¡°Sorry for you know, acting like an asshole,¡± he apologizes looking away. Guess somebody¡¯s not used to apologizing.


    ¡°It¡¯s cool, you were mad, but why a gang, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± I bounce in my shoes as I wait for his answer.


    ¡°I was born into it,¡± is all he says.


    ¡°Oh, here you guys are, I¡¯ve already showed the others their rooms,e along now,¡± ire chirps as we follow behind her, past my bedroom and into the one next to it.


    ¡°This will be your room Drew, it¡¯s closer to Lucy, and Khloe¡¯s right next door if you need anything,¡± she states before leaving, that woman always seems to be in a hurry.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re neighbors,¡± Drew smirks leaning on his new doorway, I don¡¯t know why but that smirk seems a bit unnerving.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t wake me up too early in the morning,¡± I state as I turn to walk into my room.


    ¡°And Khloe,¡± his voice makes me shiver as he stands behind me, his breath hitting the back of my neck. Are we seriously back to that intense bad boy persona, you know, the one that seems to stalk me all the time? This feels like Edward stalking Be, seriously? It irks me, the way I feel his presence so vividly.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I squeak not turning around. I feel his hands on my waist as he turns me directly into him, now why does this feel like d¨¦j¨¤ vu?


    ¡°I tend to be a jealous guy, so, if your lips are going to be moving, they better be on me,¡± I have no time to ponder over his words as his warm lips envelop mine, sending small sparks through my body. At first, I just stand there in shock as if a clown pped me, but his coaxing lips make me move mine eventually. I find myself wrapping my hands around his neck as his hold tightens around my waist. Just like that the bad boy took my first kiss. I vaguely remember something in my mind about making this bad boy pay, but his lips have made me jumble everything and I really can¡¯t tell right now.


    ¡°I told you this would work,¡± Adrian¡¯s voice snaps me out of the state of bliss as I pull away with a flushing face. I turn around to see Lucas high fiving a smirking Adrian, why the hell are they smiling so crazily?


    ¡°Told you he¡¯d get jealous,¡± Lucas smirks as Drew scowls.


    ¡°Well, I gotta go,¡± I mumble with a burning face. I turn to head back into my room, only to m into the wall adding to my embarrassment.


    ¡°Smooth Khloe, smooth,¡± I hear Adrian¡¯s voiceugh. I don¡¯t spare the guys a nce as I step into my room and shut my door, sliding down the wooden ne and onto the floor.


    What just happened? Did I really just kiss Drew? I always thought I¡¯d like a quiet, nerdy guy like Spencer Reed on Criminal Minds, but the bad boy just gives me a certain thrill.


    This is how I became the bad boy¡¯s¡­ what?


    Protected?


    Fool?


    Roommate?


    Awesome super hero who lurks in the shadows and rocks a bat costume?


    How about all of the above? How do things go from here, obviously there¡¯s going to be more awkwardness from me since Drew can¡¯t keep his mouth to himself, but I¡¯ve got to admit, that boy can kiss. I mean, things are sure to get interesting when you add three bad boys and a bubbly girl into the household. What the hell was in Lucas¡¯s chest? How will my clumsiness along with Drew¡¯s arrogance sh? Why are my lips tingling, did Drew try to poison me? That is no way to a girl¡¯s heart, Drew.


    Oh, and why do I still not know what I need to be protected from, curse Drew and his sinful lips. This is not supposed to happen to me, I¡¯m Batman.

 Chapter 15 Batman, Brothers, and Significant Others

    ¡°Adrian, you try to sneak into her room one more time, I¡¯m going to cut your eyeballs so you¡¯ll be lost wandering where the hell you¡¯re going,¡± Drew¡¯s voice disturbs my peaceful reading as it carries throughout the house. You¡¯d think the mystery bad boy was quiet, not when ites to his family, he really is overprotective. Personally, I think Adrian just likes baiting him by sneaking off to Sammy¡¯s room. A knock on my door has me heaving a sigh. I don¡¯t feel like getting up.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re in there, cupcake,¡± oh, it¡¯s the devil himself. Maybe if I just keep quiet he¡¯ll think I¡¯m gone. The living arrangements have gone quite good, well, except for Adrian and Drew¡¯s bantering, but that¡¯s not new. I¡¯ve been hiding inside my room all day, today¡¯s Kohl and I¡¯s birthday, and I know Sammy¡¯s keeping watch to try to girlify me.


    ¡°Lucy and I just want to see you,¡± I can hear the smile on those rosy lips. With a smile of my own, I get up from the ck bean bag chair and open the locked door. There stands the most beautiful sight for sore eyes with beautiful blue ones of their own, and Drew.


    ¡°Hey baby,¡± I chirp as I grab the giddy baby from Drew¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Well hello there,¡± his arrogant voice speaks up. I scowl as he makes his way inside the room, not before locking the door.


    ¡°I was talking to Lucy,¡± I state without looking at him, my attention captured by a little girl that seems to be oozing happiness. I¡¯ve tried to avoid Drew as much as possible since that kiss. No one¡¯s mentioned anything so I¡¯m hoping we¡¯ve all forgotten about it.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you around,¡± he sighs nonchntly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been around,¡± I¡¯m working on my lying skills and the ability toe up with an excuse at any given time, I¡¯m happy to say I think it¡¯s working. I head over to my massive bed and plop down with Lucy in my arms. She begins to thrash around before crawling around on the bedspread. I see him get a lopsided grin on his chiseled face out of the corner of my eye.


    ¡°Why are you hanging out in your room, it¡¯s your birthday, didn¡¯t I make some calls to have a party ready?¡± he raises an eyebrow as he plops down on the bean bag chair I¡¯d currently been sitting on.


    ¡°Not much of a party person, plus I¡¯ve got plenty of time,¡± I shrug as I carefully keep an eye on Lucy.


    ¡°So, I, uhm, came to ask you something,¡± I jump as his voice sounds closer. I raise an eyebrow as he stands by the foot of the bed with his hands in his pockets while his gaze hovers over nothing.


    ¡°Yeah, I have a question too,¡± I speak up causing him to sigh in relief and sit down on the edge of the bed, making faces at Lucy.


    ¡°Go,¡± he motions with his hand for me to speak.


    ¡°Okay, can you exin the whole gang thing to me or is it ¡®you know, you die¡¯ sort of thing, and why do I need to be protected?¡± I let it all out in one breath before the courage of speaking up dissipates.


    ¡°Wow, uhm, okay, I could let you know so much about the gang and not putting you in some sort of danger,¡± he stops, hesitating. I was about to tell him to forget it when he begins to speak as he rolls over on his back with Lucy on his muscr chest.


    ¡°My father was the bad kid around his side of town, people had heard about him being a gangster¡¯s son and they alienated him for it. The rumors were true, but it didn¡¯t mean he was a bad person, it¡¯s like assuming a killer¡¯s son is automatically a killer and you hold him up for his father¡¯s crimes. It¡¯d been this way for a while. His father had gone through the same treatment. Basically this gang had been formed years ago, before any of us had been born.


    ¡°See, when towns began to industrialize many people moved to rural areas to get part of the riches, take over, start new businesses, you know grow with the country. My family lived in the Midwest back then, in a small town in Wisconsin. The tale says that some new business people wanted to buy the town¡¯s inhabitants¡¯ homes for meager prices and go on to make a great fortune of the ce. My great, great, great, you get the picture, great grandfather had heard about the Wild West gangs, you know the cowboy raiders, that¡¯d been moving in for gold towards where the gold was.


    ¡°Well, he gathered the men around town and formed a gang against the neers, to scare them off, it all started in order to protect their home, in a sort of righteous way. But you know, as time passed and the gang was passed down to the next family member, our family remaining the leaders, some of my family began to get greedy. They turned the gang into what my ancestor was trying to prevent, greed took over them.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the greed but being singled out by other people, it turned many of my family members to anger, so much that they began moving the gang around. My father was shunned as well until a girl came to town, she treated him differently and he grew to love her so much. When it was his time to take the leadership she reminded him of how it all began the gang¡¯s original purpose. She¡¯d been fascinated by the story, the history and she loved him. He followed it, sure a gang¡¯s still a gang and she understood that, but everything that was done was for a reason, never out of pure malice.


    ¡°It¡¯s all very secret society like, you know that whole Illuminati shit, but a gang. My mom made my dad see things differently, everything was fine until now,¡± he turns to look at me while I just sit there stunned by the amazing story. This is so History channel worthy kind of thing, so much history in one gang, who would¡¯ve thought? I personally would¡¯ve thought it all started with a bad ¡®your momma¡¯ joke.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool, I mean not the whole thing, you know the history and stuff,¡± I ramble hoping I hadn¡¯t offended him.


    ¡°Yeah, I like the way it began,¡± he smiles while looking down at a now sleeping Lucy, guess I¡¯m not the only one that likes story time. I smile at the baby as Iy down next to Drew, keeping three inches of distance between us, getting ready for questions.


    ¡°What happened, with your dad?¡± I question as I turn face to face.


    ¡°That is a story for another time, and as for what you need to be protected from that falls into Adrian¡¯s job to figure out. Somehow, I have a feeling he¡¯s trying to protect you from something, it¡¯s weird, the way you¡¯ve grown on him,¡± Drew exins.


    Wow, I am so Adrian¡¯s best friend no matter how many times he tries to deny it.


    ¡°So, what were you going to ask me?¡± I question slowly while looking up at the ceiling. A ck night sky painted on there, calming my form, it¡¯s the only thing that differentiates from the purple and mauve walls.


    ¡°Oh, well since you¡¯re not the party type and I hate people, I was thinking we could sneak out early and I take you on our first ¡®official¡¯ date?¡± aw, his cheeks get a slight tint of pink to them. To be or not to be, should I go or not? What¡¯s the worst that could happen, for him to shoot me to death?


    Don¡¯t forget that is a possibility, Khloe.


    Right, right.


    ¡°Okay, does it matter that we¡¯ll be dressed up?¡±


    ¡°Nah, whatever you wear will be fine and before you ask where I¡¯m taking you, no, it¡¯s a surprise,¡± he states in a firm tone, the dude could be psychic. I huff making him chuckle and ce an arm around me. I try to get away only for him to tighten his hold. I¡¯m defeated, strong bad boy wins.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you¡¯ve been trying to avoid me,¡± he whispers in my ear. I can feel the blush overtake my features so I bury my head in his chest as a form of response.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I mumble only to feel the rise and fall of his chest as heughs. I hate to say it, but this blue eyed bad boy is veryfortable so I snuggle into him some more, yep, I¡¯m using him as a pillow, a strong, calloused hand stroking my head down my back in repeat a soothing melody causing my eyes to droop, until I slip into sweet bliss.


    ¡°Khloe, Khloe, open the goddamn door, I swear Drew if you deflower my little sister it¡¯s on like donkey Kong,¡± a loud, obnoxious voice seeps into my ear taking me away from my sweet dreams. I wake up as a loud bang resonates throughout my room. I jump up slightly as I¡¯m held down by something. I look around and my eyes zero in on Drew¡¯s arm as he holds me tightly in ce, closer to him. At the doorway, where my door used to be before Kohl decided to break it down, stands panicking Kohl and a smirking Adrian.


    ¡°Uhm, we fell asleep,¡± I state slowly while trying to desperately remove Drew¡¯s arm from around me. Drew and Lucy sure can sleep, she¡¯s a baby, how did she not wake up?


    ¡°Drew, wake up,¡± I begin to shake him with my free arm.


    ¡°Do I need to murder anyone, did he touch you inappropriately?¡± Kohl begins to question as he steps into the room with Adrian, why the hell is he still smirking?


    ¡°And he tells me to stay out of Sammy¡¯s room,¡± Adrian decides to remark.


    ¡°Excuse me, nothing happened or have you failed to notice the baby in the room,¡± I retort as Drew finally stirs before opening his eyes, I¡¯ve got to say, he does look cute while he¡¯s sleeping.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Drew yawns as his arm instinctively tightens around Lucy and me, overprotective much?


    ¡°Can you let go?¡± I ask before he finally releases me and I step further and further away from the devil.


    ¡°Dude, I¡¯m all for the Krew ship, but we¡¯ll set some ground rulester on,¡± Kohl scowls at Drew.


    ¡°The what?¡± Adrian asks the question running through my mind.


    ¡°Khloe and Drew, Krew, it¡¯s all I got at the moment if you have any idea don¡¯t fail to mention it,¡± Kohl exins in a duh tone, as if it should be as clear as water.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take Lucy to her room, I¡¯ll find you at the party,¡± Drew whispers thatst part in my ear before heading out of the room with a wide smile framing his features. Sometimes, I do wonder how I get myself into these awkward situations. I¡¯m worse than Jenna Hamilton on Awkward.


    ¡°So, I gotta get ready, and Kohl, my door better be back up by the time Ie out of the shower,¡± I say slowly, not wanting to make them feel their presence is not wee, even if it is precisely so. Kohl hurriedly makes his way out of the room while Adrian¡¯s pace is leisurely, that smirk forever instilled on his face, if only I could knock it off. I shake my head at the wooden door on lying on the ground and head to the bathroom to shower before getting ready for the party, yippee. I walk back out into my room in a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around my hair, just in time for the knock on my now standing door, I sigh in relief.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I trail off uncertainly as Sammy stands at my door with an excited expression marring her features.


    ¡°I came to help you get ready,¡± she bounces inside my room, almost knocking me to the side. She holds two bags in her hands and I look at them skeptically. She¡¯s also in a bathrobe but her hair¡¯s in curlers.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the bags?¡± I close the door and follow her to my vanity.


    ¡°Our dresses and shoes,¡± she responds before sitting down and starts messing around with my hair, by what I can see she¡¯s adding some slight curls to it. I sit there fidgeting slightly as she applies some make up to my face before deeming me ready to change and beginning to work on herself. I walk over to the bags.


    ¡°I thought I was wearing the purple one I bought,¡± I trail off uncertainly.


    ¡°I found a better choice, trust me,¡± she smiles.


    ¡°Which dress is yours?¡± I ask.


    ¡°The ck one¡¯s mine, the other one is yours,¡± she answers. I look inside the other bag and pull out a very pretty dress all in white fabric. It has a simple bodice that goes down in slight ruffles, it¡¯s beautiful. I smile as I pull it up and look inside to find some very pretty ck shoes.


    ¡°I knew it, you look so pretty, you know who won¡¯t be able to take his eyes off of you, like he ever does,¡± she speaks a mile a minute but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s hard to figure out who she¡¯s talking about. I roll my eyes and take a seat on the edge of my bed while she finishes getting ready. In no time we¡¯re both heading downstairs, where all the guys seem to be waiting. I don¡¯t know why but suddenly I feel a herd of butterflies in my stomach, my nerves going to high levels, I don¡¯t know why. In the back of my mind there¡¯s one thing, will a certain someone like the dress?


    ¡°Where¡¯s the party going to be at?¡± I turn my attention to her as we head downstairs, until the sudden silence turns deafening. I look around confusedly as we head to the bottom, where a dressed up Adrian waits for his girl with a foreign smile on his face. I receive one of my own as I watch him intertwine their arms and strut off to the side. Kohl smiles at me from the side and I was about to head off in his direction before I feel a firm grasp on my arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re riding with me,¡± Drew¡¯s voice makes me shiver involuntarily and I merely nod following him out the door.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we just have the party here?¡± I ask.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want addresses to be known, it¡¯s better to stay low,¡± he replies leading me to his amazing car, that¡¯s now scratch free.


    ¡°You look very pretty,¡± he leans in to say as he opens the car door for me. I struggle to form a coherent thought with the close proximity.


    ¡°Three feet distance, Drew, three feet,¡± I hear Kohl snap from afar. I look towards Drew for a logical exnation.


    ¡°I had to make apromise in order to take you out tonight, I think we really scared him today,¡± he exins while turning to smile and wave at my idiotic brother.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡± Drew asks once we¡¯re situated in the ck sports car.


    ¡°Kohl¡¯s present,¡± I smile as I picture my brother¡¯s for sure to be overdramatic reaction.


    ¡°What did you get him?¡± Drew gives me a nce before turning back to the road.


    ¡°If I kept this under lock and key from Kohl, what makes you think I¡¯ll tell you?¡± not even Adrian knows what I got my overzealous brother.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m awesome,¡± he states cockily.


    ¡°Sure, you keep thinking that,¡± I wave him off with a smile. I like this teasing side of Drew, the yful guy, I wonder how many people actually get to see this part of him.


    ¡°There¡¯s not gonna be a whole bunch of strangers at this party, right?¡± I suddenly blurt.


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s just us we just sort of had the ce fixed for your gift from Kohl,¡± Drew informs while I turn to him with a very scary Cheshire grin.


    ¡°You know what Kohl¡¯s getting me?¡± I look up at him innocently.


    ¡°Not happening,¡± he turns to the road.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I huff turning to face out the window, just watching the scenery pass by.


    ¡°Come on cupcake,¡± Drew¡¯s voice snaps me out of my zoned out state while he gets out of the car and heads to open my door. I grab Kohl¡¯s gift before climbing out of the car and following the imposing bad boy to a very well structured ball room or party hall, whatever. The room¡¯s been decorated in ck and purple, both of our favorite colors, purple glistening stars hanging from the ceiling.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I breathe out in awe.


    ¡°I thought you might like this,¡± Drew grabs my hand and leads me further into the room. I don¡¯t know why but I feel my face flush when his warm hands envelopes mine, stupid teenage girl hormones.


    ¡°How did you have this all done?¡± I ask recalling Sammy saying that Drew was responsible for most of the party.


    ¡°When people think you¡¯re some scary dude and you have the right amount of money, things happen,¡± he smirks, if only people knew he is some scary dude. He leads me to the part of the room where a makeshift stage has been built. I turn to him with an eyebrow raised.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask slowly.


    ¡°Kohl¡¯s birthday present for you,¡± he smirks as the lights dim down and smoke begins to fill the room. As people begin toe out from backstage and I finally get the gist of what¡¯s going to happen, I feel like almost tearing up. It is in this moment in time that I know I have one of the best brother¡¯s in the world. You have to be pretty exceptional to pay for the reenactment of my favorite scene in the original Batman, as he faces the Joker in the bell tower. I watch mesmerized throughout the whole thing, not willing to believe this is actually happening. At the end of the scene, after the curtains drop they then raise to reveal all of the guys and Kohl screaming ¡®Happy Birthday,¡¯ I smile and jump on top of the stage to hug my brother.


    ¡°That was fucking awesome, happy birthday Kohl,¡± I scream as I hang on his back and he holds me in ce, I lean down to give him a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Happy birthday Khloe,¡± Ruby steps up with a bag in her hands.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I give her a beaming smile.


    ¡°Did you like your present?¡± Kohl asks with a wide smile once I climb off of him.


    ¡°Yeah, best gift ever, here¡¯s yours,¡± I hand him the bag with the frame inside.


    ¡°Khloe, I have never loved you more than I do now,¡± he smiles as he holds up the autographed Nirvana poster, with the authentication certificate. He ces the frame down carefully on the nearby table before flinging his shirt off and running around the room, officially starting the party. I ce the presents the guys have gotten me on the table as well as I head off to the snack and pastries table, I love food.


    ¡°You want to head out now?¡± I feel hot breath hit my neck as Drew obviously stands behind me.


    ¡°Before you two lovebirds go on your little rendez vouz, here Khloe, don¡¯t tell anybody I was fucking nice to you or you¡¯ll regret it,¡± gee Adrian, you¡¯re so nice only to take it back. I look inside the bag and smile as I take the book out.


    ¡°You had ¡®Die for Me¡¯ autographed?¡± I smile as I look at the signed front page, Amy Plum scribbled on it.


    ¡°Happy birthday,¡± he takes mepletely by surprise as his arms envelop me in a warm embrace.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I murmur as I wrap my arms around him briefly before he scurries off to his girlfriend. I think Adrian¡¯s bing my best friend, grouchy and mean, but good friend nheless.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Drew holds his arm out. I take it and we leave the noisy and slightly crowded ce behind in the dust. We get inside Drew¡¯s car and I make myselffortable after his warning of the long drive ahead of us. I watch as the sky turns dark and we finally pull up to a small diner.


    ¡°A diner?¡± I query inquisitively. Drew merely smiles, his blue eyes holding a glint of mischief as he ushers me inside the quaint establishment. For being an old diner it sure looks clean, spotless tables are scattered around the room. It has a vintage feel to it, only adding more to its appeal. A ck and white tiled dance floor is off to the side.


    Drew leads me to a booth in the back, why I do not know as the diner seems to be empty and quiet, giving us all the privacy needed, not that we do need it. A small gift box with a balloon sits on the table. He obviously nned ahead of time.


    ¡°Why this ce?¡± I ask as I look around the cute little room after giving our orders for drinks.


    ¡°It has sentimental value,¡± he shrugs with a smirk.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have me guessing all night aren¡¯t you?¡± I huff as my eyesnd on an older woman who seems to be gushing on me from afar. It¡¯s sad to say that¡¯s not the weirdest thing that¡¯s happened to me, but that¡¯s a story for another time.


    ¡°Sometimes it does seem creepy, the information Adrian can dig up, right?¡± Drew questions out of the blue.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me, how he knows I have a heart shaped beauty mark on my ass baffles me,¡± I blurt out without thinking. I look down as I flush in embarrassment while Drew grins widely.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to show me one day,¡± he¡¯s so arrogant that I want to kill him.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I look away.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of this ce?¡± his blue eyes look curiously into mine while I shake my head.


    ¡°I think Adrian intimidates people into telling him what he wants to hear,¡± he continues to talk about his friend, why didn¡¯t he bring Adrian here with him?


    Oh my god, Khloe, is that jealousy I hear?


    What? Never.


    ¡°So, why does this hold sentimental value to you?¡± I ask before taking a sip of my milkshake after it¡¯s been brought to the table.


    ¡°Not to me, you,¡± he points, leaning on the red surface.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This is where your parents first met,¡± he smiles at me.


    ¡°This is ¡®the¡¯ diner, how do you know?¡± I ask, recalling the way my parents spoke about an old diner.


    ¡°I had Adrian do a little research, that woman over there was their waitress,¡± he waves over to the woman that¡¯s been smiling at me all night. She hurries over here, her eyes seeming to lighten up with each step.


    ¡°Hi darling, I¡¯m Rose, you look so much like your father,¡± she pinches my cheeks as she speaks.


    ¡°You knew my parents?¡± I ask with a smile as I look up into her hazel eyes.


    ¡°Oh, of course, Kade use to be holed up in here all the time with his head buried inside his books, always storming up ideas in that little head of his. Don¡¯t get me started on Emily, always in this very same booth, sketching in her notebook with hertest fashion trends. Guys woulde in here and try to get her attention and she was oblivious to it all. Until your father came in one day, they were always in here but never noticed the other. He came in with a pile of books and knocked her off her feet, literally. He threw her on the floor, he was so nervous it was so cute, when he looked at her and began mumbling apologies I just knew they were meant to be,¡± Rose¡¯s eyes ze over as she retells the story. She grabs my hand and leads me to a picture filled wall on the far side of the diner.


    ¡°He proposed to her right here, messed up the words but she said yes,¡± Rose points to the picture of a younger version of my father down on one knee and my surprised mother at her regr booth. I feel an arm drape over me from behind and I don¡¯t question it, I can feel my eyes water at this beautiful gesture and lean into Drew¡¯s warmth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, those eyes shouldn¡¯t have tears in them, ever,¡± Drew orders as he turns me to face him, wiping the tears off of my face. How could the bastard tell me not to cry when he goes and does this?


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whisper while he leads me back to our table. He pushes the small gift box towards me. I smile down and open the ck box. Inside sits a silver ne hanging off is a small silver rattle with a deep blue encrusted stone it, it resembles the one Lucy has.


    ¡°Figured this way you¡¯d never forget this whole ordeal,¡± he shrugs, how could I forget this whole thing ever happened? This is one of the best presents ever. I throw caution out the window as I lean over the table and ce a quick kiss on his cheek, catching himpletely by surprise. I smile as he gives me a surprised look.


    ¡°Thanks, for doing all of this,¡± I thank him.


    ¡°I want to apologize again for taking Lucy away, I can see how much you really do love her, my mom would¡¯ve loved to meet you. I meant when I said there should be no tears in your eyes and I¡¯m sorry for being the cause of it,¡± he takes my hand as he says this.


    ¡°I really am okay, but let¡¯s stop with all the deep crap and you order me a burger with curly fries,¡± I smile at the blue eyed bad boy. Inside, my inner fan girl is jumping for joy, like a unicorn pooping rainbows, because I know Drew¡¯s not this pensive with a lot of people. Knowing that in his eyes I¡¯m special, has this weird andpletely crazy feeling spread through my body.


    He leans over the table after taking the ne out of the box and maneuvering his arms while sping the chain around my neck. He smiles as he leans back to take a look while his hand stops at my cheek, caressing it.


    ¡°You really do look beautiful today,¡± he whispers as he leans in to ce a small, lingering kiss on my cheek. I blush and look down when a thought pops into my head.


    Roger didn¡¯t give me the keys to my new ride.


    Oh yeah, and Drew continues to surprise me.

 Chapter 16 Secrets, Threats, and New Friends

    A loud knocking disturbs me from my sleep causing the monster within me to arise and make an appearance. I grab one of my ck fluffy pillows, wishing the world would just disappear and allow me to sleep. Whoever is at my door seems to not want to wake the rest of the household up, oh, but disturbing me sure is in their ns. After a while I have enough, I throw my covers off of me in an angry fit before stomping my feet into their Despicable Me minion slippers and angrily shuffle to the door.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I clench my teeth at whoever stands at my door as I wipe the sleepy haze from my eyes.


    ¡°Uhm, I just wanted to know if you, uh, wanted to go with Lucy and me to get her first Christmas pictures taken,¡± Drew nervously asks as his gaze sweeps over me, taking me in as if the fact I¡¯m in sweats and a tank top is the most glorious sight he¡¯s ever seen. I am so not in the mood for his ttery right now. Wait, did he just mention Lucy?


    ¡°Did you just invite me to take Lucy for pictures?¡± I finally look up into his beautiful blues.


    ¡°Yeah, I thought we could get her first Santa pictures today?¡± he asks. It¡¯s been a week since my birthday and things have been going well. I haven¡¯t hung around Drew much, it¡¯s the fact that I don¡¯t know how to act around him sometimes. He confuses the heck out of me, it¡¯s like choosing between the mocha and caramel frappe, they¡¯re both cold and delicious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, when is my baby¡¯s birthday?¡± I yawn as I wave him inside my room and close the door. He smiles as he remembers what I¡¯m sure would be a cool tale.


    ¡°She¡¯s a new year¡¯s baby,¡± he answers. Aw, I love New Year babies. They¡¯re like a symbol for pure, clean starts.


    ¡°Really, oh, I have to n her first party, get her a present, this is going to be awesome,¡± I cheer as I dig through my drawers for some warm clothes.


    ¡°Tell me about it, it was crazy,¡± Drew exims as he lies down on my bed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I pop my head out of the bathroom with my toothbrush in mouth.


    ¡°It was just Lucas, Sammy, Adrian and I, you¡¯ll never guess who fainted,¡± Drew remarks. Oh, I¡¯ve got to hear this.


    ¡°Lucas?¡± I call out from the bathroom.


    ¡°Adrian,¡± he corrects, his answer astounds me so much I almost plunge head first into the tub, that could have very well been my unforgettable uncoordinated skills but I¡¯m going to go with the surprise excuse.


    ¡°No way, how?¡± I smile as Ie out of the bathroom fully dressed and head to the closet for my boots.


    ¡°My mom started screaming out some very graphic scenarios while he was trying to calm her down, she held his hand a little too tight and cut off the blood flow, next thing you know Adrian was knocked out cold. He missed the whole birth,¡± Drew recalls. Ha, now I have something to hold over Adrian¡¯s head.


    ¡°The midwife had a kick out of that,¡± he adds.


    ¡°So, your mom gave birth at home?¡±


    ¡°She had to, you ready yet?¡± I can tell he¡¯s trying to change the subject so I let my curiosity go. I nod while bouncing cheerily. He shakes his head and follows me out the door. There¡¯s something about the Christmas time that adds a little spring to my step. I just love the whole season, especially the twinkling lights and the fact that I will have Lucy with me this year. A certain blue eyed boy added to the mix isn¡¯t so bad either.


    I smile as I watch from against the wall as Drew gets Lucy out of her crib murmuring a series of ¡®hellos.¡¯ It¡¯s so cute to watch as he gets her ready, the way he holds her so carefully. She¡¯s the fragile butterfly and he¡¯s her caretaker, unwilling to let anything or anyone harm the baby in his arms. She¡¯s the soft side to his usual cold and tough demeanor, and I love to watch this side unfurl.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he snaps me out of my mesmerized state. I nod and we head down to the kitchen where I quietly swipe Roger¡¯s car keys, can¡¯t use our cars to drive Lucy. Yes, I finally got my car. I was going for the Lamborghini Murcigo cause let¡¯s be honest that car¡¯s hot, but I settled for a Camaro thatpliments Drew¡¯s car for some reason, except mine¡¯s white.


    ¡°So, why couldn¡¯t we bring the rest of the guys with us?¡± I ask as we make our way to the mall.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t hung out all week, I thought this way it was a win-win for the both of us,¡± he shrugs while his gaze remains solely on the road.


    ¡°Admit you missed my awesome presence,¡± I smile in his direction.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll admit you do make the sun look brighter,¡± he deres with a smile before we burst outughing. Lucy joins in from her car seat in the back as herugh rings along with ours. Time seems to fly by as too soon we¡¯re pulling up into the crowded parking lot of the bustling mall, where an avable parking space seems to be a myth. After a while we finally park and begin to stroll our way inside with Lucy safely secluded in warmth in the car stroller.


    ¡°You really do love Christmas lights, don¡¯t you?¡± Drew remarks as I stare at the looming lit tree like Channing Tatum¡¯s taking his shirt off.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nod my head before I continue to stroll with Lucy down the mall, admiring decorations and the asional ornament that captures my attention. I smile as the Santa stationes into view, due to the early morning the line¡¯s not so long as we file behind a couple of kids.


    ¡°I think we should take the picture together,¡± Drew¡¯s voice seeps into my ears. He seems to have an affinity for whispering things into them. I don¡¯t think I¡¯mining much.


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea,¡± I nod looking ahead trying to act like his presence has no effect on me. My breath hitches as his arm falls over my shoulders, the warmth of his close proximity hitting me full force.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he looks down innocently, curse his tall frame. I inconspicuously raise myself on my toes, trying to look taller next to him without giving myself away. His breath hits the side of my neck as he breathes a chuckle.


    ¡°Stop trying to look tall, you¡¯re perfect the way you are,¡± he shakes his head while I blush at hisment. Does he even realize he says these things? He¡¯s like your model worthy creature and he calls me perfect. Sometimes, I do think Drew is a little too nice to me, I think it has something to do with my enigmatic charisma, he can¡¯t keep away.


    ¡°Easy for you to say, you can see everything from your stature,¡± I huff. He stays quiet but I can¡¯t help butugh as his head falls on my shoulder while he crouches down to my height. This should be a sight to see, the ad boy shrinking down to please the midget. Not that I¡¯m a midget, or short, I¡¯m fun size and I also fit into small spaces.


    ¡°Is this better for you?¡± hepletely ignores the looks we get from people making meugh harder while I nod.


    ¡°Just tell me when you feel better about your height, I don¡¯t wanna be all cramped upter on,¡± he whines, I shrug him off me in response almost making him face nt the floor. He was about to say something when our turnes up in line and I eagerly step up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it together,¡± I tell the girl in the elf costume. I watch Drew grab something from the side beforeing to stand by us as I ce Lucy in Santa¡¯s arms. The old man looks down adoringly at the child. I feel something being ced on my head before Drew ces a small Santa hat on Lucy¡¯s head, matching the one he wears.


    ¡°Why do I have to wear the elf hat, huh?¡± I put my hand on my hip for emphasis as heughs in response. With a scowl on my face I switch our hats, leaving me to match with Lucy and Drew with the red and green elf hat on his head.


    ¡°Okay, get ready,¡± the guy at the camera yells. Drewes to stand by my side as I stand right next to Santa holding Lucy, just as the guy was about to sh the picture the guys appear out of nowhere in elf and Santa hats, making it a family picture I guess.


    ¡°Merry Christmas,¡± they scream as the guy snaps the picture. They move afterwards to the side so that Drew and I get our own picture with Lucy.


    ¡°How did you guys get here?¡± I ask as I take Lucy towards them while Drew puts in an order for pictures.


    ¡°In a car, obviously,¡± Adrian sarcastically responds. Yeah, my best friend is still being a grouchy pants.


    ¡°I meant how did you guys find us?¡± I scowl at him.


    ¡°Chill, Lucas knew you were going out so we carefully followed behind and decided to surprise you guys,¡± Kohl smiles.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for crashing my day,¡± Drewes to my side with a stoic look on his face. Is it so hard for him to smile in front of people? It¡¯s easy, just curve your lips upwards.


    ¡°Did you really expect to take her first pictures without me?¡± Sammy looks up ferociously at her older brother. I back away from him without notice, the girl can be scary when she wants.


    ¡°I was going to have use all togetherter on,¡± he scowls back at her.


    ¡°Well, then it¡¯s a good thing we saved you a trip,¡± my brother ps Drew on the shoulder, I have the silly notion that he had something to do with them crashing on our outing. I raise an eyebrow in Kohl¡¯s direction, he merely smiles and waves.


    ¡°So, where to next?¡± Lucas ps his hands together. We all begin to roam aimlessly around the mall, Drew, Lucy and me just lingering behind until we eventually lose the crowd.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go get some hot chocte,¡± Drew smiles while he ces his hand on the small of my back, ushering me in the direction of a small caf¨¦. Blood involuntarily floods to my cheeks at the contact, damn it, what¡¯s with Drew and doing this to me? I need to go see a doctor, Drew may just be a health hazard.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you thinking so hard?¡± Drew hands me a cup of steamy goodness.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask before taking a sip of my hot drink.


    ¡°You always furrow your eyebrows when you¡¯re thinking, it¡¯s not hard to tell when you¡¯re having a mental debate with yourself because you begin to re at nothing,¡± he exins. So, that¡¯s how I look when I think? Huh, I would¡¯ve thought I looked something a bit more artistic or like Einstein. I look to the side and smile at Lucy¡¯s sleeping figure in the stroller, she¡¯s too cute for her own good. I begin to look around the quaint caf¨¦, it seems normal enough.


    Tables are scattered everywhere to amodate customers, the counter seems to be very well organized. It has a stylish yetfortable look to it. My eyes continue to roam the ce when theynd on a table in the far corner, a man sits there but he seems to be keeping watch over our table. I figure he was just looking at what seems to be a young family oddly and continue to look around.


    ¡°Khloe, Khloe,¡± fingers snap in front my face drawing my attention back to Drew.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You zoned out or something,¡± Drew¡¯s azure eyes look over me weirdly but for some reason my attention is brought back to the table in the far corner.


    ¡°Hey, Drew, you see that guy over there,¡± I nod my head in that direction.


    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± Drew gives a quick nce.


    ¡°Either that guy thinks his neck is a violin or he¡¯s giving me the international sign for ¡®you¡¯re dead,''¡± I ramble as the man gives a sinister smile while dragging his index finger across his neck. This has Drew turning around quickly and giving the man an icy re.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s find the other guys,¡± he stands up abruptly and I follow suit, I stroll Lucy while he gets Adrian on the phone.


    ¡°Adrian, meet me in the parking lot and don¡¯t ask questions,¡± he speaks into his cell phone, well, isn¡¯t he the demanding one? No one utters a word as we head towards the exit, Drew seems to be thinking hard as he stares into space, his hand finds its way to my back, ushering me with him. I¡¯m afraid to break the silence, all I seem to be doing is making sure Lucy¡¯s with me and in the stroller. I¡¯ve already lost her once and thanks to the heavens I got her back, I can¡¯t begin to imagine losing her again.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Adrian scowls as he moves from his leaning position on his ck Hummer. Drew leaves me with Sammy and my brother while he speaks to Adrian and Lucas. Kohl and Sammy begin to fret over Lucy and I, but my attention¡¯s captured by the blue eyed boy who seems to be arguing with Adrian. The tension can be felt from where I stand, I think even Kohl can feel the strain as he tries to give the trio some privacy. Lucas seems to be the one trying to cate the raging boys, after a moment more of watching I decide to try and talk them down.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kohl¡¯s hand on my shoulder stops me from taking another step.


    ¡°Keep watch on Lucy, I¡¯m gonna go talk to them,¡± I call out before resuming my steps to the three guys¡¯ looming figures.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± I ask no one in particr as I reach them, yet no one decided to speak. Even their argument seems to havee at a standstill. It¡¯s like a silent night where only the chirping of crickets can be heard. I look at all three of them, so many secrets in one group.


    ¡°I get that you guys have your own secrets, but if it has to do with me, don¡¯t you think I have the right to know?¡± I mutter in frustration. Nobody speaks but Lucas seems to appraise my outburst with his eyes.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I huff as I turn and shove Drew out of the way, yeah, I¡¯m that mad. My cautious side decides to slow down for a minute in case the sleeping tiger decides to strike back, when nothing happens I hurry over to my brother. A hand grabs a hold of mine, turning me around but I don¡¯t need to see to know who that warmth belongs to. Drew¡¯s touch is familiar to me now.


    ¡°Let go,¡± I look down at my boots, they¡¯re so shiny and ck, like Adrian¡¯s soul. Drew says nothing, just lets our hand intertwine, like he¡¯s trying to evoke a foreignnguage to me through his touch. I snap out of my momentary trance and take my hand away from his while I finally look up. His eyes snap up to meet mine at that moment and I think my gesture might have hurt him, it¡¯s hard to tell when you look into such cold blue eyes.


    ¡°Why must everything be so secretive?¡± this time I direct my gaze towards Adrian, who seems to be the one in the group that knows everything. His brown eyes hesitate before he looks away from me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right, you¡¯re not ready to hear that truth, Khloe,¡± Adrian mutters as he turns to face me again with a hard face.


    ¡°Try me,¡± I respond without hesitation while a million questions begin to fire off in the crevices of my mind, do I want to know whatever it is he¡¯s hiding?


    You have the right to know, the voice in the back of my mind answers for me.


    ¡°No, Khloe, I¡¯m serious, not yet,¡± Adrian gives me a pleading gaze, the stubborn bad boy pleading to me? Who would¡¯ve ever thought we¡¯d be in this position, I would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d be the one pleading for my life or something akin to that.


    ¡°Then, when you¡¯re ready to speak, talk to me,¡± I deadpan, it¡¯s like the rubber band has been pulled too much and I snapped as a result. They have the right to their own secrets but I¡¯d like to know why a man would be threatening me from afar.


    ¡°Khloe,e on, don¡¯t shut us out,¡± Drew speaks up as I try to get by his imposing form.


    ¡°Some dude just freaking threatened me, I¡¯m pretty sure, now I would like to know why that is and you guys seem to have the answers but aren¡¯t willing to talk. Now I may seem the epitome of calm andposed, but I am one step away from peeing my pants,¡± I ramble on and I¡¯m pretty sure I have no idea of what I¡¯m speaking of. This seems to amuse the trio.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Khloe, you¡¯re far from being the epitome of calm andposed, you keep jumping on the soles of your feet, a sure sign that you¡¯re either nervous or scared, both perhaps,¡± Lucas decides to pitch in, who made him the analytical one?


    ¡°I am now officially not speaking to any one of you,¡± I ignore Lucas¡¯sment and look directly into each of their eyes to convey my point.


    ¡°It¡¯s about your parents,¡± Adrian calls as I turn my back on them, but that phrase halts my steps.


    ¡°What about them?¡± I clear my face of all emotion and turn back to them. Doesn¡¯t matter how many years have passed that wound still is one that¡¯s very difficult to close.


    ¡°You sure you want to hear this?¡± Adrian taunts in a cynical but I think I know him enough to know this is his way of dealing with things. I nod nevertheless, causing him to hesitate momentarily.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t an ident, the ne crash was provoked and that¡¯s what I didn¡¯t want you to know,¡± Adrian finally snaps. My hands fall to my sides and I find it hard to breathe, to move, to make a coherent thought. This is why rebelling against things has never been my forte. Things just never seem to work out in my favor, now I¡¯m wishing I¡¯d just shut my mouth.


    Now, it¡¯s like I feel a new type of grief flow through me, it had been easy for their death to be idental because then it¡¯s like that¡¯s the way things were meant to be. But now, to think that someone decided to y fate and remove two people from this earth, that¡¯s something I never thought I¡¯d feel, and I never want to feel again. A massive lump at back of my throat makes it hard for me to swallow Adrian¡¯s words down, if my body had a rejection button, I¡¯d be rejecting his words in this very instance.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± is all I say as I turn my attention to Drew, whose eyes seem to analyze each and every move I make. I turn my back on them and grab Lucy, whom I strap into the back before sitting myself in the passenger¡¯s side of Roger¡¯s car. I hear a couple of screams from outside but I¡¯m too out of it to look back, I just sit there quietly and unmoving. Lucy seems to feel the somber move as she just drift off to sleep, her little head bobbing down makes me suppress a small smile.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Drew questions after minutes of pure silence after he buckled himself in.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I answer before looking out the window. I hear him sigh before bringing the car to life and leaving the mall, another reason to hate the mall and shopping I guess. The drive home is quiet and all I¡¯m feeling at the moment is a sense of emptiness. I get out of the car in a hurry once we pull into our driveway, I head for Lucy.


    ¡°I got her,¡± Drew stops me while giving me a concerned look. I begin to head into the house before being intercepted by Kohl, who looks so much like my dad, my murdered dad.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kohl asks a bit worriedly, he tries not to show it but his eyes tell it all.


    ¡°Ask Adrian,¡± I shrug before heading upstairs and into thefort of my room. Well, I thought my room would provide some form offort but I guess not, how can anything beforting right now? There¡¯s only one ce that would remotely give me a sense of numbness, the one ce I learned to love after my parents died. I open my widow quietly since it seems I have the SWAT team living in my house. I use the willow tree outside my room for leverage as I climb out and onto it. The bark is rough under my hands, and I feel it scratching my skin a bit as I slide down quietly. Once I make it down, I look back ensuring that I¡¯m alone before heading out the gate and into the street. The library is only a couple of blocks away from the house but it¡¯s the source of quiet I could really use right now.


    ¡°Hello Khloe, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while,¡± the librarian smiles sweetly at me as I shuffle further into the back of the room. I smile and nod her way politely before resuming on my route. I finally find my destination, an old and torn, cushioned arm chair that sits by the ssics section. It¡¯s the quietest ce in here due to many people having lost interest in the ssics. I grab a book andy it open on myp for show as my mind ponders over today¡¯s events. This feels like a bad teen movie and the director will scream ¡®cut¡¯ at any given second and call the whole thing off.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t think anybody came to this section anymore,¡± a delicate voice states as they drift closer to me. I look up to find a shy looking girl approach me, she has very delicate features. Long brown wavy hair frames her fair skin, highlighting the blue in her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, just thinking,¡± I mutter before looking down.


    ¡°Right, uhm, do you know where I could get some good ice cream in this town, I just moved here,¡± she exins, I smile at the thought of ice cream.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a good ce right around the block,¡± I answer.


    ¡°Cool, I¡¯m Kim, well Kimberly Moreno,¡± she introduces calmly while pushing her ck sses up on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m Khloe Mason. You wouldn¡¯t be rted to a Lucas, by the way?¡± I ask at the familiarity of thest name.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my cousin, so you¡¯re Khloe, he¡¯s sort of filled me in on the things going on around here,¡± she borates.


    ¡°You guys look nothing alike,¡± I bber out causing her tough.


    ¡°I know, I look a lot like my mom,¡± she pitches in.


    ¡°Ah, well I could show you to the ice cream parlor before heading home since we¡¯ll be living under the same roof,¡± I offer.


    ¡°Yes please, and thanks for opening your home to me,¡± she says as we walk out of the library and down the street. I shrug, it doesn¡¯t really matter who stays at the house as long as they don¡¯t mean any harm.


    ¡°So, why do you seem so down?¡± she questions as she flings open the door to the frozen goodness.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m down? Yeah, I¡¯ll have the chunky money bowl,¡± I order before turning to face her.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I usually order when I¡¯m down, are we getting these to go or are we eating in?¡± hse asks.


    ¡°In,¡± I answer quickly, a little too quickly as she gets a knowing look on her face.


    ¡°What did they do?¡± she sighs as we sit at a far corner and I stare out the window.


    ¡°Nothing, really,¡± I answer truthfully, it¡¯s not because of them that I¡¯m in this state. Yeah, I was mad at the secrets they were keeping but it¡¯s my parents¡¯ death new discovery that has me feeling so empty, but I have to deal with that on my own.


    ¡°Yeah right, those guys sometimes need a good beating,¡± she exims before digging into her ice cream as it¡¯s ced in front of us. I smile at her antics.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll fit well right here,¡± Ipliment.


    ¡°I highly doubt that, most of the time my head¡¯s in a book, you just seemed like you needed someone to talk to,¡± she smiles at me. How did she even get involved with these guys? Oh yeah, she¡¯s family, I wonder if she knows about, you know, the ¡®family business¡¯?


    ¡°How¡¯s the ganging along, which I suppose you do know about?¡± she asks answering my silent questions.


    ¡°Good I guess, they don¡¯t really tell me a lot,¡± I borate.


    ¡°That¡¯s Drew for you, he¡¯s like the silent type, and rather keep his problems to himself,¡± she rambles on. At least I¡¯m getting some information.


    ¡°Yeah, does he ever stop that?¡± I huff while stuffing my face with the ice cream.


    ¡°Yes, once you put your foot down and make shit clear for him, trust me,¡± she points out. So, I have to put my foot down with Drew, huh? Right now I¡¯ll most likely put it down on his face if he keeps being so damn secretive.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that Drew¡¯s finally found someone that he likes, I think you¡¯re good for him,¡± she states analytically. This is the time for a perfect question.


    ¡°Hey, if Adrian¡¯s like the know it all, what¡¯s Lucas specialty since they all seem to have one?¡± I query.


    ¡°Wires, and cameras, that¡¯s why it seems like the guys always know where you are, he¡¯s their source,¡± she smiles at the thought of her cousin. This actually exins a lot. We talk a bit longer and I find that Kim actually gets shy around others, and doesn¡¯t like crowds so much. She¡¯s pretty cool, we continue to talk until we arrive home, where she had her bags delivered, and walk into a mad house.


    For some reason the guys are all going mad, Kohl seems to be knocked unconscious on the ground. Drew seems to be pacing, his usual fa?adepletely different from now, somemps have been knocked over. To be more exact, it looks like a hurricane decided to run through the house. I actually drop my mouth open and the ice cream I¡¯d been holding plops onto the ground with a ¡®st,¡¯ I actually was still eating that. Their heads snap towards me and I¡¯m enveloped by a sudden darkness.

 Chapter 17 Inside The Bad Boy鈥檚 Head

    Drew¡¯s POV:


    ¡°I want you out of my house!¡± I hear my father¡¯s voice boom as I drop my backpack by the front door. I wonder who got him mad enough to scream, he¡¯s usually pretty rational. I slow my pace in the direction of his voice. I wonder where my mom¡¯s at. The sight that greets my eyes, eyes that reflect my mother¡¯s, surprises me. My mother has tears running down her face, her hand clutching her protruding belly, where she ims my new sister lives. I¡¯m seriously hoping for a baby brother, Sammy kind of wore out the sister thing.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this, I¡¯m expecting our third child,¡± my mom argues, they¡¯re so caught up in this heated moment they haven¡¯t noticed I¡¯m standing right here. I never thought I¡¯d see my parents fight, at least not like this. My dad¡¯s always been extremely devoted to my mom, they¡¯re love somewhat sickening if you ask me. My mom holds a hand out trying to reach my father, but he flinches back, anger shing through his green orbs. My fists clench of their own ord as he pushes my mom back, in a sh I¡¯m standing by her side, holding her to me in a protective stance.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± I scream furiously at the stranger in front of me. He might be in my father¡¯s frame but I don¡¯t know this man.


    ¡°Drew, let her go, she¡¯s going to leave this house,¡± he reaches for me causing me to back away. He¡¯s seriously messed up if he thinks he¡¯ll kick my mom out of our home and we¡¯re still going to be a form of ¡®best bros.¡¯


    ¡°And why is that?¡± I try to calm my ragged breathing, many times my mom has told me I need to learn how to rein in my anger. Deep breaths Drew, I chant in my head, keeping myself from breaking his nose. A couple of fights and my mom thinks I have anger issues.


    ¡°She¡¯s a lying whore, she cheated on me,¡± he points an using finger at my mother¡¯s trembling figure. I raise a bored eyebrow. I think every single person that inhabits andes in and out of this house knows that¡¯s a preposterous usation. The woman that raised me has loved this man like no other. I¡¯ve seen that love shine in her eyes, love that had been reciprocated until now.


    ¡°Take that back,¡± I state calmly, he¡¯s seriously fucked up if he thinks he¡¯ll just insult my mother.


    ¡°Drew, just calm down,¡± my mom ces a delicate hand on my shoulder, it rarely helps the anger that¡¯s building up within me. I got to remember this man is my father before I get the urge to do some real damage.


    ¡°You stay out of this and get away from my son,¡± my dad res at my mother. Does he even realize how crazy he sounds?


    ¡°And you stop talking to my mom like that, why the hell are you spilling such stupidity?¡± I pinch the bridge of my nose, I¡¯m starting to get irritated by his stupidity. The father I know is a man of respect, one who would never say anything to the woman that now cowers behind me.


    ¡°I heard it, she¡¯s been whoring around, that child she carries is not mine,¡± my father rambles on and I chuckle in response. His rambling just sounds absurd to my ears.


    ¡°If you¡¯re kicking my mom out then I¡¯ll be leaving as well,¡± I sigh.


    ¡°Over my dead body if I let my heir leave with this whore,¡± he points at my now crying mother. Okay, that¡¯s it, I give no second thought as I pull my arm back andnd a punch right on his nose. I smile menacingly at the sickening crack that fills my ears.


    ¡°Drew stop, he¡¯s your father,¡± my mother¡¯s hands grab me from behind, pulling me back and holding from hitting him again.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong? What did you do?¡± Sammy, my sister, runs into the room, looking around frantically. My best friends Adrian and Lucas rush in right after her.


    ¡°He¡¯s kicking my mom out of the house, ims he¡¯s heard that she¡¯s cheating on him,¡± I exin, that bubble of rage expanding within me. I dig my nails into the palm of my hands to keep me from reacting out of pure instinct, my mom¡¯s in no condition to witness what I really feel like doing.


    ¡°What?¡± Sammy backs away from my dad, hurt shes momentarily in his eyes before his cold demeanor is put intact. The cold fa?ade he usually reserves for our ¡®family business,¡¯ one that¡¯s not so honorable and yet my mom stood by his side.


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid, or rather the person implying this,¡± Adrian scowls, bringing his arms across his chest. There are only two people Adrian actually likes in this world, my mom and unfortunately my sister, thing I had to get over a while ago.


    ¡°Watch your mouth boy, or do you forget who saved you from the streets?¡± my father seethes as he gets up, wiping blood off his face with the back of his hand. His words do nothing to faze Adrian. He doesn¡¯t fear my dad, if anything. It¡¯s true, my father saved Adrian from a life on the streets at the age of twelve, months after he ran away from the foster home he had been ced in.


    ¡°Mrs. Collins hasn¡¯t been seeing anyone, I could¡¯ve told you that,¡± Lucas waves a hand in the air carelessly. Being the spy for the gang sure has its perks for him, people don¡¯t suspect him because hees off as some sort of careless kid, just goofing around.


    ¡°Bullshit, you¡¯re all probably covering for her, I can¡¯t believe my own kids would betray me,¡± my father no longer inhabits the shell that stands before me. The glint of happiness that usually lights my dad¡¯s eyes is nowhere to be seen now, reced with a crazed look of a man who seriously thinks he¡¯s being betrayed.


    ¡°Bullshit, more like what¡¯s standing in front of us,¡± Adrian mutters, he¡¯s not one to keep his mouth shut.


    ¡°Everybody stop, I¡¯ll leave,¡± my mom regains herposure, a look of determination on her face. She¡¯s always been a strong willed woman, one who was able to keep my dad in check.


    ¡°Finally a voice of reason,¡± my dad sneers.


    ¡°I hope you realize your mistake,¡± she contradicts as she heads upstairs. My father¡¯s a stubborn man as he ignores the longing look he gives the woman that¡¯s about to walk out at his absurd request.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving as well,¡± I speak up causing my dad¡¯s attention to snap back to me. He gives me a look of shock and betrayal, as if he has the right to feel betrayed right now.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave Drew, you¡¯re my only son and my eldest child, when I step down you¡¯re to take over the gang,¡± he pleads.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a part of this shit if you¡¯re what I¡¯ll end up being like, but I will promise you one thing, you will pay for what you¡¯ve done to my mom today. I will bring you down if it¡¯s thest thing I do,¡± I sneer in his face, barely inches apart so that he can see just how true my words are.


    ¡°I could have you all dead right now,¡± he throws back, his hand making a move for my neck causing me to chuckle.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t give you the chance,¡± the click of a barrel is heard behind my dead¡¯s head as a gun is pressed onto it. I give a satisfying smirk in Sammy¡¯s direction as my dad looks at her with fear. She merely smirks in his direction. There are two people not to fuck with in this world, Adrian and his evil girlfriend.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t hurt your own father,¡± there¡¯s a slight tremble in his voice telling us he¡¯s not so sure of his own words.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Never let your emotions get in the way of your target, that¡¯s what you told me before, is it not, daddy?¡± she looks up at him innocently. My little sister may look small and innocent but she¡¯s been rough housing with the gang since she was a little girl, trained to defend herself expertly just in case anything could happen.


    ¡°Sir is there anything you need?¡± Mason, one of my dad¡¯s men, questions as he steps into the room. I don¡¯t trust this man at all. I send a wave his way.


    ¡°No, they were just leaving and they¡¯re banned from this house do you hear me, let the others know,¡± my dad orders as his gaze remains on Sammy. I wave my hand to Lucas and Adrian, they smirk and grab Mason by the arms while they drag him towards me. They push Mason onto his knees in front of me and pull his head back so that he meets my gaze.


    ¡°Listen to me and listen well, I know you¡¯re the one that¡¯s been putting these absurd ideas in my father¡¯s head. If something happens to my mom, my face will be thest you see right before I end your life,¡± I seethe in his face before Adriannds a kick to his side. Lucas found out while he had been spying around the house, he heard the things Mason had been insinuating, I told my dad a long time ago that I did not trust him. He¡¯s a greedy man who¡¯s only after power, all he wants is to lead this gang and make it into something despicable.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± my mom states as a couple of men bring her bags down with sympathetic looks on their faces, it¡¯s hard not to love this woman.


    ¡°We¡¯re all leaving as well, mom,¡± I let her know as I walk out of the living room and up the stairs. Footsteps follow behind me, no doubt the other guys following behind. I grab a couple of things from my room before sneaking off into my dad¡¯s office. I rummage through my desk until I find the bank ounts I want, I also grab my dad¡¯s ck notebook, I wonder how he¡¯ll do his dealings when I intercept all of his ¡®associates.¡¯ I meet the rest of my family by the door, where my dad and Mason stand, waiting for our departure.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I said, the both of you,¡± I smile and wave before following the others out of what used to be home. If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned from my mom is that a house doesn¡¯t make a home. I feel as if a chain snapped of when we begin to drive away, I know I shouldn¡¯t feel relief at leaving all of this behind but I do, I always knew something like this was bound to happen. A foreboding feeling flows through me, I just know something¡¯s bad going to happen.

 Chapter 18 Drew鈥檚 Arrogant Side and His Love Bite

    ¡°Lucas, can you please stop spinning me around and put me back down?¡± I mumble into his ck t-shirt after he tackled me with a hug as soon as I arrived home. His arms tighten around me and he spins me around one more time before finally releasing me with a serious case of vertigo.


    ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± Adrian¡¯s facees into view with his permanent scowl intact. Nice to know he missed my presence.


    ¡°Adrian, did you knock out my brother and if you did, why?¡± I stare analytically at Kohl¡¯s sprawled out body on the floor with his face smooching the carpet.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it,¡± he answers as he kicks Kohl¡¯s leg carelessly getting no response from my brother. The room suddenly goes silent as our attention turns to Drew, who¡¯s been eerily quiet, more than usual if that¡¯s possible.


    ¡°Kim, you¡¯re here, I thought you weren¡¯ting ¡¯til next week,¡± Lucas¡¯s cheery voice feels so out of ce right now as he hugs his cousin.


    ¡°I told you I wasing in today, I even texted you toe get me, thanks to you I was lost at the airport,¡± Kim scolds as she hugs her cousin back.


    ¡°So, what happened to my brother?¡± I ask to no one in particr.


    ¡°Hey, maybe we should go help you unpack, yeah, let¡¯s do that,¡± Sammy breaks the silence and Lucas¡¯s not so inconspicuous whistling, as she drags Adrian behind her with Kim up the stairs and into the second floor. Drew remains in the room, I turn to him but his intense gaze traps me in ce. His cobalt blue eyes seem to be zing fiercely with something I can¡¯t quite describe but if the clenching and unclenching of his fists is any sign, I¡¯d say this bad boy was pissed off.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did you hit my brother?¡± I point down at Kohl who is now beginning to groan incoherently as he regains his senses. Drew takes a step forwards without saying anything but there¡¯s something about his stance that seems predatory like, I take a step back. I begin to fidget nervously under that intense gaze, I¡¯m the petri dish under the microscope and he¡¯s the scientist. Drew¡¯s painfully slow steps finally reach my now disturbed frame. He says nothing as he mps his hand down on my upper arm and drags me upstairs.


    My eyes nce back at my brother¡¯s body still lying on the floor. Does no one care about Kohl¡¯s current state? My eyes continue to bulge out of my head as Drew throws the door to his room open before hauling me inside, I didn¡¯t picture my first time inside his room to be like this. Not that I¡¯d been fantasizing about being inside his room because that¡¯s so not the issue. He leaves me standing in the corner after he closes the door. I look around nervously as he paces back and forth. Huh, his room seems a lot cleaner than I thought it¡¯d be, his navy blue bed spread neatly draped on top of the bed. Everything is meticulously ced around the clean room. The only thing lying around carelessly is his backpack that¡¯s been strewn to a far corner of the barely lit room.


    The only light provided in the room is the small glowing from his deskmp due to his navy curtains being drawn. I jump as I feel his hands grab my shoulders and he carelessly pushes me down onto the edge of his bed, where is this going? He better not be thinking anything out of the appropriate boundaries. I was thinking of all the possible scenarios as to why he possibly brought me into his room, perhaps he wanted to have a sleep over when my thoughts are jumbled by those familiar lips of his. Once again, I¡¯m immobilized by this sinful creature. Thoughts run through my head as to why he possibly continues to do this, rationality flies out the window as his handnds on my thigh, snapping me out of my reverie and forcing me into action. He pulls away a mere centimeter from my lips, his breath intermixing with mine and I draw out a shaky breath.


    ¡°So, uhm, you knocked Kohl out?¡± Iugh shakily as I sit there. Staring at a pair of plump, pink lips, the most perfect lips I have everid my eyes on, well, that I¡¯ve noticed. The ghost of a smile barely frames his features before that intense gaze covers his face once again. The hold on my thigh tightens as his fingertips begin to dig into the fabric of my jeans.


    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t your leg but you¡¯re kind of cutting off my cirction,¡± I squeak as I point down to my leg. He loosens his hold but his touch lingers, creating apletely different feeling to creep over my body, it¡¯s like liquid fire flowing through me. I open my mouth to say something but snap it shut as Drew pushes me back onto the bed, okay, this is getting freaky and I don¡¯t know in which sense of the word I¡¯m speaking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think-,¡± his lips envelop mine as he ces himself above me, cutting off anything I was about to say. What was I about to say anyway? What was I even thinking about? What did I have for lunch yesterday? I don¡¯t even know anymore. All thoughts going through my mind center over the blue eyed boy who is currently cutting off my oxygen with his very skilled lips, in case you were wondering. I pull away from him in order to breathe and to try to regain a bit of my rational thinking. Should I be having a hot make out session with Drew while Kohl¡¯s knocked out? I don¡¯t think so, I open my mouth to speak again but my thoughts jumble all together as his lipsnd on my neck. Before Drew, I never knew I had a weak spot, I¡¯d heard stories but damn, they don¡¯tpare to having his lips leaving a scorching trail of kisses down my neck.


    ¡°Drew,¡± I was trying to form aplete sentence but his name came out as a mere whisper, his touch leaving me utterly breathless. I let out an embarrassing moan as I feel him bite down on the side of my neck, now I know what Elena must¡¯ve felt like, his movements cause a shudder to ripple through me, but before this can go on any further I distance myself from him.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I breathe out as I try to regain my breath. What the hell did I just do? Well, I think I know what happened but what made him do this? He¡¯s usually so reserved, he¡¯s a man of few words that manages to intrigue me to no end, but what could¡¯ve spurred this reaction from him? A gust of air hits my body as he stands up and begins to pace the room once again, was I that bad of a kisser that he¡¯s contemting how to destroy me and where to hide my body? I¡¯ve suddenlye to the realization that I may have a bit of an overactive imagination. Can you me me?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, I just got carried away,¡± his voice seems different, lower somehow, huskier and well, hot. I watch as he stops his careless pacing and pinches the bridge of his nose trying to regain hisposure. He¡¯s usually so calm andposed, not really giving off many reactions except for his eyes. Those azure orbs could tell a story if you¡¯d look deep enough. To see him lose that cold exterior in front of me is kind of amusing but it causes this warm feeling in my chest on top of that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again,¡± he suddenly snaps causing my head to snap up. My eyes meet his and I can see a whole bunch of pent up anger in those fiery orbs. What doesn¡¯t he want me to do, breathe? Well, no can do bucko, I very much prefer to continue living. Why is he so mad anyways? Could it be because I gave him the cold shoulder on the ride home? Well, I¡¯m sorry but when you find out your parents didn¡¯t just died but that they were murdered it kind of makes it hard for you to just want to talk nonstop, unless that¡¯s your own way of coping.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry about ignoring but you couldn¡¯t just expect me to be all smiles and let¡¯s sing around the campfire happy, right?¡± I swing my legs over the bed in an attempt to sit up but I ended face palming the floor, literally. ¡°Ow,¡± I grumble as I stand up while rubbing my nose.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t help yourself from falling for me, can you?¡± I turn to give a smirking Drew one of my meanest res possible. I don¡¯t think it has a grand effect as he just chuckles lowly to himself before sitting on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°And I meant for you not to leave without so much as a note left behind, do you know how worried I was? I had to knock your brother out after he started going crazy, using me of sexually osting you,¡± he shakes his head with a slight smile pulling at his lips, probably in ordance of the memory. My brother can go crazy sometimes, I won¡¯t even try to deny it.


    ¡°So, you were mad and decided to punish my lips?¡± I question as I plop down beside him. My hand reaching up to stroke my swollen lips, evidence of what had just taken ce, if this is what happens when he gets angry I might have fun pissing this bad boy off. Purely for experimental purposes, of course.


    ¡°That was because I wanted to remind you that you¡¯re mine,¡± he whispers in my ear as he leans in close to nuzzle my neck. He might be acting like a horny wolf but it doesn¡¯t take away from that warm, fuzzy feeling his words seem to cause. I was trying to form a coherent sentence to get out of his ws when Kohl started banging on the door, saving me from myself.


    ¡°Drew, I know you have her in there, open the door. Khloe don¡¯t drop your panties for him, he beat your brother out of spite, he¡¯s bad, K, he¡¯s bad,¡± he continues to ramble while jiggling the knob desperately trying to find his way in. I motion for Drew to be quiet by cing my index finger on his lips as he was about tough, my cheeks flood red as he bites my finger seductively.


    ¡°Khloe, open the door, I¡¯m lonely,¡± Kohl resorts to squeaking but I find my eyes are trained on Drew as his gaze holds me in ce. I hear my brother huff angrily before giving up and finally taking his leave. I faintly hear ire calling us all down for dinner making me jump, I turn to Drew who is still looking at me funny. In this moment I do something that I may regretter, something that does not concur with my personality, something so outside the box that I stepped into the cylinder, if that makes sense. I leaned up trying to reach his tall figure and ce a quick peck on his lips before running away and out the door and into the dining room where everyone seems to be piling in.


    I can feel all of their stares on me but I ignore then and head to Lucy¡¯s highchair where she currently ys with some food. She looks up at me with a wide smile framing her small and delicate face causing me to return the gesture before leaning down and cing a kiss on her forehead. I take my seat next to her chair and look down at my te setting, why is everyone looking at me? A couple of secondster Drew strolls in smirking widely, he can be such a cocky bastard sometimes. He takes the seat next to me after giving me a genuine smile that causes me to look back down at myp, how the hell does he have this effect on me?


    ¡°Well, I hope you guys used protection,¡± Adrian¡¯s words have me ring at him before my anger turns to embarrassment. Does everyone know we did more than just talk in Drew¡¯s room?


    ¡°Khloe, you little yer, I didn¡¯t know you had it in you,¡± Lucas smiles like this is the greatest thing in the world.


    ¡°Drew you have lost a homeboy, Khloe, I am not speaking to you,¡± Kohl deres from across the table. I examine the bruise forming on his jaw closely before leaning towards Drew.


    ¡°Did you have to hit him so hard?¡± I whisper in a scolding manner.


    ¡°My super massive strengthes naturally,¡± he responds. He has it all, the looks, the arrogance and the other side to him.


    ¡°Ooh, after sex talk how interesting, do share,¡± Adrian smirks as he ces his elbows on the table before cradling his head with them.


    ¡°We did not have sex,¡± I m my fists down on the table while shouting.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, Khloe,¡± Roger nods in acknowledgement as he walks into the room with some dishes in his hands. I can feel my face heat before I bang my head on the table.


    ¡°So you marked her?¡± Lucas nods towards Drew who only smirks in response.


    ¡°What is he talking about?¡± I whisper furiously towards him.


    ¡°Your neck,¡± Kohl grumbles while holding a spoon out towards me. I squint trying to make out my reflection but when I do I punch Drew on the arm, repeatedly.


    ¡°You gave me a hickey?¡± I exim as I continue to pelt him with my fists only gettingughter form him while the rest of the guys just look at us in awe and wonder.


    ¡°Holy hell, Drew canugh and smile?¡± I turn to smile at Kim as she makes her presence known. We all turn to the sound of a thump caused by something crashing down hard. I hold in myughter as Kohl springs back up from his spot on the floor like nothing happened.


    ¡°I meant to do that,¡± he deepens his voice as he retakes his seat. I watch as his cheeks turn the lightest shade of pink after he knocked down his ss and utensils when Kim took the seat next to him. Aw, I think my big brother¡¯s been star struck by Kim and her model like qualities.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a hickey,¡± Drew¡¯s sudden voice makes me jump slightly in my seat.


    ¡°Then what would the all mighty Drew call it?¡± I retort when the meaning of his words sinks in.


    ¡°Something more romantic, a love bite,¡± he whispers in my ear before nipping it and pulling away with a silly grin on his lips. This boy¡¯s taking this a little too far, I do not know how I feel about all of this, it¡¯s all so new to me. But I find myself liking this little game I¡¯m ying with the bad boy.


    ¡°Three feet Drew, three feet,¡± Kohl scolds while he practically undresses Kim with his gaze.


    ¡°I think you have a little drool right there,¡± Adrian tells Kohl who dumbly wipes his cheek three times making sure he doesn¡¯t embarrass himself in front of Kim, even though it might be a little toote for that. Why are brothers such hypocrites?


    ¡°So Sammy, how do you like it here?¡± Kim turns her attention towards Sammy making Kohl pout like a neglected child.


    ¡°It¡¯s really cool, I¡¯ve gotten close with Khloe and Ruby whom you¡¯ll meet tomorrow in school, she¡¯s awesome,¡± Sammy babbles happily.


    ¡°Adrian hasn¡¯t fucked anything up, I hope,¡± Kim states yfully ring at Adrian.


    ¡°For your information I¡¯m the best boyfriend there could be,¡± Adrian cockily retorts making Drew snort in response.


    ¡°I keep him on check,¡± Sammy nudges Adrian¡¯s shoulder yfully making meugh at their antics, they¡¯re so cute together.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Drew nudges me in question bringing my attention back to him.


    ¡°That they¡¯re cute together,¡± I shrug as I fork up some moresagna, I love pasta. I take a sip of my drink before turning my gaze on him.


    ¡°God no, that¡¯s my little sister,¡± he shakes his head as if to physically remove the images from his head.


    ¡°How is it different from what we were doing in your room?¡± I raise an eyebrow before I realize how that sounded and immediately feel my face catch fire. How does one act normally around someone like him? I mean, sometimes he just seems so perfect so why stick around someone like me? I find it unfathomable because I know for a fact he could do much better than me, does he do it for Lucy? I don¡¯t know where this insecurity ising from but it just seems unreal sometimes. It¡¯s better if I just forget it for now. Sometimes I can be one of those people, who bottle their feelings up for a while.


    ¡°So what was that all about today, why¡¯d you run out?¡± Kohl¡¯s voice snaps me back into harsh reality. The memory of being told what I didn¡¯t know earlier today making it hard for me to swallow my food anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take Lucy to bed, she seems tired,¡± I ignore my brother¡¯s questioning gaze as I gather Lucy in my arms and allow her unknowing figure tofort me as I trudge my way up the stairs. I burp her and clean her up before cing her in her wooden crib where I slowly lull her to sleep. Just watching this little bundle makes me feel better about the whole ordeal life has set me up with, but I guess I should take into consideration that maybe things do happen for a reason. I head for the door but that feeling from so long ago creeps into my mind again, when all those years ago my parents died, I had no one. Kohl was away and still not speaking to me, sure I had ire and Roger but it wasn¡¯t the same. With those thoughts I creep back towards Lucy and carefully carry her into my room, her presence bringing peace to me. Iy her down carefully on my bed cushioned by a whole bunch of pillows and have to restrict myself from ¡®awing¡¯ out loud as she lets out a sleepy sigh.


    I head over to my desk and begin to do some of my homework having alreadypleted most of it in school. I keep frantic watch over Lucy, making sure she doesn¡¯t need me in any way. After a while of solving equations I begin to feel tired and my head starts to drop down as I begin to doze off. I shake my head before standing up and stretching as I walk over to my huge bed. There¡¯s something about having a big bed that¡¯sforting, and not in any dirty way you dirty minded freaks, I meant all of the space you get to yourself. I ce a hand carefully over Lucy as I darkness begins to take over me.


    Memories from different times bombard my mind, my dad¡¯s smile andughter that never seemed to be absent, my mom¡¯s kind eyes that drew any person in, Kohl and I as kids as we caused trouble all over the ce, always seeming inseparable. That forsaken tune drifts into my ears, that haunting melody my mom loved so much that she yed it repeatedly on her beloved piano. All these things haunt me in my dreams, as if there was something tying to be said, as if I need to pay close attention. My memories leave me restless until I wake up in a cold sweat and try to get up for the bathroom but I find myself restrained by a muscr arm. Drew¡¯s arm is strewn carefully over Lucy and me, holding us both protectively. I bite my lip as I think about how innocent, peaceful and just adorable he looks while sleeping, just like Lucy, it¡¯s like their copies of each other.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he murmurs as I manage to get up from the bed. I stop in my tracks as I realize he hadn¡¯t been here when I fell asleep.


    ¡°Why are you in here?¡± I retort slowly while he sits up rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°I figured you needed aforting hand,¡± he shrugs carelessly, aw. I cock my head to the side as the melody from my dreams drifts to my ears, somebody¡¯s ying the piano.


    ¡°You hear that too, right?¡± I question.


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±


    ¡°Did you guys tell Kohl what happened?¡± I retort.


    ¡°Adrian told him, well Kohl made him snap and tell him. I could¡¯ve sworn Adrian was about to punch him with all his questions,¡± Drew exins. It is true, Kohl has always had a thing for questioning people until they break, he could be used a weapon of torture for the CIA. Kohl must be grieving and ying the piano helps him cope.


    ¡°Is that him on the piano?¡± Drew asks as I plop back down on the bed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathe out because somehow it doesn¡¯t seem right to disturb this peace and quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we dragged you into this, I really am sorry,¡± Drew says as he ces my head on hisp and begins a soothing stroking motion. I shake my head with a yawn as if to tell him not to worry about it, I mean how would things have been if life hadn¡¯t taken its dire course. Would I even have crossed paths with all my new friends, my extended family? I shift so that I can look up into his eyes and notice that even in the dark their blue still manages to gleam brightly.


    ¡°Why me?¡± I find myself blurting out the words that have been bothering me since dinner.


    ¡°What?¡± his hands stops its movements as he looks down at me.


    ¡°Why did you give me your attention when no one else had?¡± I murmur before I close my eyes. If he chose to answer I didn¡¯t hear because his hand, his proximity sent me on cloud nine and into one of the best rests I¡¯ve ever had.

 Chapter 19 The Bad Boy Reveals

    Drew¡¯s POV:


    ¡°Dude, look at all the new inventory, I feel like a kid in a candy store,¡± Lucas ps his hands as he eyes all of his new targets. The sparkle in his eyes indeed makes him look like a child in a candy store. Both Adrian and I roll our eyes at his antics.


    ¡°Lucas, stop thinking with your dick and remember we¡¯re here for serious purposes,¡± Adrian scolds, always being the mediator in the trio. I don¡¯t have to turn around to know he¡¯s shaking his head at a practically bouncing Lucas. I knew we shouldn¡¯t have bought him thatrge frappe.


    ¡°Since when has my dick gotten in the way of my job?¡± Lucas smirks at us. It¡¯s true, Lucas happens to be multi-talented, once he managed to shoplift three days¡¯ worth of food while keeping a very flirtatious conversation rolling. I continue to face forward as we walk. I have to re my nostrils and hold my breath a bit as the scent of girls¡¯ perfume drifts through the hallway as they spray liberally. I can feel the eyes on us, I hate having the spotlight on me. I feel as if every stare is a new judgment and I¡¯ve had enough of that tost me a lifetime.


    ¡°Wow, these bitches are horny,¡± Adrian mutters as hees to stand by my side. He res at practically everything in sight but that¡¯s my best friend for you. Adrian¡¯s painfully blunt and uncaring of who he hurts with his words but I find that¡¯s better than someone who will lie to myself. He would prefer to withhold the truth if he didn¡¯t feel like I was ready to hear it, but he¡¯d never lie to cover up the truth. Don¡¯t let that trick you, he will lie in order to tease someone or make someone squirm and he has one hell of a poker face.


    ¡°I know isn¡¯t it great?¡± Lucas replies with a wide smile lining his features.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get sidetracked by a pretty face, you all know why we¡¯re here,¡± I stop to give them a pointed look. They both roll their eyes knowing that they¡¯ve never failed at a job before, but they do say there¡¯s always a first time for everything. That foreboding feeling ripples through my body once again, as if life as I know it will be no more, yeah, just how shittier can my life get. Three wishes, my mom gave me herst three wishes and I¡¯m failing her greatly. First, I give away my sister to some stranger in order to save her and I¡¯m beginning to question if I even did the right thing. Sammy, I am taking care of my younger sister but it¡¯s not like that¡¯s hard, Adrian practically her bodyguard and boyfriend. Now I just hope I can find whichever girl my mom referred to and make sure she¡¯s fine, I can¡¯t keep screwing up.


    ¡°Whoa, I didn¡¯t know bookworms looked like they just stepped out of the cover of Vogue,¡± Lucas stops as his gaze locks on a poor girl.


    ¡°You really need to stop reading all those magazines with Sammy, they¡¯re decreasing your testosterone levels,¡± Adrian snorts and I feel the corner of my lips lift up at the joke. Adrian just loves to bring everyone down from their high, it¡¯s pretty funny actually.


    ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d listen to her she wouldn¡¯t make me have slumber parties with her and make me listen to all her girl talk,¡± Lucas nags Adrian.


    ¡°Speaking of, when will Sammy arrive?¡± Adrian asks nonchntly. He looks away trying to make it seem casual but we all know he¡¯s dying to see his girl. I really did think that beating him up a couple of times would kill his infatuation with my sister that was until Sammy pleaded their case with fists and a knife, but that¡¯s a story for another time.


    ¡°Depends, I have yet to figure out if we¡¯ll be here a while,¡± I shrug before turning to look at whatever it was Lucas was drooling at. I cock my head to the side at the petite frame that stands a couple of feet from us cramming notebooks into her backpack, oblivious to her surroundings. Brown hair cascades down to her shoulders, not too long but not short, either. She has a cute frame but she¡¯s not the type of girl Lucas usually goes for.


    ¡°Wipe your chin Drew, I think you¡¯re drooling,¡± I turn to a smirking Adrian.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me you want to tap that, I saw her first,¡± Lucas pouts making me raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°Leave that little nerd alone, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s anything special,¡± I grumble before turning around and resuming my steps. Just in time too because she turned just as I walked by, I don¡¯t know why but I feel a genuine smile cur my lips. Ugh, I shake my head as if to literally shake those thoughts out of my head. I don¡¯t need any distractions anymore.


    ¡°Find out any information that seems to stick out and Lucas, you study the school¡¯s security system. Something tells me that we¡¯ll need this ce,¡± I order before going in different directions. I decide to skip my first ss and roam the ce. I need to get acquainted with the school¡¯syout. That¡¯s one of the things I was always taught as a kid, always know your surroundings thoroughly, even the smallest of ces can save your life.


    ¡°Do you have a pass young man?¡± I snap my head up at that voice.


    ¡°Uncle Kris,¡± I smile as he pats my shoulder with one of his own.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re looking for the girl?¡± my uncle asks as I continue to roam the hallways, my eyes darting everywhere.


    ¡°Howe you don¡¯t know anything about her?¡± I turn to him praying that he can remember anything about my mom. I need all the help I can get right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your mom was the one that said she owed it to ¡®them¡¯ to save her but I don¡¯t know who ¡®them¡¯ was,¡± I can tell by the tone in his voice that he¡¯s just as frustrated as I am.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to fail her anymore,¡± I murmur lowly, praying that he didn¡¯t hear. It¡¯s hard for me to admit my own wrong doings, but really, who likes to admit they¡¯ve been wrong?


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up, my sister trusted Lucy with you for a reason. I know things will fall into ce the way they¡¯re supposed to, trust me. Now I need to get to my first period ss, I wouldn¡¯t go but I can¡¯t let my favorite student down,¡± he rambles as he rushes away. I wonder what student¡¯s so good that it caught the attention of that hard ass. I continue on my little search around the school with a new frame of mind, amazing what a talk with my uncle can do. He¡¯s always been like that though, believing everything happens for a reason.


    ¡°I need more time, yeah I know you need them out of the picture but she has nothing to do with this. It¡¯s her brother that owns thepany you need, I don¡¯t know why you also want her out of the picture,¡± I listen carefully as the angry voice speaks. Ie to a turn in the hallway and slowly incline my head towards the voice. I see a buff figure talking on a phone a few lockers down, definitely male.


    ¡°Her brother¡¯s not even here andst I know nobody knows to where he was shipped off to,¡± he continues to seethe down the phone. I should definitely file this forter. Anything that sticks out right now could help me find the girl. Looks like the school will be the ce to lead me straight to her, just like I first thought. I watch as he proceeds to punch a nearby locker before the chiming of the bell has him hanging up on whoever he was speaking to. This might be quicker than I originally thought. I can¡¯t help but think as I head to my next ss.


    ¡°You find anything out?¡± I ask without turning as I feel Adrian¡¯s presence next to me in the now crowding hallways.


    ¡°Not much more than your normal bitchy gossip and the random rumor here and there that I¡¯m a hunk,¡± he states in a pitchy voice.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I remark.


    ¡°I am being serious, oh and some girls really have it against some girl named Khloe. I think it¡¯s that nerd we saw in the morning, ording to them she¡¯s a snobby bitch but that¡¯s their side of the story,¡± he finishes exining. We stop just in time as Lucas walks out of his ss with his arm draped over the girl mentioned.


    ¡°Lucas, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I ask his back as I recall clearly telling him to leave her alone. It really does suck that Lucas thinks of himself as a rebel at heart, breaking all the rules he can. I watch him turn around to face us but the girl seems to be frozen in ce under his arm.


    ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡± Adrian questions from beside me. His voice snaps her out of whatever momentary trance she fell under and turns around to face us. The innocence in her brown eyes is what keeps me in ce and beneath it all, loss. In a momentary fragment of time I feel connected to this soul for whatever reason, I let my eyes roam over her, trying to figure this person out. She does something the three of us weren¡¯t expecting, she runs away from us.


    ¡°Did you guys really have to scare her off? I almost had her,¡± Lucas res at us.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, you almost had her requesting a restraining order against you,¡± Adrianughs at one of the few failures Lucas has had in getting a girl. It always amuses me the ones that are able to resist ¡®the charm¡¯ as he calls it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ss,¡± l call out as I walk away and leave them to their bickering. I head for one of the seat in the back and away from these people. I¡¯m not a fan of making new friends. People tend to irritate me at time forck of a better term. My phone vibrates in my pocket as thest bell rings and the teacher begins his lecture.


    I¡¯m always one step ahead. I got your mom already, what makes you think you¡¯ll save that girl when you don¡¯t even know who she is? ¨CUnknown


    That fucker seriously thinks he can mess with me right now. I know it has to be that bastard Mason, that¡¯s causing all of this chaos. I swear I¡¯ll beat him no matter what it takes, I¡¯ll get my revenge he shouldn¡¯t even be tempting me. He as well as anybody else should know that I always keep my promises, even if it takes for me to search the ends of the earth. He¡¯s lucky he¡¯s blocked his phone so I won¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Ms. Mason, is there any excuse as to why you are fifteen minuteste to ss?¡± the stern voice of the teacher manages to boom around the ssroom causing me to look up. As if luck would have it, there stands that girl Khloe, fidgeting nervously at the front of the room with all the attention on her. Her eyes are shielded by her hair as she looks down at her feet before she shakes her head not uttering one word. I manage to keep my eyes on her figure as he gives her a mild punishment before motioning for her to take her seat. To my surprise she walks until shees to the back of the room, taking the window seat next to mine. For some reason I expected her to seat at the front or something of the sort.


    I don¡¯t know what it is about her that I can¡¯t quite put my finger on but just draws me in. I watch as her slender fingers reach for her book and ce it on her desk before looking up. She seems relieved at the loss of attention until she snaps her head in my direction and I shamelessly continue to stare. I even let my eyes roam all over her body just to see her reaction. She turns back to her book but I can tell my presence is not allowing her to make out the words and for some unknown reason this brings satisfaction to my being. I hide a grin as she begins to tap her pencil repeatedly before her leg joins the rhythm. I can see the fleeting instincts in her movements as she begins to reach for her bag before I ce my hand above hers.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay¡­?¡± I question after she moved away from me like I had the gue. The bell rings and she takes this as her opportunity to run away, funny thing is I have no clue as to why she¡¯s so intimidated by me. Could it have something to do with my dashing good looks or my enigmatic charisma? I wouldn¡¯t know, but I do know that I¡¯ve found a liking to making her squirm.


    ¡°That was it, that¡¯s why I paid attention to you. Not because I have a knack for making you squirm or that I enjoy watching your face when you get frustrated. It was your eyes, I remember pretending to ignore my mom while she went on and on about my dad¡¯s eyes drawing her in and that¡¯s how she knew she had to be with him. I found it intriguing, how could a pair of eyes speak to you in such a matter that you chose who to marry right? I thought she was crazy for the majority of my childhood but I loved her like no other, I was always close to her. Mommy¡¯s boy as Adrian likes to refer to me. Your eyes just spoke to me in a way I can¡¯t understand and I¡¯m still trying to figure out,¡± I whisper as the music in the background continues to y while I stroke her hair. I shift her until she¡¯s next to Lucy and climb and ce a kiss on both of their foreheads. I¡¯ll protect them both no matter what. A knock on the door as I was about to climb next to Khloe has me cursing lowly.


    ¡°What?¡± I snap at Adrian as he stands in the doorway with an expression that tells me I¡¯m not going to like what I¡¯m about to hear.


    ¡°Your dad has Ruby,¡± he states and just like that my good night¡¯s sleep was deprived from me. In terms of Khloe, whom because of I¡¯ve started to read Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort has taken Harry.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± is all I mutter.

 Chapter 20 Missing Friends and Notorious Trends

    ¡°So, Sammy, Adrian, and Drew all went to the movies?¡± I ask a smiling Lucas as he squirms lightly in his seat under my scrutiny. He nods without hesitation.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go with them?¡± surely, he would¡¯ve gone with them if they all wanted to hang out.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a movie person,¡± he shrugs. He stares at anything in the living room except directly at me. Somehow, I think he¡¯s hiding something. Could it be the way he continues to stray his eyes around the room or the conversation I heard him having, pointedly telling someone on the phone that he¡¯d keep me distracted, I don¡¯t know, it could¡¯ve been anything really. What I do know is that the guys are all trying to keep something from me, now all I have to do is figure them out.


    ¡°You, The Fast and the Furious lover, is not a movie buff?¡± I raise an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°They went to watch chick flicks with Sammy, believe it or not Drew and Adrian have a thing for those kinds of things,¡± he waves his hand in what¡¯s supposed to be nonchnce. I nod in mock agreement.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that Adrian the sarcastic douchebag and Drew the gang leader¡¯s son, are out watching chick flicks?¡± I confirm. Is it me or does this sound pretty farfetched to anyone else? It¡¯s like saying I¡¯d marry broli.


    ¡°When you put it like that it sounds a bit wrong,¡± he grumbles.


    ¡°What¡¯s really going on?¡± I run a hand through my disheveled hair. I¡¯d woken up to Lucy in my bed but Drew had been nowhere to be seen and I vaguely recall him in my roomst night. When I went looking for him the house was practically empty, Lucas the only one hanging around watching Shrek, and he says he doesn¡¯t like movies.


    ¡°Nothing they can¡¯t handle,¡± he cates with a sigh. He rubs a hand over his face and I now notice the dark circles around his eyes, something seriously has him distraught.


    ¡°They left you here to look after me, didn¡¯t they?¡± I voice my theory. I can see the thirst in his eyes, the thirst to be with his friends, family, to help them in whatever it is that they¡¯re doing. I understand, if it were Lucy or Kohl, I¡¯d probably be in the same situation or worse.


    ¡°You can go you know, I promise not to do anything crazy,¡± I breathe. He looks up at me for a moment inplete silence, moment in which I ponder over where Drew could be. I know I should probably be wondering where they all are, and I do, but Drew just stands out a little more. That blue eyes boy will be the death of me.


    ¡°Khloe, could it be that you¡¯re worried about Drew?¡± Lucas breaks the silence with a goofy smile on his face.


    ¡°No,¡± I answer a little too quickly, unfortunately he notices.


    ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s getting to you?¡± he continues to tease. Geez, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve practically made out with the dude a couple of times, we¡¯ve been on a date, no, I just to look at the dude. Would it be too bad to have a crush on Drew? Apart from the somewhat illegal stuff he¡¯s not as bad a guy as I made him out to be in the beginning. But, I¡¯ve never really seen myself liking someone to a certain extent, some girls may see themselves in a rtionship of some sort but frankly I¡¯m so awkward when ites to these things. I tried reading Seventeen magazine for some enlightenment but s, it was no help at all. I¡¯m a hopeless girl.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like him,¡± I lie straight through my teeth. He snorts in response.


    ¡°Every time you guys are in the same room together he looks at you like whatever he¡¯s thinking will most definitelynd him in jail, and you look at him the way you look at Harry Potter,¡± Lucas¡¯s eyes shine with amusement. In my defense Daniel Radcliffe is beautiful.


    ¡°He¡¯s no ¡®the boy who lived¡¯ but he has a certain appeal,¡± I roll my eyes yfully.


    ¡°So you¡¯re admitting to a slight infatuation?¡± he bats his eyshes.


    ¡°I am not in a position to admit or deny such usations,¡± I state.


    ¡°Why?¡± his brown eyes show genuine curiosity.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use in liking Drew, when all this is over you guys will leave and I¡¯ll most likely remain. Ties will be severed and that will only lead to heartache, I¡¯m not stupid enough to put myself in that situation,¡± I exin. It¡¯d be idiotic to go for something you know won¡¯tst.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard-,¡±


    ¡°Of closing the goddamn door?¡± I just had to cut in.


    ¡°I meant, haven¡¯t you ever heard of ¡¯tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all¡¯?¡± so he thinks he can beat me by quoting Alfred Lord Tennyson, huh?


    ¡°¡®Better a witty fool than a foolish wit¡¯,¡± I retort.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a battle of quotes,¡± he brings his arms across his chest.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t hang, there¡¯s the door baby,¡± yeah, I may be goofing around but that¡¯s better than answering a question to which I¡¯m afraid what the answer might be. It¡¯s like watching a show on TV, you watch it on time every week but you dread that season finale knowing that you¡¯ll have to wait the whole off season for new answers.


    ¡°Would you stop with the song quotes?¡±


    ¡°Call me when you¡¯re sober,¡± okay, I just had to add thatst one cause I mean, Evanescence is awesome.


    ¡°Who¡¯s sober?¡± whew, saved by the Kohl. I smile at my brother as he goofs around with Lucy in his hands. I ignore the look Lucas gives me and grab Lucy from Kohl before rushing upstairs. I lock the door to my room before plopping down on my bed.


    ¡°Lucy, it¡¯s a good thing you have a long time before boy problems be part of your life,¡± the blue eyes girl merely stares at me before pping her hands and giggling to herself. I make a game of making faces at her and justze around with her. Yet, that nagging question in the back of my mind still lingers. Where¡¯s Drew, is he okay? What is he keeping from me, why can¡¯t he just trust me not to freak out? Okay, maybe I am vulnerable to freak out bute on, have a little faith in me. I can be a cool and collected, smoother than Nute type of person. Maybe my alter ego but the point is I¡¯m susceptible to change.


    ¡°You remind me so much of her,¡± I squeak at the male voice in my room before jumping up and standing in front of Lucy with a protective stance. That was until I saw the man in my room. I¡¯m a girl not a bulldozer. Green eyes look at me with amusement as I look up the tall frame of the muscled man standing in my room.


    ¡°Uhm, who are you and how long have you been standing there?¡± my voice doesn¡¯te out as strong as it did in my head but I don¡¯t think I can be med. The man looks like freaking Thor and I¡¯m more of Elena in her human years, if you get the gist.


    ¡°Why do you care for the girl so much?¡± he nods to the unknowing baby behind me. I look back at the bed where Lucy crawls around and kicks her little legs up. I can¡¯t help but smile at the sight. Her azure eyes connect with mine and I feel my heart tighten at the thought of anything happening to her.


    ¡°You care for those you love,¡± I answer without hesitation as I face the man once again. Heughs a throaty chuckle that has no sense of humor in it, nothing but a sorrowful trail of bitterness. The sound almost has me showing concern but Lucy¡¯s more important.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°A stranger shows more love for my daughter, more than I ever could,¡± he rubs a hand over his face, trait I¡¯ve seen many times on Lucas. His words sink in and I begin to back up closer to the bed.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I ask nervously. If this man¡¯s Lucy and Drew¡¯s father he¡¯s a gang leader as well and I kind of don¡¯t want to anger him. I¡¯m not quite sure what their policy on disrespectful brats is and I don¡¯t want to find out.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard about me,¡± it¡¯s not a question, more of a statement as he begins to pace the room.


    ¡°Vaguely.¡±


    ¡°Nothing good I¡¯m sure,¡± he deadpans.


    ¡°You¡¯re kind of a taboo subject,¡± I sheepishly remark. He stops his pacing and turns to give me a calcting gaze.


    ¡°You remind me of your father so much,¡± his words stop my trail of thought, warning bells going off in my head.


    ¡°What do you mean, you knew my parents?¡±


    ¡°Contrary to popr belief, I¡¯m not the bad guy here, that¡¯s something you¡¯ll need to remember,¡± he smiles ruefully at his daughter¡¯s figure on the bed. He moves closer to the bed and for some reason I just stand there and watch. I watch the tall man lean down and stoke his daughter¡¯s head, as sheughs her blue eyes twinkling with happiness and as he lets out a lone tear fall down his cheek. I turn my head to the side feeling like I¡¯m intruding on a private moment. I feel my own chest contract at the father- daughter moment.


    ¡°How did you know my parents?¡± I question as he heads for the window.


    ¡°Go to the caf¨¦ by the library you¡¯re so fond of and you¡¯ll find Ruby there. I¡¯m pretty sure you guys will have a lot of exining to do then but to answer your question, my kids wouldn¡¯t be here if it weren¡¯t for your parents,¡± and with those cryptic words he jumped out of my window. I stand there too stunned to move until he makes his way down, I look down only to see him run through the garden and make his escape. What the hell just happened? Wasn¡¯t daddy Collins the big bad wolf in all of this? Wait, what did he mean with that reference to Ruby?


    I grab Lucy from the bed and make my way downstairs where Lucas and Kohl seems to be discussing something. I shake my head at them before sneaking off to the kitchen where ire already bustles around making what seems to be dinner for an army.


    ¡°Do you think you can watch Lucy for me?¡± I speak up after a moment of admiring all her hard work.


    ¡°Oh yes,e on baby,¡± she coos at the attention loving girl as she gathers her in her arms. I smile before sneaking out the back door and the front gate. I have a feeling that if I just directly confronted Lucas and Kohl they¡¯d try to get out of whatever this is. I make the short walk to the dainty caf¨¦ where I indeed find Ruby with a buff man standing by her table. She looks around nervously and seems relieved when she spots me. the guy merely nods as I make my way over and leaves once I take a seat.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I ask the golden question.


    ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯ll never believe this crazy ass journey I just went through, pardon my French. So, I ordered a pizza yesterday because I was having a movie marathon of one and Rebel without a Cause was about to begin. Off topic, James Dean is a dream there and he¡¯s too cute. Anyways, it wasn¡¯t a pizza guy instead there¡¯s this huge dude there who handcuffed me to him and took me to his huge ass home, more like mansion and I was so scared. I was literally freaking out even though he said he wasn¡¯t going to hurt me but don¡¯t all killers say that? He kept asking me questions about you guys but I didn¡¯t tell him anything don¡¯t worry.


    ¡°Then he went on with this bizarre story about Drew being in a gang with Lucas and Adrian, but that just can¡¯t be right, right? I mean, Adrian does seem a bit dangerous and Drew with that dark aura thing he¡¯s got going for him. Lucas just seems like a flirt but Sammy doesn¡¯t seem like a killer,¡± she rambles. I think her mind¡¯s having a bit of trouble processing what she, in the deepest crevice of her mind, knows is true. I wait for her toe to terms with herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s true but they¡¯re not killers,¡± I confirm. She stares at me before a wide grin begins to spread on her oliveplexion.


    ¡°When they make this into a movie, I want to y myself,¡± well she definitely took this better than I did.


    ¡°Well, now I just need you to go home with me because they guys decided to keep this from me and I¡¯m tired of them thinking I can¡¯t handle things. Also, I need you to go in front of me becausest time I walked out on them they went onplete chaos, I just hope they haven¡¯t noticed I¡¯m gone,¡± Iugh nervously before blushing as I remember what happened with Drew and I thest time I left. Even now I can feel my lips tingling with that slight sensation and my stomach erupt in butterflies at the memory.


    ¡°Oh, they noticed,¡± my breath hitches at the voice and myughteres to aplete halt. Ruby just watches in awe as I turn around and face an angry looking Drew, his eyes show my doom. My eyes dart around the room nervously looking for an escape.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you were low on your daily dose of caffeine,¡± that response soundedme even to my ears. I have got to learn toe with better answers on the spot.


    ¡°Do you like angering me?¡± he begins to step closer to me but before any of us can blink I¡¯m out of the door and running to anywhere but there. I hear his angry screams calling for me toe back but I lose the idiot in no time. I lean over and ce my hands on my knees as I try to catch my breath. I look up to see I ended up at the park, one block from the caf¨¦. My athletic skills are at an all-time low.


    ¡°You barely ran,¡± a snotty little girl decides to pint out as I battle my lungs for air.


    ¡°So,¡± is my brilliant response.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak,¡± oh hell no, I am not about to be bullied by a four foot girl with pigtails.


    ¡°Look, oompa loompa, don¡¯t mess with me I¡¯m bigger than you,¡± I roll my eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, by like a foot,¡± did she just call me short? Why am I being told off by a little girl, life has seriously messed up for me.


    ¡°Ooh, is he a prince?¡± I roll my eyes and turn around to see whoever she¡¯s admiring. My eyes widen as Drew draws closer to the park and that¡¯s all I needed before I run off again. It was all going perfectly fine until some kid¡¯s ball bounced off my head and made me lose momentum causing me tond butt first in one of their y tunnels. Yep, this is the notorious life of Khloe Mason.


    ¡°You alright there?¡± he¡¯s trying to sound angry but I can see the amusement in his blue eyes.


    ¡°Yep, just enjoying the park,¡± I look away from Drew.


    ¡°At least now you¡¯ll have no choice but to listen to what I¡¯m sure you knew wasing,¡± he begins. I can already feel him droning on and on about how dangerous it is to be sneaking out with whoever¡¯s supposed to be after me, h, h, h. Man, I¡¯m starting to lose feeling in my butt, I hate feeling butt-less. It¡¯s weird.


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°Huh, yeah, uhm, can you help me out of here? I can¡¯t feel my butt,¡± it¡¯s embarrassing to reveal that little piece of info to him. I nod as he begins tough.


    ¡°You done yet?¡± I snap. He nods before holding out his hand, I take it and he hauls me up easily, crushing me to his chest. My breath hitches as his eyes lock on to mine. Allughter dies as his eyes darken and he begins to lean in¡­ until a bunch of childishughter snaps us out of it. I turn around only to groan in embarrassment.


    ¡°What?¡± Drew questions. I motion to my backside and he snorts trying to hold in hisughter.


    ¡°I told you I couldn¡¯t feel my butt,¡± I snap as I reach behind me to remove the small tunnel from my hinny. I have short arms, unfortunately, ad no matter how hard I try I can¡¯t get the damn thing off of me.


    ¡°Can you help me?¡± I sigh in frustration as I waddle to a nearby tree. I don¡¯t need any more people witnessing this great moment in Khloe¡¯s life, note the sarcasm. He suddenly sobers up and begins to fidget nervously.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just wait ¡¯til we get home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not about to waddle all the way home,e on just take it off,¡± he looks at my behind with apprehension. What the hell is his problem?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Drew?¡± I sigh.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ll defile you, it just seems inappropriate,¡± he admits. Aw, that¡¯s so cute.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine dude, just please get this off of me,¡± Iugh at his cute worry. He gulps before moving to my back and carefully removing the damn thing off my ass. I cough when he continues to stare long after. So much for ¡®defiling¡¯ me.


    ¡°Okay, well I¡¯m off,¡± I try to walk away from him and go home before he gets to say whatever it is he wants to say. Shouldn¡¯t I be the one mad? He kept the little news of Ruby being missing from me, is it possible to turn this around on him? I think so.


    ¡°Khloe, don¡¯t walk away from me,¡± his voice sounds closer than it should be. I turn around ring at him.


    ¡°Please do not start with me, you kept the Ruby thing from me and it¡¯s not like anything happened, so please let¡¯s just go home,¡± I yell. He smiles beforeing even closer towards me.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say anything anymore but you do look hot when you¡¯re mad,¡± he kisses my cheek before his arm drapes over my shoulders and he begins to lead us home. I can feel the heat in my face and mentally kick myself. It is so like me to always embarrass myself in front of the one person I try to look cool.


    ¡°How did you find me anyways?¡± I ask referring to the caf¨¦. I snuck out like a ninja, there¡¯s no way they would¡¯ve caught me.


    ¡°I have someone trailing you ever since thest incident,¡± and just like that I begin to scream all over at him, refusing to go home by his side. Eventually he gives up and just hauls me over his shoulder. It¡¯s funny how people just stop and stare at the girl being dragged by a guy, screaming at him to let her go and hey just stand there gob smacked. Like no, there¡¯s no way she might be in danger let¡¯s just look at the funny sight.


    ¡°Hello Khloe,¡± Adrian smirks at me after Drew steps inside the house with me still over his shoulder.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I retort tly. Drew just continues on his merry way up to my room where he thrown me on the bed.


    ¡°Stay,¡± he orders. With a grunt of frustration I begin to throw the pillows on my bed at him and when I¡¯m through I just begin to grab random things until he eventually gets the picture and leaves. Now I have a mess to clean up thanks to him, I wonder what they did with Ruby. Is she in the loop now, is she still our friend? Is she team Drew or team bad guy? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s with the random questions in my head, it just happens. A knock on my door brings me out of my thoughts. I grab a pillow and ready it for attack just in case the intruder happens to be a blue eyes boy with amazing lips.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Sammy draws out giving the pillow in my hand a weird look. I smile dropping the feathery cushion down. She locks the door before moving over to my bed.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± I wonder what I did wrong as she begins to cry her eyes out. I pat her back awkwardly and just let her cry for a while until she quiets down.


    ¡°Did Adrian say something mean to you?¡± I just had to ask.


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t even know what¡¯s up,¡± she answers.


    ¡°What is up?¡±


    ¡°I, I, I think I might be pregnant,¡± she whispers thest words as if fearing just saying it. I stick my finger in my ear just to make sure I heard right and blink rapidly at the girl in front of me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I think I might be pregnant,¡± she breathes out with a bit more confidence in her voice.


    ¡°And Adrian doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± it¡¯s a statement not a question. She shakes her head in response before dropping her head in myp. I y with her hair as my mind wraps around this news.


    ¡°Have you contacted the mortuary?¡± I ask after a while.


    ¡°What?¡± she looks up at me in confusion.


    ¡°You do know Drew¡¯s going to kill Adrian once he finds out, right?¡± I mean I¡¯ve seen how protective he gets over his family. Adrian and his family jewels will have nothing against hurricane Drew, he¡¯ll be lucky if he has the one kid. It¡¯s not like if she is pregnant we can keep it a secret, it¡¯s impossible.


    ¡°Have you taken a test yet?¡± she shakes her head ¡®no¡¯.


    ¡°Okay, stay here and I¡¯ll go buy one. If Drewes asking for me tell him I went to Narnia, don¡¯t ask,¡± I state after she gives me a weird look. The guys were all ying a mean game of COD allowing me to sneak out fluidly and head to the nearby pharmacy. I never thought it¡¯d be so weird, buying a pregnancy test. I¡¯ve always wondered how girls manage to pee on a stick. It freaks me out for some reason. Thedy at the register gives me a bored look as she rings me up before cing the package in a brown bag and handing it over.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Drew asks as soon as I step into the house.


    ¡°I was low on chocte,¡± I step around him and run up the stairs. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t make it all the way up before I slide down them. The pain wasn¡¯t the worst part of the situation. It¡¯s when the bagnds by my head and the box slides out of the boxnding by Drew¡¯s feet, that things begin to look bad.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Adrian drops his phone as hees to step by Drew followed by Lucas and Kohl. My dear brother Kohl, who as a brother is supposed to act, screams like a little girl when he sees the test. He, who punches Drew right after and he who drags me up from the floor before dumping me on the couch. Even Adrian seems to re at Drew, who now wipes a drop of blood by his lip. I don¡¯t why he¡¯s ring when he¡¯s the one that couldn¡¯t keep it in his pants. Lucas just seems amused by all of this. A couple of momentster Sammy descends down the stairs and her eyes widen as she takes in the scene. She gives me a pleading look and I can¡¯t help but help her.


    ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± Drew speaks up and I can see how hard he¡¯s trying to remain calm. The little vein on his forehead seems like it¡¯s about to explode, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what it seems,¡± I cate calmly. Time to put my lying skills to skills.


    ¡°Oh, please enlighten us,¡± Kohl snaps. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s taking this pretty well.


    ¡°What had happened was-,¡± I begin before I¡¯m interrupted.


    ¡°Someone put it in you,¡± Adrian¡¯s innuendos are not appreciated but on the off note, he would know about that.


    ¡°No,¡± I snap.


    ¡°Then please do tell us what happened,¡± Drew states. He doesn¡¯t seem very happy at the moment.


    ¡°I had a dream, a dream that the alien and human race were at war. In order to create peace they decided to mix races and I was the chosen one, so I bought the test just to make sure I didn¡¯t have an alien baby growing inside my stomach, that dream seemed very real,¡± the only one who finds my exnation funny is Adrian as he clutches his stomach. Lucas just shakes his head at me, my brother looks at me like I¡¯ve lost my mind and Drew, well you¡¯ve heard of the term ck and blue.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to stick with that?¡± Kohl crosses his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± I shrug. At that moment ire runs through the living room screaming for Roger to ce some buns in the oven causing Adrian tough harder.


    ¡°Oh, this is so ironic,¡± Adrian wheezes out. I wonder if he¡¯ll beughing as much when he finds out the truth but it¡¯s not my truth to tell. I grow apprehensive as Drew grabs my shoulder and begins to drag me upstairs. Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting this to happen.


    ¡°You know Drew, everything¡¯s alright so if you could just let me go we¡¯ll be alright,¡± I try to negotiate. He ms the door to my room close before pinning me against it. I wince as he ps his hand above my head. Wow, lies really doe back to bite you in the ass.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what happened?¡±


    ¡°Look Drew, I barely have time to myself so where do you think I¡¯d squeeze in a little thrust in the hay?¡± I reason with him. He can be a caveman sometimes.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not that type of girl,¡± he smirks.


    ¡°Then why pull this stunt?¡±


    ¡°I love seeing you shaken up,¡± I¡¯m pretty sure he was leaning in to nt one on me before the door bursts open pushing us down. Ind out of breath on top of Drew.


    ¡°No way,¡± Kohl mutters before dragging me up and out, what¡¯s with everybody doing this to me? I look at him like he¡¯s crazy when he handcuffs me to his headboard.


    ¡°No making babies, Drew wants to sleep with you he¡¯ll have to go through me,¡± he drags a chair and drags it to the edge of the bed, facing the door. Guarding. Waiting, I think he really thinks Drew will really sneak into his room.


    ¡°Hey, so where¡¯s Kim at?¡± I wonder out loud. I smirk as Kohl¡¯s cheeks redden.


    ¡°She may or may not have threatened me,¡± he grumbles lowly.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I may or may not have followed her to the library without her consent,¡± my brother is hopeless. But it kind of worked for Drew it might work for him. The thought of the Drew has me remembering today¡¯s events and Ipletely forgot to tell Drew about his dad. What did his dad mean he¡¯s not the bad guy and how does he know my parents? How the hell does everything connect together? I can¡¯ even call Drew over as I don¡¯t want to wake up a snoring Kohl. The worst thing that can happen to a handcuffed person is the urge to pee, curse my squirrel like dder.

 Chapter 21 I Just Wanna Run

    Sweat droplets dribble down my forehead as I exert all of my force onto my left hand. I bite my lip as my hand strains to twist but I just can¡¯t pull through. Kohl sits across from me on the chair, snoring his life away. Meanwhile, I haven¡¯t slept, the urge to pee far too great to allow me a mere wisp of sleep. My head snaps up as I hear the slight creak of the door, a head of brown hair peeks through before a smirk is ced upon those chiseled features. I give a nce towards Kohl, whose guarding skills aren¡¯t so great that he doesn¡¯t even make a sound as Drew makes his way towards the bed.


    ¡°You know, I think I¡¯m liking this position quite well,¡± Drew smirks as his eyes roam over my body. I curse myself as a shiver crawls down my spine.


    ¡°Look Drew, I don¡¯t have time for your usual predatory looks because I really have to pee,¡± I raise a hand to stop him from saying anything else. He gives out a low chuckle before bending down by the bed. Just I was about to blurt out saying ¡®no need to bow down to my awesome presence,¡¯ I notice that he has a bobby pin in his hand. Tool he uses to unlock the metal confines, releasing my hands. I look up at him with a scowl.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t do this hours ago before my dder swelled up to unhealthy proportions,¡± I state before carefully making my way to the bathroom inside the room. The relief I feel as I wash my hands is unbelievable, like a huge weight has been lifted from my chest or dder really. I walk out with a certain spring in my step before waltzing out of my brother¡¯s room and downstairs towards the kitchen. I worked up quite the appetite withholding my sweat thates out a different end. Ipletely ignore Drew¡¯s presence but that doesn¡¯t mean my body doesn¡¯t acknowledge it. The alluring presence I¡¯ve be so used to, that certain scent that only he seems to carry.


    ¡°Am I getting the silent treatment?¡± he questions from behind me, amusementcing his words.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you go for me earlier?¡± I could¡¯ve died.


    ¡°Well I could¡¯ve but then I remembered how you snuck out of the house by yourself when something could¡¯ve happened to you,¡± his words get darker as he speaks. And it¡¯s then I realize, who am I to confront him for such a small thing, really? It¡¯ not like my dder really did explode.


    ¡°You know what, you¡¯re right. We definitely do not need to bring up the past,¡± I reply as we walk into the kitchen. I begin rummaging the cupboards for different toppings before getting two bowls out and finally taking the ice cream out of the freezer.


    ¡°You really like ice cream don¡¯t you,¡± I nod but I think he was making more of an observation. He shakes his head at me before removing the tub of ice cream out of my hands. If we were in a rtionship, this move would¡¯ve made grounds for me dumping him. I can feel my eyes ring at him as he ces the frozen goodness back in the fridge. My eye twitches when he grabs the chocte syrup from me just as I was squirting it into my mouth.


    I. Am. Going. To. Kill. Him.


    ¡°Stop looking like you¡¯re about to bite my hand off,¡± he chastises as he searches the fridge for something. I¡¯m not going to go into a perverted talk about how I did not check out Drew¡¯s butt, but if I were to rate it I¡¯d say ¡®baby¡¯s got back¡¯. I avert my gaze to the ceiling trying to hold in the uncontroble giggles that want to erupt from my mouth as he turns to look at me. I can feel the blood rush to my cheeks as I was this close to getting caught doing something that I most definitely should not have been doing. Wait, it is at this time that a question pops into my mind, why is it okay for guys to check out girls liberally but when we do it it¡¯s like it¡¯s dirty? This is something that I should definitely ponder over.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you thinking so hard?¡± a thump on my forehead snaps me back to reality.


    ¡°Nothing, what are you doing?¡± I question as my hands motion to the variety of items he has set on the counter. Eggs, milk, flour, basically all of your baking needs.


    ¡°We are making a cake,¡± he smirks as he digs his finger into the flour only to spread it on my nose. I make a face causing him to chuckle as I¡¯m sure my now white nose looks funny.


    ¡°Why are we making a cake?¡± I wave the whisk he ced in my hand in the air. Who bakes a cake at three in the morning?


    ¡°Well, Lucy¡¯s birthday is tomorrow or technically today,¡± he answers with a shrug meanwhile my mind is screaming at me about what a horrible mother I am. How could I have forgotten such an important day in history, you know besides Dn O¡¯Brien¡¯s birth date?


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you remind me?¡± I whisper as loudly as I can before hurling an egg at his head. The st sound makes me realize what I just did as my eyes widen with surprise. I step back as he wipes part of the substance from his head before taking a couple of threatening steps towards me. Damn, I can count on one hand the times Drew has ever seriously been mad at me but right now, he¡¯s in predatory mode. I¡¯m the prey once again. That¡¯s something I just realized, how in the world do I end up in these situations? The ones where I inadvertently ce myself in some type of danger, awkward, or embarrassing moment?


    ¡°You¡¯re trapped,¡± that whisper in my ear takes me out of my ramblings, only for me to notice I¡¯ve backed myself into a wall with Drew¡¯s body keeping me in ce. I am indeed, as he so nicely put it, trapped.


    ¡°How about that cake?¡± I try to duck under him before he ces his arms on either side of my head. Oh sure, bring out the biceps dude, I¡¯ll just ignore him. I¡¯m going to stare straight ahead, uh oh, straight ahead means straight at his chest. His muscr chest leading to that torso, is it hot in here? Or is it just him?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, why is your face all red?¡± Drew asks me worriedly. Ha, if only he knew what I was thinking. Good thing he¡¯s not a mind reader but what if he were? Oh my, I¡¯d never be safe.


    ¡°My face is red in anticipation for that cake,¡± I manage to stun him with my quick thinking enough for me to get out of his grasp.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make the batter can you get the pans out?¡± I nod before heading out to find the baking pans. Who knew Drew could cook?


    ¡°You know, the reason I didn¡¯t remind you of her birthday is because my mom always kept our birthdays intimate with just our family. I used to like that so I thought I¡¯d do the same thing for her, no need for an over the top party,¡± he exins. Aw, that¡¯s so sweet, now I feel bad for smashing an egg on him. I should apologize but I won¡¯t, that will be like showing weakness. For some odd reason, I don¡¯t want Drew to think of me as weak. Curse you teenage girl hormones. I feel like I¡¯m in some sort of si.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°You space out a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± I feel arms wound around my waist as hot breath hits my neck. Is it just me or is Drew extra touchy feely today? My heart begins to pound uncontrobly in my chest as Drew¡¯s arms tighten around me and I¡¯m being lifted a couple of feet above the air.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I work hard to keep my voice steady but my nerves have been hurled into overdrive. My heart is now mming against my ribcage, I can practically hear the ¡®boom, boom¡¯ out loud. Well, I¡¯ve always wished I could fly, suits me right.


    ¡°Since you seem a bit out of there I¡¯m going to wake you up a bit,¡± too focused on what his hands were doing to me I didn¡¯t notice that Drew had been moving us to another location. I didn¡¯t hear the door opening, my mind was whirling with thoughts that I didn¡¯t hear the slight sound of water running. I didn¡¯t notice he headed into the indoor pool until we both go under the slightly cold water. Water rushes into my system as the unprecedented plunge takes its toll on me. My heades above the surface with a scowl stered on it I¡¯m sure, as I turn to Drew, who¡¯s currentlyughing his ass off. I swim over to him before dunking him under water. That¡¯s right, who¡¯s your daddy? Besides the potentially evil gangster lord.


    ¡°I could¡¯ve died,¡± I chastise while smacking his arm repeatedly. Not like it seems to faze him in any way.


    ¡°How did you not notice I was headed towards the pool?¡± he chuckles as we swim towards the edge.


    ¡°Excuse me for not necessarily being concerned with location at the moment,¡± I roll my eyes. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t the right thing to say. My breath hitches as Drew turns me to face him, blue eyes glinting mischievously as he leans his tall figure a mere breath away from my face, a position I¡¯m all too familiar with.


    ¡°What were you concerned with?¡± there¡¯s not a smirk on his face, no, but a knowing smile graces his features. I jump as one of his handsnds on my back, barely pressing itself against it. What were we talking about again? Oh gosh, his eyes are so pretty.


    ¡°What?¡± I squeak out. Wow, what an intellectual response, Khloe.


    ¡°See, it¡¯s like you don¡¯t even hear me talking,¡± his cold knuckles touch my skin, yet they manage to leave a scorching trail behind.


    ¡°Adrian can¡¯t keep it in his pants,¡± my mouth can¡¯t control itself but that¡¯s all my brain needed to snap me back into reality. My eyes widen in realization to what I just said and I quickly jump out of the pool. Ignoring the cool breeze that hits my body, I run upstairs to my room and lock myself in. there¡¯s got to be some way to downy this situation, technically I think Drew cheated with his eyes. Sadly, I don¡¯t think Adrian will ept this excuse and will most likely try to rip my tongue out of my mouth. What if I have to live the rest of my life as an Avox? I take a quick shower before changing into some new clothes and heading out to check on Lucy.


    ¡°He-hey Adrian,¡± I stutter as I walk in on him bouncing Lucy in his arms. A serene smile framing his features, lookingpletely foreign to the world. That¡¯s right people, Adrian ¡®The Grinch¡¯ ck, can and is capable of smiling. Lucy¡¯s giggles fill the room with a lighthearted joy.


    ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± he smirks at me after tucking Lucy back in her crib.


    ¡°Nervous? I¡¯m not nervous, I¡¯m chill,¡± I make a hand movement to emphasize myme point. He immediately rolls his eyes,ing over to my side, looming over my smaller frame. Uh oh, intimidation is not of my greatest strong points. Just picture him like Dobby from Harry Potter. Aw.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s up with Sammy, I know you two talked,¡± he watches me curiously. Just as I was about to cave under the minute long stare down, the door to the room opens and my jaw hits the floor. Drew raises an eyebrow at us as if the fact that he¡¯s merely in a towel loosely wrapped around his waist has no effect on him. Water droplets run down his chest before being lost under the towel following the ¡®v¡¯ shape of his body.


    ¡°Wow, eye rape much,¡± Adrian mutters lowly before running for the hills. I think little Adri was a bit intimidated. I try to look at anything but Drew, because you know I¡¯m that awkward kid.


    ¡°What was that you had said before?¡± he¡¯s clearly using his body as an interrogative device but fear not, my lips might as well be a lost tomb. I¡¯ll be the code not even Drew can crack. The click of the lock clicking into ce makes me jump unexpectedly. I move closer to Lucy¡¯s crib, perhaps she could save me from this sure to be disaster.


    ¡°I said that cake you made sure does smell like it¡¯ll be good, matter of fact I think it¡¯s done,¡± I move closer towards the door.


    ¡°No, we have ten minutes in which I think we could do something very productive,¡± he¡¯s like the devil whispering his words those oh so seductively. And just what the hell does he mean about ¡®very productive¡¯? Are we going to do some type of manualbor because if we are I should inform him that I suffer of a severe case of indolence. Which is just a technical term forziness.


    ¡°I think you should use that time to put some clothes on, have some decency,¡± I give him a pointed look before sprinting for the stairs. Leaving him stunned no doubt.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry, Khloe?¡± Adrian appears out of nowhere. Oh this fool, this is all his fault. I roll my eyes and continue on my way to the kitchen before the house burns down. ire sends me a wink as the cake has been ced on a tter on the kitchen counter. She bustles away just as a new set of footsteps sounds from behind me.


    ¡°Look Adrian, you wanna figure this shit out just talk to Sammy,¡± I grumble under my breath but audible enough to be heard in the quiet room. I grab the bowl of icing we had prepared before moving towards the cake. Why did Drew even make a cake, it¡¯s not like Lucy can eat it. And Drew calls me the spaz.


    ¡°What should Adrian figure out? You know cupcake, I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re trying to keep something from me and guess what?¡± Drew leans in closely, after spinning me around to meet his gaze, our breath once again colliding with one another. I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut.


    ¡°What?¡± I clear my throat to remove any shakiness from my voice. His presence always keeps me on my toes, and yet, I always wonder how this is possible.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± his eyes darken to midnight blue before a smirk appears on his face, his finger dipping into the icing before licking it off.


    ¡°Well gee, I didn¡¯t know my sole purpose in life was to please you,¡± I scowl as I begin to ice the cake. I wonder if people even begin to imagine just how big this bad boy¡¯s head is.


    ¡°Whoa, I hope I didn¡¯t walk into any kinky shit,¡± Lucas holds his hands up defensively as he struts into the kitchen with a huge smile. And again my mouth entraps me. I watch as that cold, expressionless air takes over Drew. I find my mouth curve upwards slightly despite myself.


    ¡°Ooh, I want some cake,¡± Lucas screams, practically jumping in ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s for Lucy¡¯s small soiree,¡± Drew leans against the counter. That reminds me, I need to go buy that little angel her birthday present. Ugh, I hope I don¡¯t need permission from a certain someone to step foot outside the house. You know what, I just remembered what Sammy said. I am Drew¡¯s pimp and I¡¯m going to take matters into my hands.


    ¡°You know what, Drew,¡± I m the small spat against the marble surface to grasp his attention and smile internally when both, he and Lucas, jump. ¡°I¡¯m going to go upstairs and get Kim and Kohl to watch Lucy while you finish icing this cake, and afterwards we¡¯re going to the mall for presents. No buts and if you have something to say then you better be ready to face the consequences,¡± I finish my little rant with a ¡®humph¡¯ before strutting away towards the backstairs. I thank the heavens that I don¡¯t manage to trip until I¡¯m at the top, crashing onto a grouchy Adrian. He brushes me off him mumbling something about a ¡®clumsy bitch¡¯ before rushing off. Well then.


    I take off roaming the halls looking for a love-struck fool and a lovely girl to watch after my adorable little baby. I hear giggling as I pass by the library and decide to peek inside. I can¡¯t hold in the snort ofughter that erupts from within me as I watch Kohl, dressed in khaki trousers, a white shirt with an emerald green zer and a sack of potatoes over his back, doing some weird dance that just makes him look like he has ants in his pants. Kim¡¯sughter is what fills the room with glee.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, that¡¯s not what I meant when I said I liked Irish guys,¡± she shakes her head at my stereotypical douchebag of a brother. I close the door quietly, not wanting to interrupt the ¡®macdaddy¡¯ work his magic. Good thing I do know of somebody in need of brushing up their baby skills.


    ¡°Hey Adrian,¡± I call innocently as he walks back down the otherwise solitary hallway.


    ¡°What?¡± does he always have to be so brusque?


    ¡°Do you think you and Sammy could watch Lucy while I go to the store with Drew?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he begins to walk away before Itch onto his arm desperately.


    ¡°Please, pretty please, I promise I¡¯ll be the best friend ever,¡± I cry out as he drags me with him like I weigh nothing.


    ¡°Will you tell me what¡¯s going on with Sammy?¡± he suddenly stops before turning to face me. For the first time in the while I¡¯vee to know Adrian, I see a hint of vulnerability. The smallest glimmer of fear, fear of losing Sammy perhaps and that¡¯s what makes what I¡¯m about to do, mean. Then again we could count as payback for all the times he¡¯s tricked me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nod, hoping he doesn¡¯t see right through me.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he nods and I smile before skipping off down the hall. I vaguely hear him say something but don¡¯t pay any attention to it. Probably making some type of snide remark, what a loser. I rush back downstairs and smirk triumphantly as Drew ces the finishing touches on the cake. Damn, he could be a professional baker with his skills. Who does he get that from, who taught him how to bake? His mom? His dad? Was there ever a time where his dad and he actually enjoyed each other¡¯spany?


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he gives me a weird look before grabbing his keys and leading me out into the driveway towards his car.


    ¡°Wait, I want to drive in my car,¡± I halt my steps and dig in my pockets for my keys before hooking them onto my thumb. He turns to give me a t look.


    ¡°No,¡± is all he says before climbing inside his car. Oh hell no. I re at him and holding that re I move towards my car. I unlock the door and open it, ignoring his raised eyebrow. Sending a defiant look his way, I pay no attention to his clenched jaw or the way his hands curl dangerously around the steering wheel as if it were my neck. Feeling extra rebellious I blow him a kiss before turning the engine on and flip him off as I speed out of the driveway. Oh, this is going toe back to bite me in the ass and ironically Avril Lavigne¡¯s What The Hell is ying on the radio when I turn it on. I smile as I see him driving furiously catching up to me effortlessly. Man, I¡¯m starting to think they¡¯re was something in the pool that messed with my way of thinking. What if Adrian intentionally gave me hash brownies? I could so see him doing that. In no time I pull into the mall parking lot and barely lock the car as I¡¯m dragged by the arm.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Drew snaps, pushing me onto the wall none too nicely. Uh oh, caveman mode.


    ¡°Uhm, do you not like my driving skills?¡± this may seem like a death wish but maybe I can diffuse the situation. Crickets can be heard with the response I get him from him, a cold look. Those eyes looking mighty frosty on his wless face. His humorless chuckle scares me a little, I¡¯m not going to lie.


    ¡°Sometimes, I really want to hurt you,¡± he whispers. Chris Brown alert, ha ha, he¡¯s still beautiful.


    ¡°Would this be a bad time to tell you I received a visit from your father yesterday?¡± I decide to speak up now, they do say there¡¯s no better time than the present.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your dad stopped by the house yesterday and we might have had a little chat,¡± I cower into the wall as his eyes darken in anger.


    ¡°Why are you just now telling me?¡± he clenches and unclenches his fists.


    ¡°Because there¡¯s a heard of scary men heading our way,¡± I point to the suspicious looking men that are hurriedly approaching us. I barely have time to blink as Drew hauls me with him to who knows where and I can¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯s still mad at me. I hope the guys don¡¯t eat all the cake before we get there if we get there. Man, why does something like this always happen? And what¡¯s up with Stiles in Teen Wolf, do they not know how their affecting my emotions?

 Chapter 22 In The Land Of Monsters

    ¡°So, who taught you how to bake?¡± I ask, desperately trying to break the deafening silence that has fallen upon us. But, it seems like nothing I say will get Drew to talk to me because all I¡¯m met with is a loud silence. Yeah, you know it¡¯s awkward when even the silence seems so loud that it¡¯ll burst your ear drums. I can just picture the look on Drew¡¯s face, nk and dull, showing no emotion whatsoever.


    ¡°Wow, senior year yet it feels like we haven¡¯t even been in school,¡± I try once again. Well who am I kidding, it does seem like we¡¯ve rarely been inside that dreadful building, thising from someone who actually enjoys learning. It¡¯s a bad thing I can¡¯t see Drew¡¯s face because then I would, at least, have some clue to just what the hell he¡¯s thinking. Nothing, no answer and the silence just seems to be screaming at my face because it¡¯s that awkward silence. The only reaction I notice is his muscles tensing, since our backs are pressed against one another, as the door opens and is mmed shut secondster.


    ¡°Khloe, keep your mouth shut and don¡¯t say anything,¡± I hear as Drew hisses at me. Though I can¡¯t see his face I know that a serious expression has been formed by his features. I grab our joined hands and squeeze tightly to let him know I¡¯ll do what he asks, our hands make a small clinking sound at the motion. Yeah, if I ever pictured myself handcuffed to Drew, I really thought it would be underpletely different circumstances. This is the second time I¡¯ve been handcuffed in the span of twenty four hours and no, I¡¯m not beginning to feel special. Suddenly, we¡¯re hauled up off the ground by the arms a bit painfully, and I continue to hold on to the blue eyed boy that envelopes me in aplete sense of safety.


    ¡°You really need to work on hiding better,¡± a cruel snarl is heard from the man facing us, only adding to his sinister demeanor. Dark brown eyes stare back at us, but their nk expression makes them seem ck, void. A long scar runs along his right cheek and in any other situation it could be taken as a battle scar, but here, it¡¯s just a scar adding to a dark being. A shiver crawls down my spine inplete fear, Drew as if sensing my state of mind pulls me closer to his side. Well, as best as he can in our current position.


    ¡°And you really need to learn your ce,¡± the blue eyed boy snaps. I¡¯ve got to admire the side of Drew that won¡¯t back down even when we¡¯re so easily outnumbered. He straightens his postureing to hisplete height and despite the age gap, there¡¯s something about Drew that makes someone aware of his presence. Be it his intimidating figure or the cobalt eyes that seem to shift with every single emotion that flutters through them. The man nods for the guys behind Drew and I to leave before speaking again.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know why they want you dead so badly,¡± the man states pensively while stroking his chin. Is that what I look like when I do it? Completely badass and Godfather like?


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± Drew asks,pletely calm as if we¡¯re not in a possible life and death situation. Someone¡¯s been hanging out with Adrian too much.


    ¡°You know who,¡± the man replies cryptically. I really need to stop referring to him as ¡®the man.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m Khloe,¡± I hold my hand out to shake and both Drew and badass give me incredulous looks in return. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to shake it,¡± I add, ncing down at my outstretched hand, the one that¡¯s not handcuffed to Drew. Awkward.


    ¡°Kai,¡± he answers after a moment before taking my hand in his firm grasp.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a girl¡¯s name?¡± I pipe up curiously.


    ¡°No, it can be a guy¡¯s name too,¡± he retorts through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I say slowly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he snaps before roughly unhanding me, letting my hand drop to my side. Well, so much for southern hospitality. Drew gives me a t look but the lighter shade of his blue eyes tell me he finds my actions amusing. I wonder why the hell he¡¯s not freaking out or going Rambo on these mofos.


    ¡°So my dad is sending his monkeys out to get me?¡± Drew draws out slowly and carelessly. I don¡¯t know buddy, I just don¡¯t fee like this has Daddy Collins written all over it.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t even seen your father in ages,¡± Kai smiles, his gaze taking on a dazed look as if he¡¯s recalling some sort of old memory.


    ¡°Then who?¡± I question.


    ¡°Sadly, in this business silence means everything even your own life, so I cannot tell you. But you, you know who he is you¡¯re just blinded by anger towards your dad,¡± Kai points towards Dew thoughtfully. You better get to thinking Drew and start being happy.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing something, Drew? Shouldn¡¯t you have some sort of weapon on you?¡± I hiss towards him. Those blue eyes turn to me with a smirk on their face. Something tells me he¡¯s got something up his sleeve. I just about die with a serious case of swooning when he bites his lower lip mischievously.


    ¡°Look, I like you kid, I do but my life¡¯s worth more to me than yours,¡± Kai states after a moment. Oh, so this is some ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯ type of shit, every man for himself.


    ¡°What makes you think I won¡¯t get to you first?¡± Drew bites back cockily.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right?¡± Kai looks at us before choking out a jovialugh.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t kid. I¡¯m not fond of jokes,¡± I jump at the sudden deep voice thates from an unseen corner of the room. That voice could kill someone in their sleep, used for torture purposes, etc. I give Drew a questioning look but he merely shrugs in response. I think I¡¯m going crazy because I¡¯m pretty sure that was Adrian¡¯s voice.


    ¡°What the hell,¡± Kai mutters under his breath along with a string of profanities before removing a gun out of his jacket. Okay, I¡¯m just going to do some Lana Del Rey¡¯s Gods and Monsters type of thing, which music in my head sounds like the perfect background. No one¡¯s gonna take my soul away, I¡¯m living like Jim Morrison¡­


    ¡°Why is your head moving like that?¡± Drew hisses. This guy doesn¡¯t understand that I love that old time rock and roll, however relevant that is right now. That is the moment in time when a loud ¡®whoosh¡¯ sound is heard and Kai falls to the ground by our feet, a dart sticking out of his shoulder de.


    ¡°Good shot,¡± Drew calls out, right before Adrian jumps out from behind a bookcase in the room. Some type of dart gun in his hands with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°You thought so,¡± it¡¯s so obvious this is going to go to his head.


    ¡°How did you find us?¡± I question in awe. I mean, it¡¯s not possible for Adrian to be able to know everything so how did this happen?


    ¡°Luke and I tracked your ass,¡± Adrian smirks. Momentster, the door is thrown down by Lucas who is followed in by a frantic Kohl. I groan as Kohl hurries to my side and begins to look me over. Is it toote to hire Kai, he is a hit man right? I¡¯ve got the perfect victim.


    ¡°This is what happens when you go against your handsome, caring, wise brother,¡± Kohl gives me a condescending look while I roll my eyes in response. ¡°Oh, the young always thinking they know better,¡± he tsks at my antics.


    ¡°Minutes Kohl, you¡¯ve got a couple of minutes on me,¡± I reply with clenched teeth. Lucas gives me a beaming smile before unlocking the handcuffs and finally freeing me from Drew. He¡¯s nice to look at but sometimes a girl needs some time to herself. I rub my slightly red wrist, marking that mimics that on Drew¡¯s as well.


    ¡°So how exactly did you guys track me?¡± I wonder out loud.


    ¡°There¡¯s a very small tracking chip in the back pocket of your jeans,¡± Lucas smiles as if all of this ispletely normal to him.


    ¡°So when you said you tracked my ass, you literally meant my ass,¡± I bite my lip as I reach for my back pocket, or rather butt pocket. Ha, I made a funny. I pull out a small, perhaps chocte chip size of a microchip. So this is how they found me, I should be grateful but my ass somehow feels vited.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± Kohl pipes up. Yes brother, you would find this amusing.


    ¡°Now, first thing¡¯s first, what the hell did you mean about speaking to my dad?¡± suddenly the room grows quiet at Drew¡¯s question. Even Kohl seems to sense the shift in mood as he backs up until he¡¯s standing by Lucas. Adrian on the other hand, just proceeds to re at me. Thanks a lot, Drew.


    ¡°Uhm, well, you see, shouldn¡¯t we get out of here first?¡± I let my gaze drop to the unconscious man lying on the ground. Are we just going to leave a possible killer free? Adrian hands Drew his cell phone right before Drew makes a call, walking a distance away to speak.


    ¡°Who do you think sent him?¡± Lucas asks as he crouches down to Kai¡¯s strewn body. Adrian nods pensively, his eyes squinting in thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was his dad,¡± I pipe up. Damn, I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut. Adrian brings his arms across his chest, Lucas raises an eyebrow in silence, Kohl once again backs away and it¡¯s at this moment that Drew decides to end his call.


    ¡°Speak,¡± one word from Drew, or rather Dark Drew, that¡¯s all it took for me to open my mouth and spill the beans about my little t¨ºte a t¨ºte with his dad. The conversation goes better than expected with the asional snide remark from Adrian, a couple of interruptions from Lucas. Kohl remains unusually quiet and Drew¡¯s eyes speak volumes, well not really, but there is an underlying current of anger. I don¡¯t think Drew¡¯s protective side likes how close his dad got to Lucy.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Adrian looks into my eyes as if he were a lie detector, expecting the moment in which he gets to buzz on my lie.


    ¡°He did say he was not the bad guy in this and that we ought to remember that,¡± I add thoughtfully, trying to recapture every second of our chaste conversation. Mister Collins¡¯s green eyes sh in my mind, eyes that held pain and sorrow. Either he¡¯s innocent or an Emmy deserving actor.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s toying with us,¡± Drew deadpans before striding towards the door.


    ¡°What about him?¡± Kohl points to Kai.


    ¡°Someone wille to get him,¡± Adrian answers. That¡¯s all we needed to know before going after Drew and out of the apparent warehouse we¡¯d been brought to. Now that we¡¯re not in the back of a van that was going like one hundred miles an hour, it¡¯s so much easier to take in the scenery. Not bad for an abandoned ce, how do these people tend to find these ces. I am so not cut out to be a viin, I get lost easily. We all pile into Adrian¡¯s ck SUV Escde, which is pretty awesome if I do say so myself. The drive is quiet but I can feel the pent up tensioning from Drew¡¯s silent figure sitting beside me.


    ¡°It¡¯s too damn quiet,¡± Adrian mutters from the front before plugging his iPod in. Green Day¡¯s American Idiot fills in the silence, I drum my fingers against my thigh. I think if my horribly pitched voice were to sing along right now it wouldn¡¯t be well received. Without thinking I grab Drew¡¯s hand andy them in-between us, I give it a slight squeeze to ease some of his anger. I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not the best shoulder to cry on. I definitely do not know how tofort people. I look up and my eyes meet Adrian¡¯s in the rearview mirror, his smirk unnerving. When we pull up into the house we decide to just have some sort of family meeting to let everyone know what¡¯s going on. We all gather in the living room and wait for Sammy and Kim toe down.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sammy chirps as she descends the stairs. Instead of going to sit next to Adrian, shees to sit by my side and I seem to take the brunt of Adrian¡¯s res. Chill out, bro. I give Sammy a look that says ¡®you need to talk to him.¡¯ She gives me one in return that clearly states ¡®I can¡¯t, he¡¯s a raging monster and I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll eat me,¡¯ well not quite but something along those lines.


    ¡°Okay, sorry I¡¯mte,¡± Kim rushes in with a flushed face, the wind from outside seeming to have taken an effect on her.


    ¡°You can sit here,¡± Kohl raises his hand before pointing down at the empty seat beside him. We all try very hard to conceal ourughter at my brother¡¯s love struck antics. Kim gives him an odd look before sitting next to him and then scooting down a couple of inches away from him. My brother needs a couple of lessons on love.


    ¡°Okay, so here¡¯s what we know¡­,¡± Lucas begins before proceeding to exin all of the current events. I would¡¯ve thought that Drew would be the one to give this little speech but Lucas took on the small crowd with finesse. Not once did my attention deviate from him and Kohl lustfully gazing at Kim doesn¡¯t quite count.


    ¡°Wait, if your dad¡¯s not involved why haven¡¯t we contacted him?¡± Kim directs towards Sammy curiously.


    ¡°Because we don¡¯t know if he¡¯s in the clear yet,¡± Drew snaps before getting up and stomping up the stairs. The sound of a door mming shut making us flinch slightly.


    ¡°He needs to getid before he kills someone,¡± Adrian grumbles.


    ¡°Why are you all looking at me?¡± I squeak with a blush rushing to my cheeks. I receive t looks in return but I decide to ignore them before standing up.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sammy panics, giving me a look as Adrian begins to move towards her.


    ¡°Fuck this,¡± I hear him hiss before hauling Sammy¡¯s petite frame over his shoulder and dragging her away. Yep, I don¡¯t think Adrian will want to see anyone in a few hours. I wonder if Sammy got to take the test, it¡¯s been so hectic around here thesest few days. With a shake of the head I trudge up the stairs and in the direction of my room but crashing sounds from the same hall, halt my steps. The door next to mine is ajar, Drew¡¯s room. An empty pitcher and ss are now shattered on the ground, courtesy of ire no doubt, while Drew paces the room frantically. His biceps flex as he brings his hands up to his face, the muscles in his back taut with tension and I feel like aplete pervert. I speak up just as his hands clenched around a bottle of Jack Daniels.


    ¡°Are you going to drink it or trash it?¡± a faint smile curls my lips as I manage to make the bad boy jump in surprise. I raise an eyebrow in question as my gaze drifts down to the ss bottle clenched in his hand. He gulps before answering.


    ¡°Trashing it,¡± he murmurs looking away, the tell-tale sign of a lie.


    ¡°Really, then why was it in your room?¡±


    ¡°For decorative purposes,¡± he drawls out sarcastically. Yep, definitely spending way too much time with Adrian. He gives me a defiant look before bringing the rim of the ss bottle up to his pink lips, he better not.


    ¡°Last time I checked you were eighteen not twenty one,¡± I can just picture the mother hen look I must wear right now. He smirks before his lips engulf the bottle and he tips his head back, chugging a nice amount of its content. I close the door behind me before I take a couple of steps closer to him. For some reason a pained look shadows over his features and he takes a step back. Since when did I be threatening? Has my five foot four stature of pure muscle finally be ferocious somehow?


    ¡°Just go away Khloe,¡± he whispers. I shake my head before reaching for the bottle and taking it into my own hands. I bring the bottle up to my lips and chug a drink, of course me being me and never having tasted the slightest drop of alcohol, immediately begin to choke at the burning sensation the foreign liquid leaves in my throat. I begin to cough, trying to get ustomed to the drink.


    ¡°How the hell do you drink this?¡± I whisper hoarsely before shoving the bottle in Drew¡¯s direction. He shrugs before carelessly taking another drink.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to remember Lucy¡¯s first birthday as the day I met drunk Drew, so how about you put the bottle down and you talk,¡± I suggest before plopping down on the edge of his bed.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about,¡± his face hardens and he throws himself onto the bed, but at least the bottle of liquor was abandoned on the bedside table.


    ¡°Why are you so mad?¡± I huff. He heaves himself up on his elbow so that his face is no longer kissing his pillow before he turns to give me a zing look. It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve grown quite ustomed to his cold persona.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he res before letting himself fall onto the mattress once again.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna head out with Lucy to actually buy her present and if you want to stop being pissy, you¡¯re wee toe,¡± I offer heading over to the door. My footsteps echo in the quiet hallway but I don¡¯t hear the thundering ones that usually follow whenever I try to leave. I shake my head and try to ignore the small pang I feel in my chest. Just as I was about to check if Lucy was in her crib, my name being whispered catches my attention. Coming from the other end of the hall I make my way over to the hushed voice. Sammy peeks her head out of her doorway as she motions me inside to her room. I try not tough as Adrian lies on the ground looking like he just up and fell over.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± I point down.


    ¡°He fainted when I was exining to him why I¡¯ve been so distant. I had just gotten to the part where I thought I was pregnant and this happened,¡± she motions to her unconscious boyfriend. Her hands wring nervously as she bites her lip looking at Adrian a bi hesitantly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get some water or something,¡± I hurry downstairs, fill a cup with water and climb back up in record time. I furrow my eyes as Adrian¡¯s form seems to be lying in a different position thanst time.


    ¡°He woke up and I got through telling him that the test came back negative, he smiled and fell over again,¡± she huffs as she kicks her boyfriend with her shoe. Now that she mentions it, Adrian does have a faint smile on his face. Nothing can make a guy smile like knowing he¡¯s not about to have a baby at the wrong time. I give Sammy a questioning look as I motion to the ss of cold water in my hand. She smirks before nodding eagerly. I tip the ss over and the water followed by a couple of ice cubes rain down on Adrian¡¯s face jolting him awake immediately.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he shakes his head of the excess water before jumping up. His eyes narrow in on Sammy and I, who by now have already assumed innocent expressions, and looks us over before his eyes widen in realization. No doubt remembering thetest information his brain has just processed. The most glorious smile that I¡¯ve ever seen grace Adrian¡¯s face.


    ¡°It was a false rm right?¡± he almost shouts in our faces. Sammy and I turn to each other simultaneously, we give each other looks before turning back to Adrian with solemn faces.


    ¡°No,¡± she whispers with a shake of the head before turning her gaze towards the ground.


    ¡°She thought it was a false rm but a recent test proved she is indeed pregnant,¡± I add solemnly. I put a forting¡¯ arm around her shoulders and look at Adrian, who looks like he¡¯s about to have an ident. He seems to lose himself in thought for a while before Sammy looks up with a sheen of tears glistening in her eyes. Something in him resolves itself and he takes his girl into his arms where he holds Sammy like she¡¯s the most valuable jewel in the world. Like he wouldn¡¯t let anything harm her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll tell Drew and when I learn how to walk again we¡¯ll take of the baby,¡± he coos in her ear. Aw, he actually has a heart and he¡¯s not too wrong about the possibility of not being able to walk again if Drew were to find out.


    ¡°We¡¯re having twins,¡± she adds sniffling. Oh, she¡¯s good. Now Adrian looks like he¡¯s actually about to cry. You poor bastard.


    ¡°Twins aren¡¯t that bad, take it from Kohl and I, although, my mom did say the toddler years were some of the worst,¡± I nod empathetically.


    ¡°Oh God, Drew¡¯s going to castrate me that¡¯s if he doesn¡¯t kill me,¡± Adrian buries his face in his hands. Sammy and I smirk at each other while his back is turned in our direction. ¡°I got it, I have the perfect solution,¡± he suddenly exims and we look at him like he¡¯s lost his mind. If the look in his eyes is any indication.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get hitched in Vegas by Elvis and we¡¯ll tell your brother we¡¯re going on a small road trip. By the time we get back he won¡¯t be able to oppose because we¡¯ll be legally married,¡± he smiles at Sammy who actually begins to look a little sick to her stomach. Somebody¡¯s afraid ofmitment.


    ¡°Are you nauseous?¡± he asks with concern, cing hisrger hand on top of her stomach. I just really want tough right now. ¡°We should get to nning,¡± he urges after he makes sure Sammy¡¯s okay.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t have to get married, psh. We don¡¯t even have to tell Drew,¡± she steps back. He shakes his head with a smile, waving her off.


    ¡°And you Khloe, you¡¯ll be the maid of honor and everything, although when Drew finds out he might forget all about you but you¡¯d do this for your friends,¡± he smiles at me and it¡¯s so foreign I¡¯m starting to think this whole thing turned on us. ¡°And Sammy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she looks up a bit afraid of whatever it is he¡¯s going to say next.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to prank the King,¡± he smirks at us before cing a sweet kiss on her forehead, one that¡¯s cut short as Sammy proceeds to punch his chest.


    ¡°You jerk, do you know how scared I was?¡± she continues to pound her fists while he just chuckles.


    ¡°The good thing is that you¡¯re not pregnant and Drew won¡¯t kill me,¡± he calms down from his high. We all nod together, if Drew were to find out it¡¯d be World War III.


    ¡°You sure about that?¡± we all jump and turn to see a ring Drew leaning on the doorframe.


    ¡°Shit,¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Holy guacamole,¡± these three phrases are heard simultaneously as it sinks in that Drew just overheard our conversation. He needs to wear a bell, he¡¯s too damn quiet. Drew looks like he¡¯s about to burn us on the spot and I swear it¡¯s like a freaking scary movie. It¡¯s like Freddy Krueger is about toe for us and suddenly that window doesn¡¯t seem like that far of a fall. Well, this is it, happy birthday, Lucy.

 Chapter 23 Cute House Elves and Hot Boys

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I look ugly!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, you¡¯re fucking beautiful,¡± Adrian soothes but his brown eyes seem to be holding back his amusement. He turns around to give a ring and silently seething Drew, a pointed look.


    ¡°Yeah, anyone would be lucky to have you,¡± Drew coughs awkwardly. He shifts on his shoes until he¡¯s leaning against the kitchen counter, his eyes looking at anything but not at anyone. I can still feel his slight anger from earlier before we all ended up in the kitchen. The tension from Sammy¡¯s room is still very much present, oh so very present. Even now, I can feel Drew ring at the three of us, Adrian pretends to ignore it, Sammy keeps giving me pleading looks and I just avoid eye contact with the blue eyed


    ¡°Really?¡± Lucas looks up with a faint smile on his face. See Adrian, Sammy and I were about to get our asses tore by Drew¡¯s dark side, him having found out about Sammy¡¯s little pregnancy scare, when a scream saved us from his anger. We tore out of Sammy¡¯s room like our lives depended on it which knowing Drew, they kind of did. Nothing prepared us for the sight waiting for us in the kitchen, Lucas leaning over a frying pan, something sizzling on the stove before catching fire. The mes rising up high before we were able to douse them out with the extinguisher, sadly, nothing could be done for Lucas¡¯s eyebrows, which both are now halfway gone. Lucas is currently sitting on top of the kitchen counter cupping his hands over his brows. The area around his eyes intensely red, I think he should put some ointment on that.


    ¡°Yeah, Lucas you¡¯re the definition of a stud,¡± I pipe up cheerfully. The poor idiot has been sulking for half an hour going on and on about what was, he started to sound like Rapunzel¡¯s song from Tangled, which he didn¡¯t miss to sing. I¡¯ve never seen the usually upbeat Lucas seem so down. As soon as those wordse out I notice Sammy shake her head frantically while Drew just seems bored and raises an eyebrow. I think he¡¯s giving me the silent treatment but I can¡¯t be quite sure.


    ¡°You really think so Khloe?¡± he looks up with a beaming smile, he¡¯s like a little kid. I nod, giving him a smile of my own. He jumps down from the counter before giving me a tight hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m prettier than all of you,¡± he turns on his feet pointing towards Adrian and Drew, even Sammy. Well, at least he doesn¡¯t have self-esteem problems. His brown eyes have none of that sadness from before, he starts dancing and singing along to Kelis¡¯s Milkshake. I just hope he really doesn¡¯t bring any boys to our yard.


    ¡°What were you even doing cooking?¡± I ask curiously. All of us turn to face a sheepish looking Lucas. He begins to shift nervously and scratching the back of his neck.


    ¡°Well, uhm, Kohl and I had a bet on whose cooking could woo a girl,¡± he looks down at his worn Converse. It would have something to do with my brother.


    ¡°And what girl would you be wooing?¡± Adrian smirks. Hm, who could it be because as far as I know Lucas is the more promiscuous one of the group?


    ¡°Oh look it¡¯s Kurt Cobain,¡± Lucas points behind us.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to fall for that,¡± Sammy scowls at him. Strangely enough, Kohl walks into the kitchen dressed as Kurt Cobain for some odd reason even I¡¯m terrified to ask. Out of the corner of my eye I see Adrian holding a fist to his mouth, holding in hisughter.


    ¡°Why?¡± is all Drew says as he looks my brother up and down.


    ¡°Turns out that cooking shit doesn¡¯t really work on girls, so I¡¯m working on a new technique,¡± Kohl shrugs as if this should be obvious. I pinch the bridge of my nose and shake my head at him. The blond wig hangs precariously off his stupid little head. I also think he did a poor job of scribbling some bad work of stubble on his face. All in all, he is no Kurt Cobain; I just hope he doesn¡¯t try to sing. I don¡¯t know if his love for Nirvana brought this on, or if he really is trying to impress some poor soul out there. Either way I feel sorry for them both.


    ¡°How do I look Khloe?¡± Kohl turns to me with a stupid smile on his face, his brown eyes expectant.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d rather get beat up by Drew right now,¡± I mutter but something tells me he heard. Adrian chuckles loudly, Sammy smiles and Drew just gives me a deadpan look.


    ¡°I think you three and I still have something to talk about,¡± Drew states, his gaze meeting all of ours while Kohl and Lucas remain oblivious to the sudden tension in the room. Eachplimenting the other on their new looks. It¡¯s a strange friendship, the one those two have.


    ¡°I just remembered there¡¯s supposed to be a marathon of Charmed reruns that I should really get to watching,¡± I mumble, desperately trying to make my escape. It¡¯s not a lie. I never miss an episode no matter how many times I¡¯ve already watched them. I think it¡¯s pretty obvious I live my life vicariously through fictional characters.


    ¡°Yeah, Adrian and I have some things to talk about,¡± Sammy replies.


    ¡°I think the two of you have done enough talking,¡± Drew bites back and I don¡¯t miss the triumphant smirk that passes through Adrian¡¯s face before he schools his features once again. He must really want his face to meet Drew¡¯s fist, not like it hasn¡¯t happened before. I shudder at that awful memory when Drew had the gall to separate Lucy and me. I¡¯ve forgiven him since then but that scenario will be used to win future fights, which I don¡¯t doubt we will have.


    ¡°Well, bye,¡± I wave in fake enthusiasm before heading for the door. An iron grip grabs hold of my wrist just as I was about to push the door open.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Drew hisses before grabbing Adrian¡¯s ear and dragging the both of us with him. ¡°Sam, I better not have toe get you myself,¡± he calls out. I don¡¯t even get a chance to turn around and see if she followed, but the quiet pitter patter of feet behind


    ¡°Drew, you really know how to treat ady,¡± I grumble sarcastically as he roughly pushes Adrian and I into his bedroom. The second time I¡¯ve been in here today, might I add.


    ¡°Yes, I also know how to treat liars,¡± he retorts with an eye roll.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t lie to you, they kept this from the both of us,¡± Adrian pitches in quickly before moving over to stand by Drew¡¯s side. I turn to give Sammy the ¡®your boyfriend¡¯s a wimp¡¯ look. We reallymunicate through our eyes, it¡¯s a girl thing. I think.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to hear anything from you just yet, Casanova,¡± Drew snaps. Somebody didn¡¯t put sugar in their cereal this morning.


    ¡°Look Drew, we could listen to you lecture us for hour but we all know we¡¯re not really going to listen to you. So, how about I let you drive me to the store cause I never got to buy that present,¡± I try to diffuse the situation with pure and raw honesty. The re tells me myment hasn¡¯t been well appreciated.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let me drive you to the mall?¡± he takes on an incredulous tone.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I nod before grabbing his hand and dragging him with me. I send a ¡®you owe me¡¯ look to Sammy and Adrian, who are both left smirking behind us. I don¡¯t know why, they¡¯re weird. I look back at Drew when he lets me drag him out effortlessly, but he¡¯s just giving me an odd look. ¡°You unlock it with your keys,¡± I urge when we make it to his car and he just stands there with the same stupid look on his face. He snaps out of it and we both climb into the ck car. Before I can even put my belt on, he revs the engine and speeds out of the driveway causing my head to bang on the dashboard. ¡°Thank you for that,¡± I groan, rubbing my forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± he smirks. The drive goes silent and all the while I shift ufortably in my seat, worried that he¡¯s nning on taking me out into the forest and my doom. I think we¡¯ve established that I have an overactive imagination. I catch him trying to keep a smirk off his face and I just know he knows he¡¯s making me ufortable. I sigh in relief when we pull up to the very public, crowded ce lingering with many possible eye witnesses.


    ¡°So, where are we heading?¡± he asks as we walk past the crowded entrance doors. I instinctively shift closer to him, all these people giving me the creeps. At least this time we made it into the mall instead of being hauled out by a band of bandits.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Kai?¡± I ask as I head to a cute little toy store. We get some looks as we roam the store aimlessly, but that might have to do with the fact that Drew seems to scowl at everything. I pick up a cute looking house elf from a nearby shelf. I notice hepletely ignores my question.


    ¡°No, this will most probably scare her,¡± he takes it out of my hand and puts it back.


    ¡°Scare her, that right there is Dobby from Harry Potter,¡± I exim.


    ¡°How about a nice little doll?¡± he drags me away from the shelf.


    ¡°A doll, are you insinuating that because she is a girl she will only y with Barbies and artificial make up?¡± I bring my arms across my chest with a scowl on my face, my feet deeply rooted to the ground.


    ¡°What, no. I just think she would prefer a doll than to a scary looking goblin,¡± he shrugs exasperatedly. No he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°We¡¯re having a movie night tomorrow. A Harry Potter marathon because you obviously don¡¯t know the difference between a goblin and a house elf,¡± I get all up in his face. It is after my little rant that I notice I was screaming and a lot of people in the store giving me odd looks. Though I do smile when a man a couple of feet away screams ¡®Hell yeah¡¯.


    ¡°Khloe, can you calm down?¡± Drew looks around warily. I humph and turn back around, grabbing the little Dobby doll off the shelf.


    ¡°Go ahead Drew, buy her your little doll and we¡¯ll see which she likes better,¡± I smile innocently, knowing he won¡¯t resist a challenge. He smirks before grabbing a cutesy set of a doll and castle, loser. We were about to leave when I notice the minion stuffed bears, I grab two before heading to the register. ¡°They¡¯re for Lucy,¡± I answer the silent question when Drew raises an eyebrow at my minions. Well, at least one of them is for Lucy. We walk out of the store with all of our bags in Drew¡¯s hands. I walk to a small jewelry store with Drew in tow.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it sexist to get her jewelry Drew because she¡¯s a girl?¡± I hear Drew mock from behind me in a pitchy voice.


    ¡°Jewelry can have sentimental value and be worn by both, guys and girls,¡± I snap. We wait for around an hour as they engrave Lucy¡¯s name into the small charm bracelet I bought with her birthstone on it. Beat that, Drew. After having the bracelet wrapped we stepped out and unable to resist myself I scurry on into the bookstore conveniently ced by the jewelry store. Drew rolls his eyes before following me in. I¡¯m immediately drawn to the YA section, can you me me? I notice the new release for Shatter Me has been ced on the top shelf and desperately jump to get it. Curse my short frame, Drew just smirks and whistles looking away.


    ¡°Here, let me,¡± a deep voice states before the book appears in my line of vision. I beam up and finally notice the guy that helped me in the name of literature. My breath hitches as I notice he looks just like Jared Padalecki also known as, Sam Winchester. His green hazel-ish eyes give me a knowing look, as if he knows who he looks like.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I breathe out.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, sweetheart?¡± I blush looking down at my feet at the smile that framed those Supernatural look-alike features.


    ¡°Khloe,¡± I manage to squeak out as I look up his tall frame. He even has Jared¡¯s height.


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± he leans on the bookshelf right in front of me, cing one booted foot against the frame gently. I notice the tattoo on his wrist which just makes him hotter. ¡°It means strength,¡± he adds when he notices me looking.


    ¡°Oh, and no, I don¡¯t,¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Yes, she does and he¡¯s standing right here,¡± I finally remember that I was here with Drew.


    ¡°What, you¡¯re not my-,¡± I manage to get out before he cuts me off again.


    ¡°Bye,¡± he red at the beautiful specimen in from of me.


    ¡°Fine, here,¡± he ces something in my hand before strutting away and I stare longingly at his figure. I wonder if he knows someone who looks like Dean. That¡¯d be heaven on earth. I look down at the cigarette he ced in my hand and notice something¡¯s scribbled on it, his name and phone number. Derek, it suits him. I smile before pocketing it and looking up at Drew. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I hold up the book in a motion that I¡¯m going to go pay for it. I¡¯ve grown ustomed to his res but the one he¡¯s giving me right now seems a bit more dangerous.


    ¡°What, why are you staring at me like that, are you mad?¡± I ask him rmed.


    ¡°You were flirting with him,¡± he sneers thest part in


    ¡°I was not, I was merely answering a couple of questions honestly,¡± I correct. I don¡¯t think that counts as flirting, does it? I head over to the cash register with a sulking Drew by my side. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so mad.


    ¡°Let me ask you something, in your eyes who¡¯s hotter, him or me?¡± Drew suddenly speaks as we put the bags in the trunk of the car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do this Drew,¡± I mutter before climbing inside the car and putting my seat belt on.


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving until you answer my questions honestly,¡± he snaps looking out the windshield.


    ¡°The only reason I paid attention was because he looked like Jared Padalecki from Supernatural,¡± I exin.


    ¡°Whose hotter, Khloe?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel safe answering that question,¡± I protest. The answer is pretty clear but it¡¯s the consequences my answer would bring that worries me.


    ¡°Yeah, right now you¡¯re not so safe if you don¡¯t answer the question,¡± he retorts, his blue eyes finally locking into mine. I roll my eyes with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Lift your shirt up,¡± I motion with my hand towards his ck long sleeved shirt.


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Lift it up Drew, you want an answer, lift it up,¡± I snap my fingers. He smirks before making a show of lifting his shirt up, Magic Mike wannabe. His prominent abse into view and I nod. ¡°You, you¡¯re hotter,¡± I look out the window so he doesn¡¯t see me blushing. I don¡¯t want to give the narcissistic bastard the satisfaction. He chuckles before turning the car on and driving out of the mall. All the while he has a goofy smile on his face that¡¯s so bright I can¡¯t help but smile myself. When we walk through the door I notice the whole living room¡¯s been decorated in ck and purple with cute balloons strewn around. ¡°How?¡± I ask with a smile on my face.


    ¡°I had already arranged for some people toe fix the ce for tonight,¡± Drew shrugs. Aww, he¡¯s so adorable. I ce the presents on the table already filling up with wrapped bags and boxes. I give him a questioning look.


    ¡°It¡¯s just us and Ruby, but we went a little crazy with her presents,¡± he exins. ire ces the cake on what looks to be the refreshment table before hurrying out of the ce and to who knows where. Lucas and Kohle downstairs hauling a huge box down the stairs,ughing about some inside joke. When the notice us, they start cackling like mad men almost dropping their package. I give them both crazy looks. I head upstairs to freshen up and change and when Ie back down the guys are all moving around animatedly. The guys look up when Ie down and start snickering when they notice me, Lucas and Kohl being the main ones. Although we all know Adrian doesn¡¯t hold back, but the only one who seems as oblivious as me is Drew.


    ¡°Lift it up Drew, lift it up,¡± Adrian mimic my voice with a smirk.


    ¡°Who¡¯s hotter Khloe, huh?¡± Lucas imitates Drew. My eyes widen and I re in Drew¡¯s direction.


    ¡°What the hell did you tell them?¡± I hiss at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± he holds his hands up. I shake my head and walk past him before picking up Lucy. She¡¯s beaming and I think she knows today¡¯s all about her and her birthday.


    ¡°You guys should really stop putting your phones in your butt pockets,¡± Adrian rolls his eyes.


    ¡°You butt called him,¡± I realize, he must¡¯ve identally dialed when we were having that discussion in the car. Drew looks at me sheepishly before we head to sit on the couch. Lucy takes a couple of bites of cake, the one Drew made. Apparently my paranoia of her not being able to eat cake was wrong, the doctor reassured me. Drew surprisingly made a very good cake. We converse about everything and nothing while making funny faces at Lucy, a couple of times I catch Drew giving me weirder than usual looks but I shrug him off. My eyes light up when I notice a perky brte heading my way.


    ¡°Hey Ruby,¡± I greet her with a smile.


    ¡°Hey Khloe, Drew, Lucy,¡± she begins to coo at Lucy and the baby immediately basks in the attention given to her. I smile at the beautiful sight. It¡¯s good that Ruby was filled in on everything since she was taken by Drew¡¯s dad, though I don¡¯t believe for a second that he really is the viin in this story. Ruby swears up and down that he¡¯s nothing but a sweetheart as well.


    ¡°Hey Ruby,¡± Lucases over with a smile.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she smiles at him before her attention returns to the baby in my hands. I notice the slight frown on Lucas¡¯s face and can¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯s the girl he¡¯s set out to impress. Out of the corner of my eye I see Kohl talking animatedly with Kim, who seems to be trying to catch every word as he speaks a mile a minute. At least he¡¯s no longer dressed as Kurt Cobain, or his version of him. The party goes on with minor incidents. By minor I mean Kohl tripping and managing to dump the punch bowl on himself when Kim made a grab for a napkin and identally brushed their hands together. I never thought of my brother as a romanticist, but perhaps he has an inner one that¡¯s locked in some dark part of his mind. Lucas continues to try and strike up a conversation with Ruby and only makes a fool out of himself. Especially when his eyes shamelessly roam over her chest, yers, the lot of them.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to notice that Ruby¡¯s trying not tough at his missing eyebrows,¡± Drew leans in to whisper before grabbing Lucy and cing her on his leg. I smile. I turn around to face him and notice how close his face is, eyes locking onto one another. I look down and notice our hands have intertwined themselves as if by some force of nature or maic pull. It makes me wonder if this whole ordeal had not urred would we have ever really crossed paths. I¡¯d like to think so.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I breathe out and I don¡¯t even remember him asking a question. He leans in to peck the corner of my mouth until the sh of a camera snaps us out of our own little world. I pull away with a blush overtaking my features.


    ¡°I have a question for you,¡± he states. I nod with a mouthful of cake. ¡°Do you like tattoos?¡± he smirks. I roll my eyes knowing he¡¯s referring to the tattoo on Derek. I nod with a careless shrug, tattoos are hot.


    ¡°Why,¡± I take a sip of sparkling strawberry lemonade.


    ¡°Want to see mine?¡± he smirks. Whoa, I didn¡¯t know he had a tattoo. I nod, a little too eagerly might I add. He leans in to whisper in my ear.


    ¡°Too bad, you shouldn¡¯t have flirted with Derek,¡± he chuckles at the scowl on my face.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t let you see mine,¡± I shrug.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have one,¡± he looks at me curiously. I could have a tattoo, if you count the ones you buy at the store and onlyst like an hour instead of the day the package ensures. But I could have one. He adjusts himself on the couch and pulls down the cor of his shirt until his shoulder dees into view. Respice, Adspice, Prospice¡­


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± I whisper as I let my finger trail over the three words before letting my hand fall to my side.


    ¡°It¡¯s Latin for ¡®look behind, look here, look ahead¡¯ or ¡®past, present and future,''¡± he exins as he turns to face me once again, securing his hold on Lucy. I¡¯m not going to admit it out loud but that tattoo just makes him even hotter now, and that seemed pretty impossible to begin with.


    ¡°I like it,¡± I smile up at him. I find myself thinking that I like it a lot, the entire package. We resume to open presents in front of Lucy, her smiles letting us know if she likes them before it¡¯s time for the little doll and Dobby debacle. I scream in Drew¡¯s face when she hugs her little Dobby doll, unwilling to let it go and knocking the doll Drew put in her line of vision down. I¡¯m not going to admit to him that I knew I¡¯d win because we¡¯ve been watching Harry Potter movies together behind his back. Then he¡¯ll think I cheated, which I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s only the mere fact that cute little Dobby beats any doll, at least in mine and Lucy¡¯s eyes. Iugh when I notice that he actually began to pout, big bad Drew pouting.


    Yeah, I definitely like this life a lot.

 Chapter 24 Testosterone Boys and Harlequin Girls

    ¡°So, what are you up to today?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, just talking to this chick you know, the usual,¡± I can just hear the smirk that covers his face.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I reply with my now usual eye roll. I already learned not to take hismentary to heart. Cockiness is just a trait of his that you get used to. ¡°Wait, somebody¡¯s knocking on my door,¡± I lower my voice and move over to the door my phone tightly clutched in my hands. Please don¡¯t be who I think it is.


    ¡°What, afraid of your boyfriend finding out you¡¯re talking with the object of your fantasies?¡± he teases, his ego growing by the second. I don¡¯t respond and brace myself before pulling my bedroom door open. A breath of relief escapes my lips when Sammy looks up with a smile in my doorway. Thank God it wasn¡¯t Drew.


    ¡°Hey Derek, I¡¯ll call youter,¡± I say before ending the call and closing the door as Sammy jumps onto my bed. I prepare myself for the bombardment of questions I know will apany the smirk on her face.


    ¡°Derek, the same Derek you¡¯ve been talking to for the past two weeks since Lucy¡¯s party?¡± her tone is inquisitive but the gleam in her eyes is widely curious. Yes, I was on the phone with Derek, the one I met at the book store with Drew. The one that reminds me of Sam Winchester, that¡¯s an added bonus. I never meant to call him but for some unbeknownst reason to myself, I programmed his number onto my phone, he just seemed like an interesting person. I actually ended up identally calling him and we¡¯ve been talking since, he¡¯s a very intriguing person. Narcissistic and egotistical, but interesting all in all. Though I¡¯ve been keeping our conversations a secret from Drew, for some reason I just don¡¯t think he¡¯ll find this new friendship to his liking.


    ¡°Yes, that Derek but don¡¯t tell your brother,¡± I sigh. Sammy hasn¡¯t stopped bugging me about Derek since she ¡®happened¡¯ to eavesdrop on one of my conversations with him.


    ¡°So, what were you guys talking about?¡± she makes herselffortable on my bed, and I make sure my door is locked before moving over to my bean bag chair. ¡°I need the scoop to fill Kim and Ruby in,¡± she smiles.


    ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t tell,¡± I remark.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t tell Drew, plus the girls know better than to tell the guys. We¡¯ll just keep it in between us, especially with the way Kohl and Lucas love to gossip amongst themselves,¡± she rolls her blue eyes. I smile at the mention of my brother and the bromance he has with Lucas, those two are just too much.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t really talking about anything, just the regr mindless chit-chat,¡± I shrug. She exaggerates an eye roll before falling down onto my bed with a deep sigh.


    ¡°Seriously, do you like him?¡± she lowers her voice, as if one of the guys could pop out of nowhere at any given second. I understand her concern because I wouldn¡¯t put it past them. I purse my lips while pondering over the answer.


    ¡°In what way?¡± I finally ask.


    ¡°You know, in the way if someone were to lock you in a room with Damon Salvatore,¡± she smirks. Oh, the possibilities.


    ¡°No, not like that, it¡¯s more of Matt Donovan to me, you know hot and adorable,¡± I smile. Beneath the cocky macho exterior, Derek really isn¡¯t a bad guy, mysterious yes, but not bad.


    ¡°Will we ever meet him?¡± she sighs dreamily. I raise an eyebrow at her. ¡°What,¡± she gives me an innocent look.


    ¡°What about Adrian?¡±


    ¡°What about him, he¡¯s been annoyingtely,¡± she scowls at what I¡¯m sure must be a funny memory about the cold hearted bad boy.


    ¡°Sweet little Adrian annoying, never,¡± I remark sarcastically.


    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s not that bad. He¡¯s actually sweet in a very weird and aggressive way,¡± she smiles longingly. ¡°You know he¡¯s the one that taught me how to fight?¡± she asks with a different gleam in her eyes.


    ¡°You fight?¡± I pipe in curiously. She doesn¡¯t really seem like the fighter type but I have noticed how the guys never joke about her being helpless or something.


    ¡°Yeah, my dad had us training since we were young just in case anything happened. He thought we needed to be able to protect ourselves no matter what our gender was,¡± she smiles. In her eyes I can see how close she was to her dad. She must miss him, something I can definitely rte with. While I loved my mom, Kohl was always closer to her and I took after my dad.


    ¡°How did Adriane into the picture?¡± I make myselffortable, eager to hear the story.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t tell you his story if it was somebody else, but I know Adrian has taken a liking to you, which doesn¡¯t happen often. You know how he always seems to know everything about your life?¡± she waits for my nod before continuing. ¡°Well, his parents used to be like really big time hackers who worked in a frence type of way to whoever paid the most. Adrian hadn¡¯t been in their ns but they adjusted with a kid. They taught him everything they knew when he showed interest inputers and stuff. He was like their legacy, until they got offered a very exclusive job. He thinks it was for the government or someone very shady because they were extremely secretive.


    ¡°Apparently, a kid would bring them down on their efficiency and they took him to the local state facility promising him that they woulde back for him. I think that hurt him a lot, it was betrayal from his parents, you know? He escaped from the foster home he¡¯d been ced in, and started living on the streets until he ran into my dad and mouthed off to him. My dad took a liking to him and brought him home, which took a lot of convincing on Adrian¡¯s part. He didn¡¯t talk much to us in the beginning, more like found every chance to insult us. Drew and he went at it a couple of times until some kids from school were going to jump Drew. Adrian helped him kick their asses. Ever since they were close friends and Adrian immediately became thest member of their trio.


    ¡°It was different with me, Adrian hated me. He was the meanest guy I¡¯ve ever encountered, until he started doing my one-on-one training. He thought I was going to be an easy win, but I always sneaked in when the guys in my dad¡¯s crew would train in our gym. They started teaching me a couple of techniques when they caught me. I managed to pin him down in less than two minutes; it pissed him off even more. I don¡¯t know, along the way we just clicked. He was Drew¡¯s age, which isn¡¯t much older than me, just ten months. We made it official sophomore year when we were fifteen, Drew found out Junior year. It didn¡¯t go so well until I gave him a ck eye,¡± ha, I would¡¯ve paid to see that. Drew got beat up by his little sister.


    ¡°So, Adrian doesn¡¯t scare you?¡± I voice. She replies with augh.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s actually really sweet,¡± she gives me a serious look. She holds that look for 4. 5 seconds beforeughing loudly and shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, Adrian sweet would be like Kohlnding Kim. I have the bastard wrapped around my finger,¡± she exins and I nod. It¡¯s so true.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°His parents were assholes,¡± I point out subconsciously.


    ¡°Now you see where he gets it from,¡± she nods. True, very true. ¡°Okay, now that story time is over. Please do tell me when we get to meet Derek, the book store hottie?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to meet him so bad?¡± I groan.


    ¡°Please,¡± she kneels on the mattress and brings her hands up in that praying manner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Drew to see him, imagine what¡¯s going to happen if he sees me,¡± my eyes widen at the possibilities.


    ¡°The guys are gone, they went to buy some more equipment for the workout room by the basement,¡± she exins. That¡¯s why the house has been so quiet. I finally concede to Dereking over and he was a little too happy to oblige. It only takes ten minutes for the four of us to be united in the living room waiting for his arrival.


    ¡°So Ruby, what you been up totely?¡± I ask. She takes a sip of her coke before looking up at me with a tired smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on this project for a fashion schrship but I need a model to wear the design and I haven¡¯t found any guy willing to do the show,¡± she pouts. I smirk as a thought pops into my head.


    ¡°You should ask Lucas, I know for a fact he won¡¯t turn you down,¡± her eyes light up instantly.


    ¡°You think so?¡± both Sammy and I nod frantically.


    ¡°What about you Khloe, any future ns?¡± Kim directs towards me.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to the state university before Kohl and I take over our parent¡¯s businesses,¡± I exin. I¡¯m actually looking forward to run my mom¡¯s fashionpany. I used to go over there all the time with her.


    ¡°What did they work in?¡± Ruby questions.


    ¡°Well, my dad was the founder and owner of an import and exportingpany. My mom was the owner of Mason Fashion Industry,¡± I answer. Ruby¡¯s eyes widen in surprise.


    ¡°Your mom was that Emily Mason?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, how do you know of her?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You¡¯re mom¡¯s an inspiration. She started off as a model before bing big and starting her own fashionpany,¡± I nod as I recall all of my mom¡¯s attributes.


    ¡°Yeah, I could give you a tour of thepany if you want,¡± I shrug. She nods before we hear the sound of a car pulling up. Kim immediately jumps up and runs towards the window before looking back at us with a scared look.


    ¡°It¡¯s the guys,¡± all of us immediately run out the door and meet them out on the driveway.


    ¡°What are you guys doing back so early?¡± Sammy asks Adrian when he moves closer to her to nt a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°We finished early,¡± Lucas exins. The four of us back away a little from them when the unmistakable rumble of a motorcycle engine approaches. We watch as Derek pulls into the driveway in fashion, d in a leather jacket and a smirk on his face. The girls and I watch as he climbs off the bike and ces the helmet on the back.


    ¡°Damn,¡±es out of our mouths simultaneously as we watch the scene entranced.


    ¡°Hey Khloe,¡± hees closer and we all sigh at the same time. He really is cute.


    ¡°What the hell is he doing here?¡± Drew speaks up, snapping us out of our reverie.


    ¡°Yeah, who the hell is he?¡± Kohl scowls as he watches Kim practically drool at Derek.


    ¡°This is Derek,¡± I introduce him and Sammy immediately greets him with a beaming smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s Derek,¡± Adrian tells Drew, who nods in response. Apparently they¡¯ve talked about him since the incident at the store.


    ¡°Why is he here?¡± Drew looks at me for an answer.


    ¡°Uhm, the girls wanted to meet him,¡± I answer sheepishly. We all go inside the house, including Derek. There¡¯s a sudden tension in the room as the guys re at Derek, even Adrian as he¡¯s ignored by his girlfriend who¡¯s chatting animatedly with him.


    ¡°So, you kept his number?¡± Drew asks loudly, seizing all conversation in the room.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answer.


    ¡°Pretty boy, where¡¯d you steal the bike from?¡± Lucas snaps.


    ¡°I bought it from a junkyard and fixed it up,¡± Derek smirks, not being fazed by the male tension around us. I don¡¯t know why the guys are so riled up. Drew suddenly gets up from his seat and storms up the stairs. ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes me,¡± Derek states and no one contradicts him.


    ¡°Wow, you fixed that bike all by yourself?¡± Kim seems impressed. ¡°You must be so strong,¡± she caresses his bicep.


    ¡°You like bikes, I have one. Without training wheels,¡± Kohl adds in loudly. I don¡¯t think his jealousy allowed his brain to process his words before he spoke them out loud. We all give my brother weird looks before music sts from upstairs, from Drew¡¯s room no doubt. I¡¯ve got more wit, a better kiss. A hotter touch, a hotter fuck than any boy you¡¯ll ever meet¡­


    ¡°We know who that song is directed to,¡± Adrian states and everybody gives me pointed looks.


    ¡°What,¡± I scowl. He can¡¯t seriously be threatened by Derek, can he?


    ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Lucas asks way too innocently.


    ¡°I was invited here for a sleepover,¡± Derek teases, achieving in riling the guys up.


    ¡°Come on Sammy, we¡¯re going on a date,¡± Adrian holds up his keys and heads for the door. A romantic, that one. Sammy smiles before following him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have too much fun,¡± I give them a knowing look. They scowl before Adrian lets the front door shut behind him.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,e on Kim, let¡¯s go to bed,¡± Kohl fakes a yawn.


    ¡°What?¡± Kim looks at him, misunderstanding what he meant.


    ¡°You know cause you must be tired from today and all. You know what, forget it,¡± he throws his hands up before trudging up the stairs with a pout on his face and his shoulders slumping. Iugh to myself quietly.


    ¡°Oh Lucas, I was wondering if you¡¯d be my model for my fashion project,¡± Ruby asks the brown eyed boy before she forgets.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lucas smiles a little too widely.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on Drew, Derek I¡¯ll see youter,¡± I jog up the stairs, the music thumping the walls. I don¡¯t me his taste in music. Panic At The Disco will always be a good choice. I walk in without knocking knowing he wouldn¡¯t hear it with how loud his music is. I smile as I watch him leaning against his headboard, his head against the wall and legs stretched out in front of him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be mad,¡± I say over the music before lowering the volume. He opens his eyes enough to re at me before shutting them again. With a sigh, I take a seat on the bed, right next to him. His eyes are closed, I can stare at his abs as much as I want to but they¡¯re concealed by his blue shirt.


    ¡°I can feel you staring at me,¡± he voices without looking at me. My head immediately snaps up to look at the wall across the room. ¡°I didn¡¯t say stop,¡± his voice just causes me to smile.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t staring at you,¡± I mutter before I find myself under a blue eyed gaze. How the hell did he get on top of me so fast? I¡¯m totally not staring at his biceps as they hold him up.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer it if you were,¡± I roll my eyes yfully causing him to smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to adjust the music, don¡¯t mind me,¡± we watch incredulously as Derek walks in to switch the song. ¡°I gotta go, I¡¯ll talk to youter,¡± he smirks before leaving and closing the door behind him. Just as the song begins to y, SoMo¡¯s Ride.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like him,¡± Drew grumbles looking down at me.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a friend,¡± I shrug smiling up at him. His face suddenly grows serious before he leans down to ce a sweet kiss on my lips.


    ¡°Hey guys, wanna watch a, never mind. They won¡¯te down, they¡¯re doing the dirty,¡± Kim walks in and right out. What¡¯s with all the interruptions? I scowl at the situation. Loud footsteps are hearding down the hall right after herment.


    ¡°We¡¯re watching a movie guys,e on, chop, chop,¡± Kohl¡¯s obnoxious voice snaps as he pokes his head in. We scramble right up before heading out the door, the scowl on Drew¡¯s face is nothing but adorable. The guys are all about to head to the theater room, Kim and Ruby hanging off Derek¡¯s arms. Lucas and Kohl sulk behind them.


    ¡°Hey Kim, can you help me make get some drinks?¡± I call out. She nods and heads off to the kitchen with me after I send Drew down with the guys. Kim and I grab some popcorn and drinks when a thump on the kitchen door makes us both jump. I open the door only for a tall figure to fall through the doorway.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Kim gasps as a small trail of blood trickles out of the man¡¯s body. I turn him around with all my force only to drop his head again as I see the same jaw structure from Drew¡¯s face. This is not good. Daddy Collins is here, hurt and unconscious. There¡¯s one thing straight.


    Movie night just got interesting.


    No time for popcorn.

 Chapter 25 He鈥檚 The Weasley To My Potter

    ¡°What do we do? What do we do?¡± Kim asks, looking frantically around the room while I crouch next to Drew¡¯s dad. This girl cannot act calm andposed under duress. She doesn¡¯t quite have my finesse for these types of situations.


    ¡°Kim, calm down. First, we have to get him somewhere the guys won¡¯t find him because if Drew sees him, Mr. Collins will not be waking up. Second, we have to clean up this mess and act like everything¡¯s fine,¡± I exin standing up from my spot on the floor. She breathes in deeply before nodding stiffly. We both know just how beastly Drew can get.


    ¡°There¡¯s just one problem with your n,¡± I roll my eyes before speaking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m like a ninja they won¡¯t know what we¡¯re up to,¡± I cate her worries.


    ¡°Uh, no you¡¯re not, and I meant how are we going to carry him? Mister Collins is freaking huge and we¡¯re not exactly athletic,¡± she motions to her body.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I have a muscle mass of¡­,¡± I trail off trying to think of a usible number.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what muscle mass is, do you?¡± Kim dead pans, her baby blues shining with amusement.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t, but the point is somebody¡¯s life is at stake here. If we get discovered he will be the steak because Drew¡¯s going to chop him up,¡± she rolls her eyes as I put emphasis on my statement with my hands.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move him. Wait, where are we going to put him in?¡± Kim questions and I stop to think. Not on the second floor because that¡¯s where we sleep and it¡¯ll be too dangerous. The movie theater is in the basement along with the new work out room, so that¡¯s a no.


    ¡°I got it, my mom had some sort of panic room built under the stair case, you need a special code to get in there,¡± I snap my fingers.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s taking so long with the popcorn?¡± Kohl¡¯s voice carries into the kitchen and we try to cover the man on the floor with anything. Sadly, dishtowels are too small to cover a man of his size.


    ¡°We¡¯re going,¡± Kim calls out just as my brother bursts in through the doors with a goofy smile on his face. Kim and I immediately stand in front of Daddy Collin¡¯s body.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be out there in a minute,¡± I nod towards the door hoping he gets the hint.


    ¡°I could help you guys carry the stuff out,¡± he replies, the damn gentleman.


    ¡°Nah, we can do it,¡± Kim smiles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± he protests, moving closer to us.


    ¡°No,¡± we scream simultaneously. Kohl stops in his tracks and looks at us weirdly, as if he just ate our secret stash of chocte.


    ¡°What?¡± he holds his hands up in surrender, it doesn¡¯t help that Kim suddenly has a knife in her hands. I look at her like she¡¯s crazy.


    ¡°What, I was just going to cut some lemons for lemonade?¡± she states uncertainly. Kohl looks relieved when she drops the knife onto the counter. Unfortunately, my nerves are on point and the ng of the metal makes me jump and it only takes that second for Kohl to get a glimpse of what we¡¯re trying to hide.


    ¡°What is that?¡± he looks at us suspiciously while stepping closer. I push Kim in front of me and pray to God that she works her magic. He sidesteps her and moves in front of me. When I refuse to budge he picks me up by the waist and moves me himself. He looks down at the unconscious man then to us, then back down again. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask why you guys are hiding a body. Please be honest, and Khloe if you went off the deep end and somehow took it out on this poor soul, I won¡¯t judge,¡± he finishes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a single evil bone in my body,¡± I gasp, offended that he would think I could do this.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone that he¡¯s here,¡± Kim speaks up.


    ¡°Please,¡± I add.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± he folds his arms across his chest, staring at us in the eye.


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend,¡± I mutter looking away.


    ¡°He¡¯s too old to be your friend.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Drew¡¯s dad, but you can¡¯t tell him he¡¯s here because there¡¯s a possibility he might kill him,¡± Kim exins in one breath. For a quiet girl she sure can ramble. Kohl¡¯s eyes widen and he steps away from us like we¡¯re literally on fire.


    ¡°He is going to kill all of you,¡± Kohl points at us.


    ¡°Not if you help us, please, we have to carry him into that room under the staircase,¡± I plead.


    ¡°Sis, maybe you¡¯ve forgotten that he¡¯s the bad guy,¡± he contradicts.


    ¡°No he¡¯s not and if you don¡¯t help us, I¡¯ll tell the guys about your obsession with Tweety as a kid,¡± I threaten. He res at me before looking at Kim nervously, like that would ruin his chances with her.


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯ll help you carry him into the room but that¡¯s it,¡± he states. We smile before he speaks again.


    ¡°On one condition,¡± he smirks.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If Kim agrees to go on a date with me,¡± the both of us look at Kohl in shock. He leans back on the counter, tapping his fingers waiting for an answer.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Kim answers after a while, looking down with a slight blush coloring her cheeks.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make sure the coast is clear,¡± they nod and I head out of the kitchen. I glue myself to the wall and slowly walk along it, hoping nobodyes up from the basement. I try to do The Hunger Games whistle as my ¡®go¡¯ sign, but it doesn¡¯t work out so I settle for a tap on the door. Kohl and Kim haul Mister Collins out of the kitchen and we quickly go inside the closet under the stairs.


    ¡°Why is there another door in here?¡± Kim questions after I close the first door.


    ¡°That¡¯s the entrance to the room, I told you, you need a special password to get in there,¡± I exin as I move over to the end of the small room. I move some coats over revealing a small keypad.


    ¡°Please tell me the password still isn¡¯t Backstreet Boys,¡± Kohl grumbles. In my defense, they were one of the ultimate boy bands when I was a child.


    ¡°No,¡± I snap and begin to type in the new password. It¡¯s so secret no one would ever think of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s Harry Potter, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kohl asks.


    ¡°No, why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°A closet under the stairs and your obsession with him,¡± Kim answers.


    ¡°It has to do with him, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Kohl smirks.


    ¡°No,¡± I answer quickly.


    ¡°The boy who lived,¡± Kim exims.


    ¡°How the hell did you know?¡± I look at her carefully. It was not that obvious. The door opens and we quickly walk inside. I step aside as Kohl and Kim ce the man on the cot by the wall. The panic room is ratherrge considering it¡¯s under the stairs, but it¡¯s meant to look small. I immediately begin grabbing first aid kits and gauze. I lean down by the unconscious man and feel his forehead in case he has a fever. Hey, I¡¯m no nurse.


    ¡°I think we have to take his shirt off,¡± Kimes to stand by my side.


    ¡°You¡¯re a secret pervert, aren¡¯t you?¡± I look up at her.


    ¡°No, but how do you expect to clean his wounds if you don¡¯t even know where they¡¯re at?¡± she fires back. I try to think of another way to go about this. I¡¯ll feel like a pervert if I just look at the man¡¯s torso while he¡¯s unconscious.


    ¡°Kohl, you¡¯re a guy, can¡¯t you do it?¡± I look back at my brother innocently.


    ¡°You guys owe me for this,¡± he grumbles while moving over towards the cot. He begins to remove the shirt off with scary expertise. He directs orders at us and we just follow his lead and watch as he cleans the wounds expertly.


    ¡°How do you know how to do this?¡± Kim asks looking at my brother with awe. Who knew he could actually do something right?


    ¡°They had a course on this crap in military school,¡± he shrugs, not removing his gaze from his ongoing work. I take the bloody water and go for some clean water. Who could have done this to Mister Collins? I hope we manage to keep him safe here and that this doesn¡¯te back to bite me in the butt. Like him being evil in reality and I just possibly endangered everyone.


    ¡°Good news is he wasn¡¯t shot,¡± Kohl begins and I breathe in relief. ¡°But, he was stabbed but it¡¯s not deep. I can stitch him right now,¡± he states.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I smile.


    ¡°Grab one of those rags from the drawer,¡± I do what he says and approach him. ¡°Now, I want you to stand by his side and put this in his mouth if he starts to scream,¡± I look at my brother with worry, but he gives me no time to second guess his decisions. He does something with a lighter and a needle before he gets to work, and a secondter the man begins to wake with a red face. His eyes widen when he sees me and I smile in reassurance, he opens his mouth and in panic I shove the rag into it. He clenches it with his teeth and Kohl continues to thread the needle on the wound. I admit, I did get a little queasy but I managed to handle it. The same thing cannot be said for Kim, who ran into the bathroom after the first minute. I grab Mr. Collins¡¯s hand and squeeze tight as I see the pain in his eyes.


    There¡¯s something in this man that makes me trust him, makes me believe that he may be an innocent yer in this sinister game. Kohl finishes the stitching up and finishes with wrapping gauze around the man¡¯s torso and the bruises lining it. Somebody gave this man quite the beat down, and I want to know why.


    ¡°Done,¡± Kohl stands up and heads inside the bathroom to clean up. I take the rag from the man¡¯s mouth and throw it in a bin before gathering and discarding the other things. ¡°Okay, give him these pain killers, two should do for now,¡± Kohl assures. I nod and take the bottle of pills into my hands. It¡¯s a good thing my mom always thought ahead of time, no matter how crazy we thought she was.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I smile at him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything, but you need to keep Drew out of here,¡± he warns before opening the door and walking out. I shudder, thinking about what Drew would do if he were to find out. I grab a bottle of water and move towards the cot.


    ¡°Here, take these and lie down,¡± I tell Mister Collins. He looks at me with narrowed eyes before downing the pills without water. So he thinks he¡¯s tough. Kim stands fidgeting by the door before making any movements.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go before things get any more awkward. Uncle Damian, I hope you feel better,¡± she utters before practically running out of the room and letting the door m behind her. She must want this man to die. I¡¯ll have to ask herter what she meant by ¡®uncle¡¯. The room grows quiet and I walk across the room to lean on the wall, not because it was closer by the door or anything. I look everywhere except at the man that¡¯s currently studying me with his gaze.


    ¡°Uhm, you should really rest,¡± I clear my throat and hope my voicees out strong. But, really who am I kidding? He¡¯s the lion and I¡¯m the un-expectant gazelle.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± he asks with a hoarse voice. I grab the water bottle and give it to him, waiting for him to down the whole bottle. He mumbles a ¡®thank you¡¯ before the room grows ufortably quiet once again.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wow, this is awkward,¡± I mutter. He surprises me by chuckling and leaning back on the wall. Truthfully, the cot looks even smaller with his looming figure on it. Imagine sending Thor to sit at the kiddie table.


    ¡°You¡¯re an odd one,¡± he remarks. Bitch please, I¡¯m freaking unique, just kidding.


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t want to offend you or anything, but who beat you up?¡± I question curiously.


    ¡°You can ask me anything but that,¡± he answers. How rude of me, he probably thinks I was degrading his manhood or something.


    ¡°Are you evil?¡± I fire another question and he answers with a t look. ¡°I think it was a valid question,¡± I remark, holding my hands up.


    ¡°How are my kids?¡± he decides to question.


    ¡°They¡¯re good, but if I were you I wouldn¡¯t go outside this room. Otherwise, Lord Voldemort will probably kill you,¡± I add.


    ¡°Lord Voldemort?¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry, I meant to say Drew,¡± I smile at him.


    ¡°Why are you risking your rtionship with Drew for me?¡± he fires an unexpected question. I stop to think about what he just said.


    ¡°Drew and I are not in a rtionship,¡± I correct.


    ¡°Have you guys kissed?¡± he raises an eyebrow. I nod.


    ¡°Does he get jealous over other guys?¡± I think on that one and recall how Drew acted towards Derek. I nod. ¡°Does he have any other girls around him?¡± I shake my head in response. ¡°It sounds to me like you and my son are in a rtionship,¡± he sing songs. Dude, you just got stabbed, are we really going there?


    ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± I sigh and take a seat next to my new pal. ¡°So, you lead a gang, huh?¡±


    ¡°They told me you were a little crazy and I didn¡¯t believe it,¡± he smiles. Hey, being weird is a good thing in my book. ¡°Is Drew pissed off at me?¡±


    ¡°I mentioned your name a couple of days ago and he destroyed his bedroom,¡± I reply honestly. ¡°Mister Collins, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the bad guy, but you do know we have to prove it, right?¡± I look at him wearily. His green eyes lock onto mine and pierce through me as if reaching for my soul.


    ¡°Call me Damian,¡± is all he says. ¡°Where am I?¡± he looks around the room, trying to figure it out.


    ¡°Well, after you fell through my kitchen door, unconscious, we decided to bring you into the panic room. We didn¡¯t want Drew to finish the job,¡± I exin. He looks at me weirdly when my leg begins to vibrate. I answer my phone with a sheepish look.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I chirp.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Drew¡¯s voicees through the line and I immediately m up. Out of all the chances I¡¯ve had to m up, my body decided now¡¯s the perfect time, really?


    ¡°At the library,¡± I squeak.


    ¡°I¡¯ming for you. I¡¯m getting tired of Derek,¡± he grumbles.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m almost home already. Like right in the driveway, just give me a minute,¡± I hang up on him before he can answer. ¡°I have to go back out, please stay here and I¡¯ll bring you some foodter. There¡¯s plenty of water here, there should be some gran bars somewhere. Stay cool, stay calm,¡± I shut up before I sing anymore incorrect Lemonade Mouth songs to the man in front of me. Hisughter is left behind as I walk out of the room. The door automatically locks as I shut it and can only be opened on the inside or with the very clever password I created. I walk out of the closet with my head down, my mind whirling with thoughts a mile an hour.


    ¡°Why were you in the closet?¡± Drew¡¯s voice makes me jump about ten feet in the air.


    ¡°Uhm, I was putting my coat up,¡± I answer quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cold outside,¡± his blue eyes look at me with suspicion.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the twenty questions, Drew? Can¡¯t a girl go to the library without being used of something?¡± I snap.


    ¡°Where are the books?¡± he folds his arms across his chest. I mimic his actions with a re.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything that interested me,¡± I reply.


    ¡°Why do I think you¡¯re lying?¡± he begins to walk up to me. I sidestep him andunch myself at the couch.


    ¡°Why did the chicken cross the road?¡± I roll my eyes.


    ¡°Why?¡± he retorts.


    ¡°What?¡± I ask as I begin to flip through the channels.


    ¡°Why did the chicken cross the road?¡± he sits next to me on the couch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why I asked you,¡± I stop surfing channels when I notice they¡¯re giving Teen Wolf reruns. Drew mutters something under his breath but stays seated anyhow. After a while, I look back at Drew then at the TV. ¡°You know, you kind of look like Jackson,¡± I point out.


    ¡°Which one¡¯s Jackson?¡± Drew narrows his eyes.


    ¡°The homicidal lizard,¡± I answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see it,¡± he shakes his head, leaning back on the couch.


    ¡°Hey, you know tomorrow¡¯s the thirteenth,¡± Drew begins.


    ¡°Yeah, so?¡± I reply without looking back at him. Not when Tyler Hoechlin is shirtless. Or Danny for that matter.


    ¡°I was thinking,¡± he begins. I nod, still looking at the TV. ¡°We¡¯re in January,¡± he adds. Kim and Kohl walk into the living room at that moment and I hear Drew curse under his breath.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Derek?¡± I ask no one in particr.


    ¡°Drew kicked him out,¡± Lucas cheers as he walks into the living room as well, with Ruby trailing behind. I raise an eyebrow at the boy sitting next to me, but he refuses to look at me. He looks kind of ticked off, actually. He reminds me of Grumpy from the seven dwarfs.


    ¡°Did you hide that thing?¡± Kohl decides to ask at this moment in time, in a room full of people.


    ¡°What thing?¡± Drew asks, and I can feel him staring at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise,¡± I turn to smile innocently.


    ¡°For who?¡±


    ¡°For me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± he retorts.


    ¡°Nosy much,¡± I answer. He res at me in warning and I try to think of a lie.


    ¡°Her secret stash of chocte,¡± Kim pipes up and I nod eagerly.


    ¡°Yes, you know how I am about candy,¡± I look at Drew.


    ¡°Thest time you told me you were low on chocte you were hiding a pregnancy test,¡± he points out tly. He got me there.


    ¡°Now you see why I really did need it,¡± I retort while adding volume to the TV. Just as Jackson was preying on some innocent victims a crying Sammy walks in behind Adrian. ¡°Damn, what did you do to her, Adrian?¡±


    ¡°Guys, Drew,¡± Adrian seems to struggle with his words. I turn the TV off and we all turn to look at them. ¡°We just heard, your dad died, Drew,¡± Adrian finishes with a solemn face. This should be the time where I say ¡®no, he¡¯s not dead,¡¯ but the way Drew shrugs prevents me from doing so. He gives us all a look before walking out of the house to who knows where. Sammy sits next to me on the couch, tears running down her porcin cheeks and I envelop her in my arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± I whisper into her ear. She shakes her head as sobs wrack through her body. ¡°How did you guys even hear that, maybe they lied,¡± I try.


    ¡°Actually, someone sent us a picture of his bloodied body,¡± Adrian holds up his phone. No wonder Sammy is so distraught, her dad dide in looking like a corpse.


    ¡°How about you guys go look for Drew and I¡¯llfort Sammy,¡± I give Kim and Kohl a pointed look before they nod.


    ¡°Come on Adrian, you know him better than us,¡± Kohl heads for the door. Everybody follows them out before it¡¯s just Sammy and me in the room.


    ¡°He was still my dad,¡± she says in between sobs.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± I get up and help her up as well. I head for the closet and she looks at me through watery eyes.


    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not doing some reenactment for Harry Potter right now,¡± she sniffs a little. I roll my eyes before pushing her inside and shutting the door behind her.


    ¡°You cannot tell anyone of what you see in here,¡± I state seriously before moving the coats over. I unlock the door and usher her inside before moving in quickly. Sammy stands frozen and the man in the cot sits up, his eyes gleaming and staring at the blue eyed girl.


    ¡°What, how?¡± she gives me a confused look.


    ¡°Sammy?¡± Damian asks before she smiles andunches herself into her father¡¯s arms.


    ¡°They said you were dead,¡± she sobs into his chest. He smiles and tightens his arms around his daughter. I¡¯m like the queen of family reunions, aren¡¯t I?


    ¡°Thank your friends, they helped me,¡± he answers. Sammy looks up at me before pulling me down into their embrace. I smile. ¡°Khloe¡¯s quite the girl, huh?¡± he looks at me with a smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s awesome,¡± Sammy nods. I don¡¯t want to boast or anything, but I kind of am. Just saying. ¡°What happened dad, why did this all happened?¡± she wipes her eyes of any trace of the liquefied diamonds.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very long story,¡± he sighs.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I love books,¡± I make myselffortable along with Sammy, ready to hear how this all started.


    How I somehow ended linked into this mess, after having taken a cute little baby from Drew¡¯s arms on one fateful night. How he ended up in my school, how we grew closer as friends.


    How I ended up as the bad boy¡¯s¡­ what? I¡¯m still not quite sure what he and I are, yet. Whatever we are, I think we make quite the pair. He¡¯s the Weasley to my Potter, the Robin to my Batman. He¡¯s the Loki to my Thor, the Patrick to my SpongeBob.


    If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m quite certain of, it¡¯s that head are going to roll when he discovers his father in the house. He¡¯ll be like Kesha, he¡¯s going to blow.

 Chapter 26 Are U Mine?

    ¡°Noooo!¡± I fall to my knees and I swear I feel the familiar sting of tears in my eyes as reach with my hands for empty air. ¡°Why must this happen?¡± my gaze connects with blue eyes across the room.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Sammy shakes her head at me.


    ¡°How can you be so calm? We were just about to find out how everybody got into this whole mess only for your dad to fall asleep,¡± I point as Mister Collins¡¯s limp body. Sammy removes herself from her father¡¯s side and ces a small nket over his body. I can see the small dark bags under his eyes from my current spot on the floor.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s here now, he¡¯ll have the chance to tell uster but he needs to get better. For all of our sakes,¡± she grumbles thest part under her breath. I look at her questioningly and she sighs while running a hand through her brown hair. She motions me closer to the door and I scramble myself up eagerly to at least get some answers.


    ¡°Right now a lot of people think my dad is dead, that means somebody would have to take up the head of the gang,¡± I nod to show I¡¯m following along. ¡°Usually, it would be Drew ass the heir and first son, but since he¡¯s gone someone else has to take up position. There are some bad people around there who¡¯ll probably just cause a lot of problems,¡± she exins warily. I can see where the problems woulde from, I mean, what would you do with so much power? Me, I¡¯d probably pay to abduct Luke Hemmings or something, while we¡¯re at it Matt Healy as well.


    ¡°Can¡¯t Drew step up now?¡± I question curiously.


    ¡°No,st time we were at the house wasn¡¯t pretty and by now I¡¯m pretty sure a certain bastard took ce,¡± her jaw tightens and her small fists clench at her sides in anger at whoever it is she¡¯s thinking about. It reminds me of the look you get when you¡¯re supposed to visit with those family members you¡¯re supposed to act like you like them. I only had one of those, a distant family member whom I dreaded seeing all the time.


    ¡°You must really hate him,¡± I remark as she opens the door to the room, she gives her dad onest nce before stepping out and I follow suit. I make sure the digital box is locked and push some coats hanging in the closet to cover anything that might be in sight. Sammy opens the door an inch, watching for anything out there before casually exiting the closet. My exit could¡¯ve been as wless if I didn¡¯t trip on that one very convenient jacket that was lying around on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I groan before getting up and shutting the door to the closet close. I have to remember to get Mister Collins something to eatter.


    ¡°Coordination just skipped you in gics, huh?¡± Sammy jokes. It might be a joke to her but sadly, that is my life. An uncoordinated mess of fandoms.


    ¡°Yes, Kohl got the coordination while I received the wit and charismatic sense of humor,¡± I nod with an overly dramatic sigh. Sheughs before heading over to the kitchen. I follow after and take the cold can of soda she gives me before taking a seat on the stool.


    ¡°So, if Drew were to take up his father¡¯s ce, what would happen then?¡± I¡¯m like a cat, the curiosity will literally kill me. There¡¯s a nagging part of me that wonders what would happen if Drew were to be reinstated into his family¡¯s gang.


    ¡°If Drew were to take over he¡¯s do what my dad did. He¡¯ll have to take care of the family businesses that may cover up any underground work. He¡¯ll be the tough hand of the gang and he¡¯ll have to implement boundaries to his people. Just because it¡¯s a gang doesn¡¯t automatically make him a killer but it can happen,¡± she exins. Would Drew kill someone? He¡¯s usually such an easy going guy, note the sarcasm. But no, I think the only way he¡¯d send someone swimming with the sharks would be to protect his family. He is one over protective idiot sometimes.


    ¡°Is there a chance that the gang can disband?¡± I take a gulp of the fizzy liquid in my hand and let it cool my throat. She drums her fingers thoughtfully on the kitchen ind before looking up at me, blue eyes glinting.


    ¡°A total takeover, if another gang deres war and wins they¡¯d automatically take rule. Or if there was some sort of friendly takeover, like if the gang was relinquished the new owner would take over the gang¡¯s dealing. But some of the businesses remain in our family because they¡¯re not linked in that way,¡± she exins. Would that be possible, to hand over an entire gang without any form of conflict?


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Adrian walks into the kitchen with his usual scowl in ce. His eyes brighten when his gazends on Sammy and heads over to ce a sweet kiss on her forehead. They¡¯re so cute it¡¯s disgusting.


    ¡°Nothing, just girl stuff,¡± Sammy winks my way. Yeah, just girl stuff that includes possible murders, weapons and family businesses, nothing to worry about. When did I be Allison Argent? Well, that¡¯s not a bad person to be.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got that creepy smile you always get every time you¡¯re thinking about being cool when you¡¯re not,¡± Adrian snaps his fingers in front of my face before I swat him away.


    ¡°Hey, I am cool when I want to be,¡± I snap. He gives out an unceremonious snort.


    ¡°You must never want to be cool then,¡± he chuckles as Sammy punches his shoulder.


    ¡°For your information if we were a book I¡¯d be, well I wouldn¡¯t be the heroine. But, I would be the charismatic character that kept everyone together. Without me, you¡¯re all doomed,¡± I grin victoriously.


    ¡°Oh yeah, where¡¯s Drew? Where¡¯s Lucy for that matter,¡± Adrian smirks.


    ¡°Lucy is with ire and they¡¯ve gone to the park. Drew, I haven¡¯t seen him since he left, weren¡¯t you supposed to be out looking for him?¡± I throw back.


    ¡°Yeah, and he¡¯s upstairs,¡± he answers. I turn on my heel to leave when Sammy and Adrian get that look in their faces, that lovey dovey one. Not wanting to be witness to another pregnancy scare, I decide to take my leave before I hear Adrian calling my name.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I turn to look at him.


    ¡°If Drew asks you something and you don¡¯t hear because you¡¯re fangirling over how his touch gives you tingles, just say yes,¡± he smirks and I roll my eyes. Drew¡¯s touch does not give me tingles. It¡¯s more of the steady rhythm of an electric current.


    ¡°I do not fangirl over Drew¡¯s touch,¡± I defend.


    ¡°What were you doing just now?¡± he retorts. I re at him and mentally hope he gets eaten by wolves.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go and I choose not to answer that because I can,¡± I mutter before hurrying out of the kitchen. My eyes light up as ire walks in through the door with Lucy in her arms and Roger in tow.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I beam and head over and take the little girl in my arms. She smiles up at me, her blue eyes seeming more vibrant than ever.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be falling asleep shortly, she definitely had a tiring day,¡± ire smiles lovingly at me.


    ¡°Yes, and ire is as overprotective as ever. She almost freaked out because Lucy crawled onto the grass,¡± Roger rolls his eyes. The old man dodges ire¡¯s elbow that for sure was heading towards his ribs. I smile at the both of them.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of her. ire, could you make extras for dinner tonight?¡± I ask, trying to seem as casual as ever.


    ¡°Why?¡± Roger immediately pins his suspicious gaze on me. It¡¯s hard to fool people who¡¯ve known you for such a long time and know every little one of your tricks.


    ¡°Just really hungry, thanks,¡± I kiss ire on the cheek. Roger bends down to my height as I give him an expectant look before giving him a kiss as well before going upstairs with Lucy in my hands. ¡°How was your day?¡± I coo at the little girl. She merely giggles and ps her hands in response. I ce her in the crib and watch as she dances around, not quite tired. I hear her mumble something but I brush it off as some sort of wishful thinking.


    ¡°Ma-ma,¡± I hear again and snap up to look at a smiling Lucy.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I grab her in my hands once again and spin her around.


    ¡°Ma-ma,¡± she repeats beforeughing to herself. I am not going to cry, I told myself I wouldn¡¯t cry. Who the hell am I kidding, I feel my eyes water as my heart bubbles in sentiment to the amount of happiness this little girl has brought into my life. To have such an acknowledgement made by her own lips makes my heart warm in a way that I¡¯ve never experienced before with anybody else. Not even Drew, with him it¡¯s different. But with Lucy, I feel like I want to take her under my wings and never let anything harm her. If I could protect her from the world¡¯s cruelties I¡¯d do it in a heartbeat. If I was a mother bird I¡¯d never let her take that jump out of the nest. She mps her small hand on my cheek and I feel a tear sliding down before she clumsily wipes it away.


    ¡°You love me?¡± I whisper hoarsely. She gives me a weird look before shaking her head and cing her other hand on my cheek. I smile and bombard her petite face with kisses, her giggles filling the room with warm joy. I was so into ying around with Lucy that I didn¡¯t even hear the door open and shut.


    ¡°You¡¯d make a good mom,¡± Drew¡¯s voice makes me jump and whirl around to face him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me, I could¡¯ve dropped her,¡± I scowl at him as I ce a tiring Lucy in her crib.


    ¡°Why were you crying?¡± he moves closer towards me, blue eyes looking at me with concern. The Collins family has been awarded with such beautiful eyes and it¡¯s not even the color that makes them wonderful. It¡¯s their ability to express emotions so vividly, even when they¡¯re trying to act nonchnt their eyes speak volumes.


    ¡°Lucy called me ma-ma,¡± I mumble sheepishly before looking down at my shoes, warmth filling my cheeks. He¡¯s going to think I¡¯m such a pansy for crying over that.


    ¡°Really?¡± I look up and nod. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he smiles before leaning over her crib. He strokes the little girl¡¯s head with care, a loving look on his face.


    ¡°You think so?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve looked after her for so long and you treat her like your own kid. You do it naturally while the rest of us freak out on whether we do things right or not,¡± he exins. I don¡¯t bother pointing out that I freak out as well, don¡¯t want to shadow my awesomeness.


    ¡°You¡¯re really good with her too,¡± I point out. His lips twitch as he looks down at Lucy.


    ¡°Do you really think my dad was a good guy?¡± he asks suddenly and all I can think of is how casual I have to y this. I must not give anything out, if I ever had any ninja training this is where those skills would be put to the test.


    ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± did I seriously just stutter.


    ¡°You know how you said that you really thought there was more going on with this whole thing,¡± he borates.


    ¡°Yeah, I believe he is a good person,¡± I nod.


    ¡°Is?¡± he looks at me skeptically.


    ¡°Was, I meant was,¡± I shake my head and mentally beat myself with a hardcover book. Why can¡¯t I be as smooth and suave like the people around me with the exception of Kohl?


    ¡°Right, I actually had something to ask,¡± he starts. I look at him expectantly before I hear ire call us down for dinner. A noise of frustration rumbles in his throat before he walks out of the room.


    ¡°Drew¡¯s crazy,¡± I whisper into Lucy¡¯s room before going down as well. I take my customary seat next to Drew and watch as the rest of the guys pile in.


    ¡°Did you guys hear some sort of wailinging from the coat closet earlier?¡± Lucas asks as he takes his seat. Everybody¡¯s gaze seems tond on me and I blush under the attention.


    ¡°I may have been re-reading some Harry Potter books in there,¡± I answer uncertainly. Kohl rolls his eyes at my lie but Adrian shrugs thinking that is something I would actually do. I feel Drew¡¯s gaze on the side of my face looking at me curiously, questioning.


    ¡°Really?¡± he leans down to whisper in my ear. I gulp and nod, my eyes looking at nothing in particr. We begin to eat after ire and Roger sit themselves down, talking about nothing and everything.


    ¡°Can we talk after dinner?¡± Drew¡¯s breath hits the side of my neck and I feel my fork clink against my te with my shaking hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you usually demand not ask,¡± I retort. He leans back with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, we¡¯re going to talk after dinner,¡± he flicks my nose before going back to his pasta. Against my will I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. I shake my head and grab another forkful before locking gazes with Adrian, who snickers before shoving food into his mouth. I hope he chokes. What could Drew possibly want to talk about? Oh, what if he knows about his dad and this is just one of those ¡®I¡¯m giving you the chance to clean¡¯ things. He¡¯ll never break me, I¡¯m like the CIA. Cunning, Intellectual, and Attractive, well in my head I am.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hey Khloe, do you have Ruby¡¯s number?¡± Lucas pipes up.


    ¡°Yeah why?¡±


    ¡°Uh, can you give it to me so I can call her and ask for the details on her fashion project?¡± he rambles. I text him the number before taking my te to the kitchen.


    ¡°I have more if you want,¡± ire bustles in recalling the extras I asked her to make.


    ¡°Uhm, can you make me a te but don¡¯t tell anyone it¡¯s for me?¡± she nods and I wait, leaning on the counter before straightening up as Drew walks in. ire hands me the te before exiting the kitchen and Drew looks at me questioningly.


    ¡°It¡¯s in case I get hungry at night,¡± I ramble quickly.


    ¡°That talk,¡± he reminds, hooking his thumbs in his pockets and looking cute doing it. Aw.


    ¡°Yeah, can you wait for me in your room? I just have to ask Kim something very quickly,¡± he nods and I wait for him to head upstairs before going over to the closet. I walk into the panic room right as Mister Collins walks out of the bathroom shirtless and a pair of sweatpants clinging on to his body. Kohl must¡¯ve brought some clothes for him. I feel a blush take over me and hurriedly ce the te of food on the table by his bed. Why is everyone in Drew¡¯s family good looking? If I wasn¡¯t so invested in Drew¡­, I¡¯m not even going to finish that thought.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Damien smiles at me. He pulls a white t-shirt over his head before taking a seat on the cot, his brown locks spill over his vibrant green eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± I mumble. I guess I¡¯m still shy around him, that or I¡¯m really intimidated by him.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s Drew?¡± he smiles teasingly and I let out a breath.


    ¡°He¡¯s good though he keeps insisting we have some sort of talk,¡± I sigh. Mister Collins begins to chuckle, a certain gleam in his eyes.


    ¡°And you have no idea what this talk is about?¡± there¡¯s a teasing note to his question.


    ¡°Not a clue,¡± I deadpan honestly.


    ¡°Wow, Drew¡¯s in for a ride with you,¡± he smiles before wiping his mouth with a napkin.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re adorably oblivious to the world around you, it certainly is refreshing,¡± he answers without hesitation. I¡¯d contradict him if my belief in Santa us wasn¡¯t still very much intact.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have any embarrassing childhood stories on Drew, would you?¡± this time I definitely mean to pry. I need something on the blue eyed boy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter, but I¡¯d go talk to Drew before he gets impatient,¡± he replies. I nod and walk out of the room and closet with a sigh.


    ¡°Why do you keep going inside that closet?¡± Drew¡¯s voice makes an uncharacteristic squeak tumbling out of my lips.


    ¡°Why do you keep sneaking up on me?¡± I ce a hand over my rapid beating heart.


    ¡°Why do you keep sneaking around?¡±


    ¡°I am not sneaking around. I don¡¯t know why you keep insinuating I¡¯m hiding something. I¡¯m not hiding anything, my life is an open book,¡± I ramble nervously.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting very suspicioustely,¡± he points out while crossing his arms.


    ¡°On a scale of one to ten, how suspicious are you?¡±


    ¡°One hundred,¡± he answers quickly.


    ¡°What did you need to talk about?¡± I dodge him as he moves closer.


    ¡°What are you hiding in that closet, is it someone else?¡± he is so on point it¡¯s scary.


    ¡°Why would I hide someone in the closet, that¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°So are you,¡± he bites back. Is he getting mad, his stance does seem kind of stiff. His blue eyes seem to re down at me.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve been trying to ask you something but I can¡¯t do it if you¡¯re keeping secrets,¡± he runs a hand through his already messy brown hair.


    ¡°What¡¯s so important that I can¡¯t seem to go into the closet without you questioning me?¡± I snap. His eyes seem to lose any amusement as he stalks towards me. Damn, I¡¯ve done it again. I¡¯ve awoken Drew¡¯s inner beast.


    ¡°That right there, you¡¯re acting all weird and I don¡¯t know why. Is it because of that Derek guy?¡± he practically screams in my face. How did this escte and turn into a fight so rapidly?


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± Kohl chirps as he nts himself on the couch, oblivious to the tension rising in the room.


    ¡°Derek has nothing to do with this, you need to stop being so freaking jealous,¡± I throw my hands up to show my frustration.


    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous, there¡¯s no reason to be jealous,¡± he scowls at me. That phrase right there struck a chord within me, something didn¡¯t feel right when Drew said that so carelessly.


    ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll just go find Derek and nt one on him,¡± I throw back before making my way to the stairs. I shouldn¡¯t have turned my back on him, perhaps then I would¡¯ve seen himing at me instead of being tackled to the ground. I wasn¡¯t able to even put my foot on the first step as Ind on top of Drew, who turned us around and took the brunt of the fall. How thoughtful.


    ¡°I swear you make me so mad,¡± he whispers, blue eyes looking up at me with an indescribable emotion.


    ¡°I wonder if I make Derek mad,¡± I tease down at him.


    ¡°Be my girlfriend,¡± he smiles, brushing a lock of my hair back. I was so not expecting that, oh who am I kidding. I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, but I can¡¯t find myself able to make any words. ¡°Not feeling very confident now,¡± he mumbles.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m thinking,¡± I put my hand over his mouth to shush him.


    ¡°Are piggyback rides in the package if I say ¡®yes¡¯?¡± I look into his amused eyes. He rolls them before nodding. ¡°Then yes, I¡¯ll be your girlfriend,¡± I smiles, removing my hand from his face. He smirks cockily before bringing my face down to his for a kiss. It was all going good until an over exaggerated clearing of the throat has us pulling away.


    ¡°Uhm, you guys are weird and Khloe, you¡¯re straddling him,¡± Kohl lifts me up from my position on the floor with Drew. Oh no, my brother will not be letting this go anytime soon. ¡°Drew, I¡¯ve actually written a book about what not to do with my sister if you¡¯re dating her, I¡¯ll give it to youter,¡± he states before stepping over Drew and up the stairs. Drew lifts himself up from the ground with an unusual smile on his face. That was thest thing I saw before the lights in the house went out. I jumped as in that moment in time lightning decided to struck outside.


    ¡°Damn it, just when Drew gets the girl,¡± I hear Kohl huff from his spot on the stairs. What the hell is going on? Drew must be cursed, I don¡¯t know if this girlfriend thing is such a good idea now.


    ¡°So what¡¯s in the closet?¡± I hear Drew ask. So not the time for that, Drew.

 Chapter 27 Somebody To Die For

    ¡°Was there a storm on the radar?¡± I ask uncertainly as I take a step closer to Drew¡¯s frozen frame. He seems to have the same eerie feeling that I happen to be experiencing.


    ¡°Drew, Khloe, you guys still there?¡± Kohl calls out from his spot on the stairs. I nod before remembering we¡¯ve beenpletely submerged in darkness.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answer. Drew and I simultaneously and carefully tread up the stairs, the three of us heading for the upper hallway. A bolt of lightning shes though the sky followed by thunder making me jump slightly and a tightening feeling descends upon my chest. Like a warning I bolt past my brother and Drew and head straight for Lucy¡¯s room, I get there just in time to see a dark figure stepping in through the window. A window I¡¯m sure to keep locked. I lunge for the crib and take a protective stance in front of it, footsteps thunder as they near the room. The figure turns to me, I don¡¯t recognize any of his features through the darkness but a muffled chuckle can be heard through his ski mask. I didn¡¯t know criminals still wore those, I guess ites in handy when you¡¯re doing some sort of home invasion.


    ¡°Back away,¡± Drew screams as hees through the doorway. Without any sense of fear he walks further into the room, pulling a gun from the diaper drawer by the door and pointing at the man. How did I not know there was a loaded gun in this room? I turn to grab Lucy and then move behind Drew, whose anger seems to vibrate in the otherwise still room. Just a couple of minutes of being a couple and we¡¯re already getting ambushed, it¡¯s like a movie. Arms try to pull me out through the open doorway but I¡¯m not quite sure about leaving Drew alone. I turn around and can barely make out Kohl¡¯s figure trying to pull me out into the hallway. I shake my head and ce Lucy in his arms before moving around to Drew¡¯s side. ¡°Get out,¡± he hisses at me through clenched teeth but feeling just a tad defiant I stand my ground.


    ¡°No, if you stay I stay,¡± I murmur. He redirects his gaze towards the observant figure in the room which is better for me and my dder. I¡¯m pretty sure can make someone pee themselves by just ring at them. Shit¡¯s real. ¡°So, why are you in our house?¡± I decide to address the elephant in the room. I swear the eye roll from Drew was audible but I have no time to ponder over that as in that moment Adrian bursts into the room. How do I know? He¡¯s the only person who can use that amount of profanity almost artistically.


    ¡°Khloe get out,¡± he orders. Am I a pet, did somewhere around the time I started hanging out with these guys I grow ears and be some sort of fragile puppy? I¡¯ll admit my athletic prowess isughable but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t give a good kick in the shins.


    ¡°Why?¡± I fold my arms across my chest.


    ¡°Khloe, go look for Lucas and your brother if not I am going to make you regret it,¡± Adrian threatens. I look over at Drew for help.


    ¡°I¡¯m with him,¡± he nods towards the door and I stomp my way out of there. That¡¯s how they want to y it then fine. Lost in anger I forgot I was walking inplete darkness and I crashed into someone.


    ¡°Is that you Khloe?¡± I hear Sammy ask.


    ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only uncoordinated person in this house. Well, except your brother when he¡¯s around Kim,¡± she exins. I can¡¯t even argue with that. ¡°Come on, we have to find Lucas. He¡¯s checking the security system to see how someone got past the gate of the house,¡± I feel her hand sp around mine before helping me up from the ground. I was going to ask about Lucas¡¯s ¡®mad skills¡¯ but I didn¡¯t want to offend anybody.


    ¡°Wait, if the power¡¯s out your dad is sort of out in the open, we have to keep the guys from going in the closet,¡± I whisper to her. She grabs her phone from her pocket to guide us around the hall and I feel her nod. We walk around the hall until we stop at Lucas¡¯s room door. We don¡¯t bother to knock because that¡¯s kind of alerting anyone out there where we are. It¡¯s all part of Home Invasion 101. My jaw drops as I see Lucas handing a gun to Kohl from that chest he imed has special clothes in it.


    ¡°Clothes, huh?¡± I point out.


    ¡°Only you would believe that,¡± Lucas snickers before cing a cold metal object in my hand. I try to pull my hand away from the gun as if it were on fire but he grasps my hand firmly, enclosing it around the weapon. ¡°It¡¯s just in case it is absolutely necessary, if you have to shoot aim, hold the gun steady and try not to shake. If you¡¯re shaking it¡¯ll just mess with the trajectory of the shot, when you pull the trigger brace yourself for a bit of force,¡± he looks me directly in the eye as he exins. I gulp hard and nod. I give Sammy an odd look as she grabs a gun and a pair of knives, putting one in each of her boots.


    ¡°What, I like to be prepared for anything,¡± she shrugs as she notices me. I have a feeling she¡¯s been prepared for something like this for a while now. She does seem like a badass.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lucy?¡± I ask into the darkness. I hear some shuffling before someone replies.


    ¡°She¡¯s right here,¡± I recognize Kim¡¯s voice. Of course she¡¯d be Kohl¡¯s first choice. This might bepletely inappropriate and it¡¯s so not the right time for this but something¡¯s not rubbing me the right way. And I mean that literally, like I¡¯ve got this wedgie but I don¡¯t want to fix this minor problem with a whole bunch of people in the room. I try stretching one leg out far enough to see if that¡¯ll fix it but it¡¯spletely useless. I guess since we¡¯re inplete darkness no one will really witness what I¡¯m about to do.


    ¡°Khloe, what are you doing?¡± Lucas asks from somewhere in the room. He can¡¯t possibly know, right?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I question uncertainly. I hastily fix my backstairs problem before leaning on a wall.


    ¡°Why were you scratching your ass?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t scratching it,¡± I have a little more finesse than that.


    ¡°Then what were you doing?¡± he throws back.


    ¡°I had a wedgie, how can you even see me?¡± I huff out.


    ¡°Night vision goggles,¡± he exins. That makes sense. I want some, I have the urge to whine but I¡¯m too scared it¡¯ll sound too childishing from me. I was about to pimp p somebody as I felt someone near my face but stop myself as I find myself seeing in the dark, Lucas smiling at me as he ced some goggles on my face. He knows me so well, that or he knows just how clumsy I really am and is trying to prevent any major disasters. ¡°Come on, the cameras I set up caught something suspicious downstairs. I think someone¡¯s hiding in the coat closet,¡± he pushes our group out the door. I grab Lucy from Kim and trail behind Lucas, the rest of us trying to figure out a way to exin or hide Drew¡¯s dad down there.


    ¡°If you feel attacked just shoot,¡± hemands.


    ¡°Like to death?¡± I ask. I can sense everyone¡¯s eye roll at my question which I myself find very valid.


    ¡°Just hurt them bad enough not to hurt you,¡± Lucas sighs while shaking his head. Hey buddy, I¡¯m not the one that burned her eyebrows off, just wanted to point that out. We make it downstairs and as Lucas begins to head to the closet we hear some sort ofmotion from the kitchen. ¡°Khloe, Sammy, go check out the kitchen. We¡¯ll clear the closet,¡± Lucas grabs the doorknob.


    ¡°How about you and Kohl check out the kitchen and Kim, Sammy and I will check the closet,¡± I suggest nonchntly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Kohl smirks.


    ¡°Uhm, because almost everyone in the movie dies when they go check out the kitchen. You¡¯re practically sending us into our own deaths and I just don¡¯t find that quite fair. I¡¯m with child,¡± I point out the baby in my arms. Now I know why people have children; it¡¯s to milk it as long as they can. And give them lots of love of course. Lucy turns around to look at me as if she knows what I¡¯m thinking. I whisper a barely audible ¡®sorry¡¯ just in case.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll go to the kitchen,¡± Lucas and my idiotic brother head for the kitchen and we immediately step into the closet. Damien, Drew and Sammy¡¯s dad, looks up as if he¡¯s been expecting us. That or we just know how to make an entrance.


    ¡°They were here for Lucy,¡± we exin as I hand my gun over to him.


    ¡°What?¡± he exims before stopping himself, his eyes locked on the baby in my arms. I smile and ce her carefully in his arms. She looks at him curiously before giggling and cing her small hand on his cheek. Tears brim his eyes but nearing voices cut the cute moment short.


    ¡°Go into the hall, all the lights are out. Just remain out of sight until the guys have cleared the house out, we¡¯lle find youter,¡± Sammy exins, grabbing her sister from her father¡¯s arms. He nods and we walk out and he disappears around a corner just as the two boyse around.


    ¡°Was there anything in there?¡± Kohl asks innocently. He wants to push this as far as he can.


    ¡°Nope,pletely clear,¡± I shrug.


    ¡°Well whoever was in the kitchen left, let¡¯s check the rest of the downstairs area,¡± Lucas heads for the hall.


    ¡°What about Drew and Adrian?¡± Kim points out. Yeah, what about them.


    ¡°I just spoke to them, seems like they¡¯re having some trouble with the guy up there,¡± he exins. I can just picture Adrian pinning the guy down with a string of profanitiesing out of his mouth, Drew standing stoically to the side with a barely there smile. We separate into different sections of the house and I somehow got separated from the group. It¡¯s probably because I was just looking around to see how cool things look with these goggles. Like they should have some daytime ones, just forget I even suggested that. Everything was going fine and dandy until I get pulled into one of the downstairs rooms with a hand over my mouth. And I gave my gun to Mister Collins, this is just great.


    ¡°Ssh,¡± someone whispers into my ear. Yes, because I am so going to listen to the criminal in my house. There¡¯s only three criminals I listen to and that¡¯s Lucas, Adrian and of course Drew. I try to bite his hand but it¡¯s gloved and it really has no effect. He carefully lets me go and I step away from yet another disguised figure.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask curiously. He shrugs before walking around me in a circle, looking me up and down.


    ¡°You should leave,¡± his muffled voicees through.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one in my house,¡± I point out. Dark eyes look back at me in the silent dead of the room, a sh of amusement passes through before he blinks it away.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you, things are going to go downhill for everyone here very soon. You¡¯re going to discover the truth about many lies that have been told to you, starting with that brother of yours. You better know whose side you¡¯re going to be on,¡± what does he mean my brother? What¡¯s with the cryptic speaking.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I step closer to him. He flinches away from me immediately, someone¡¯s a bit coo-coo.


    ¡°This thing with Drew¡¯s family, it has a lot to do with you too. More than you¡¯d think, it all goes back a lifetime ago.¡±


    ¡°Who are you really?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m family,¡± he snorts and I shake my head in denial.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other family,¡± I protest.


    ¡°Or do you? Ask ire and Roger, better yet, ask Damian himself.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me not to trust them?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you to learn the truth. It¡¯s the only way you know who you can really trust,¡± our heads snap up towards the door as we hear footsteps.


    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡±


    ¡°Whether you believe me is up to you, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m closer than you think,¡± he winks before leaving through the open window. There was something unnervingly familiar about that dude. Damn, can my life get any more dramatic, I could write my own series with all of this. Kohl¡¯s voice calls out my name just as the lightse back on and he steps through the door.


    ¡°Come on, that guy managed to escape and we need you to tame a pissed off Drew,¡± he motions with his hand.


    ¡°Have you lied to me?¡± I ask after taking the goggles off. A brief emotion swims through his brown eyes before he blinks it away just as fast as it came. I wipe my face from any emotion just to let him know how serious I am. He steps closer to me and I back away, that miniscule moment of uncertainty not settling too well with me.


    ¡°Khloe, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he looks at me with concern in his eyes.


    ¡°What did you lie about?¡± I ignore his question.


    ¡°What I¡¯ve lied about doesn¡¯t really concern you, not really,¡± he rolls his eyes yfully. I open my mouth to protest but an angry looking Adrian flings the door open.


    ¡°You. Drew. Now,¡± he points me out the door and I roll my eyes before heading for the living room. I try to ward off any bad thoughts concerning my brother, he wouldn¡¯t betray me. Of that I¡¯m sure of, but what could he possibly lied about.


    ¡°Khloe,¡± my namees out of Drew¡¯s lips like a sin and everyone in the room seems to loosen up in relief. He¡¯s not that bad, he¡¯s like the grumpy cat. Cute and adorably pissed off. I move over to Drew¡¯s side and he slings an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him with a slight smile on his face. I breathe in his unique scent to calm my frayed nerves.


    ¡°Are you sniffing me?¡± I can hear the amusement in his voice.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I pop the ¡®p¡¯. He shakes his head before kissing my forehead and I suppress the shudder that ripples down my body, my heartbeat speeding up for a minute. Only Drew can have that effect on me. I look up and look him in the eyes until I notice a small cut on his forehead, I reach up and wipe a small droplet of blood. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I dodged a knife,¡± he shrugs. Well alright then Tris, I grab his hand and pull him up the stairs to clean the cut. He follows behind silently, not even seconds after the door closed am I pushed up against the wall with a warm pair of lips enveloping mine. Drew slips a hand onto my lower back and pulls me impossibly closer to him, our breath bing one as our hearts beat in sync. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do that since you agreed to be my girlfriend,¡± he smirks as he pulls a couple of centimeters away.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I breathe out stupidly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he smiles.


    ¡°Stop flirting with me,¡± I tease and p his chest. He rolls his eyes before they dte with a foreign emotion as I begin to feel the ridges and contours underneath his shirt. He pulls me in for a chaste kiss before backing away and clearing his throat.


    ¡°I need a nurse, I¡¯m dying,¡± he jumps onto the counter with a smirk. I find myself liking this yful side of Drew, it¡¯s riveting.


    ¡°Yeah, that one drop of blood is really killing you,¡± I smile before grabbing the small aid kit. I clean the small cut before sealing it with a butterfly bandage. ¡°There,¡± I smile at my handiwork before putting everything away. I was just about to step back when he grabs both of my hands in his. I look up at him questioningly.


    ¡°My uncle wants to talk to us tomorrow,¡± he sighs.


    ¡°Mr. Pine?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°I eavesdropped one day, identally of course,¡± I try to y off my nosiness. He smirks not believing me one bit.


    ¡°He said he has something important to tell us,¡± he exins and I nod along.


    ¡°What do you think it is?¡± he shrugs before stepping aside and letting me walk out of the bathroom first. I p his face twice harshly as I catch sight of a tall shadow scurrying out of the hallway.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Drew looks at me like I¡¯m crazy.


    ¡°There was a bug on your face,¡± I grab a hold of his face until Damian¡¯s shadow ispletely out of sight. ¡°Hey can you put Lucy to sleep, I have something I need to do.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To my parents¡¯ study, I need to do something,¡± I exin vaguely before heading off into the hallway. I catch sight of Damian and motion him into my dad¡¯s old study, I make sure to lock the door behind him. I take a deep breath and he seems to wait calmly in a chair, giving me time to ready my questions. I don¡¯t even know where to begin with all of this.


    ¡°Just start simple,¡± Damian suggests as if reading my thoughts. I heave a sigh before speaking.


    ¡°How did all of this start and why am I involved?¡± his vibrant green eyes ze over in memory before he starts to exin. I have a feeling it¡¯s story time, get the popcorn.


    ¡°A lot of people think they have a lot inmon. They¡¯re looking for prosperity, love, happiness but there¡¯s one fact a lot of them fail to realize,¡± intrigued I take a seat and lean in closely.


    ¡°We all want or have somebody to die for, at a certain moment in time and space there will be somebody you¡¯d give your life up for. My wife gave her life up for her kids, I¡¯d give my life up for her and my kids. Your parents would¡¯ve given their lives up for you and your brother in a heartbeat and that¡¯s exactly what they did. Tell me, do you have someone you¡¯d die for?¡± he looks at me expectantly. I was just about to shake my head when shes of a blue eyed girl swim through my mind, my brother, the guys, Roger and ire, and Drew. Too attached to them, I think I¡¯d give my life up just to save them.


    ¡°I bet that if you¡¯d have had the chance, you would¡¯ve given up your life for that of your parents. Sometimes, it is that very person we¡¯d die for that keeps us human and alive. Why do you think some people need counseling after they¡¯ve lost a loved one? It¡¯s a method of healing and even then it is not certain you¡¯ll ever be the same again. Your dad had a brother, a brother who rivaled him in every way. Even though your dad met your mom first, your uncle fell in love with her shortly after being introduced,¡± he borates. Oh, this is like Damon and Stefan: the human version.


    ¡°So, what happened?¡± he gives me a t look before responding.


    ¡°Gee, I don¡¯t know Emily married your uncle. You and Kohl don¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°No need to be sarcastic. You really did raise Adrian, didn¡¯t you?¡± it¡¯s so obvious where he gets his personality from. That and he¡¯s just naturally mean.


    ¡°Like my own son,¡± Damian leans back in his chair.


    ¡°Why did my dad never mention his brother?¡± I wonder out loud, but in the back of my mind I vaguely recall a family member. An older man that used to visit but I think I was too young to really make out his face. ¡°He did mention him,¡± I answer myself.


    ¡°Until you and Kohl were around four. He tried to coerce your mom to run away with him, when she refused he threatened her with you guys. She went to Kayden and they came to me and we devised a n. We met shortly after they got engaged, in a car ident, really. Remember when I told you my kids wouldn¡¯t be here without your parents?¡± I nod. It¡¯s baffling how everything seems to piece together.


    ¡°As you know Drew¡¯s around a year older than you, you¡¯re parents had you guys shortly after they were married. But my wife and I had been in a very bad car ident one day, we couldn¡¯t get out and she was very pregnant with Drew. Do you know how many cars passed us by and did nothing to help us? All I could do was pray that she make it out alive and safe with our baby,¡± his eyes grow sad as if remembering the exact moment. I shudder just thinking about the possibility of Drew not being born.


    ¡°Your parents passed by and u-turned just to see how they could help. They hade from your father¡¯s businessunch ball and your mom went into the ditch in her gown and heels. They even followed the ambnce into the hospital and stayed until they were sure we were safe. We became friends of course and when they found out I was the leader of the gang, they didn¡¯t judge me. They didn¡¯t treat my family any different.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they came to you for help, you had the power to do something,¡± I finish for him and he nods in agreement. ¡°So, why is it still going on? Did you like ¡®take care of him¡¯?¡± I drag my index finger across my throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a killer, well not in cold blood. Your father wouldn¡¯t have allowed it, I hired him as my right hand man to keep a close eye on him. The thing about me is that above being a leader of some gang, I am a father. In between keeping up with my family and my men in line I didn¡¯t notice he was making his own ns for revenge. He used his own money and resources to take your parents out and I didn¡¯t even notice,¡± he finishes. I flinch at the reminder of my parents¡¯ death.


    ¡°So what does he want now?¡±


    ¡°He wants you and your brother out, I don¡¯t think he wants any reminder of Emily¡¯s rejection. On top of that he wants what your parent¡¯s built from the ground, he believes an empire will keep him happy.¡±


    ¡°And Lucy?¡±


    ¡°He now knows that I was just trying to help your parents, he wants revenge on my family as well. He wants to start with my youngest,¡± a hard look ovees Damian¡¯s features. Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t want to cross him either.


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°They call him ¡®Mason,''¡± he answers.


    ¡°What did Kohl lie to me about? I know you know,¡± just as Damian was about to answer the doorknob jiggles.


    ¡°Khloe, open the door,¡± Drew calls out. Just as I was trying to hide Damian somewhere in the limited space, the door is kicked open and Drew steps in. there are no words for the look of utter betrayal that lines his features as soon as he steps in. ¡°I knew you were hiding something,¡± he states emotionless. Somehow it feels like I¡¯ve just ced a great amount of distance with my ¡®somebody to die for.¡¯


    That or I¡¯m getting indigestion from the tacos I ate earlier.

 Chapter 28 The Bad Boy鈥檚 Heart

    Drew¡¯s POV:


    There¡¯s a fracture of time in which the beating of my heart just up and quits at the sight of my dad, the man responsible for my mother¡¯s death, so close to Khloe. In this moment I want to stomp over to him, grab him by the cor and inflict on him the pain he¡¯s caused what used to be our ¡®family¡¯. I was about to do just that when the picture of what I¡¯m seeinges into focus, the both of them sitting down as if conversing with one another. Khloe¡¯s eyes meet mine and the guilt in them makes the betrayal all the more forceful.


    ¡°I knew you were hiding something,¡± the words slip out of my mouth as I step inside the room and shut the door behind me. The silence permeates the air like a tidal wave washing over us and consuming the oxygen from my lungs. For minutes my eyes can¡¯t look at Khloe, so contradictorily to the moments in which I can¡¯t take my gaze off her. There¡¯s a cold grip in my chest that feels as if I¡¯m being crushed, it¡¯s that she¡¯s the one that hid him in the house that really doesn¡¯t sit well with me. Why¡¯d it have to be her? Why not someone else?


    ¡°I can exin,¡± she finally blurts out with a slight tremble in her voice. It almost makes me want to smile, that jumpy-nervous personality one of the things I like most about her.


    ¡°Can you?¡± she flinches at the cool tone of my voice. My dad, Damian, just sits in his chair calmly, as if he has no care in the world. And why should he, he¡¯s not the one that had to deal with the consequences of his actions. Whatever reason he had to break my mom¡¯s heart and remove her from our home, whatever it is, I¡¯ll never forgive him. Now the question that¡¯s ringing in my head is, can I forgive Khloe for bringing him into the house, so close to Lucy? I lean back against the wall as she opens and closes her mouth in several attempts to exin her actions.


    ¡°Well,¡± I prompt.


    ¡°Well, who gave you the right to barge into the room?¡± she throws her hands up, her brown locks iling with them. I cock an eyebrow and her shoulders slump as she buries herself further into the chair. ¡°I was hiding him in the panic room that¡¯s in the closet under the stairs,¡± she murmurs but is heard in the otherwise silent room. My eyebrows raise in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you kept sneaking in there? I thought you were doing some sort of Harry Potter reenactment,¡± I reply.


    ¡°Why does everyone keep thinking that?¡± her outburst makes me want tough, my dad doesn¡¯t hold his smile back.


    ¡°Because you have a duplicate wand along with the Gryffindor robe,¡± I shrug.


    ¡°Were you going through my closet?¡± she scowls while folding her arms across her chest, not that I was staring or anything. Not at all.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I quip.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Khloe questions curiously as I pull out my phone and dial someone to help me with this situation. Her eyes widen and I think she knows who it is I¡¯m calling, I smirk.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you fuck off for an hour or something?¡± Adrian¡¯s usual cheery greeting makes me roll my eyes.


    ¡°Come to the study, Khloe has a surprise for all of us,¡± I smile at her but I think she knows not much good is going toe from it. Her gaze keeps straying towards the window, motioning to my dad and the window as if telling him to jump. I wouldn¡¯t doubt they¡¯d do it seeing as the study is on the first floor.


    ¡°What¡¯d she do now?¡± he grumbles before hanging up. I stride towards the window after pocketing my phone, giving her a challenging look.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to run,¡± she scowls. She looks like a kitten wing at a ball of yarn. Yeah, that¡¯s fierce. ¡°I know that you¡¯re trying to intimidate me by bringing the rest of the guys here, but I¡¯m not changing my mind,¡± she states sternly. Damn, can she believe so much in my dad to stick up for him? she straightens up in her seat as footsteps near the door before the door opens and in walks Adrian followed by Sammy, Lucas, Kim and Kohl.


    ¡°You. Didn¡¯t,¡± Adrian looks at her in confusion, but underneath the anger I know she might have hurt him. Despite the tough exterior and badass attitude, no, he¡¯s not nice, but when he trusts somebody it¡¯s all the way. And for some weird reason, he trusts Khloe.


    ¡°Maybe you should exin,¡± Lucas tries to mediate the situation though I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re all thinking the same thing: what the hell possessed her to hide him, of all people, in her house? Taking a deep breath, she begins to exin how he came to the house before to tell her Ruby was safe and where to find her, all the way to him being stabbed. All the while her eyes keep finding my own and each time I advert my gaze to my worn out Vans. My dad on the other hand just observes everyone, gauging their reactions carefully. He loves to observe people, finding things in their mannerisms that they probably don¡¯t know themselves. That¡¯s what he used to teach me.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us he wasn¡¯t dead?¡± Adrian res.


    Great, he¡¯s going to be in a mood now.


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe you would do this,¡± Kohl pitches in shaking his head in disappointment, for some reason he keeps looking at us nervously.


    ¡°You stitched him up,¡± Khloe retorts. All eyes seem to train in on him and see what his next response is going to be.


    ¡°You bribed me with a date,¡± he points at Kim.


    ¡°What a man,¡± Sammy smirks. ¡°I knew he was here and we kept him hidden,¡± she adds, giving Adrian a challenging re when he turns to her.


    ¡°Damn, seems like everyone¡¯s keeping secrets, huh?¡± Lucas asks sarcastically.


    ¡°Yeah, seems so,¡± Khloe res at the rest of us, catching me off guard. What the hell secrets have I been keeping? Well, except for Kohl¡¯s. Yeah I know, you should be honest but it¡¯s not really my secret to tell. It¡¯s not a big deal anyways. Her eyes meet her brother¡¯s and it¡¯s like she knows he¡¯s the one keeping something from her.


    ¡°I think you should just talk it out, there¡¯s no use in attacking each other,¡± my dad¡¯s words really piss me off. Isn¡¯t that what he did, attack my mother at the first sign of trouble?


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d know about that,¡± I grumble causing him and Khloe to look at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave the past alone for now,¡± my dad tries to cate but I don¡¯t think it worked. I didn¡¯t notice when I balled my hands into fists or when I strode over to him tond hit after hit, all I saw was red. The anger, the hate, the betrayal, everything I¡¯ve kept inside for what seems so long, pouring out in every punch Ind on his face. All I keep seeing is my mom¡¯s face as the oxygen left her lungs, her eyes pleading with me to look after my sisters.


    ¡°She was calling for you,¡± the words escape my mouth without my consent. Silence falls over the room and the hands that were trying to pull me from him suddenly stop, reced by a pair of feminine ones that I¡¯d know anywhere. I shrug Khloe¡¯s hands from me, she¡¯s thest person that needs to see me like this. Nobody understands the anger, the disappointment I feel towards my father. I was the only one there when my mom died, when she told me how much he loved all of us. How much she loved him, she told me that I didn¡¯t understand. But I do, he¡¯s a bastard. I get up from the floor and walk away from his bloodied face. I walk out the front door and over to my car, I don¡¯t need to turn around to know she¡¯s following me. I climb inside and a minuteter Khloe does too.


    ¡°So, where are we going?¡± I fight the urge to smile, remembering that I should be mad, before peeling out of the driveway without answering her question. ¡°I asked ire to look after Lucy,¡± she fills the silence. I nod in acknowledgement. I speed down the streets bute to a stop at a red-light, no need to break anymorews.


    ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± Khloe¡¯s voice grows softer as I step on the elerator, the belt keeping her from flying into the dashboard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it,¡± I demand before reaching andcing her fingers with mine.


    This is the one thing I won¡¯t let my dad ruin for me. Not Khloe.


    She seems to rx at my words and strokes her thumb over the back of my hand as she watches the scenery pass by. Due to the dark, most of the town is lit up by random streetlights and the stars.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill me aren¡¯t you?¡± Khloe mutters as we near the deserted roads, I roll my eyes at her conclusion.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± I smirk at her widened eyes. We jump as the car goes over small bumps and I can hear the crunching of tires on gravel before I pull up into a clearing. It¡¯s an old lot that hasn¡¯t been fenced in for years. Whenever we came around this town I used it as my ce. The only ce I coulde for some peace and quiet. Small bushes litter the ground and grow the further you walk into the woods. I park the car by the creek that opens up to the other side, before getting out and walking into the wooded area with Khloe on my tail.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe for me to walk any further,¡± Khloe pants from behind. At first, I thought she was hyperventting from some fear of me bringing her here to dispose of her body, but when I turned around she was hunched over, hands on knees trying to catch her breath. With a chuckle, I walk over her and ce my hand under her thighs causing her to jump ten feet in the air before putting ten feet of space between us.


    ¡°You just made our rtionship official,¡± she uses.


    ¡°What?¡± sometimes her rambling can get confusing.


    ¡°There¡¯s gonna be no hanky-panky in these woods,¡± she points at me before waving her hand to the open area. Her words sink in and my eyes widen in realization while I feel heate onto my neck.


    ¡°I was trying to carry you to the spot I¡¯m trying to show you,¡± I rify while digging my hands in my pockets, feeling much like a scolded kid.


    ¡°You were trying to carry me?¡± she repeats.


    ¡°You were the one that stated that piggy back rides were a must for us,¡± I recall. Twigs crunch on the ground as she walks over to me.


    ¡°Carry on,¡± she orders, not before reaching up on her toes to ce a kiss on my cheek. I smile before leaning down and carrying her into my arms, my steps falter as her hand moves on my chest. ¡°Your heart¡¯s beating fast,¡± she points out, before cing her head above my heart.


    ¡°You should work on your athletic skills,¡± I point out. She res up at me with her nose scrunched up like a kitten, she¡¯d actually put a kitten to shame.


    ¡°My athletic skills consist of clicking the mouse rapidly, copying and pasting urls with efficiency, and being able to scroll down a screen for hours at times,¡± she exins withplete seriousness on her face. ¡°I can also make a mean bowl of cereal, and eat massive amounts of junk food,¡± she adds.


    ¡°My mistake,¡± I reply sarcastically. I look up when the bushes thin out once again and find what I¡¯m looking for. I let the girl in my arms down gently before grabbing her hand and pulling her forward with me.


    ¡°Is that?¡± Khloe doesn¡¯t finish her sentence before I nod in response.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯d like you to meet my girlfriend, Khloe,¡± I kneel down by the headstone with my mom¡¯s name engraved on it. ¡°She¡¯s crazy,¡± I add to lighten Khloe¡¯s quiet mood. Khloe swats my shoulder before kneeling beside me.


    ¡°Hi, Mrs. Collins, Drew does not know how to drive,¡± she remarks with the traces of a smile on her face. I chuckle, my mom always used to scold me on my driving habits. ¡°How¡¯d you get her buried here?¡± she turns to face me.


    ¡°I bought this lot with my inheritance from her and went through the process to bury her here,¡± I exin.


    ¡°What did she say to you before she died?¡± Khloe sighs before running her hand through my hair. I lean into her touch, debating whether or not I should tell her.


    ¡°She was trying to tell me my dad wasn¡¯t a bad man, asking me to look after my sisters. And you,¡± I reply.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Me?¡± she pulls back to gaze into my eyes.


    ¡°She knew your parents and about someoneing after you, wanted me to look after you,¡± I exin.


    ¡°Is that all she told you?¡±


    ¡°No, she told me how much she loved my dad. After everything she still managed to say that,¡± I shrug feigning nonchnce. I didn¡¯t use to understand her, how could you forgive someone who could hurt you all because of how they make you feel. I didn¡¯t understand it, but I¡¯m starting to.


    ¡°Maybe she knew something about him that you didn¡¯t,¡± Khloe points out.


    ¡°What?¡± she shrugs in response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but he doesn¡¯t really open up much. Just tells me what I need to know, kind of like you in that aspect.¡±


    ¡°I tell you stuff,¡± I protest.


    ¡°Not everything.¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to worry,¡± I grab her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to open up to people but for you, I¡¯m trying,¡± she smiles at my words. It¡¯s that smile that makes it my mission to see her happy, to keep her safe. I don¡¯t think she knows how important she is to me. She stands up and walks a couple of feet away from me, giving me some privacy. I know my mom can hear me from wherever but talking to her, like this, gives me some sense offort. After keeping my promises I walk Khloe back to the car, but her gaze seems to drift to the sky and the creek.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± she lets go before kicking her shoes off and stepping into the water that barely reaches her knees.


    ¡°You just got your jeans wet,¡± I point out dumbly.


    ¡°What else was I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°This,¡± I answer before kicking my shoes off and my pants down my legs, leaving me standing in my boxers. I toss my shirt to the side before stepping in after her. Her eyes move from my face down to my legs before quickly moving back to my face.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to take your clothes off, you can¡¯t even swim here,¡± she stammers out.


    ¡°No, but I know where you can,¡± I reply before picking her up and moving down the creek until it opens up to theke. ¡°Here we go,¡± I proim as the water begins to rise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drop me in here,¡± she warns. ¡°At least let me take my shirt off,¡± she adds quickly just as I was about to lower her into the water. I swim us over to the river bank so she can put her clothes there. I wasn¡¯t counting on her undressing, merely teasing her, but when she tosses the shirt aside and slides out of her jeans, all jokes are over. She gracefully dives in and swims over to me, distracting me long enough for her to dunk my head under water. We continue to y around in the water before getting tired and heading back to my car.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± I pop the trunk and pull a nket out before going to the front andying it over the roof of the car. I jump on top before hauling Khloe up, her noodle-like arms have no upper body strength, and we lie on top of my car just watching the stars and letting ourselves dry.


    ¡°I really like this,¡± Khloe mutters. I pull her to my side with a smile, if only every day could be like this. ¡°I miss them,¡± she sighs wistfully. I don¡¯t need to ask to know who she¡¯s talking about.


    ¡°I miss my mom too,¡± I look over at Khloe, but my gaze can¡¯t help but look down at her body pressed against mine. She¡¯s beautiful, even if we are an odd match at times.


    ¡°Khloe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Why do your panties say Gryffindor?¡± I chuckle.


    ¡°Why are you looking?¡± she squeaks as she starts to swat at me. I grab her hands and pull her on top of me. Her dark eyes meet mine and I pull her down for a long kiss. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go put my clothes back on,¡± she pulls away from the hot and heavy kiss and I let her go reluctantly. Once in my clothes I move to the driver¡¯s side to pull the door open, only it doesn¡¯t.


    ¡°Khloe, did you by any chance bring your wand?¡± I call out.


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°I think I locked us out of the car,¡± I answer sheepishly. Even though she begins to scream at me and throw tiny punches, I realize that I really would like every day to be like this, except without locking ourselves out of the car.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a Hufflepuff,¡± she throws onest insult, at least I think it¡¯s supposed to be.

 Chapter 29 Snarky Attitudes and Douche-bag Dudes

    The sound on of knocking on my bedroom door drifts into my state of unconsciousness, desperately trying to pull me back into reality. No, I¡¯d much rather stay in my dreams of being a perfectly coordinated girl with minimal chances of embarrassing herself.


    Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Go away,¡± I groan while burying myself further in my pillows. Thanks to Drew, I didn¡¯t really get enough sleep yesterday. Not in that way, I meant that we had to wait for Adrian to stopughing his ass off ande pick us up. We got home way past midnight and Drew still thought he could sleep in my room. A door in his face is what that theory got him. I kind of feel bad but I think it¡¯s better for me to show him who wears the pants in this rtionship.


    Me, that¡¯s who.


    ¡°Khloe, open the door,¡± Lady Gaga, is that you?


    ¡°Khloe! Hurry up!¡± this is the reason why people move over to the dark side, imagine the power to eliminate anyone who disturbed your sleep. I don¡¯t even worry about putting my slippers on and just stomp over to the door, ring at whoever¡¯s behind it.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Kim huffs when I do open it. She practically shoves me aside as she rushes into my room with Sammy and Ruby in tow. Why is Ruby over here so early? Why is anyone in my room this early? I close the door and stop in my tracks when all three of them give me amused looks.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± I grumble.


    ¡°Why are you wearing my brother¡¯s shirt?¡± Sam pipes up with a smirk on her face. I look down at myself and take notice of the shirt that covers me down to my thighs, an unwanted blush creeps onto my cheeks.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not relevant here, what is relevant is why you guys are banging on my door so early in the morning,¡± I ce my hand on my hips and give them that chastising look that all mothers seem to have down.


    ¡°It¡¯s noon Khloe, and I think you and Drew were doing somethingst night that definitely kept you up,¡± Ruby giggles as she finishes her observations. Sammy, in true Adrian fashion, begins to do obscene gestures with her hands.


    Very ssy, Sam.


    ¡°Considering it¡¯s Saturday and there is no school, to me it¡¯s still morning,¡± I re at the smiling girls.


    ¡°Yes, well considering Drew¡¯s uncle ising to your house I would expect you to at least dress up and greet him,¡± Kim gives me a stern look. Why does it seem like people are treating me like a child? Wait, did she just say what I think she said?


    ¡°Mr. Pine¡¯sing here?¡± I repeat.


    ¡°Yes, and these two have conjured up the idea that they must look good for my uncle, which to me ispletely awkward and weird. What are you doing?¡± Sammy exins and noter was the confirmation out of her mouth that I had bounded into my closet in search of something to wear. Not that I think Mr. Pine is like some eye candy, it¡¯s just in the good nature of greeting my favorite English teacher.


    Who just happens to be hot.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting ready,¡± I call out to her while rummaging through my clothes. Once I¡¯ve chosen an outfit, I head to my bathroom to wash my teeth and fix my hair. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m dressing up, I don¡¯t want to look like I¡¯m trying too hard, you know. Then, people will start expecting my best all the freaking time. I throw on my white-knitted tunic over some ck jeans and head back out into my room.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell my brother that you¡¯re dressing up for his uncle. Let¡¯s see how he takes that,¡± Sammy quips. For someone as small as her she sure has a lot of mean going on, which only leads me to further believe that Adrian¡¯s bad attitude is contagious.


    ¡°Maybe I am dressing up for Drew, you don¡¯t know my life,¡± I give her an innocent look.


    ¡°Oh please, Drew can see you in sweatpants and a t-shirt and he¡¯d still think you¡¯re the hottest thing in town,¡± Ruby rolls her eyes. I¡¯ve got to admit I did score the jackpot in the boyfriend pool, but it¡¯s not like Drew¡¯s a saint. I mean half of the time it¡¯s like you¡¯ve got to keep a bomb from going off, you do not want to piss that dude off.


    ¡°I¡¯d say the same thing for Lucas,¡± I reply and smirk in satisfaction as a blush colors her cheeks.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him,¡± she shakes her head quickly causing me to raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°What did he do?¡± Kim chuckles, as if already perceiving the stupidities her cousin is capable ofmitting. Well, Lucas can be a pretty big goof ball. After debating with herself on whether to tell us or not, she begins to speak.


    ¡°He may have asked me out and my dad may want to kill him,¡± Ruby replies sheepishly. What on earth could Lucas have done to cause her father to want to end his life?


    ¡°Seriously, what kind of shit did he pull?¡± Sammy leans down intrigued by our dear friend¡¯s actions.


    ¡°He sent a stripper gram to my house while he waited outside for my answer. Do you know how embarrassing that was? My dad was livid, he seriously wants to kill him,¡± Ruby runs a hand through her hair in frustration and who can me her? What was Lucas thinking?


    ¡°Was it like a girl stripper or a hot guy?¡± I pitch in. The three girls turn to give me indescribable looks. Personally, I think it¡¯s a valid question.


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Kim gives me an amused look.


    ¡°Because if it¡¯s a guy it¡¯s clear what his intentions are with his daughter, if it was a girl then you guys can just say he was giving your dad a treat,¡± I shrug. Sammy, who¡¯s been shaking withughter all this time, sobers up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seriously think you can exin this,¡± she giggles.


    ¡°Yeah Khloe, my dad even got out his shot gun which I didn¡¯t even know he had,¡± Ruby adds. ¡°The worst part is that I¡¯m pretty sure Lucas was pulling out a gun as well before he decided to drive off peacefully.¡±


    Now that I can believe.


    ¡°So, is Lucas that much of a catch anyway?¡± I retort once I realize that there really is no way of making this any better. We stay quiet for a while, lost in our own thoughts, before the sound of a doorbell ringing has the three of us bolting for the door. I nce back at Sammy and notice she¡¯s leisurely following behind. I wonder if she¡¯s gotten another chance to talk to her dad, when we got back I heard the guys let him settle in one of the guestrooms. Hopefully, there will be no further mishaps.


    ¡°Who¡¯s at the door?¡± Kim asks casually as we slow our way down the stairs. Apparently, all the guys decided to gather around the living room early this morning, the only person missing seems to be Drew¡¯s dad.


    ¡°The mailman, he dropped this off for you,¡± Kohl holds up a small box. I take it from him as I hit the bottom steps and ce it on a nearby table, which can wait forter. ¡°You guys are up early for a Saturday,¡± he observes.


    ¡°You know me, I¡¯m all about being productive,¡± a series of chuckles seems to erupt throughout the room at my answer. I could protest this reaction but I really wouldn¡¯t be helping anyone.


    Trust me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I don¡¯t even need to turn around to know who that is whispering in my ear. Drew¡¯s arms wound around my waist from behind causing a series of butterflies to flutter oh so delicately in my stomach. Does that feeling ever get old?


    ¡°Hi,¡± I mentally curse myself as I stumble over the ¡®I¡¯ prolonging it more than necessary. His minty breath hits my neck as he chuckles at my antics, that¡¯s great Drewugh it up.


    ¡°You guys are obnoxious,¡± and there¡¯s Adrian, always ready to ruin the moment. Don¡¯t think I missed that blush on his cheeks when Sammy reached up to ce a kiss on his lips.


    Whipped.


    Just as I was about to walk towards the door at the sound of the doorbell, I¡¯m knocked over as ire rushes to get to it before me. If it weren¡¯t for Drew, I would¡¯ve crashed into the smallmp table. The package I ced on it wobbles precariously before Drew grabs it with his other hand. The perks of being coordinated.


    ¡°Hello Mr. Pine, I heard you wereing,¡± we all listen as ire greets my teacher. I know she¡¯s met him before since she¡¯s the one that handles the teacher meetings, but if I didn¡¯t know any better I¡¯d say she¡¯s smitten. I mean, you have to be to practically ram your charge just to answer the door. ¡°Would you like some coffee, tea, anything?¡± she questions as she leads him into the living room. I think all the girls in the room heard heavenly chorus as the blue eyed angel walked in. All except for Sammy, though I am pretty sure she hears Green Day in her head whenever she sees Adrian. I guess the blue eyed gene in Drew¡¯s family originates on his mother¡¯s side.


    Bless them.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± he greets. The guys all seem to give him a head nod while the rest of us just smile dreamily. ¡°Khloe, how¡¯s that essaying out?¡±


    Essay?


    ¡°What essay?¡± I shake my head out of that dreamy daze and focus my gaze on the pimple on Kohl¡¯s forehead instead of my teacher¡¯s pretty eyes.


    ¡°The one on oveing certain obstacles in life,¡± he replies slowly.


    Oh, that essay I have not heard of. How the hell did I space out in ss, I¡¯m seriously losing my mojo.


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m almost done,¡± I lie through my teeth.


    ¡°Well Drew, can we talk?¡± he directs his gaze over my shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why we¡¯re all here, that way we can all be in the know of what¡¯s going on,¡± Drew grabs my hand before we move around and sit on an armchair. Well, I nt myself on the chair and Drew sits on the arm.


    ¡°Okay, well I got a tip a couple of days back that there¡¯s a new teachering into the school,¡± Mr. Pine moves over to the couch, causing Kohl to wrap a possessive hand on Kim¡¯s waist. Yeah brother, like you canpete.


    ¡°So, we have to worry because there¡¯s a new nerd on the block?¡± Adrian shrugs. I don¡¯t know why, but I take offense to that.


    ¡°No Adrian, we have to worry because he¡¯s working for Mason,¡± Lucas replies. Why couldn¡¯t he have found a cool and calm way to ask Ruby out like this?


    ¡°But why at the school?¡± I pipe up.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s the one ce you all have to go to, but I also think he¡¯s gone into the drug business and who doesn¡¯t get high like high school teenagers?¡± I remember that one time I got high onplete ident.


    Never ept a brownie that¡¯sing from Adrian.


    Never, there¡¯s a video floating around that he refuses to hand over.


    ¡°Does he think my dad¡¯s out of the picture, Kris?¡± isn¡¯t it weird to hear your teacher be addressed by their first name. I mean, are we friends, homies or something?


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®thinks¡¯ isn¡¯t he dead?¡± the growing tension in the room suddenly bes palpable.


    ¡°So, do you have a girlfriend?¡± I try to make light of the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead for your information, Kris,¡± damn it, couldn¡¯t Damian have waited for Kris to answer my question. Drew¡¯s dad walks into the room in jeans and a ck t-shirt. Did someone just turn up the heat, in more ways than one too because suddenly Kris doesn¡¯t look so chill. ¡°He¡¯s never liked me,¡± he exins to the rest of the crowd.


    ¡°With good reason,¡± Mr. Pine scoffs. Well, I¡¯m going to go on a limb here and just say that there are definitely some underlying issues here.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised,¡± I whisper in Drew¡¯s ear.


    ¡°They don¡¯t really get along,¡± Drew states, as if I haven¡¯t already gotten that from the rising macho contest. Aw, why can¡¯t we be friends, why can¡¯t we be friends¡­


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± there¡¯s always someone trying to cramp on your mental singing skills, like why be such a party pooper? I don¡¯t even know who asked the question because by this time I¡¯m into full chorus mode in my head, and I¡¯ll be damned if I don¡¯t let it finish and fade out. I let myselfe back to reality as thest musical note hit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± I ask, looking around the room trying to figure out who spoke to me. Only to find that all attention¡¯s on me like I just did some Beyonc¨¦ type of dance number. I¡¯m good, in my head of course, but I¡¯m not that good.


    ¡°You just sung that song, off key, out loud,¡± Kohl pats my shoulder in some stupid way offorting. I jump away from him and lean into Drew¡¯s side. This is the life, he could be a pillow. Or I could be Dn O¡¯Brien¡¯s pillow, that¡¯d be awesome.


    ¡°So, now that I¡¯ve provided today¡¯s entertainment, is that all that we need to know?¡± I direct my question towards the teacher. Mr. Pine chuckles before shaking his head.


    ¡°No, I also heard from one of my contacts that some kids are under suspicion for selling inside school grounds.¡± What kind of contacts could an English school teacher possibly have? This just further proves that in Drew¡¯s family anything is possible. Next thing you know, we¡¯ll all be part of some grandiose crime family.


    ¡°I¡¯m not on that list am I?¡± Kohl suddenly asks, making all eyes in the room drift over to him.


    ¡°Should you be?¡± I retort. No one says anything in response causing for a long awkward pause, broken by Mr. Pine, who excuses himself and practically has to pry ire off his arm before making his exit. The rest of the weekend goes by with Lucas constantly calling Ruby with a long list of apologies, iming that the stripper gram had all been Kohl¡¯s idea. It also consisted of Adrian following Sammy around like a lost puppy after making an ¡®I¡¯m stronger than you¡¯ remark towards her. He really needs to keep his mouth shut. All that got him was Sammy hurling a frying pan at his head which managed to cause a very noticeable bump on his forehead. Drew and I spent our weekend together with Lucy. Although there was a moment in which I¡¯m pretty sure he wanted to attack me verbally with every word in the book possible because I let Lucy spend some time with her father.


    Drew really needs to work through those daddy issues.


    Sadly, Monday came way too soon and with it the morning ritual of walking dead for my arrival to school. I¡¯ve probably not talked much about my days at school, but there¡¯s a specific reason for that. My days at school are no longer filled with hatred and paper balls aimed at me. No, the student poption did not have some sort of evolution process where the oue eradicated all hate towards one another. But, since the guys arrived and our friendship bloomed I don¡¯t find myself constantly repeating everyment in my head. Worrying about the next time I¡¯ll be cornered in the hallway, thements and starese, but they remain at a distance. With all the ring that my boyfriend does, it¡¯s like nobody dares to piss off the blue eyed angel.


    A silent agreement has been formed, you don¡¯t mess with me and Drew doesn¡¯t mess you up.


    ¡°Come on Khloe, we¡¯re going to bete,¡± Lucas stomps his foot like a petnt child, eager to get to English ss. I really don¡¯t know what the hurry is, Mr. Pine might be Drew¡¯s uncle, but that doesn¡¯t stop Lucas from falling asleep for the duration of the period. Then, he mes me for the marks on his face caused from leaning his head on his backpack for a long time. Idiot.


    ¡°Do you really think it was a good idea to leave Lucy with my dad?¡± Drew ignores his friend and settles his inquisitive gaze on my face, alert for any expression that may contradict my answer. My eyes roll on their own ord, we¡¯ve had this conversation too many times in a matter of days but his worries don¡¯t seem to settle. The care he has for the little girl is heart-melting, but he has to give his father a chance to make amends. He must also remember that we still don¡¯t know the full story of exactly what happened.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nod my head affirmatively before pecking his cheek and making my way over to Lucas. Before Lucas manages to drag me away I give onest nce at Drew, who hasn¡¯t removed his eyes from my figure. That boy can make coffee blush and boil over. With a minute before the bell rings, we storm inside the ssroom and rush over to our seats in the back. And for a brief, very brief, moment the coordination ninjas decided to have mercy on me as I jumped over a foot that was intended to trip me. I take my seat and pull my notebook out, but I don¡¯t miss the snickeringing from Mike from the front. I haven¡¯t seen this fool in such a long time I thought the elves decided to take him away from us. I was mistaken.


    ¡°Hey, small dick, do that again and I¡¯ll smash your face,¡± Lucas, the ever fierce angel, growls out.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I shrug towards Lucas, he shakes his head in contradiction but takes a seat anyway. Mike turns back in his seat as well, but I can see the red has reached his ears by this point. There¡¯s no way to embarrass a guy than by hitting his ego. Mr. Pine arrives in his usual timely manner and begins his lesson, though my head seems to drift to a million things all at the same time. So loud does the ringing in my ear get that I¡¯m startled back into reality by the loud shrillsing in through the speakers.


    ¡°Fire drill,¡± Lucas motions at the other students who are in too much of a rush to even gather their things, all rushing out the door while ignoring the ¡®don¡¯t panic¡¯ messageing from the teacher. I get up and begin to head out the door with Lucas on my tail and his hand grabbing onto my arm, keeping me in his line of vision, when all the lights go out simultaneously. The new event arousing panic in the students causing them to scatter like an ant farm being drenched by water. Lucas¡¯s hold on my arm slips but is reced quickly as he drags me faster towards an unupied staircase. Or, the person I thought was Lucas because once the heavy door ms shut I¡¯m face-to-face with the dark eyes of my arch nemesis, Mike.


    ¡°Holy muggles,¡± I grumble.


    ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually helping you,¡± he rolls his eyes before dragging me down a couple of stairs.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± I snap, trying to remove his hold on me.


    ¡°Remember what I told you?¡± he barks out as we reach the bottom. He sets his unmovable frame in front of the door, blocking my escape.


    ¡°That I¡¯m a nerd or the way you professed your tant hate for me?¡±


    ¡°At the house,¡± he corrects impatiently, making my mouth snap shut, the process making me bite my lower lip. I freeze in ce as my eyes roam over him, but his eyes, I remember those eyes from the ckout at my house. I¡¯d thought they just seemed dark due to theck of light, but in reality it¡¯s due to theck of soul.


    ¡°You¡¯re working with Mason,¡± I state.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± he rebuts.


    ¡°You said we were family,¡± I make a face at that because seriously, the dude¡¯s a douchebag.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he nods but makes no rification as to what we are.


    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not my brother,¡± just the idea seems to nauseate the both of us.


    ¡°Cousin, you idiot. I¡¯m Mason¡¯s son. By the way, he¡¯s the ¡®new¡¯ teacher in the school. No one will recognize him and I don¡¯t think you remember your uncle, but be very careful. You specifically,¡± he warns in a gravelly voice.


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s seen pictures of you, says you remind him too much of her,¡± he shrugs. I know who the ¡®her¡¯ in that statement is, and just the reminder that that man killed my parents makes a wave of fury wash over me.


    ¡°Why are you helping now?¡±


    ¡°All my life I¡¯ve been conditioned to hate you, he was always so hung up on your family that when I did meet you, that hate personified. But, I¡¯ve realized that it¡¯s not your fault and if there¡¯s one way of giving back for what I¡¯ve done, it¡¯s by helping you.¡±


    ¡°You still tripped me in the morning,¡± I scowl.


    ¡°Force of habit,¡± he smirks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡± I blurt.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t like you,¡± ah, this might be the beginning to a beautiful alliance.

 Chapter 30 Frozen Treats and Misdeeds

    After the whole fire drill dilemma and speaking to my bully-turned-cousin, my nerves are all over the ce by lunch. My eyes stay downward, staring at the te in front of me while my leg continues to bounce up and down. asionally, it bumps into the leg beside me which only causes Drew¡¯s gaze to meet mine and a current of electricity to flow between us. Stupid Drew and his sexy smirk, beautiful eyes, soft hair¡­ why was I mad at him again? Oh yeah, because he has to be so damn perfect.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Drew¡¯s hand covers mine in a cating manner and for some odd, very odd, reason my body instantly rxes.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nod. Avoiding his prating gaze, I begin to stuff food into my mouth with my other hand. What would happen if the guys found out that I spoke to Mike? Would they ¡®take care of him,¡¯ ¡®send him to swim with the sharks¡¯, or stuff his body in an old storage locker never to be found alive again. What would they do to me, keep me from my hidden candy stash which they could easily find?


    The risks are just too great. Suddenly, the air around me starts decreasing and my lungs start burning, my eyes start to water and I think Drew finally decided to kill me. Until I realize that I¡¯m choking on my food, I take one of the water bottles being held out for me and down the contents. Once I¡¯m out of danger, I rx when everyone¡¯s kind enough to not acknowledge what just happened.


    That is until someone starts coughing before it turns into full outughter. My eyes find Adrian across from me clutching his stomach, fighting for air and trying topose himself. Even Sammy looks like she wants to kill him, but deep in her eyes I can see the amusement trying to fight its way through.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ she choked on her hot dog,¡± Adrian exins before once againughing uncontrobly. Sammy stops fighting it and leans on her boyfriend for support while sheughs her butt off, but Kohl really takes the cake,ughing so hard he falls out of his seat causing everybody to turn his way. Kim and Ruby have the decency tough discreetly behind cupped hands while Drew squeezes my shoulderfortingly, as if that will make up for the fact he turned his head to the side while his shoulder were shaking. The bastard. That¡¯s when I notice one little apple is missing from the bunch, Lucas.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lucas?¡± I turn to Drew. He seems to debate how to answer before shrugging like I didn¡¯t just witness his mental debate. ¡°You don¡¯t know or you don¡¯t want to tell me?¡± This time Drew turns to me, eyes intense and dark, raises an eyebrow before shrugging, making me grit my teeth in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± I state, getting up from my seat. Just as I turned to walk away, I find myself rooted in ce as Drew holds my hand in his firmly.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± he tells the rest, who resume their conversation like nothing. With an eye roll, I let him lead me by the hand outside the cafeteria doors and into an empty hallway.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lucas?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you go during the fire drill?¡± Lucas, you little snitch, he couldn¡¯t have just kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Drew¡¯s eyes darken with my stalling before he pins me to the wall, one hand on either side of me caging me in. my heart begins to palpitate like cars zooming down a street race, my mind whirls thinking of different possible scenarios.


    ¡°I had a bad burrito in the morning so I went to the restroom.¡±


    Silence.


    You could hear a pin drop, where is the rest of the school poption?


    ¡°All you had for breakfast was orange juice because Kohl stole your waffle. Why are you lying to me?¡± I forgot my boyfriend just happened to live in my house, why can¡¯t my life just be normal?


    ¡°Why are you catching me in my lies?¡± I rebut. For a second Drew looks angry, but it turns to hurt and betrayal quickly and I begin to feel like the Grinch who stole Christmas. ¡°Where¡¯s Lucas?¡± I repeat.


    ¡°Breaking into the school¡¯s security system to see where you were at. Did someone threaten you?¡± I kind of forgot Lucas was a tech nerd.


    ¡°No, no one threatened me. I was just talking to someone,¡± I reply.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m feeling really attacked right now.¡± I motion with my eyes to both of his arms keeping me hostage, but instead of backing away like I¡¯d hoped, he leans in with a smirk. Noticing my breath hitching, he begins to kiss up and down my neck,nding beneath my earlobe. ¡°Drew?¡±


    ¡°Remember what I told you when we just met and I found you hiding from me in the library?¡± He pulls back to look into my eyes, as if he¡¯s searching for something. How could I forget that day, one of the many times he¡¯s gotten all up close and personal with me. He leans into the other side of my neck, leaving me breathless with small kisses. ¡°I told you this pulse jumps every time you lie, remember?¡± Hot breath hits my neck with his whispering, but he weakens my legs. As if sensing I¡¯m about to fall, he wraps an arm around my waist, the other one moves to the back of my neck before bringing me closer, locking our lips together. And I tried, I tried not to give in, to keep my cool but somehow I always find a way to get lost in Drew Collins.


    If he were a map, I¡¯d get lost all over him, and that¡¯s just one of many bad pick-up lines I know.


    ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± When he pulls back, I¡¯m dazed and confused for a couple of seconds until I realize he¡¯s trying to get the truth out of me. Growing a backbone, I ce my hands on his chest before leaning up and kissing the side of his neck. Once his body rxes, I push him up against the wall before sping my hands behind his neck and kissing him softly, instinctively, he ces both of his hands loosely on my hips. Just as the kiss begins to get hard and heavy, I pull away and pat his cheek before running off in the direction of my next ss. This time my heart¡¯s beating uncontrobly because I can¡¯t believe I just did that. It felt good, I felt empowered. Now I know what Beyonc¨¦ meant when she said we run the world.


    Gasping for air, I burst into my art ss just as the bell rings for the end of lunch. Some students are already here and turn to look at me weirdly, I head over to my seat at the back table when my steps falter and I look towards the teacher¡¯s desk. Instead of my loving and abusive teacher, there¡¯s a young guy at her desk. I know that the new teacher is supposed to be Mason, Mike¡¯s dad, and practically the source of all evil. But, the familiarity of this guy really makes my heart stop for a second. the betrayal I feel is palpable. Brown hair and green eyes, that all familiar smirk that Derek sends my way, he¡¯s the bad guy?


    Derek is Mason? Is he even old enough to have fathered Mike?


    Oh my gosh.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Adrian grabs my elbow and drags me to our table before I have a chance to pound my fists into Derek¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wait Adrian, I let this jerk in my house and he¡¯s the bad guy,¡± I whisper. Adrian doesn¡¯t listen to my protests and shoves me down onto my seat, ces a pencil in my hand and sits across from me. His posture is cautious, as if at any second I¡¯ll rush at a lying, conniving bastard. What really makes me mad is that he was so close to Lucy. He could have hurt her because of my stupidity. We let the ss pass by in peace, and Adrian beats me five times out of four on tic-tac-toe, he¡¯s that good. Or, maybe I¡¯m just that bad. When the bell rings and all the students file out, I start jumping around like I¡¯m in a boxing ring with my fists held out in front of me.


    ¡°Khloe, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Derek still has the audacity to speak to me like we¡¯re buddies. I don¡¯t think anyone expected me to throw a punch, otherwise Adrian would have surely stopped me. All that is heard around the room is a distinct crack and I don¡¯t know if it was knuckled, though they did hurt. At that moment, Mike stumbles into the room with Lucas, Drew and Mr. Pine on his tail.


    ¡°Damn Khloe, you got the dude¡¯s blood all over the ce, just go choke on another hot dog.¡± Adrian helps Derek up off the ground while the other guys look at me in disbelief.


    ¡°Why are you all looking at me like that? He¡¯s the bad guy, you told me so.¡± I point to Mike, who¡¯s looking at me like I¡¯m stupid.


    ¡°I told you the new teacher was Mason, he¡¯s a substitute. That¡¯s not even my dad, Khloe.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, Derek, I am so sorry for punching you in the face.¡± I turn to Derek, my good old friend, but grimace from the blood that¡¯s cascading out of his nose. ¡°Did I break it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just bruised,¡± Adrian answers before shoving a towel into Derek¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean Mike told you who Mason was?¡± Drew¡¯s voice makes me jump for some reason.


    ¡°Mike¡¯s my cousin and he was helping me out with the whole Mason thing, and please don¡¯t hurt him,¡± I say it all in a rush. I get looks from everyone, even Mike, but Drew looks amused for some reason, I rx at that. ¡°Wait, then why are you here? I didn¡¯t know you were a teacher?¡± I turn to Derek.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m a cop.¡± Well, you learn something new every day, he must be Mr. Pine¡¯s contact in the police, duh. It makes so much sense now, it really is a small world.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, you two are rted?¡± Adrian looks momentarily perplexed beforeughing uncontrobly. ¡°First the hot dog, now this, your life really sucks sometimes,¡± he gasps betweenughter.


    ¡°I saw him go into Sammy¡¯s roomst night.¡± I wait for it to sink into Drew before he rushed over to Adrian.


    ¡°I was going to say ¡®goodnight¡¯, damn it, since when are manners such a crime?¡± he defends himself. Seeing him appropriately scared, I don¡¯t bother to tell Drew that it was around two in the morning. I want to get back at Adrian, I don¡¯t want him dead. He¡¯s still my best friend after all.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Kohl?¡± I ask. Everybody just kind of shrugs, as if Kohl¡¯s presence isn¡¯t all that important, I agree but still. I have the inking sensation that he¡¯s somewhere off with Kim, the two have been getting a little too closetely. Hard as it is to believe, my brother may actually have a girl.


    ¡°You¡¯re not off the hook.¡± Drew whispering in my ear always makes me blush intensely, the guys notice and Mike begins to make gagging noises.


    ¡°Sounds like Khloe choking on a hot dog,¡± Adrian remarks. I¡¯m going to kill him. Having sensed that I was about to jump on Adrian, Drew grabs me from behind and drags me out of the ssroom. I continue to kick all the way into Drew¡¯s car and refuse to acknowledge him to wherever it is he¡¯s driving me. His hand tries to find mine on the way, but I dodge his advances, not because I¡¯m truly mad at him but because I¡¯m afraid he is at me.


    ¡°Are you going to stop ignoring me?¡± I heave a sigh.


    ¡°Are you mad at me for not telling you about Mike?¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve been if it hadn¡¯t been for that little scenario in the hallway. Who knew my little kitten had a wild side?¡± I roll my eyes when I finally turn to look at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know good girls are bad girls that haven¡¯t been caught?¡± He doesn¡¯t get my reference but I do, and it makes me smile widely. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Home,¡± he answers slowly, as if I should¡¯ve known that. Well excuse me if all the streets¡¯ physical appearances all look the same.


    ¡°Yeah, I knew that. I was just making sure that you, the navigator, knew where you were going.¡± The rest of the drive goes by peacefully, except for that one moment where Drew flipped off a guy who cut him off. Today I learned that Drew has a bit of road rage asionally. If he was scary before, just don¡¯t get near him if you see him driving on the streets. Once we arrive home, safely and intact, I zoom inside and up the stairs in search of Lucy. I vaguely hear Drew call after me, but my baby¡¯s waiting for me. Bursting into the room excitedly, I immediately walk back out wanting to gauge my eyes out at the sight of ire kissing Roger. ¡°Aah!¡± Immediately, Drew rushes up the stairs, a frantic expression on his face.


    ¡°What happened, is Lucy alright?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, she might need years of therapy. I know I do,¡± I respond. He looks at me confused before stepping into the room, and cautiously, I walk in behind him.


    ¡°Khloe, nothing¡¯s going on, why¡¯d you scream?¡±


    ¡°Those two,¡± I point towards a blushing ire and stony faced Roger. ¡°They were partaking in lip lock, in front of the baby,¡± I whisper thest part. Drew shakes his head with a low chuckle before grabbing Lucy in his arms and swinging her in the air. ire and Roger take their leave, and I¡¯m left standing in the doorway watching Drew coo at the giggling girl. Oh, that sexy bastard makes a great father and I should not be thinking about that. But on top of all of that, I was right. ire and Roger do have something going on.


    I¡¯m like a modern cupid, I bring love wherever I go.


    ¡°Khloe?¡± Realizing I was spacing out, I shake my head to clear my head and turn to Drew, who¡¯s looking at me expectantly.


    ¡°What were you saying?¡±


    ¡°I said, do you want to take Lucy to the park with me?¡± Nodding eagerly, I grab her bag from the room and follow Drew out, though I do make onest stop he might not approve of. Taking advantage of Drew taking his time strapping Lucy to her seat, I knock on a wooden door repeatedly, hoping he¡¯s home. ¡°Damian.¡± I smile when Drew¡¯s dad opens his bedroom door and greets me with a smile. ¡°Would you like to go to the park with us and Lucy?¡± I beam when he nods his answer and I drag him outside by the hand. I¡¯ve promised myself to get this family back together. Sammy¡¯s practically forgiven her father, but there¡¯s a tougher nut to crack and his name rhymes with ¡®dew¡¯.


    ¡°Ugh, why¡¯s he here?¡± Drew groans after my squeal of excitement startled him and caused him to bump his head on the top of the car.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to the park with us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him there,¡± Drew whines like a petnt child.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The ride to the park is a quiet one with tension bubbling in the air, the only one oblivious to this is the small child next to me. I thought that Drew and his father sitting up front would ease some of the tension, but I¡¯m just praying we don¡¯t crash.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s school?¡± Damian tries to start small talk.


    ¡°Crap.¡± Well at least Drew is giving one word answers, that¡¯s got to count for something, right? When we pull into the park sighs of relief are hear throughout the car before I climb out with Lucy in hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry her.¡± The hopeful look in Damian¡¯s eyes makes me hand the baby over, but a bubble of sadness washes over my body. There¡¯s a price to bringing the Collins family back together, losing Lucy. Clearing my thoughts away, I breathe in the crisp air around us, my eyes darting around andnding on a snooty little girl giving me the stink eye. The same little girl I saw here a couple of weeks ago when I ran away from Drew. Making sure the guys don¡¯t witness my childish actions, I stick my tongue out at her and gasp in shock when she shoots me the middle finger. I resume my walking, doing a little happy dance because that little girl got caught by her mom with her finger in the air, it was a joyous moment until I fell face first in the grass.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Coughing out little spades of grass, I lift my head up from the ground and find Drew and Damian giving me odd looks. Hoisting the baby bag over his shoulder, Drew crouches down to my side with a low chuckle.


    ¡°Will there ever be a day when you don¡¯t fall?¡± I don¡¯t answer him because frankly, I don¡¯t think the world¡¯s ready for a coordinated Khloe. The cosmic bnce has to make awesome people clumsy in order to maintain the universe aligned, it¡¯s my story and I¡¯m sticking to it. Shaking off dirt and grass, we make our way over to where Damian¡¯s set a nket and is bouncing Lucy around. Although, ever since she started crawling a couple of months ago she¡¯s honed in that skill, and thinks she can crawl wherever she wants. I¡¯m so not ready for her to start walking, she¡¯ll run away.


    ¡°Try to be nice,¡± I warn Drew. He nods his head with gritted teeth and I make a note to give him a cookieter. We close thest steps and take our seats on the nket, where Lucy crawl over to me. ¡°Come here, baby,¡± I coo at the little girl. The day was a rxing one, surprisingly, but even Drew started making small talk with his dad. Okay, they were verbally fighting but it counts.


    And it all came to a horrific end when I decided to wander off and get some ice cream. No, I didn¡¯t choke on the ice cream, though it could be expected. Just as the ice cream dude was about to hand me my cone, a rough handnded on my shoulder causing me to jump and turn around. When I did, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes, at first I thought I was looking at my father¡¯s ghost.


    And then it dawned on me.


    It was Mason.


    He, who dragged me away into the parking lot and a dark SUV.


    He, who didn¡¯t let me get my ice cream before kidnapping me.

 Chapter 31 The Girl I Love

    Drew¡¯s POV:


    ¡°Drew, would you stop pacing. You¡¯re about to wear out the carpet.¡± I re at the back of ire¡¯s head for herment. Stop pacing, does she also want me to stop worrying about my missing girlfriend? Khloe, who¡¯s been gone for two fucking days while I sit around trying to figure out where the hell she¡¯s at. All of this is going through my head and she wants me to stop pacing the fucking carpet. I don¡¯t think so.


    I whirl around to tell her just that when I notice the way with which she busies herself around the school. Her hands shake as she goes about dusting the already pristine objects. Her body trembles with a shaky breath and I step closer to her while my arm subconsciously weaves around her shoulders. That seems to be what finally makes the rubber band snap, her shoulders hunch further as a sob wracks her body.


    ¡°She¡¯s my girl. I¡¯ve looked after her since she was a baby, it was my job to look after Khloe and Kohl when their parents no longer could. I failed.¡± She presses her face into my chest and I can feel the tears soak through my shirt. I say nothing as I let her eyes exert every tear they dare cry for Khloe. After moments of silence, Roger walks into the room. He gives me a grateful look before his eyes soften towards ire, with that he takes her from my arms and into his. I watch their retreating backs for a moment longer before pulling my cell phone out. My fingers fly furiously over the phone before I raise it towards my ear.


    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± I have to grit my teeth together to keep fromshing out at the pest on the other end of the line.


    Mike.


    I hate him and he knows it.


    The only reason I¡¯m even calling this punk is Khloe. He knows that too, but he should also know not to anger me unless he wants his intestines on the floor staring back at him.


    ¡°Have you heard anything on Khloe?¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯d call you if I did. Seeing as you¡¯re calling me I¡¯d suspect you¡¯d have another reason.¡±


    I hate this little piece of shit.


    ¡°I want you to give me any addresses that may link to your father.¡± If I have to send men to a hundred ces, I will with the sole intent of bringing Khloe back home. I¡¯ll fucking look crawling on my knees if I have to, but I¡¯m not gonna sit around and do nothing.


    ¡°You do realize that I¡¯ll put my own neck on the line if I do that,¡± he answers. My silence signifies how much I don¡¯t care for his neck. He¡¯s lucky I didn¡¯t snap it myself for bullying Khloe all these years. ¡°I¡¯ll fax them over to you now. I have a feeling something big¡¯s about to happen.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I nce up as the sound of footsteps approaches me. Adrian¡¯s wearing his usual scowl as he climbs down the stairs. My sister follows behind him and oh so sweetly gestures at the stick up his ass.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s too quiet around here and I think someone may be onto me. I¡¯ll head over to yours shortly.¡± I hear his phone shut off before looking towards Adrian and Sammy.


    ¡°Mike¡¯s about to fax me the addresses, we have to divide and look. I don¡¯t think we have a lot of time. Get my dad over here, I think there¡¯s some things he still needs to tell us.¡± Sammy nods before trotting back up the stairs in search of our dad. Adrian just stands there trying to burn me with his re. I don¡¯t need to ask him to know what he¡¯s about to tell me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seriously trust that punk, do you?¡± I head over in the direction of the study and begin topile a folder of some very important papers.


    ¡°He¡¯s the only one that can even remotely help us. I have to try something,¡± I bite back.


    ¡°That kid could very well send us to our own deaths.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you shouldn¡¯t go. I can do this on my own.¡± I shrug at the death re he sends my way. Just as he opens his mouth, to tell me how stupid I am no doubt, the door to the room opens. Sammy walks in with my dad on her tail. The older man¡¯s been wearing a permanent grimace since he caught wind of what happened to Khloe. The fact that she was with us at the time surely does not help.


    ¡°I know why I¡¯m here, so let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡± My dad takes a seat on the couch lining the wall. Adrian res at me before leaning on the desk in front of the couch and Sammy sits next to my dad. We all look at my dad expectantly, waiting for him to fill in the nks. Lucas and the rest of the gang walk in just as my dad was about to begin talking.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ruby pipes in flustered. We just shrug in response and look towards my dad once again.


    ¡°I told you that I owed Khloe¡¯s parents for saving our lives. If it hadn¡¯t been for them Drew wouldn¡¯t have been born. So, when they came to me afraid of what ¡®Mason¡¯ might do to their children, I felt it was my duty to help them. They were good people and very close friends of mine. Kade, despite how much of an asshole his brother was, didn¡¯t want to hurt David. That¡¯s his real name, David Mason.


    I hired him as my right hand man to keep him close, and over the years I thought he¡¯d really gotten over the whole ordeal. He couldn¡¯t possibly still hate Emily for choosing his brother, but I was wrong. I didn¡¯t realize he was the one who tampered with the ne that killed them.¡± My dad pauses as Kohl flinches at the mention of the death of his parents. Kim rubs a hand on his backfortingly and I smile at the thought of Khloe calling them out on it.


    Though I still wonder how my brother could get the girl, her voice taunts me. I¡¯m snapped out of my thoughts as my dad begins to speak again.


    ¡°When you walked in on your mom and I that day,¡± my dad looks at me. ¡°The day I used her of cheating on me and I kicked her out. We had just found out about the ne incident, we hadn¡¯t any idea. In order to protect her and our unborn child we devised the n to remove her from the house. Perhaps if Mason thought I no longer cared about the baby he wouldn¡¯t go after her.¡± Thest piece of the puzzle snaps together and I realize why mom died with the love for my father unruffled. He¡¯d never stop loving her, in fact he let her go just because he loved her.


    ¡°The day she died,¡± he continues. ¡°You guys left her alone for the smallest of moments at the house you guys were staying at. While Adrian and Sammy went to the pharmacy, Drew and Lucas went to the bank. I used that opportunity to sneak into the house and speak to Mia. It was the only way I could talk to her and see our daughter.


    She updated me on how you guys were doing me, but also told me that we had to go look for Khloe. We knew that Kade and Emily sent Kohl to military school to protect him, they would never have gotten rid of you.¡± My dad looks at Kohl sympathetically.


    ¡°They were actually going to send Khloe to boarding school as well, but they didn¡¯t have the chance. Your mom had been weak, yes, but not enough that she wouldn¡¯t have made it through. When I left her she was fine and we promised to see each other again.


    That day you guys ordered take out and made a special request for someone to bring your mom¡¯s favorite seltzer. I know you guys left the room to go into your own, and left Drew alone with his mom. I think Mia knew Mason was after her, she assured me she¡¯d always love me. The drug they used burned through her system quickly, that¡¯s why they just ruled it as natural causes. I¡¯ve been after him since I found out he killed her, he¡¯s going to pay. That¡¯s all I know.


    Besides Kohl not telling Khloe he already knew Lucas before he came back home. I take it he hasn¡¯t told Khloe he met Lucas at military school?¡± We all shake our heads. I don¡¯t know how Khloe will take that, we didn¡¯t know Kohl.


    Just Lucas.


    But try telling that to that hard-headed girl. Besides, it was Kohl¡¯s secret to tell.


    Hard-headed, if anything I¡¯m awesome, I hear her voice in my head again. All of that is soon reced by the fury I feel with the knowledge that Mason caused my mom¡¯s death. How many people has that bastard actually killed?


    I have to find Khloe.


    I¡¯ll be damned if someone else dies at his hand.


    Especially not the girl I fucking love.

 Chapter 32 The Boy I Love

    ¡°Is that all you got?¡± I stammer with a tired smile on my face. That¡¯s how I feel now, tired. At first, anger consumed my body giving me the will to fight. After the anger drains out of your body the sadness takes over, leaving you to be nothing but tired. I wish I could just close my eyes now, wondering if I really do have anything to live for. Unfortunately, every time my eyes close different shades of blue sh through them. Lucy¡¯s eyes, the various emotions that run through Drew¡¯s.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mason backhands me harshly, almost making my neck snap with the force of it. Just another bruise to add to my already painted face. Hooray. ¡°I swear if you don¡¯t shut up I¡¯ll put a bullet in everyone you love!¡±


    ¡°I guess you get to live,¡± I deadpan. His brown eyes sh dangerously, darkening until they look ck.


    I don¡¯t get it.


    He looks so much like my father, but that¡¯s where the simrities end. I don¡¯t even want to stare at his face because I feel that it will taint the image of my father. Their appearance is so uncanny.


    Two days I¡¯ve been stuck in this rat hole. Two days of being trapped in a room of some old warehouse.


    How clich¨¦.


    Two days of getting beaten on because ording to this dumbass, my brother and I are the reasons my mom refuse to leave with him. I kind of get the feeling is his morbid charisma. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong.


    A man walks into the room suddenly, making the heavy door whine. He walks over to Mason and whispers something in his ear before taking his leave without sparing me a nce. Yep, that¡¯s right buddy. Ignore the tied up bloody mess on the floor.


    I¡¯m just chilling,


    ¡°Has my idiotic son been speaking to you?¡± He stomps over to my almost limp figure, I can feel blood dripping down the side of my face from when he decided to stomp on it. His question sinks in and I realize he could really hurt Mike for helping me. I could give him up right now in payback for all his douchebaggery, but I¡¯m just not that type of person.


    ¡°Someone decided to procreate with you?¡± I respond. My humor¡¯s not well appreciated if the blow to my ribs is any indication. Ah, what the hell is one more broken rib to add to the pile-up?


    ¡°Have you been talking to Mike yes, or no?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your son? I guess being an asshole is part of gics.¡± I should really shut up to avoid being hit so much, but if I¡¯m going to die anyways, what¡¯s the point? His eyes once again darken with anger, but instead ofshing out on me he gives me a malicious grin.


    ¡°You look so much like her, yet your personality is that of my brother.¡± My eyes narrow at the mention of my parents. He doesn¡¯t have the right to speak about them. He doesn¡¯t have the right to even think about them. ¡°Shall I show you once again what happens when I¡¯m not pleased?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I blurt it out without thinking and it¡¯s one of the biggest mistakes ever. Knowing that thest thing I want to watch is the ne that held my parents crash. The sick bastard had the ne going down in ashes videotaped and I was lucky enough to watch it on my first day here. It¡¯s just another sick reminder of how cruel this world really is. What¡¯s the point on saving myst breath?


    For us, you have us, cupcake.


    Drew, stoping into my head. I don¡¯t need anything to hold on to. My eyes shut close of their own ord when I begin to hear the video y. Their faces may not be on the video, but I can just imagine the moments of panic they must¡¯ve lived before it all stopped. My mind unwillingly begins to form images in my head of what it must¡¯ve been like and I just want it to stop. I want to erase it all.


    ¡°You know she wasn¡¯t the only one to cross me.¡± My eyes blink open as the video stops and I blink curiously at him. A sick smile spreads across his face. ¡°Drew¡¯s mom, Mia, she thought she could outsmart me along with her husband. And now she¡¯s nowhere to be seen, but buried six feet under.¡± I shake my head to ward of my iing thoughts.


    ¡°No, she died naturally.¡± I mutter out loud, willing my words to be true. Drew doesn¡¯t deserve to know that truth. Sure. He may be a temperamental and possessive asshole sometimes, but I wouldn¡¯t love him if it were any different.


    Whoa, Khloe, slow your roll.


    Do you really love that temperamental asshole? The one that looks at you like you¡¯re the only girl in the world? The guy that can kill you with one kiss? The guy that shows you what the rest of the world can¡¯t see?


    Crap, I do. And it onlyplicates things because now I have to fucking fight for.


    Do you really think I¡¯m not looking for you? Drew¡¯s voice questions.


    Okay imaginary Drew, no need to get pissy with me. I just realized I¡¯m falling in love with a ticking time bomb.


    It better be me, his voice responds.


    ¡°Why are you rolling your eyes?¡± Of course my little moment had to be broken by the viin in this wicked love story.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m growing quite tired of your voice.¡± My rebuttal earns me another p in the face. He should really be proud of himself. It takes real talent to be able to beat up a girl that¡¯s tied up. Especially one that has the strength of adybug. Bravo, your strength could rival that of Hercules.


    Note the sarcasm.


    ¡°I swear your little friends are going to pay for this.¡± His snarl is that of a lion¡¯s roar in my face. Oh my god, he¡¯s Scar from The Lion King.


    Hey, you¡¯re never too old for Disney movies.


    ¡°Is that because youck them? Seriously, do you really have to pay for people to stand your presence? That¡¯s sad.¡± My eyes point to the two men in the far corner, one who seems to smirk at myment. I jump as the sound of a gun shooting, the smirking guy screams before falling to the floor, clutching his leg.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to end up like your partner, get him out of here,¡± Mason bellows. This guy really is deranged. You have to be to shoot someone just because they smirked at my wittyment. ¡°You¡¯re really testing my patience,¡± he turns to me.


    ¡°And I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t do so well in school.¡± He raises his hand and this is the moment I think I¡¯m finally going to leave this ne, but the gunshot neveres. The door opens and another two guys walk in, both of them wearing shades. For some reason, one of them looks eerily familiar to me. I shake my head, I must be having hallucinations. ¡°Untie her and take her to the cell.¡± He gives me a look of disgust before retreating from the room. The two guys walk over to me cautiously, as if I¡¯m the one that could jump at them at any time.


    Maybe I¡¯m just that ferociously fabulous.


    The buffer one of the two crouches down by my side and begins working the knots with such a gentle manner that it piques my curiosity. My fists clench of their own ord as I¡¯m able to move my hands of my own volition again. I hiss a breath when he moves to remove the rope from my ankles, I nce down and notice they¡¯re almost purple from the first day I spent suspended by the hands. Lying on the floor had just been a glorious break on my feet. Pain seems to rush to every part of my body, even the right side of my face feels numb. I must look like an abstract painting right now.


    Hoo-freaking-ray.


    The guy carefully slips an arm around my waist before lifting me up in his arms. That same familiarity I felt when I first saw himes back to me. My eyes lock onto his face, looking for any clue to indicate his true identity. One of his hands moves to the back of my head before pressing it into his hard chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up now, sweetheart. Drew¡¯sing for you.¡± My eyes widen at the sound of Derek¡¯s voice in my ear. It¡¯s a very wee change to that of Masons, evil incarnate. I try to move my mouth to say something but he quiets me by motioning to the guy walking in front of us. ¡°Ssh, don¡¯t blow my cover.¡±


    Could he be undercover, I do remember him mentioning he was a cop. He was Mr. Pine¡¯s contact to be exact. Does this mean Drew really is on his way?


    What¡¯d you expect, cupcake? An image of Drew smirkinges along with his voice this time, and I wee it with open arms. I smile before curling myself further into Derek.


    We walk into a dark room where the only lightes from light bulb hanging from the ceiling. A metal chair sits in the far corner, but that¡¯s not what captures my attention. On the other side of the room sits an identical chair, but a figure is tied up to it. Derek turns my face away from the sight before sitting me down on the chair. His partner holds up some rope and I groan at the sight of it.


    ¡°We have to, otherwise they¡¯ll know something¡¯s up,¡± the other guy points out.


    ¡°That¡¯s my partner,¡± Derek responds to my unspoken question. The other guy removes his shades to smile at me and his blue-green eyes light up a little bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mikhael.¡± I nod and watch as they tie the rope around me, softly so that it doesn¡¯t hurt the bruises I¡¯m sure I wear under my clothes. ¡°There you go. Guys, just stay put until we get backup toe,¡± he orders. When I look towards the chair again, I manage to make out Mike¡¯s bloody face in the dim lighting.


    ¡°Is he going to be okay?¡± I question looking in Derek¡¯s direction.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing a lot better than you.¡± He pats my shoulder before walking away with Mikhael. When the heavy metal door closes behind them, I understand why they call this room the ¡®Cell¡¯. It literally looks like one of those solitary rooms in prison with only the two chairs as furnishing. I faintly hear the drip of a leaky water faucet but can¡¯t ce where it¡¯sing from.


    ¡°Mike.¡± I whisper his name in his direction a couple of time before getting a groan and a growled out, ¡®what?¡¯ ¡°Are you okay?¡± I don¡¯t know why I have to ensure that he¡¯s okay, but I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of him getting hurt to help us.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You¡¯re the one that looks like she went through a human shredder.¡± I stay quiet and grimace at the picture of what I must look like. Even grimacing takes a lot of effort and causes me physical pain. I think he realizes what my silence means because he decides to speak again. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine you little pest.¡± That¡¯s as close as an endearment I¡¯ll ever get from him. I smile into the room.


    ¡°Thanks you jerk.¡± He chuckles before falling quiet again.


    ¡°Drew will find you soon. I sent him the addresses of where my dad might¡¯ve been hiding you before I was caught. Knowing that boyfriend of yours, he¡¯s going to rain hell on everybody here.¡± That statement makes me smile before I let it fade to lessen my pain.


    We fall into afortable silence, asfortable as it gets in our situation. The pain in my ribs begins to intensify causing my eyes to droop, my body seeking relief on its own. The darkness begins to overpower me and I feel my head bob as I slip into unconsciousness, hoping that there¡¯ll be a time to wake up again.


    ¡°Everybody get up!¡± I wake up to loud voice outside the door of the cell. Footsteps thunder through the halls and I wonder what¡¯s going on. I look over to Mike and he wears my same look of confusion. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta get a move on!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I whisper, not really expecting an answer.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been tipped off. The guys are on their way over here, and considering Drew¡¯s men outnumber my dad¡¯s it¡¯s the smart thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Drew¡¯s men?¡± I question.


    ¡°Well his dad¡¯s men. Most of them stayed loyal to the Collins¡¯ family when the gang broke apart. Your beau¡¯s got some serious firepower.¡± Well there goes something you don¡¯t hear every day. Relief courses through me knowing that Drew ising to the rescue.


    Did you ever really doubt that? A genuine smile softens Drew¡¯s features as his image shes through my mind.


    The door to the room ms open and Mason storms in like the hounds of hell. I see men rushing around the halls from the open doorway. I guess they¡¯re really on the move.


    ¡°So I guess your little boy toy ising for you. Too bad he¡¯ll onlye to find two corpses.¡± I cock my head at Mason, wondering if he¡¯d really kill his son for helping me out.


    He¡¯s a psychopath, Khloe, he doesn¡¯t possess the ability to love. And suddenly, I feel bad for young Mike. Born into a world he didn¡¯t ask to be thrust upon. Not feeling love from his father, never establishing that essential rtionship. I¡¯ve never heard anyone mention Mike¡¯s mom around school and he¡¯s never talked about her. As far as I know. But now, I see Mike in a different light.


    ¡°Yeah, yours and who else¡¯s?¡± I call out to divert Mason¡¯s attention back to me. Mike gives me a look that speaks volumes. By that I mean it yell¡¯s about a thousand profanities in my direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m really getting tired of you.¡± Mason walks over to me, waving the gun in his hand like a maniac.


    ¡°Maybe you should take a seat. We could be hostage buddies.¡± I smile a little too sweetly and this time, I expected the hit on the side of my face. The chaos outside begins to grow louder and my heart jumps in my chest when I hear gunshots being fired. My eyes fall shut and pray for Drew¡¯s safety. If that is him out there.


    ¡°Do you really think he¡¯s going to get to you in time?¡± Mason¡¯s eyes are nothing but malice personified. They¡¯re nothing but a dark storm waiting to consume everything in its path.


    ¡°Well, at least he came, but who would fight for you?¡± I taunt. Mike¡¯s eyes bug out with the force of the p his father gives me. I lick my stinging lip and cringe at the taste of blood. I must look like a bloody, inted marshmallow. To top it all off I¡¯m hungry, this evil bastard hasn¡¯t even fed me. Who does that? That¡¯s very rude.


    ¡°What are you gonna do to me, huh? You¡¯re going to hit me, do it already. Don¡¯t fucking drag it out!¡± Mike¡¯s voice is angry scream but I can see the concern in his eyes when they lock on mine. I shake my head, trying to convey to him that fighting for me is pointless. We just need to drag it out to give the guys enough time to get to us. I wiggle in my seat and one of my arms manages to slip out of the rope thanks to Derek and Mikhael tying me loosely. I take the opportunity as Mason faces his son to release my other arm, ready to jump at the bastard at any second.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    I¡¯m so freaking badass it¡¯s amazing.


    Cue AC/DC¡¯s Back In ck.


    ¡°You always were a useless son. I did you a favor by raising you myself and getting rid of your mother.¡± I¡¯m left speechless by the sudden revtion and once again feel that same sympathy for Mike wash over me.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± is Mike¡¯s very smart response. Themotion outside grows louder and closer just as Mason raises his gun towards Mike¡¯s temple.


    Oh hell no.


    Mike may be an asshole but if someone¡¯s going to give him hell it¡¯ll be me. I slip out of the rope and quietly get up from my chair. Mike¡¯s eyes connect with mine and hastily move back to his father, trying not to bring any attention to me.


    ¡°Yeah? Tell the same thing to your mom when you see her in hell.¡± Mason¡¯s fingers move along the gun, but just when I think he¡¯s going to pull the trigger Iunch myself at him. We both crash to the floor in a tumbling mess with me desperately trying to send the gun flying towards the other end of the room. I hiss when the bastard elbows my boob while trying to get up again. I move to elbow him in the chest as payback but identally get his nose. I wince when I hear a sickening crack causing him to howl in pain and the gun to slide a couple of feet away from us. Mike looks at me like I just made a stupid mistake, but I wouldn¡¯t be me if I thought rationally.


    Taking advantage of Mason cupping his bloody nose, I get up and grab the gun before heading over to untie Mike. I work the knots as best as I can and help him up from his seat. He motions to the gun as his dad begins to get up.


    ¡°Shoot him,¡± Mike orders. The gun shakes in my hand and I can feel the panic seep into my eyes.


    ¡°To death?¡± I squeak. I can honestly say that my cousin looks at me like he wants to wring my head off.


    ¡°Nooo, just poke him with it.¡± I give him a t look. We turn around at the same time Mason scrambles up, sneering at the both of us.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± He snarls his words while reaching into his pocket and pulling out a smaller gun. My eyes widen and without thinking, I fire my gun in the direction of his shoes causing him to curse and jump. I was so not born to be a sniper.


    Sorry to disappoint you, Leroy Jethro Gibbs.


    ¡°Give this to me.¡± Mike snatches the gun from my hand with a scowl, making me pout. For my first shot I thought I did pretty well. Forgive me for not having murderous intent.


    Without a second thought Mike raises his hand up, unwavering, before pulling the trigger. The loud bang I was waiting for neveres. Mike pulls the trigger again and again but it does not change the oue. There are no bullets in the gun. Slowly, Mike turns to me with his jaw clenching tight and I wait for it. Surely, he¡¯s about to blow up at me.


    ¡°You wasted our one shot.¡± It¡¯s the calm with which he makes this statement that makes me smile uneasily and back away a step. I¡¯m pretty sure Mike¡¯s eye is twitching as he lowers his hand. Before he has any chance to make any furtherment,ughter captures our attention.


    ¡°You truly are pathetic and weak. It was that weakness that cost your father his life. Can you believe he didn¡¯t want to have me killed?¡± Mason mocks from across the room, silver gun in hand. I give Mike an apologetic look before straightening up.


    ¡°You call him pathetic and weak, I call him honorable.¡± I push my chin forward, pride seeping from my words. Themotion outside grows even louder and for a moment, I witness panic sh through Mason¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Tell him that when you see him.¡± Mason raises the gun in his hand and faster than I can blink a loud shot echoes around the room. I expect the pain to hit me, to overtake my body but I feel nothing. I wonder if I¡¯m dying and that¡¯s why I experience nothing, but when my eyes open I notice the figure lying at my feet. Mike¡¯s brown eyes stare up at me, clutching his side withbored breath.


    I crouch down to his side and I can feel the familiar sting of tears in my eyes. I can¡¯t believe he took a bullet for me. I look up into Mason¡¯s eyes but I can clearly see he has no remorse for his actions. Just as I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be his next target, the door ms open and Drew barrels in like a dark angel. My heart jumps in my chest when his eyesnd me. Those blue eyes harden before turning their wrath on Mason. Immediately, Drew rushes over to himnding a punch square on his jaw. They fall to the ground in a mess of fists and grunts.


    Secondster the rest of the guys barrel in, including my brother. Kohl rushes over to me before focusing on Mike. I exin to him that he took a bullet for me and Kohl immediately begins to press his hand to the wound, willing it to stop bleeding. Mike bitches and whines, but at least I know he¡¯s alive. Derek and his partner walk in minutester with Ker vests clinging to their chests. Why the hell did Drew decide to go without one? They separate Drew from Mason before cuffing the bastard and dragging him out. Adrian takes the opportunity and punches Mason a couple of times before deeming him to be ready to go.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Those are the two words Drew mutters to me before pulling me into his arms and holding me close to him so delicately that I think I¡¯m shattered ss. I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s apologizing, so I just drown myself in his scent and in the guy he is.


    The boy I love.

 Chapter 33 The Gang Doesn鈥檛 Change

    ¡°Is she dead?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a valid question.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what does this button do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that dumbass, it¡¯s like you want Drew to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Will all of you shut up?!¡±


    ¡°Stop poking her, Kohl.¡±


    Voices prate my current state of mind, a state in which I¡¯m not here nor there. I just am. I try to open my eyes, but even fluttering my eyelids causes pain to throb in my temple. My hand itches to curl around something, anything, that¡¯ll let me know I¡¯m not gone, but even that seems to be an impossible task.


    I can sense the presence of multiple people in my room, figuring that I¡¯m in a hospital if the beeping in my ears is anything to go by. One presence stands out though, the one that¡¯s on my left side holding my hand. For just a moment, my mind has trouble conjuring up the names of the people who could possibly be here for me. But then, in a barrage of pictures, like a film reel, everything surfaces to mind, and I wonder if Drew is the one holding my hand.


    A sharp pain interrupts my train of thought as something presses down on my torso. I feel movement in my hands as my body tries to ward off the pain. The beeping by my head speeds up momentarily.


    ¡°I told you to stop poking her, Kohl. She has three broken ribs, you¡¯re not helping by poking them repeatedly,¡± Kim¡¯s voice scolds, followed by the sound of three consecutive ps. A chuckle follows the movement, dark and evil.


    Adrian¡¯sugh, no doubt.


    ¡°Do you think she can hear us?¡± Lucas¡¯s voice pipes up farther away from the others.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Damn it Lucas, I told you to stop pressing that button!¡± Hm, what¡¯s Mike doing here?


    ¡°If none of you shut up, the hospital is going to be experiencing a shortage of rooms.¡± That voice makes a shiver run down my skin and I feel my heart stutter in my chest. It¡¯s close, so close I can feel the vibration of it in my body. Drew.


    ¡°Ew, why is she smiling like that?¡± Adrian questions.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? She¡¯s having an ident. Somebody get a nurse and a bedpan.¡± These are the moments in which I question and dread the fact that Kohl is my brother.


    ¡°Aw, I thought it¡¯d be something more romantic, like the realization that Drew¡¯s sitting next to her, holding her hand.¡± Ruby, you¡¯re the realest. At least someone knows me well.


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡± Kohl retorts.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have a girl,¡± Adrian snorts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Kohl. You¡¯re a great catch.¡± Lucas¡¯s and Kohl¡¯s bromance seems to be in full bloom still.


    ¡°Is that a metaphor or something?¡± Adrian deadpans before chuckling maniacally. I wish I was awake to give him props on that one.


    ¡°Dude?!¡± Lucas and Kohl shout simultaneously.


    ¡°Would all of you just go home?¡± The grip on my hand tightens as Drew lets out a long sigh. I wish I could reassure him that everything is okay, but words fail me in my current state. Concentrating, I will my hand to show him some sort of response and manage to squeeze back lightly. I can feel his smile rather than see it, and a momentter I feel his breath on my neck.


    ¡°You need to wake up, cupcake. I¡¯m about to kill your brother.¡± His voice is a melody to my ears.


    ¡°Ugh, are they going to be doing this all night?¡± Mike sounds like his usually cheery self.


    ¡°Why did they even put you guys in the same room?¡± Adrian grumbles from some corner in the room.


    ¡°You think I want to be here with that klutz of a girl and her love crazed stalker?¡± I resent that, Mike.


    I¡¯m not that big of a klutz.


    I wish someone would up Mike¡¯s morphine dosage.


    To lethal.


    ¡°Who are you calling a stalker?¡± Is it me or did Drew¡¯s voice just drop into apletely dark tone? It makes him sound hotter. The room gets eerily quiet and I wish my eyes were open to drink in the expressions on everybody¡¯s face.


    ¡°You, a stalker? More like psycho, big brother.¡± Oh Sammy, you¡¯d be the only brave one to make this observation out loud. I can practically hear Drew roll his eyes skyward.


    ¡°When the hell is this shorty going to wake up so I can go home?¡± Lucas blurts out.


    ¡°Just go home then.¡± Ruby¡¯s tone kind of makes me think there¡¯s some unresolved issues with her and Lucas. I¡¯m rtively unconscious in a hospital bed and I still felt that burn. Maybe this will make Lucas think twice before he sort of pulls a gun out on her father, or sends him a stripper gram. I still can¡¯t wrap my mind on what possessed him to do such an idiotic thing.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± At least Adrian is in a state in which he¡¯s able to point this out loudly and clearly.


    Drew¡¯s hand tightens a bit on mine before his thumb begins to strokezy circles on my skin, perhaps an unconscious move butforting all the same. Thoughts of Lucy finally race to mind and my heartbeat stops momentarily before speeding up in rising panic. Where is she? Is she okay? And who is looking after my baby? The beeping in my ear speeds up with my rising panic and the frantic beating of my heart.


    ¡°Khloe, calm down.¡± I can feel Drew¡¯s breath on my face, hear the worry clearly in his voice. ¡°She¡¯s okay,¡± he finally whispers. His voice breaks a little, at my pain or at the thought of the dangers the little angel at home could face, I don¡¯t know. But, the distraught in his voice feels like he carries my pain and his. As if his heart has taken the duty to feel for me while I¡¯m unavable.


    ¡°Khloe,¡± his voice is nothing but a mangled whisper.


    There are monumental moments in life when certain things hit you like a freight train. Where things be infallible and you know nothing you do will ever change them. The moment in which I was told my parents were dead and the moment in which I realized they really were noting back. Two very different dates, but both devastating.


    The moment I realized that no matter how you cook them, brussel sprouts will never be cool, or tasty. The moment in which you bleach your favorite jeans and nothing you do will change that fact.


    Finally, the moment in which I realize I¡¯ll never meet someone like Drew in my life. The realization has my eyes fluttering open, eager tond on his. The moment his eyes connect with mine and murder my heart beat with the love shining in them. The way time stops as he brushes his lips against the hand he¡¯s holding. The way my breath escapes me as he leans his forehead against mine before his lips ghost a kiss there too. The way he looks at me with those intoxicating eyes, his expression telling me that I hold his world in my hands. The moment my heart whispers there will be no one else but Drew.


    The world will tell you to embrace yourself, to love yourself for others to love you. But sometimes, it shuns you for giving in to its pretty words. Truth is, someone out there for whatever reason will dislike the person you are. They don¡¯t tell you that being who you are will also be your greatest tragedy at some point in your life. It¡¯s the same when ites to love. They¡¯ll tell you that love has no age, and that it can break every boundary. But, at our age, they¡¯ll tell you that love is an illusion. They¡¯ll tell us we¡¯re too young, that our hearts are incapable. That we¡¯re not mature enough.


    In this moment, looking at Drew, his gaze zeroed in on mine, I knew we had a long road ahead of us. My mind suddenly goes back to the first time I saw the blue eyed bastard sitting next to me, the first time I heard his voice. We¡¯ll just skip over the fact that Ipletely freaked out that time and almost peed my pants. It¡¯s more romantic that way. Had I known that my life was going to change so drastically with the entrance of this being? I smile at my memories, and almost as if he knows what I¡¯m thinking, Drew chuckles next to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re reading each other¡¯s minds,¡± Kohl¡¯s awed whisper breaks the spell, much like everything he touches. Despite myself, I roll my eyes, even if the one that feels like it¡¯s hanging halfway out protests.


    ¡°I love you.¡± The words escape my mouth like runaway convicts, breaking the chains that held them to my heart. This would be a beautiful moment except I¡¯m Khloe Mason and the words alle out in a rush. So, instead of an invigorating promation of love, my words sound like ¡®I¡¯ll burp you¡¯. I¡¯ll never forget the moment Drew tilts his head and looks up at me in confusion, or the way his eyes widen in realization. Because in the time we¡¯ve been together he¡¯se to know me and my antics.


    Yeah, I¡¯ll never forget the moment he gathers both of my hands in his. Kissing each palm, while rubbing his thumbs on my skin before looking up at me once again. ¡°I fucking love you, Khloe.¡±


    Yeah, these moments I¡¯ll never forget.


    I wouldn¡¯t even dare forget the fake gagging noises Mike makes in the background. Or the way Adrian looks at us with a satisfied smirk on his face while moving his eyebrows suggestively towards Drew and me. Yep, this gang will never change.


    Everybody begins to talk loudly and nobody excludes Mike, well, except Adrian. A whileter, ire finally makes it with a restless Lucy in her arms, making me squeal like the happiest piglet in the pen. Why I¡¯d use that to describe myself, I wouldn¡¯t know. Roger trails in behind her and I don¡¯t mist the film of tears in the eyes of my caretakers, who looked like just hours ago were carrying an immense burden on their shoulders.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t die.¡± I think this is Adrian¡¯s way of telling me he¡¯s d I¡¯m okay. The room grows quiet before everyone nods their agreement. Except Drew, he just tightens his grip on my hand.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t die either,¡± I murmur a bit awkwardly. Did Adrian really have to bring that up? I guess this is just his way of bringing us all back to reality in which death is a very possible factor. Drew res at his friend before hauling himself up and taking a seat on the bed, next to me. At the small squeal from the little girl in my hands, our attention snaps towards her. In the time of caring for the child I¡¯vee to realize that she loves the attention, and we love giving it to her. She holds her hands out for Drew, who takes her without hesitation and plops her on his knee.


    The sight of them together causes a warm feeling to spread from my chest down to my toes. At first I think I have fire in my veins, but then deduct that it¡¯s probably love or something of the sort. Feelings, what can you do about them?


    We stay in the room together for a long whileter, reveling in the fact that we¡¯re all alive and we defeated the bad guy. Like a victorious Justice League meeting.


    If those exist.


    Well, that is until Derek and his cop friend, Mikhael, barge into the room with grimaces on their faces. Everybody in the room stiffens before straightening up, including me. Which is a feat considering I¡¯ve got bruised ribs and am a second from knocking out due to the medicine making its way through my body. The hiss of pain that runs away from my parted lips does not go unnoticed by Drew, the ever attentive gentleman.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kohl is the one to break the silence. Drew leans closer to me and I wave him away in response to the unasked question. Derek heaves a sigh before running a hand through his brown hair.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got bad news.¡± His partner nods in agreement.


    ¡°No shit,¡± Adrian speaks up with a snort.


    Suffice to say, he¡¯s quite the impatient fellow.


    ¡°What Derek is trying to say,¡± Mikhael speaks up. ¡°Is that we¡¯ve run into some trouble. You¡¯re uncle managed to persuade the cop transferring him to a facility to help him escape.¡± He directs thatst bit at me and I flinch at the reminder that I share DNA with that jerk.


    Everything is quiet for a moment¡­


    Wait for it¡­


    ¡°What the fuck are you guys good for if you fuck up the one thing you¡¯re supposed to do?¡± Adrian rams his fist into the wall behind him and I cringe.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying not to respond like my boyfriend, but I hope you do mean to tell us that you¡¯ve already taken matters into your hands. They are being searched for?¡± Sammy clenches her fists on herp from her seat, she sounds calm but there¡¯s a deadly glint in her eyes.


    Sammy and Adrian, more like Bonnie and Clyde.


    Without the being shot down to their deaths in the end thing, of course.


    ¡°A couple of guys managed to trail them to a private air strip but couldn¡¯t get to them before take-off. They could be anywhere now, but we have alerted local governments along with sending their profiles to them.¡± Derek looks defeated and I smile in his direction to deflect some of the guilt I can see he¡¯s carrying. It¡¯s not his fault, he¡¯s not the one who decided to be corrupt.


    My head snaps up to Drew, who¡¯s been eerily calm as all of this ensued. Not his usual reaction. He firmly, but gently, strengthens his grip on Lucy before looking towards me. I nod and open my arms for the baby, who¡¯s innocently unknowing in all of this. After cing the baby in my hands he stands up to his full imposing form, ring at the cops in front of him.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± His voice is thunderous, murderous really. It holds all of the disdain he clearly feels for this situation. The anger and menace in his voice towards the person who clearly harmed his family causes even me to cower. Without giving it a second thought, my hand instinctively reaches out until my fingers graze his. As natural as his lungs fighting for oxygen, his hand envelops mine, taking and giving the strength we both need.


    ¡°We can only wait now.¡± Mikhael¡¯s voice conveys a hope the rest of us clearly don¡¯t feel, but must grasp onto to survive. Clearly displeased with the situation, I watch as Drew¡¯s back leaves the scene. I don¡¯t take it personally because I now know this is how he deals with situations he can¡¯t control. Reminds me of an annoying brother who uses humor as a resort for anything going haywire. The silence left in the room after the cops make their retreat is very much palpable and douses the small sense of calm everyone had found. Soon, everyone makes their quiet retreats, choosing to deal with these news in their own way.


    irees a whileter and after fretting over me for a bit she decided to take the baby and look after her. Roger doesn¡¯t fail toe to aid, his silent and distant attitude doesn¡¯t keep him from leaning down to ce a fatherly kiss on my forehead. His whispered words of sorrow bringing tears to my eyes. Kohl and I may have lost our parents to a cruel twist of fate, but we had hell of recements.


    The days go by slowly with the hope of receiving some good news, but eventually everyone has to fall into their own lives. Time is a constant that spares no one after all. Drew rarely leaves my side, much to Mike¡¯s chagrin. His hold on me both, emotionally and physically, only strengthens with time. Bruises color my skin and show signs of fading with the days that go by, and here I was beginning to like looking like a sttered canvas.


    A weekter, Mike and I are released from the hospital. I make the decision to take Mike to my home, after all he has no one left and we are cousins. He¡¯s weed in warmly by ire, and the others make no objection. That is until Adrian fakes a smile and goes to pat him in the back in wee. Had I been able to predict that Adrian would jab his thumb into Mike¡¯s wound, I¡¯d have stopped him. Mike, never one to back down, merely clenches his teeth and withholds a hiss of pain. I re at Adrian as ire leads my cousin to his new room.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Handsnd on my shoulders from behind and by the way my blood rushes, I know it¡¯s Drew.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you bring him here?¡± Adrian retorts, returning my re in earnest.


    ¡°He has nowhere else to go,¡± I point out.


    ¡°That¡¯s what bridges are for.¡± And those are thest words from the heartless bastard before he stomps away. I¡¯m almost tempted to narrate in a deep voice.. fe, fi, fo, fum. I refrain from doing so, though I can¡¯t stop the smile that slowly edges out.


    Just to taunt him I call out, ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For him to live under,¡± he grumbles without looking back, but not missing the opportunity to send me the bird.


    ¡°You know they¡¯re going to be at each other¡¯s throats, right?¡± Drew¡¯s voice is cautionary as well as amused.


    I respond with a verydy like snort.


    It¡¯ll be like rooming with Malfoy and Weasley.


    I can¡¯t wait.


    ¡°Why does it look like you¡¯re thinking about Harry Potter again?¡± I shrug before walking away.


    Drew doesn¡¯t need to know my thoughts, he¡¯s too jealous. And, I don¡¯t have the heart to tell him he¡¯s nowhere near the boy who lived.


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