Hailey
The new house was nothing short of a palace, at least in my own words. My room, in particular, was a blend of dreamy and nightmarish. It was beautiful, but the proximity to my stepbrother’s room turned it into a constant battleground of restraint. I had to tiptoe through my routine, suppressing…. the things I enjoyed even daring to imagine his face. Yet, despite these challenges, I managed to maintain my shit. That is, until this moment when my mother decided to throw yet another curveball at me.
“What?” I shrieked, the coffee mug paused midway to my lips as I gaped at my mother in utter disbelief. Was she absolutely fucking serious right now?
No! This couldn’t be happening.
There’s no way!
“Why do you sound so shocked, sweetheart? Isn’t it better this way? You won’t encounter any difficulties in your new college because you’re Damien’s sister,” Mom said, flashing me a smile.
Fucking hell!
She must have totally lost her mind.
I observed a slight smirk dancing on Damien’s lips as he sat opposite me, casually sipping his coffee. His morning-tousled hair delicately framed his face, lending him a fucking effortless charm that irked me. Even in a simple t-shirt and trousers, he managed to look drop-dead gorgeous. I envied him-a lot.
If I’d skipped washing my face in the morning, I’d probably look like a fucking rat.
“But Mom, why… Why do I have to enroll in a college that’s partially owned by my… my stepbrother?” I questioned, my words stumbling out. “This isn’t right.”
“Why do you think that’s a problem, Hailey?” Coby chuckled, folding the newspaper and placing it on the table. “It’s a great idea. It’ll make things easier for you, and you won’t even have to worry about detentions.”
“That’s not happening. If she misbehaves, she’ll face consequences,” Damien finally interjected. “I won’t be favoring her under any circumstances.”
This handsome piece of shit…..
“Then it’s settled. I won’t enroll in the college he owns. I’ll find another option,” I asserted. “Besides, I don’t want people thinking I’m a spoiled brat.”
“Well, you are a bit spoiled,” Damien casually remarked, taking another sip of his coffee while swiping through his phone.
“Don’t pass judgment on me,” I retorted through gritted teeth, summoning my courage.
His smirk widened. “And what if I do? What’s your move?”
Before I could respond, Coby intervened. “Alright, enough of this banter for today, you two. Damien, she’s new here and clearly on edge. Give her a break, at least for now.” He cleared his throat.
“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s that,” he shrugged casually, rising from his seat. His loosely hanging trousers offered a glimpse of his V-line, and as my gaze inadvertently landed there, I swiftly averted my eyes. “I was merely speaking the truth. However, if she doesn’t want to attend my college, that’s fine. She’s her own person, isn’t she? Twenty, right?” He cast a meaningful glance in my direction.
Was he goading me?
Damn right, he was.
“No, she’ll enroll in the college, Damien. Don’t pay attention to her,” my mom intervened, unfortunately taking his side. “She’s just nervous.”
“But, Mom-”
“No more discussion, Hailey. You’re going to Elite Academy, and that’s final.”
That was the moment I realized yet another decision in my life was about to get fucked up because of my mother.
“Fine, it looks like I don’t get a say in this anymore,” I snapped at my mom, rising abruptly from my seat and shooting her a glare before storming upstairs, aware of Damien’s gaze following my every step.
“That was rather harsh, Madison,” Coby’s hushed voice reached my ears as I moved out of their line of sight.
***
“Are you seriously freaking out for this reason right now?” Isla snorted, her disbelief evident in her expression. “Come on, it’s not that big of a deal. Why give it so much thought? Going to a college where you have some influence, especially since your stepbrother is one of the founding members, sounds like a plus. You won’t even have to deal with bullies. What’s the issue?”
“I…” I stammered, trying to compose myself, “You don’t fucking get it, Isla. It’s not as simple as it seems. This is a whole new city, and besides that, Mom’s going to be away with Coby on a two-week honeymoon. I’ll be stuck here alone, dealing with that Devil. Adding to that, if I have to put up with him even at college, it’ll be unbearable.”
I couldn’t fucking her that I have already fingered myself once thinking about him. It’d be an absolute disaster if I happened to anywhere close to him!
Isla remained silent for a moment, studying me intently before speaking again.
“Are you attracted to him, Hailey?” There was a faint smirk playing on her lips.
“W-what?” I was taken aback by her question, my eyes widening in surprise. “No! Absolutely not.”
She didn’t need to know…
“So that’s the case…” She hummed, propping her chin on her hand and leaning in closer. “You’re trying to keep your distance because you’re nervous around him. I know how badly you handle nerves, which is why you’re freaking out like this, right?”
There was no way I was going to agree on that. She’d bother me for the rest of my life!
“Isla, you’re twisting things here!”
“No, I’m piecing it together, and that’s what’s got you worked up,” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows. “You’ve got a thing for him already, don’t you? Especially after what he said at the wedding. He makes you nervous, he gets under your skin… makes you feel… things, that itch…” Her tone turned exaggerated, as though narrating a dramatic movie scene. “You feel wet around him, you want to-”
“Isla, seriously, enough! It’s disgusting!” I cut her off, feeling my face burn with a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
“Really?” Isla chuckled, taking a bite of the apple in her hand. “I highly doubt you find it disgusting.”
Well, I didn’t, at all, find it disgusting.
“Fuck you, Isla. You’re not making this any easier!” I groaned, tempted to end the call, but she persisted.
“Wait, wait! Relax. I was just joking!”
“No, you were clearly not!”
“Well, that’s true,” She scratched her head. “And come on, who am I kidding? You know what I said strikes a chord. I know you too well not to notice when you are having a thing for someone. Remember Ricky? It was the same story, but sadly, he moved away from the city.”
“Let’s not bring up Ricky. That’s ancient history! And if you can’t assist me with my problems, at least spare me the wild theories-I don’t need those thoughts in my head.”
“Well, they are already there,” Isla mumbled softly.
“What the fuck did you just say?” I hissed, frustration bubbling within me. “Forget it. I’m ending this call.”
“Okay, okay! Fine! I won’t say anything. Just calm down, will you?” She groaned, sounding irritated, though I should’ve been the one agitated-actually, I was, way beyond agitated.
“If you’ve got any helpful suggestions, then help me out. Otherwise, I’m not interested in your nonsense right now. I’m already pissed, Isla. Don’t make it worse,” I sighed, running my hand through my hair in exasperation.
“Look, your mom is about to disappear on her honeymoon with Coby, and they won’t care about anything except fucking each other for a while. So, you’re stuck with limited options. Why not just follow your mom’s advice for now, get enrolled, and when she returns, if you still feel like you can’t handle Damien and it’s too much, talk to her about it. Madison usually listens to you, doesn’t she?”
I doubted mom would listen to me.
“I have a feeling she won’t budge. She dragged me here against my will,” I grumbled.
“That’s because she can’t live without you, dummy. Drop the attitude and toughen up. Don’t let him see you’re nervous, or else the devil might start getting ideas.”
“The devil?”
“You dubbed him the devil yourself, remember?” She chuckled. “Anyway, gotta run now. Loads of homework! Bye!”
“Wait, do you think this plan will work? I can’t just pretend he doesn’t exist, especially when we’ll be sharing the same roof.”
“Then don’t ignore him. Act natural, like any regular person would. Why let him catch on to the fact that you’re rattled when you see him? It’s unnecessary, right?”
“Alright, I’ll try and update you on how it goes,” I sighed. “Goodbye!”
“Bye, take care!” she said before ending the call, leaving me sprawled on the bed, staring at the blank ceiling of the room.
How does one act normal when their heart feels like it’s about to fucking explode at the mere sight of someone?
I didn’t have an answer. Worse still, there was no one to turn to for an answer, especially not Isla-because I would not ask her and risk myself tons of taboo sex ideas which were already… roaming inside of my head.