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“Please, tell me what’s wrong?” I call out, and the blinds open to reveal a broken Cal. He shakes his head and opens the door. I pull him into a tight hug, but his body is so stiff. Stepping back, I gasp at the pure pain in his gaze.
“You need to leave, rabbit. You can’t be here. Go home, Patience, and do me a favor.” He takes a shaky breath in and closes his eyes. When he opens them again, I know something has happened. He’s looking at me as if he hates me. “Don’t ever speak to me or Nate again. It’s all your fault,” he says quietly, before shoving me down onto the wooden porch and shutting his door. I yell as I fall onto the wood. A lock clicks and I stare up at the night sky that now seems starless, letting the tears fall from my eyes. Why would he push me? I don’t know what is going on. Why are they being so cruel? Don’t they know they are my everything? My best friends!
I stand back up and rub my hip. It hurts from the fall. I knock on the door again.
“Please. Nate. What’s going on? What did I do?” I cry, but no one answers. The back door light comes on at my house, and I know I’m busted. I glance in that direction, but I don’t move. I’m hoping this is just some prank or a nasty dream.
“Patience, baby, where are you?” Alla calls.
I knock one more time and shout, “I don’t know what I did, but I love you guys. You’re my best friends. Please don’t push me away.” I wait, but they never come back to the door. Alla calls out to me again, and I rush home into her waiting arms, letting her hold me as I sob.
I don't know how things could change in such a short time, but I do know that my heart is breaking right now.
* * *
“Money laundering, fire, death.”These words keep repeating in my head, but I try to tune them out. The twins' eyes, full of sadness and hatred, keep flashing in my mind. I can’t believe this is happening right now.
I watch as they lower his casket into the cold ground. People all around me tell me they are sorry, and they don’t believe the rumors, but I’m a zombie. It’s been three days since I talked to him. Since he tucked me in and gave me my last bedtime story. Three days since I last saw my best friends. Their father sent them away. He said he couldn’t risk another James hurting his family. As if I would ever do that. I love them. They are more than just “the twins” to me. They are my family.
My mother is a shell, and she has been locked away in the guest room. She said being in their bedroom was too hard. I guess I can understand that. Just being in this house full of memories is so hard.
I’m frozen in a sea of misery, and the waves keep pulling me down deeper. I don’t know if I will ever be happy again. Not only did I just lose my rock, my knight, but I also lost my soul.
Chapter One
FIVE YEARS LATER
“Girl, I don’t know what’s going on between you and Brad, but, babes. The damn chemistry between the two of you could start a fire,” Hana says, fanning her face, and making me laugh. I glance over my shoulder at the sexy football god that can’t seem to take his eyes off me, and toss him a wink. His nostrils flare and I smile, licking my lips, tempting him. Ugh, these boys are so easy. A giggle here, a bat of my eyelashes there. It’s all the same.
For once, I want a challenge, someone to make me feel something other than comfortable. Someone like Kian, but that I can actually be with in public.
“He’s fun,” I reply, then move over to my locker. I have twenty minutes before my next class. Maybe I could tempt someone to join me for a little R&R.
“Incoming,” she hisses, and I roll my eyes. I should have known my daily torture session was about to begin. He’s becoming predictable. At least in the beginning he acted like being cruel to me pained him. Now, I think it’s just fun for him. I’m learning just to deal with it though. Eventually, he will tire of the bullying and grow up. I hope.
I still don’t understand how we could go from being best friends, to never speaking again, to him becoming my personal tormentor. I get it; our families hate each other now, but what does that have to do with us? We were just kids. He can’t seriously blame me for what my father did.
“Well, what do we have here?” Cal questions, leaning up against the locker next to me. He reaches out to tug on my ponytail, and I spin, giving him my full attention. I swear, for a moment, I see guilt in his eyes, but it’s quickly washed away, and he’s back to being a dick.
I pout and tap my freshly manicured nails against my bottom lip, pretending to think of something. I know he wants me. Deep down, below all the lies and bullying, he craves me. I gasp and give him my best smirk.
“Oh, I know. A snake that’s slithered out of his hole,” I coo, and he laughs as if I just said the funniest thing, then leans in so he can whisper more threats into my ear. At first, they would scare me. I mean, how could my best friend all of a sudden want me dead and buried beside my father? But, now I just ignore him, for the most part. I guess somewhere in my soul I’m still hoping, praying, and wishing that he will come back to me.
Don’t get me wrong, he will have a lot of groveling to do, and I will enjoy having him on his knees for me, but I do miss my friend. Before everything went down, our parents would joke about us getting married. Me and one of the twins. Not that I could have ever chosen between them.
“Keep it up, little rabbit, and see how far I can make you fall. Don’t forget, Patience, I know the realyou,” he sneers. I try to hide the tremble from his words, and give him a tiny smile as he stands up.
“I’d love to see you try, Cal. You haven’t known me in five years. You may see me every day, but I’m not that sad little twelve-year-old girl anymore,” I coo, before placing a kiss on his cheek and walking away. I strut past Brad and trail my nails along his chest. A purr leaves his lips, and I grab his hand, pulling him with me into an empty classroom.
“You have five minutes to get me off before bio, or I will go find someone else for the job,” I tell him as he pushes me up against the whiteboard.
“Challenge accepted, babe,” he growls before going for my lips, but I turn at the last second, giving him my neck. I don’t kiss fuckboys. Only Ki, and… well, the only other person who has ever touched these lips was one of the twins. I never did find out which one it was, but it was the best kiss of my life. I just wish things didn’t turn to shit right after.
“Patience, wait up,” Nate calls after me as I race for the waterfall. It’s hot today and Alla told me we could go swimming as long as Kian came too. He’s the oldest out of all of us, and she thinks he will babysit. Ha, if only she knew he gets into as much trouble as us.
I slow my stride and wait for the boys to catch up. We can’t go in the water until Ki arrives, so I plop down on a rock and lean back, closing my eyes, and sun my face.
Cal comes up beside me and pokes my nose.
