"Go work on your damage with a professional, Cass," I told him in a cool voice. "I've got enough shit to deal with." I looked away from him, turning my attention to the road ahead as I turned the engine back on.
There was no mistaking the dismissal, and a second later Cass popped his door open and climbed out without another word.
I peeled away from the curb before his door had even fully closed, feeling the unfamiliar and unwelcome burn of unshed tears at the backs of my eyeballs.
Fuck that, though. No freaking way was I wasting tears on a lying man when I hadn't cried in over ten years.
So, I did what I always did. I compartmentalized. Took those painful, barbed feelings of hurt and disappointment and rejection, then stuffed them into a little mental box, locked it, and threw away the fucking key.
Cass could kiss my goddamn ass; I wasn't wasting another second on him.
20
By the time I got home, I was calm. Detached and drained, but calm. Seph's car was in the parking lot, and I let out a small sigh of relief. My little sister was such a bubbly little ray of sunshine she could make me smile no matter how sour my mood. I called in an order for her favorite Chinese food from the restaurant around the corner, even though it was still early. My lunch with Zed had been late, but the argument with Cass had left me hollow inside, so I could use the MSG in my stomach
I could only hope she wasn't going to be gushing all over Lucas again, like she had been all damn week. As if it wasn't hard enough deleting his messages and declining his calls. To be safe, though, I'd changed his contact in my phone to something more anonymous.
As the elevator carried me up to our floor, I tugged my hair tie out and fluffed my hair, feeling the relief from tension on my scalp.
When the doors opened to my hallway, I kicked my heels off and picked them up to walk barefoot down to my door. The biometric scanner read my fingerprint and gave a soft bleep as it unlocked for me, and I yawned as I entered the apartment.
"Seph!" I called out as I closed the door and tossed my shoes on the carpet near the hall table. "I'm home! I ordered Chinese. Is it too early for dinner?"
I glanced around, not seeing her, but figured she was probably in her room. So I went to the kitchen to pour a glass of wine.
"Hey!" My sister appeared from around the corner, where our second living area was located. The area had a massive, ninety-inch flat screen and a huge suede couch that was way too easy to fall asleep on. "Dare, you're not usually home this early on a Friday. Shouldn't you be at the clubs?"
She was acting weird. Her eyes were too wide and her cheeks flushed.
I squinted at her suspiciously. "I wasn't in the mood," I replied. "Why are you..." I gasped. "Do you have a boy here?"
Seph's brows shot up, her lips parting but no sound exiting her mouth.
"Oh my god, Seph!" I shouted, automatically pulling my gun out. "You brought a boy home? Here? What the hell were you thinking?"
Panic flashed over her face, but it was gone in an instant and her chin tilted up in a familiar, stubborn set.
"I was thinking that this is my home and I'm allowed to invite my friends over just like any other teenage girl. You always go on about me having a normal life? Well normal girls can invite people home and not have their sister pull a fucking gun on them!" Her pretty face was all hard edges, and she balled her fists at her sides, refusing to back down. Fucker. She got that from me.
I ground my teeth together, desperately seeking the patience to actually have a discussion with my sister and not just throw my scary-ass weight around. That—I knew from experience—got me nowhere.
"Seph, you don't fucking get it," I growled. "You have no idea how dangerous—"
"Oh my god, Dare," she cut me off, giving a bitter laugh. "Don't even start on that shit. We're constantly in danger. We have been every damn day since you killed Dad. At some point, you have to just let me live my own life and not helicopter parent the fuck outta me."
I reeled back, stunned at the resentment in her voice. But she had no clue what had really sparked the war between me and our father. She had no idea how close she’d been to being sold as a thirteen-year-old sex slave to a Saudi billionaire.
So instead of arguing with her, I shoved her aside and went to find whatever braindead, suicidal fuck boy had accepted her invitation to come home with her. Because there was no way in hell her cheeks were all flushed like that from an innocent study session with a girlfriend.
"Dare! Stop!" Seph shrieked, grabbing onto my arm to try and pull me back. "You're acting totally insane! Just leave me the fuck alone and stop trying to ruin my life!"
I had nothing to say to that, so I just rolled my eyes and shook her off. I didn't give two shits if she thought I was ruining her life, because I knew better. I knew what the alternative would have been if I hadn't intervened, and I wouldn't wish that fate on my worst enemy, let alone the one person I loved more than anything in the world.
Seph continued yelling at me about how I was the worst sister in the whole world as I marched through to the living room and confronted her "study buddy" on the couch. But I pulled up short when I saw actual schoolbooks and art supplies scattered all over the floor... then laid eyes on the boy she'd brought home.
Fucking hell.
"Lucas," I gritted out from behind clenched teeth. "Fancy seeing you here."
He met my glare unflinchingly, the corners of his lush lips kicking up. "Oh hey, Dare, right? You have a lovely home here."
That little shit. I tucked my gun away because I really wasn't planning on shooting Lucas anytime soon, and there was no way he could be scared off like the other spineless bastards in Seph's school.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I snapped, not caring how rude I sounded. Seph was the only one who was going to freak out over my apparent lack of manners; Lucas already knew he was in huge trouble.
My sister intercepted, though, stepping in front of me and glaring up at me with her face flaming red. "He's my project partner for art class," she snarled. "I told you that the other day. Now seriously, screw off and let us finish this assignment in peace." Her eyes said everything else, like how she was so mad at me she was thinking about cutting my hair off in my sleep or some messed-up prank shit like that.
I looked past her, though, cocking a brow at Lucas like I could silently demand to know what he thought he was going to achieve here. But he didn't look even slightly fazed by how angry I was.
Dude had balls for days.
So, I rapidly changed tack. I shrugged, then smiled at my sister. "Sure thing. Wouldn't want to interfere with your grades."
Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly, and I knew I'd thrown him off. About fucking time.
Seph squinted at me with suspicion, but I just started on my way back to the kitchen before snapping my fingers like I'd just remembered something. "Oh, don't forget Demi is expecting you for dinner. So, you know, maybe wrap this up quickly." I indicated to their school supplies, then shot Seph a smile. "Have fun!"
She glared harder, mouthing fuck you at me, but I maintained my smile and left the living area in search of my wine. I needed it more now than ever, that was for damn sure.