"No, you won't," she smiles. "You'll feel too guilty. Just now, Dex... The first chance I get..." She imitates slitting her neck, smiling wildly. "She's fucking gone."
I advance against her then, making her back up into a corner without ever laying a finger on her. I tower above her petite body, my veins pulsing with the need to hurt her.
"You'll never get out of here," I tell her. "It's time you paid for what you've done. And no matter what... you lose, Lily Anna."
She screams, throwing herself at me and clawing me with her long fingernails. I grab her arms and hold them behind her back while she struggles wildly. I don't give her the control she wants. Instead, I just push her back on the mattress, and she falls back, looking at me with pure hatred.
"You're alone now," I tell her. "There's no one left for you, Lily Anna. You drove us all away."
I walk away from her, my heart pounding with revelations, when she calls out one last time - a desperate plea, one last attempt at winning me over.
"I still love you, Dex!" She sounds desperate. Ugly. I look over my shoulder at her tear-streaked face. "I did it for us, Dex... I wanted us together, forever, the way it was supposed to be. Remember?"
"No," I spit out, slamming the door behind me. I lock it three times before leaning against the wood and slowly sliding to the floor with my hands in my hair.
Her confession shouldn't have come as a shock. She's unpredictable, always has been. But this... this makes her a true monster.
She lied to me for years. She took my family away from me. I should kill her. Before I leave Eden Falls, I should fucking shoot Lily Anna right between the eyes and toss her down the cliff she should've jumped off of years ago.
Or better yet, I should give her back to Emilian Oakes.
A smile lights up my face as I think of the possibilities. The guy may not be a murderer, but he's still a piece of shit. He'd destroy her - exactly what she fucking deserves.
When I pick myself up from the floor again, my mind is made up. I'm done taking care of her, done with the burden that is Lily Anna. She's on her own now, and I don't give a fuck what happens to her.
I close my eyes and remember the sweet moments. Her laugh, her innocence, her flushed cheeks. All lies. Little fucking liar. She's done now. She'll never hurt me again.
My thoughts fill with Pandora then, and my heart swells with emotion. Pride, yearning, need, want, desire. My cock hardens, my heart hurts. Butterflies swarm in my stomach.
I need to tell her the truth.
I need to tell Pandora Oakes I love her before it's too late...
18
Pandora
I'm saying goodbye to Eden Falls today.
Nobody knows but Lai, and I've sworn him to secrecy. I can't risk this going back to Dex - I'm certain he'd try to stop me before I so much as made it to the train station in town. There's one last thing I need to do before I leave Eden Falls.
I need to end this town's sick hierarchy that made me feel on top of the world and worthless at the same time.
At Lai's house, I've been given the luxuries I've become accustomed to - a gorgeous guest bedroom with an adjoined bathroom, access to the rest of the stunning villa and the promise that I'd meet Lai's stepbrother, Dion, that night at dinner.
Lai has opted to give me privacy, and I'm immensely grateful for it. I can't bring myself to deal with my own feelings just yet. I can't even think about Dexter without feeling sick down to my stomach. And Lai doesn't ask questions. He keeps a respectful distance, giving me room to breathe.
I get ready on my own in the guest bedroom that night. I put on a pretty dress and half-heartedly do my makeup to make sure I look presentable. My mind circles around them - Dex. Father. Minnie. My siblings. I wonder if I'll miss them when I leave. I wonder whether I still want Dex to come with me.
It's only been a few hours but I already miss him, and I hate myself for being so weak for the boy who hates me. I tell myself I'll give him another chance. Just one more. If he doesn't prove how he feels about me this time around, it's officially over.
Setting my hairbrush down with determination, I scrutinize my appearance in the mirror.
I look good. Good enough to make Dexter jealous when he finds out who I'm staying with.
With a self-satisfied smirk, I walk down the stairs to the dining hall where dinner will be served.
Lai isn't there yet, but I notice another shadowy figure standing by the curtains, staring out into the gardens with his back to me.
"Hi," I speak up. "I'm Pandora Oakes. You must be..."
He turns around sharply. Just like the rest of this town's inhabitants, he's ridiculously handsome. He towers above me. He's not muscular, but instead lean and dangerous-looking, with a chiseled face you could cut your lips on.
"Dion," he speaks up. "Dion Grayberry, Lai's stepbrother."
He extends a hand and I shake it. He holds my palm so hard I struggle not to wince.
"So you're the new Oakes girl," he mutters. "Better than the last one, by the looks of it."
I smile, secretly pleased with his Lily Anna aversion. "What was wrong with the last one?"
"Spoiled little bitch." He waves his hand dismissively while I drink in his features some more. He really is painfully good looking. "Didn't care for her one bit."
"Good," I reply resolutely. "I can't say I do either."
He smirks and motions for me to sit down. I feel nervous without Lai there but I do as I'm told, sitting to his left. He watches me closely as the maids fill our glasses with drinks.
"You look nothing like her."
"Good," I repeat. "I don't want to."
"But you do kind of have the same attitude."
"Excuse me?"
"See?" He laughs. "Right there. A little brat, just like that intolerable girl."
"I'm not a brat." I lean back in my chair, glaring at the guy.
"You definitely are. You know... my brother talks."
I flush, looking away just as Lai saunters into the room. The brothers greet each other with a slap on the back and Lai sits down in front of me.
"So, you met the girl," Lai says. "She stole everyone's heart."
"And their mind too, it seems," Dion replies with a pointed look at his brother before returning his attention to me. "Lai here can't shut up about you, Pandora. Now I can understand why."
We're served our first dish and I'm grateful for the distraction. Curiosity gets the best of me though, and as soon as the maids are out of earshot, I start to speak up.
"So... I don't know anything about Lai's family."
"You're not the only one," Lai mutters bitterly. "I'm supposed to find out when I turn twenty-one. When I get my trust fund."
"But you're related to Araminta?"
He nods. "Somehow, at least."
"And Dion as well?"
"Yes," the older brother replies, shooting me a pointed look. "And I think that's enough questions for tonight."
I stare him down, feeling the weight of his gaze. He doesn't back down, and finally, I'm the one to look away. I feel his triumph emanating from the left where he's sitting.