I do say so. I don’t care if everyone is out to get me, hell would have to freeze over before I trust any of them again. With the clarity of time, I have no doubt that during that day at their mum’s house they wouldn’t have hurt me, but they used my fear against me. For that they can rot in hell.
Chapter Seven
Amelie
It’s late when I get back to Knox Academy, having had to call the incubator to ask for a car. There’s no way I was getting a lift back with the guys, and Baxter was long gone. I thought I could ask Taco, but when he saw me with the Knox brothers, he made a hasty retreat. Great, something else to be pissed about: those fuckers are cock blocking me now too.
Maybe I didn’t think this plan through so well. I should really speak to Monty about being able to use the god-awful car they bought for me. Anything has to be better than the limo she keeps sending.
Once on campus I sneak up to my room, aware that it’s well after curfew and not sure where I stand with how much trouble I’m in for my exposé and running away stunt.
When I get to my room the door is unlocked, and the space completely stripped. Okay, the furniture is still in there, but all of my possessions are gone and the bed is unmade. I pull out my phone and rattle off a quick text to the first person I think of.
Amelie
Where the hell’s my stuff?
Kalen
I’d love to tell you, but apparently you don’t need my help.
I throw my phone down, seething. All I’ve got with me is my backpack from the flight and the clothes I’m in. I’m too tired to shower, so I simply crawl onto the mattress and fall asleep as I am.
I’m woken up what feels like minutes later by my phone ringing, only when I glance at the time, it’s actually late afternoon then next day. Jet lag is a bitch.
“Hello?” My voice is raw and scratchy. I sound awful.
“Amelie, it’s Monty. I need you to come to the house, we have things to sort out. The car will be there in an hour.” He hangs up before I can answer. Okay, I guess Daddy dearest isn’t too pleased with me either.
I climb off the bed and stumble into my bathroom. Holy fuck! Someone installed a bathtub. I wish I had time to take advantage of that right now, but I don’t, so it’ll have to be a shower for now. I sigh and grab my small travel toiletries bag from my backpack so that I can shower and freshen up, but there’s no towel.
When I’m done, I dry off with a spare T-shirt, wringing my hair out as best I can, and change into the only clean clothes I have left; leggings, a tank top and one of Aadi’s hoodies. The incubator will hate it, but what else can I do?
My phone beeps to tell me the car’s here, and I head downstairs to greet it. It’s not the ostentatious black limo that I’m expecting. Instead, Sawyer sits behind the seat of his beat up old classic, though it’s looking a lot less shabby than the last timeI saw it. I know I’m pissed at him, but I can’t help but grin at the ride. I can’t wait to try it.
I jump in the passenger seat and Sawyer starts driving. He doesn’t try and talk to me like he did on the flight. Truth be told, I don’t know what to say to him. Yes, I’m angry, but maybe my anger with him is misplaced. He wasn’t in the room with his brothers that night, and I feel guilty now that I know he lost his job because of me.
The radio plays lightly in the background as we drive, but the silence between us finally gets the better of me.
“How much shit am I in?” I ask. He doesn’t turn to look at me but he holds his fingers up with a small gap between them to indicate a little bit. “Ugh, why couldn’t you have left me in Australia? I’m not ready to face that bitch yet.”
“She’s the least of your worries.”
“You think? You clearly have no idea how much hatred I have for that woman, being forced to see her is punishment enough for my crimes.”
“Why did you do it?” he asks, changing the subject.
“You need to be more specific, I did a lot of things.”
“To me Amelie. Was I that bad to you?”
I look out of the window, not making eye contact. Was he that bad? He ran hot and cold. Picked me up and used me when it suited him, then dumped me once he had what he wanted and moved on. I get that it was taboo, but when he rubbed his dates with that bitch Jessica in my face, it stung. Was that enough of an excuse for what I did to him though? I sigh.
“It wasn’t about you, I needed an out. Your brothers…”
“Stop with the bullshit excuses, you could have taken them down, but me...posting those photos of us...” he shakes his head. He looks devastated.
“I’m sorry you lost your job.” And I am. I feel like absolute shit.
