King of Spades (King #4)

Prologue

EVA

When I was fifteen years old my New Year’s resolution was to choose one thing I was grateful for each day.

Over the last twenty-four months I’ve been grateful for some interesting things, including Angry Birds, fidget spinners, Justin Bieber - still grateful for him really - my mum teaching me to bake, Pinterest boards, surviving high school, seeing a sunrise, my incredibly acute and stealthy eavesdropping skills, green tea and mint chocolate.

But today the thing I was most grateful for was bigger than all those things.

Today, I was grateful to Frederick Mellinger – the American superstar who invented the padded bra.

Spinning in front of my mirror, I admired my now seventeen-year-old body in my new emerald, green bikini and sent a silent prayer to Mellinger and the absolute God that he was, because honestly, my boobs looked incredible.

It was nowhere near the first time I’d worn a bikini and ensuring I both looked and felt good in my swimsuit was also nothing foreign – but today was different.

Today was important.

Today I needed to be memorable, because I was going to see Cooper.

The sexy, out of my league, best-friend of my older brother. The very same Cooper who I had harboured an unrequited, near obsessive crush on since Sebastian’s twelfth birthday when one of his other friends, Derek, called me four-eyes and Cooper consequently tripped him over and told him to shut up.

I was a geeky seven-year-old with brand new glasses which were far too large for my face. At that age, the humiliation of Derek calling me four-eyes was the worst possible thing that could have ever happened.

I dreaded getting glasses. Crying in the optometrist, on the way home, and every time I looked in the mirror for the following week.

So, to have someone who was supposed to be my brother’s friend, voice aloud the thing I was most worried about, made me want to smash them and suffer through life half-blind.

But Cooper Dane didn’t call me Mrs. Steve Urkel.

Cooper Dane didn’t tease me for having glasses as big as the world.

Cooper Dane fought for me.

When he intentionally tripped Derek over because of something he said to me, his best-friend's dorky younger sister, my memories of that day would only ever centre around him.

Because that was the day I’d fallen in love with him.

The cute, mysterious boy with the sandy blond hair and the clear blue eyes. The boy who every single girl in school was also in love with.

But they didn’t see the Cooper I saw.

I saw him when he came to our house and watched movies with Seb and I, his long legs hanging off the mattress we’d drag into the living room.

I saw him when he had dinner with us as often as he could, even though from everything Seb told Mum he had someone who cooked meals for him whenever he wanted.

I saw him when we laughed endlessly while we planned the best way to annoy my brother.

And I saw him when he wasn’t trying to impress everyone around him. When he was just like the rest of us.

And sometimes, when I was really lucky, when it was just him and I.

When I started high school, he and Seb had already been there a couple of years and like most middle schoolers, they were much too cool to talk to or even acknowledge a junior.

But I saw him.

I saw how he was always surrounded by girls vying for his attention. I saw how he often had his arm slung around a different one at lunch and how he and my brother began spending more time at his house because his parents were always at work and with that came freedom.

Mostly though, I saw that his smile was never as big as it was when he was at our house. His school laugh didn’t bounce off the walls like it did when they were teasing Mum about something, or we mocked Seb for his meticulous obsessions.

And above all else, I saw when he was in the playground and he thought no one was looking, he actually looked quite sad.

So, when Sebastian begged me to drive him to his house so he could have a few drinks, I initially said I was busy studying for my upcoming exams. This was only a half-lie, but I knew he was desperate because I overheard him on the phone when he said he would be able to organise a lift.

He could have caught a bus but now he had a car he wouldn’t be caught dead on public transport.

Plus, he was desperate for his friends to see his car.

Only then he couldn’t drink.

He begged me, offered me $20 and to buy my friends and I alcohol whenever we needed.

But that wasn’t what I wanted.

I wanted an invitation to go to Cooper’s house with him.

“Fine. But I’m driving both ways, I won’t be talking to either of you and will sit next to the pool wearing headphones.” My sufferance was so well performed he bought it in an instant, leaving me to freak out in peace.

Five minutes before we were supposed to leave, the nerves were circling in my stomach.

I knew I looked good, but I hoped Cooper noticed too.

While my boobs weren’t as big as I would have liked them to be, they were decent.

I had a good arse, and my skin held a nice tan thanks to the distant European genetics from my mum.

I was far from immune to the attention of the males in my grade, but none of them came close to him and it was why I’d stopped accepting any of their invitations to dinner or a movie.

Yet, I hadn’t worked up the courage to tell my brother’s best friend that I liked him, and I hoped like hell, today he would finally notice me.

Heading out to the car, I cranked the air-conditioner and beeped the horn.

Sebastian came running down the driveway wearing only a pair of swimming trunks, a towel thrown over his shoulder and a backpack in tow.

The distinct sound of glass on glass rattled as he put it on the floor before jumping into the passenger’s seat and I shot him a questioning look.

“I’ll let you have one if you don’t tell Mum.”

“Deal.” I easily acquiesced, stoked to be involved in their shenanigans again.

When we turned into Cooper’s driveway a short time later, I wound down the window and rang the buzzer. I’d been here before with Mum to collect my brother a few times, but I still found myself impressed by the sheer size of the property and the beauty of the grounds.

I mean, it had a gate with an intercom for goodness’ sake.

The picturesque house didn’t align with the Cooper who seemed genuinely grateful to eat chicken, potato and vegetables at our house for dinner.

The boy who shared a mattress in the living room with Seb after a day of riding bikes out in the dirt.

Yet this was the lonely place he referred to as his home.

This was a damn mansion, and I struggled to see how it could be so lonely when you had a full-time chef, cleaner, gardener and everything else people with this much money had at their disposal.

The gate opened, and before I knew it we were parked and entering the front door - a space I’d never been, but always wished I could. As expected, it was immaculate and something I could only ever dream of owning and I had to physically stop my mouth from widening when we stepped inside.

“Evangeline, hurry up,” Seb whisper-screamed at me, as he walked through the corridor like we hadn’t just stepped into the Buckingham Palace of Sydney.

I followed quickly, trying to ignore the spiral staircase which led to the second level, a stunning library which I could have spent at least a month in without ever leaving and a few other closed doors as we headed into the biggest kitchen I’d ever seen, and through a set of French doors out to the backyard.

The pool was equally as impressive and a man in a polo shirt and shorts was busily sweeping the tiles that appeared to be sparkling clean already.

Was this how the other half lived?

Knowing I was about to see Cooper, I began to feel nervous.

It didn’t matter how often I saw him, simply knowing we were going to be in the same vicinity gave me butterflies in the stomach and an instantly dry mouth.

I spent a long time perfecting the art of nonchalance, needing to make sure I hid my monster crush as the thought of him or my brother ever finding out was horrifying.

The only other person who suspected it was Mum and that was because apparently, a mother can tell when her baby is in love.

I’d vehemently denied her accusations, mortified she had discovered my secret so easily.

But she was right.

Cooper was the only boy I could ever think about and now he was going to see me in my swimsuit. My gorgeous green bikini that did amazing things for my chest.

“Seb, where’s the bathroom?” I whispered, the nerves bringing on a full bladder.

“Down there, second door on your right,” he pointed to a passage off the kitchen, as he walked towards the pool.

My brother was never mean to me. In fact, since Dad left when we were kids, he’d become my saviour. But I had no doubt he would have preferred if I wasn’t here with him and his friends.

Ducking into the bathroom, I closed the door and took a few deep breaths.

Lifting my dress over my head, I stood and assessed myself one last time.

I looked good. And today I was going to show Cooper that I wasn’t the little girl with the big glasses.

I wasn’t just Sebastian’s little sister, but a soon to be eighteen-year-old who also enjoyed being outside and listening to true crime podcasts. Just like he did.

Exiting the bathroom, I headed back the way I came when his distinctive voice froze me to the spot.

“Just come, Kat, it’s only Seb and I. Oh and his younger sister, but she’s no one, you won’t even notice she’s here.”

The air vacated my lungs in a whoosh as my brain did the math.

Cooper had never been nasty to me or made me feel as though I was a burden. If anything, he included me more than Seb, and even when I was hidden in my room doing homework, he would hunt me down and force me to join them.

No one. You won’t even notice she’s here.

“Kat, yes, she’s a kid but I told you, she won’t tell her mum anything so we’re good. Bring Tammy and the four of us can have a few drinks. I told Seb not to bring her, but you know he’s a good guy.”

A kid. Told him not to bring her.

Grabbing hold of the wall, the nausea swam in my gut while my ears began to ring.

How had I thought he would find me attractive?

I was nothing more than a stupid little kid to him and he didn’t want me here.

I really needed to stop eavesdropping, I thought as the bile began to rise and I knew I was going to be sick.

Quickly retreating to the bathroom, I closed the door and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet. Shame and self-loathing swarmed at how ridiculous I’d been in even coming.

How embarrassing! I’d genuinely thought he would be interested.

When all I had left were dry heaves and tears streaming down my face, I wiped my eyes and opened the door.

I needed to get the hell out of here.

I would message Sebastian and tell him I’d come down with something. I couldn’t face Cooper after hearing him say those things and if Seb knew something had upset me, he wouldn’t rest until I explained myself.

Walking quickly back through the kitchen I turned towards the long hall which led to the front door and smacked into a bare chest. Fumbling backwards I looked up carefully avoiding staring into the crystal-clear eyes I knew almost as well as my own.

“Oh, hey, Evy, are – are you okay?” His use of the name only he dared to say, coupled with his faux concern gave rise to anger as more tears pressed to be released. I needed to get out of here and I couldn’t look at him or I was going to crumble.

“I’m not feeling well,” I lied. “Tell my brother to call me when he wants me to come and get him.” Keeping my head down, I moved around him and quickly walked towards the front door.

“Evangeline, wait!” He called. But for the first time ever, I ignored him.

It was only when I was in the car, the tears running down my cheeks, that I realised I hadn’t even put my dress back on, exiting Cooper’s house wearing only my stupid green bikini and a heart full of pain.