Chapter Fourteen
Amelie
When I wake up I’m feeling a bit sore and sorry for myself.
How did I let this happen? I was supposed to be taking them down; they were just objects in my path of destroying my incubator, and now…
now Kalen has worked his way into my heart and, as confusing as the situation is, so has Sawyer.
All I wanted to do was ruin my mother’s life, make her feel the way I did when she abandoned me.
I decide to push my feelings aside and try to bury them; it’s really best for everyone.
For now, I need to try to find out more information and I think the twins will be the only ones to give it to me straight.
Well, I’m hoping I can at least find Slate alone.
Onyx always has a huge stick stuck up his ass.
The twins mentioned their father wouldn’t bring me here without a good reason, and my incubator doesn’t seem to be good enough grounds. Like they said, he has an agenda, and the more time I spend around them, the more I think maybe they are right.
Slate and Onyx have different electives, Onyx does some kind of MMA training and Slate does Music.
Since my elective is after school three days a week with Sawyer, I make my way to the music department.
I say it’s after school, but I mean it was after school; Sawyer hasn’t shown since the day he kissed me at the end of my suspension.
He also hasn’t told me why he got sent to Knox, like he promised.
So I figure, crashing Slate’s music class during my free period may just be my only chance to catch him alone. I think that separated from his thorny twin brother, he may be less hostile towards me.
I set off in search of Slate, but I underestimated how big the music building is. There are some really talented musicians here. I finally find Slate in a small practise room, sitting on a chair playing his guitar.
Quietly, I enter the room, expecting him to tell me to piss off, but he doesn’t acknowledge me.
So I sit against the wall and watch him play.
The tune changes when he looks over at me, and I recognise the song, but only because Chelsea was obsessed with X factor and idol.
Not that I can remember which show this song was from.
‘Dancing On My Own’. The singer's name escapes me, but Slate's voice is something spectacular as the words leave his mouth.
As he sings, we maintain eye contact. For the first time I see him, not a twin, not a Knox sibling, but Slate.
His soul is music. He pours everything he has into the song, and for a second, I feel like he is saying the words to me. Ridiculous, when he hates me.
The song finishes and the vulnerability fades away and the hardness in his eyes returns.
“What duets do you know?” he asks in his no-bullshit tone.
“I don’t sing.”
“I didn’t ask if you could sing, I asked what duets you know.”
“Word for word? Anything Disney.” He smiles at that and it’s true.
I know a lot of music, usually only the chorus, and I mumble my way through the other lyrics, a solid eighty percent of the words wrong.
Can’t blame a girl from a shit walk of life for loving a little Disney fantasy every now and then.
He puts his guitar down and holds out his hand. “Do you trust me?” He knows there is no way in hell I would trust him, but he smiles and his whole face transforms. I play along, taking his hand. He starts singing ‘A Whole New World’ and all our issues fade away again.
When it’s my turn to sing Jasmine's part, he looks at me, waiting. I sing, because no one else can hear me, and really, what’s the worst he can do?
Tease me? As the words fall easily from my lips, he looks at me in awe, then we sing together.
He takes my hand once again and we dance around the room.
By the time the song is over, we both fall to the floor and laugh.
“Thought you couldn’t sing?” he teases.
“If you call that singing.”
“It was really good; you should switch electives. We could use some more females. My assessment, I will have to sing a duet with a guy. Unless…”
“Nope, no way can I sing in front of anyone.”
“We could do a trade. You’re here for a reason. I’m not stupid, I know you wouldn’t single me out without my brother if you didn’t have a reason.”
I think about it. Slate could be a good ally to get information from, but could I trust him to actually give me good information?
“Would you tell me anything I want to know?” I question.
“Anything. Besides why we are here,” he tags on the end quickly.
“I don’t care why you’re here. I want to know why I’m here and I think you and your brothers can give me that information, or at least get access to that information.”
“How about, if you come here three times a week and practice a song with me for our showcase, I will tell you one thing every time? How useful that information is…”
“Fine. It will be more to go on than I have now.”
“What, screwing two of my brothers didn’t give you any answers?”
“No, I was too distracted by all of those orgasms to ask questions.”
“Multiple orgasms, huh?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” I smirk.
Changing the subject, he gets up from the floor and walks over to a piano in the corner of the room. He grabs some papers and brings them back over to where I’m sitting.
“This is the song I was thinking about doing.” He hands them to me and he looks at me, expecting me to know it.
“I’ve never seen ‘The Greatest Showman’ film. I haven’t even heard of it.”
“You wouldn’t have. It’s not out until December. I’ve seen an advanced screening of it, and let me tell you, that film is going to be every girl's wet dream.”
“Not mine, give me ‘The Fast and the Furious’ any day, now Vin Diesel is my wet dream.”
We both laugh. “Next lesson we will watch the damn movie. I still have my early copy. Zac Effron and Zendeya have great chemistry and I know we don’t like each other…”
“Don’t like. That’s a slight understatement of our feelings, isn’t it?”
“It’s beside the point. To get a good mark, I need them to believe it, so your acting skills will need to be on point.”
“You’re no Zac Efron, but you’re not bad to look at, so I’m sure I will survive.”
We spend some time joking around before I realise I have a lesson with Sawyer. Not that I’m expecting him to be there, but he always leaves work and someone always calls in to check up on me.
“I have to go, I have a lesson with Sawyer, he moved it forward today.”
“Yeah, he has a date.” My face drops at that information.
“Did you think he would wait around for you, especially whilst you’re screwing Kalen?”
And with that he is back. Asshole twin 1. I try not to show that his barb has a double sting. I get up and grab the papers, heading for the door.
“Amelie?”
“Yeah?” I say, turning back to face him.
“Leave Sawyer alone,” he warns. For a second I think he’s threatening me, but then he adds softly, “He needs his job, he can’t afford to lose it. It would kill him, literally.”
“He doesn’t want me anyway, Slate, and I won’t force myself on someone.”
“Yeah, well, I needed to check. With Kalen? Be gentle with him; there’s a lot you don’t know and he can’t handle rejection.”
I nod and walk out. I think I just made a connection with Slate, which just leaves Onyx, and honestly, I think the only way I can get to him is by kicking his ass. But unlike Sawyer, I don’t think he would go easy on me.
I have to walk to the other side of campus to get to the sports facilities, and they are way bigger than the music department.
I’m shocked to see Sawyer is already running laps around the oval as I pass to go to the changing rooms. Why did he decide to show today?
After weeks of being absent and setting cover work for me?
The changing rooms are empty, so I undress and leave my uniform on a bench. I stand in just my underwear whilst I search for my sports bra and work out gear.
“Hey.” I jump out of my skin at the sound of Kalen’s voice.
“You scared the shit out of me.”
“I would much rather scare the orgasms out of you,” he says standing way too close. I back up until my back is pressed against the lockers, the cold metal biting into my hot skin. I’m uneasy having Kalen so close, knowing that my lesson with Sawyer is due to start.
Kalen’s lips fall to my neck and a moan escapes me. I can’t help it. My body tingles as memories from last night resurface.
“I know you want me,” he whispers against my skin, his hand sliding south beneath my underwear, running over my most sensitive spot.
“Kalen, we can’t,” I pant as my hips buck against his hand, begging for more.
“I’ll be quick,” he says before taking a nipple in his mouth.
“I can’t,” I stammer and push against him.
“Yes, Kalen, she can’t.” Embarrassment washes over me at the sound of Sawyer’s voice. Kalen doesn’t move, shielding my half naked body.
“Sawyer! I…”
“You can’t because of him,” Kalen spits, shakes his head and pushes off the lockers, exposing me to Sawyer, before storming from the room.
“Kalen!” I call after him but he doesn’t turn around.
“Fuck,” I shout smashing my hands against the metal behind me.
“Get dressed, you’re embarrassing yourself, and it’s Mr Knox to you.
” He turns and walks away. I flip him off for good measure, before slipping into a short pair of skintight bike shorts and a sports bra.
It’s all I have here from when I was trying to tempt him, even though right now I wish I had a pair of long yoga pants and a hoodie to cover myself up with.
I make my way towards Sawyer, who is stretching. “Start running, Miss Rossi.”
“Stop,” I plead. “Don’t be like this.”
“Run,” is all he says.
“What does running have to do with self-defence?” I ask, hands on hips, frowning. My temper is flaring to life.
“In most situations, if you can, then you run away before engaging your attacker. Also, I have somewhere to be, so I asked for someone to supervise you. They run at this time, and so will you.”
Onyx decides to join us, wearing some loose-fitting shorts and no shirt. The shorts hang low on his hips, not leaving much to the imagination, and showing the hint of a tattoo on his left hip bone. Curiosity piqued, I want to see more.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I say.
“No, fucking is what you and Kalen were about to do on school premises before you were caught...and I don’t kid,” Sawyer says.
“Have fun on your date Mr Knox, I’m sure it has big shoes to fill.
” I wink, but he just shakes his head. He doesn’t respond.
If I’m being truthful with myself, it stings a little to know he’s going out with someone else.
Which is stupid, considering the game I’m playing right now with them all.
Still, it makes me madder than hell that I can’t get a reaction out of him.
“Let's get a move on, I don’t have all night,” Onyx snaps.
I take off running and Onyx follows behind.
“Look ahead when you're running, you want to look about ten feet ahead.”
Jesus Christ if I don’t look down, I may fall on my ass from tripping over my own feet. My getaway from trouble is hiding, not running. I have a talent of squishing my body into small tight places.
“That’s it...no, relax your hands and shoulders, keep your arms at your side.”
“Relax? I’m about to go into cardiac arrest. The only exercise I do that involves running is chasing the ice cream truck down the street, all because the asshole wants to see my tits bounce.”
“Nice story, keep jogging.”
We jog in silence and keep going. Sweat pours from my entire body, my lungs feel like they are on fire. I stop. I don't even care; what can he do, drag me along? I drop to the ground and lay flat on my back, drawing in big breaths.
“Is that all you got?” he says, casting a slight shadow over me.
“I can’t breathe,” I gasp, drawing in deep breaths. He squats down beside me.
“Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Focus on slowing your breathing down a little.”
For a few minutes, he almost seems normal.
“Let’s go stretch,” he says, holding out his hand for me. I take the friendly gesture and he pulls me to my feet, and we walk back slowly side by side.
“You know, no one wants you here.” Way to break the silence, give the man an A.
“And I care...because? I don’t want to be here, but unlucky for me, the court ordered me here for three fucking years, so you better get used to seeing my face.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“I guess we will.”
The rest of the walk we do in silence, and once we are back on the oval behind the sports building, he starts stretching, so I follow suit.
I attempt to copy him with a quad stretch, but my balance is shit. I wobble all over the place and almost faceplant the floor, when Onyx unexpectedly comes to my rescue. He places one hand on the small of my back and one on my abdomen to steady me and hold me straight.
“Focus on a point in the middle distance. It will help,” he tells me. He’s so close his breath tickles my neck.
His hands slide across my skin, and I never imagined in a million years that his touch would affect me the way it is.
When he realises what is happening, he steps back, shaking his hands like he just caught cooties from me.
Clearing his throat he says, “I run every day just as the sun starts to go down. I leave from the boys dorms if you want to join me. If you don’t want to, then don’t.
Just thought since we’re stuck with each other, maybe we should try harder to be civil.
I owe my father a lot and this is the least I can do, even if it kills me. ”
Great! I thought today was too good to be true, that the twins would actually want to call a truce. Monty must have forced their hand to be nice to me. This makes me even more determined to take them down, along with the incubator. I’m just a pawn in some sick game to them all.
I nod at him and walk away. I need to find Kalen and explain. He at least deserves that; he’s been the only one to actually be genuinely nice to me, unless that’s all an act too. I hope it isn’t. Also, finding him will keep my mind off Sawyer and what he is doing.