Chapter Twenty-Three
Amelie
Mr Bolden emailed back my assessment the next day and when I see the B+ grade on my paper, I do a little dance. He tells me to print it and take it to Headmaster Knox.
I get it printed and put both copies in Monty’s pigeonhole. Hopefully we can get it sorted quickly. I don’t need an F on my transcripts.
I didn’t expect Monty to be in his office on a Sunday anyway.
I make my way to the dining hall to grab some lunch, hoping Elsie will be done with her practice.
I found out she does drama. Another elective I didn’t know was available.
This showcase seems to be a bigger deal than I originally thought.
Slate waves me over, placing a hand on Kalen’s shoulder when he tries to get up and move. Onyx throws me a glare.
“Look, it’s the scarlet harlot herself,” Kalen says, raising his voice slightly. “Anyone else want to fuck her? Girl is kinky.”
“Kinky isn’t the word I would use,” I say. “Shit got weird when you started shouting your mum's name.” A smile creeps over his face.
“No weirder than you asking me to call you sis whilst you came all over my dick.”
The entire room has eyes on us. Kalen loses it and pats his lap. Normally, I wouldn’t, but screw it. He pulls me in tight and we both laugh.
“I’m sorry for being a dick,” he says.
“So you should be,” I reply. “Friends again?” I ask.
“We were always more than friends, we’re family, sis.”
“Will you two stop?” Onyx barks.
“Looks like someone is a little jealous. O, it’s not our fault the stick up your ass is wedged too tight.” Onyx huffs at Kalen.
We sit and eat, Elsie joins us and all of the Knox boys refrain from calling her a Vagitarian, which is a start. Onyx gets increasingly agitated but no one else seems to notice.
“Want to go for an early run?” I ask and he nods, looking relieved.
“Onyx and I are going to go for a run. See you all here for dinner.” Kalen pulls me in tighter for a hug.
“I just got you back, I don’t want to share you with my brother just yet.”
“You’ll live,” I say, standing and telling them all goodbye. I notice Onyx is already in his running gear.
“Can we stop at my dorm so I can change?” He nods and we walk in silence.
Onyx follows me up to my room.
“Interesting artwork,” he snorts when he sees the sign on my door.
“Yeah, your baby brother is quite the artist,” I deadpan, letting us in.
Onyx makes himself at home snooping round, looking at all my stuff.
I grab some workout gear and slip into the bathroom to change.
When I come out, Onyx has made himself comfortable on my bed.
He’s stretched out with his arms behind his head.
His workout T-shirt has ridden up to expose his ripped abdomen.
My mouth waters and I lose my train of thought.
“Comfortable?” I raise an eyebrow.
“There’s room for two.”
“Erm, I know that. It’s my bed, remember?”
“Am I the only Knox not to have been in your bed yet?”
“Well I can’t speak for what your father got up to before I arrived…” I quip.
“Ha, ha. Be serious, Amelie.”
“I haven’t had Slate in my bed,” I confess.
“Sawyer? In here?” He gasps. Shit. I don’t think I should have said that. I ignore his question.
“You and Slate. Have you have slept together?”
“That’s none of your business, but no.”
“Good.”
“Why is that good?” I snap, thinking he’s about to warn me away from them.
“It’s been driving me crazy, thinking I’m the only one not to.”
“Gee thanks, Onyx, you know how to make a girl feel special,” I mutter sarcastically.
“I’m saying I like you. What’s the problem?” he frowns.
“You don’t like me, Onyx. You just want to play with the toy the others are sharing.”
“I can share my toys.”
“You don’t even like this toy.” I sigh.
“I do.”
“How can you? There’s nothing there. No connection.”
“And you have that with my brothers?” he scoffs.
“Actually, yes, I do. Kalen and I have a strong bond. There’s real feelings there. There’s a connection between Sawyer and I. My friendship with Slate is growing. What do we have? We run together. So what? I run with all the kids in detention. It doesn’t mean I’m sleeping with them.”
“But do you want to?”
“What? Sleep with the detention kids? I’m not a whore! When will you idiot Knox brothers get that through your incredibly beautiful but thick skulls!” I’m yelling with exasperated frustration now.
“You think I’m beautiful?”
“Ugh!” I throw my hands up in the air and Onyx dives off the bed to grab me.
“I think you’re beautiful too, Amelie. I have since the moment I saw you. It...it drives me crazy that you can like all of my brothers but not me!”
“I-I do like you,” I stammer. “Are you jealous?”
“Insanely.”
“Onyx…” I begin reproachfully. “You blow hot and cold. I never know where I stand with you. One moment I think you’re being genuine, the next you act like you hate me.”
“I’m sorry-” he begins but I hold up a hand to cut him off. To my surprise, he listens to me.
“I like you, Onyx. But I’m not about to rush into having sex with you-”
I’m cut off by Onyx planting his lips on mine.
Whilst I wasn’t expecting him to kiss me, I always thought that when he did, it would be a bruising, punishing, angry kind of kiss.
He takes me by surprise in more ways than one.
His kiss is the most tender, the most hesitant.
Like he’s waiting for me to pull away and hit him. Which I don’t.
“What was that for?” I ask, eyes wide.
“Ninety percent jealousy, ten percent to shut you up.” He grins.
“Well I wouldn’t want you to feel left out,” I tease. I raise up onto my tiptoes and wrap my arms around Onyx’s neck, kissing him again. This time I set the pace, letting him know it’s okay to go a little further with me. He’s more than happy to oblige.
“I’m not going to sleep with you,” I gasp as he starts kissing his way down my jawline to my ear.
“Mmm-hmm,” he murmurs.
“I mean it, O! Oh,” I groan as he starts to lick the sensitive little dip behind my ear. I feel my resolve instantly weakening. Who am I kidding? It isn’t weakening. It’s crumbled faster than the Berlin Wall came down.
I press my body closer to his and he lifts me easily, moving us both to the bed.
He lies back down with me straddling him, a clear message that I’m in control.
I lean forward and kiss him again, sliding my hand up under his shirt.
He pulls it off to give me free reign of every golden bump and ridge.
As I explore him further, Onyx’s hands stray across my exposed abdomen.
I tremble from his feather-light touches.
“Onyx,” I gasp as he flips us over so that I’m on my back. He grinds against me and my eyes flutter closed. I’m trying to remember why this was a bad idea. What were my reasons again for not sleeping with him?
“Amelie…” he whispers, and I swear to god right now if the next words out of his mouth are even close to saying how much he wants me, I’ll be ripping off our clothes in a frenzy.
“Hmm?”
“I need you…”
“God yeah.”
“I need you...to put your trainers on. We’ve got running to do.”
His words are a bucket of ice-cold water thrown over me, the sudden cold air between our bodies is my wake up call.
“Bastard,” I hiss.
“Last one to the oval’s a rotten egg!” he cries, winking at me and taking off.
I groan knowing that Onyx just played me like a fiddle, but laugh because I know it’s all in fun. His kiss was unexpected, as was how much I enjoyed it. Will these Knox boys ever stop surprising me?
I jump up, grab my trainers and race out of the door after Onyx, laughing.
I’m not mad that he played me, I know the moment we just shared was genuine, and I like this more playful side to him.
It doesn’t take me long to catch up to him, I suspect because he’s been waiting for me, and we fall into an easy silent rhythm beside one another. I can’t wipe the grin from my face.
We run for longer than we normally would, until it’s almost dark.
Onyx helps me with my cool down stretches afterwards, but they have the opposite effect.
His touch sets me on fire. He offers to shower with me but now that he’s not distracting me with kisses, my resolve is firmly back in place.
I shut him down, meaning to make him wait until we’ve developed a better connection.
If he wants me, he can get to know me properly.
I give him a peck on the cheek as I say goodbye and trudge back towards my dorm. My legs feel like jelly and I can’t wait to get in the shower. Actually, I’d really kill for a long hot bubble bath, but I don’t have one, so a shower will have to suffice.
As I walk along the corridor towards my room, I see that fresh red paint is dripping above the “whore”.
Trepidation fills me as I approach. What has Kalen done now?
I thought we were good? As I get closer and can distinguish the text, a loud laugh falls from my lips.
Painted in blood red to match the original Kalen has added “World’s Best Sister” so it now reads that I’m the world’s best sister whore.
I crease up laughing and slip into my room to grab my phone.
I power it up, check the coast is clear, and then snap a picture of the door.
I know that it’ll be cleaned off by maintenance by the morning, and I want to keep this memento.