Chapter Sixteen
Amelie
I spend most of Sunday catching up on schoolwork. I don’t know if it’s missing over a month’s worth of school, or having a whole new schedule, but I’m really feeling the pressure.
Susan pings with an alert and I snigger before I’ve even read it. First thing this morning I accessed the tracker app that Sawyer had mentioned and reassigned tags to each of the Knox brothers, and changed some of the school locations on the map.
Stalker is in his whore house.
I laugh. Kalen is in his room then. At least I’m safe.
I set Susan up to alert me of their movements so that I can avoid all things Knox, and so far Susan has been pinging left, right and centre all morning.
The boys have been very prolific for a supposed day of rest, busy running around all over campus. I wonder why.
My phone buzzes this time and I sigh without needing to look at it. My ride is here. Maybe I should speak to them about the whole car situation again. I have one, so why shouldn’t I use it? Monty promised to send it over, but it never materialised. Why?
It’s time to go and play nice with the incubator. My stomach twists in knots. More than ever, I really don’t want to go. I can’t imagine how I’m going to manage to sit beside those Knox boys and act normal.
Traipsing down to the limo, I sigh. I know it’s stupid that I kinda hoped Sawyer would be waiting, but I know he can’t be at my constant beck and call.
Sliding into the back seat of the limo, I pointedly ignore the driver who is not Larry and stare out of the window.
My phone buzzes again, and I look down at the message.
Sawyer
I’m sorry I couldn’t pick you up. Dad has kept me busy all day. I’m sure it was on purpose.
Amelie
Don’t worry about it. The incubator sent a limo. Ugh.
Sawyer
Well, I’d much rather be in the limo with you. It’s better than driving...hands free ;)
Amelie
Behave!
Sawyer
As if you even know the meaning of the word. Get here soon. I’ve missed you x
I smile and slip my phone back into my pocket. Okay, maybe this meal won’t be so bad.
Wrong.
As soon as the limo pulls up outside the house and I see Laura waiting alone for me on the doorstep, trepidation fills me. For the briefest moment I wish I still had Kalen and the twins by my side. Kalen especially was always willing to take Laura on.
Climbing out of the limo, I set my shoulders, lift my chin and narrow my eyes at Laura.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” I ask not bothering to keep my tone in check.
“You need to stop trying to ruin my life.”
“Stop being so dramatic, you have the ring on your finger. You’re golden.” I push past her and she grabs hold of my wrist.
“I’m not joking, Amelie, stop with the stunts and sleeping with your stepbrother.”
“You stop. You ruined my life not the other way around. Don’t think for one second that I have forgotten anything you did to me in the past. I don’t care how nice you try to be, I will never forgive you.
..and I will sleep with whomever I please.
And that includes my stepbrothers. Plural, bitch.
” I snatch my wrist back from her grasp and go inside to find anyone other than her.
I stop short when I reach the sitting room.
All of the guys are together, talking. I hadn’t really thought about how dinners would go with us all under the same roof.
Sawyer spots me first and smiles, getting up from his seat.
He crosses the few feet between us and pulls me into his arms, his kiss lingering a little longer than needed.
“I missed you,” he says.
“I missed you too,” I reply. We just became that cheesy couple who misses each other after less than a day.
“Can you not? We need what little appetite we have to get through dinner,” Onyx snaps, pushing his way past us.
Sawyer takes my hand in his and we leave Kalen and Slate in the sitting room.
Onyx, Monty and Laura are at the table when we walk in. Laura looks at our intertwined fingers and shakes her head. If Monty notices, he doesn’t say anything. Sawyer and I sit across from Onyx, leaving him seated next to Laura.
Kalen and Slate take their seats next to Onyx.
“I hear you have had an eventful week, Amelie?” Monty asks. He is pushing for information and to get his boys in my good books.
“If you call being beaten and almost raped again eventful, then it’s been a blast.”
Laura gasps so again it’s clear she hasn’t been filled in.
“I still think you should consider my offer of protection,” he says, ignoring my sarcasm.
“If it involves those three bozos over there, I will take my chances.”
“Is anyone going to fill me in on what is going on?” Laura whines.
“Nope…Be a good Stepford wife: be seen and not heard.”
“How dare you?!” she snarls, but Sawyer cuts her off.
“What she means is, we have it taken care of. We all have GPS tracking on our phones. We know where each other are at all times.”
“Don’t think we didn’t notice the names you have given all our rooms.” Onyx adds, unimpressed.
“Oh, does ‘Onyx’s den of crushed hopes and dreams’ not work for you?”
“I’m laughing on the inside.”
“I bet you didn’t realise once a place is named by a user, other users can’t edit them,” I tease. Dinner is served and Onyx grunts, shoving a leaf from his rabbit food into his mouth.
“Amelie and I have a new duet to sing for music next week,” Slate says, changing the subject.
“I’m glad Amelie has found something she likes at Knox Academy,” Monty says.
“Quit talking about me like I’m not here,” I snap. “I wouldn’t say I like it...My morning runs with Onyx have a nice view. I do enjoy those.”
Kalen snorts.
“Oh...where do you both run?” Laura asks.
“The east side of the dorms,” Onyx says.
“I don’t get what’s so nice about that.” Laura clearly didn’t catch my running behind Onyx and checking out his asset.
“If you like the view there, you should come watch the swim practice,” Kalen adds.
“You shouldn’t be watching the swim team, the humidity is no good for your hair. With all those curls you would be frizzy and that isn’t a good look.” And Laura finds a way to comment on how I look, like I give a damn about her opinion.
Sawyer starts a conversation with Monty, making sure his siblings and I don’t have a chance to bicker.
The rest of the meal is uneventful. Every time I try to make a snarky comment, Sawyer plays dirty and runs a finger up my thigh or squeezes a little close to my underwear.
The doorbell rings, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Laura’s face lights up and she scurries off to answer it. For the first time all night I breathe a sigh of relief; every time I’m around that woman, I want to unleash years of pent-up anger.
“Thank you all for coming to dinner. Sawyer and I have to head to my study, stay and make use of the rooms I keep here for you all.”
Sawyer leans in for a kiss and whispers, “I will call you tomorrow.”
I nod like a lovesick schoolgirl. What the hell is wrong with me?
“I’m afraid I have business to attend to as well,” Laura announces as she walks back into the room, closely followed by a woman who is clearly a cougar, the cheap over the top kind.
Her tight leopard print dress really sells the look.
She walks behind Onyx and runs a long red nail across his shoulder and he shudders as a response.
Amusement fills my body; he has slept with her.
I will never let him live this down...my amusement suddenly dies when she repeats the gesture to all three brothers, before her sultry glare falls on Sawyer.
“Better not waste any time, your guest looks thirsty.” Sawyer grabs my wrist at the same time I reach for my glass of water.
He leans over me, his lips pressing against mine and I lean into his kiss, moaning for our audience.
Sawyer pulls away first with a smirk when Monty clears his throat and they say their goodbyes.
Laura is quick to pull her guest away. I watch until they are out of the room and turn to the three sets of eyes watching me.
“You all fucked her...you’re all old lady fuckers.” I can’t control the laughter. “Did you see the red lipstick, oh my god did she leave stains on your cocks?” Onyx grunts, pushes out from his spot and leaves the room.
“In our defence, she is the only friend Laura had before she moved in here. We kind of tried to test how far we could push her by screwing her friend,” Slate says, trying to justify sleeping with that woman.
“I just wanted to get laid, no ulterior motive for me,” Kalen quips.
“Change of subject: Amelie did you want to head upstairs and get in some practice for our duet?”
“I have at least an hour to kill since Monty wants us to hang around, might as well use that time to do something useful.”
Kalen follows Slate and me to the stairs that lead to our side of the house, I’m still blown away by that fact. The children have their own wing. I’m relieved when he stops at Onyx’s door. ‘Thanks for the Memories’ by Fallout Boy blasting from behind the closed door. Kalen slips inside.
“You know your silence is killing him,” Slate says, opening his own bedroom door which is adjacent to Onyx’s.
“You know, I don’t give a rat’s ass what he is feeling right now.”
Slate doesn’t offer any excuses. He walks over to his laptop and powers it on. I flop back onto his bed before realising that move may not have been the smartest idea. I do not plan to get comfortable here. Slate takes a piece of paper and hands it to me.
“I marked the parts where we should sing. It’s easy to follow along. I figured we could run through it and if you want to change anything, just let me know.”
“Sounds good to me.” I’m grateful he printed the lyrics. I’m not exactly known for remembering anything more than a chorus.
He hits play and thankfully Onyx’s music is turned down. I know that kind of thoughtfulness is Kalen.
Slate sings first, which is another good thing because my timing also sucks.
This song has him singing in a different key than I usually hear from him and I like it.
I follow along, hitting all the notes I need to, and our voices mesh well together, especially where he has marked out for us to sing at the same time.
“Wow, you’re good at that. How did you know what parts we should sing?”
“I don’t know. Music is like a second language to me, I feel it.”
“It shows. My only thing is when you sing the fourth line and the word ‘know’, come down a little and let that natural huskiness of your voice show.”
He runs through the verse and smiles. “You’re right, that does sound better. Maybe you have a talent for this too?”
“Nope, I just know what makes girls go weak at the knees.”
“The only girl I want to make go weak at the knees is you.” He falls to his knees in front of me and I see that his hair has grown longer. He sweeps it from his eyes to look up at me.
“I can’t, Slate.”
“Why not? Just hear me out, let me explain.” I push against his shoulders and stand.
“No. What can you say that would make up for what you did? Sorry isn’t good enough.”
“But retaliation is perfectly fine,” he seethes, anger bristling from him suddenly, his shoulders and jaw line tense.
“I was hurt and I wanted to be kicked out, to see my family who I was cut off from. Besides a half an hour call each week. You nor your brothers cared about why you were here.”
“Sawyer did,” he says, lowering his tone.
“Fuck off!” I hiss and race for the door. I don’t want to think about Sawyer. Despite his assurances, the guilt over what I cost him eats me up inside.
Fuck them, fuck Monty...just fuck! Who knew growing up and being on my own would be so damn hard?
Tears fall down my cheeks. I manage to find my bag and a half empty bottle of scotch. It’s not my preference, but I’ll take it.
Outside, my driver is nowhere to be found. I have an idea. My car is in the garage and Monty did say he would have it delivered to the school. For whatever reason he hasn’t gotten around to it yet. I could save him a job...
I swipe the keys from a hook on the wall and within two minutes I’m driving back in the direction of the academy.
I ask Siri to call Smalls. The call almost rings out when his sleep filled voice picks up.
“Hey baby girl, is everything okay?”
“We’re still best friends...right?” He knows this is my go to question when I need to talk to him or I’m upset and just need to hear him tell me we will always be friends.
“Forever, you know that.”
“I’m sorry,” I choke out through my tears.
“For what?”
“Yelling at you, being a bitch to you about...Sarah.” Her name is still a bitter pill to swallow. “Calling you at this stupid time all because I’m upset.”
“Nothing you do will ever make me not love you. You’re my person.”
“You’re my soulmate, Smalls. How can two people be soulmates and not be together?” I whisper, tears still streaming silently down my cheeks.
“Relationships come and go, Soulmates are forever. Beyond this lifetime.”
“I don’t deserve you,” I murmur.
“Believe me, you do.” He hesitates for a moment. “So what did they do?”
I laugh; he can read me like a book. “Nothing. I can’t forgive them, can I?”
“I can’t answer that for you.”
“I know, I just don’t want to be that girl, the one who lets men treat her like crap and just forgives them because she is in love.”
“Love?” he asks.
“You know what I mean,” I quickly evade, my pulse racing. Shit, where did that come from? “Anyway, I’m about to pull into the academy and I may have stolen my own car. I think I need a pass to get it into the underground parking garage near my dorm.”
“Okay...and Amelie?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
I know why he is thanking me: I’m here so he doesn’t have to go to prison.
“You would take a bullet for me and I would do the same for you. Trust me when I say being here isn’t as bad as prison. You’re too pretty, you would be someone's bitch.”
He laughs. Smalls would be no one's bitch he is a 6’ 7, 150kg teddy bear.
Borderline scary looking if you don’t know him.
But I would do anything for him, and there is no way I would let him go away for an accident.
A stupid prank gone wrong. One which he did for me anyway; he wanted to get the teacher too stoned to turn up for detention, so that I could sneak out more easily.
We end the call, and I spend twenty minutes arguing with the security guard about having a parking spot.
He couldn’t get hold of Monty, Laura, or even Sawyer.
He ends up calling Grandaddy Knox, a man I’m yet to meet, but he must still hold some authority here because I heard yelling and cursing, a lot of yes Sir’s from the guard, and I’m let in with an apology and a pass to stick in my car.
After finding my spot, I take my bottle of Scotch back to my room and decide a hangover in the morning is totally worth it.