Chapter 6
Chapter Six
River
We break ground on my project today. It’s been in the making for pretty much five years, and I’ve had the land for about a year, but today is the day that it finally starts. Something for her, something she would love.
Something she will never see.
I stop by on my way to work and have a chat with the foreman; I’ve worked with him before and I trust him to make this dream come true.
Her dream.
***
There’s a tap on my office door that pulls my focus away from my latest sketches. I’m currently designing a six-floor office block, and I can’t quite get the roof right; it’ll come to me, though, it always does. I look up to find none other than my stepsister standing in my doorway.
“Hi.” She smiles at me like her being here is totally normal.
Fuck, I wish it was.
“Everything okay?” I frown. We might have a shit relationship, one I’ve cultivated to be that way, but I will always be here for her if something is wrong, and step in when she needs me.
“Yeah, fine, I’m just returning the favor.”
She holds up a bag from a restaurant around the corner. They do the best soups and my stomach growls at the thought. She laughs as she hears it, and I feel the tips of my ears heat.
“Sounds like I got here just in time.”
Walking into my office she takes a seat on the other side of my desk and begins to unload the items on the small amount of space that’s free.
“Everything sounded so good, but I know you like seafood, so I got you the prawn bisque soup, and I’ve got the chicken noodle. But we can swap if you’d prefer?” I can only manage to shake my head at her, still frozen by the fact she’s in my office, bringing me lunch and being nice to me.
It’s been five days since I turned up on her doorstep. Five days since I’ve seen her, spoken to her. Five days of talking myself out of showing up at her place again and finally doing what I’ve wanted ever since I met her.
“Pipsqueak, what are you doing here? What is this?” I gesture to the food she’s laid out on my desk.
“I told you; I’m returning the favor. You brought me food, now I’m doing the same for you. Can I not bring you lunch?” she adds when I still haven’t said anything, or even moved.
“No, you can’t.” My words are strained.
She has no idea of the meaning behind them, she only hears the cruelness of the words I choose. But I can’t have her here, I can’t have her turning up like this, I can’t have her being nice to me. She’s too much of a temptation that I won’t be able to resist.
“Well too bad,” she shrugs. “Because I’m here now and I’m hungry.”
Fuck.
Ava
His jaw ticks as he eats, he’s definitely not happy right now. I just need to work out why.
Is it because he really does hate me? Or, are the girls and Reed right, and does he secretly want me?
How would I feel about that? I mean, he’s gorgeous, being wanted by someone like River is not something a girl normally says no to, but this is River.
I’ve known him since I was seventeen, he’s my stepbrother, he’s cruel, mean, and has made my life hell.
I don’t know if it’s something I will ever get over. I don’t even know if it’s something I want to get over.
At the moment this is just research. The girls and I decided the other night that we need to find out more, we need to really know what’s going on with him before I can make any decisions.
So being nice to him, killing him with kindness, is still the plan at the moment, because it’s the only thing that seems to throw him, to bring out a side of River that I’ve never seen before.
I clear up our food items and throw them in the trash by his door when we’ve finished, then casually walk around his office, taking everything in.
“Did you design this?” I gesture to a model of a building I recognize from downtown LA. He just nods at me, his jaw still clenched as his eyes follow my every move. I hum as I continue my perusal.
“Lunch is finished, I think it’s time we end this. I’ve got work to do, some of us actually have jobs. We don’t all just get to throw parties like you.”
His words, which are meant as an insult, are meant to wound, don’t hurt like they normally would. Ever since he walked into my apartment with my favorite Chinese food things changed. Every insult, every action has taken on a new meaning.
“You’re right, I should get going. This was nice, though,” I add with a sickly-sweet smile as I grab my bag and make my way to the door.
“Pipsqueak,” he calls just before I exit his office. I turn to face him, my eyebrow raised in question. “Don’t do this again.”
I just smirk.
I think I’ve found my favorite spot for lunch.
***
Ava: Lunch was a success
Mia: Did he hate it?
Ava: Every moment of it
Harper: Lol
Bella: Damn it. Reed’s going to make me pay if he was right
Mia: Don’t pretend you don’t love when he does that
Bella: You’re right. I’m one lucky girl
Mia: Bitch