Chapter 4 #2
There’s no point in denying his talent. Everyone around us is talking about him.
George and my mother lap up all the attention from being related to the Beckford U star, while I slouch further in my seat—the invisible family member.
Leni, being the best friend she is, tries to distract me with funny animal memes on her phone, and it works.
At least until the game starts, and my mother snaps at me to, “Sit up straight and act like you want to be here supporting your family.”
I’m tempted to bite back that this is not my family, and that I don’t want to be here, but I know it’s not worth the drama it will cause. Gwendoline Whitford does not take kindly to backchat or insolence.
BHU are good, and one of their players scores from a free kick in the thirteenth minute, but they’re no match for Luca and his teammates.
In the twenty-second minute, Luca takes a corner kick and sets up a header for Theo, who slots it past the goalkeeper.
The Beckford U crowd goes wild, and my stepfather grins, accepting the congratulations thrown his way.
The game remains tied at half-time, and I breathe a sigh of relief when my mother asks Leni and me to get food and refreshments.
“Your mum really takes the Stepford wife thing to the next level, huh,” Leni says as we line up at the canteen.
I roll my eyes. “Perfect life, happy wife.”
She laughs. “You know that’s not the saying, right?”
“It may as well be when it comes to her.” I roll my shoulders and move my neck from side to side as I try to relieve some of the tension in my body. Sitting next to Gwendoline and acting like the perfect daughter is torture.
“Why don’t you move out and live in the dorms? Surely, it would be better than putting up with the way she treats you.”
I sigh. “Same reason as you. Mum controls the money and access to my passport. Therefore, she controls me. Who would she pick on to make herself feel better if I wasn’t living under her roof?”
My best friend shoots me a sympathetic look, but she gets it. Her mother is just as bad as mine.
Leni’s phone buzzes, and her eyes light up as she checks the screen.
“What is it?”
“A personal request from Euphoria’s app. @watch_me_watch_you has booked a voyeur room for tonight, and he’d like me to join him.” She looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes. “You don’t mind, do you? I mean, we both know you’ll have the attention of your sexy phantom.”
I press my lips together as I recall my phantom’s final words to me: “I’ll wait for you.
” Something stirs in my stomach at the thought of having him at my mercy, but I’m terrified by his request to meet away from the club.
The only reason I can live out my fantasy is because he doesn’t know who I am.
“I don’t know, Len. I think I need a month away from there. Things with the phantom are getting a little too intense. I need to process.”
Leni pouts. “You don’t have to meet up with him. There are plenty of other men I’m sure would love a sexy little minx like you to dominate them.”
“Shh,” I hiss with a panicked glance around to make sure no one is listening to us.
She pokes her tongue out at me. “For someone with your sexual tastes, you can be such a prude sometimes.”
We reach the front of the line and place our order. While we wait, Leni continues her campaign to convince me to go to Euphoria.
“Do you really want to go home and listen to your mum and George blow smoke up your stepbrother’s arse?
” She puts on a high-pitched voice that I assume is supposed to mimic my mother.
“Oh, Luca darling, you are so talented out on the pitch. I do hope you’ll remember your father and me when you make it to the European league.
Maybe you could compensate us with a villa in the south of France? ”
I let out a snort of laughter as the cashier hands us our food. “You’re such a dork.”
“Seriously, Willow, think about it. We both deserve to get laid tonight. I need my wing woman. Pretty please with a cherry on top?” She bats her eyelashes at me.
I roll my eyes.
“Okay, I’ll think about it.”
She squeals with excitement. “You’re the best, bestie!”
“I said I’ll think about it. I didn’t say I’ll go.”
“Semantics,” she replies with a wave of her hand. “Tonight is going to be a night to remember.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” I mutter, but she ignores my pessimism.
Leni’s plans for me joining her for a night of debauchery are thwarted when we return to our seats. Mum grins at me as I pass her and George their food, and it’s unsettling.
“Willow, honey,” she says with a voice as smooth as whiskey. “This is Felix Sampson, your brother’s manager.”
“Nice to meet you,” I greet him warily, internally screaming that Luca is not my brother.
Thankfully Mum doesn’t notice my frosty greeting and continues babbling on. “He’d like to take us out for dinner after the game. He has some good news for us.”
My stomach drops at the thought of being forced to sit and listen to everyone sing the praises of my stepbrother while his stupid jock brain swells even bigger than it already is.
“Oh shoot,” I say with a frown as if I’m truly disappointed. “Leni and I have plans after the game. We’ll be out late, so I’m going to crash at her place. You’ll have to share the good news in the morning.”
Mum’s expression turns glacial. “You can spend time with Leni any time. You will join the family for this dinner, and you will support your brother.”
“Stepbrother,” I mutter under my breath.
“What was that?”
I sigh. “Sounds great, Mum. Can’t wait.”
“That’s what I thought, dear.”
With a tight smile, she turns back to her conversation with George and Felix, and Leni shoots me a sympathetic look as I slump back into my seat as the second half of the game starts.
I hate the way my mother uses me to keep up her perfect family facade when we’re clearly not.
Luca and I have barely said more than ten words to each other in the last four years.
He’s been content to ignore my existence, and I’ve been content to let him.
The last person he’ll want at this dinner is me.