10 YEARS BACK HAZEL I grabbed my hair in a tight pony and rolled the sleeves of my jacket. Removing the heels from my feet and walked to them. Two of them again kicked in the stomach of Atlas as he lay there looking helpless and staring at me. I grabbed an arm of one of them and twisted it till a piercing scream came out of his mouth. Pushing him aside, I knocked down two of them who came forward to hit me. Losers.Punching them straight across their face, I kicked the guy who called me bitch. They all lay on the ground, groaning in pain. “Who the fuck are you?” One of them asked, clenching his stomach.“Karate and Taekwondo blackbelt.” I smiled, releasing my hair from the pony. “And if I ever see you all bullying him, I swear I won’t spare a single bone in your body.” I added.Wiping my sweat, my eyes fell on Atlas who was just staring at me with strange emotions in his eyes. I offered him my hand to get up but he managed to did it on his own. His body was bruised and he wasn’
10 YEARS BACK HAZEL I drove the car from the creepy part of town to my house. I don’t know if what I’m doing is right or not but I want to do this for him. As I parked the car in front of my house, I looked at him. “I live here alone. My house has two rooms, so you can stay here for a time being before you figure out a decent place to live. You might not read news, but that area was once famous for murders. I don’t know how many people were killed there but definitely the number’s high. And Atlas, I don’t know what you’ve been through or how fucked up your life was that you ended up living there and believe me I don’t even want to know. But can you stop doing this thing to you? You have to fight your demons on your own. If somebody at school is bullying you then for god’s sake, stand for yourself. Stop wasting your life and even if you’ve no reason, just fucking live. You’re seventeen, not seventy. Your whole life is ahead of you.” I said, my voice harsher than usual.I don’t know
BACK TO PRESENTJUSTIN “What happened?” Hazel asked. I shook my head. I don’t know what the fuck happened with Ava.“What up with this sour mood?” She asked, again, this time looking concerned. I sighed. “It’s about Ava.” She raised her bows and came to sit next to me. “Don’t tell me that you slept with her.”I rolled my eyes. “Jesus, she’s a child.” “She’s not. Never knew that you’re this dumb at numbers. Anyways, I know that you won’t but still don’t sleep with her.”I know, Hazel. I fucking know this. “I know my limits.” I whispered.Hazel shook her head. “No, I didn’t mean it like that.”“You know, they both were unaware that they’re siblings.” She spoke.I nodded. “I know. Ava told me about this.”Her eyebrows spiked up as she tried to read my expressions. I pushed her head aside and lay down on the bed. “Don’t try to read my expressions.” I grumbled.She let out a soft laugh then lay beside me. “I tried to Atlas agree on a lunch with Ava.” “With offering sex, huh?” I smi
HAZELAn uncomfortable silence itched at the table of four of us. Atlas and Ava looked everywhere but at one another. Okay I didn't expect that it'll be this bad. I looked at Justin helplessly who sat across the table, next to Ava. He shrugged his shoulders in return. God! This is so awkward. Atlas asked me to accompany him to the lunch date that I planned for him with Ava and I'm pretty sure that Ava had asked Justin to come with her. I'm pretty sure there's something going between them. I mean I know my best friend; he won't ever indulge himself with any girl beside sex but here he is, sitting with Ava. Something's fishy. I cleared my throat. "We haven't got a proper chance to introduce ourselves." I said to Ava.She smiled politely. "Well, I heard a lot about you from Justin."I see.I gave Justin a raised eyebrows which he countered with one of his fake smiles. "Atlas, how come your sister is a smartass? She's majoring in computer science. And I remember you failing in high s
HAZEL “I can make them green all for you.” He smug. Right.“For now, focus on Ava.” I creased the skin of the back of his hand. “There’s nothing much for you to know about me. Honestly, I haven’t lived that kind of life.” He said to Ava being so blunt that I grimaced a little. God! When will he learn how to say the right thing at the right moment. “There’s this song called ‘Save the last dance for me’ that he loved and trust me that’s the only song that I’ve heard him listening. He’s allergic to strawberries; eating them can send him straight to the ER. Justin made him obsessed with Football. He never played but he enjoys watching it. He likes his coffee bitter and give him anything, he’ll eat; he’s not a picky eater. He hates socialising too and if I be honest then its’ more like he hates people.” I said, remembering every tiny detail about him from the past. I don’t know what came to me that I ended up talking for him. I guess it was the habit I picked when we were in High sch
HAZEL“I’m craving something sweet.” I mumbled, walking into the kitchen and spotting Justin gulping down the orange juice after taking it out from the fridge. “You and Atlas are together sweet enough for me to puke.” He retorted, passing me a bottle of juice.I yawned and sat on the chair. “Shut up.” My eyes lazily peeked out of the window and after noon sun hit me straight in my eyes. I over slept, I guess? Today’s Sunday so no college for Ava and hence, Justin overslept too. Bingo. “Is Atlas still asleep?” He asked, sprawling on the couch.“Nope. He’s attending meeting calls from different time zones since seven in the morning.” I answered. And I miss him. I mean I want to have a conversation with him but now he’s not just an ordinary man. He’s the CEO of billion-dollar company. Off course, he’d be busy with his work and all. “Have you talked about the possibility of his father being the psychopathic killer?” I shook my head. “No.” Not yet. Atlas told me that I’ll always sa
HAZEL Oh. Come on. “I was just joking, Atlas. I don’t want to marry anyone.”He smashed the cigarette in his hand most probably burning his skin. I clenched my teeth and forcefully tried to open his fist. After few failed attempts, I succeeded and threw the cigarette away. Scanning his palm, I saw a fresh burn mark. I get up to bring ointment but he held my wrist and pulled me back on the couch. “You’re burnt. Let me apply something or else you’d get a-”“Why can’t you marry me?” He cut me in middle.“It’s not about you. It’s about me. I can’t fucking marry anyone. I’ve never even thought about my wedding. And what the fuck is wrong with you, Atlas?” I yelled, controlling my urge to smash the glass filled with orange juice on the floor.“You’d marry me. Not now, not tomorrow but someday in future, most probably couple of years later. You’d marry me, princess.” He said, his voice hollow as he turned his face in my direction.My pulse throbbed in my chest. “Over my fucking dead body, M
HAZELI paced back and forth in my room, trying to figure out what Atlas said before. That man! God, sometimes I hate him to so many levels that I want to strangle but at the same time, I just can’t. I can’t because then I’d be dead too. He fucking crushed cigarettes in his hands just because I told him that I won’t marry him. What kind of fucked up situation is this? Calm down, Hazel.I took a deep breath and brought my attention back to Ava who was looking at me, hoping to get an answer that I had no idea about. “Your brother. He’s an asshole.” I breathed out. “We were not talking about my brother.” She whispers, a slight grin plastering on her face.Oh. Right.“I’m sorry- I was just…Please tell me where were we again?” I apologized.“I was asking that can you take me to some club?” She asked. “But Ava, it wouldn’t be safe.” She frowned. “Uh, okay.”I pinched the bridge of my nose. “We can go but you’ve to stay close to me.” She beamed with a wide smile. “Sure. Thankyou so mu