Chapter 2

The loud sound of music sent me falling off the bed, my heart pounding wildly. I looked around my room, trying to figure out what was happening, my mind still foggy and dizzy from sleep.

The memories of last night came rushing back. Nanny Rose had sneaked Mira and me back into our room to avoid my father's wrath after he came home unexpectedly. I would've been in hot soup if he had walked into my room.

Mira grabbed a pillow and covered her ears, a growl leaving her lips.

It could only mean one thing.

Josh was back.

I stood up and headed straight for his room. I needed to give him a piece of my mind. My beauty sleep was gone, just like that.Storming to my brother's room early as fuck is barely four in the morning, and he's blasting music while working out.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You want to pull the whole house down? It's still early for this noise, I can't sleep."

I'm burning with rage, but all I got was a laugh from him.

How is that amusing? Have I turned into a clown without knowing?

"Calm down, baby sister. You look like a burning tomato, you could explode. It's just music, it doesn't kill."

Was I just called a tomato? My ears must be deceiving me.

"What did you just call me?"

I didn't leave my room to correct his behaviour just to be mocked like Josh. "You can't be serious. This is not a rented apartment, people live here. You can't do whatever you want, you're causing chaos. You have your own house, why did you come back here?"

"Am I being chased out of my parents' house? Is that how bad you don't like me?"

"I'm not chasing you away, you need to learn to behave. That's all I'm asking for."

I turned and walked out of his room, knowing fully well I wouldn't be going back to sleep anymore.

"So much for peace."

I'm being treated like a child now. I can't even have a decent sleep and peace anymore.

I diverted my way to the kitchen. I might as well get some breakfast started before Mom wakes up. It'll be easier for everyone to start the day, and I'll have enough time for shopping with Mira for a girls' makeover.

Uni is in two months time . We already promised to have all the fun we could get before the semester begins. This two months summer vacation is our last days of being dependent on our parents. It's our time to make our own decisions.

I moved down the stairs humming a melody, wrapping my hands around myself to create warmth from the early morning cold. My thin night gown was barely doing justice to it, but I couldn't go back to my room to change. I might get lazy and not come back.

I don't hate Josh for coming home.

I love when he's home because he comes with Ace. That's the only time I get to see him.

He only comes around when Josh visits. He never drops by the house, and I don't want to be seen as the creepy little sister if I demand he comes to stay with us when Josh isn't home.

I mean, who would do that? I might have a crush, but I still have my pride as a lady.

Speaking of the devil in angel disguise, he's sitting at the kitchen counter with his laptop, looking like he just came out of a magazine. Who on earth looks that good in the morning?

I stood there looking lost at him, not even making an attempt to walk in, the coldness I once felt leaving my body.

Hot.

That's what I feel now. I'm quite sure I could boil a cup of tea and it would still be at a lower temperature.

His gaze lands on me, and I could feel myself forgetting how to breathe.

"Good morning," I murmured, not planning on making a mess of myself this early. I can't ruin my day just yet. I'm going to ignore him and act like he's not here. That's what I'm going to do.

He just gave me a nod. Bro, is it going to kill you if you respond to my greeting?

I haven't heard about a person dying because he responded to a greeting.

I ignored him, moving to the shelf to get the pan for my pancakes, but then it clicked on me. I'm too short to reach it. I always stand on the kitchen stool and, fuck my luck, he's sitting on the only stool I can move. The rest are fucking heavy, I wouldn't be able to lift them.

Should I ask him to stand up?

No way am I doing that. I'm not starting a conversation with someone who doesn't want to talk to me.

No way am I doing that. Girls code, I won't.

I stood on my tiptoes, stretching out my hands to get the handle of the pan.

Why would my mom agree to build this type of shelf when she knows she has a short daughter?

Why would she do this to me?

I don't blame her though. My parents and brother are all tall, I'm the only one with the short gene.

My mom once made a comment about how I transferred my height to my hips and ass.

They diverted to it.

I couldn't hold my tears the day she told me that while I was trying to reach for ice cream in the freezer. I'm barely five-foot-four and already looking too matured for my age.

Tears beamed in my eyes when I still couldn't get it. My night gown was making matters worse, it kept rising up. Can't this day get any worse? I'm already not finding it funny.

I felt his presence behind me. He pressed his body against my back while reaching to get the pan for me. It's all his fault I'm getting worked up over something that would've been easy if he wasn't here.

My thoughts cut short when I felt something hard against my back. Is that his?

Oh my gosh!

I screamed and jumped away from him.

My heart pounded wildly. Is that how it feels when it's hard?

Why is it hard?

I could feel my cheeks burning red.

My brother was right when he called me a tomato.

Why am I acting like I haven't seen the outline whenever he's in sweatpants? Why am I behaving so childish?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to jump. I wasn't paying attention."

Why am I even apologising? He's the one who owes me one. He's the one making everything hard for me.

Even if I've been trying not to think about that stuff, getting it close to me doesn't mean anything. Not when he's making my day bad and ignoring my greetings. I'm a lover girl, I don't take trash.

He backed away, placing the pan on the dining table.

"Sorry if I startled you. I was just trying to help."

"Ohhh, now you can talk?"

I quickly covered my mouth when I realised what I just said.

"I didn't mean it that way, I promise."

He just nodded, took his laptop with him, and left the kitchen for me. Ohhh, I messed up. I knew I was going to do that right from the moment I walked into this kitchen.

"What is wrong with me?"

He was just trying to help.

Yeah, help with a hard dick on my back. What a way to start a wonderful morning.

I quickly got my cooking started, mixing the flour in a bowl and breaking my eggs, my thoughts drifting back to how it felt against my back.

I'm slowly turning into a horny bitch. If that's not

going to be the end of me, then Ace will be either way. I just hope it'll be in a good way.

"Good way?" Who am I kidding?

I focus back on the breakfast while checking the heat to make sure it's perfect. I need to erase Ace from my mind. He has stayed there for so long. I really need to stop being so naive and focus on reality. He's not going to be mine.

The sound of a stool scraping across the floor gets my attention. I look up from the pan, turning the heat down low. I'm met with Dad adjusting his coat, with his coffee on the table. He looks stressed out, with all the gray hair, unlike the young, vibrant man who played with me when I was little.

"You look so stressed, Daddy. Have you been getting some sleep lately?" I ask.

He shakes his head, picking up his coffee from the table and taking a sip. He clears his throat. "There have been some challenges at work recently, but I've got it handled. Nothing to worry about," he assures me.

But I know he won't accept my help if I decide to come to the office to help out. It's like he's keeping me away from there. I'm the only one who doesn't visit the company, but I don't think much of it. I don't lack anything that would make me doubt they're keeping something from me, but sometimes I can't shake the feeling. The late-night calls, company meetings with strange men in suits who come around every Friday night... I remember when I tried asking questions, but he cut me off, saying it wasn't something I should worry my pretty head about.

Mum strolls in with her phone, looking all serious, not the sweet, cheerful spirit who warms the house with her presence. She pulls out the seat beside Dad.

"Someone sent a video from a private number."

She looks up at me with a serious stare. Cold shivers run down my spine. I turn off the cooker and make my way to her. There's a video of me under the streetlight in my tight dress.

"Don't tell me this is you, Summer." She points her phone at my face.

I can feel my heart pounding. My fingers fumble with the hem of my shirt as I shift my weight from one foot to the other. I keep my eyes fixed on the floor, unable to meet Mum's gaze. They can't find out I sneaked out. I'll be grounded.

"Of course not, Mummy. That's not even true. Where would I have been at that time of the night? Look at the picture. The face is blurred. You can't even make out the appearance of the person beside you, and I know I don't have such a dress."

Gosh, when did I become so good at lying, even when the evidence is right in front of my face?

"I believe my daughter, sweetie. It might just be a false alarm. Someone is trying to mess with us, and we won't let that slide. We'll get to the bottom of this. Someone wants to ruin my family, but I won't go easy on them."

He stands up, giving Mum a peck on her forehead before bringing out his cellphone and dialing a number.

He's trying to keep his composure, but I can see the cracks on his face. He barks orders at the person on the other end of the line. It was supposed to calm me down, but it only ends up raising the pressure building inside me. Whoever sent that video was targeting me, and that alone is a threat. It can ruin the trust Mum has in me and the reputation I have spent so long protecting.

I head back to the breakfast I was making, but Mum's judging stare still hasn't left me. It's like she's monitoring every movement I make. I grip the pan tighter, but my trembling fingers almost let it slip from my hand. I swallow hard and keep my attention on the food, refusing to

look in her direction. At this rate, my heart is beating so fast I'm seconds away from having high blood pressure. I'm really in deep shit if care isn't taken. She won't let me be. I still don't know who exactly I should be more scared of—the stalker taking my picture or my mum, who is holding herself back from devouring me to pieces.