Celestine's POV
I cook when I'm stressed out. Dealing with Lorenzo stresses me out, hence why I'm raiding the kitchen cabinets and looking for ingredients in the refrigerator.
"What are you making?" Eve's voice comes through the speaker of my setup iPhone. I leaned it on a pepper and salt spice container. Eve and I have been friends since kindergarten. She had been the only one to share her snack with the new girl in class. We sort of hit off since then and have become inseparable, even choosing the same university and sharing an apartment off campus together.
"I'm thinking pasta." Something simple and that won't take up much of my time.
"So why are you cooking?" Eve was the person I ran to when Lorenzo and I first separated. She was the one who held my hair away from my face while I was bowed over the toilet seat, throwing up the contents of my stomach because I had drank too much. She was the one who joined me to print out photos of Lorenzo and then burn them while cursing his soul to the abyss.
"Nothing. Just felt like making something for dinner."
"Is it because of Lorenzo?" Who did I think I was fooling?
I had filled Eve in on the disaster that has become my life. She is well-informed about the fact that the boy who dumped me and disappeared without any explanation is now about to become my step-brother.
"No. Why would I be stressed out about him? He isn't worth a second of my time." I totally have not been replaying what happened in his room, over and over in my mind. I definitely haven't been fixated on that god damn piercing. "He hasn't even crossed my mind since the dinner we last had at the restaurant. I have just made sure to avoid his path."
"Where is he right now? Did he really beef up?" Eve's eyes are twinkling at the prospect of eye fucking Lorenzo's body.
"You do realize that you are my friend and therefore my enemy is yours too. You are not meant to consider him to be eye candy," I reprimand, going back to my task of taking out the ingredients needed for the meal, setting the egg, spices, vegetables, and pasta on the counter.
She pouts, her bottom lip rolling out. "In that case, fuck our friendship then. I want to see some pecs, abs, and tight ass."
I fake a gasp, clenching my chest and using the counter as a support system for extra effect. "You would throw away our fifteen years of friendship for some ass?"
"If it looks anything like Michael B. Jordan's then I'm sorry sis because I'm crawling after him without even throwing a glance your way."
Putting a pot on the gas, I load it up with lots of water before turning back to see my shameless friend with a dreamy, far-away look on her face. "You look creepy right now." I snap my fingers in from of my screen to pull her out of her daydreaming, well night dreaming actually. A look at the clock mounted over the refrigerator tells me that it is a quarter past seven.
She cuddles her pillow to her chest, rocking it with a stupid grin on her face. "Just dreaming about me and Michael's kids. I'm thinking of naming the first girl Celestine," she winks at me. "after her Godmother."
I'm crazy because I don't point out the obvious fact that the chances of her and Michael having a child together are as slim as the chances of my ass ever getting a driver's license. No. Instead, I squeal and jump up and down on my foot, my palm cupped over my mouth. "Really? You would name her after me?"
"Of course." She sets her pillow to the side and inches closer to the screen, her face filling up the frame. "I will also introduce his brother and cousins to you," she whispers, her hands cupping her lips like she is letting me in a secret meant just for my ears.
Fanning my face, "oh my God. Oh my God. What if I snatched his brother?" My eyes widen dramatically. "Then we would be sisters-in-law."
It's Eve's turn to squeal as she bounces on her bed. "Our kids would be cousins."
All movement stops as we both stare at each our faces, we maintain the stare for a full minute before we burst out laughing, Eve falling backward on her bed and me doubling over while holding my stomach.
Eve, still slightly laughing, wipes away a teardrop that had rolled down her cheek. "We may need some medical attention."
Chuckling, I put the pasta into the boiling water, stirring it to prevent it from sticking together. "What are you going to do for summer?" I ask, changing the subject from our insane fantasies.
"I'm going to stay at my dad's place." Eve's parents were divorced and have joined custody, so she has been shuffled between both parents for every holiday. She hates it.
"Look on the bright side. We will be in the same city, and we can hang out together sometimes."
My words put a smile on her face.
She keeps me company while I make the pasta, and we end the call once I'm done. I dish the pasta onto a plate and decide to just eat it at the counter instead of at the dining table. No use dining there when I'm the only one.
Halfway through my meal, the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs catches my attention. Lorenzo comes into view and pauses in the doorway at the sight of me.
He recovers quickly, saunters over to my front, and rests his palm on the counter. "I and a group of friends are going to throw a party here."
I may not be acquainted with Cade, but he doesn't strike me as the type of person that allows his son to have a party while he is away. "Are you permitted to do that?"
"Dear God, you don't ever stop, do you?" He leaves the counters and opens the refrigerator, taking out a beer. "Listen here, the only reason I'm telling you about it is so you can lock yourself away in your room."
I watch him open the bottle with his teeth and take a swing of it, not uttering a word.
"I know it's not your type of scene and frankly, I don't need your conservative nose all up in my business. So stay in your room and out of my way." He walks out of the room with his beer.
He is right, a party isn't my type of scene. I would much rather be wrapped up in a blanket and binge-watching a series than be in a room filled with horny and intoxicated humans.
Although, the fact that Lorenzo has told me not to make an appearance at his party has me wanting to do the opposite, if only to see him get worked up and bent out of shape.
Lorenzo's POV The party is in full swing, both inside and outside the house. Presently, plastic cups and beer bottles litter the living room. I'm sure some rooms upstairs are in the same state, thankfully, I had the sense to lock up my father's room and his office. I may be treading on the wide side, but I wasn't looking to get killed by my father.Outside isn't in a better state as drunk people mill around the pool, shouting and drinking, in all stages of undress. The pounding bass of the music pulse through the whole house. We had pushed all the furniture against the wall, creating a space that had become a makeshift dance floor.People filled the space, some were dry humping and grinding against each other to the beat of the music while others were simply jumping up and down, uncoordinated and erratic, rhythm or beat of the music be damned. They dance like they don't have a care in the world. Is it sad that I'm jealous of them?And don't get me started on the PDA. Jesus.Boys and
Celestine's POV Why am I doing this? That's the question I keep asking myself as I climb down the stairs, contemplating between running back up to my room or bracing for the storm to come. I settle on the latter. I want to see the look on Lorenzo's face when I crash his party. Another thing I hated, was why I was allowing his opinion to affect me this much. I'm doing things I wouldn't normally do just to get a reaction out of him. It's pathetic but I can't stop doing them. Seeing the shocked expression on his face when he had dared me to jerk him and I had followed through, it was like a drug was being pumped into my vein. I drug I think I'm getting addicted to it because right now, I'm glancing around the house for Lorenzo to see the seething expression I know is definitely going to be on his face. And there it is. Lorenzo, dressed in knee-length black swim trunks is leaning against the wall, a guy beside him is talking and trying to get Lorenzo's attention but his gaze remain
Lorenzo's POVSomething is different about Celestine. Scratch that. Celestine is different.The last time I saw her before I left for catholic school, she was sleeping on the bed at my beach house, wearing only my T-shirt. She had curled her lips up and rubbed her nose, and I recall thinking about how cute she looked at that moment. I recall wanting to get back in bed and just snuggle in and cuddle her.Everyone at school had only thought of her as a goody two shoes. Heck, I heard some rumors saying she was a lesbian because she was never seen with a guy. No guy thought she was hot so they avoided her.They may have thought she was cute because even underneath her skirts, blouses, and the glasses that covered half of her face, one could still see that was pretty. But she was never considered hot. She never put any effort into her appearance and her clothes were two sized two big, an embarrassment to any guy that would call her their girlfriend.Only I had known the truth. Only I had
Lorenzo's POV "I was away for one night and you turned my house into a fucking circus," my dad hollers, his face red as fuck, with spit flying everywhere. I knew that my father was going to find out about the party. Heck, I wanted him to find out. Call it a rebellious streak or whatever but I want him to know that just because he had managed to make me stay in this house, doesn't mean I would bend to his every rule. Waking up first thing in the morning to my dad's screaming in my face was not how I wanted the encounter to go through. I had at least been hoping to catch some shut-eye before the confrontation. How did he even find out? I and Luke with our other friends had scrubbed the place early this morning, from the surfaces to each room in this big house. So how did he... Goddd. I feel like smacking myself over the head. How could my stupid ass have forgotten to turn off the CCTV camera at the entrance? I throw the blanket off my sleepy as fuck body, running a hand through my u
Celestine's POV FlashbackI run my fingers down his chest, tracing above his waistband and the ridges on his abdomen. "Lorenzo," I say, snuggling deeper into his embrace. "Yes?" My head on his chest lifts a bit as the word vibrates deep in his chest. "What's wrong?" His hand on my back draws random circles.I have to say it now before I lose what little confidence I have muttered up. I lift my head, resting my chin on his pecs. "I like you. A lot." It's out there now."What?" He tilts his head down to be able to meet my eyes. "You like me?"Burying my face into his chest, I cringe inwardly. Why the fuck did I even say it? We both agreed that this was just going to be about sex while we work on our project together. Why couldn't I have just kept my stupid mouth shut? Now I've complicated everything and it going to become awkward between us. God. We seat together. How am I going to survive going to school?"Hey." He shuffles around, then his fingers are gripping my chin, and tilting m
PresentCelestine's POVI jolt upright in the bed, the pounding of my chest matches the consistent throbbing of my sex. Why am I dreaming about that bastard that keeps insulting and hurting me? It was more of a memory than a dream. A memory that I have locked away forever, so why are the flashbacks resurfacing? It's like my body is practicing mutiny and it is being led by my stupid brain.Faint evening light streams through my bedroom window. A look at the screen of my phone tells me that it's six pm. I slept through the whole day.I lift a hand to my face only to pull it away and find it sticky with dried-up tears. The last thing I remember is burying my head into the pillow and drenching it with my hot tears after I argued with Lorenzo.Ahhh! Why did I try to comfort him? I really tried to show sympathy for a heartless bastard like himself. I slide out of bed and whine at the dull ache in my arm, a sign that I slept in the wrong position. I pad into my bathroom, peel the clothes
Celestine's POV I pick at my meal while trying to ignore the strained silence between the four of us. Lorenzo keeps filling his glass with drinks. Cade is going through something on his phone, and mom keeps asking questions and bringing up conversations to make the evening bearable, all to no avail. The stuffed sweet potatoes have a hard time going down my throat with all this tension in the room. Cade drops his phone on the table, turning the screen face down and faces me. "Celestine, what do you think of my home so far? I hope you are enjoying your stay here." I take a sip of my water, swallowing the food down my throat to free up my mouth. "You have a very beautiful home here, there is no way I would have any complaints." "What a well-mannered girl. You raised her well." He takes my mom's hands, their joined hands resting on the table in between their plates. Moments like this still baffle me. They just seem so unreal. I never thought I would ever see my mom this close with
Lorenzo's POV I take a drag out of the end of my cigarette. I'm halfway through getting high but my mind is still not shutting down. My crappy mood still hasn't improved and I can feel a migraine on its way from my excessive thinking. I'm standing outside Luke's house, leaning on the wall in the backyard, away from all the noise going on inside. Last night's dinner is what has me in this mood. I haven't been able to get Celestine out of my head since last night. Sure, there was alway a subconscious part of me constantly thinking about her even when I tried to deny it but this time it is different. I'm not just thinking about her body or her allure. No. This time I'm thinking about everything; the past, the present, the future, and what is going to become of us once our parents get married. I'm done kidding myself by saying I'm over her. I was way over my head and deceiving myself because just one mention of our previous relationship from her mom and I'm tangled up in knots. My tho