Four

I gripped my silver fork so hard the sharp metal dug painful marks into my palm. I stared across the table, my gray eyes filled with pure, unadulterated hate. Derick knew exactly what he was doing. He was enjoying my agony. He loved seeing me cornered.

"Yes," I managed to say through clenched teeth. "Family."

The rest of the dinner was a blur of fake smiles and clinking glasses. The moment Leo called for the check, I stood up. I didn't wait for my mother. I didn't say goodbye to Derick. I walked out of the restaurant and hailed a cab. My hands were shaking the entire ride home.

When I unlocked the apartment door of my father’s house, the anger inside me exploded. My mother walked in a few minutes later, humming a song. She was glowing.

"Are you insane?" I yelled, confronting her right in the hallway. "Next month? You are marrying Leo Stone next month? And you didn't even care that Derick was mocking me the entire night!"

Lucy paused. She took off her expensive coat and threw it onto the chair. She looked at me with deep irritation. "Oh, stop it, Ava. I am completely sick of your childish tantrums. This is a multi billion dollar empire we are talking about. I am securing our future."

"Our future? You are destroying Dad!" I screamed. "And Derick is a monster. He is using this to torture me. He wants to make my life a living hell!"

"Derick is a handsome, successful young man," my mother snapped, her voice rising. "He is going to be your stepbrother, and you will respect him. I will not let your petty feelings ruin the best thing that has ever happened to this family. Grow up, Ava. If you make a scene at the wedding, I will cut off your father's medical funds so fast your head will spin."

The threat hung in the air like poison. My own mother was choosing a billionaire's wallet over her daughter's sanity and her husband's life.

I couldn't breathe in that apartment. I grabbed my jacket and slammed the door behind me. I needed comfort. I needed someone to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be okay. I needed Sam.

I took another cab straight to Sam’s apartment. I didn't call him first. I wanted to surprise him. I wanted to crawl into his arms and just cry. I used my spare key to open his front door, stepping quietly into the dark hallway.

"Sam?" I called out softly.

There was no answer, but I heard noises coming from the bedroom. It sounded like giggling. A strange, cold feeling washed over me. My heart began to beat fast against my ribs.

I walked down the hallway, my footsteps silent on the carpet. The bedroom door was cracked open. A warm light spilled out onto the floor. I pushed the door open completely.

My breath caught in my throat. My world stopped spinning.

Sam was on the bed. He wasn't alone. He was in a deeply compromising position with another woman. Her clothes were scattered all over the floor. She laughed as he kissed her neck.

Then, the woman turned her head toward the door. My chest seized up. It was Vivian.

His female best friend. The girl he always told me not to worry about. The one he swore was "just like a sister" to him. She was in bed with my boyfriend.

"Ava!" Sam gasped, sitting up quickly. His face turned completely pale. "Wait, it's not what it looks like!"

Vivian didn't even look guilty. She just pulled the sheet up to her chest and gave me a small, smug smile. "Ava, you were always too busy with your dad anyway. A guy has needs."

I couldn't speak. The betrayal was a physical pain, ripping through my stomach. First my mother, then my job, and now the two people I trusted most in the world. They had all stabbed me in the back on the exact same day.

I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I turned around and ran.

I ran down the stairs of his building and out onto the neon-lit streets. The night air was freezing, but I didn't care. I walked until my legs ached. I ended up outside a crowded, loud downtown bar. The music was thumping through the walls.

I walked inside. I slid onto a barstool and caught the bartender's eye.

"Give me a shot of tequila," I said. My voice sounded dead. "Actually, leave the bottle."

I didn't count how many drinks I had. One shot turned into three. Three turned into six. I wanted the burning liquid to wash away the memory of Vivian’s smile. I wanted to forget my mother's threats. I wanted to forget Derick Stone’s wicked smirk.

The room started to spin. The lights blurred into beautiful, bright streaks. The pain in my chest finally began to go numb. I laughed out loud at nothing. I was completely, utterly drunk.

"You look like you're having a rough night, beautiful."

A man slid into the barstool next to me. He had dark hair and a nice smile. He wore an expensive jacket. In my blurry vision, he looked kind. He looked like an escape. He looked like a way to forget that I was completely unloved.

"I'm having the worst night of my life," I giggled, my words slurring together.

"I can make you forget," the stranger whispered. He leaned close, his hand resting on my waist. It felt warm. I didn't pull away. I didn't care about rules anymore. I didn't care about Sam. I wanted to be bad. I wanted to hurt myself before anyone else could hurt me.

"Okay," I whispered, stumbling as I stood up. "Let's go."

The stranger helped me walk out of the bar. We got into the back of a black car. I rested my heavy head against his shoulder. The alcohol was a heavy fog in my brain. Everything went dark.

•••

When I finally opened my eyes, the sunlight was blinding. A pounding headache throbbed behind my eyes. My mouth tasted like ash.

I groaned and tried to move, but a heavy arm was wrapped tightly around my bare waist.

I froze. Memory fragments of the night came rushing back. The bar. The betrayal. The stranger.

Slowly, terrifyingly, I turned my head on the silk pillowcase to see who was lying in the bed next to me.

My heart completely stopped. The blood froze in my veins.