CHAPTER ONE

~RHEA~

“You know how much I want you, Rhea. You know how much I want to fuck you” Chase murmured as he pressed me up against the wall, sliding his fingers down my thigh.

“Tell me what you want” He whispered into my ear and my heart slammed rationally against my ribcage as I stared up at him.

“I want you…”

“Rhea!!”

“... to touch me” I replied softly and he grinned before shoving his fingers down my pants.

“Rhea!”

A voice called out my name but I ignored it.

“Rhea, if you're not down in ten seconds I swear…”

My eyes snapped right open as I immediately turned off the vibrator in my hand.

“Fucking hell” I muttered with a frustrated groan before shoving my vibrator into the secret compartment under my bed that my mother had no idea of.

Once again, I had failed at getting an orgasm. No matter how hard I tried, I could never get aroused.

Maybe I should just become a Nun.

“Rhea!” Heather's voice echoed from downstairs.

“I'm coming Heather!” I climbed out of my bed and immediately slammed into the life sized cardboard cutout beside my bed.

Zander Cole light gray eyes stared back at me with an arrogant smirk on his face that he wore in every magazine.

Ever since my mother had me move into my dead sister's room, I hadn't been allowed to touch or change anything.

Not her trophies, not her poster and definitely not the giant cardboard Cutout of her lifelong hockey obsession.

It always seemed like he was watching me while I slept and I couldn't stand his pretty face.

“You better hope we never cross Paths or else” I muttered then squared up at him before letting out a scoff, grabbing my bag and walking out of my room.

I found Heather waiting for me at the foot of the stairs.

“What took you so long?” She asked with a raised eyebrow as soon as she saw me and I sighed as I walked down the stairs.

“You do not want to know. Let's go before…”

“Lyra” My mother called out behind me and I froze with a frown.

I couldn't even remember the last time my mother called me by my real name.

“Yes mother?” I asked as I turned around to face her.

She stood at the top of the stairs as she stared at me disapprovingly, like I was never going to be enough for her.

“Where are you going?” She asked and I forced a smile on my face.

“Chase is playing one Last game before we head to college so I wanted to support him…”

“Where is your wig?” She interjected and my frown deepened as I reached out to touch my brunette locks.

Unlike my mother and Lyra, I had brunette hair just like my Dad.

My mother hated it.

After the accident, my mother packed away everything that belonged to me.

My entire life had changed that night. My mother couldn't deal with the loss and had me change into her precious daughter, Lyra. Nothing of the real me existed in this house.

So much so that I was slowly forgetting who I was.

“Lyra looked prettier in blond” She uttered and her words felt like a knife to the heart.

Lyra and I were twins so her saying that…

I flashed her a tight lipped smile.

“It's just Chase, mother” I told her and she shook her head at me with a frown.

“Lyra…”

“We are kind of late, Mrs Vale. We don't want to miss the opening, right Rhea?” Heather immediately spoke up and I turned to her with a smile then nodded.

At least she knew my name.

“I'll see you when I get back, mother” I whispered before turning around and walking away with Heather by my side.

The second we got into the car, I let out a shaky breath.

“That woman terrifies me ” Heather muttered as she started the car.

“You should try living with her” I muttered and she glanced at me sympathetically before pulling out of the driveway.

“Can I ask you a question, Heather?” I asked after a while and she nodded.

“Sure”

I pursed my lips as I slowly turned fully towards her.

“Have you ever been aroused before?” I asked and she did a double take as she blinked.

“Of course. Haven't you?” She asked and I shook my head.

“Never, not even by Chase” I explained and she raised an eyebrow.

“Don't tell me… you planning on fucking Chase tonight?” She asked with wide eyes and I nodded.

We have been dating for three years, it was time to get past that stage.

“Well if I can't get aroused then it's not happening” I muttered and she placed her hand on my thigh as she swerved into another lane.

“Don't think too much of it. I'm sure in the moment, you'll feel it. Besides, maybe Chase is the problem” She assured me and I scoffed.

“I doubt it”

“I don't know, Rhea. He gives small dick energy” She joked and I snorted out a laugh.

“Oh shut up. All size matter” I murmured and she rolled her eyes but said nothing else on that matter as she pulled into the parking lot outside the hockey arena.

“By the way, Zander Cole is coming over to the ring today” She told me and my ears perked up as my stomach weirdly tightened.

“Zander Cole? You mean the Zander Cole?” I asked and she chuckled.

“Yes, the hockey prodigy and the man who has his face plastered all over your room” She told me and I scoffed.

“It's not my room. What is he doing back here anyway?” I asked and she shrugged.

“What do I know about hockey? I'm just going there to feed my eyes on the hot men there. I wondered if he looks as delicious as he does in photos. We need to go get his autograph” She said with a dreamy sigh and I scoffed.

“I've seen enough of that man to last me a lifetime so no thank you. Besides, I have to go find Chase before the game” I told her and she shrugged.

“Suit yourself but you're missing out” She said and I rolled my eyes.

I doubted that.

We walked into the building and it was packed with screaming girls and hockey fans. This was the last time Chase's team was going to be playing for our local high-school before they moved off to college so it was really important to them.

“I'll go find Zander Cole” Heather squealed Beside me before walking away and I rolled my eyes then headed Straight for the locker room where i assumed Chase was since he wasn't in the ring yet.

As I walked by, many people whispered and threw judgmental looks my way but it didn't bother me much.

After all, I was used to it by now.

I was about to make a turn when voices suddenly echoed down the hall.

“Cole, it's good to see you again”

My steps slowed.

Zander Cole? He was here?

I knew I said I didn't care what he looked like in real life but sneaking a peak wouldn't hurt, right?

I was about to take a step forward when he suddenly brushed past me with coach Reynolds beside him.

My breath hitched as I took him in. He definitely Looked better in real life than he did in his photos.

Girls openly stared and took his photos as he walked by and honestly didn't blame them.

He commanded attention without trying too hard.

He briefly glanced at me and our eyes met for less than a second before he kept walking. Within that second, I forgot how to breathe.

I took a deep breath as I tried to regain myself. Today wasn't about Zander but about Chase. I still needed to find him.

“Chase” A female voice moaned beside me and I froze.

I slowly turned towards the door and shook my head.

It couldn't be…

I pushed the door open, walked in and as soon as I saw them, my stomach dropped.

Chase had Sienna, my other best friend, pinned against the wall with his mouth on hers.

My entire body meant Numb and for a second, I thought my brain was playing tricks on me. At least I hoped…

But then Chase pulled back slightly and I saw the smeared lipstick across his lips.

My bag hand slipped from my fingers and the sound of it hitting the floor made both of them jump apart instantly.

Chase turned first and the colour drained from his face.

“Rhea…” He called out as Sienna stumbled backwards with her lips swollen.

I stared at them blankly as it suddenly felt hard to breathe.

These were two people that stood beside me when my life fell apart and had sworn to always be there for me.

“Rhea…” Chase began with panic laced in his voice as he stepped towards me. “This Isn’t…”

“She's wearing your jersey…” A tear slid down my cheeks as I pointed it out and his face fell.

“Rhea…”

“So this was why you didn't invite me?” My voice barely sounded like mine.

“Baby, listen…”

“Don't you dare call me that” I said sharply, shocking both of them.

I turned around and tried walking away, not wanting them to see me break down when Chase grabbed my wrist.

“Rhea please…” I turned around and slapped him hard across the face.

“Rhea!” Sienna screamed as she jumped in front of Chase before she turned to glare at me.

“Rhea, you can't honestly say you didn't see this coming, can you?” She asked and I frowned.

“What?”

She sighed like I was exhausting her and in that moment, I couldn't even recognise who the person standing in front of me was.

“Sienna…” Chase began.

“Chase only stayed because he felt bad. He pitied you”

The world stopped.

Beside her, Chase stiffened.

“Sienna…”

“Let's be honest with her for once. Why must we coddle her when she's a murderer?” She screamed, causing everyone in the hall to turn to us.

I physically recoiled as I turned to Chase who couldn't keep contact with me.

“You pity me?” My voice cracked and he shook his head frantically.

“No… I…”

“He does and I did too but we are going off to college now, Rhea. We won't want to be associated with a murderer anymore…”

I landed a slap on her face before I even realized it.

Sienna gasped loudly, clutching onto her cheek as Chase pushed her behind him.

“Jesus Christ, Rhea” He snapped. “What is wrong with you?”

His tone didn't hurt me. It was the way he stared at me.

He looked at me exactly the way everyone else did.

Without another word, I turned around and ran…