Leilani.
As soon as the door of my room closed behind me, I wiped off the tears on my face with the back of my hands and began to pack all of my essentials into a duffel bag, not missing my laptop and flash drives.
My hands trembled while I did so because I feared the possibility of my parents or my mates barging in here to 'punish me for hurting Chalice'.
I feared that they would destroy my things just to make us 'equal'. Hell, I even feared that this time, they may indeed take my life.
However, I'd just packed everything I needed when I noticed my phone resting at the bedside table. I'd not seen it in days, and while I missed it dearly, I was in too much of a hurry so I instantly dialed Jarek's number.
He picked up on the first ring, his deep voice filled my ear as he drawled; "Sweetcakes?"
"I'm in trouble," I said quickly, not bothering with preambles. "Chalice threw herself down the stairs and now everyone thinks I did it."
"Shit!" He cursed, his voice booming through the speaker as I heard him rise to his feet, then more shuffling noises filled the silence between us. "How did this happen?"
"It's a long story, Jay, but the stairs have a CCTV camera. I know no one would try to check it because to them, Chalice can never lie, but I need the footage. I also need the one from the day my grandmother was pushed—"
"I know. I know you want to clear your name, but right now, what you need is to get the hell out of there. If you can, leave now."
"I cannot!" I cried, my voice breaking. "They wouldn't let me leave, especially after what just happened to Chalice. She got injured so badly, and they all think I did it. But I didn't…" my voice trailed off. Tears poured out of my eyes.
"I may hate her guts and the things that she's done to me but I'll never hurt her that way. I just couldn't—"
"I know, I know. I believe you." He whispered, and maybe it was because I'd never heard anyone say those words to me, but as soon as the words slipped out of his mouth, something in me broke.
My tears fell down more freely, my body even trembled with more force, it took a lot of effort to keep pressing the phone against my ear.
"I know that they would hurt me, Jay," I cried, my lips trembling, "…but I fear what they'll do to me… and how they'll decide to hurt me this time."
"Where are you?" He asked suddenly. His voice was grave. Hard.
I gulped. "In the main house. I've packed a duffel bag… I've—"
"Open this door, you damn bitch!" Gavin's voice suddenly cut through my speech as he pounded aggressively on my door.
The rage in his voice made me flinch and I hesitated for a moment before returning to the call. "Jay, my brother's here…"
"I'll be there in a few minutes." He cut in, interrupting me, and I nodded once before ending the call.
My legs felt heavy and my knees wobbled as I padded over to the door, and by the time I arrived, Gavin had grown impatient. He kicked the door down, causing the wood to splinter as everything came tumbling down… towards me.
A loud shriek escaped my mouth as I held out my hands in front of me, in a bid to protect myself from the incoming disaster, or to duck, but I was too late and too slow. It crashed against me, sending me sprawling to the floor.
My head hit the floor with a loud whack sound and I winced, whilst struggling to sit up. But because I was too weak and in too much pain, it was difficult to help myself. I cried hysterically.
"BITCH!" Gavin growled as he stepped into the room, His eyes were wide with fury, his nostrils flaring as he glared at me with unadulterated malice. He paused for a brief second when he saw me on the floor with blood seeping out from an open cut on my arm, and another on my forehead; but then he scoffed, came to pick me up and then slapped me so hard, I heard the subtle breaking of my skin.
"You tried to kill Chalice the same way you killed grandma?! How devious can you be?!"
For a moment, I simply stood there, my ears ringing in pain, my heart clenching and unclenching… only to start the process all over again; But I couldn't bring myself to move. I couldn't even speak either.
I was hurt, yes. But I was also done.
I tipped my head back and stared straight at him… so hard that I saw him falter.
He seethed; "Are you deaf?"
"Yes, I am deaf," I spat back, forcing all the venom I could muster into my voice. "But so are you. And do you know what makes me better than you? I'm not as blind as I am deaf!"
"Leilani!" His hand crashed against my face again and this time, I welcomed the pain even though I could taste the metallic tang of my blood in my mouth.
"You've become so bad, so terrible! You're such a monster!"
"If I'm a monster, then you're that thing worse than monsters!" I bit back, causing his eyes to widen before his face hardened.
He raised his hand up, ready to strike me again but this time, the blow never came. His hand hung in the air for a second… then a minute. I gasped.
My eyes widened when I noticed the other hand, the one I'd not noticed earlier holding Gavin's hand and I spun around to face the intruder, my breath catching when I came face to face with…
"Caelum?"
"Don't look so relieved, runt," he spat through his teeth. "Don't think I'll let you go free after what you just did to Chalice."
For a moment, I simply stood there, watching him, taking in the conflict in his eyes… seeing the unease stiffening his shoulders. I sighed and shook my head. "I figured."
Then he turned to Gavin. "Leave her to me, I'll punish her myself. Also, your father asked me to tell you to come join him at the hospital, your mother was so devastated about Chalice's fall that she had a mini stroke."
I gasped just as Gavin turned to me with eyes so dark, they looked like the night. "This is all your fault!" He hissed, and with that, he stormed off, leaving me standing face to face with one of the few people I'd rather die than have to talk to one more time.
I walked over to my bed.
"I just talked about Chalice being hospitalized, and your mother going into a mini stroke, and you're not concerned? You don't even look the least bit affected?!" Caelum seethed as he watched me sit, his eyes thinning into slits as he regarded me with contempt.
I shrugged. "Everyone already sees me as the devil, why do you still seem surprised?"
"You're despicable!" He growled, "…utterly, absolutely despicable."
"Did Zevran tell you what I asked for?" I asked quietly, ignoring his comment— even though it hurt like a bitch— and I saw him pause in surprise, his jaws slackening before his infamous mask of indifference slipped back onto his face.
"What was that?" He spat.
"I want you guys to reject me, but I've changed my mind…" I drawled, and Caelum scoffed.
"Of course, you'll change your mind. You wouldn't exist without u—"
"I can no longer wait for a month, I want you three to do it today."
As soon as I said that, he froze. His face contorted into a frown so deep and so dark, I scooted backward in fear.
Truthfully, I had half expected him to scream at me, to yell. To even hit me for saying that. I'd even hoped that he would be decent enough to not drag it out and simply reject me; But I was wrong.
I was utterly wrong.
Nothing though prepared me for what he did next— not the years of abuse and neglect, not the fact that I knew he was batshit crazy— nothing.
Caelum stormed over to me, forcefully dragged me to my feet and with eyes so dark and so cruel, he slammed his lips against mine.
I froze.