Chapter 3
Hushed voices and muffled laughter jars me awake. I turned into the lightest sleeper in the world after the accident.
“Boys!” Olivia barks, and several grumbles and muttered curses escape their lips.
I glance over to the clock, noting that it’s three in the morning. They must be out past curfew. I’m about to get to witness a serious showdown.
Grinning, I move to the door and open it as heavy footsteps thud against the hardwood stairs. “What?” I hear one of them snap, sounding entirely too pissed. She’s the only one not afraid of them, and despite their cruel mentality, they allow it.
“What?” she growls. “You’re asking what? I told all of you that Sinclair can’t be alone. And the first day she’s here, you do just that. I know you came home after practice, and Sinclair would have been here by then.”
Ah, hell. This is humiliating. In fact, it’s so degrading that I could crawl into a ball and hide from the world.
Before they can retort or defend themselves, Olivia sets in again. “She’s going through something terrible, and she needs your help. All of us are responsible for her right now. You’re grounded until school starts.”
“What the fuck, Mom?”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Deciding I’d prefer not to become a target for the ruthless Nash boys, I storm through the door as Olivia continues berating them. Just as I come into view, I see Olivia’s blonde hair bouncing as she adamantly scolds her three sons.
The backs of three heads with jet-black hair are in my view. I’m actually a little shocked by the fact they’re so tall now—well, I can only see how tall two of them are. Even though they’re halfway down a few stairs, they’re still almost as tall as me. That means they’re well over six feet tall.
Considering they’re brothers, I’m not surprised to see them similarly built, but I am surprised to see how built they are. Their shoulders are broader, and I can tell they’re toned and full of muscle. Their waists are all narrow, but still much wider than mine.
One stands leaning against the banister, looking bored. One is sitting on a step, leaning back casually as though he’s watching a rerun instead of a new show. And the other has both of his hands resting on top of his head, more leisurely than frustrated.
“They didn’t know I was here,” I say loudly, but not yelling, letting my voice cut through hers.
Two of the guys tense, but the one sitting down doesn’t bother acknowledging that I just spoke. Olivia looks horrified when she sees me. I guess she underestimates the acoustics of this house and my light sleeping.
As one, two of the guys turn to look at me, piercing me with eyes that I can’t see through the subtle light drifting up the stairwell. The one sitting still remains leaned back, his elbows resting on a step as his legs stay crossed at the ankles.
Olivia stutters, “Sinclair. I… I’m so sorry.”
Pretending I don’t hear her apology, I continue. “I had already taken my bags to my room when they came in,” I lie, and the two looking at me exchange a look, keeping their faces impassible—cold. “I was getting a drink of water after a long day. I heard them, but they never saw me.”
Even with the dim glow of the light, it’s then I realize how long a few years can be. They don’t look hardly anything like they did when I had just turned fourteen. Immediately I recognize Jax, because his cold eyes still haunt my nightmares. He’s the youngest, and he’s a junior in high school. Or will be when school starts. But he has a black heart full of spite and fury just waiting on a host to unleash it on.
The other I think is Luke. He and Ethan are twins, and while they strongly resemble each other, they’re not identical. Their features back then were distinct and different. Liz would die if she saw Jax or Luke. They’re both so different, older, more mature in appearance.
“See, Mom?” Ethan says from his seat on the stairs, still not bothering to look up at me.
Luke and Jax exchange another look as Olivia tightens her lips, looking ashamed, but not because Ethan is taunting her. She hates that I overheard.
Ethan continues, “We never even knew she was home. Where were you?”
Before I can let the guilt settle over Olivia’s face, I answer him, snarling at his back, even though it’s stupid as hell.
“My flight landed early. I didn’t text her soon enough. Not that it’s any of your business.”
Stupid son of a bitch. How dare he talk to her like that. Olivia is the nicest person I’ve ever met—other than my mother.
He tenses ever so slightly, but I see it before he relaxes again. Balls. The last thing I need to do is drive myself into the line of fire Ethan Nash can unleash.
“Nobody asked for your input,” Ethan says coldly, still not bothering to look back.
“Ethan!” Olivia scolds.
“Nobody objected when I came out to save your asses either. Some of us like to sleep, though, so I’m not crazy about screaming at three in the morning for no good reason. That’s the only reason I came out. Night, Olivia.” After turning back around, I walk three steps before I add, “And I’m not suicidal, so babysitters aren’t necessary.”
She apologizes to my back, and I roll my eyes. I wasn’t trying to make her feel bad. That was directed solely at Ethan. Well, maybe the last part was directed at her. But the rest was for Ethan because he was a complete and total asshole when we were kids, even though he never spoke directly to me. At eighteen, he’s managed to make the Guinness World Records for biggest jerk.
Jax and Luke snicker, but smother it when I toss a look over my shoulder. I force a smirk, acting as though I’m as badass as I just sounded, but as I turn around, I take in a heavy breath of air.
“Get to bed,” I hear Olivia say to her laughing sons just as I reach my room. As I shut the door, I lean against it, dropping my head back to stare at the ceiling. Definitely going to be a long year.
STARTING 2017!