Isaac’s Heather looks to me. “You're more than welcome to come. Since you’re Isaac’s sister.”
“She’s not my sister,” Isaac practically growls. I look over at him, but he’s looking at his plate.
Turning my attention back to Heather, I give her a fake as hell smile. “Thanks, but I’d rather walk on rusty nails while singing Cotton Eyed Joe than go dress shopping with you.” I flutter my lashes.
Luke snorts a laugh, but quickly smothers it with his cup as he tastes his drink.
The Heathers all gasp, and my mother turns to me, steam practically coming out of her ears. “Abigail!”
“What?” I ask, throwing my fork down on my plate, not really into this fancy bullshit they try to pass off as a meal. “What do you expect from me? These girls have been nothing but catty bitches to me since the moment I got to school.”
“We have not,” Noah’s Heather sticks her nose up at me. “We would never be cruel. Just because you don’t like us, doesn’t mean you can spread lies about us.”
I huff out an unamused laugh, shaking my head.You have gotta be kidding me. Why am I surprised?Of course they would lie out their asses so they don’t ruin their perfect image. “Whatever. You're full of shit, you all are. You act like you’re all high and mighty but you’re no better than the people you look down on. I thought you were supposed to be angels of God? But I’ve witnessed more cruelty at the academy,” –and in this house– “than I’ve seen in Hell itself.”
“Now, that's enough!” Michael says. “I don’t know what is going on with you, but I will not have you coming into my house and insulting the integrity of my son’s soon-to-be wife.”
“Oh please.” I roll my eyes. “Like you’ve got much to talk about? You find your mate, knock her up, and then leave her because she’s not ’pure’ enough for your God.” I stand up, looking at the table of the fakest people I’ve met.
“I feel sorry for you. All of you. When you think of Pure Bloods, you think of happy, nice people who would give the shirt off their backs because that’s what God would do, right? You wanna know what you really are? You are power hungry, selfish people who only care about what someone else can give you, and how much you can gain from others. And you don’t care who you hurt to get there. News flash, life isn’t about how much money you have or if people think you're all powerful.
“Me? I’m gonna wake up every morning to the people I love. To the people who were fated just for me. I’m gonna smile and laugh, and none of it will be fake. And I won't care if I have money or power because none of it means anything if you're empty inside. So enjoy your little game of house, enjoy waking up every day and remembering to put on your masks so no one can see how fucking miserable you lot are. But leave me out of it.”
With that, I turn on my heel and head into my room. My mother starts to sob, the fathers’ deep voices follow me as I go.
I’m pissed. At my mom for abandoning me and then playing house with a new family. I’m pissed at Michael for giving up his fated mate because his spot with God was more important, tossing his son to the side like he was nothing to him. I’m fuming at how these girls can get away with being so cruel, and everyone still sees them as perfect, little princesses. And I’m sick of my brother and his stupid friends hating me without even knowing me first.
I don’t want to go back to Hell, but I don’t want to stay in this house. I’m stuck. There’s so much that’s happened in such a short amount of time, I have no idea what my life plan is. I should be enjoying my new mate bonds. Enjoying the happiness that was given to me.
In an instant, I lock myself in my room, and I refuse to leave until they are all gone.
Grabbing my phone, I call the group chat I have with Zed and Leo.
“Hello, Little Bird,” Zed answers, his handsome face filling the screen. He’s lying down, his black hair flopped to the side, his piercing blue eyes staring back at me.
“Hi.” Even though I’m in a bad mood, it lightens at the sound of his voice.
“Starbright.” Leo pops up on the screen in another little box. “Are you okay?”
“I am now,” I tell him, a sense of calm coming over me. “I miss you,” I tell them. “Since we officially bonded, my skin itches when I’m away from you guys for too long. Like I need your touch to soothe my soul.” I know it sounds corny, but it’s true.
“Tomorrow, baby,” Zed tells me.
“I wish it was now.” My eyes water, and I hate it. I shouldn’t let these people get to me.
“What’s wrong?” Zed growls.
I’m not gonna lie to them. “It’s been shit since the moment I left you guys.” I force out a laugh. “World’s most awkward meeting with my step-dad and his buddies, who couldn't give two shits about me. My mother is acting as fake as they get, trying to act like mother of the year or some bullshit. And the guys brought their little wives-to-be here. And you know they had something to say before we all sat down to eat.”
When the Heathers got here, they cornered me. They told me to keep my mouth shut so they can all pretend I wasn’t there.That didn’t work out in their favor in the end, did it?
“After an hour of listening to all their judgmental bullshit, I snapped when Isaac’s Heather invited me to do wedding stuff with her, trying to act like she isn’t a monster to me.”
“You’re kidding me right? God, those Pure Blood women are fucking crazy,” Zed scoffs.
“Yeah, well, I blew up and pretty much called them out on their shit and told them where to go and how to get there.”
“That’s my Starbright,” Leo whoops, making me smile. He always makes me smile at my lowest points.