I walk through the door of her room and find it empty...I hear the shower running...I decide to wait until she comes out...
...And then I find her diary open laying on the table...I see Damian's name in it...
...She says she’s in love with him, but he continues ignoring her. She was waiting for me to arrive to help her attract his attention...
...I read as much as I can until the water stopped...
...And then I walk away and never look back, scratching Kendall out of my life, ignoring her, bullying her, mocking her, humiliating her...doing anything I can do to make myself stop loving her...
...And nothing worked.
I whisk away those thoughts from my head, placing a plate with breakfast in front of my brother and taking a seat next to him. He starts eating immediately, attacking the food like a starved animal. All the questions about Kendall are forgotten.
"That's fucking amazing." He barely speaks with his mouth so full, and I smirk. "What is this exactly?"
"Shakshuka, an Arabic dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes with veggies and spices," I explain, taking a seat next to my brother.
"You should definitely become a chef." He doesn't even look at me as he keeps stuffing food into his mouth.
I will be a chef one day, with hundreds of restaurants worldwide, with my own, separate from my parents’, empire,I think but do not say aloud, even though Damian knows about my plans. He just doesn't share my desire to start something completely new while having a vast empire to rule. He wants to triple the profit of our parents’ company, and that's his real goal.
I finally begin eating, being starving also, raising my eyes to the staircase, wondering when Kendall will come down for breakfast. And will she do that at all? After what had happened, she might want to stay in her room until our parents arrive.
I should be terrified of telling my parents that I'm not going to work in their company, but I'm not. Because the fear of fighting with my family is nothing compared to the fear of never being able to touch my Sapphire anymore. And that fear is much stronger.
Chapter Fourteen
Kendall
"Happy birthday, Mom. Here’s to many more years to come." Damian kisses his mother on the cheek and clinks their wine glasses.
I study his face while he speaks. I'm trying to figure out what is so special about Underwood men. All the girls fall at their feet as if they were royalty. Josh has slept with every single pretty girl at school, I swear, while the Big Apple's tabloids never cease to amaze with new photos of Damian with another model.
These men... Why should it be so difficult with them? I remember how I found Damian handsome a few years ago. He never paid attention to me. No matter how hard I tried for him to like me, he barely knew I existed.
I wonder now, what did I find so attractive in him? Yes, he's definitely handsome: those dark eyes and even darker hair, those high cheekbones and full lips. Although he's a little thinner than Josh, he's even a little taller, so any model would feel like a princess next to him.
But anyway, what was the main reason I wanted this man to like me? Was it because Josh went to sports camp and I got bored? And where did it all go that now I look at Damian and feel absolutely nothing?
It was replaced with bullying from your former best friend, Kendall. You had no time for love in your heart anymore. It was replaced with hate, I remind myself and take a look at Josh. He's examining my face. He doesn't like that I was watching Damian; I can see that. I bet Josh has been watching me this whole time while I've looked at his brother.
I feel as if we're in an interrogation room, and he's not only my judge but also my executioner. I see anger, no, pure rage in his look.
I swallow. A shiver goes down my spine. Why does he hate me so much?
?* * *
The dinner was going quite well. We talked and laughed, trying to remember how many vacations we’ve gone on together, trying to choose which was the best one. I tried not to look at Josh any more and ignored his glances at me.
He made his choice four years ago. He decided to stop being friends with me. There's nothing he can do to change that now. How could I ever let him touch me?
And it wasn't just a touch. It was the most intense, strong, and powerful feeling I've experienced in my life...
...Which will never be repeated again,I remind myself.
"So, Kendall." I hear my name and jump a little in surprise. "Where's that funny guy...what's his name again?"
Jordan Underwood, the oldest man in the family and the father of these two beautiful beasts, speaks to me.