Sam curses under his breath and looks away again. Frustrated, I turn on my heel and stalk out, aware his eyes are on me the whole time until I exit the room. Content fills me because I’ve got him right where I want him. He’s jealous and no doubt thinking about all the dirty things he wants to do to me and there isn’t a damn thing he can do to stop it. The best day of my life will be the moment I make him feel even a sliver of what he made me feel by not stopping what he could have.
CHAPTER8
CHLOE
Later that evening, I show up at Lucas’s place, ready to enact my plan. I’m wearing an attention-grabbing short black skirt and a sparkling ruby red shirt with a plunging neckline that shows off both cleavage and side boob in a way that I know all eyes will be on me. It’s not the attention of my teenage classmates I’m looking for—I could care less what they think of me. In fact, the thought of them ogling me makes me feel sick, but I’ll do whatever I need to in order to make this work.
Tonight, it’s all about Sam. I’m going to give him a reason to want to save me. The night in the park I could see in his eyes how much it meant to him to help me. He’s never gotten over what happened with his sister and as ruthless as it sounds, I’m going to use that against him. What better way to do that than to put myself into another situation where he needs to save me?
Walking up the path that weaves through the sprawling front gardens, I take in the towering double storey house located in the exclusive end of town. The whole area just screams money and Lucas’s house is no exception. I shouldn’t be surprised this guy is loaded because I know his type. I bet he’s never had to work for anything in his life, girls included. Everything he wants gets handed to him on a shiny, silver platter, whereas people like me, who deserve a break, get repeatedly shafted. But it’s not like I’m bitter or anything.
The front door is wide open, so I go inside. Music blasts from the speakers and there are people everywhere, which is great for the girl who hates crowds and noise. I swallow hard and fight back the urge to turn and run. If all goes the way I want it to, I won’t be here for long anyway. I stand awkwardly by myself until I spy Lucas standing in the middle of the living room, surrounded by his friends. I flash him a smile and his eyes nearly pop out of his head as he takes me in, just like I had hoped. He saunters over to me while his posse cheer and high five each other like the brain-dead idiots they are.
“Hey! You came.” Lucas flashes me anI know I’m hotsmile when he reaches me.
“I said I would,” I tease with a smile. “You throw a good party, by the way.”
Honestly, I’m not really that impressed. If anything, I’m underwhelmed. Maybe I’ve watched too many American TV shows, but for a Friday night party for the cool kids, this whole thing feels pretty lame.
“What can I say,” he boasts, puffing his chest out like a proud buffoon. “I’m the party king.”
I smile, almost feeling sorry for the poor guy. As much of a dick as he is, at least he’s tried to make me feel welcome. Nobody else in class has given me the time of day, other than to check me out. While I don’t doubt his intentions are probably the same, it’s nice to fool myself into thinking I could have a friend other than my brother.
“Hey, you want a drink?” he asks suddenly.
“Sure. Thanks,” I say.
Lucas disappears into the kitchen, returning a few moments later with two cups of beer. I thank him, smile and pretend to take a sip of mine, then I set it down on a side table next to us. The last thing I need is alcohol clouding my judgement, and I’m also not stupid enough to accept a drink in an open cup that anyone could have tampered with.
I look around, an empty feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. Believe it or not, this is the first high school party I’ve ever been to. And as much as I don’t want to be here, I’m still doing my best to try and fit in, just like I’ve done all my life. I swallow a laugh.
As if I’ll ever fit in anywhere.
I’ll never be normal. Even as a kid, listening to my parents fight and my mother threatening suicide, my life was never normal. I’m as fucked up as they come. Even years of therapy couldn’t save me. I’m broken beyond repair.
Pushing my thoughts aside, I glance around the room, the feeling of sticking out magnified because for once it’s not just paranoia. People reallyarestaring at me. Most are probably just curious about the girl they’ve never noticed before, especially since I’m talking to someone as popular as Lucas, but some are just being plain rude and making it obvious I don’t belong here; like the heavily made-up girl with perfectly styled bottle blonde hair glaring at me from the other side of the room. I put two and two together and realize she’s probably pissed off because I’m talking to Lucas.
“Friend of yours?” I ask him, raising my eyebrows as I nod in her direction. “Because I don’t think she likes me very much.”
“Uh, yeah, that’s Cassie.” He runs his hand through his scruffy blond hair and gives me a rueful grin. “She’s not my girlfriend, but I can’t seem to get her to understand that.”
Right. And I bet you’ve done nothing at all to lead her on.
“You really do have girls throwing themselves at you, don’t you?” I tease.
“Maybe you can help me get the message through to her?” he suggests, lifting his eyebrows as he reaches for my hand. I jump, pulling my hand back, his touch sending shockwaves through my body.
“My boyfriend probably wouldn’t like that too much,” I say, thinking on my feet.
There is no boy, obviously, but the less complicated things are with Lucas, the better. The only reason I agreed to come tonight was because a party is the perfect setting for the sob story that I’m going to feed Sam in around ten minutes.
“You have a boyfriend?” He doesn’t bother to hide his disappointment. “Bummer. Is he back in Sydney?” He smirks when I nod. “Well then, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him… Relax, I’m kidding,” he quickly adds when I narrow my eyes.
Sure, you are.
“Hey, can I use the bathroom?” I ask.
I had planned to wait it out a little longer, but if I have to sit through another minute of this party, I’m going to slit my wrists.