Red Leather (Book 2)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

 

In my opinion, it was probably about time for one of my plans to reach their final stages. Patience was never a strong trait of mine. Especially now that Eli had managed to bail himself out yet again, and was able to help me achieve as much damage as possible.

Only the rich get richer, they say.

He was reluctant to get involved with my petty little missions, and instead wanted to work towards a greater picture. We had different ways of thinking, he and I. What he didn't realise was that I was working towards a greater picture – one by one, my friends, and the people they associated with, would fall. And one by one, Alistair would result to complete chaos.

It would be perfectly timed for my birthday.

Another thing reaching its final stages were our house – Daddy had been working hard all these weeks to have the walls painted, the furniture picked out, and the exterior perfected. Soon I would leave the rural community, and instead be living among the rich.

Where I belonged.

Everything was working out exactly they way I planned. Almost.

Jessabel took what little time off she had to pack her remaining belongings from her room. I greeted her with a bright smile as she entered, highly conscious of the fact that Genesis – my book – was hiding underneath the pillow.

She politely smiled back, and we spent a few minutes arguing about whether she needed help or not. I won, of course, and begun to fold out the flat cardboards she had brought into makeshift boxes.

"I'm sorry about what happened last week," I apologized mournfully, sounding as if I had regretted taking Nathan out of her arms in the middle of the night, just to pick me up and bail me out of prison.

She sighed, reaching deep inside her closet for any spare clothes and trinkets, her long hair brushing against the carpet. She came out holding a flat soccer ball and several trophies. "I can't pretend I understand, because I don't." She turned to stare at me, bold and unapologetically honest. Her honesty took a different form compared to anyone else's – for instance, she made no such attempts to smile when she wasn't happy, or comfort when she didn't think you deserved comforting.

I looked down at the cardboard box in my hands, wishing that I were holding a steak knife instead. My hatred for her spread hot and cold around my body. She had absolutely everything. Everything.

"I didn't mean to get tangled up in the whole thing," I lied through gritted teeth, hoping that she didn't notice my fury. "Eli drugged me-"

"I know, I know," she interrupted, managing to irk me even more. "Nate told me. He's done an incredible job at bailing you out, but you'll still need to go to your hearing."

"Daddy will take care of me," I replied automatically, almost by instinct.

She gave a wry smile. "Daddy, huh?"

My blood boiled underneath my skin. Was she making fun of me?

"Sorry," she apologized, probably seeing the vein bulge at my temple. She shook her head, still smiling as she dug deep into the recesses of her closet.  She took a stack of papers and shoved them into a nearby box. Her hair gleamed underneath the afternoon sun. "I think Nathan's rubbing off on me. You can't imagine some of the things he says-"

She stopped short. I would have taken a heavy object and smashed her head open with it, if I hadn't been so curious at what she was about to say.

"What?" I asked.