Chapter Five
Eros
Seeing the raw fear flash in her eyes when she realized who she had bumped into made me feel strangely unsettled. I hadn’t intended to speak up after Mrs. Lawrence ordered her out of class for being late, but I couldn’t stop myself, no matter how hard I tried.
It felt like everyone needed to chill out and give the girl a break. It wasn’t her fault her father was a criminal, yet they were treating her as if she had committed those crimes. That was why I had spoken up, but unfortunately, my good intentions backfired, and she ended up getting hurt.
Charlie Lafferty was a thorn in my side. He played goalkeeper on my soccer team, while I was the captain and striker. Because he was a damn good goalkeeper, it had made him arrogant, and being the son of the Attorney General of Eldoria only fueled his arrogance further.
However, I held the upper hand; my grandfather was the president of the country, and I knew things about Charlie's father that even my grandfather or Charlie didn't know. I found Charlie in the restroom, and as he was relieving himself, I casually locked the door and leaned against it.
When he finished washing his hands and drying off, he turned to face me with a smile, as if we were friends. I disliked him, and he knew it.
"Hey, what's up, bro?" he said, extending his hand for a handshake.
I didn’t even glance at his hand as I pushed myself away from the door. Standing at 6'2" at seventeen, I towered over Charlie, who was only 5'10", causing him to tilt his head back to meet my gaze.
His smug smile faltered when he saw the look in my eyes—the one that everyone in this school feared—and he took a small step back.
"Listen, bro, whatever you think I did, I’m sorry," Charlie said, trying to defuse the situation. "Even if it's about the stunt I pulled last Friday."
Last Friday's match was crucial; it determined our chance to participate in the state championship. Our team, the Emerald Crest Hawks, had never been defeated in any match, and I intended to keep it that way.
Charlie’s stupidity almost cost us our title as undefeated champions, but he redeemed himself five minutes before the game ended by doing everything he could to prevent the Blue Ridge Bears from winning.
“I’m not here for that,” I snapped. “The stunt you pulled this morning with Athena Sanderson cost her her fingers.”
“What? That’s not true,” Charlie protested, shaking his head in disbelief. “She was fine when she got up.”
“I just saw her fingers in a splint,” I growled. “All five of them.”
“I can assure you that—”
“I don’t care,” I interrupted. “Own up to what you did.”
“Why are you even defending her? Is she your girlfriend?” Charlie blurted out, glaring at me. He chuckled dryly when he noticed the murderous look on my face, raising his hands in surrender.
“Okay, I’ll apologize to her if that’s what you want. After all, you were willing to throw Harry Compton down the stairs two days ago because of Athena.”
I decided to remain silent, even though I felt like punching him. I turned toward the door, unlocked it, opened it, and was about to step out when the idiot spoke again.
“I have to admit, though, aside from being the daughter of a murderer, she’s the most beautiful girl in this school. I can see why you like her,” he snorted.
I turned back to face him, stepping closer in a menacing manner. “It’ll be in your best interest to keep your filthy mouth shut, Lafferty,” I said in a low, threatening voice. “You wouldn’t want to miss the upcoming matches.”
I watched with satisfaction as he swallowed nervously and nodded, miming the action of zipping his lips and locking them. I didn’t say anything else and stepped out of the restroom, shutting the door behind me. I tried to convince myself that Charlie’s words didn’t bother me, but if I was honest, they did.
I had never taken anyone’s side before. In fact, the last girl who tried to force me into being friends with her in middle school ended up in tears. Scarlett Granville had cried once because I rejected her, but she hadn’t given up yet, and that had been going on for two years.
I didn’t like Athena; I just felt sorry for her. But if playing the knight in shining armor for her meant invading my privacy, then she really wasn’t worth it.
“Liar, liar, Eros on fire,” a voice sang in my head. “You feel her pain because you’re going through the same thing. She might be worth it.”
“Urgh, get lost, you loser,” I muttered under my breath, irritated that I was talking to myself—something I’d never done before. “No one’s worth it.”
Athena
"Well, isn't it quite convenient that you broke your fingers just days before my party?" Beatrix drawled, fixing her gaze on me. "You injured yourself on purpose, didn't you?"
"No, ma'am. I would never do that," I replied, panic creeping into my voice. "I... it was an accident."
"Accident or not, I don't care," Beatrix said with a finality that brooked no argument. "You'll work in the kitchen as usual, join the waiting staff afterward, and then help with the cleanup after the party."
"Yes, ma'am," I answered.
"Tomorrow, I want you to go with Alfred to the jewelry store to pick up my order. Make sure nothing—absolutely nothing—happens to my jewelry, understand?" she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," I nodded.
"Good. Now get your filthy self out of my sight," she commanded.
I turned and left the sitting room, keeping my head down. I made my way to the kitchen, hoping Chef Natalia needed assistance, as she always seemed to have tasks for me—important or otherwise. But when she noticed my left hand in a splint, she paused.
"What happened to you, my dear?" she asked, her expression filled with concern. "Were you bullied again?"
"No, I was just clumsy. Something heavy fell on my hand," I replied, having become adept at lying.
A long time ago, my hiccups would betray me whenever I lied, getting me in trouble with Beatrix, so I had mastered the art of deception and learned to suppress those telltale hiccups. Beatrix believed every lie I told.
"Well, there's nothing you can help me with right now, my dear," Natalia said gently. "You should go and rest."
"Um... could I bring my homework in here? I could sit at the table and do it," I asked.
"Of course, dear," she replied with a smile.
"Thank you," I said, returning her smile as I left the kitchen. Just as I was about to turn the corner toward the staff quarters where I stayed with the maids, Serena appeared in front of me.
She usually kept her distance from me at home, so seeing her standing there with a displeased expression meant I had inadvertently done something wrong once again.
"Do you need something? I turned in your English homework this morning," I said to her. "You’ll definitely get an A, as usual."
"Oh, shut up. I'm not here about that," she spat. "Kiara told me she saw you talking to Eros during lunch today. He had his arm around your waist, and the two of you looked very cozy together."
I briefly shut my eyes, wishing for just a moment of peace. I had enough on my plate without the added worry of rumors about Eros Belmonte becoming friendly with me.
"We didn't look cozy. I just bumped into him, and he caught me before I could fall," I replied, trying to keep the rising panic at bay.
"She said he looked worried for a second," Serena insisted. "She even took a photo." Holding up her phone, she thrust the image in my face. The expression I had feared didn’t mean what I thought; Eros’s gaze had softened when he saw my injured hand. The Ice Prince had genuinely looked worried.
"I..." I opened my mouth to deny her claim, but no words came to me. The truth was undeniable.
"If I show this to Scarlett, you know what she'll do to you, right?" Serena asked.
"Please don’t show her," I pleaded.
"I won't," she replied.
"Really?" I gaped at her in surprise.
"Yes, I won’t do it—unless you do something for me," Serena said with a sly smile.
My back stiffened as I stared at her. That smile was calculating, and I knew without a doubt that whatever task she was about to assign would be difficult—likely something involving her mother or father.
“What’s going on?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“Are you familiar with my favorite boy band, A.X.I.O.N?” she replied.
“Yes,” I answered with a cautious nod.
Everyone knew A.X.I.O.N, the famous boy band that won the third season of the reality TV show Lyrical Legends. I hadn’t watched the show much, but Serena adored it and had a poster of the band on her bedroom wall.
I had to admit that while the boys were undeniably attractive, none of them compared to Eros Belmonte. Ugh! I couldn’t believe I was even thinking about him.
“They’re on the final leg of their tour and performing at The Resonance Plaza, which is at least a four-hour drive from Crescent City to Fort Merritt. The girls and I are skipping school tomorrow to see them,” Serena said. “I need you to send an email to the school explaining my absence.”
“Whose laptop am I supposed to use?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yours?” I nearly laughed.
“No, you idiot,” she snapped. “My mother’s.”