Mated to the Alpha Twins by Jane Doe
Chapter 26
I cringed, but telling him about Frank was a lot easier than telling him about Grace. Frank couldn’t torment me anymore, not with me being f0rced to live with Garrett. Grace on the other hand could still manage to get to me.
“Frank likes to drink.” I shrugged, “He gets rough. I ran and locked myself in my room. He was trying to break down my door so I climbed out the window and jumped.”
“You jumped from your window?” Garrett’s voice was calm.
“No.” I replied, deadpan. “I jumped from the roof.”
“That fact makes no difference.” Garrett growled under his breath.
“Look.” I sighed, “Don’t go playing the caring father card. Seriously, for my sanity don’t do it.”
This entire conversation was giving me a headache. My heart was being pulled in so many different directions, I wondered if it could withstand all of the torment. ‘Only a few more days’, I told myself. Then I’d be in the wind, not a single person to worry about.
Two devastatingly handsome faces walked through the doors to the restaurant, making my heart skip a beat. I ch*oked on my drink, nearly spewing soda across the table. Alec and Kade strolled through the front doors, stopping in front of Cameron to be seated. It was as though they could feel my eyes on them. The two of them looked up at the same time, meeting my eyes instantaneously. They didn’t even have to search around the room. They were like one person with their movements. Their eyes flickered from me to Garrett, and finally back to me. It took all of the willpower I had in my body to peel my eyes away from theirs, only to meet another familiar pair.
Grace was walking through the front doors, Autumn on one side and the dark-haired girl on the other. She too met my eyes instantaneously. A cruel, sh*t-eating grin spread on her face as she waited behind Alec and Kade. Her eyes were glistening with knowledge, with superiority. It seems she hadn’t noticed my healed face, but that didn’t surprise me. She probably only noticed my fear, and how I practically reeked of it.
Cameron sat Alec and Kade at a table, but Alec shook his head. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I quickly figured it out when Cameron sat them at the booth across from us. I had a clear view of Alec and Kade, and boy was it hard to keep my eyes off of them. The two of them continued looking at me, having their own hushed conversation in between glances. Cameron gave me an apologetic smile as she walked away, and I nodded once in her direction.
Grace, Autumn, and the other girl were seated at their own booth, not much farther from Garrett and I.
The restaurant was feeling much too small. My own personal hell would be complete if Melissa and Frank walked through the doors. With how this afternoon was going, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything.
Tori came out with our food, setting it down in front of us gingerly. I looked at the white alfredo sauce and tried not to breathe too deeply. My stomach was in knots, making me feel nauseous and somewhat sick.
“You alright?” Tori murmured down to me, her eyes flickering from Alec’s table to Grace’s.
“Yeah.” I breathed out, “I’m good.”
Tori didn’t look convinced. She could see through my bullsh*t from a mile away–yet she didn’t question me. I was beginning to appreciate her subtly more and more.
“Friends of yours?” Garrett asked, his head tilting over to where Alec and Kade sat.
I shoved some food in my mouth, taking my time to chew and swallow before answering.
“No.” I shook my head, “Not friends.”
“Boyfriends?” Garrett raised his eyebrow, looking much more uncomfortable.
The word ‘boyfriend’ got Alec and Kade’s attention, but it also got Grace’s as well. It felt like every damn person in the restaurant was looking my way, waiting for my answer. I had never felt so much silent pressure in one room before.
I looked at Alec and Kade from the corner of my eye. Both were staring at me, the same expectant look on their face. They looked like they were ready to leap from the table and come to my side, all I had to do was say the word.
Grace on the other hand looked livid, while Autumn looked kind of sick.
“No.” My voice was quiet, “Not boyfriends.”
My voice lacked conviction, and was unconvincing.
“I just go to school with them.” I struggled to keep my voice even, keeping my eyes far away from Grace.
“I see.” Garrett nodded, unconvinced but satisfied by my answer.
I hurried with my dinner, scarfing down what I could as though I hadn’t eaten in months. I sighed with relief once Tori brought the check. Garrett refused my offer of money and paid himself, leaving Tori a hefty tip.
Garrett headed towards the front of the building, while Tori pulled me aside.
“Cameron said that’s your Dad?” Tori’s jaw was slowly dropping, her eyes locked on Garrett.
“Yes.” I huffed, not surprised that Cameron told her. “His name’s Garrett.”
“I expect a detailed phone call tonight.” Tori grimaced, pulling me in for a hug. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now.”
I nearly wanted to burst into tears right then and there. I never had someone say those words to me before. All physical affection I’ve received in my life had come from my Grandma. I never had someone besides her simply pull me into a hug or console me. The simple action made me want to bawl and confess the horrible week I’ve been having. For my own sake, I remained strong. Now wasn’t the place to break down. I could break down all I wanted once I was alone in my bedroom.
“I’ll call you tonight.” I replied hoarsely, blinking the tears away from my eyes.
Tori gave me one last squeeze and let me go, rushing to the back to grab the rest of her table’s food. Just as I turned to walk away, a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. The sensation that crawled over my skin was completely unexpected. It felt like tiny pleasurable pin-pricks, or little moving sparks running down my skin. Kade looked up at me in shock, his hand still lingering on my wrist. Alec noticed the look of alarm on his brother’s face and reached towards me slowly. His hand connected with my forearm, trailing lightly down to my hand. The same unmistakable feeling ran through me. It felt like when I was a kid and decided to put a piece of cutlery in a wall outlet–only less painful and more pleasurable.
Something was burning holes into my skin and I turned to meet Grace’s furious eyes. The spell was broken, my attention was no longer on the comforting sensations grazing my skin.
“Talk to us, doll.” Alec frowned, his eyes widening with concern as I struggled to pull myself from their grasps.
My eyes were glued on Grace, and the sheer murder that seemed to be rolling off her in waves. Fear pulsed through me, remembering the night she had me drugged. Her rage filled eyes locked me in place, making it hard to hear what Alec and Kade were saying.
“I need to go.” I scrambled, yanking my wrist from their grasp with more strength than I thought I possessed.
Kade’s grip on me was released with little struggle. Neither of them had been holding me tight enough to prevent me from escaping.
As I scrambled from the restaurant, I allowed myself one last glance at Alec and Kade. I told myself this was my goodbye. I couldn’t tell them out loud, but one last look wouldn’t hurt.
When I turned and looked at the two of them, their eyes were locked on Grace. An innocent look adorned her face, while the two of them looked downright murderous.
‘Nothing happened, nothing happened.’ I murmured to myself, ‘They don’t know anything. Grace will make up some excuse. It’ll all be fine.’
From the look on Garrett’s face, he saw what happened back in the restaurant. I was eternally grateful that he kept silent the entire car ride home. I didn’t want to talk about what happened, and I didn’t want him to ask. I was tired of all of these people pretending they cared about me. First Melissa, and now Frank. As far as I was concerned, the only person allowed to care about me was Tori. I wasn’t even going to bother thinking of Alec and Kade.
The more I argued with myself internally, the more the annoying voice in my head decided to speak up.
‘Between the two of us, you’re definitely more annoying.’ The voice commented, letting out a chuckle.
‘Great.’ I mumbled to myself, ‘Now the voice in my head is making fun of me. Taking self-deprecating humor to a new level.’
‘I’m not you, Aurora.’ The voice huffed, rolling it’s eyes.
The more the voice called out in my head, the easier it was to picture what it looked like. It was a girl, just like me. Her eyes were mirror images of my own, and yet she didn’t look like me. Her hair was extremely dark, almost black. It was short and straight while my hair was long and wavy.
‘Then who the hell are you?’ I grumbled, regretting entertaining the voice.
‘I thought you’d never ask.’ The voice huffed, ‘You can call me Thalia.’