Page 15 of Dangerous Play

“What exactly do you want to get over with?” Ander tilted his head.

“You wanted to talk,” I pointed out stupidly. That was the whole reason I came. I didn’t buy Daisy’s stupid ‘you need to be on our team’ speech.

His smile grew into the predatorial one, and my stomach shrank.

I shouldn’t have come.

“Let’s go up to my room.”

Swallowing hard, I willed my head to nod and turned to start walking up, painfully aware that he was right behind me. His signature earthy smell infiltrated my nose, reminding me of the nights we spent with our bodies intertwined.

Once upon a time, his scent was my favorite.

But then I woke up from this fairytale straight into this nightmare.

Daisy stood at the top of the wooden staircase. I ignored all the awards and team pictures displayed and watched my sister’s frown as she combed through her messy curls. Her dress hitched up her thighs, barely hitting under her butt as she swiftly moved her hands over the hem of it, pulling it lower. The scowl on her face told me she was just as unimpressed as I was by the whole situation.

“Maybe we should talk outside,” I offered, stopping mid-step, and his body almost bumped into me.

“Scared to be alone with me?” he mocked me, instead of insulting me. “Don’t worry, I don’t want anything like that from you. Your sister is way better in bed.”

I caught myself in the last second before rolling my eyes, as my sister’s expression turned proud instead of horrified. Guess, a compliment was a compliment, no matter if it was only stated to bring someone else down. Ander was a master of backhanded compliments, but she needed to relish in this crumble of appreciation that he threw at her because soon it will come to an end.

“That’s okay,” I answered, keeping my voice flat. “Let’s go outside.”

“If you want me to stare at your ass, all you had to do was ask,” Ander muttered, making my frustration grow with every second.

He was walking behind me all this time, there was no need for him to make comments like that. Especially since I dressed in a simple A-line summer dress that hit mid-thighs. I dressed cute, while my baby sister dressed slutty. There was a time I dressed like that for him. But now I only dressed for myself, in whatever I felt comfortable.

Guilt swirled in the base of my stomach, but I kept reminding myself that this was Daisy’s decision and she didn’t want my opinion.

I turned on my heels and started to take a step down and walk outside.

A hand wrapped around my bare skin, squeezing my arm tight.

“No.”

One single word brought back thousands of memories. The hair on the nape of my neck rose and a slow shiver ran through my spine.

It made every fiber in my body scream with worry.

I came this far to talk to him and clear the air out, maybe even accomplish being left alone and not bullied. But going into his bedroom and being alone with him wasn’t part of the deal.

“No,” I repeated his words back to him. His nails dug into me deeper and left half-mooned marks on my upper arm.

Hissing, I tried pulling away.

“Let go,” I ordered him, my voice sounding far less assertive as I wanted it to. “Please,” I added quietly, the plea barely a whisper on my lips.

The cruel smile I knew well broke across his face, and with a shove, he let go of my arm. “I told you. You want to talk. We do it in my room. But I can see all you want to do is cause a scene. What do you think you will accomplish with that, little traitor? You want everyone to think that I’m capable of hurting you? You want to ruin my image?” A low laughter shook his voice. “That won’t work. Not everyone is as easily fooled as your new boyfriend.”

“This has nothing to do with Max,” I muttered quietly, wanting his name out of the conversation. “This is about us…”

Ander chortled, catching the attention of other students at the bottom of the stairs. I noticed someone turned the music lower, allowing our voices to provide the ultimate entertainment.

“Did you hear that, babe?” He glanced as my sister, whose face morphed into a disgusted smirk. “She wants to talk about her and I… like there is any chance I would replace what I have with you for her.”

Even Daisy smirked.

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