Page 10 of Blind Sin

He smirks. “I don’t remember her ever simpering. You want her more than I do. You took her virginity. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t want to go back for more now that you know she’s only ever been touched by you... ok, and me and Dacre.”

“I don’t want her,” I blurt out a little too quickly. I turn to look out of the plane window so I don’t have to see the self righteous smirk on Mercier’s face.

Lauren

I feel the thrum of the plane's engines beneath me as it hurtles through the air, excitement and nerves coursing through my veins. This is a new adventure, a new destination, and I can't help but feel a rush of adrenaline at the thought of it, not to mention the fact we are hurtling away from my father.

“We’re free, Lucy,” I say in excitement.

“Mmm,” Lucy responds in a detached manner, and I’m saddened by her lack of enthusiasm.

“What’s wrong?” I take her hand in mine and press down on her palm three times, desperate for this rift that feels like it’s beginning to form between us to close.

“Nothing. I just...” She goes silent and I wonder if it’s because she’s on a plane with Josh. What I did with him was unspeakable. She doesn't blame me, but there must be some resentment. She was in love with him, too. Maybe she still is.

“Where exactly are we going?” Lucy's voice breaks the silence in the cabin, momentarily making me think the question is for me, until Alexander interrupts.

“My parents own a house in French Polynesia. Actually, they own their own private island. We thought we’d hide out there for a while,” Alexander reveals.

My heart lifts at the prospect. “Did you hear that, Lucy? We’re finally going to live on a tropical island, just as we always planned.”

But Lucy's response is swift and sharp. “Your parents?” she snaps, injecting a note of skepticism into the air. “Jonathan and Mary Dacre will be on the phone to my father the second we touch down.”

A retort hangs in the air, but before I can utter it, Dacre interjects, his words veiled in frustration. “Don’t you watch the news?” he mutters. “My parents are involved in a hostile takeover with a company called PLNCO.”

“So? Do you think that will prevent them from making a phone call?

“No.” Dacre’s tone grows weary. “I’m saying that your father is also interested in PLNCO and if your father does what the whole of the western world, including me, thinks he’s going to do, my parents are going to lose the takeover. They wouldn’t call Peter Waldgrave if you walked into their bedroom and gave yourself up. They don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves, but right now, Peter Waldgrave is enemy number one to them.” He pauses and when he speaks again, he’s closer. “It's safe to assume they won't be pleased with us hiding out on their island. They are going to be pissed enough when they get back home and find that Nix put at least one dent in the plasterwork.”

Lucy leans forward. “So your parents didn’t know that you were hiding out in their house in Manhattan and they don’t know about us heading to their vacation home?” She’s unusually snappy for someone who has finally gotten everything she’s ever dreamed about and I realize that I don’t know my sister as well as I thought I did. This part of her, the irritable and plain rude part, isn’t a side she’s ever shown to me before.

“I’m sure Alexander knows what he’s doing, Lucy.” I say trying to lighten the atmosphere.

She lets out a heavy sigh. “Does he?”

“No. Actually I don’t,” Alexander snaps back. “Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was in the last few weeks of Uni and about to make my start in the world of business and now as you are heading toward safety, I’m heading away from my future. A future I worked my ass off for. So unless you’ve got any better ideas, give them to me, because I sure as shit could do with a good idea right now.”

My nerves jangle in the silence that follows. I was excited when Lucy got on this plane. I felt like we were free for the first time in our lives, but I can feel Lucy tensed up beside me. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. This was always our plan, our shared dream. This, flying a long way from our father is literally the only dream I have. And yet, with my sister angry and tense next to me, Dacre annoyed, Mercier uncharacteristically silent and Nix off hiding somewhere, it’s beginning to feel worse than the prison I’ve been in my whole life.

I unbuckle myself and stand up. Next to me, Lucy does the same.

“I’m just going to the toilet, Lucy.”

She guides her arm through mine. “I’ll come with you.”

I don’t think anything of it until I suddenly feel restricted. “I can do it on my own.”

I’m not sure, but I think I feel her grip on me tighten. “It’s all the way at the back of the plane. I’ll help you find it.”

I’ve never been bothered by Lucy helping me with anything. I know how helpless I’ve been my entire life, but suddenly I’m irritated. I need to learn to do things on my own. Still I don’t want to cause any more unwelcome stress so I let her guide me down to the back of the plane.

“I can go in by myself,” I assure her. Thankfully, she doesn’t try to follow me into the cramped toilet. I sit down and lower my head to my hands as I try to understand what’s gotten Lucy so upset. We’ve literally talked about escaping our father and going to somewhere with a beach and sunshine our entire lives. French Polynesia was even one of the places we’d discussed before deciding it would be too hard to get to. I know nothing about the outside world, but I could rattle off facts about every beach resort in the world, including how many miles they are away from Waldgrave House. I’ve never felt sand, but I’ve dreamed about feeling it beneath my feet, I’ve never heard the ocean except on TV, but it’s one of the prettiest sounds I know. Lucy should be happy. Even if this wasn’t the way we planned to get to our destination, it’s a means to an end. My heart plummets as I think about what I did with Josh. I’m pretty sure this is what her anger is really about and I wonder, after all this time, if she’s still in love with him.

As though thinking about him has conjured him up, I hear his voice. It’s muffled and I have to strain to hear.

“She’s not fucking useless, Luce. She doesn’t need guiding to the loo like you are some kind of guide dog.”

I hold my breath as I wait for Lucy to answer. “What the fuck would you know what she needs? You’ve known her less than a month”

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