Page 6 of I Hate You More

“Will you get that, Ally?” my dad shouted from somewhere in the house.

“Got it,” I called back as I placed my Kindle down and slowly pushed myself off the couch. The small movement seemed to take far more energy than normal, and my body was clearly complaining about being dragged away from a tense scene in my new book. There was no way the guest at the door would be here for me, but I was guessing Dad was busy working if he needed me to answer it for him.

I hoped whoever was at the door understood that Sunday afternoons called for comfy clothes and messy hair because I’d changed into something comfortable for my book binge. I was wearing an old pair of cut-off jean shorts and a sloppy sweater that had holes in. It was the perfect outfit for lounging on the couch all afternoon but not so great for company.

I pulled the front door open with just a little bit too much force, trying to keep my expression from revealing the irritation I felt at being interrupted while reading. The blood drained from my cheeks though, and my mild irritation seemed impossibly trivial as I saw who was standing at my door.

It took me several long seconds to rid my expression of the shock I felt. I desperately tried to think of a simple way to rid my doorway of our visitor too, but nothing was ever easy when it came to Chase Williams.

He was leaning against the doorframe looking relaxed and every bit like he belonged there. I hadn’t realized he was back in Fairview, and just the sight of him was enough to ruin my day.

I stood there silently, glaring at Chase. He’d grown broader over the last six weeks, if that was even possible, and his tan had deepened after a summer in L.A. He was every bit as gorgeous as I remembered, but his looks didn’t faze me like they did the other girls in school. I knew that, behind his perfect exterior, Chase was cruel and calculating. His full lips were lifted in a smirk and his arctic-blue eyes were narrowed as he glared back at me.

His stare caused my heart to beat quicker, but I kept my face passive, not daring to reveal he filled me with agitation. My veins still pulsed with the same toxic hatred he’d poisoned them with at the dance all those years ago, but instead of allowing the venom to weaken me, I used it to fuel my defenses against him and gave him a smirk of my own.

“Ally,” he said in greeting.

“Satan,” I replied. “Back already? I would have thought you were too busy destroying innocent souls in L.A.”

Dark amusement swirled in his eyes. “I think you know there’s still one or two innocent souls back here in Fairview for me.” His gaze dipped to take in my fraying sweater and revealing shorts. I suddenly felt like I was showing far too much leg but quickly realized Chase was more likely to be judging my casual outfit than checking me out. He’d made it more than clear over the years just how repulsive he thought I was.

“Your brother home?”

“Nope.” Without another word, I took a step back and slammed the door in his face. It made a satisfying bang as it shut, and I smiled as I turned to walk back through the house. It might have been a childish thing to do, but it felt like a small victory. I only wished my heart wasn’t still racing. Chase always had that effect on me. He made me jittery and nervous and not in a good way.

Dad didn’t look up as I entered the kitchen. He had legal files spread all over the kitchen table, and I knew it would probably take an atomic bomb going off in the backyard to rip his attention away from them. The man lived and breathed his work, and it was surprising to see him home from the office even though it was a weekend.

“Who was at the door?”

I jumped as Shane came up behind me.

“Don’t sneak up on people,” I said, scowling over my shoulder at him.

We both had the same dirty-blond hair as our dad, but that was where all similarity between us ended. His eyes were green while mine were blue. His head nearly reached the top of the doorframe, while Dad often joked that I still needed a booster seat almost every time I hopped in the car.

To make matters worse, Shane also spent the nine months we shared in the womb stealing all the best genes and leaving me the worst. I thought twins were supposed to share things like athletic ability and book smarts evenly. But Shane was selfish. So, while he was the popular, smart, and sporty twin, I pretty much struggled with everything when it came to school.

“So, who was it?” he repeated.

“No one.”

When the doorbell started chiming again, Shane lifted one eyebrow at me. “No one, huh?” He turned and left the kitchen to head for the front door, and my heart sank. A part of me had hoped Chase would give up and go home.

“Is that Chase?” my dad asked, his eyes lifting from the files in front of him. I was surprised he’d even noticed the doorbell sound, but I guess Chase was the human equivalent of an atomic bomb—for me at least.

“Yes. Are you expecting him?”

Dad nodded as he stood from the table, but before he could start toward the front door, Chase appeared in the entrance to the kitchen.

“Chase!” Dad grinned, closing the distance between them and giving him a strong handshake.

“Hi, Mr. Lockwood, it’s good to see you.” Chase was beaming at my dad, and none of the venom he usually reserved for me could be seen on his face. It was like I was looking at a completely different person.

Dad dropped his hand to his side. “You too, son. Have you grown over the summer?”

“His head probably has,” I muttered, earning a reproachful look from my father.

“Ally, be nice,” Dad said before turning his attention back on Chase. “Have you got your bags?”

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