Page 66 of Nocturnal Sins
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Samira
“I’m so glad you came to hang out with us, Sam. This way your girls get to be the first ones to wish you a happy birthday when the clock strikes twelve,” Erin stuck her tongue out and did a little shimmy, swinging her hips around while the other girls from the cheer squad laughed. I feigned laughter too.
I didn’t want to be there with them when the clock struck twelve and I finally turned eighteen. I wanted to be with Santana. We always ended up spending my birthdays together and I couldn’t remember the last time I spent one away from him. My stomach ached at how much I missed him.
The smile on my face was painted on it was a mask to appease Erin and the rest of the girls. We talked and I pretended to care about the laughter and gossip but my mind was with Santana. I slid my thumb over my phone’s screen repeatedly like obsessively cleaning it would make him pop up in front of me.
It didn’t.
“Let’s order Chinese,” Erin said. Somehow those simple words snapped me out of my fog. I blinked a few times and nodded, pulling up the closest carry-out on my phone. Maybe if I could sneak out to pick up the food I could see Santana. The thought had me nibbling on my bottom lip anxiously.
“We can order and I’ll pick it up,” I said, making my spine straight. Erin looked at me and narrowed her eyes just a bit. Even though her lips were pulled up into a high, tight smile, I could see the hint of jealousy that always lurked in her brown pools. I ignored it as usual and rolled my eyes.
“Why would we make you go get it? You’re the birthday girl. Plus, this is the last time we’ll all get to spend time with you,” Erin retorted.
“Yeah, let’s just order delivery that way nobody has to leave,” Kasey said. The rest of the girls agreed and my plans to see Santana went right out of the fucking window. I pouted a bit while everyone else fussed over what they’d eat and placed their orders. I was busy wondering when the fuck they’d all fall asleep so I could sneak out to meet Santana.
“Hello, Samira,” Erin snapped her fingers in front of my face and let out a short laugh. “What are you ordering?”
“Oh, egg rolls and shrimp fried rice,” I said waving my hand lazily. I didn’t give a fuck about food or anything else.
“God, what is wrong with you? The entire night you’ve been somewhere else.” Kasey pointed out.
“You need to snap out of it,” Erin frowned. “This is one of the last times we’re all going to be together before we go off to different schools. We couldn’t all get intoDartmouth.” There was that flare of green envy seeping through Erin’s demeanor again. I bristled against it, pulling my shoulders back and narrowing my gaze at her.
“Not only will we be going to different schools but I’m sure life is going to happen and before you know it we’ll all be talking to different guys and too caught up to spend time together,” Kasey mentioned.
“Oh, well Sam already has a man and she still somehow finds time for us.” Erin’s claws were out. I could practically hear them unsheathe when she looked at me. “I mean you’ve been fucking around with Santana for how long now? More than a month and you still hang out with us.”
Silence fell into the jagged cracks left behind by the boulder Erin dropped in the middle of the room. All the lenience I had for her vaporized at once. Every girl in the room jerked their eyes to me, their mouths all open.
“Santana? Your brother?” The murmur of the rest of the squad seemed louder than it was.
“Stepbrother,” I hissed before standing to my feet. Erin stood too with folded arms and a venomous smile.
“Doesn’t matter. He’s still fucking you. So, see ladies, if Sam can make time for everyone while she’s busy taking dick from her brother on her back then we can all make time for each other.”
“Erin,” Kasey gasped, standing. She wedged her body between mine and Erin’s instinctively. Darkness slid over me like a cloak and I moved Kasey out of the way so I had a direct line to Erin’s conniving ass.
My nostrils flared when I took a step toward her. She was still wearing the same smug smile as if everything was a joke. Nothing about the rage flowing through me was a joke. She had no fucking right to expose me and Santana that way.
My fingertips prickled as heat engulfed me from my navel to my hairline. I could feel my baby hairs crackle from the currents pouring off me. “You happy now, Erin? You exposed me for being in love with Santana.” I gave her the slow clap she was obviously looking for and continued. “Now does that change the fact that you’re still not me and never will be? Does it change the fact that you wish you were the one taking dick from Santana on your back? God knows you’ve bent over backward trying to at least lick his fucking balls.
He doesn’t want you though, does he? He’ll never want you. You know why? It’s because you’ll never be the one thing you’re always trying to be. You’ll never be me. You’re stuck being a miserable backstabbing bitch. Have fun with that.”
I drew my hand back and slammed it into her face. I must have hit her nose because I heard and felt a sickening crunch beneath my knuckles followed by a pop that sounded full of liquid. A dull thrum of pain thumped through my hand and I shook my fingers out. Erin fell to the carpet, shrieking in horror. I expected for all the girls to rush her and help her but they all stood back looking at her like she had the fucking plague.
I shook my head and grabbed my shit in a flurry before storming down the steps and out of the door. The night air rejuvenated my lungs and I took long deep sips of it before fishing around for my phone.
“Santana, are you home?” I asked him, my shaky voice matched my knees.
“I’m on my way home now. What’s wrong, baby? You sound upset.” Hearing him call me baby melted me and almost made me forget what the fuck had just happened.
“I need you,” I breathed. “Be home when I get there.” I took a huge gulp of night air. Too huge. A bubble got wedged in my back and I winced at the uncomfortable pain between my shoulder blades. I wouldn’t feel normal until I was around him. The love of my life.
“Okay. I’m almost there. You need me to come get you?”
