Page 7 of Fractured Constellations
He raises a single brow at me, making me wait while he brings his spoon to his lips and wraps them around it. It’s not sexy at all. Nope. I definitely don’t hold my breath and watch him while he eats that spoonful, not answering me and exerting some kind of power trip by not speaking.
“I apologize, I forgot my manners,” he finally says once he’s swallowed. “I’m Chase, and in answer to your first question, what you have taken is uninvited entry into a prestigious familywhose wealth was no doubt the draw for you and your mother, given your impoverished background.”
I hardly breathe, his words so sharp and cutting, I want to curl in on myself.
What the actual fuck?
“Excuse me? Are you calling us gold diggers?” I hiss, my cheeks heating once more, though this time for another reason. I’m pissed. Although, I can’t deny that the timing is more than coincidental, and it’s something I wondered about when Mom told me of their elopement.
“If the shoe fits, stepsister,” he replies, dismissing me by opening the papers that were by his bowl and going back to eating his porridge as if the rude fuck didn’t just insult me and my mom.
My gaze flits to the final brother, to see if he has anything to say. He must be Blade, and he carries himself with a rigid posture, shoulders squared as he takes a seat next to Chase. His jaw is tight, giving him a slightly more defined jawline than the other two, and he has a small scar near his left eyebrow that lends him a dangerous air.
His green eyes are locked on me and they appear darker than either of his brothers, more intense. His thick brown hair is shorter on the sides, longer on top. He’s wearing a fitted black T-shirt, black jeans, and what I think are combat boots, which are also black.
He also has ink, black—of course, because why deviate when you don’t need to—and geometric designs cover him up to his jaw and down to his hands. There is no smile, just a scowl, and I’d be lying if the whole bad boy vibe didn’t do it for me.
“Anything to add, Blade, I’m guessing?” I can’t help the snark that laces my tone. My feathers have been well and truly ruffled, and I’ve not even taken a bite of my customary French toast yet, so we can add hangry to the mix.
Blade just stares at me, his gaze making me want to squirm in my seat, but I hold firm, unblinking as we engage in a stare off. After several agonizing seconds, he blinks first, but my win is short-lived as he ignores me completely, picking up his spoon and shoveling the porridge into his mouth.
I shiver at the cold dismissal, like my existence is barely worth acknowledging. My appetite is gone, but I know that if I don’t eat now, I’ll be hungry later, and I don’t want to have my procedure on an empty stomach.
Lifting the lid on my covered plate, I find my French toast and crispy bacon exactly as I’ve had it every day this past week. A lump forms in my throat at the kindness of Jerry, and just as I’m about to pick up my knife and fork, a hand snatches up a piece of the yummy toast.
I whip my head around to see Thorn happily now munching on a piece ofmybreakfast. My mouth opens to call the fucker out, but he wags his finger at me, tutting.
“Fair is fair, stepsis,” he states, taking another bite, the maple syrup dripping down his chin. I watch as his tongue darts out, licking it up, and heat pools in my core, despite how fucking horrible they’ve all been to me. “And see it as me helping my new sister keep that fashionably thin figure.”
My eyes sting at the cutting remark. Of course that’s what he’d think. Why would he assume otherwise? I wish I had more curves, that I wasn’t as thin as I am, thanks to the previous rounds of chemo stripping any weight I had. Even the past four years can’t make up for the stunted growth. I’ll always be small, and it’s only going to get worse, especially when I lose my hair.
I look back down at my plate, the furrowing of his forehead no concern of mine as I focus on eating my breakfast and getting the fuck out of this room.
Soon, all three guys ignore me, talking about some party or another and the things they plan to do now they have thesummer off before going back to Harvard. I ignore them right back, finishing about half my food before I can’t take any more. Getting up, I don’t look at them as their conversation stops, and I keep my head high as I stride from the room.
I see Jerry as I’m about to head upstairs.
“Ah, Miss. Luna, I’m glad I caught you,” he says kindly, coming up to me. “Your room should be finished today, so you’ll be able to move in once you’re back from your procedure.”
Some of the tension flows out of me at his words. “Thanks, Jerry. You’re a star.” He gives me a nod, turning to go, but I stop him with a hand on his arm. “Can you keep everything to do with my treatment between us please? I don’t want my stepbrothers finding out.”
His bushy brows drop, and he places his hand on top of mine. “If that’s what you want, of course I will, Miss, but I’m sure they could help, given the nature of their studies and their involvement in Banks Industries.”
“Maybe, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather keep it private.”
After the way they all just behaved, even Thorn, who was less hostile than the other two, I don’t want or need anything from them. I’ve got Mom, even if she’s been a bit absent lately. She’ll still be here for me like she has every other time.
“Of course, Miss.” He gives me a smile and a gentle squeeze of my hand. “Percy will bring the car around for eight, so in an hour.”
“Thanks, Jerry.” I give him another smile before letting his arm go and heading upstairs, back to Chase’s room to pack the few things that I’ve been using this past week.
I want to get out of his space as soon as humanly possible, then I can just hide away from them all and concentrate on the hell that is soon to be my life as I fight this cancer once more.
CHAPTER FOUR
“CHASING STARS (PIANO & STRINGS VERSION) - BONUS TRACK” BY FLEURIE
LUNA
