Chapter 1
1
Audrina
“Audrina, could you please hurry up! I have a fucking date to get ready to!” Isaac shouted impatiently through the open window of his car.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” I replied just as loud as I ran through the schools parking lot, toward his car.
“About time...” He muttered just as I opened the passenger seat.
I rolled my eyes at his impatience. “I’m sorry, but Sarah really needed to talk to me right after school.”
“It’s cool, now that you’re finally here,” he teased, gaining a smack on his shoulder, before he started the car and raced out of the schools parking lot. I was used to his crazy speed, so I didn’t complain about it anymore. In his defense, he was a good driver.
“So, a date tonight, huh?” I asked, trying to sound casual, though I felt everything but.
“Yeah,” he smirked, nodding his head.
“Who’s the lucky girl for this weekend?” I continued to question him. Yes, this guy had a new girl every week. Talk about embracing the stereotype of a popular jock.
Glancing at him, I couldn’t stop myself from checking him out, albeit carefully, so he wouldn’t notice. Man, he was so effing hot! Isaac had pitch black hair that fell over his crystal blue eyes in a very sexy way. Yeah, I knew a lot of guys had that haircut now a day. I called it ordered chaos. Even though a few years had passed, but ever since Robert Pattinson showed up in “Twilight” as Edward Cullen, who could blame them for copying his hairstyle? It was so freaking sexy!
I didn’t even dare to think about his body. It contained not the six-pack, but the actual eight-pack, defined biceps, broad shoulders, and everything else that made my heart beat faster. I had a hard time preventing myself from drooling.
“Aw, come on! That’s not nice!” He said, feigning hurt.
“I don’t care if it’s nice or not, it’s still the truth,” I stated and he laughed.
“Well, I guess you do know me better than anyone. But if you must know, it’s Sienna.” Oh, of course, I should have guessed. It’s the most reasonable answer, I suppose, that the hottest guy in school decided to go out with one of the hottest girls in school.
“So, how long do you plan on keeping her?” I asked with a raised eyebrow, sarcasm dripping over my words.
“I don’t know… as long as I’m having a good time, I guess,” he winked at me before chuckling.
I rolled my eyes, meanwhile trying to pretend that the ache in my heart didn’t exist. “Whatever,” I mumbled as I turned my attention out the window, not wanting to look at him.
God, how I hated to know that he was with other girls, when all I wanted was to be with him myself. But I couldn’t say or do anything. No, that was impossible. All I could do was to sit in a corner and silently watch him with an unhealthy number of girls by his side, knowing I would never be one of them.
I felt him staring, probably noticing my mood, but I refused to meet his gaze and just kept on looking out the window. I felt someone poke my arm. Knowing it was him, I ignored it. The second poke made me glare at him, threatening ‘do that again, and...’. Isaac smiled innocently, pretending like he had done nothing. I rolled my eyes and once again turned toward the window. Not many seconds passed before I felt another poke. Only this time, his hand stayed on my waist as he started tickling me.
“Isaac, stop it!” I snapped, staring daggers at him, while trying to drain the butterflies that had arrived in my stomach.
Isaac smiled teasingly, his gaze shifting between me and the road. Just looking at his beautiful, smiling lips made my heart beat faster and my cheeks turn a shade darker. I quickly looked away. I mean, seriously, it was even better than Brad freaking Pitt’s oh.so-famous smile! Isaac had this cute, little dimple on his left cheek, which I always felt the surge to touch. I never had, of course. And probably never would... what am I saying?! Of course I would never be able, or aloud, to touch it!
“I’ll stop if you tell me why you’re in such a crappy mood,” he joked, though I could hear some concern lingering in his voice.
“I’m just tired, that’s all,” I shrugged, not tearing my gaze from the window.
“That’s not all.” He was clearly not giving up. Darn it, why did he have to know me so well?!
Thankfully, we reached the house at that moment and Isaac parked in the driveway. I quickly grabbed my purse and jumped out of the car. I thought I heard him sigh before I shut the door, but I wasn’t sure so I pretended not to hear it.
I quickly crossed the front yard, but before I entered the house, I couldn’t help but to stop and admire it. I had lived here for many years, but the beauty of it still mesmerized me. It was a picturesque house that had white walls, made out of wood, and a black, shiny roof. It was a two-story house with four bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, two living rooms, five bathrooms and a few other rooms. A white picket fence surrounded it, and emerald grass covered the garden. An apple tree grew proudly in the front yard, as well as mom’s very beloved rose bushes. A barbeque area and a pool, frequently used, occupied the back yard. We had lived here since I was only a few years old, and I loved our home from the bottom of my heart. I loved everything about it. The rooms, the colors of the walls, the smell.
Even the boy who lived here.
Hearing Isaac get out of the car, I woke from my thoughts and ran inside. “I’m home!” I yelled into the hallway.
“Hi sweetie!” Mom said as she entered the hallway, probably coming from the library. When she was home, she loved to sit in our library and read.
Looking at her, I could find so many similarities between us. We both had this wavy, pitch black hair. Then again, everyone in the family shared that trait. The exception was that my mom wore it in a bob, while my hair reached to my chest. We both also had big, emerald green eyes, a small nose and full lips. The only thing that told us apart was the fact that mom was tall, while I was rather short. But that’s where the dissimilarities ended. A lot of people mistook her for my older sister. That didn’t bother me since I knew mom loved the compliment. She’d only been 19 years old when she’d had me. And if it hadn’t been for the laugh lines, I would have believed it too. Now she was 36, but didn’t look a day over thirty. And yes, you guessed it, this makes me 17 years old.
“Hi mom!” I smiled and gave her a warm hug.
I didn’t bother asking where dad was. He never came home before six o’clock due to his work. He was an architect. A quite sought after one, I might add. This led to him having to travel quite a lot, since he received job offers all over the states. Mom usually went with him, whenever she was able to.
My mother was a doctor, and the job truly suited her. She was very kind and caring, but could also keep her cool and stay sharp during stressful circumstances. But you never knew when she was at work or home. Her schedule was quite screwed up that way.... well, according to me at least.
“Hey, don’t I get a hug as well?” Isaac asked as he entered hallway, feigning hurt.
Mom laughed. I stiffened. No way in hell was I going to be able to give him a hug. At least not without letting go! “I’ll be in my room,” I blurted out as mom walked over to Isaac and gave him a hug. I quickly ran up the stairs.
“Okay, but dinner is at six!” Mom yelled after me.
Yeah, yeah, I thought dryly. Why not just tell me when the food is actually done? Okay, that sounded mean, but whatever… I was so not in the mood of being nice right now. Knowing Isaac had a date tonight annoyed the crap out of me. I know it shouldn’t and I didn’t want it to.
But still, it did.
He had a date almost every night, and he always had a girl by his side. But just because I was used to it, didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt just the same… whatever!
Entering my room, I closed the door and walked over to my bed just to throw myself on it. Sighing heavily, I soon felt a bit relaxed. But it was only because of my room. I truly loved my room. It was magnificent, if I may say so, and gigantic! The walls were painted in a deep, lilac color and the wooden floorboards emanated an almost black color. Everything in my room went in either lilac, black or silver. I had a king-sized bed, a black desk with a lilac chair right next to the big window overlooking the front yard, and on the right side of the desk I had a couple of black shelves filled with stuff such as my jewelry box, pictures and books. Then there was the huge mirror that covered each corner of where my bed stood. Perhaps it could be considered a bit kinky, but that’s not the reason I had them there. I just thought it looked really cool.
Looking up at the ceiling, I couldn’t stop myself from admiring my work. It had taken years to create. Hundreds of different pictures were glued onto the ceiling, creating a really cool atmosphere. I had taken most of the pictures myself, throughout life. It was pictures from when I was around ten up until now. It held pictures from all of my travels, of people I hung out with, and of my family. But it mostly contained pictures of Isaac and me. Pictures of us playing in a sandbox, hanging on the beach, eating ice-cream, and many, many more of just the two of us. My eyes lingered on the one where Isaac had made the brilliant, last-minute decision to lick my cheek while I took the picture. My eyes were scrunched up, but my lips held a laughing smile. Even though I had scolded him afterward, it was one of my favorites. I could still feel the tingles of where his tongue had touched my cheek. Still feel the butterflies running havoc in my stomach.
Good I loved him so much!
The familiar ache in my heart returned, not ever completely leaving. At first, I had been afraid of my feelings for him. Disgusted even. I had tried to tell myself to stop loving him. That it was so freaking wrong and weird and idiotic!
But not anymore.
Oh no, not anymore.
I had passed the point where it scared me. I had almost even passed the point where I thought it was disgusting and weird. Now I just thought I was so effing stupid and pathetic. Though only because I knew he did not, could not, feel the same way about me... ever.
Why, a stranger would probably ask?
The answer was simple. I only needed five words.
Because he’s my brother. That’s why.
