Enemy Beloved

5 | the Hills

★

V A U G H N

Michael Hill is the worst scum to exist on Earth. His classy high-class face can't do justice to his black heart. As he sits across from me and Claire in the hall, he has a blank expression on him. His eyes move between us as we sit there with fake smiles plastered on our faces. The level of discomfort I feel right now is unimaginable.

"You two are in love?" Michael asks, pointing a finger at the two of us and Claire nods. "Love?"

"Yes."

The sweetness in Claire's voice is almost disturbing after the way she spoke with her Dad an hour ago. The girl could have been a great actress if she wasn't interested in the fashion industry.

"And you want to marry him?"

"Yes," Claire says, nodding again.

"But you hate him." Michael frowns.

"I never did." Claire looks at me and smiles innocently. "We've always been in love. We were just afraid of telling you."

Only I notice the disgusted look she throws at me after she spills out those words. It is like she just swallowed fat. I wonder if I should take that as a red herring.

Beside Michael, Isabelle Hill lets out a loud gasp making me steal a glance at her. She looks uncomfortable too at the news.

Michael grabs my attention by suddenly bursting into loud laughter. It is a diabolical laugh and something which I expected from him even before we came here. Claire squeezes my bicep at her father's reaction and I lean back on the sofa to look at her. She has her eyes fixed on her father just like her mother's are fixed on me.

Their entire family is a comedy of errors.

"Claire, love, I know you're pissed," Michael says when he has calmed down. "But there's no way you can make me believe that you're lovers. You hate this guy. He isn't worth it."

If Claire wasn't holding me, I would have sprung upon Michael. I have had enough of his shit and even the sight of him irritates the hell out of me.

I don't understand how Claire even made me agree to this but I just feel this intense protectiveness when it comes to her. I am never letting her marry Senator Campbell, not till I am dead.

Chris would have expected that of me. It might just be an excuse but I can't bear the thought of Claire being someone else's before I have gotten the chance to make her mine — and definitely not Senator Campbell's. I am supposed to hate her for giving up her trust in me along with everyone else four years ago. But here I am, playing her game for her.

"We love each other Dad and I'm marrying Vaughn even if you say yes or no," Claire declares.

"You can fall for this guy but not for Senator Campbell." Michael's voice is stern and his eyes flicker to me. I see the rage in them even before he speaks. "He killed my son! Your brother!"

I need a distraction. I need a fucking distraction before I do something stupid to this annoying man.

Claire's hand on my bicep gives a sudden shake and she drops it. I take a look at her and find her shivering slightly. I don't like seeing her like this. She is scared of her father.

I rest my arm on the headrest behind her and see Michael's eyes follow my movements. Pinching a strand of her blonde hair between my fingers, I let it slip and she glances at me, making me throw a tight-lipped smile at her.

"What's the price, Michael?" I ask, trailing my thumb behind Claire's earlobe.

Claire's skin is cold, like ice. I wish I could warm her up.