His girl, their desire

Chapter 4. "No."

  This felt familiar. Here I was, sitting on a chair, with Kharif watching my every move, waiting for Winter.

It was not only nerve racking to have to wait, but also scary because Kharif kept glaring down at me. I smiled cheekily at him and paused as Winter finally finished his phone call.

"Horae." His voice was like bells, soft and musical. I looked up at him determined to set things straight. Winter stood in front of me, although I noticed this time, without the smile.

"Winter." I drawled in a fake southern accent. He knelt down in front of me so we were eye to eye.

"I know we might not know each other well, but I hope you'll learn to work well with us-" as his hand landed on my shoulder, I knocked it off. I was done with him touching to manipulate.

"No."

Winter froze.

His blue eyes grew a little colder, but his voice still sweet as he gazed at me. "What do you mean, no?"

Kharif watched silently, and as I looked up at him, he raised an eyebrow. Winter grabbed my chin and turned my head back to face him.

"Answer me, H-"

"First of all," I interrupted. "My name is July, second of all, I'm not helping you. Ever."

Winter stood up and turned away from me for a moment before spinning around sharply. "Why not?" His tone was sharp enough to make me flinch.

"I'm not throwing my parents in prison because you have a superiority complex!" After seeing my flinch, Winter visibly beat back his anger and leaned down towards me.

"They're criminals, they deserve it. They've killed people, ruined lives, stolen, everything." Winter said softly. His hand touched my bruised cheek, fingers shaking.

Shaking with what? Rage? Probably. I couldn't read him, he was friendly, then not. It was terrifying. I'm scared. I realized.

"I think anytime who truly tries to change deserves a second chance." I told him bitterly. I knew all about my parents choices, I lived in the aftermath. Didn't mean they weren't trying desperately every day to be normal.

Winter rubbed the bruise. "My father said he was going to change, told your mother the same thing. Got married, had the perfect wife, the perfect son, and then he hit me." Winter said softly. "He never hit mom, probably thinking as long as he didn't hit a girl again he was fine. But he hit me all the time. Always in private. And I took him down, and everyone else who worked for him. I'll do the same to your parents."

"I don't want you too!" I burst out moving away from those soothing and cold fingers. "Leave them alone!"

Winter pressed his lips together before sighing softly. "They hit you, surely you want revenge."

My face twisted. "I told you, it wasn't on purpose, he didn't mean too."

Winter scoffed and cupped my face forcing eye contact with those sharp all seeing blue eyes. "Excuses, a hit is a hit."

I glared at him, hoping he would glare back or something. Anything. He didn't. Still keeping the facade. "It. Was. An. Accident." I spat then tried to turn away from him.

Winter pressed his nose into mine as his hands drifted to the side of my face holding me still. I felt my body give a slight tremble. I'm scared.

"How, could it possibly -"

My lips shook. "Not that you need to know this, but my dads argue a lot, and for obvious reasons, they used to attack each other. Tyler and Owen were arguing, and I foolishly stepped in the way. Tyler accidentally hit me. End of story."