HeartBeat

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Ava

I sit sipping the drink handed to me by none other than Liam. He had watched Chase leave to go change, and had guided me to a seat, offered me a drink which I denied, but still he went and got me one. I narrow my eyes only slightly, eyeing as he takes a seat in front of, but more next to, me, than in front of.

"So." He stretches out his foot towards the pool, leans back comfortably in his seat, and sips his own drink. I try not to flinch in distaste at his closeness.

I eye him warily, making sure that my position is as non-threatening as possible, and very human like. But an instinctive feeling had my fingers twitching, wanting to curl them into my palm. Instead, I keep them curled around my drink, as the normally grinning fool, gives me a secretive look.

"I know."

My focus zeros in on him, right before I take in my surroundings in the next second. Giovanni is in the shallow end of the pool, with Nila's arms and legs wrapped around him. The two, sharing whispered conversation. Jaden is at the grill, stoking its flames, and Jessica has moved to sit at the edge of the pool, with her feet in the deeper end, as she peeks frequently at Jaden.

All of this is taken in the span of a few moments. I quietly contemplate what I'll kill them all with. How I could make it look like an accident. I clench my jaw, trying to stay my hand. My fingers twitch more, and Liam takes notice. I wiggle my fingers, as if a normal habit, and take a breath.

I lean back and position myself similar to his relaxed state. I keep calm, knowing that the music is loud enough that no one would hear this conversation, and low enough that Liam's human ears can still hear me.

No one was close. I smile, that practiced, humane smile, that probably didn't seem as humane as I would like. Liam's eyebrows furrow and he leans his head back, with slightly widened eyes.

I drop the smile, slowly, trying to appear more natural, and keep this human persona as best as I could. Rage slowly begins to simmer within my body. I attempt to cool it. Maybe it's not what I think it is.

"And what do you know." I say teasingly, with a raised eyebrow, playing up my nonchalance, both with my facial features and tone.

Liam frowns. "That your blackmailing Conner." My jaw tightens, even as I throw a wobbly amused smile his way.

"Conner? Who's that." Liam looks away for a moment, before blushing deeply, and throwing me a glare. Something just as odd looking as when Chase does it, but almost even more so. Almost unnatural.

"You know who-"He leans forward, cutting himself off, his voice growing softer, which I appreciate. Regardless of its uselessness.

"Mr. Scott. You're blackmailing him with your knowledge of us, so he can do whatever you want." He says with a hiss and narrowed eyes.

My eyes shutter. And the simmering rage turns into a heated broil.

I clench my jaw, leaning forward as well.

And I here, I thought that Giovanni was going to be my biggest problem. With his calculative and distrusting eyes. Yet it's the one that always smiles. So like Chase. Only this seems to be a problem I won't stand for, one I had no thoughts of having anywhere near my body unless it meant to do harm.

I had learned a lesson similar to this, a long time ago. My mind is growing muddled if I had so easily forgotten it.

But now, with those narrowed eyes, that always held an annoying amount of sweetness, the memory comes back, and along with it, an echo of pain both physical and mental. It cracks open, this memory, and it comes to me on fire.