Forget about me

Chapter seven

Alexandra

They went through my stuff. The world around me darkens as my gaze snags on dad's diary. The very thing they sent me away to get their hands on.

Assholes. 

Stepping forward I reach for the diary. Which Jem snatches off the table grinning at me. Walking backwards he waves it back and forth taunting me to try and get it. I know I should act as if I don't care. Walk away and take it back in a less obvious manner. But my blood's boiling with anger and fear's swirling in my gut. So, I lunge for him instead. Jem holds it high above his head and even though he's the shortest of the guys, I can't reach. Snatching his arm, I try to pull it down toward me whilst trying to climb him like a tree. Jem's arm doesn't budge and I growl, frustrated with him. Clawing at his arm frantically I grow more and more irritated with how easily he can keep it from me. When that tactic doesn't work I sink my teeth into his bicep.

Jem yelps, drops the book and moves away from me. Looking down at the imprint of my teeth in his skin he turns to the others. "She bit me." He sounds both awed, incredulous and slightly turned on. 

I bend over and snatch the diary from the floor. Straightening I draw in a sharp breath, finding Ryder so close that his chest brushes mine with each breath we take. At first, I think his pupils have dilated so much that it's swallowed his entire iris, but when I look closer, I notice that there's a small, tiny difference in colour. The deep dark, near black of his iris almost blends in with the pupil, which is blown. 

I remember that. The colour of their eyes. The one thing I could always see so vividly even though it'd been years since I'd seen them. Even when I forgot the exact tilt of their smiles or sound of their voices I always remembered their eyes.  Knew I'd recognise them anywhere. No matter how different they looked. How much they'd aged, I'd recognise those eyes on any face. Ryder's two voids that can swallow me whole. The deep bright green of Hunter's that seem to hold an entire forest. Jeremy's big grey ones that in certain lights almost look to be a dark silver. The hazel of Shade's, the amber flecked with green and blue.

"You ever find it?" he asks voice dark and heavy. At the confusion in my eyes Ryder's mouth quirks up into a knowing smirk. Like he knows how distracted I am by feeling his body brush against mine. Feeling the heat radiating from him seeping into my skin. His gaze drops to my mouth for a moment before falling on the diary in my hand before flicking back up to me.

Oh, right. The diary. My mind works hard to fix the shortcut in my brain as I scramble for an answer. Why the hell does he care? 

Because they never found it, you idiot. A voice whispers in the back of my head. Are they hoping I'll lead them to it? Because if that's the case then tough shit. They are never setting their gorgeous eyes on that treasure. No, not gorgeous. Assholes. Gorgeous assholes who betrayed me and sent me away but gorgeous none the less. 

Stop. I scold myself before my brain can spiral further. "No, did you?"

His eyes narrow on me as if he's confused by the venom in my voice. Has he completely forgotten what happened all those years ago? Have they suppressed those memories to sleep better at night? "Is that why you're here?" Ryder questions without answering me.

"Does it matter? Why I'm here that is?" I snap back remembering his questioning last night.

Why are you here? How long are you staying? 

They don't want me here. Yet, they keep insisting this house is my home. Every time I try to figure them out it feels as if my head is cracked open like an egg and poured into a hot pan getting scrambled. My plan to get in, do my thing and get out without anyone finding out I was ever here sucked.