Deadly Alliances

Chapter 16: Pillow Fight

Song: Help - Anna Clendening

Juliette's POV

I walked through the back door of the mansion carefully, so I didn't alert anyone of my presence. Removing my shoes, I headed straight to the kitchen. I planned to ice my face until the mark faded and Flynn got home.

The kitchen and living room didn't have lights on. It was pitch black as I silently leaned over the freezer to get an ice pack. I felt eyes on me as I stood up straight, turned around, and grabbed for my gun.

I crouched under the counter and hoped that I was overreacting. Because if not, I'd have to use my gun.

The gun that I had just realized was there while I was taking a beating from my Dad.

I silently cursed myself for not killing my Dad, even when I'd been completely fear-stricken.

Movement sounded from the living room, signaling that there was a person there, who'd been sitting in the dark.

I stood up in front of a large column, holding my gun up near my face. I peaked around the column and the large figure was closer than I expected.

"Juliette?" a familiar, curious voice said.

The voice was masculine, deep, and held a power that had yet to be unlocked.

Flynn was home.

But I still had the mark on my face. And so, with the information given and the circumstances provided, I put on a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination.

I ran. I "tripped" and I "fell" flat on my face, causing my gun to hit the floor and spin. I flailed and groaned as if I was in real pain. Flynn came running, immediately flipping me over and asking me if I was okay.

"I'm okay," I replied shakily, managing to cry a single tear. "You just scared me."

Flynn wiped my tear with his thumb. "I'm sorry." He sat his head on top of mine. "I'm so sorry."

The air grew thin and silent with only our breathing making a sound. Flynn was on his haunches in front of me, both hands holding my head up. I rested my hand on his shoulder, urging him to look at me. He placed a soft kiss on the crown of my head before standing up and lifting me with him.

He sounded like he felt bad and that made my heart ache. I staged a fall and he was so sorry, even when he didn't do anything.

Eager to make him feel better, I said, "It's okay. You didn't mean to."

Flynn still hung his head, moving to get an ice pack from the already opened freezer. "What were you getting?"

"Ice cream," I lied easily before realizing that we didn't have any. "I thought we had some."

He wrapped the ice pack in a paper towel and held it to my face gently. "We can get some if you want. Ivy is on her way here. She can grab some."

"I don't wanna inconvenience her--"

"Just say 'okay' and she'll get some."

The sincerity in his voice made me want to shrink. Now he was offering to get me ice cream when he'd done nothing wrong.

"Okay."

An hour later, Ivy, Flynn, Sage, and I were sitting on the couch with ice cream. I curled into a little ball with a blanket and cradled my favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry's to my chest.

"When Dad found out that mom was having twins, he almost fainted. The doctor had to get a chair for him to sit down," Ivy informed me. "Niall said it was hilarious but how would he know? He was, like, three years old."