If We Survive The Night

Karma

Casey

I stare at Owen's nasty smile. I knew he was after me. Not to this creepy extent, but I knew it, ever since that day when he smiled at me for the first time.

Father was at work, as usual, and Clarissa was out shopping, so Jen apparently decided that she could bring home whoever she wanted without having to answer any questions. I was in the dining room when she came in, followed by this big guy, clearly older than her, clearly not a classmate, probably not even a schoolmate, his appearance too unpolished for a private school kid. Actually, he didn't look like a kid at all. I kind of did raise a mental eyebrow at her hanging out with a guy a few years older, but saw no reason to suddenly act all brotherly and criticize her choices. I still felt like I didn't belong in that house, so I tended to mind my own business most of the time. Perhaps that was why Jen was so unbothered with me seeing them on that day.

"Hey," she said to me distractedly, looking around the room before turning to her guy. "I'll change and we go?"

"Sure," he said, then nodded at me. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

She rolled her eyes. "Owen, this is Casey, my kinda brother. Casey, this is Owen."

"Your kinda boyfriend?" I said, eyeing him curiously.

"Maybe," she said, coquettishly, and smiled at him. "Want to watch me change?" She said that in a whisper, meant only for him, but I still caught the words.

He bowed his head politely. "I'll wait here."

She shot me an annoyed glance, apparently thinking that he was being cautious because of me. Then, she shrugged and headed towards the staircase.

"Check out the fridge for cold drinks," she called out without looking back.

"I will," he said, but remained standing in the middle of the room, looking around, his hands in his pockets. I took the opportunity to look him over. His face was kind of expressionless, but, combined with his big frame and cool demeanor, it gave those tough guy kind of vibes that I generally find attractive. Anyway, he was Jen's boyfriend, so, apart from being unavailable, he clearly wasn't swinging my way. That was before Andy, so I was a bit desperate, I guess, feeling lonely in a new place, prone to checking out every guy who crossed my path.

"So," he said, and I realized he was looking at me. Had he noticed me studying him? I cleared my throat and stretched a bit, trying to appear nonchalant.

"The kitchen is that way," I said, pointing. "Help yourself."

"I see hospitality runs in the family."

"Sure does."

"I'm not thirsty." He walked over, his hands still in his pockets, and stopped by the sofa, eyeing me. There was something intimidating in the way he stood over me, and I instinctively drew myself up into a more upright position. He didn't seem angry, yet his standing so close and staring felt like aggression.

"So," I said. "I gather you're dating Jen?"

"For the lack of better options."

"Oh?" His frankness took me aback. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell her that you said that?"

"Will you?"

I contemplated it. "Probably not."

"Good for you. Siblings shouldn't meddle in each other's business."

"Do you have any siblings?" I said, trying to steer the conversation to safer small talk.

"Maybe," he said. His unblinking gaze was making my skin crawl. There was no threat in his stare, only... evaluation? Was he checking me out? Could he possibly be doing that, with his girlfriend upstairs?

"What're you doing?" I said, giving up on the pretense that nothing unusual was happening.

"Hm?"

"Why're you staring at me?"

"You look a bit like Jen."

I snorted. "Maybe a bit, yeah. I look more like my Mom, frankly."

"Yeah," he said. "She improved things quite a bit."

That was clearly a compliment, so I allowed myself a smile.

"Are you flirting with me?" I said, jokingly.

"Should I?"

"What do you mean?" My smile died off. He was making me nervous, but not in a completely bad way. The whole interaction was confusing.

He shrugged. "Would you be interested if I made a move?"

I blinked at him. What the hell was going on? Was he joking? Was he testing me? His face betrayed nothing.

The idea that he was possibly interested was titillating in a way. Not that I would have acted on that—I was never into breaking couples, although given his attitude towards Jen, she would have been better off without him. On the other hand, Jen was such a little bitch, so maybe she deserved someone like him.

I probably looked pretty dumb in my confusion, because his expressionless mask finally cracked, and he grinned. The smile didn't look like it belonged on his face, but, once again, the effect was not completely unattractive. Upstairs, the door to Jen's room slammed shut, and I heard her footsteps.

"Just kidding," Owen said.

"Oh, yeah." I breathed out. "Figured out. You almost got me there!"

"I almost got you," he said in a tone like he meant something else. Then, suddenly, he bent down, bringing his face to mine. "Or maybe not," he whispered, and quickly pecked me on the lips. Then, he straightened back up, turning away and toward Jen who was entering the room.

Maybe I should have told her about what he'd said and done. Maybe she wouldn't have believed me—or maybe she would have dumped him, and tonight's disaster wouldn't have happened. If her relationship with Owen ended then, I wouldn't be in this cabin now, chained to a bed. Jaden wouldn't be here. Hazel would have been alive.

I guess the reason behind me not speaking up was that I was a little bitch myself, jealous about what Jen had, and I didn't. She was the preferred child, the one my father actually bothered to raise in person, not just send a check every month. So, I liked the idea of keeping the secret about her boyfriend not really loving her to myself, about him kissing other people behind her back. I guess I didn't mind watching her suffer when their relationship blew up in her face. I had no way of knowing that the one who was going to suffer was me, and others, who'd had nothing to do with my decision.

Karma can be such a bitch sometimes.