At The Kiss Of Midnight

Original | Chapter Nine

I awake the next morning to find Demi pacing around the bed, her cell phone pressed against her ear, and an annoyed expression on her face. Knowing she has yet to realize that I'm awake, I watch her.

"What do you expect me to do, Adaliah? I can't just drop my entire tour for you." I raise an eyebrow at how she sounds like such a bitch when she's talking to her girlfriend. "God, what is with you? How many times do I have to tell you that I would never fucking cheat on you." I can't help but to snort incredulously, causing Demi to glare at me. "Adaliah, I have to go. The team needs me." She ends the phone call, her glare not relenting in the slightest. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Me? I have no problem."

"It's obvious that you do." She scoffs. "You think I'm a slut, don't you?"

Sitting up, I chuckle humorlessly. "Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. I think you're a lying, cheating, whoring bitch." She stares at me with her jaw slack, her hands curled into fists at her sides. "What are you going to do? Throw a temper tantrum? Hit me? Scream profanities at me until the next room over calls the cops?"

"You don't know me, Banner."

"Obviously I don't." I stand and approach her. "But my sister thinks she knows you better than she knows herself. She looks up to you. She idolizes you. I swear sometimes she thinks that you can't do a damn thing wrong in this world. How do you think she'll react when she knows you're not so perfect afterall?"

With a panicked expression, she seizes my arm. "You can't tell her."

"And why not?" I scoff, shaking her hands off of me. "You don't care about her. She's just another paycheck to you."

"It would crush her."

"She'd get over it."

She stares at me with a disgusted, hateful expression. "You'd ruin your little sister for the sake of being vengeful?"

I hold her gaze for a few more moments before storming past her and out of the room. "Kelsie, we're leaving."

I try to ignore my sister's wide-eyed, innocent gaze. "Dude, I literally just woke up."

"Doesn't change the fact that we're still leaving." I stand in front of her sitting position on the couch. "I will not hesitate to drag you out of here." When she continues to do nothing but stare at me with a confused expression, I roll my eyes and hoist her tiny body over my shoulder.

"What is wrong with you, Banner?" she screeches, trying to fight against me. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think you're officially crazier than I am right now."

"You can't just force her to leave," Demi interjects as I'm heading for the hotel room door.

"Why are you acting as if you honestly care?"

Kelsie gasps as if I offended her before slamming her fists against my back. "She's not acting, you idiot."

"I hate to break it to you, Kelsie, but your idol is a fake."

"Fuck you," she retorts, still continuing to punch me.

"Would you stop hitting me?"

"Would you stop acting like such an asshole?"

"Banner, you can't just leave with her like this," Demi pleads.

I turn around to face her, leaving the hotel room door agape. "Give me one reason as to why I shouldn't."

She combs her fingers through her hair in exasperation as her eyes dart around the room, looking for an excuse. "She hasn't even eaten breakfast yet."