started with a lie ➳ raura revised

Chapter Twenty-Two

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" I ask Ross, who by the way is just sitting in the corner, not letting a word escape his lips. The dark is peaceful and quiet and it's not what scaring me. The look on Ross's face is. His eyes look blank, but it's like I can feel how angry and mad he is at the same time.

I can hear him walking closer to me.

What I don't get is how we couldn't just act like civilized people and just talk in another, lighted room. But, no, Ross just loves to drag me into my mother's dark studio to "talk" but doesn't even end up talking.

"Can I turn the lights on?" I say, getting slightly angry myself.

"No."

That's probably the first word I've heard from him.

"Well, you can hurry up and talk now. We have dinner to eat and Madam Jong is probably waiting for me," I say. "We don't have all day."

Ross sighs. "Fine." He lets out an aggravated noise. I can't distinguish if it is a cough, laugh, or groan – maybe all together. "What's going on between you and that douche, Zac?"

"What?" I say immediately, like a reflex. Why does Ross want to know? He kicked me to the curb when I finally felt like I had him figured out. Oh, and just to let me down easy, he has a fiancé. Wonderful, isn't it? Basically, he has no right to be asking me about my life. "It's none of your damn business."

"So, are you two going out?" He ignores me completely.

Frustrating is what Ross is. "So what if we're going out?"

"Are you?"

"Why the hell do you care?" I bark out. I sound incredibly rude. I've changed. I wasn't rude – okay, maybe not as rude – as I am now before I met Ross. But with him, my feelings are magnified. When I love him, I love him intensely. But when I hate him, I just want to punch him in the throat.

"What was that back there?" Ross asks. "Why were you guys going all touchy in the kitchen? He shouldn't even be touching you. You're underage."

I scoff. Like he hasn't touched me either and he's over the legal age, too. Besides, the law won't be useful soon. "No, I'm not! I'm almost nineteen. It doesn't matter, my birthday's soon."

"So," Ross says, breathing through his nose, "you two... are together."

The way he says it breaks my heart. Like I just shot him in the foot or something – which I'd be happy to do someday – but he sounded so sad just now. Was he actually... jealous? Yeah, probably. I mean, it's not like I've never touched a romance novel or watched romance movies. Obviously, he's jealous.

I can't help the smirk that falls on my face.

"Yeah," I say slowly hoping he doesn't break through my acting. "We're dating. I mean, it's not like we're together,

Ross. You have Tracy, and I have Zac. He's quite the bundle of...fun in the bedroom."

Big mistake.

I'm slammed onto the back of the door and suddenly all I see are Ross's burning hazel eyes. "What did you say?" he whispers. His arms are at each side of my head. Should I be scared? Would people call his abusive?

"R-Ross, I'm—" Well, I was going to say I'm just kidding but he slams his fist on the door.

He places his hand on my chin and pulls it up to his face. Holy shit, are there tears in his eyes? They seem to be glistening or it could just be the reflection of moonlight. I wouldn't know.

"You...did it with him?"

"Ross, no, I was just kidding!" I don't know why but seeing him so vulnerable snaps something in me. I wrap my arms around his chest but he doesn't place his arms around me. Is he really angry? "Zac still thinks we're together! In fact, the whole world does until you announce your...fiancé."