Hate Me Love Me

40| Bald or Bold 💈

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍

"When you begin a journey of revenge, start by digging two graves; one for your enemy and one for yourself." --- Jodi Picoult.

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍

I shove the binoculars in my duffel bag, and finally zip it up. In the hall downstairs, I smile at my reflection. Light blue jeans, thick woollen sweater with too-long sleeves and warm boots. My hair's in a braid, hanging down all the way to my belly button.

I don't look like I broke up with my boyfriend of a few weeks just yesterday. And I'm proud of myself for that. For covering up. After a whole day of moping around, and a sleepless night of planning and a little bit of crying, I told myself to stop being so pathetic.

Valerie Dornan doesn't cry over boys. Never.

As I reach for the doorknob, I hear a knock and stop short, confused.

'Who is it, sweetie?' Jo shouts from the kitchen.

'I'll check,' I shout back.

I open the door.

Vincent and Sebastian are standing there with huge grins on their face. Wide. The kind that make the corners of your eyes crinkle with amusement. Their hands are in their expensive coat pockets. Windswept hair. Perfume that I just want to drown in.

'Tell your aunt that your friends are here to talk,' Vincent says, and my eyebrows raise.

'The walls aren't soundproof at all, huh?' I ask.

'Very.'

I place my duffel bag down, out of anyone's way, and walk to the kitchen where Megan is helping Jo cook. Roland and my dad are sitting on black bar stools, watching them. The four of them are in deep conversation, laughing, talking, smiling.

'Uh, my friends are here. From school. We're going to go to my room,' I say, and I start to turn when my father speaks.

'Oh! Let me meet them! Madison and Lola, right?' he's excited, and I smile because he remembered their names even though I only mentioned them once.

'No, no. It's Vincent and Sebastian. I, uh, I'll call them in?' I'm unsure.

'Boys? Is Alaric alright with them being here?'

I don't know.

'Yeah.'

'Great. Let me see them,' he says, suspicious.

I call them in, and they take in the place as they walk. They're not as tall as Alaric, but they're still tall, filling up the remaining space around the kitchen.

They greet everyone, and the men instantly realize them as the sons of multi-millionaires. But they stay normal, because my family is used to being around the rich. Like me. Because of Evermoor, our school branch.

'Well, we're going to go up now,' I say, and the two of them nod vigorously.

'Yeah, no,' my dad says. 'No boys in your room. I can't believe I even have to tell you this, Val. It should've been obvious.'

'Right. OK. We'll talk outside in the cold then. In the snow,' I say, trying to give him a hint.

He doesn't get it.

'Great,' he turns back to sipping his hot beverage from Dylan's mug.

Outside, Vincent speaks first.

'Thank you.'

'Yes. Thank you,' Sebastian agrees.

'You're totally welcome, but what for?'