Chapter 22 Bet gone wrong
Kendrix
Maybe I was a fool for making another bet with Stephanie when the last one ended with me owing her a favor, but I couldn’t resist.
Initially, I brought the idea because it had seem like a good chance to win against her. She was tipsy and clearly couldn’t handle any more alcohol.
Maybe my method was questionable but I still couldn’t stand the thought of her winning against me earlier in the car.
Luck seem to be on my side this time and I had won. And seeing that barely restrained anger on her face was absolutely worth it.
“Come on, Princess, it’s just a dance. Don't try to delay the inevitable.” I grinned. Her scowl deepened as she glared at me.
My eyes involuntarily went to the red painted lips and lingered. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through my veins, but I wondered how I hadn't noticed those full lips before, how kissable they look.
Wait…what?
Nope, not going there. I would not think about kissing my step sister no matter how irresistible she looked right now.
Stephanie didn't seem to notice my five seconds mental spiral as she rose from the stool.
“Let’s get this over with so I don’t have to look at your face anymore.” She staggered.
I jumped to my feet and caught her before she could fall to the ground.
Brooke and the others had gone to the dance floor with JJ gloating about our win and Brooke snapping at him to shut his mouth. Cisco had been the unofficial mediator as always. Stephanie had stayed behind to sulk and delay our inevitable dance. I had been glad to rub my victory on her face. Until now.
“I think I’m gonna throw my guts up and die before I step on that dance floor.” She groaned and pulled away from me.
That was when I realized I had subconsciously held on to her. She stared at me, an eyebrow raised, and dragged her gaze to the arm I was holding. I pulled my hand back and cleared my throat.
“You were gonna fall.” I muttered as a way of explanation.
She huffed and brushed past me, her hair swaying as she made her way towards the crowd. I was left wondering for the second time if I had made the best decision.
I grabbed another shot from the counter and knocked down the content. I was going to have a serious problem driving home after the party, but that problem would come later.
I needed the booze to get out of the hole I had dug myself into.
I caught a glimpse of Sophie searching the crowd and quickly began walking after Stephanie. I was not ready to be back in the company of Sophie and her nauseatingly strong perfume.
But when I got to the middle of the room, Stephanie was already dancing with a guy. A blonde soon-to-be dead guy. He placed his hands on the low of her back, slowly inching towards her ass.
Stephanie was either too drunk that she didn't seem to notice or she didn't mind it. I watched as she threw her head back and laughed before concluding it was the former. The guy didn't look like the funny type and I had never seen her laugh like that.
The guy leaned forward and whispered something into her ear with a grin. She frowned and subtly shook her head. But the sleazy bastard went ahead with his intentions anyway.
My eyes flashed red as his hand went to the curve of her ass. I was moving before I realized it. Stephanie seem a bit aware of what his intentions were and pulled away from him. I yanked his shirt backwards, pulling him from her completely.
“She said no. Take a hint.” I said, my fingers tightening around his collars.
I debated punching his face, but I wasn't in the mood to be on school headlines at the start of the school year again.
“Hey, Captain. I didn't know she was yours.” he said somehow apologetically, but it was hard to tell when he was obviously high from whatever drug he snorted.
“Just let him go.” Stephanie waved dismissively.
I turned away from him, because if I didn't, I would seriously reconsider my decisions to not start this year with violence.
“Do you mind sharing though? This chick is hot as fuck.” the guy shouted over the blaring music.
My fingers curled into a fist as I fought hard against my temper. I turned to him to see the cocky grin on his face.
“I promise, I'll make the both of you enjoy it.” he added.
Alright. Fuck the school headlines. They could do whatever the hell they wanted.
I drove my fist into his face, wiping the slimy grin off his face. He fell to his butt, screaming as blood streaked down his broken nose. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him up. I was more than ready to ruin his face some more.
“Kendrix, stop!” Stephanie said. I didn't turn to look at her. For some reasons, I didn't want to.
“Let him go.” her voice was firm despite her drunken state.
I released my grip on his shirt and finally looked at her. She was shaking, whether it was from anger or something else, I didn't know. And I wasn't hanging around here to find out.
“Touch her again and I'll make sure you regret it.”
I grabbed Stephanie's hand and began dragging her away from there. I didn't care about the students who had stopped dancing to watch us, didn't give a shit that Stephanie fought me the entire way out, I didn't even know where we were heading, I just knew I had to get out before I did something I would probably regret.
I needed somewhere to purge this energy inside me.
We finally got to a quiet place in the mansion. The indoor pool area. Most of the students were skinny dipping and doing other nasty shit at the pool outside. While there were definitely some couple making out in the shadows, the place was relatively quiet.
“Let me go!” Stephanie snapped as she snatched her hand from me.
“What the fuck is your problem?”
“He was touching you.”
“I had it handled.” She yelled. “I don't need you to swoop in and act like you cared.”
“Of course, I care. We're family and he was being inappropriate.” I groaned. But somehow, those words felt like a lie.
“Don't give me the ‘we're family’ bullshit when you've treated me like the opposite since the moment I moved in. Stay the hell away from me.” She said sternly.
I stared at her in silence for a while before deciding to let the argument slide.
“Well, at least we can both agree that you're drunk and we should probably head home before something else happened.”
She simply scoffed and looked away from me into the deep water. I took her silence as acceptance.
“I'll call an Uber. I don't think either of us are in the state to drive.” I reached for my phone in my pocket and realized I had left it on the counter back inside.
“I think I left my phone inside. Do you have your phone with you?” I asked. She responded with a slight shake of her head.
“Wait here. I'll go get my phone real quick.” She nodded and I walked away.
I exited the pool area and was instantly hit with the loud music again. I had been to Collin's house parties countless times before so getting back to the main house wasn't difficult.
I was so focused on getting to the counter that I didn't see Sophie until she got to me. A low curse slipped out of my mouth.
“Baby, what was that fight I just heard about?” she purred.
And just like that, the anger that I had managed to repress came rushing back.
“I am not your baby!” I snapped at her. “Don't call me that ever again. We're not in a relationship and we'll never be.”
Her eyes widened slightly, then became glossy with unshed tears. A tiny part of me wished I hadn't spoken so harshly to her, but I had reached my breaking point today.
“Are you breaking up with me?” She whispered while I sighed.
The fact that she didn't understand we were never in a relationship to begin with. I told her from the very beginning I didn't do emotions.
Her face tightened with rage instantly. “Is it because of the new girl you got into a fight for? That filthy, ugly girl? I'm way better than her.”
“Do not bring Stephanie into this. She's ten times the lady you'll ever be.” I brushed past her, not letting myself look too much into her eyes.
I finally got to the counter without anyone jumping in my path again. I grabbed my phone and car keys and made my way to the pool area.
A part of me expected that Stephanie had left the place, deliberately disobeying me. Or she'd done something dramatic. But nothing prepared me for the scene I met at the pool area.
I didn't know whether to look at Brooklyn charging towards Stephanie who stood by the pool, her back to the entrance, or at Sophie as she pushed Stephanie into the deep water, the latter screaming as she went.