Chapter 1 Mask Of Indifference
“Bree, I need you to understand me okay?” My mum’s voice snaps me back to reality as Watch by Billie Eilish hums through my headphones reminding me for the hundredth time about being nice to her new husband and his son.
“ First impressions last longer and Aurick has been nothing but nice to you even though I know you are still getting to know him but you’re meeting his son for the first time so please be in your best behavior.”
“I have heard you already mum!” I said, groaning silently, closing my eyes as the wind caressed my face easing the migraine that was about to ruin my day even more.
My phone pinged with a notification of a text from my best friend, Summer asking me if I was finally there. She had made me promise to fill her in on all the details once I got home… feels odd calling a strange place home.
I sighed softly. I was going to miss her… a lot. My mum had literally dragged me out of Brooklyn to New Jersey just so we could stay with her new husband and his son, an idea I didn’t really like or understand but at least Aurick made my mum happy, the happiest she has ever been since my dad’s death and if doing this was going to be part of her happiness then hell yeah I can do that.
The car was soon brought to a stop and I was forced to look, feeling my eyes widen with surprise as I swallowed hard. The gate was gigantic, painted in pure white. I tried to pry into the gaps but I couldn’t even see the house at all!
My mum let out a smug smile seeing the expression on my face as she held out a small remote which she pressed and the gate automatically opened up to us and we drove in.
As we rolled past the wide iron gates, my jaw literally dropped. The house, no, the mansion, stood like something out of a dream. Every inch of it gleamed white under the lazy afternoon sun.
Pillars rose tall and proud at the entrance, each one wrapped in vines that looked perfectly placed. A grand balcony stretched across the upper floor, wide enough to host a whole party.
The driveway curved in a perfect loop, lined with trimmed hedges and flowers that looked too alive to be real. A water fountain sat right in the center, marble angels frozen mid-dance, water flowing from their hands in slow, shiny arcs.
Even the air smelled rich and I wondered how I would fit in. Because what the hell did my mom marry into?
Standing on the front steps was Aurick. He was tall, with silver hair and a wide smile.
And then, there was the boy standing a few feet behind him.
I recognized him instantly.
Barth Vanguard.
The star of the ice, the king of the local university, and the face of every "Most Eligible Bachelor" list in the state. In his hockey photos, he looked fierce. In person, he looked like a god made of ice and spite.
He was leaning against one of the massive white pillars, his arms crossed over his chest that was broad under a charcoal sweater. He didn't have his father’s welcoming smile. He was staring at me with a look of pure coldness.
"Valerie!" Aurick stepped forward, catching my mother in a hug that was so full of genuine affection it made my throat tight. "Welcome home, my love."
"Thank you, Aurick. It’s... it’s breathtaking," she whispered.
Aurick turned his gaze to me. "And Bree. It is so good to finally have you here. I know the move was a lot, but we’re going to make sure you feel right at home."
"Thank you, Mr. Vanguard," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But please, call me Yvonne. Only my friends call me Bree.”
My mother cast a look at me but I shrugged. Calling me Bree was VIP access only.
Aurick laughed, a warm, booming sound. "Yvonne it is. Come, let me introduce you to my son, Barth!”
Barth didn't move at first. His gaze fixed on me in a way that made me self conscious, finally he walked towards us and stopped three feet away. He was taller than I had realized, his eyes weren’t brown like his fathers. They were a piercing, stormy grey.
"Barth," Aurick said, his tone gaining a slight edge of warning. "This is Valerie, and her daughter, Bree. They’re family now."
Barth’s gaze drifted to my mother. He gave her a polite, stiff nod, then, he turned his eyes on me.
A slow, mocking smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Family," he repeated. The word sounded like a dirty joke coming from him. "Right. The charity cases have arrived."
"Bartholomew!" Aurick snapped, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Apologize. Now."
My mother shrunk back a little, her hand flying to her throat. My blood turned to fire. I stepped around Aurick, putting myself between Barth and my mother.
"It's okay, Mr. Vanguard," I said, my gaze sharpening. "I get it. It must be hard for him. Having to share his toys with the 'trash' from Brooklyn? That’s a lot of emotional labor for someone who spends his life chasing a rubber puck."
Barth’s eyes narrowed. The air between us reeked of tension. He stepped closer towards me and I could smell his scent, dark and expensive, like sandalwood and cold winter air.
"You've got a mouth on you, Brooklyn," he whispered, low enough that only I could hear. "But remember where you are. You’re in my house. You’re eating my father's food. And you’re sleeping under my roof."
He leaned in closer, his lips brushing the tip of my ear. "Don't get too comfortable. Guests eventually leave. I make sure of it."
He pulled back, his face bearing the mask of bored indifference again. "I’ll be in the gym, Dad. Don't wait up for dinner."
He turned and walked back into the house. Aurick sighed, "I am so sorry. He’s... he’s had a hard time adjusting to the idea of change. He doesn't mean it."
My mother’s lips curved into a false smile, her hands were shaking. "It’s fine, Aurick. Truly. It’s a big adjustment for everyone."
But as I looked at the massive glass front doors where Barth had disappeared, I knew Aurick was lying. Barth meant every word. And for the first time since we’d left Brooklyn, I didn't feel like a martyr.
I felt like I was at war.