LIVING WITH THE DEVIL

CHAPTER FORTY - EIGHT

A few days ago, it was after school hours and I’d gone to check in on my team during practice, Emily had flinched when I pointed out some mistakes in her routine. She’d lost any back bone after the party and doesn’t even go after Tyler anymore.

I’d suppressed the nauseating feeling. When I run into Maya in the door and she walked into me accidentally because she was holding supplies for practice, she quickly fell on her knees and pleaded for me to spare her. When I told her it was fine, she broke down into tears and thanked me like I just promised to spare the life of her first born son or something.

Right now, everyone was wary of me. No one dared to offend me.

Probably because I was queen yes, but most likely because Andrew has disappeared from the face of the earth and I had no Ideas what had happened to him and no one was willing to talk.

Even when I asked Chloe, she was all hushed.

“Babe, I love you and I really want to tell you but I’ll be Kieran’s number one suspect and my would roll this posh floors if I ever dare to. Just ask him yourself.”

Those were my best friend’s words.

Today was a weekend and I spent the day sitting in front of the big screen, playing games and watching a whole lot of rom coms. It was already night time as I yawn and get up, heading to the kitchen to drink something. I’d run out of snacks and my throat was seriously patched.

I tie up my hair, yawning from being lazy all day. I was still in my pajamas which was one of Kierfan’s shirt he had lended me.

Don’t take it the wrong way. We weren’t in such a close relationship that I could wear his shirts and stuff. It’s not like that at all. It’s just that, during my fever, I didn’t have any clothes here at the castles mansion so he had brought me a few of his Shirts and now because I avoid any reason for conversation, I couldn’t

The whole ‘hey Kieran, here are your shirts that you gave me to wear when I was ill. Um thanks and I’ll head back upstairs to your room.’ Yeah that would be very awkward

Kieran had also sacrificed his bedroom for me. I failed to mention that earlier. But then again, don’t misunderstand. It was only for repercussion reasons, and of course to keep me on a leash. He doesn’t sleep there though. He only comes to take a shower in the early mornings when he think I’m asleep and I freeze up, pretending the tensed to a rock human on his bed was asleep.

He even spent less time at home. He was always out with Tyler Myers and Ryan Crest. Whenever they came around, he’d drag me up from wherever I was in the open and force me to stay inside his room till he found a reason to drive them out. Usually there’s no tangible reason. He just asks them to leave so rudely and they bicker at each other and three of them end up leaving. More times, Kieran follows them because he was provoked by Myers and Crest is the mediator. He really needs to take a chill pill before Kieran murders him one day.

I shiver as Andrew comes to mind.

Kieran had left the house in the early mornings, He had gone out on one of his motorcycles he loves to work on. He spent whatever days he was home at the garage working on his vehicles and motorcycles or down in the gym.

I scratch the back of my head, enjoying the quiet. I open the fridge and grab a yoghurt, taking gulps. My previous self would never. I’d serve it in the glass and sit at the table to take sips. I was getting really lazy but Kieran was stopping from going out if not on his watch.

“Were you eaves dropping ?” A voice snarls behind me and I jump, dropping the yoghurt and almost falling into the fridge but he grabs me by the collar and yanks me out. Typical Kieran. He tosses the yoghurt to me and I grab it.

“Make some noise, you creep.” I hold my chest as I breathe

“And no. I didn’t even know you were home yet.” I take another sip as I turn to leave and he growls in warning.

Watch the attitude Aaliya, don’t provoke him. Just keep walking on eggshells like you have this past few weeks. Don’t face him head on and don’t turn your back on him lest you bring out his primal and crazy instincts…

“My tone was inappropriate. Sorry.” I offer before he tears me down.

I was going to choose the battles I fought. A little apology was nothing if it meant bidding my time for the right moment.

“Is that… my shirt?” He asks.

“Uhh yes?....” Crap! I totally forgot that I was in his shirt. AKA my new pyjamas.

“I’ll return it to you as soon as possible. Its just that I had nothing to wear since you won’t let me go home even for clothes so whatever you’ve given me is what I’m--”

“It looks good on you. You can keep it”

“Ha?” Did I just hear him right ? Kieran would have torn off my head for the attitude and made me take off the shirt and made me leave naked just for extra effect.

“Shut up. It’s no one.” He says to someone at the other end of his phone before walking out.

Oh, so he was on a call.

Now I want to know what he doesn’t want me eaves dropping on. So, against my better judgement, I press my ears to the door as his voice fades away, but I hear two words in his conversation that make my tongue taste bitter.

‘Marin’ and ‘the Ring’.