ANNA'S POV

It was a Friday. Elijah would have to stay back in school for hockey practice. It was undoubtedly my favorite day of the week. I got to watch him practice.

I jerked up, realizing I would be late if I didn't hurry. He would abandon me with the excuse that I was too slow. I needed to match his pace.

I dashed into the shower, brushed my teeth, and dashed downstairs with my backpack hung on my back.

I saw him standing by the kitchen counter with peanut butter on his left hand. He was talking to my mom, who was having her morning coffee. I wondered what they were talking about.

I hesitated, wondering if he was telling her about what had happened last night, or if she had noticed I had been gone. I took in a deep breath.

"Good morning, guys," I said with a tight face, tossing my bag on the table.

They both looked at me, their eyes running down my body. Then their eyes locked, with an accompanying nod.

"You see what I was talking about, Penny? Just look at her," Elijah said suddenly, pointing at me while I stood there clueless. My mother looked at me in a manner that seemed loving but disappointed.

"Honey, you don't have to wear a yellow shirt to match your yellow hair clip. You're no longer in high school," my mom said softly, under her breath, with a smile.

I was right. They were talking about me, but now my mom was taking his side. Whatever I chose to wear was my choice. It was colorful and I loved it. Why was it a big deal to them?

"You'll have to take the bus. I have a place to be before classes," Elijah said to me with a frown, but I wasn't stupid. I knew it was because of what had happened last night. Of course he wouldn't want me riding with him. I had embarrassed him—his words, not mine.

"No, she won't!" Marcus, my stepdad, said, walking down the stairs. He always had my back, even in times when my mom took Elijah's side.

"Why should she take the bus when you have a car, Elijah?" he snapped, his tone on the rise.

Elijah was silent, his lips trembling, a fist clenched at his side. But I didn't care. I just wanted to ride with him to school. He didn't have to speak to me.

"I have somewhere to be. I need to get Cathy before riding to school. You could have the chauffeur drop her off at school."

"You prefer a chauffeur taking her to school over you?" Marcus asked, his tone falling this time, his eyes awakened.

Elijah looked at me, his eyes bloody. I bet he wished I had never come into the picture, but unfortunately he couldn't disrespect Marcus by leaving me behind.

The worst he could do was leave while I ate or say he had hockey morning skate, but those lies were overused. There was no way Marcus would believe that again.

"Hey, Step-dad," I greeted.

Marcus smiled at me, moving away from Elijah. He didn't like it when I called him stepdad, but he knew I was toying with him.

"Hey, Step-daughter," he said, planting a kiss on my forehead.

"You look like you had a good night's rest for hours," Marcus said further, his brows raised. He knew I had been out. But he wouldn't say anything. My mom would snap if she found out I had sneaked out.

"Honey, I need you. Could you excuse me for a second?" Marcus said to my mom, taking her out of the kitchen.

Now I was left alone with Elijah. My breath steepened. I could feel his dead stare crawl up my neck. My heart raced, scared that he would confront me about last night.

I needed to apologize for putting him in that position. But I was the one who had been humiliated. I could swear he would never apologize to me.

And now he had to wait for me. I was a slow eater, so he had to wait. It made me feel slightly better. It was a good punishment for how he had treated me.

Elijah turned to look at me. He didn't need words. I knew I was pissing him off with how slow I ate, but I didn't flinch. Marcus was home, so I didn't have to worry.

He picked up his hockey gear angrily and was about to storm off. He had waited just twenty minutes and he was already irritated. His temper was one of the things I found intriguing about him.

He would stomp his feet violently when angry, his forehead folding into freckles, and his lips always made a pout.

"Where are my damn keys?" he said, searching the room with his eyes.

"I put them right here. Where are they?" he said, looking straight at me with a scorch.

"I don't have them," I lied. I had hidden his car key under the table mat. I knew he was going to abandon me again, so I had taken action.

"Find your way to school. I'm out of here," he said, picking up the key from where I had hidden it. I had to abandon my food and go with him.

"Mom, Marcus, I'm off!" I said loudly as I picked up my bag and ran after him.

I stood in front of the door, my feet on the foot-mat that read "Welcome Home," trying to organize my books in my bag.

We heard a loud honk of a car right outside the house, by the curb, under the oak tree. We both turned around to see where it had come from.

It was Connor. He had come to pick me up for school. I missed a step in shock and almost tripped.

Oh my God! He meant it—everything he had said. A smile escaped my lips. I had never imagined him coming here to pick me up.

I saw Elijah's eyes. They went flat. I didn't know what he thought of it, but I knew for sure he didn't like this.

Connor honked again. That was my cue that he was waiting for me.

I walked past Elijah and gave him a single wave before walking toward the car to join Connor. I knew he was enjoying the view of Elijah's anger.

ELIJAH’S POV

Was she really going to run off and get into another man’s car? She had the boldness to even give a wave before running to him.

My cheeks turned red. My fists clenched . I could feel my heart pounding as I watched her run to him.

A sinister smile escaped the side of his lips—I saw it. He was mocking me.

I told myself I didn’t care what happened between them, but my stomach turned,because she disrespected me. I was a year older. She had no right to leave with him. She knew how much I didn’t want him around her. Well, she would have to continue with him now, because I had decided she was never going to ride with me again. Ever!

I stood right there, watching him reverse his car out of the curb, and secretly wished it would drive straight into the oak tree sitting at the center of the front yard.

They drove off and left me a honk in the distance, which made my stomach turn even more.

A call came into my phone. It was Cathy, nagging about me being late. I dashed into my car and hit the road to her suite.

“Connor really did that?”

Cathy laughed. I had told her about what happened with Connor and Anna.

“Why are you bothered about her? Just let her enjoy it while it lasts. We’ll have the last laugh,” she said, stretching her beautiful legs on my dashboard. Those legs were so perfect. Straight and toned, without hairs on them, beautiful to the eyes—I could eat them for dinner.

That was exactly what I needed to worry about. Not some weird-looking girl who eats like a sloth and jumps into random cars whenever she gets the chance.

My face tightened at the thought of her kinky laughter. My dad insisted I protect her, but how was I supposed to do that when she was all over Connor? I hissed.

Today was practice. I couldn’t wait to play dirty, ring one off his face, and tell Coach Hendricks, “I lost control—the puck rode up my stick and hit him in the cage.” It was my favorite line in the books.

Then I quickly recalled: practice was rescheduled for Saturday. The school project was still on. Everyone had been paired with someone. Connor and Anna were teammates. They met at the library after school every Friday.

I don’t know how I remember that, but I hate it—the fact that I remember relevant information about them.

Maybe they spent so much time together that they began dating behind my back.

My thoughts hovered. Cathy could notice the concern on my face and tried to make me feel better.

She was busy having her makeup done. I could only admire her beauty while I drove.

The way her full lips curved outwardly, her perfectly straight nose shaped like a chisel, her doe sized eyes, and clustered curly eyelashes.

We arrived on campus early enough for my first class, HIST 101. I hated Professor Benson, but I had to be there—and early. The last thing I wanted was to be dragged out of class and humiliated like others who slept during lectures.

Cathy gave me a wet kiss as she left for her classes.Her hands placed on my chin, pulling me in.She didn’t have History as a major like the rest of us.

I looked around, hoping to find Connor’s car parked somewhere. I’d park right next to him—he hated it, and I loved it.

His car was missing from its usual spot, the spot he’d earned from the parking police. I rolled my ears. I needed to know that my stepsister was well—for Penny’s sake.

She had run off so quickly into a stranger’s car without looking back. She deserved whatever she got.

I walked halfway down the hallway when I was called back by the sound of chattering and screaming.

I didn’t look back, I continued my eyes unwavering. I moved further, but then I heard someone say, “They’re so perfect together.”

My heart raced. I could hear my heartbeat—loud and unsettling. I had a familiar metallic taste in my mouth. I recognized that taste.

I walked back with a unsettling feeling in my chest, to the open field, my backpack weighed down by my laptop and notebook.

My face burned with a scorch. There they were, alighting from his car—her hand in his, taking pretty steps.

My breath came sharp, uneven I forced it slower. I knew he was going to break her heart and make her miserable. He’d make her feel small, he made everyone feel small eventually.

Those dumb freshmen kept drooling over them like some high school prom queen and king. Ridiculous!

I walked away, my teeth gnashing. I finally recognized that metallic taste. It was the same taste I had in my mouth the other day when I threw her out of my car near the bus station—when she wouldn’t stop laughing like a hyena. I hated the sound of that laughter.

I didn’t care what would happen to her. She was close enough—she could have taken the bus for all I cared.

I only felt guilty when I heard that Connor had picked her up and gotten her home.

“Typical playboy. Always trying to antagonize me.”