Chapter Text
The rain pours down so tremendously that it sounds like my poor car is getting pelted with rocks. The sky is nearly white, and the blasting music only adds to my overwhelming stress. A couple of scattered cars have pulled over with their hazards on, and it would be smart to follow suit, but after the shitty few days I've had, I’m ready to knock out these last few miles and be home.
Or, I guess, my new home. That I’ve yet to step foot in.
I’m returning to Maine for spring break, but not the same town I grew up in. In fact, it’s about an hour away, in some really wealthy area that I somehow went my entire life, up until now, without hearing about. The closer I get to my destination, the more distance there is that separates the streetlights, until eventually, there are none. Lots of foliage and wildlife, not many sidewalks or cars. While I know it’s torrential downpouring, so not many people would be out right now, the options for activities become slim to none out here. I assume that’s how the people who can afford to live here like it.
Over winter break, everything was normal. My mom was dating this new man, Ted, and was smitten while showing me photos of them on their recent cruise. However, somewhere between the beginning of the spring semester and now, she and Ted got married. And she didn’t tell me until last week, along with the super tiny fact that we’re moving in with them. Them. He has a son who’s around my age and goes to school on the West Coast. Thankfully, he’s in Cancun for spring break, so I get to take baby steps with meeting the new family. From what I’ve heard, he’s not very personable.
After turning my volume knob to zero and readjusting my position, I squint past my windshield and trudge onwards until I've reached the final intersection before my last stretch. It’s a four-way stop sign, and I come to a slow-rolling stop before continuing, seeing nothing but white rain and unlimited darkness beyond it.
The moment I round the corner, a blur skids across my vision, and something huge flies across the hood of my car. My throat burns as my scream gets lost in the rain, freezing completely while a million ideas run through my head. Do I get out and check? Surely, fuck no, right? I’m a young woman, and if it were a deer, there’s nothing that I can do for it right now, unfortunately. But what if it wasn’t a deer? Would I get arrested for leaving? Are there even cameras out here if there are hardly any streetlights to illuminate anything?
I slowly let out a long breath that I didn't realize I was holding in and loosen my grip on the steering wheel. Maybe I can check without leaving the car?
Gradually, I unclip my seatbelt, as if being quiet will help save me from this fucked-up situation. Shifting my body over the center console, I cup my hands around my eyes and peer out the passenger window, looking onto the ground and further out around the side to see if I can spot anything on the ground. After several minutes of looking, my breathing begins to steady, and I lean forward across the glove compartment to see if the body of whatever that thing was ended up near the front end of my car. Is it possible that the animal immediately shot up and sprinted off? Is it wrong to wonder about the damage done to my car? I looked both ways before turning right, and nothing was there. It had to have been a deer.
I let out a loud breath and close my eyes, sinking back into the seat. Running my hands over my face and through my hair, I begin to shift back into the driver's seat when I hear three loud bangs in my ear.
My heart jumps into my literal ass, and I scream as loud as humanly possible while throwing my body across the console and as far from the noise as possible, while still being in my tiny car. I can immediately spot the hand pulled into a fist that had just smacked against the window, pale in contrast to the black hoodie and the depths of darkness outside. The human squats down to the window, pulling his hoodie back just enough to expose his face. “You just hit me with your fucking car!” I hear him yell through the closed window and loud-pelting raindrops.
It takes me a few seconds to recover. So to clarify, I didn't hit a deer; I hit a man.
And of course it’s a beautiful man; I can tell even through the drenched window and his blurry wet face. After another stuttering second, I absentmindedly reach for the window button and mash it down halfway, absolutely going against all safety protocols my mother instilled into me.
“I didn’t even see you! ” is quite literally all I can muster.
“That doesn’t mean I wasn’t fucking there. You totaled my bike. You could’ve fucking killed me!” He shouts back, and before I can even process what’s happening, he reaches into my car, unlocks the door, rips it open, before shoving his body into the passenger seat. He hardly fits into the car, let alone in the one seat. I’m immediately aware of his left bicep soaking my arm and the water splattering the dashboard when he shakes his hair like a dog. For some reason, it takes me several more moments to find my voice. “What are you doing? Get the fuck out of my car, you psycho!”
He plugs his ear, as if my screeching were a bother, and says, “You just hit me with your car, and I’m the fucking psycho? I don’t fucking think so. The only reason you’d be out here is Eden Oaks; I’m assuming you’re visiting there? Yeah, take me the fuck home.” He presses further back into the seat, if that’s even possible, and closes his eyes as if his word were final.
Is he on crack? “No, get out! I’m sorry I hit you. I didn't see your lights! I’ll exchange insurance information with you, but I don’t know you, fucking creep. Get the fuck out!”
“And now I have that on record." He waves his phone into the air. “That bike you just destroyed was two hundred thousand dollars. Looking at this piece of shit you’re driving, I’m going to assume you couldn’t afford that even if you were given double your lifespan to make it. My place is ten minutes from here, and while you drop me off, you can see how the better half lives. Maybe it’ll remind you to pay more attention to your surroundings?” If it were possible for him to get even comfier, he is. “You’re lucky I’m miraculously fine.”
“Lucky me,” I mutter under my breath. Is he fucking kidding? When I look up at his reddened face, I can instantly see he’s not kidding. He’s also easily over double my size and could probably kill me with one hand. Why did I roll down my window? Am I that thirsty to sacrifice my life for a proper stare at a gorgeous serial killer? “I’m not a taxi. You’re crazy, and I don’t know you.” I yell at him.
“Drive the car," is all he responds with, and he instantly goes onto his phone, typing away furiously.
In most other instances, such as not being in a remote area at night in horrible weather, I’d handle this the way a normal person would. Call the cops, get out and run, scream "fire," and fight, but this isn’t a normal environment. He doesn’t seem to want to hurt me; he just wants a ride home, and I did technically disable his only means of transportation. That doesn’t entitle him to a ride from me, a young adult woman traveling alone, but fuck it. If the end to this shitty week ends with me in a ditch, that would be the cherry on top of my shit cake. He would actually be doing me a solid, keeping me from my inevitable doom.
I close my eyes while taking a deep breath before replying, “You’re a dick,” and shift the gear into drive, slowly testing out the feel of the car before pressing farther onto the gas. I’m not looking forward to assessing my damage.
“Oh, you have no idea.” It is all I can hear through the screaming drops of the rain on the roof.
After a few minutes of carefully driving through a long, winding road, I make my final turn, reaching a huge white gate. Pulling up to the booth, with a real human being working inside, I let out a long sigh and wait for Mr. Dick to either get out or tell me what to do next. The man in the booth notices me as I roll down my driver's seat window and walk around the front of the car to speak with him. While they do, I pull my phone from the cup holder to find the address my mom had sent me this weekend. Will our new house be like this? I haven’t even seen this jerk’s home, but knowing it has its own gate, with its own gate workers, I know it’s a pay grade I’ve never associated with. How could anyone become comfortable with that? Rich people, I guess.
After tapping through our messages, I find the address link and load it into my phone’s GPS, hoping it’s close after this shitshow.
“Pull up,” Mr. Dick announces after the worker makes his way back to his booth, raising the barrier to allow us through. Rolling my eyes, I drive up through the twisty, tree-covered road until a glimpse of the largest house I’ve ever seen comes into view. I’m actually not sure if you can even call this a house. It’s definitely an estate, because calling this a mansion would be an insult. I can only imagine what this all looks like on a beautiful day.
It takes several minutes to reach the front of the gorgeous building, with two long columns stretching across the front and several wide steps reaching between them. I’m in complete awe, and my jaw is near the brake pedal.
“I know. Beautiful, right?” the drenched stranger announces. “This is what real hard work gets you." He looks at me with disgust, wiping his dark hair from his forehead. “I’d say you’ll learn someday, but I’d be lying through my teeth. Here," He reaches into his back pocket, pulls out his wallet, and snatches out what looks like a business card before flicking it towards me. “Text this number; it’s my lawyer. He’ll know what to do about your incompetence."
I don’t think I’ve ever met a bigger dick than this guy right here, and I worked as a bartender in a college town my freshman year.
I stare down at the card that landed in my lap and slowly draw my gaze back to his eyes. He’s wearing a smirk on his face that makes me want to end his entire bloodline. “Fuck you," is the nicest response I can think of.
Slowly, his smirk dies, and I'm sure if the rain weren't pattering against the car, I’d hear his teeth clenching from how taut his jaw muscles are. I catch the slight motion of his hand flexing open and close and can see his reply dancing in his demon eyes.
Before he can open his mouth, the white flash of the foyer greets me as the front door opens, and a familiar figure fills the frame. What the fuck?
“Andie, you’re here!” my mom shouts from the front door, popping out a yellow striped umbrella before carefully hopping down the steps. My eyes follow her as she makes her way to my door, unable to make any mental connection as to why she would be at Mr. Dick’s house. Is she visiting the neighbor? She has to be.
Unlocking my door, I push it open and step out, meeting her under the umbrella. “What are you doing here?” I ask, bringing my phone out of my pocket and opening the maps app back up. How far is our home from here?
After a moment, the app finally loads, and our address appears on the screen.
“Honey, you’re home!” My mom shouts out to me, a giant smile spreading across her face. As she tells me, I look down at my phone.
The map says I’ve arrived.
My eyes widen as the rain starts working overtime, clearly picking up on the vibe of our situation. I hear a loud slam and turn to my right as I watch Dr. Dick stalk across the front of my car and up the stairs of the house. After our last conversation, he graduated with his PhD. He goes straight to an older man, of a similar size to him, who has made his way to the front door now.
“What is she talking about?” he asks him, whom I realize I’ve seen referred to as Ted in photos, angrily. He doesn’t even wait for an answer before quickly disappearing into the house, stripping himself of his coat, and ascending a large staircase.
My mom grabs my arm and quickly hauls me up the stairs into the house as well, forgoing my belongings in my car. I have a million questions about this humongous place, but I’m not opposed to taking cover before asking them. Maybe even taking a quick nap first.
“You made it! I’m so happy to see you finally here. I know the weather is poor, but tomorrow should be better. Don’t worry about your things; that’ll be handled. I just can’t believe you’re finally here!” My mom squeals before pulling me into her arms and squeezing me as if it’s been years. I let out a grunt.
“I missed you too, Mom," I manage out between breaths. “Um, where are we?”
“We’re home, honey! This is Ted. You know Ted; he was my boyfriend. Now he’s my husband! You’ll love it here, sweetie. That was Liam, Ted’s son, who just walked in. Did he get here at the same time as you? Have you already met him?” My mom drills me, ushering me into the living room off the main entrance. She clearly didn’t notice him pulling up in my car with me, and I’m not going to be the one to tell her.
“Yes, we met briefly.” I mention quickly, hoping that’ll be enough to put her off, “I’m thrilled to see the rest of this…castle, but to be honest, I’m beat, Mom. Is it okay if I just head to sleep for the night?” I ask, my head gazing around the two-story, open-concept living room. I hardly have the brain capacity to take everything in and need nothing more than to decompress, alone.
“Oh, of course." She grabs both of my hands, looking at me. "That happens when you arrive near midnight, hon.”
“I know. I just want to crash,” I reiterate, strolling towards the same staircase I saw Mr. Dick, or Liam, vanish upon minutes earlier.
Looking back, I watch my mom wave her hand towards a well-dressed gentleman standing near the front door. Is she summoning him to guide me to my room? She must be, because within seconds, he’s gesturing me up the staircase, leading me down a long hall until we reach a tall oak door. He once again politely waves his hand towards the wood before neatly turning the brass knob and gently pushing the door open for me.
Upon entering, I see the most magnificent bedroom I’ve ever been given the gift of seeing. Resting on the far end is the bed, which must be king-sized, with various shades of green frills adorning every edge possible. The canopy draping over it has the softest, matching translucent fabric cascading over the sides, giving me butterflies over the beauty I’ve never experienced. The opposite end occupies a wide dresser, light brown and elegant, along with a small yellow sectional, a coffee table, and a hung TV in an open room off to the left. The corner on the right has a tall brown standing mirror with ivy hung around the edges, and two nightstands hug both sides of the plush bed with golden lamps. Multiple soft rugs lie along the wooden floors, and there's a light scent of lavender in the air. After taking a few small steps inside, I see an en suite bathroom in the living room (that’s in my bedroom).
I’m not surprised to say that this is the most beautiful bathroom I’ve ever seen. Instead of cold white surfaces splashed throughout, the room is drenched in teal and various shades of orange and yellow. The gorgeous backsplash in the shower is so clean that it shines in my eye, and there are multiple shower heads, including a rainshower head on the ceiling. There’s a small adjacent room past the sink that holds the toilet, and gold hardware accents the entire bathroom. It’s stunning, and the plush rug theme extends into here as well. If I weren’t so tired, I’d take advantage of the clawfoot bathtub and soak for hours on end.
Shuffling back into my room, I pause when I see my suitcase and bags parked front and center. I didn’t even hear anyone come in. Did the front door guy bring them up? I need to learn his name.
Slowly, I stretch out my arms and back, the long drive still aching in my bones, before reaching down and unzipping the suitcase to pull out my sleep shorts and a long t-shirt. I lock the door before changing, and plop my back onto the unbelievably soft mattress with a groan. There hasn’t even been any time to take a second and think.
Okay… So Dr. Dick, whom I hit with my car and wrecked his motorcycle, is my stepbrother? And he lives here. And I do too, now? My mom mentioned Ted being well off, but shit, she could’ve at least mentioned the number of bedrooms in his house, and I would’ve been able to put two and two together. It’s got to be, what, at least 8 or 9? And even then, I think I’m being very modest. This bedroom alone is almost the size of my entire apartment back at school, and I split it with two other girls.
Holy shit, does this mean I’m rich now? No, of course not. I’m an adult, and just because my mommy remarries doesn’t mean I get her new husband’s money. Plus, it’s not like I’d ever call him "Dad."
Shit, my mom could’ve at least texted me a quick FAQ list on my way here. This place is the size of an apartment building; a heads-up would’ve been nice. My poor little Camry outside is absolutely bringing down the property value as we speak. Good thing I got here at night.
After a few minutes of asking myself a million questions that I don’t have a single answer to, I hear footsteps out in the hall, nearing my door. They drag along until I can hear someone’s presence directly on the other side, and then they stop.
I wait a couple of seconds, which turn into a couple of minutes, wondering if they’re still there.
Slowly, I inch off the bed and across the plush rugs toward the door until my hand is on the knob. It’s most likely my mom checking in on me to make sure I made it to my room okay. Or maybe the front door guy forgot to bring something up earlier? Either way, they’re likely gone, and nobody is forcing me to open the door. I can just get back in bed.
However, before I give myself more time to second-guess myself, I yank the door open forcefully, jumping back as I realize I was wrong to assume the person had left. Taking up the entire doorway and leaning on the frame is a now freshly changed Dr. Dick, wearing his angry face. Although I’m thinking now that it may just be his face.
“Jesus fuck, okay, stalker?” I gasp out, my hand holding my hand over my left tit as I stare at him with widened eyes. “What is wrong with you?”
“Why are you here?” is the only response I get as he begins to step into the room, forcing me backwards, and pushes the door closed. “Why are you still here? Who are you?”
His eyes are narrowed into slits, and his jaw is still working overtime. Someone give this guy a walnut. As he pushes further into my room and slowly trails to a stop near the center, it’s impossible to miss his eyes combing down my body. His gaze settles for a beat on my legs before snapping back to my own eyes, irritatedly.
It’s a shame that life gave him such a gloriously handsome face, because I want nothing more than to smack it off him right now.
“How dumb are you?” I ask him, crossing my arms over my chest, “I’ve clearly never been here before. I’m just as in the dark as you. I didn’t even know she married anyone until last week, let alone that we moved in.”
His tongue rolls around inside his cheek as he continues to stare me down. “You really expect me to believe that you had no idea who I was when I got in your car? Yeah, fucking right. I just know you were itching to have me watch you walk inside behind me, to fuck with me.”
Is this guy serious? How vain is he?
“Believe it or not, I don’t give two fucks about you. I didn’t even know your name until thirty minutes ago, and that was against my will. After this week, I’m going back to school and won’t be returning until summer. Fingers crossed, you’ll actually be in Mexico then.”
His jaw ticks before he answers, “Plans got cancelled.”
“Unfortunate.”
“Are you always such a bitch?” Dr. Dick, sorry, Liam, prods me like a father. His hand placement shifts from his pockets to mirroring my own, crossed over my chest. Though he's easily half a foot taller than me, likely more. It allows him to win the intimidation factor, but it doesn’t change my standing my ground.
“Only when necessary.” I huff out, walking around him and towards my door. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
He doesn’t respond immediately, just slowly following me until he’s directly in front of me. “Don’t think for a second that I don’t know what you are. None of this is yours.”
Scoffing, I put my hands on my hips. “None of this is yours either! It’s your dad’s, or whatever. You didn’t work for any of this, and I didn’t ask to be here. Don’t make an enemy out of me, creep. You think I want to spend my spring break moving into a whole new house with a whole new family?” I feel my cheeks start to heat, and I run my fingers through my hair. “I already feel out of place; I don’t need this.” Standing aside and bumping him in the process, I grab onto the doorknob and pull it open, gesturing him out.
When I look back into his gaze, he’s still furious and intimidatingly large.
“You owe me for my bike, and I want what’s mine. Remember your place here. Don’t go in my room, don’t touch my shit, and stay out of my business.”
“You got it, big bro.” I give him my sweetest smile, linking my fingers behind my back with my chest pushed out and my eyelashes fluttering. If he wants to play games and threaten me before I’ve even had a night’s sleep, then I can show him how to win a prize.
His entire face scrunches in disgust as he takes a step back, lips pulled back into a snarl. He’s completely silent as he eyes me from head to toe with distaste and steps around me like I’m diseased as he leaves the room. I quickly shut the door and lock it, running my hands over my face in confusion and walking back over to the pompous bed. What kind of shit is this?
Without another thought, I yank the blankets and sheets back from the corner of the mattress and climb in, pulling the covers up to my neck and shutting my eyes, forcing sleep to take me.