Chapter 2 Heated Waves

The dining room was spacious and nicely lit. My mother sat to Aurick’s right and I sat across from them feeling like an intruder. Barth sat at the far end of the table, tilting his glass of water to and fro constantly. I did my best to avoid meeting his eyes.

“The lobster is from this morning’s catch,” Aurick said, gesturing at the meal that looked like it came right out of a food magazine. “I hope you like it, Yvonne.”

“It’s great. Thank you,” I replied, poking at a claw. This was the first time I will eat anything that requires a toolkit to open.

“Barth is starting his senior year at Vanguard University,” Aurick continued. “And you will be starting there on Monday. Maybe Barth can show you around school.”

Barth finally looked up. “I’m busy Dad. Training camp starts tomorrow and I don’t have the time to be a tour guide for someone who’s probably just going to get lost on purpose trying to find the nearest exit.”

“Barth!” Aurick fumed, slamming his cutlery on the table. “That’s enough!”

“What? I’m only being realistic,” He turned his gaze towards me, his lip curling. “The campus is big, Brooklyn. Try not to trip over your attitude. It would be totally embarrassing for the family’s name.”

“Unfortunately for you, I can manage just fine!” I snapped back, my grip tightening on my fork. “I have survived nineteen years without a map or a guide book. I think I can find a classroom on my own.”

My mother reached out for me, squeezing my hand. Her eyes were practically pleading. Please just get through this.

I went quiet. The lobster tasted sour in my mouth. For the rest of the meal, Barth didn’t say a word. He just watched me intently, perhaps waiting for me to break.

By midnight, the house was silent but I couldn’t relax with my troubled mind. The room Aurick had prepared for me was bigger than our apartment, the bed was higher and much softer than the one I had but still, I couldn’t sleep.

The silence of the Alpine was very loud. There were no sirens, no shouting neighbors, just the trashing sound of the ocean in the distance. 

Feeling thirsty and restless, I walked out of my room. I was wearing an old, oversized grey sweatshirt and thin leggings. I made my way down the grand stairs, feeling the coldness of the marble floor seeping into my skin.

The kitchen was covered in the blue glow of the large sized refrigerator. I reached for a glass but a voice came out of the dark making me jump, the glass almost slipping out of my fingers.

“You suffer from insomnia too?”

I turned around. Barth was sitting at the dark marble island, the moonlight casting its glow on him. He was shirtless, wearing only a black lounge pant that hung low on his hips. His chest and muscles were defined.

My heart skipped a beat and I wondered how it would feel to touch those ripped abs. 

“You scared me,” I breathed, clutching the glass to my chest.

“I tend to have such an effect on people.” He stood up and I spotted the bottle of Gatarade in his hand. He didn’t move away, he walked towards me making my breathing haggard.

He stopped just a few inches away from me and I had to look up to meet his eyes. He was too close. Too close that his scent was overwhelming my senses.

“What are you doing down here, Yvonne?”

“Getting water. No one told me that I needed a permit.”

He reached out. I froze, my heartbeat becoming irregular. I thought he was going to touch my face but his hand reached to grab the bottle of water from the shelf behind me, his fingers brushing the tip of my ear. 

He still didn’t pull away, he stood still, his body heat emanating from him engulfed me. 

“You look different in the dark,” he murmured. His eyes dropped to my lips for a second before looking into my eyes. “Less like a brat. More like a girl who knows she doesn’t belong here.”

“I don’t want to be here,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “But I’m exactly where I need to be. For my mom.”

“Right, the prefect daughter,” He leaned down, his face leveled with mine and I couldn’t see the hostility in them but it was being covered with something more dangerous. Attraction?

“Let's get one thing straight ‘sister’. My father might be blinded by your mother’s smiles but I am not. I see the way you look at this house, like you want to burn it down.”

“Maybe I do,” I responded, not backing down. “Maybe it needs a little fire.”

Barth’s hand suddenly shot out, gripping the edges of the counter on either side of me, pining me in, his heat radiating off his bare chest making me breathe him in. “Careful, Brooklyn,” he warned. “If you want to play with fire in this house, you will be the one getting burnt. And, I am the biggest flame here. Watch out!”

For a long time, neither of us moved. The tension was so thick that it could be sliced with a knife. I could feel his breath on my skin. He looked like he wanted to break me.

Or kiss me.

Or both.

Then, just as quickly as he had trapped me, he let go. He stepped back, the mask of indifference slamming back into place. 

“Go to bed,” he said coldly, turning his back on me. “And stay out of the kitchen. I don’t like sharing my space.”

I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. I turned and practically ran back to the stairs, my heart pounding against my ribs. 

I didn’t want to back down. I had wanted to show him that I wasn’t afraid. But as I reached my room and locked the door, I realized the truth. 

This wasn’t just between me and Barth. It was also between me and my own body. Because as much as I hated him, when he pinned me against the counter… I didn’t want to run.