Chapter 18

**SCARLET**

No, no. If I said yes, he would do anything he wanted with me. I was dependent on his father. He paid for my college tuition, gave me allowances, clothed me, and provided everything I needed. He took care of Mom. I couldn’t betray Thomas. I finally had the chance to taste the life of having a father. I would never ruin it over meaningless sexual tension… intense sexual tension.
I stood up; I couldn’t stay near Luke anymore. I should’ve avoided him. I had to accept that Jax was gone and would never come back. He was gone when he became Luke. I would not risk a simple and quiet life in exchange for two months of pleasure. It may sound good—no, perfect, but if I accepted his offer, it also meant betraying Mom.
“No.” I shook my head. “I may already have made some bad choices, but I’ll never add this one to all of it.” I had been in a scandalous, abusive relationship. I didn’t want all of it to happen again just because I wanted the man so much.
“I’m not done. Sit down,” he ordered.
I shook my head. “No, I’m done.” I turned away from him and was about to march away when I felt a possessive grasp on my wrist, and I was spun around.
“I said, I’m not done.” I felt his breath on my neck.
I struggled with his grasp, but he only pressed me to the wall.
“I don’t want to do this with you.”
“Then, at least give me a reason why we can’t?”
“I said no, and you demand a reason?”
“Hmm…” He sniffed my hair. “If the only reason is Dad and Gene, I won’t let you refuse because that reason didn’t stop me.”
“Then stop it, Luke. They’re going to hear us,” I hissed harshly. My heartbeat quickened, beating faster than it ever had before. I could feel his warmth against me; it made me want to give in. His mouth was on my ear, making my stomach flutter. Why did he have to do everything so intensely?
“You know their room is on the other side of this house, right? Come on, tell me.” He asked softly this time.
“Let me go, Luke, please?”
“You owe me. Have you realized that? You owed me when you asked for my help with your homework. Or for when you called and begged me to make you come.” His hand swiftly slipped into my nightgown again. “And I satisfied you without getting anything in return. Don’t you want to make it happen, mm?”
God. This was affecting me so much. He was already getting to me, and I was letting him. I had to stop this, even if I wanted him so much. I had to be strong enough to resist him. I tried to put him in a box and let him stay there. All this excitement, pleasure, and passion would be gone. My dreams of touching him would remain a dream. He would be Mr. Untouchable to me forever. I had to choose wisely, and I decided to be smart.
I kicked his feet, then I elbowed him in the ribs.
“Fuck!” He groaned sharply. His grasp loosened, and I swiftly stepped away from him.
I crossed my arms and smirked. “Why can’t you just accept the fact that I rejected you? A man who seemed so full of himself.”
“You’ll regret this, witch.”
“Screw you and your other self Jax. Tell him I don’t fucking care anymore.”
He chuckled, resting his hand on his waist. “Then I’ll make you regret it… until you say yes.”
I smirked and ignored him. I might have won this time, but I didn’t know what he meant or what he was planning to do. But I refused to lose my mind because of him. All I had was my pride stepping on his ego. It would have to be enough.

***

A loud ringtone woke me up in the morning, and I saw Katherine’s name on my screen. Damn. I forgot to call her last night. I answered the call.
“Scar?”
“I’m so sorry. I meant to call you last night, but I was so tired. I fell asleep.”
“It’s okay.” Her voice didn’t sound worried at all. She sounded lively. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“Nate called me.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah!”
“Oh, God! I was so worried. And then?”
“He’s going to take me to his dad and propose to me in front of him.”
“And it’s okay for you?”
“Of course, Scar. I love him. I cannot live without him, you know that. But we agreed that he’s going to wait until next year.”
“What! Really? You’re going to get married?”
She giggled. “Yes! Next year, Scar. I told my parents. I know it’s informal, but we’re all going to graduate anyway in two months—”
“Let me guess. They asked you about Nate’s family background.”
I met her parents in Cambridge while they were visiting her. Katherine’s parents came from a high-ranking society. When they discovered that only an attorney and a single mother raised me, not a President or a CEO, they immediately wanted their daughter to move to another apartment. But when they found out I was the stepdaughter of the one and only Thomas Alejandro, they suddenly became friendly and acted like I was a precious stone.
She sighed. “Yeah.”
“Luckily, Nate isn’t a nobody.” I shook my head in disbelief.
“Right,” she agreed. “It was really annoying, but Nate’s coming to our house to tell them our plans.”
“Good!” I sighed in relief. “Let’s celebrate that when I come home.”
“I miss you, Scar.”
“I miss you too.”
“Oh, I heard Nate’s going to visit you today. Are you alright?” she asked.
“Yes, because I’m really going to die here. There’s nothing fun to do.”
“Then why don’t you just come with Nate when he flies back?”
“I doubt my mother would let me, but we barely even talk or see each other, you know? We are in the same house, but I don’t usually leave my room. I only come down when it’s lunch or dinner. Mom and Thomas are madly in love. They’re always out on a date like newlyweds.”
I imagined her smile. “I hope Nate and I will be like that when we get married.”
“Of course. Nate is a good man, and you are a beautiful and smart woman. I love you both.”
“I love you, too, Scar. Don’t mind that prick stepbrother of yours,” she snorted, “even if he’s handsome.”
“Too handsome; it’s illegal.”
“Ahem. You’ve been through a lot. I’ve seen you heartbroken and cry every day. You cannot let that happen again.”
“I know Katherine. I have to be very careful.” Though, I was already in trouble. Luke or Jax or whoever he was, he wanted to own me.
“Is he that handsome?”
“Unfortunately.”
“What kind of handsome?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’ve seen his pictures.” He was more than beautiful.
“I know.” She sighed. “Don’t tell Nate this, but I still think your stepbrother is sexy. I don’t know how you’ll manage the attraction, especially now that you found out that he’s also Jax. Our thesis counselor? What kind of fate is that? It only happens in the movies.”
I have to drop the subject. “Except Nate isn’t an ass.”
“Right. And he’s gorgeous too, in his own sexy way,” she said dreamily.
“I agree.” We both roared with laughter. “Oh, I have to go now. I need a bath.”
“Sure. Love you.”
“Love you too!” We hung up. I walked straight to the bathroom for a warm bath.
That morning was the first time I woke up at ease. Hearing Katherine’s voice was a relief. It’d only been a few days, but it felt like a year in this house. A lot had happened.
Shortly after, Eva knocked on my door, holding a breakfast tray.
“Good morning, Eva.”
“Good morning, miss.” She smiled sweetly. “Here’s your breakfast.”
It was a glass of milk, some cereal, and mixed fruits.
“That’s only for one person,” I remarked.
“But miss, I really can’t eat with my boss.”
“I’m not your boss. Thomas is. Come in.”
“But miss…”
“No more buts. Come in.” I held the door open for her, and she placed the food on my bedside table.
“Sit with me on the couch. Be my guest,” I encouraged. Shyly, she did.
I handed her the bowl of cereal and took the mixed fruit for myself. “Make sure to bring food for two next time.”
Her eyes widened, but I saw the delight in her eyes. “Thank you, miss.”
“Let me explain, I need a friend in this house, and I choose you.”
“Why me?”
“Hmm… let’s just say my mother’s going to insist that I live here after graduation. Imagine how boring it would be to live here without a friend. Besides, you seem very nice.”
She nodded and then started eating the cereal. “But you’ll eventually marry, and you won’t be here to get bored anymore.”
I didn’t answer. So, this was Eva’s concept of the natural cycle of being a woman. Just like everyone else.
The cycle where a woman had to finish college, get a job, and marry the ideal man she would meet at the perfect time. I liked that Nate and Kathrine were going to get married in the future because they were perfect for each other.
I didn’t want to talk about marriage. For me, it was a nightmare.
“Is there something bothering you, miss?” she asked, snapping me back to reality.
“Oh, no. I’m fine.” I smiled a little. “What did you say again?”
“I asked if you’d like that to happen to you.”
“I doubt that.” I shrugged.
Eva lowered her head and didn’t ask anymore, and I chose to change the subject, beginning with asking more about her.
I’d made mistakes in my life and still regret what I did. I could never go back to the past to change everything. Nate and Kath were the only people who knew what had happened to me. Not even my Mom or Thomas. It was two years ago...