CHAPTER 3

Her words sting. It was an accident; it could have happened to anyone. My eyes search the table, moving from Dad to Kane, waiting on either one of them to speak on my behalf or to come up to my defense. But Dad is eating his meal like no one said a word, and Kane... he just doesn't care. He doesn't care that he hasn't seen me for the last four years; he doesn't care that he caused a fall that could have injured me badly; and he certainly doesn't care that his mother is verbally lashing me for something that wasn't intentional.

It stings.

All of it stings.

I scramble to my feet, anger rising inside me as I lash out, "I'm not a

goddamn maid anyway! It's not my responsibility to cater to your beck and call!" I hate the watery note that seeps into my voice; tears burn the backs of my eyes. "If you didn't want me to be here, then you shouldn't have asked me to come!"

I march out of the dining room, my steps brisk and heavy as I make my way through the front door. They can all go to hell. I growl out the words, wiping at my tear-stained cheeks, "They can all fucking rot in hell!"

My body slams abruptly into a wall of muscle. I take a step back, shock-locking up every inch of my body.

His hazel eyes pierce right through me, and that familiar smirk tilts his lips up easily. The same teasing grin that's taunted me for years.

It suddenly feels like I can't breathe.

He cocks his head to the side. "Miss me, Cinderella?" His name slips past my lips in a quiet breath.

"Rune."

Aurelia

I stammer, my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

Rune is here. He's back here, in this house, standing less than a foot away from me. On either side of him are two blonde-haired young women.

Rune grabs my shoulders before I can react, spinning me and walking us back into the dining area.

I haven't even had time to fix the shocked expression on my face.

Dad and Emaine have completely opposite reactions the moment he walks in.

"Runey!" Emaine's voice carries a cheerful note, thrilled to have her son back home.

Rune lets go of me, pulling out a chair at the long table. He shoves me into the seat before moving across the room and pressing a brief kiss on his mother's cheek. It softened the bitter expression she was sporting the second I sat at the table.

"You're back." Dad states, "Why didn't you inform us you were coming?"

"Well," He rounds the table, his eyes locked on his brothers faces. It's like they're having a silent conversation. Kane's eyes track his movements, following him as he settles in the seat, while Rune practically beams at his brother, mischief dancing in his narrowed hazel eyes. "I thought it might ruin the surprise." He cocks his head behind him, raising his eyebrows at the girls he came in with and lingering at the entrance to the room. "Come on in; make yourselves at home. These people don't bite." As if to prove his point, he pulls out a seat for himself, settling into it. He tilts it backwards, tossing his boot-clad feet onto the dining table.

Dad frowns. His mother only looks slightly taken aback. Kane simply picks up his fork, his attention moving to the meal in front of him.

"I don't even get a hello. Hmm, brother?" He's staring at Kane, arms clasped leisurely behind his head. "You must be in a mess of a mood, taking out your aggression on innocent little girls. I bet you're the reason Cinderella here lost her composure."

My cheeks heat. He wasn't. Well, he wasn't the only reason.

The blonde girls sit down on the table, on the left side of Rune. The one closest to him rests her head on his shoulder. My stomach stirs.

"Who are these girls, Rune?" Emaine questions.

"I'm glad you asked." Rune's smile widens, splitting his entire face; the dimples on his cheeks are now on full display. He holds his hands out and says, "These are my bitches."

His mother gasps.

"No, no, they don't take offense." He runs his fingers through the bright platinum strands of hair on the girl, now leaning on his chest. "They're gold-digging whores, only good for one thing." His voice drops to a whisper, like he's letting us in on a little secret: "And it's not running their pretty little mouths."

Dad shakes his head.

In all the years I've known Rune, no part of me ever thought someone like him could become even more unhinged. He was never one to succumb to societal rules. It's values or etiquette. He's always been the one to live on the wild side, a striking difference from his twin brother.

The polarity between them now is only all the more enhanced. It's like the years hardened them into who they truly are, with Kane now dressed to the nines and sporting his sophisticated persona on more than just the inside. He looked like what you would find in the business section of a GQ magazine. Not a hair or thread out of place. And then there was Rune, dressed in dark clothing that molded to his skin, with short sleeves revealing every single one of the intricate designs inked into his arms. You would never catch Rune holding a briefcase, working through a stack of paper work. He spent time strumming his electric guitar, with a pencil dangling between his fingertips or tucked into the crux of his ear.

He's made a name for himself and built a rapid stardom from his music. From what I hear, Rune sells out stadiums these days. My eyes move to the girl idling on the table. A subtle hint of jealousy brewed underneath my skin. Seeing Rune with women is nothing new to me; even when he was younger, he had a bad habit of fucking around, and it wasn't difficult, considering the kind of aura he had. Women dropped their pants at the sight of him; attention always went to his head, making Rune such a downright cocky bastard.

The girl looks spaced out, like she's not here. I watch his hand thread through the strands of her hair, pulling at them gently. It rubs me the wrong way. I clear my throat softly, pushing my chair back to get up and leave.

Instantly, his head jerks in my direction. His hand reaches out, gripping the armrest of my chair tightly. "Leaving so soon?" He frowns; it's intentionally dramatic. "My mother can't be the only one excited to see me. By the way," his finger circles in the air, "When I came in, Cinderella over here had tears in her eyes. You know, some things really never change. Was it you, brother? You still get off on putting your stepsister in her place?"

Kane doesn't even offer him a response.

Dad sighs, exasperated. "How is that of any relevance right now, Rune?" "Oh, it's just curious," he answers. "I just can't help but wonder why.

anyone would want to pick on an innocent girl."

It's almost comical coming from him. Considering, back in the day, Rune

used to be my prime tormentor. It was like he got off on the bullying. Watching my face flare up, he called me names and riled me up to the point of no return.

"I think I need another fix." The other blonde girl says. She reaches into her purse, pulling out a small, clear bag filled with white powder.

The blonde resting on Rune sits up suddenly and says, "Yay! It's about time."

Her friend empties a small amount of the substance onto the table, snorting the baggy of cocaine right there on the dinner table.

"Rune." Dad's voice takes on a hard note: "I let you delve into your vices as much as you so desire. I make an effort not to question your choices. But this is taking it too far."

His mother doesn't say a word. She was never one to caution her sweet boy.

"Oh, come on." The blonde next to Rune says after having her own fill, "We're just having a little fun. It's not that much of a big deal."

Kane sets his fork down, his eyes finally lifting to the scene in front of him. "Get out."

Silence falls over the table.

One of the girls whispers after a prolonged moment, "Is he talking to us?" "Had I known of your limited cognitive abilities, I would have tailored my

words to be more elementary."

My eyebrows raise.

Kane doesn't raise his voice; he barely speaks above a whisper. It's like

He's not even trying to be audible. But every single ear in the room hangs on his last word: "Your desperate transactions with my brother might sustain your existence, but I will not tolerate such disgraceful behavior sullying my dining experience."

Rune watches his brother, an amused smirk pulling on the side of his mouth. He doesn't say anything as the girls gape from him to Kane, watching as his brother goes on, "One way or another, you're leaving. Left to me, I'll ensure your departure is far less dignified, preferably having you acquainted with the filth outside. "

"Kane!" His mother gasps.