I saw the way she reacted to my dismissal earlier. She may hate me, but she loathes being ignored by me even more. If I really was leaving her alone like I promised I would, I’d have to leave, or make her leave. There’s no way I could be around her and not have her be mine.

But this outfit tonight, her having dinner with us, it’s her joining the game. Those shorts, that shirt, it’s her taking the first shot, detonating the first bomb. It’s game on and I’m playing to win, because she’s the prize and this time, once I have her, I’ll never let go.

22

STARLING

I hate him.

I really hate him, more than I hated him when he took over my life when we were in high school. More than when he manipulated our families and ruined my and my mom’s relationship. More than when he revealed he’d orchestrated me being here in this house, under his thumb.

Somehow, being ignored by him makes me hate him a thousand times harder than ever before and I hate that more than anything else.

The day after we all had dinner together, I ate breakfast in the kitchen, taking Hunter up on his offer to make pancakes. Sebastian came into the room, lifted his chin in greeting and then proceeded to text on his cell phone for the entire length of time it took him to eat, then he left without uttering another word or looking at me again.

Two days later, I came downstairs wearing nothing but a towel and then proceeded to stretch up to the highest cabinet to reach down a glass I didn’t need, but instead of fuming over my near nakedness, by the time I turned around he had his cell to his ear speaking to someone on the other end as he left the room.

He’s made it clear that whatever he thought he felt for me, he doesn’t feel anymore and instead of being relieved, I’m livid.

How dare he be finished with me? How dare he make me all twisted up inside, while he goes on with his life without a care in the world? Dr. Google seems to think I’m suffering from Stockholm syndrome, which is basically when a captive falls in love with their captor, and I think that might be it. Only it’s not love, it’s lust; animal, primal lust.

I don’t love Sebastian, that’s impossible, but I’m starting to accept that I do want him. My body craves him, or at least the things he can do for me. He thinks he’s done with me, but I have a different plan. I refuse to believe that he can just get over years’ worth of infatuation in an instant and to prove it, I plan to torment him, until he breaks down and fucks me.

What exactly I’ll do after that, I don’t really know, but right now all I can think about is being beneath him again, having his huge dick inside of me, quelling the itch that only he can scratch.