I smirked, cockily.

“How’d you know?”

“I may have peeked over your shoulder the first day of class.” She had jotted down some notes as to what mythologies she’d wanted to research for our project. “I looked through both of them. I think studying the Berber mythologies of Northern Africa seems pretty interesting, but I’ll let you decide since I’ve been MIA the past few weeks. It won’t happen again,” I stated firmly.

Her head popped up, the corners of her eyes wrinkling as she scowled. “It better not.”

Again, I was used to very few people speaking to me like that, and by very few, I meant only one. And that fucker was responsible for giving me life, among other things.

“Skim thru the books and then meet me in the library at five today. We can go over the topic you chose.”

She remained silent.

“I’ll see you at five, princess.” I turned to head to my next class.

To my back, I heard her say, “Don’t call me princess!”

I glanced over my shoulder and simply grinned. I wasn’t giving up the nickname. She might as well get the hell used to it.

Chapter Three

Then

Robert

I sighed as I inserted the key into the doorknob, not knowing what to expect on the other side once I entered. It’d been a long two weeks, and because of it, I was behind on my classes. Thankfully, it was still early enough in the semester that I hadn’t missed too much between family bullshit and business bullshit.

Stepping over the threshold of my apartment that was just off campus, I glanced around. The brown leather couch to the left, in the living room, remained undisturbed. It’s dark, I noted as I flicked on the lights. And it’s quiet. Too quiet.

I shook my head and grunted, placing my books and school supplies on the floor next to the wooden coatrack, and moved down the long hallway. Entering the guest bedroom, I found my brother, Jason, a lump in the middle of the waterbed.

Angrily, I turned on the lights in the room and charged over to the bed, shaking it. The mattress rippled and waved due to the pressure. Jason grunted and attempted to turn over on his side.

“Wake up!” I growled.

“Wh-what?” he questioned, groggily, his eyes opening to slits. “Why’s it so fucking bright in here?”

“Maybe because it’s one o’clock in the fucking afternoon.” And just to drive my point home, I pulled open the long, dark curtains my mother had begged me to don the windows with so Jason could sleep more comfortably. I snorted at the way she coddled her youngest son.

“Wake up!” I demanded.

“Ah, come on, Rob. Can’t I get a little sleep?”

“Sleep is all you’ve been doing since we arrived in California last night. I only brought you back with me to keep you out of trouble. I missed two weeks worth of classes for you—”

“No, that wasn’t for me,” Jason retorted, finally sitting up. “You did it for Father.”