Yeah, I Hate You Too, Sweetheart.

Chapter 5 - Laila

Justin snickered while I leaned against the banister, a hand at my throat, trying to catch my breath. He had forgone the pair of boxers and t-shirt he'd been wearing earlier while we were in the pool and was dressed in a pair of jeans and an Alkaline Trio band t-shirt. His hair was wavy and damp, falling across his forehead and into his eyes. No doubt he'd just taken a shower, too.

  Hah. I hope he had a freezing cold shower.

 "But it's so fun," he said as I continued on my way down the stairs again.

I snorted indignantly and didn't answer. Much to my annoyance, he just followed after me. I glanced back over my shoulder, glaring. He just grinned crookedly in return, and I internally damned him to the fiery pits of Hades. Why did he have to look so gorgeous when he was acting so stupidly childish?

  "You're annoying," I told him as I quickened my pace, the better to leave him behind.

"And you have pasty skin."

  Thank God I was walking ahead of him, or he would have seen just how much that comment had made me blush.

  I conveniently ignored his rather rude statement and pushed my way into the dining room. I highly doubted an entrance to the kitchen would be found in the dining room, but that's where I had seen Miranda pop out of nowhere, right? It was as good a shot as any.

 "Hm."

Justin made a thoughtful noise as he leaned up against the wall beside the dining room doors.

  "I don't think you're going to find the kitchen in here, sweetheart."

  "Bite me," I snapped without thinking.

He flashed his crooked grin again. "Love to."

  I rolled my eyes and shoved past him, leaving the dining room. Now I was left standing in the spacious entrance hall with no clue where to go.

 

  "When you swallow your pride, I'd be glad to show you to the kitchen," Justin said smugly from behind me.

I heaved a disgusted sigh, resisting the urge to slap him upside the head.

  "All right," I scowled up at him. "Show me where the kitchen is."

Justin smirked. "Say please."

  I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled a horrific grimace. "Ugh…please."

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" he continued on in that horrifically smug voice.

  It'd been horrible. Seriously.

 I grumbled incoherently while Justin gestured towards a door off to the side of a narrow hallway. A door that I had previously mistaken for a coat closet. Instead, we were now heading our way down a narrow, spiraling staircase that lead straight into a leveled room that was almost as large as the entire first floor.