It All Started with a Lie

Chapter 16

She squeals and tells me where the takeout menus are and how to work the tv remote and other crucial information for my short stay here. "You know, your house is a lot creepier when it's empty," I comment as something in the house settles with a creek.

"Empty? It's not empty. Klaus is there."

My brows crinkle and I get up from my spot to look in the hallway. His door is just as I left it, pitch black. "Are you sure?"

She assures me after checking his location and my stomach grows queasy. I am used to chronic tummy aches but this is different. I want to ask her how long until she will be home, how long I will be trapped in this house with him, but I do not want to rush her. She only gets to see Ryder a few times a year and I will not ruin this for her. "Have fun, okay. I'll see you when you get here. Love you."

"I love you!" There is more laughter from her end along with Ryder's muffled voice before I hang up.

I toss my phone on my bed and pace around the small confines of her room. Klaus is here? He can't be. His room looks empty. Who sits in the dark with the door open? He must not be home. But she checked his location. Maybe he kept his phone here but left? Who goes anywhere without their phone? I peaked out of the room to look at his again. Nothing has changed and the more I stare at it, the more queasy I begin to feel. It is quickly replaced with anger.

Who does he think he is ignoring me? I am used to men pulling stunts like this, never messaging again after sex. I never mind, in fact, I prefer it. But this is different. He is different. How can he risk all of this, his sister, just to fuck me a few times and never speak to me again?

With my heart enraged, I walk the room, pondering his choices before coming to the conclusion that he is an asshole and I will not let him treat me like this.

I storm over to his room, ignoring the darkness that surrounds it like a gate, and swing open his door. It hits the back wall with a thud and a mass in the bed moves as he pops his head up just long enough to catch a glimpse of me before letting it fall back into his pillow. I can hardly see him, the only light illuminating the room is the one coming from that of the hallway. He is covered in a giant blanket that consumes him as he buries his face into the pillow and groans. "What the hell is your problem?" I berate him.

He only whines in response and it is the first time I have ever heard such a nose leave his lips. The shock catches me off guard and I am too stunned to continue the topic. I walk to his bed, avoiding the pile of tissues that surrounds the trash can having not quite made it in. "What's wrong with you?" I shove his back lightly and unlike usual, he actually moves from the force, rolling over weakly.

"Nothing." His voice is low and nasally as he speaks. He grabs a second pillow to throw over his head and block out the sound of me but I am not that easy to be rid of.

I yank the pillow away from him to reveal his face, scrunched and blanched. I don't get the reaction I want. He only closes his eyes and turns away from me. Who are we if not arguing? "Are you dying or something?"

"I'm fine," he mutters but it almost comes out as a groan.

I roll up the sleeve of my dress and reach for him and before I can get to his head, he slaps my hand away. I scoff and try again. When he tries to squirm away from me for a second time, I grab his hand and pin him between me and the wall until he stops struggling. "Quit being a baby!" I scold as I press my wrist to his forehead.

He is burning, much more than usual. "My gods, you are dying."

With his secret out, he sighs and rolls himself back into a ball, ignoring my pestering. Richard has told me her brother takes it hard whenever he gets sick, but I never imagined it to be this bad. She's canceled plans on me twice because he had a cold and she needed to make sure he was okay. At first, when I still thought he was a frail noodle of a man, I assumed he had some sort of immune disorder but when I asked her, she said no and I quote 'he is just a big baby when he's sick'.