Ethereal Love (Book 2 LS Series)

Chapter 59

Michael's POV

The minute I left Skip in the kitchen, a load of guilt equivalent to a ton of lead came to settle on my shoulders. It burned in my eyes, caught like smoke in my throat.

Now, Diana softly shuts my bedroom door behind us. In the icy silence that follows, I dread what bullshit she's going to have to say to me. I attempted to leave this girl, along with her dreadful siblings, in my past. Diana is proving now that she refuses to go without a fight.

I drift to the foot of the bed, and turn to face her, crossing my arms and waiting for her rant. "Michael, you truly test my patience." She crosses her arms. Her face reminds me of that of a shrew's, and her eyes resemble her sister Delano's coal colored ones.

"Oh?" I just barely answer, my voice drifting, void of any sort of emotion. "I have been patient with you, Michael. I did everything you told me to do. I kept quiet, I didn't utter a word to the police. I even let you traipse around with that... little tramp of yours-" "Shut the fuck up," I snap, jumping to Skipper's defense. It's the least I could do, after stupidly leaving her downstairs.

Her laugh is mocking as she examines me, clucking her tongue. "Aw, is Michael in love? The one thing you vowed never to succumb to?" I only stare at her, until her smug facade melts into annoyance. She smooths her unnaturally perfect hair, and frowns deeply. "The point is... I'm done waiting for you to come to your senses, Michael. It's time."

Fuck.

My stomach lurches with nausea as she approaches me slowly, her smile growing wider with each step. "It's time for you to be mine. And I will be yours. I love you, I really do. It's time we stopped pretending."

I knew this would happen. She threatened me long ago with blackmail, but I ignored her advances. Though she was my childhood friend, I always considered her a conniving snake, always with ulterior motives. When the world came crashing down, and the shit hit the fan, she finally revealed to me her true colors. Luckily, I found a sweet and refreshing escape in the form of boarding school.

"Diana," I begin, as she reaches me, "I don't want to do this. I told you this a last summer, and I'll tell you again now. I just... don't want you." She does not react at all to my words, instead she touches my chest with her palm. "Don't lie, Michael," Her voice becomes as vague as mine was before.

"The consequences could be quite dire for you." Her eyes express all the intensity the universe has to offer.

"I've put that behind me." I brush off her passive-aggressive remark, and look past her. "I don't want you because I..." She scoffs, and rolls her coal eyes. "You couldn't possibly mean that short... curly haired..." "Yes, I do." I quickly cut her off. "Why?" She scowls with disgust, "She's like... twice my size." She indicates the width of Skipper's hips with her hands.

I take severe offense at that; Skipper is nothing like Diana. She has the irresistible and imperfect body of a brick house, contrasting greatly with Diana's tall noodle body.

"It doesn't matter. Get out, Diana." I don't meet her eyes. I stare downward, and quickly escape her grasp, moving toward the window. "Don't be silly, Michael." "Get out." My voice comes out forcefully this time, enough to incite anger in her. "I wouldn't be so quick to this decision," She warns. "You know what I can do to you."

"I know." I nonchalantly retort, ignoring the glimmer of fear that always sparks in my chest when I think about what I've done. "I could call the police right now, and you'd never see the light again." She spits, suddenly enraged. "Your career would be over, and your little girl would never see you again."

"Fuck off, Diana. I'm not afraid of you," I lie, spitting as much venom as she has.

It's quiet for a few seconds. "Just keep on talking, keep on fucking that tramp of yours. Delano truly enjoyed the show." Delano, her fucking minion. "Get out."