Any guesses on that chapter title?
Jackson
"So, you'll be here for nine? Sounds great. I can't wait to catch up."
I hang up my cell phone as Sterling eyes me suspiciously over her steaming cup of herbal tea. The earthy fragrance causes my nostrils to twitch, and I sneeze. We are sitting at the kitchen table for breakfast, along with Gabby after my parents have gone off to buy groceries.
"Was that Kelsi?" She questions, irritation in her voice. "I thought I took care of that."
I shoot her a warning glare as Gabby smiles at us in total oblivion over what we are discussing. She believes that we are innocently bickering because that is our usual routine versus what we are actually doing, which is entangling ourselves in a triangle of jealousy.
"It's none of your business who I was speaking to," I grumble. "Go back to sipping on your roots and leaves."
Her eyebrows shoot up, her expression scolding me over her right to be privy to that information since my dick's been inside of her.
Instead, I ignore her. My dick's also been acquainted with my hand but that doesn't mean I go blabbing every little detail to my fingers.
She picks up her teacup in response, sticking out her pinky as she takes a dainty sip and gazes wistfully out the window at the dreary sky. "There's nothing cozier on a rainy morning than a spot of tea served with a side of biscuits," she states.
I pause my bite of cereal, my spoon freezing halfway to my mouth and my lips twist into a smirk. "Why are you speaking with a British accent?"
Straightening her posture, she shakes out a crisp napkin before carefully placing it upon her lap. "Because I have class, darling."
My shoulders shake from how hard I am chuckling. "Sterling, what are you doing?" I ask in amusement.
"Just being myself, lamb. Any other version is simply dreadfully rubbish. Now, will you please pass me the honey? I would fancy some of it in my beverage." She scrunched up her features as she stared into her cup of tea. "This tastes bloody awful."
I slide the bear shaped container across the table. "And being English automatically equates to one being classy?"
"Of course, dumpling. The Royals are the classiest people I can think of, and they hail from England."
Gabby giggles. "You're so zany, Sterling. This is why we are friends."
I drop my chin into my palm as I drum my fingertips on the tabletop, the realization dawning on me of what's spurring this sudden charade. "Is this because of what I said yesterday?"
My sister turns to me with great intrigue, her lips parted into an o shape. "What did you say?" Her eyes glitter with curiosity.
"I might have hinted that she wasn't classy," I mumble beneath my breath. "But it wasn't meant as an insult-"
"Bullocks!" Sterling exclaims, pounding her fist on the table. "You all but casted me out of your kingdom because I don't conform to your visions of the ideal citizen."
I held up my palms. "Hey, I never said that there is anything wrong with how you act. I was just merely pointing out that it's different behavior from the types of people that I typically spend my time with."
Gabby gasps, her expression one of disgust as she stands up from the table to bring her dish over to the sink. The sudden movement is enough to leave her dizzy and she grips the countertop to steady herself, squeezing her eyelids shut.
"Are you alright, Gabs?" I ask.
She waves me off, slowly opening her eyes. "I'm fine. So, you were mean to Sterling last night? What brought that upon?"
"Uh...nothing really," I stammer, averting my gaze and busying myself with another spoonful of bran flakes. "Just her usual annoying demeanor."
Smiling, she begins scrubbing her plate. "Well, you obviously don't think she's that terrible. I've noticed that you two have been spending some time together. What did you end up doing yesterday? You both disappeared for almost the entire day."
My cheeks grow warm and from across the table, Sterling's stare meets mine. Neither of us need to speak to know what the other is thinking. The answer to Gabby's question is simple.
Sex.
Engaging in lots of sex. After banging Sterling atop the dresser, we moved on to the carpet for round two. She fell asleep in my arms and upon waking up, she crawled into my bed where I then took her from behind.
If there was a surface in that room to fuck on, that's exactly what we did.
My mind drifts to her spreading her legs and fingering herself while allowing me to watch and I swallow. It was the raunchiest act that I had ever witnessed. Sterling is indeed a filthy girl, and it arouses me to no end.
So proper behavior be damned. If that's the sort of uninhibited experience that comes with an uncouth woman such as herself, then I will happily take her way over a bit of grace any day.
"I got food poisoning from The Shady Cow," I blurt out. "I was in bed for the rest of the evening."
Not a total lie. I was in bed. Just not alone and certainly not sleeping.
Gabby nods, seemingly accepting this fabrication.
"Oh, before I forget," she pipes up, sitting back down. "Kelsi dropped by last night. She returned the sweatshirt you left behind in her car, and she also wanted to know if potato salad is fine to bring for the annual picnic. I assured her that it is."
Sterling's head whips up at me over this tidbit and I bite my lip, having dreaded the very moment she learnt of the family picnic. "What are you talking about?" She questions.
My sister's hands fly to cover her mouth, her eyes widening. "Shoot! I'm sorry, Sterling. It completely slipped my mind to let you know. Every year, a bunch of our relatives drive up to Maine to visit us at the cabin and we have a barbeque picnic down at the lake."
Sterling shifts her gaze to mine. "And you invited Kelsi to this blow-out event?"
Laughing it off, I shrug. "My friends are joining too," I reply, attempting to cushion the blow that Kelsi will be meeting my entire family. "It's no big deal."
She narrows her eyes and I squirm in my chair. "That's who I was on the phone with," I add, desperately saying whatever I can to get her to stop shooting daggers at me.
I glance over towards the black cat clock on the wall, it's tail swinging in rhythm with its darting green stare. "They should be here very soon, in fact."
Her mouth tugs up at the corner in a sinister grin. "Your buddies are joining us, huh?"
She strokes her chin, and I can see the wheels turning inside her head. I know this won't be good. This is Sterling, after all. The same girl who nakedly hid from the cops; the same girl who stripped down on the dock and the same girl who crashed my date to flirt with Kelsi.
I know that whatever scheme she is conjuring up, will only lead to trouble.
She points at me. "Is Brandon going to be amongst them?"
I nod. "Yes..." I answer slowly.
She lifts a brow. "Is he still broken up with his girlfriend?"
"Uh-huh..."
She bobs her head. "Cool, cool."
"Why are you asking me this?" Squinting my eyes, I examine her, aiming to see the thoughts inside her brain.
She crumples up her napkin and tosses it onto the table before standing up. "No reason," she answers casually.
Bullshit. It's never no reason with her.
Humming, she nonchalantly struts over towards our bedroom. With suspicion, my sights track her movements. She pauses with one hand on the knob, glancing over at me.
I lift a brow, waiting for her to make a misstep that will foil her plan.
At last, she exhales. "If there's going to be a funeral, then I simply must plan what I intend to wear," she announces.
"It's not a funeral, it's a party," I correct her.
"Hmm, my mistake," she responds evenly. "I could have sworn that somebody is about to be buried."
Without another word, she sashays into the room, and I leap up, my spoon clattering onto the kitchen table. I briskly follow her inside, slamming the door shut behind me.
"Tell me what you're up to," I demand as she begins rummaging through her closet.
She pulls out a mesh white cover-up and holds it against her body. "Would this be completely inappropriate to wear with neon underwear?"
I snatch the garment from her hand. "You're not funny, Sterling," I hiss, desperation growing in my tone. "Why were you so curious about Brandon?"
She sighs. "You're right. No one would be amused if I wore something so racy to a family gathering. Simple is probably best."
She removes a navy crushed velvet piece from her wardrobe. "This is much more my style anyway."
"My friends are off-limits," I plead, jumping straight into assumptions since she refuses to acknowledge me. "I understand that you're upset because I've invited Kelsi to attend but you're not being fair to me."
Her gaze finally connects with mine and she nods. "I can't argue with you there. I'm being completely unreasonable. This is your family picnic, and I absolutely should take into account your opinion on what's fitting to wear. So, what do you think?"
"Sterling!" I exclaim, raking my hand over my hair. "Listen to me!"
"No..." she says at last, shaking her head as she hangs the dress back onto the rack.
She faces me and plants her hands on her hips. "I don't think I will because you certainly didn't hear what I was trying to communicate to you when you hooked up with me, proceeded to go out with Kelsi and then fooled around with me again before asking her to your reunion with your relatives."
Tears glisten in her powder blue gaze as she stares at me. "Not once did you ever take my feelings into consideration, so you've lost the privilege to be treated with any kind of respect in return."
I grasp her hands with urgency. "But you can't do this to me!" I yell. "Brandon is my best friend."
She steps closer so that we are toe to toe, our noses practically touching. "Why not? I'm not your girlfriend."
"I'm not your anything, Jackson," she continues. "You aren't entitled to me, you don't control me and if I think one of your friends is hot, then I have every right in the world to fuck him if that's what he so chooses to do."
She nudges past me, bumping me with her shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's nearly nine o' clock and I have to go shave my bikini line."
Question of the day: Do you think Sterling will hook up with Brandon? Do you think that she has the right to go after Jackson's friends or should they remain off-limits?