Chapter Sixteen
My face flushed as I noticed Tyler's gaze was on me. Yes, his face did portray shock and disbelief. But really, did I look that horrible or was he just shocked at how I appeared? I know I usually appeared like a boring, nerdy girl without the clothes Meredith had gotten me at her oh-so-sophisticated shopping areas, but did Tyler have to make the difference so obvious with his gaze?
I cleared my throat loudly. Tyler jumped back to reality, glancing at me awkwardly for a second before quickly looking away. A smug smile was playing on my lips but I held back from showing it too much.I couldn't help but be thrilled by the fact that I had caught him off guard here. Off guard from his normally arrogant attitude towards me.
"Why were you staring at me? " I asked.
"Because you look awful," Tyler stated rudely. "Those looks don't suit a girl like you. They would more suit a girl like Sarah."
"Well, I'm sorry if my mode of dress isn't good enough for you," I said, fuming at his words. "I couldn't care less about if you thought this dress suited me or not, Tyler! "
He smirked. "Of course you would care. Just wait till you are enrolled at my high school. Then you'll know why you would care,"
"Please," I muttered.
Tyler scoffed at my response.
He walked over to the stairs , fixing his tie along the way. I noticed he paused at the first stair.
"After you," He said, bowing like those guys in movies like Pride and Prejudice before they asked the ladies to dance.
"No, after you," I said, gritting my teeth in annoyance.
"After you," Tyler repeated bossily.
Scowling, I did just as he said, only pausing for a moment to deliver a swift kick to his ankles with my heels before continuing down the winding staircase.
I headed down the stairs cautiously without so much as a backwards glance at him, although I wanted to. Maybe that ever present smirk was no longer on his face after the blow I had dealt him to his ankles. I usually don't resort to acts of violence, but Tyler just pisses me off. To top it off, he makes me so mad. He was lucky that I hadn't kicked him in his you know whats.
I headed into the hallway and sat on the couch.
Susie then came bounding over to me from the kitchen area. She looked absolutely adorable in her attire, a light pink frock. Her hair was done in some dainty blonde curls that made her look even more angelic in appearance, with pink ponytails in the edges. I strongly suspected that my mom was behind Susie's looks and appearance.
"Hey, Suse," I greeted her happily, opening my arms wide to give her a hug.
"Hey, Anna! Do I look like a princess? " asked Susie.
"You sure do," I said to her. I pulled Susie closely to me and buried my head in her soft curls. Susie smelled like baby powder and lilac, too.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"We're going to fancy place fit for a princess to eat dinner," I said jovially.
"Yay!" cried Susie.
Footsteps were soon heard coming from the stairway. I glanced up and saw it was none other than Tyler. He shot me a dirty look my way.
Not that I cared.
I couldn't help but stare at him as he headed our way, however. He looked absolutely charming in his suit!
Let's face it: Tyler was obviously the most adorable guy I hade ever seen. He outshone Cole and Preston in the looks department by far. Oh my gosh, Tyler was sooo dreamy! I squirmed as he came even closer by me.
But I began fighting back these horrible thoughts that were manifesting in my mind. How could I even consider a guy as rude and arrogant as Tyler as adorable and dreamy? Sure, he was extremely hot and all but looks did fade over time, didn't it?
Take that conscience!
But he's less than two feet away from you...
Oh, whatever!
And he's focusing those mesmerizing eyes on you...
So what, doesn't everyone have eyes?
And you know he's extremely hot, too...
Oh, shut up, conscience!
I buried my face in my hands. Why was this happening to me?
"Aww, poor Annie is having a headache," came Tyler's husky voice that sent unwanted shivers up my spine. "Are you having a head ache or is my hotness too much for you to take?" He asked in a syrupy voice.
Fuming, I glanced up at him. "You are not in the least likes hot or whatever you think of yourself to be, Tyler, so stop flattering yourself. I was only doing this because I was tired." I finished lamely, a hot blush creeping up my cheeks.
"Oh, really?" Tyler asked, focusing his gaze into mine. "If I wasn't hot, how come I got the whole cheerleading team at school in my bed? How come I get girls to give themselves up to me, the lo of them virgins? How come I made you blush earlier, as you are doing now? "
"I am not blushing, it's the rouge I'm wearing," I snapped. It was a lie.
Tyler chuckled. "Say what you want, Annabella. Just keep in mind that I can have you whenever I want to. I'm aware of how I make you feel. It's so common among girls," Tyler added before leaving us to go answer his mobile, which had started to blare loudly.
I glared at his retreating figure. How on earth was he able to catch me off guard so often? That guy was something else. Even if I did fancy him, which I'm pretty sure I don't, I would try my best not to let him get the better of me.
Tyler came back sooner than I had expected.
He sat down on the couch right beside me and pulled Susie into his lap. The air suddenly became ten times thicker. I could barely breathe right about now. I had a sneaking suspicion Tyler knew exactly what he was doing to me. He was mocking me, too. Under ordinary circumstances, a guy like him wouldn't even give a second thought to girls like me.
"How's my youngest sister doing today?" Tyler asked Susie.
"Fine," Susie giggled and buried her face in his chest.
Look at that.
Tyler could charm anything female from an older woman like my mother was to a young toddler like Susie was.
But I was determined to prove that he coudln't charm me.
More footsteps came from the stairway, this time it was my mother and Ronald heading downstairs together, hand in hand.
My eyes widened. My mom looked absolutely stunning. If my dad could see her now, I bet he would be begging on his knees to have her back. My mom wore a long evening gown type of dress that was the right shade of blue to match her eyes perfectly, and that showed the right amount of cleavage to keep men's attention focused on her. Namely,Ronald. She also accessorised with beautiful diamond jewellery and topped it all off with a pair of silver stilhettos. Her blonde hair was done in a fancy updo.
Ronald looked good, too. He wore a formal suit, the typer worn to weddings and stuff, that I was sure I had seen somewhere in the latest edition of Guess for Men catalogue. I must note that his fairly massive stomach did not seem so noticeable in his loose fitting suit. He should learn a thing or two from his son Tyler about working out, because Tyler was the bomb. He had the perfect physique.
I found myself getting carried away and emptied my head of thoughts of Tyler once more.
"How do we look?" Mom asked me.
"You look amazing, Mom!" I gushed.
"Like a princess,"added Susie.
"Aw, thank you, girls," Mom said, beaming. She hugged me first, then Susie.
"You both look lovely, too. Like sisters," Mom added.
She then glanced hesitantly towards Tyler, stepping towards him. "You look dashing,Tyler, just like your father," She said, fixing his collar.
"Thanks," Tyler muttered.
"Well, are we all ready to go? " asked Ronald.
"Sure, dear. Come on, everyone, let's go have some family fun." Mom said.
Tyler scoffed as soon as my mom was out of earshot.
I fumed. He had no right disrespecting my mother that way!
Lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice that a brick was in my pathway. I accidentally stumbled over it and almost fell to the ground, when a pair of strong arms steadied me up once more on my feet.
I glanced up. It was Tyler.
"You really should watch where you're going, Annie," He smirked.
A rush of thoughts were running through my mind at lightning speed. Was I dreaming? Did Tyler actually do something nice for me?
Who knew that under his arrogant facade was actually a gentleman?
I gave him a small smile. "Thanks for the save," I said softly and rushed to the vehicle before he could say anything else.
And you know what?
The smile was genuine.