And Then There Were Four

Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Planning Revenge After a long week of taking care of things on campus, party night came, and I was more than ready for it. All week the guys had been avoiding me like the plague, and James wouldn’t even look me in the eye. As much as I tried not to let any of it bother me, I couldn’t deny that it did. Pulling my shopping bag from the trunk, I walked out the back door to the garage and headed for my place. I knew that Kate said I could get ready over at her place, but as great as that sounded, I preferred the comfort of my own home to get ready Walking down the cobbled pathway, I stopped in my tracks when I watched James appear against the treeline. Black basketball shorts hanging loosely against his hips and the mouth watering cut of his V- line on clear display. “James…” I called out softly, hoping that he would come say something to me. But as much as I wished that he didn’t. A hurt and confused look crossed his face, and it broke me a bit when I watched him turn and disappear into the brush and out of sight. Of course this would be how my life was turning out. Rolling my eyes, a sigh left me as I moved forward and disappeared behind the safety of my front door. With the turn of a lock, I flipped on my speakers and plugged in my phone, turning on my playlist. The loud music coming from the dock screamed sex, alcohol, and drugs. I didn’t care anymore about what they were going to say, and as quickly as I had been clothed, I was naked. Stepping within the hot cascading water of my shower, I let it burn away any feeling of their touch. Tonight was going to be different. I had come her and everything turned disastrous right off the bat. I couldn’t allow myself to fall into a rut where I was too worried about a guy, and not worried enough about the future I wanted to have. I had to focus on me, and me alone. Because only I was able to make my future happen. Like a horrid eighties ballad, I belted out the lyrics to every song that came on while I cried my eyes out with the frustration I had felt. By the time the water ran cold, I was feeling better about myself and a little more confident then I had been before.

The only problem was making sure that that confidence stuck while I continued here the next four years. And if | was lucky, maybe only two, and then I could seek a fellowship while working on campus for my last two years of grad school. Wouldn’t that piss them off? Pulling out all the stops, I dressed myself to impress, applying make up and curling my hair until the look I saw in the mirror was of a woman on a mission. One that was going to turn heads with every step she made. As I grabbed my purse, I pulled out my car keys and made my way out the door towards fun. The black dress I chose at a local boutique hugged my curves in all the right places, and to really highlight the dress, I picked out a pair of red heels as deep as blood and matched them with the perfect shade of lipstick. If seduction and evil had a baby, I would picture it looking like me. Stepping onto the path, I head towards the back door to the garage only to be stopped by my father. “Ivy?” His voice making me feel like a teenager who was sneaking out. “Yes, daddy?” I said putting on a fake good girl smile and looking at him innocently. “Uh, where are you going and dressed like that?” He asked, his eyes looking me up and down in shock. “Oh-” I said with hesitation, looking at my outfit, “well my new friends Kate, Bree, and Mandy are all going to the welcoming party tonight. I don’t plan on drinking but I figured I would go hang out and bond with my new friends. Do I look okay?” He hesitated, opening and closing his mouth, “mhmm” he replied nodding his head. “You look lovely sweetheart, but if you do drink, please don’t drive. Call me and I will come get you.” “Of course. I won’t be to late.” I smiled sweetly at him, and watched as he walked back into the house. A smirk crossed my face, and as I stepped into the garage, I watched a figure come through the door from the kitchen. “Ivy,” Hale said, looking me up and down, a lust filled gaze in his eyes as they darkened over. “Whoa- where are you going?” A chuckle left my lips as I raised a brow,”out, Hale.”

“Where out?” He asked again as his brows furrowed, obviously not happy with my response. “To a party Hale… what’s with the twenty questions?” I didn’t have time for whatever games that Hale was wanting to play. All of them had avoided me since the incident with James, and I couldn’t stand that they were acting the way they did. They either wanted to know me or they didn’t, but the hot and cold shit wasn’t going to go well with me. “Are you purposely avoiding giving me a direct answer, Ivy. Damian isn’t going to be happy about this.” Laughter erupted from me as I opened my car door, “does it look like I give a fuck, Hale? Damian made it clear that I was nothing more than a whore and I was to stay far from all of you. So listen to your brother like the good boy you are, and go fuck yourself.” – Shock was registered all over Hale’s face at what I said, and before he could react, I slipped behind the wheel and closed my door, quickly throwing my car in drive as I took off into the night. Turning up the music, I let the windows down, and enjoyed the fresh hair against my skin. Tonight I wasn’t going to allow them to get to me. Domain, Hale, Talon and James- the four horsemen of the apocalypse, A name that suited their ill mannered attitudes and fluctuating temperaments. I was a grown ass woman, and they had absolutely no control over who I was and what I wanted to do. If they wanted me to be a whore like they claimed I was then maybe I would have some fun tonight. I’m sure there are some rather sexy college guys out there that wouldn’t mind fulfilling the pleasure I wanted. Unlike James and Damian, they tend to start a lot of things they are never able to finish completing. Tonight was about me, and me alone. Fuck them and there petty bullshit. If I had to choose-the jokes on them tonight.