Coveted {FINISHED}

|Chapter One |

"Paula covered my shift so I could go to class, she needed me to cover hers today so I had to finish late Danny." I tried to explain, my throat already dry and my words weak from the constant drain of customers. Starting class at nine and work at 6 with an hour break didn't leave much time for rest.

"Well, your dinners cold." He muttered back, his voice annoyed as if I had purposefully chosen to be driving home at ten-thirty. Still, I bit my tongue and apologised again.

I couldn't deal with another argument, not tonight.

"Whatever." Before I could say anything else, the line went dead and I threw the phone onto the passenger's seat. Narrowing my eyes on the one-way road, I watched the headlights illuminate the fog sweeping through the woods from either side. Sometimes I didn't know what I was doing still being with him. I never used to be so weak but being with someone for four years . . . Well, it makes it so much harder to turn round and walk out the door.

Somewhere along the line, I forgot who I was and he managed to break me down. Somehow I was stuck with a man who I could only dream would hold me and love me, every night I think he'll be less cold, that he'll tell me what I did wrong but every night he struggles to look at me, afraid to touch me like I was a disease.

Tears burned behind my eyes as my fingers tightened around the steering wheel. I could be so confident with others, hide the scars and wear the perfect mask but he rips me open.

What was so wrong with me that he couldn't love? What ugliness was he seeing that I can't cover-up?

My eyes dart to the review mirror for a glance. My olive skin was thickly coated with foundation, my eyes coated with dark brown's and eyeliner and my lips painted dark red. My hazel eyes look dragged down, watered and tired and my skin looked dull as if cracks would appear any minute in my perfect mask. 

Shaking my head and taking a long sniff, I focused my eyes back on the road, my posture straightening as I focused on the assignment I had due this week. Danny will be asleep if I'm lucky and since he's probably chucked my dinner away, I might as well get started on it.

A loud chirp of my phone caught my attention again as my head snapped from my thoughts and to the side to see it light up with Danny's name. "Oh what now," I moaned reaching to grab it only for the screen to shut black as the battery ran dry. "Crap!"

Snapping my eyes back to the road, my breath caught in my throat as a deer jumped right in front, its shadows casting rigid splashes across the front lights. Jerking my foot down on the breaks I yelled, steering the car from the road feeling my body thrusting up, my head bashing hard against the ceiling and back down again as the car bashed against the trunk of a tree. My arms wrapped around my face as my body was thrust forwards and back once more, steam rising from the front of the car.

Moaning, I reached my hand up to the back of my head and fumbled with my seatbelt feeling it click free. I pushed against the door only to fall out against the overgrown grass and wild weeds. Slowly stumbling to my feet, I forced my eyes open and looked around.

My phone was dead, how the hell was I going to get out of here?!

The panic that seeped into my blood only made the pounding in my head worse. My bones ached and my back burned with a tightening around my lower back. The first few steps earned a whimper as pain shot through my nerves.

Turning around, I stumbled forwards a little more spotting a clearing. I hurried over, using the trees nearby for support. As soon as the thick green leaves cleared a four-story manor stood in front of me. The attic loomed out from the house, blue and red stained glass glistening against the moonlight.

The bricks were a mixture of white and black, a Victorian-style upheld. Limping towards the patio steps, I fell against the door but steadied myself and ran a hand through my tangled light brown hair before knocking. As soon as I heard footsteps, the panic that had settled in my chest disappeared and I couldn't help the hopeful smile that whipped across my lips as the doors opened.

But just as soon as it came, it left. Two dark pools of chocolate bore into me, frown lines caressing his forehead as though they were etched in stone, his lips taut to the corner as those annoyed by me just standing here. My words failed me, my chest craving more oxygen as my eyes hovered down to the floor feeling myself shrink more and more under his glare. I could feel how much he didn't want me here, his eyes like beacons of anger. "I crashed my car a . . . My phones dead, I just need to borrow a pho-"

"No." He replied, his voice dry as his face rested on the same annoyed face as before. 

Stunned, I blinked a few times and licked my lips trying to keep my nerves calm. I needed a phone! I could be stuck here for ages, who the hell does this guy think he is?

"Please, I'll be quick! I have no other-"

"I said no. Now get off my patio." My mouth hung open, all my hope gone within a single second. The pain in my back began to sore further down to my leg and I couldn't help but limp back slightly flinching from the Sharp cut radiating down my body. 

Rain pounded down around me, my hair soaking to my cheeks and neck. The cold hit harsher through my thin blue cardigan as I hugged myself sniffing, the wind picking up speed causing the trees to rustle and the howl to lift to the sky. "Please! I just need to use a phone! It's so cold I won't be able to get anywhere!"

His frowns deepened as he pushed the door further open and took a step forwards, the rain barely touching his gelled brown hair, cut short on the sides and styled at the top. His eyes darkened, his chest lifting and falling gently as he stared daggers at my face. Why the hell did he hate me so much?! I just need some goddamn help! Regardless, I couldn't help the flush of heat that spread to my cheeks, my eyes failing again at the intensity of his glare. 

"I said get off my property. Find another phone." He growled before backing into the house quickly but before the door could close another hand cut through stopping it. Another male stepped up pushing the first to the side.

"Hey, sorry about my brother . . . You should come in, looks like a pretty heavy storm is rolling in." At first I didn't know what to do, going from complete savage to saint was enough to throw me off a bit but to hear their brother's? That's a curveball. Whilst the first guy frowned this one smiled but it was a small calm smile, his green eyes hidden behind the curtain of black hair sprawled measly on his head and some stubble mapping out his jawline.

He stepped aside, and nodded for me to enter. My chest felt lighter as I stepped into the warm pine smelling hallway. I paused as he closed the door, the walls were faded black and white wallpaper that seemed to spread all the way up the large spiral staircase. The furniture looked as though no one ever touched it, dust building in almost every area. There was a small marble table sat in the middle of the hallway in front of the stairs. Four doors lay half open with a large chandelier coated in spider webs hung above.

"I'm Regan, that's Ian-"

"This is not a good idea and you know it." Ian spat, his face inches from his brother when I spun to face them. Regan barely blinked an eye, his posture completely clam as if nothing was happening.

"The girl needs a phone." Was all he said. They stood there for a minute longer, Ian's arms flinching under his close-fitting grey shirt before he stormed towards me pausing just a hair away. His breath washed across the small space between us, his eyes boring down into mine with pure hatred.

I could feel my fingers twitch, urging to clench into a fist, the hairs on my body standing on edge as I chew down on the inside of my mouth trying to push the sudden desire to scratch his eyes out aside. But then my knees seemed to go faint slightly, my breathing irregular as the spots of hazel in his eyes that up until now I had missed seemed to spark something like excitement deep inside my core.

The confusion had me stumbling back as he grunted his protest and disappeared into the first room to the right. 

Standing still I tried to ground myself, my head feeling as though a headache was on the way. A few seconds later and Regan walked in front of me leading me into a large living room. The couches were red leather, two L's and two armchairs placed in a semi-circle around the large platinum tv hanging on the same old faded wall except there wasn't a spec of dust in here. 

It was the complete opposite. Instead the walls vibrated the warmth from the crackling fire at the far end, the smell of burning wood slowly slipping into my nose. I stepped further in, my eyes wide as I stared at the large double Windows covered with large red drapes. A few coffee tables sat about with magazines and lamps scattered across them.

Ian sat on the edge of the arm of one of the couches, his elbows propped on his knees and his hands collapsed together with his eyes narrowed at me. 

On the other L couch sat another boy, his black hair cut shorter than the rest. His green eyes were a brighter shade then Regan's and his smile seemed genuine as he quickly jumped to his feet and patted his black trousers down. He seemed to have that same straight-edged nose as Regan and I couldn't help but glance between them trying to figure out the resemblance. 

"Names Jeremy, I'm the second youngest." He held his hand out and I hesitated at first before I took his hand and shook weakly forcing a smile.

The pain in my back was on the verge of suffocating me but I held myself up and blinked the pain-filled tears back. I just needed a phone and I would be fine!

"Nancy. I just need to call for help . . . I crashed my car out back and my phones dead." I explained quickly still feeling the raging heat from Ian's eyes. Jeremy's smile widened as be nodded and stepped aside so he could pass me a small flip-up black phone. 

"Are you injured?" He asked stretching his hand out. His voice didn't give away any sign of worry or concern. Instead, he remained neutral and kind.

I bit back the urge to say yes and crumble into one of the couches but the quicker I was out of here and that prick the better, so I shook my head and reached for the phone but as my fingertips brushed his thumb, his body suddenly jerked, his eyes wide staring right at me as if he were seeing a ghost, seeing something that terrified him. My hand jerked away, the phone crashing to the ground as he moaned, his whole body shaking before his eyes rolled back into his head, his eyelashes fluttering backwards as his body swayed towards the ground.

Within seconds Ian had his arms wrapped under his armpits holding him firmly from the ground and Jeremy grabbing his waist hurling him to the couch. 

My legs stumbled until I hit the wall, my eyes frantic as I watched his skin turn deathly white, fear suddenly crashing down on me. "Is he okay? We should call an ambulance . . . I'm so sorry I didn't mean to cause-"

"You have got to be kidding me," Ian breathed as he turned his back to us, his hands flying to his head. "f**k!"

"Stop," Regan breathed, his voice low and husky as he forced his lips open. Both eyes were bloodshot, his lips chapped and his face far tired then it had been, dark circles drawn under his eyes as if ten years had been stripped from him. His chest rose so slowly as if it hurt to breathe. "We have to help . . ."

"Look please, I didn't mean to cause any trouble I'll just call and be out of your hair. I'm so sorry!" I cried but as I took a step closer to the phone, Ian appeared in front of me blocking the cell. His face fumed as he growled,

"You're not going anywhere. Should have left when I told you."