Contract with Ares

01

Chapter One

In which everything starts.

-

[Kye “K” Cohen.]

It’s 6 in the morning.

Someone was already pounding on the door like a maniac when my morning class starts at around 10. It’s way too early to be awoken by this unholy hour, and I have dark thoughts about the one making it happen. Whoever this person was—he or she, needed to get a life or get beaten by a bat. Either would be fine by me. Upon swerving my door open, a sigh almost escapes my lips upon seeing the person behind it.

Damn it.

“Hi, Ky—”

“K,” I corrected her, with the words feeling automatic by now.

She cringed, nodding her head, “Right. Sorry! I made you some breakfast, so you would have energy before heading to your class.”

Xbie didn’t even need permission before she swayed into my dorm, looking around like she owned the place. No matter how much I appreciate what she has done for me when we were just kids—she was just a little sister in my eyes.

And no matter how hard I try, she just wouldn’t give up on the idea that we’ll be together. As much as most men would grab the chance of being with a girl like her, I am not them. I do not like her in that way, nor would I ever attempt to try if it would work.

“Xbie.” A sigh escapes my lips as I uttered her name, not even bothering to close the door. Having privacy is the last thing that I needed right now, “I told you. My girlfriend wouldn’t appreciate it when I eat breakfast that was made by another woman, or that a woman is currently in my room.”

“Is she that insecure?”

“No,” I frowned, already hating how Xbie was talking with a woman who she had not met all because that woman was in a supposed relationship with me. “She is cautious.”

She shrugged, sitting on one of the couches. “Besides, I saw her yesterday. Not only that, but I noticed something.”

That caught my attention, making me look at her. Since I was used to masking my emotions, I already know that she just thinks that I was waiting for her to continue her words. Xbie smiled, fluttering her eyes.

“She’s not wearing auntie’s necklace, K.”

Fuck.

I have not thought about that!

“Having second thoughts because she’s rude?”

My eyes met hers, glaring at the woman who speaks ill to my so-called “girlfriend”. That seemed to have her back down a bit, carefully flipping the lunch box to my coffee table—and after that, she bit farewell before closing my door. I’m just glad that Page has the tendency to walk past people when they try to have a decent conversation with her—or I’ll be doomed.

For two weeks straight, that’s all that Xbie was been doing in her spare time: to pamper me with things that she thinks that I need. I honestly thought that she’ll just let go of the idea of being with me when she saw that I was with someone else but it turns out that we became friends for one reason.

We’re both packed with an inability to admit defeat.

“I really need to fix things.” Grabbing one of her lunch boxes, I saw that what was inside were all girly shits with hearts design and everything. “Fast.”

Page Asvette.

That damn name.

I can’t believe that I spent most of my first day of this school year gathering all the information that I could have to figure out what her real name was. My first day only becomes way too much of a hassle for me as I was all around the place. I did have a small hope that Xbie would stop after seeing me kissing Page, but I seemed to have underestimated that woman.

My door creaked open, with Chasen walking in a second after “Did I just see Xbie walking out of your room?”

“Who else would it be,” I grumbled, flopping into my couch with a thump. “She bought me breakfast this morning—again.”

Chasen chuckled, amused by my own expression. “You are being nice to her, that is why.”

He is one to talk. The asshole is probably is the softest person in the group.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know quite yet,” I mumbled, closing my eyes. For once, I was stuck in handling this situation. I was handling one person who seemed to be difficult to work with. “Every single one of my plans needs one variable, and that’s—”

“Page Asvette! Yes, we know! Oh my heavens, shut up already. Her name is getting old with you muttering it every five f*****g seconds.” Ayne snapped as waltzed inside my kitchen, not even bothering to knock or introduce her presence.

“What are you doing?” I could not help but ask when she walked to my kitchen.

She continued to rummage through my drawers with a huff. In this view, she looked like a beast that needed her full or something. “I need some coffee to have some patience with you.”

“I don’t have coffee, Ayne.”

“You what?!” She pivots her heels towards mine with a chagrined expression, “What do you mean you don’t have coffee? Who doesn’t have coffee? It’s a necessity for university!”

“I hate coffee.”

“I knew there was a reason that I love to annoy you.” she fired back, hands rubbing her face.

“Good morning, beautiful people!” Vien beamed to the open door with a smile on her face. I swear she is the happiest person I know. She jumped to her boyfriend in glee, acting like a person who had drunk a gallon of energy drink. “Hi, baby!”

My hands swatted them both away, which caused a giggle in Vien’s lips, “No morning romances, please. It’s 6 in the f*****g morning and you’re all in my room.”

“Yes, it is that f*****g early!” Ayne grumbled, bringing us back to the earlier conversation. “And I need coffee, K!”

“Then get your own coffee.”

Before I knew it, everyone was already moving around my dorm like they owned the place. My initial plan was to sleep until 9 in the morning but it ended up with me having to tolerate all of my friends yapping about how I don’t have coffee in my place or some s**t that I pay no attention to.

“Here’s a f*****g grand idea.” I cut all their words, not having any patience to tolerate their bullshits. “Why don’t you all have coffee in your rooms when you all loved it?”

Ayne slowly fixed her robe, playing with the side of her hair. “Uh, you see—I’m all out of those.”

“Didn’t you just buy a pack?” Vien frowned, rising from her seat to look back at Ayne. “That was five days ago, Ayne. The one that we bought would last you for a month.”

Ayne nodded, her face filled with guilt. “You see, I have a busy week. So…”

I scoffed, “You have a problem, Ayne.”

Lucas already grabbed hold of his raging girlfriend before she could attack me, making me grin to tease the furious lady. Ayne and coffee is a necessity in the morning—it keeps everyone from surviving every single day. That fact alone made me agree with the lady. Seeing her right now, it is clear that she does need a massive dose of that caffeine s**t just for her to have patience for me.

“Is that from Xbie?” Braden asked, pointing to the lunch box that Seth was devouring. The second that I nodded my head, Seth spitted the whole thing. He was scurrying to the kitchen, gulping down a glass of water in a span of seconds.

“It’s not filled with poison,” I muttered.

He huffed, still catching his breath. “You would never know.”

As everyone continued on talking their mouth and ruining my already bad day, my mind could think of a million ways to have Page on board—but that girl is loaded. She owns a house in the city and that’s a crap ton of money to own a land here. Page would probably laugh at my face when I just bring out of nowhere that I needed her favor, knowing that she had a good backup.

However, even people who have tons of money have something that they want more than everything. I just need to figure out what it is and grab it before she can.

Then maybe then, she’ll be on board.

“Oh crap, he has an idea.” Ayne grumbled, shaking her head, “My days of seeing him in misery are almost over.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes, “Yes... but I need more background on her.”

“Great! Grab some coffee while you’re at it.”

“Grab your own damn coffee, Ayne.”