Tempted | Kai Parker

forty four: twins

Kai's POV

The sound of dead leaves crunching below my feet echoed through the still night, as moon light danced around me, softly lighting the pathway which I walked along.

My heartbeats were steady, and my mind was focused as I approached the clearing where Jo and I had agreed to meet. And as I walked up, I could see her inky silhouette, her chin tilted upwards as she eyed the nights sky.

"Look at all those pretty planets." I remarked, pointing upwards as I closed the gap between us. "All twinkly and bright."

Her eyes instantly flicked away from the sky and snapped onto me, as she clumsily stumbled backwards a couple inches. And as soon as her eyes fixed on me, her nostrils flared and the muscles in her jaw clenched to tightly wire her mouth closed. I could almost hear her teeth grinding together.

She didn't even need to say anything. Her feelings were quite evident. I could see the mounds of hatred and contempt she felt for me in her cold blue stare.

At least the feeling was mutual.

"Oh, Josette, you would not believe how sick I am of eclipses." I sighed, standing in front of her.

Her eyes stayed latched onto mine, her face expressionless, as she stood completely still.

"Let's just get this over with." She growled back.

I gave her a scoff, as I reached into my pocket and retrieved a small pocketknife. The short blade swished open with a flick of my wrist, and the silver moonlight danced along the metal.

"If you think I didn't spend the last eighteen years in solitary thinking about how you screwed me over last time, you're wrong." I hissed, using the knife to point in her direction.

Her eyes burned into me, as she slowly started shaking her head.

"I screwed you over because you ruined our family." She spat. "You're a selfish, heartless, monster, and I feel sorry for anyone who has ever had to deal with you."

I threw her a poisonous glare, as I felt my grip start to tighten around the handle of the knife.

That was everyone in my family's problem. They judged me before they even knew me, and just waited for excuses to turn me into exactly what they expected me to be.

My father played his cruel game well. He knew that you could only call someone a freak, or an abomination, or a monster so many times before they finally started to become one.

And that was what he always wanted. He hated me, and he wanted everyone else to hate me too. And what better way to do that than torturing me until I became the monster that he swore I already was.

And yes, I did give in eventually. I became the 'abomination' that Joshua told me I was.

But I didn't think that was who I was anymore.

I had changed, whether Josette wanted to see it or not.

"Maybe I'm not as selfish as you think." I fired back.

She gave me a cold sneer, as her eyes stared through mine. "Oh right - the girl." She scoffed. "You know, I thought she was just some innocent that you had manipulated, but then last week she drugged me, tied me up, and threatened to kill me. Maybe you've rubbed off on her, Kai."

The very sound of Jo's voice as she spoke about Andie as if she were a maniac made me want to use my knife to carve out her tongue.

That would fucking teach her for speaking about what she didn't understand.