The Halo Effect | ✓

37 | mine

E P I G R A P H

❝She made stars fall by the way she looked at them. He was one of those stars.❞

☾ thirty seven | mine ☽

"We're here." Holt announced as he parked in his driveway.

My limbs tingled with angst as my heart pounded against my ribcage as I looked at the mansion that adorned me, so big. It held so many memories, both good and bad.

"Hals," Holt said soothingly, shaking me slightly, "you ready?"

I turned to face him, my eyes connecting with his before I nodded hesitantly, "Yeah, I am."

Holt offered me a small smile before he nodded and exited the car. I inhaled sharply before exiting as well, the cold November air biting at my bare arms and legs, causing goosebumps to rise on every inch of my body.

I followed Holt closely as he walked towards the front door and opening it. I was hit with the smell of roast chicken as well as cleaning products, which was a strange yet comforting mixture, but the cleaning smell was obviously from the house itself. Though we were only in the entryway, everything was spick. Not a speck of dust in sight and even the tiles glistened elegantly, just like the chandelier above me.

Two years.

Seven hundred and thirty days since I have been here, roughly. It felt strange, I was yet to enter entirely, but it didn't feel nearly as foreign as I had imagined it too. It felt like home, but that could just be because Holt is here, that feeling seems to travel wherever he is.

Everest and Holt's parents always seemed to keep the place in perfect condition, well more so their maid, whom I am assuming still works here. It almost seems as though nothing has changed, except the last time I came here I was being greeted at the door by Everest, this time I am entering with the other brother.

"Holt, is that you?" a mature women's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

Holt visibly tensed from next to me before Mrs. Stone entered the room, clad in a skin-tight yet modest dress paired with stilettos and she looked as though she just had her hair done as caramel highlights adorned the once brunette strands, accentuating her bronzed complexion her no longer son got from her. Holt doesn't have the capacity to gain a tan, he is the type of person that will burn to a crisp if he does not put any sunscreen on.

I, on the other hand, require no sunscreen and tan easily, but I still apply it because I'd rather not gain skin cancer.

"Yes, mom." he groaned as she came to a holt in front of us.

Her green eyes watched me in an intimidating yet observing way, I couldn't tell if she was wondering who I was, or if she was wondering why I am here.

"Halo, is that you?" she asked, her tone hard to decipher.

I smiled politely, nodding.

Her eyes then diverted back to Holt before she squinted, her stare scary and cold, "Holt must have forgotten to mention he was having a visitor," Mrs. Stone cleared her throat, "obviously, he forgot to inform you that he is grounded."

Holt Stone. . .the almost eighteen-year-old that seems to do whatever he pleases on his own accord, is grounded?

"I thought you'd let it slide considering you pretended not to notice Santana coming over the other day," he spat.

My eyes widened and my heart sunk. She was here?

Who cares, Halo. She can be here if she wants too, he was hers first and he isn't even yours now, Holt Stone is only property of Holt Stone.