Chapter 6
"Lucas, did you tell me to come home just so I'd have to see all this?" Sabrina said, her voice trembling and eyes wide with disbelief.
For a moment, both Ethan and Lucas standing at my door just froze, caught.
Lucas jumped in first, "No, I just..."
He'd only come to keep his promise, nothing more.
But if he ever mentioned our deal, Ethan would be the first to make him regret it.
And the bowl of cornmeal mush still sitting on my desk was the best proof that Ethan had gone soft on me.
Neither Ethan nor Lucas said a word.
I cleared my throat, trying to hold back my laughter.
I walked over and took Sabrina's hand.
She really was the pampered princess—pride and contempt written all over her face.
The instant I took her hand, she instinctively tried to pull away.
But with both Ethan and Lucas watching, she managed to play nice, swallowing her disgust.
She said, her voice trembling, "Yvette, are you happy now?
"Well, all of this is always supposed to be yours."
Tears streamed down her face like a string of beads. Even I almost felt sorry for her.
With acting skills like that, she was born for the screen. What a waste if she didn't go into acting.
But I'd lived two lives, and I was not easy to beat.
I immediately put on my best reluctant face and turned to Ethan and Lucas.
"Sabrina, that's not true. Ethan and Lucas have always been waiting for you to come home, and so have I," I said.
I softly blinked, acting like I was still basking in the warmth from earlier.
"I've already had the mush, and they helped me with the homework I was stuck on," I said.
"Since you're home now, I should probably leave," I added.
In the original story, whenever Yvette left, she'd make a scene and leave the house in chaos.
But this time, I quietly brushed away my tears and started packing up my stuff.
Running away from home was Sabrina's usual trick.
But as the pampered princess, she'd always pack a dozen suitcases first.
She never went without anything, not even for a day.
Me? I was different.
If I were going to play the victim, I was going to make sure everyone saw it.
I pulled out a muddy woven sack from under the bed.
I heard Ethan's breathing suddenly get heavier.
Next came the stuff I'd tucked in the corner, all set to grab and go.
A few worn-out, faded clothes and some books with dog-eared pages.
The cards, pens, and little gifts Lucas and Ethan had given me.
All of them were carefully stashed on the very top shelf.
My gaze lingered on the limited-edition jacket, and I asked Lucas in a low voice, "Can I take this with me?"
Lucas didn't say a word.
I shrugged and gave a small smile.
"Whatever. I forgot you guys never even liked..." I said.
Before I could finish, a pair of hands suddenly appeared in my line of sight.
"Yvette, is your taste really that ordinary?" Ethan scoffed.
"Take whatever else you want from my room," he added, half teasing.
Then he flung the jacket right at me, not roughly, and pulled me out of the bedroom.
"Come on, it's just a jacket. I'm not that stingy," he joked.
Only Sabrina was left standing there, alone.
She probably never thought so much could change in just a few days.
Ethan and Lucas, who used to ignore me like I was invisible, were suddenly acting like I was the one they cared about most—a complete reversal.
Sabrina clenched her fists, trying to hold herself together as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Guys, do you... not want me here anymore?" She choked out.
This time, Ethan was the first to answer her.
He replied, "Of course not.
"It's only polite to see a guest off properly."
The door at the end of the hallway slammed shut with a loud bang.
The heavy thud sent a jolt through my chest.
All those prying eyes from outside were completely shut out.
I spun around and pinned Ethan against the wall.
I arched my brow, putting on a wounded look. "So that's all I am? Just another guest you're properly seeing off?"
Ethan glanced down, his voice deadpan. "What else did you expect?"
I chuckled, slipping my wrist out of his grip.
"Honestly, I thought you might miss me, even just a little," I said, half-joking, half-serious.
He stayed quiet, just as I expected.
Ethan's room was massive, decked out in black and white with a seriously icy vibe.
He cleared his throat. "Take whatever you want."
I acted like I was making the most important decision ever.
I scanned the walls for those fancy paintings, then eyed the antique vases sitting by the window.
There were so many butterfly specimens that I lost count, and I even spotted a rare watch just chilling in a winder.
After all that, there was only one thing I wanted from Ethan.
"Hey, Ethan, mind if I use your phone for a minute?" I asked.
He shot me a puzzled look, but handed it over anyway.
After saving my number right at the top of his contacts, I raised an eyebrow at him.
I said, "Don't delete it. Don't block me. And don't even think about turning it off."
"Ethan, whenever you see my call, pick up within three seconds. No excuses," I said, my tone light but firm.
His deep eyes wavered, almost unsteady.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he lowered his gaze, his lashes casting a shadow over his eyes.
He looked totally powerless against me and finally murmured, "Fine."
Emboldened, I set my eyes on the obsidian stud in his ear.
"Ethan, I want that too," I said, with a playful grin.
The stud was just like his eyes—cold and heavy, impossible to read.
Right as Lucas walked in, Ethan pressed the stud into my palm.
All that remained was the faint, telling blush on his ear—awkward and quietly intimate.
"So, what did she ask for?" Lucas asked, sounding casual but curious.
Ethan glanced up at him, his defenses visibly up.
"None of your business," Ethan replied coolly.
Lucas tilted his chin at me, curiosity written all over his face.
I flashed a sly smile, my hands tucked behind my back. "Secret."