Sealed by Fate

ANNABETH

We arrive at Scott Newton’s cabin, where the most epic party to end senior year is held. I look down at what I’m wearing and really begin to wonder if it’s appropriate for tonight.

Tessa was determined this would catch Kieran’s eye. She put me in a white off-the-shoulder Western-style dress, which is modest but sexy, and it covers up my scar.

This is the kind of dress Rick would not approve of. He would rip it off and force me to put on my baggy jeans and hoodies. Now that I’m dressed like this, though, I realize how much I miss the old me.

Rick stifled me for so long, and the old Annabeth is eager to come out again. She’s struggling to break free, but I’m not willing to let that girl out just yet.

The push-up bra she gave me works a little too well since it makes my completely nonexistent boobs look bigger. The dress is matched with a pair of brown cowboy boots.

She says it makes the outfit look sexier.

My hair is down in soft brown curls, and my makeup, well, let’s just say I let Tessa have her way with me.

I feel beautiful and sexy but exposed and self-conscious as well. “I feel slutty, Tess. I don’t know if I can go in there like this.”

She turns around and hands me her brown leather jacket. “Here, wear this until you see him.”

“Um… Okay.” I put the jacket on.

“So, this is going to sound random, but I do have a point,” Tessa states. “You love butterflies, right?”

I raise my eyebrows and wonder if she has already started dipping in the happy juice. “You’re right. That was random. Are you drunk?”

She giggles and shakes her head, causing her tight blonde curls to bounce and sway. “No, I’m not drunk, silly. Just answer the question. I promise I’m going somewhere with this.”

“Okay.” I laugh. “Yes, I do love them. Why?”

“I want you to tell me what you love about butterflies.”

“Well, they start off as ugly worms and transform into something glorious and beautiful. I love to sit and watch them take their first flight after they hatch.

“They are so unsure of their surroundings yet so trusting. I sometimes wish I could join them and be free to fly away whenever I want and have no care.

“I also wish I could go through my own metamorphosis and change into someone completely different, someone who is prettier and who attracts the good guys.”

“Anna, I know the last few years have been really hard on you, and the last two months have been a nightmare because Rick refuses to let you go.” Tessa takes my hands in hers.

“Well, Tonight, my stunning sister, you have just gone through your own very real metamorphosis.

“You have made so many changes and shed the things that were weighing you down. When you walk into that party, you will begin your first flight as a newly born butterfly.

“Annabeth, you deserve to fly high, and I want to see you soar. You need to prove to Rick and everyone else in that party that he doesn’t own and define you.”

“You are going to go in there and show him you are not going to cower and you are not afraid of him anymore! Rick does not control you anymore.

“You have lived in terror of Rick for too long, and it’s time to let go. What does Eminem say in his song, ‘I’m Not Afraid’?”

“I have no idea since I don’t listen to Eminem.”

“He says”—she pauses for dramatic effect—“These aren’t his words exactly, but if Rick doesn’t like the fact that you are moving on, and you don’t care what he does, then he can go fuck himself.

“Besides, he would probably enjoy himself a little too much anyway.”

“Tessa Elizabeth St. James, I cannot believe that just came out of your mouth!” I shout and laugh at the same time. “Whatever happened to my cute and proper sister?”

“She grew up.” She flashes me a cheeky smile. “I mean it, Anna. He can go to hell if he doesn’t like the way things are going to be from now on.

“I’ve got you, and I’m not going anywhere. If he tries anything with you tonight, I’ll just use my awesome ninja skills on his balls. I love you, Sister.”

I reach up and wipe away my tears. Knowing that she knows some of my issues with Rick helps bring comfort to me.

I just wish I was brave enough to tell her everything since she doesn’t know the half of it. I pull my sister in for a hug.

“I love you, Sis.”

She pulls away and fixes her makeup and hair. “Okay, enough sappy stuff. It’s time to party now.” She slaps my bottom and says, “Remember to fly, baby girl!”

Before we even reach the door, we can hear and feel the bass of the music; Tessa and I both squeal in excitement because “Say Amen” by Panic! At the Disco is playing.

Tessa has had the biggest crush on Brendon Urie for a few years now. This is one of my favorite songs, so I start dancing once I step foot in the house.

I look around the room, hoping to spot Kierran, but instead, I see Rick watching me. He’s got his tongue shoved down Sadie Anderson’s throat.

He pulls away when he sees me and gives me a cruel and anticipatory smile, knowing exactly what he’s doing. I turn around and go to leave.

“Ugh… What a swine!” Tessa makes a gagging sound. “Remember you are flying above him tonight?”

“I know, but can you believe the nerve of him?” I don’t wait for a reply. I just make my escape. “I need to get out of here. He makes me sick. I knew this was a bad idea.”

She turns and glares at him then her attention is back on me. “Leaving is letting him win. He’s only doing this because he is a dick who refuses to accept you broke up with him.

“He’s trying to make you jealous. Please don’t let him ruin this night for you.”

She leans forward and whispers in my ear. “Just think about how long it will take that poor girl to get off tonight.”

We both smirk in his direction and laugh. Then Tessa says, “Kierran is sitting over there, staring at you like he wants to devour you.”

She takes off my jacket, fluffs out my hair, checks my makeup then decides I’m perfect.

“Now, the trick is not going to him. Play hard to get. Let’s get a drink and flirt. The key is to make him so jealous he goes crazy, and I’m guessing it won’t take long. See?”

She flips me around and steps behind my back so he can get a full glimpse. What I see are his sexy green eyes searing into mine.

I pull away from his intense stare and study the rest of him. He is intensely gorgeous, yet that word doesn’t even describe him. I don’t think there is a word in existence that could describe him.

His strong jaw and firm mouth are clenched so tight it looks painful.

His soft brown hair falls in front of his eyes, giving him almost a boyish look, and I have the sudden urge to push it away, but I stay rooted in my place.

I study his face, all the hard lines, and the sharp angles. And his eyes never leave mine. I can’t tell what it is about Kierran McAllister that draws me in. He just has this magnetism about him.

When our gazes connect again, I’m nearly brought to my knees in fear by the death and possession stares he seems to be shooting in my direction.

I don’t want to deal with another Rick when I’m still dealing with the real one. I know this look all too well since Rick would give the same stare to every guy who even smiled at me.

“Hey, Tessa, I think you might be wrong about Kierran because it looks like he wants to either play caveman or murder me.”

She moves out from behind me and glances up at him, then giggles. “Oh, honey, you have a lot to learn. It’s me he wants to murder… I mean, look at you.

“The other half of him is fighting to come over here and stake his claim right now.”

I roll my eyes at her because she has lost her freaking mind.

“Go get a room. You’re a disgusting pig!” Tessa shouts. “Nobody here wants to see this.”

He pulls away from the moaning Sadie and says, “You’re just jealous because you know you want some of this.”

“Oh, you got me, Rick. I want you so bad, baby.” Tessa licks her lips and starts thrusting her body toward Rick. She’s mimicking a sexual act.

“I just can’t wait for my first time to be with you, the guy who can’t get or keep it up. I bet Porsche just loves knowing when you’re screwing her, it’s really Annabeth in your sick mind.

“I bet she would also love to hear that she’s not the one who drives you to your release. It’s really my sister because you, Rick Summers, are a sick freak!”

She totally just burned him in front of everyone.

“You know what? I may act like I’m easy, but I’m not. Especially not for an abusive slime like you. I think I would rather wait for someone more worthy of my V-card.”

The entire room explodes in laughter, and I hold back my giggles since Rick’s cold and calculating blue eyes lock on me. He is staring daggers at me.

Tessa takes hold of my hand and gives me an encouraging squeeze.

“Are you just going to stand there and let her talk to me like that?” He whines like a petulant child.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am!” I cross my arms over my chest and stand my ground even though this is about to get ugly.

“Annabeth, you can’t let her talk to me like that! You belong to me, and that means you and your sister cannot be disrespecting me.”

I let out this weird kind of snort-laugh, then I feel his eyes roam over my body, taking in my dress.

“What did I tell you about your clothes?” Rick demands.

“I don’t give a flying crap what you said about my clothes! We aren’t together, so you don’t get to control what I wear. You don’t have a say anymore!”

“Annabeth, you will go home and change your clothes!” he orders, completely ignoring what I just said.

“Better yet, you and your whore of a sister will go home, and you will stay there until I come to get you.”

What the hell?

“Why don’t you go shove your dick up someone’s ass, Rick!”

I realize I just outed his family’s secret and his, but I find that I just don’t care anymore. Rick’s blue eyes pin me with an if-looks-could-kill look.

“You don’t know shit about anything, Annabeth, so I would keep your filthy little slut mouth closed before I shut it for you!”

There was a time this would have scared me, but it doesn’t anymore. I’m capable of defending myself now.

“I know exactly what I’m talking about, Rick, and if you touch or threaten me again, I will tell everyone about you and your Dad’s dirty little secrets.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” he shouts.

“Try me, Limpy. I will tell them all about how your dad likes to share.”

His dad wanted me to have a threesome with them. I said hell no, ran out of that house, and never went back. His father is a sick man.

Now I know I’m not being funny.

Honestly, I have not an effing clue what the hell I’m doing other than trying to bait Rick, possibly wanting him to attack me in public so someone could see it, but he’s too smart for that.

“DO NOT TALK TO ME THAT WAY! My luna would never disrespect her alpha. You belong to me, Annabeth.”

“Um…Rick, first of all, I don’t know what the hell you are talking about with this alpha and luna shit, but you have gone and lost your damned mind if you think I would ever consider being your luna or whatever.

“Secondly, I don’t belong to anyone! I’m in charge of myself, so you really need to get that idea out of your twisted head.”

I pause and gauge his reaction. He just stares up at me and is shocked that I have the guts to stand up to him.

That’s right, sweetheart. Your docile Annabeth died and, in her place, rose a strong, independent woman capable of kicking your no-good, abusive, lying, cheating ass.

Tilting my head to the side, I grin. He’s about to hear my true feelings. I have held back for so many years, and now it’s all boiling to the top.

“Do you really think yelling at me like you are and letting Sadie grind on you is being respectful and earning respect from the others here?

“I look around, and almost everyone is uncomfortable and probably wants to leave, but you ooze evil and hatred, Rick, so everyone is afraid of you. No one here respects you. They all dislike you.

“Everyone just tolerates you because they don’t want to end up like Jason. Yes, I know that was you.”

His face pales, and he opens his mouth, but I stop him.

“Shut up, Rick! It’s time everyone here knows who you really are.” I glance down and see his pissed-off expression.

“I know it was you who hurt Jason. All the kid did was talk to me about a school project. He didn’t have feelings for me. He had a girlfriend in a different school.

“But no, you just couldn’t control yourself, could you? You beat the poor boy nearly to death, then left him to die. It was by the grace of God someone found him.

“However, six months later, he’s still in a coma, and the doctors aren’t sure he will wake up.

“Just like every other guy you hit or every time you hit me for smiling at another guy. For saying the wrong thing or not wearing something you deemed worthy of the Rick standard.”

I inhale a deep breath and then exhale. Standing up to Rick makes me feel empowered. For so long, I held back.

“Well, I’m standing here telling you, sweetheart, you don’t have respect because you’re a scary asshole, and someone like you doesn’t deserve it. It must be earned.

“You don’t respect the people around you because you wouldn’t be making a scene.” I bite down on my lip to stop the sudden tremble in my voice.

I go to walk away, but Rick being the asshole he is and always having to have the last word, shouts, “I know you want to join us, sweetheart, so I’m willing to share.”

The thought of being with him makes my stomach churn, and knowing he is choosing to ignore the other stuff, for now, makes my stomach hurt even worse.

I just gave him a scolding of a lifetime, and yet he still chooses to act like a dickhead. My guess is he’s deflecting because he knows I’m right, or he just truly doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.

I also know I’m going to pay for all of that later, but of course, he has to save face in public. I say bring it on because I won’t go down without fighting back.

“Ugh!” I grunt. “Rick, you should know me better than that. If I wanted in on your sick and twisted sex acts, I wouldn’t have dumped your no-good cheating ass.

“You are a vile person who needs to have his dick cut off.”

I hear someone snort. “I want nothing to do with you or your disgusting habits.”

Rick’s blue eyes never leave mine, even as he continues fingering the girl.

I glance down at Sadie and tell her, “He’s not worth the time, Sadie. You will be unsatisfied. At least, that’s what I’ve heard from at least ten of the girls he’s slept with.

“The whole cheer squad if he sleeps with you tonight.” I really do feel bad for Sadie.

“I really hope you are on the pill and have the means to stay clean because rumor has it he doesn’t use protection.”

The red flag warning flashes in her eyes, but she doesn’t make a move to get up. Oh well, I tried to warn her, and it’s her life.

Rick turns his cold, handsome face back to me. “You will soon learn your place, Annabeth, and will learn you cannot escape since you are mine!”

He sneers, and the scar on my chest starts to hum in addition to feeling hot at his command. I have no idea what that means, but I know it has something to do with his words. However, I ignore it.

“You keep telling yourself that, Rick, if that’s what helps you sleep at night. Or if that’s what helps you get off. I really don’t give a shit what you think.

“I’m over you, and the sooner you get that through your thick-headed skull, the better off we will all be.”

Rick is getting angrier by the second, and I half expect him to stop what he is doing with Sadie and corner me, but then we are in public.

“You can keep telling yourself whatever you want, sweetheart, but you’ll be back. I can see it in your eyes how much you miss me.”

I am not sure if I want to cry or laugh. What I am sure of is that I am done with this conversation and watching the disgusting scene in front of me.

“As if. The only thing I miss is me! You know, the girl you beat into submission for years. Well, guess what, baby? She’s back, and she’s ready for a fight.

“Just go back to your bitch! You may also want to see a doctor or even a shrink about your little rising-to-the-occasion problem. Bye-bye now. I’m out of here! I throw back at him.

I leave with his anger rising; I feel his eyes on me and then hear Sadie scream, but I just can’t bring myself to care.

She made the mistake of getting involved with him, and I tried to warn her. I mosey into the kitchen, and Sam hands me a red cup full of white foam.

“Sounds like you could use this.” He smirks, and I take the cup, and at this point, I don’t heed the warnings going off in my head; I bring it to my lips and guzzle the cold frothy drink.

When my cup is empty, I hand it back to Sam, who refills it. “I’m going outside!” I look around for Tessa, but she’s gone, probably off looking for Lucas, her newest crush and Kierran’s friend.

They are a packaged deal, I guess. I ask Sam to tell her where I went if he sees her, and I head outside with my drink still in hand.

I stumble outside, already feeling the buzz from the two cups of beer I just drank. I’m not a big drinker, but tonight Rick and his antics drove me to it.

“Stupid Rick!” I shout to the sky.

“I would have to agree,” I hear as strong arms wrap around my waist. I know who it is because his voice makes my insides feel all sorts of funny.

I close my eyes and savor this moment. He pulls me against his muscled chest.