Chapter 11: Tarnished Embers: Chapter 10

Cas helps me to the shower, leaving me to it after saying that he couldn’t trust himself and I definitely need a break after the pounding that Prince gave me. His words, and I blushed like a giddy schoolgirl when he said them.

He wasn’t wrong though, it’s not just the freshly opened scabs that are throbbing. There’s a dull ache between my thighs that makes me smile every time it pulses as I walk down the stairs and to breakfast.

“Little Spark!” my dad greets, getting up from his chair and striding over to me as soon as I walk into the room. “I take it by your smile and glowing complexion you had a good day with your stepbrothers yesterday?”

His face is wreathed in smiles, and he pulls me into a giant bear hug that reminds me of my childhood. He hasn’t held me like this for so long, and most of the anger from the other morning and his railroading about college melts away as I hug him back, breathing in his sandalwood aftershave that he’s worn for years. One of the guys snickers, and I cast a panicked look over my dad’s shoulder at them as my cheeks flame at the memories of all that has transpired between us since then. All of them are smirking, the fuckers.

“Um, yes, it was lovely,” I reply, Oct’s oomph sound letting me know that he probably said something to either Cas or Prince and got a kick under the table for it. “We went to the National Gallery.”

“I’m so pleased to see you having fun and with people your own age.” He pulls away, studying me, and his brows dip slightly, his blue eyes so like my own dulling a little, and I worry I didn’t school my features quickly enough to hide exactly how much I’ve been enjoying my new brothers’ company. “I’ve been worried about you, Ember,” he adds, his hands squeezing my upper arms as his eyes rove over me. “But I think having brothers suits you.”

Oh, my god, can the floor open up and swallow me whole now, please?

I can’t even focus on the fact that he’s never before mentioned his worry as my cheeks flush hot. I know exactly how well having brothers suits me, but I’m damn sure it’s not in the way that he’s thinking.

“Having a little sister certainly works for us,” Kit comments, coming over and taking my hand in his. I give him wide eyes and suck in a sharp breath, but as I flick my eyes to my dad, all I see is an indulgent father looking at his daughter and her new stepbrother. Can he not see the way Kit looks at me? Like he plans to devour me whole? Can he not feel the tension between us, that unfulfilled promise from the other morning?

“Let’s eat. Odette and I have some exciting news for you all,” my father announces, and my stomach swoops as I wonder what new revelation he will drop on me next. A bitter taste fills my mouth, my anger from earlier returning full force. He’s been so absent for the past five years, and then to keep dropping bombshell after bombshell on me as if it means nothing… As if I mean nothing to him. I pull up short on my way to the table, Kit stopping too.

I’m happy for my dad, glad that he’s finally found someone to share his life with, but was he so blinded by his own grief, consumed with his own life and the woman at his side, that he couldn’t see mine?

“You okay, Pretty Thing?” Kit asks me quietly, and I take a stuttering breath, noting that the others are staring at me, a mix of concern and worry on their faces.

“Yes, sorry,” I mumble, letting him lead me towards the table. I try to see things from my dad’s point of view, it must have been unbearably hard for him to lose the love of his life. My muscles tense at the thought of losing even just one of the guys, and I’ve known them for far less time than my dad and mum were together for.

“We’re all here, Pretty Thing,” Kit whispers in my ear, and I realise that I’ve got his hand in a death grip, my breathing grating in my chest.

“How did you know that’s where my mind went?” I ask under my breath as he leads me to my chair, in between him and Oct this morning. He lets go of my hand to pull out my chair, bending down to speak in my ear as he pushes it in for me.

“You looked as panicked as I feel at the thought of anything or anyone taking you away from us.”

My heart gives a solid thud inside my chest, the pulse reverberating across my entire body like a gong has been struck, and I let out a trembling exhale. This is just so fast, too fast for me to keep up with it. One minute I’m alone, getting through each day as if wading through a thick, grey fog, and the next, my life is filled with the bright colours of four boys who have taken me as their own and are carving their way into my heart.

I can’t find it in me to regret meeting them though. Albeit the strength of my feelings is terrifying, I want to live in technicolour. I want to experience the world feeling the way they make me feel, like I finally belong.

“Morning, little sis,” Oct greets, his hand landing on my thigh, his palm warm through my cotton tights, and it’s enough to jolt me out of my panic. I’ve opted to wear a long-sleeved, flouncy mini dress with a blue, floral print and some knee-length, brown leather boots. “You look beautiful this morning, and so thoughtful of easy access for your brothers.” His voice is a low whisper, but my eyes still dart to my father to check he didn’t overhear. He’s oblivious though, leaning down to listen as Odette murmurs something in his ear.

Kit sits down as Oct’s palm coasts upwards and I squeeze my thighs together, blood making my cheeks heat once more, and the pit of my stomach tingles as his fingers brush my apex. My eyes close, my hands clenched in my lap as I try to breathe through the heady rush of desire that floods my veins. It doesn’t matter that I have cotton tights and knickers on, he may as well be touching my rapidly soaking core.

I should try and stop him, but clearly, I’m more fucked up than I knew because I love the thrill of the threat of exposure as much as I dread it. It makes my pulse sing, makes me feel alive.

“Now that you’re all here,” my father begins, and I snap my attention to him, even as my legs part slightly of their own accord. “Odette and I have decided that we ought to go on honeymoon, now that we’re married and all.” My father looks over at Odette, and she simpers in a way that I can’t help feeling is a little false. Do I look like that when one of the guys looks at me? I fucking hope not. “So we’re leaving for the Cayman Islands first thing tomorrow for three weeks of sun and sea.”

Oct’s hand pauses, and I stare wide-eyed at my father and Odette as the realisation hits me smack in the face; I’ll be at home, alone with the guys for three weeks. No dad. No Odette. Just us. My mouth goes dry at the same time adrenaline rushes through my body and sets my pulse racing.

Fuck.

“That sounds fantastic,” Cas says, but I can’t look at him, at any of them, because I can feel their eyes burning a hole in the side of my head. If I do, I won’t be able to hide the excitement, the raw fucking desire that’s coursing through my body this very moment, sore cunt notwithstanding.

“Your tutors will still come Monday to Friday, starting tomorrow,” Odette tells us, and I can’t decipher the look she gives the guys. It’s almost as though she knows what’s going on between the guys and I, and I catch Prince’s slight nod in Odette’s direction as I quickly glance at him. “Don’t worry, Ember. My boys will take good care of you.”

I don’t realise I’ve been worrying my bottom lip until she speaks to me and I go to answer. “I–I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’ll be nice to have some company for once. You guys just have a great time.”

“Oh, we will have the best time, won’t we, Richard darling?” She turns her hazel eyes onto my father, and I can practically see heart-eyes emojis in his. My chest aches fiercely as a sense of loss washes over me. It feels like I’ve finally lost what little I had left of him.

He’s happy, Ember. That’s all that matters.

“Let’s have breakfast, then we can all have a lazy day together,” Dad suggests, and I go to reach for a bowl and some muesli.

“Oh, Ember, honey. I had the kitchen prepare you something special,” Odette says, and there’s just something about her tone that feels disingenuous. I pull my hand back from the bowl and muesli, a heaviness settling in my stomach.

Sally, one of our staff, places a tall glass in front of me, full of what looks like green sludge.

“What the fuck is that?” Oct exclaims, his nose wrinkled, and I’m inclined to agree with him, my nose twitching as I try to stop my upper lip from curling and failing.

“Octavius Dante Johnson, you watch your language at the table!” Odette scolds, her face full of a rage that seems far too extreme given the situation. Oct looks down, his ears reddening.

“It’s okay, darling. He’s just a passionate young man,” my father assures her, trying to keep the peace. I watch as he strokes her hand, and she shakes her head slightly, her face transforming back into its serene beauty.

I ignore the alarm bells that ring in my head at just how quickly her face can morph from rage to normality, instead, placing my hand over Oct’s that is still on my upper thigh and squeezing it. He gives me a small, grateful smile, and I wonder what hold she has to make him feel so bad about a single swear word.

“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” Odette continues, and I grind my teeth at the way Oct shrinks back a little. “It’s a wheatgrass smoothie, and is a great antioxidant, plus aids in weight loss.”

I can feel my cheeks burning, my body frozen as I stare at the glass of green goop. I’ve heard of wheatgrass, and decide it looks fucking revolting even if it is good for you.

“How thoughtful of you to help Ember, honey,” I can hear my dad say, but I can’t take my eyes off the horrible concoction in front of me. A weight settles inside my chest, a flush creeping up my neck as I face something else that Odette has casually taken from me. “I didn’t know you were on a diet, Little Spark.”

Tears sting my eyes at his words, and I don’t know what to say. Sure, I’m not supermodel thin like Odette, I mean, who the fuck looks like that, really? But I didn’t think I needed to lose any weight.

“Oh, us girls just know these things, don’t we, Ember?” I slowly bring my gaze upwards, refusing to let the embarrassed tears fall. Odette just looks at me like she really is helping me out, and I’d believe it too if there wasn’t a spark of something in her hazel irises, a malicious sort of pity perhaps? Oct’s hand squeezes mine but I barely feel it, and all my mind can focus on is that Odette basically just called me fat and no one called her out on it.

Hurt lances through me like a hot poker, everything that has happened crashing over me and rendering me unable to talk, to tell Odette to go fuck herself and that her boys don’t seem to mind my curves, but then, why don’t they say anything?

“Um, yes. I–I think I might take this upstairs if that’s okay? I’m feeling a little tired.” Not waiting for an answer, I rip my hand away from Oct’s and grab the glass, ignoring the concerned call of my father as I rush from the room.

I watch Ember flee the dining room, the glisten of tears in her beautiful, blue eyes, as the pounding of a war drum sounds in my ears. My fists are clenched so tightly around my knife and fork that I’m not even surprised to see that I’ve bent them a little, and I count backwards from ten just to calm myself enough not to launch myself at Odette.

“I hope she’s okay,” her pathetic, fucking clueless father says, but to give him some credit, he looks genuinely concerned, his brows pitched low.

“It’s probably her time of the month, Richard.” Odette titters, and I know her cycle has nothing to do with why she left in such a hurry. We know from her medical records that she’s got a coil, so she doesn’t have periods particularly, not that I’m convinced her not being on birth control would have stopped either myself or Prince from coming inside her.

“Perhaps one of us should check?” Kit asks, and I see her father soften as he stares at Kit. I get he has always wanted sons, or so he told us the many times we met him back in New York, but maybe if he spent less time travelling for business and more time with his daughter then she wouldn’t have been so alone.

“That would be great, Kit. Thank you.”

Kit immediately gets up, even though he’s not eaten anything, and rushes out of the room. I don’t miss the croissant he swiped and hid in his pocket before he got up. We may not be able to stand up to Odette how we would like to, the fallout would only make it worse for Ember in the end, but we can do something to mitigate her vile fucking behaviour.

I push my plate away, my appetite gone when I think about the look on Ember’s face as she fled and what she must think of us for not standing up for her. For not telling Odette to go fuck herself because surely any red-blooded man would prefer Ember’s luscious curves over the bag of bones that is my stepmother.

Fuck, it’s only the second day and we’ve already failed Cinders.

We’ll just have to work extra hard to make it up to her.