Rebirth: Flirting with a Dangerous Billionaire

I Live For Her

As the hand reached towards me, I couldn't take my eyes away from blue and purple veins, weaving around each other like maggots. Knuckles were bulging grotesquely under the skin that looked like it could rip at any moment. The figure in front of me was terrifying, and I felt my stomach churn as the figure peeled back its dry lips revealing blood-stained teeth. Instinctively I backed away, clutching at my father's shirt.

"It's okay, son", my father's gentle voice chimed in, attempting to assure me. Still, the strangled sorrow in his voice suggested it was not okay. The figure was leaning forward now. My skin crawled as I felt sunken eyes upon me.

"Cain, come hug, mommy, I've missed you" the figure was rasping at me now, arms outstretched. In the act of betrayal, I could feel my father's hand on my back, easing me forward. I stumbled forwards, my feet heavy on the floor, my entire body now stiff with terror as the monster's arms engulfed me.

My heart was pounding, and as usual, I woke up gasping for air. It took a few seconds for me to recover and adjust to reality. My hand is shaking as I reach over and grab my phone off the nightstand. What a shitty way to start the day. I lay back down and enjoy a lazy scroll through my feed with a sigh. It had been a while since I last dreamed of my mother. It was less frequent since my father's second marriage.

My mother had died of cancer when I was very young. To comfort both himself and his son, my father had littered our old house with pictures of her. Unfortunately, father seemed to get more out of it than I did. The only time I saw him smile was when looking at the photos. This had puzzled me; I felt no connection with the vibrant woman in the picture. I could only remember meeting my mother once, and it was so traumatic she haunted my sleep to this day.

Looking back now, the other kids in school had always thought I was weird. I had no mother; dad was always sad and distant. I didn't get along well with others; I didn't know how. But, this hadn't bothered me. I had been happy in my family dynamic. I had my father, and my father had me. That's all I needed. None of the other kids had a connection with their parents like that. In my youth, I believed love to be fleeting. My father loved my mother, but she had left him. Yet what we had, endured. Together we shared mutual despair, a strong, carefully cultivated emotion. Emotion is vital to surviving. It was a constant reminder of our mortality. In my naive youth, I had thought it would remain like this forever, but like with all things out of my control, it was soon lost.

As I got older, the school had become harder to deal with. As much as I was content to be alone, solitude attracted the attention of bullies. Naturally, I was confident I could win out against them, but it would be easier to join them in the long run. I think a small part of me wanted something more. I discovered violence came naturally to me, and my house became a comfortable hangout. My father didn't seem to care. As long as we didn't damage my mother's photos me and my friends could do as we pleased while my father worked. I learned how to socialize and get what I wanted out of people. Yet despite my newfound popularity, my relationships remained shallow. At the end of the day, we only had each other.

I had been in my early teens when my father met Eva. For a year before their meeting, I had noticed subtle changes in my father's behaviour. The once withdrawn man began to pay more attention to me, chastising me and advising me that I wouldn't be a delinquent if he had paid more attention.

Then the pictures came down. Father started going out more, and his mood visibly lifted. Suddenly being despondent and withdrawn was not acceptable, my friends? No longer welcome. He suddenly took an interest in where I was going and who I was with. Just like that, the comfortable distance between us began to close. Suddenly we had problems to fix, suddenly I was a problem.

I was on the verge of being forced into therapy when the meeting happened. I hadn't been adapting well. My once malleable father was being led around by his new girlfriend, and her influence was impacting my life. What's worse was now, I was alone. He had recovered and left me behind. I didn't want to meet the woman, so I tried resisting. I frantically told him it was not too late, just go home. But, I couldn't help but wonder, was it so easy to replace me?

I shook my head to dislodge the reverie as my phone lit up. I felt my excitement rising whilst reading the message. They were bringing Mara home. Looking at the clock, I had very little time before their arrival. I almost fell in my haste to get out of bed and throw on some clothes. Appraising myself in the mirror, I decided to run some gel through my short auburn hair. It's essential to look good for Mara.

The older I get, the more I look like my father. Though I have outgrown him both physically and mentally. We share the same hair colour, the same blue eyes. Grey has begun to spread from his temples, his hair has already started to thin. To me, he looks small and weak. The young are destined to transcend the old. I am tall and strong; I have easily surpassed him.

In a way, there had been a trade that day. The day I had met Mara. Father and I hadn't waited long before Eva had walked in. Father embraced her, and I glared at them as she smiled warmly across his shoulder. Unable to disguise my disgust, I snorted, forcing my father to turn sharply to reprimand me.

"Cain! We spoke of this. Don't be rude..." Eva lay a hand on his shoulder, and he fell silent. At that moment, I decided I would never let a woman control me like this.

"It's a big adjustment", Eva smiled. "I'm sure your father has spoken of me. I'm glad I can finally meet you. This is my daughter Mara." She moved aside, revealing a girl. She looked a lot like her mother and seemed close to me in age. In her pink dress, she was almost ornamental. It was an unexpected development, and at the time, I only saw her as another problem.

The girl felt my attention, despite staring at her feet. My initial instinct was to sneer, but I faltered when she raised her head and met my gaze. I was of that age. The age when boys start to take an interest in girls. It's not like I had never been exposed to them. I had seen my fair share of magazines and porn.

Nonetheless, those women were different. I was suddenly aware of my ineptitude when communicating, which came so quickly to others. Despite my recent social growth, my skills still lacked the finesse that I embody today. So, I stood gawping in silence.

To me, Mara appeared strikingly pure. She shared the same features like her mother. Pale skin, blonde hair. Both were petite with large eyes. The only difference was Mara's eyes were bright green, her mothers a pale blue. Although she seemed almost too perfect in her white dress, I could suddenly understand how my father could be so enraptured. That was the first time I felt it. That feeling of heat blossomed in my chest, my heart racing so much I could feel a pounding in my throat. The only solution would be to look away from her. It had to be her influence.

They had sat down, and the adults lost themselves in their conversation. Across the table, Mara fiddled with the hem of her dress, a habit she never grew out of. Having collected myself, I observed her for a while in silence. Then, finally, my father cleared his throat to my left, and I realized I had lost sight of my goal. If I wanted to influence the situation, I should have paid more attention to what the adults said. "I think it would be fun to spend more time together…what do you guys think?" father said, gesturing at Mara and me. I twisted his face at the suggestion. "Why?"

"Well, me and Mara's mom have been getting to know each other, we might all live together one day, and it would be good If we could all get along..."

"We don't need them", I had spat in reply. My father pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Eva quickly grabbed his hand and looked at me with that warm, patient smile. I would soon learn was it was the smile she reserved for dealing with me. "Um...It would be nice to have a brother" the voice was small but adequate. As a group, we turned to face Mara, still picking at the hem of her dress. Once again, my heart lurched. She wanted me? It was appealing. Everything in my life would change, but maybe for the better. I wouldn't be alone anymore. I would be hers, and she would be mine. Besides, it struck me that it might be fun to play with this doll.

Mara, everything was for her. There had been a rocky transition into family life in the coming years. In the end, I had played my part as a model son. In return, I get to stand by her side. I was twelve when we met, with little exposure to the world. My biggest struggle was not to stain her and my once pure affection with my salacious thoughts. Now, as we approach twenty, I no longer hold such delusions. I now know playtime could become a lot more interesting.

In an attempt to dislodge my train of thought, I shake my head. Outside I can hear the gravel crunch on the driveway. The past few weeks had been rough. Mara had been out of my reach. With a deep breath, I descended the stairs. It was essential to keep up appearances. So, adopting the excellent son demeanour that my parents blindly trusted, I opened the door.