whirlwind

"Cara?" The girl in question looked up from her Calculus homework, eyes darting to the closed door as she heard the voice of her father coming from the other side of it. Cara cleared her voice and shook the nerves from it before answering. "Yes?" "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," her father spoke, a small muffled blur effecting his tone. "Why don't you come down and help set the table?" The girl rolled her eyes - something she never used to do, but replied sweetly none-the-less. "Sure, dad." Hugh Williams was a top-notch businessman, and a wealthy one at that. In Chicago, where their family had resided for years, Hugh was notorious for his hardass nature and his textbook picture family. The matriarch or the family, Jane, could afford to be a stay at home mom, so she was. She lived to take care of her home and her husband and her children, and was quite content with doing so. The oldest child of the Williams parents was a boy, or, moreso a man, named Kevin, who was just shy of his 24th birthday while his little and only sister, Cara had just celebrated her 18th. Cara Williams was an enigma, and no one could deny otherwise. She was the definition of a picture perfect daughter. She was always seen as a Disney Princess or an All-American girl. The pinnacle of innocence, the epitome of perfection. She looked like the picture perfect definition of an American girl, straight blonde hair, big blue eyes, and alabaster skin which made any porcelain doll jealous. She wasn't beautiful. She wasn't unique. But she was good, and that's what pulled others to her. In school she was top of her class, a 4.0 GPA, a quiet girl, with her nose stuck in a book. She was an angel for all intents and purposes. That was, until two months ago, when she met him. It should have been a one time thing, most definitely. But it wasn't. If there was one thing to be noted of Chicago, it's that business was cutthroat and the men who participate will not hesitate to do whatever it takes to get ahead. That's just business. Cara's father had pushed down a great many people to find his way to the top, which meant many of his competition sough to destroy everything he held dear. Cara thought that's what she was. Collateral. Something destined to be destroyed. That's what she thought when Nicolas Callaghan had asked her to dance at a nightclub a few months back. Nicolas was infamous around Chicago — only twenty seven and was already building his empire and his name attached to it. He was Hugh Williams' biggest threat, and he knew it. Cara wasn't even supposed to be at that club that night. She was always quite the introverted girl, and she spent the school breaks and summers at her family's summer home... with her family. She had only one friend, a rowdy boy named Benjamin Lassiter who had an air of mystery and energy around him. He wasn't a good influence in any stretch of the imagination, but he was a good guy and an even better friend. Her only friend. And she was okay with that. However, Benjamin had a habit of doing his best to drag Cara into his escapades. This past summer, the boy, who had never spent a single summer with Cara, insisted she come to Toxin, a club that had recently opened up. Benjamin was known on the party scene. He loved it, and he would be damned if he didn't try to convince his best friend to join him for a night of dancing. Cara had taken ballet as a girl, but this was a whole different type of dancing. In fact, she had never been to a club. She was of age to — to dance, that was — but three years prevented her from drinking. (Not that she wanted to.) Benjamin was a charmer, and he convinced her out. So Cara begrudgingly dressed for the location with Benjamin's help, then told her mother — who adored him — that he was taking her daughter to dinner then to hang out. Of course, always unsuspecting Jane Callaghan, believed them. When they arrived at the club, Ben skipped the line and got them in, citing connections as the easy access. Cara doubted that. After an hour of standing around awkwardly, Cara willed herself to relax and eventually began to let go, Benjamin twirling her around the floor and dipping her low. To anyone else, the two looked like a couple, but they knew better. Cara thanked Benjamin, wondering why she had waited so long to do this — it was fun, the music in her ears and the adrenaline in her veins. Returning from a low dip, Cara threw her arms around Benjamin's shoulders, laughing as the two continued to move to the music. This was the moment when Benjamin pressed his lips against her ear, causing her brows to furrow in confusion. "There's a guy staring at you from across the room." That was all he whispered. Cara didn't think much of it - Benjamin was constantly trying to hook her up with someone. Regardless, she didn't look, not wanting to be obvious that the two were talking about this mystery man. "I've seen him before," Benjamin whispered. Cara's eyes narrowed slightly, attempting to figure out just what her friend meant. "Be careful, and have fun," Ben whispered, with a grin before darting off, leaving Cara alone on the dance floor, wondering what the hell he meant. She didn't have a chance to be angry at him because something else captured her attention. A deep, rustic voice. "That was quite rude," Cara spun around, seeing a gorgeous man standing behind her. But this was no random man. This was Nicolas Callaghan. She recognized him instantly, but she couldn't tell if he knew who she was. "Yeah," she laughed nervously, running a hand through her long blonde hair. "My friend is an i***t sometimes." The man chuckled softly, taking a step forward. "Just a friend?" His words caught her by surprise, but she nodded. Her heart was hammering and a blush crept up her cheeks. A smirk curled his lips upwards, and his hand outstretched towards her. "Then would you care to dance?" She shouldn't. She couldn't. She did. Cara danced with him to so many songs, she thought she might pass out. Somehow, though, after several jokes and twirls, she ended up at his house, in his room. All vanity beside, Cara knew most of the boys in her past and present wanted nothing more than to get into her pants, and she knew why. They knew she had never had a boyfriend, and she was untouched. Pure. So why it was this moment that she decided to let loose? She had no idea. She was never one to fall to a man's charms. But this time, she had a desire, an instinct, so she acted on it. There was a bit of danger in this encounter. Mystery. That was how she found herself tangled up in the man's arms for an entire night. When she awoke in the morning, he was gone, so she quickly dressed and called Benjamin, leaving the large house, feeling as though something more was happening. "Cara!" The girl stood quickly, shaking her head as she dwelled on the thoughts of the past. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Even though it had been two months, she had to act as normally as possible. They could never know what happened. Ben was the only one who she would ever allow to know. It was a secret that she would keep. Cara straightened out her sundress before heading out of her room and down the stairs, seeing her father and brother seated at the table, and her mother setting plates in front of them. Her father looked at her with an expectant expression. "Sorry," the girl apologized, taking jet seat across from her brother at the square table. Dinner progressed as usual. Her father talked to her brother about business, her mother asked how everyone's day was, and they all ate their food. Well, not all of them. Cara picked around at her plate, her stomach twisting itself in knots as she felt her heart beat in her abdomen. She hadn't even taken two bites when she set her fork down abruptly. "Are you feeling alright, dear?" Her mom asked, her eyes watching her worriedly. Cara nodded, pressing her hand to her forehead. "Yes, I do, I just... Actually, I don't feel very well." Assuming it was nerves, she pushed her plate away, ignoring the nausea that occurred. She didn't feel very well, indeed.