AS BLACK AS HER ATTITUDE
Chapter 1
Sammy's POV
"Sammy, listen to me." I heard my mom call after me, but I kept walking.
I didn't want to answer. What she was asking me to do was completely crazy and ridiculous.
"Sammy!" I spun around on the stairs, my jaw tight.
"What, Mom? What do you want from me? You asked me to be the bridesmaid, and I said yes. Now you’re asking me to follow her to see her future father-in-law? You know very well I do not support this marriage!" I was so angry. Everything about this situation was making me mad.
"Mimi is your younger sister," Mom said softly, stepping closer.
"You need to put aside your hate for her choice and be the big sister I’ve always taught you to be." I rolled my eyes at the big-sister talk.
"But I’ve been trying my best, Mom. You know I have." She nodded, her face looking soft.
"Yes, I know, princess. But do this for your sister. Just this once. Please." I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
"I’ll go with her today. But if I don’t like the place, I’m leaving immediately."
"Yes, you can leave. Just follow her there."
I sighed and nodded. "But why can’t Shea go with her? They’re best friends. The two of us aren't exactly close..."
"She needs her sister right now, not her friends," Mom said, cutting me off with a begging look I couldn't say no to.
"Fine. Let me go pack. But if...."
"You can leave, princess." she said again, already knowing my rule. She pulled me into a tight hug. I held her tight, breathing in her calm, sweet scent before letting go.
"I’m twenty-eight, Mom. Not a princess," I muttered, turning to walk up the steps.
"Still my princess," I heard her call out from downstairs.
A small smile came to my face. I reminded myself why I was doing this.
You're just being there for your little sister. Even if you hate the kind of men she likes, you have to support her choices. She says she loves him. You have to try to be happy for her. Even though you're not, pretend.
I kept saying those words to myself as I packed a few things into a bag. I made sure to pack very few things, because I was totally sure someone on this trip would make me mad, and I’d end up leaving before the weekend even started.
When I got back downstairs, my parents looked at me and the designer bag in my hand, but they wisely said nothing. Good. If anyone said a single word, I might just turn around and unpack.
I looked at my mom, seeing the tired lines around her eyes, and then I looked at my dad. My chest tightened with that familiar, burning anger.
My dad had always cheated on my mom. It wasn't a secret. He did it over and over again, breaking her heart into pieces, but she just kept forgiving him.
Every single time he stayed out late or came home smelling like another woman, she would cry, wipe her tears, and stay.
She always said she did it for us. She kept saying she stayed because of her kids. But we weren't kids anymore.
Mimi was twenty-two, and I was twenty-eight. She had every right to pack her bags and walk out of that toxic marriage, but she chose to stay trapped.
Watching my mother let a man destroy her dignity for decades was the main reason I swore I would never fall for a man.
It was the reason I would never get married. Men were selfish, lying creatures who used you up until you were nothing, and I was never going to let myself be weak like my mother. I would never give a man the power to ruin me.
"Why the looks?" I asked, keeping my face blank as I snapped out of my thoughts. "Let’s leave."
At my words, everyone started moving. When I say everyone, I meant my sister Mimi, her biker boyfriend Ezra, his friends who acted exactly like him, and Shea.
I shot a look at my mom, but she quickly looked away, acting like she did nothing wrong.
"Sis, would you like to ride with us?" Ezra asked, coming over to me with a polite smile.
"I have my own car. Why would I ride with you?"
Several people turned to look. The words came out really harsh and rude, but I didn’t care. I didn't even look at their faces.
Ezra knew exactly how I felt about him. I never hid that I didn't like his lifestyle. Shouldn’t he just stay away from me? Instead, he did the exact opposite, always trying to prove me wrong.
I had told him a thousand times that I would never see him differently.
I got into my sleek black Mercedes, started the engine, and drove away fast without waiting for the rest of them.
Driving had always been my favorite thing. It helped cool my mind. I pressed down on the gas, driving as fast as I could. My car was faster than their bikes anyway, and I made sure to stay way ahead of them.
When I saw the signboard that showed I had gotten to his estate, I finally slowed down to wait for them.
I was really thirsty, so I parked and walked into the exclusive drink lounge sitting just outside the massive golden gates of the Kane estate.
I stood in line, waiting for my turn. The man in front of me wouldn't stop flirting with the cashier. He was clearly much older, but he had absolutely no shame. The cashier was blushing like an i***t, looking just as shameless.
"Excuse me," I said loudly, stepping forward with an angry frown. "I’m sorry to break up whatever is going on here, but some of us actually have important things to do."
The man slowly turned around.
Oh, my f*****g Jesus.
I had never seen a man look this handsome. The man was a walking Greek god. My eyes automatically looked over his broad shoulders.
He was tall, powerfully built, with salt-and-pepper hair, a thick beard, and dark, dangerous eyes.
Without my permission, I felt a crazy throb between my thighs.
"Hello..." he said, his dark eyes looking at me with a cocky smirk.
"I...uh," I cleared my throat, too shocked to speak properly.
"Hi there... princess." Whatever spell had covered me cleared instantly at that name. The heat in my body turned to ice. My frown turned into a deep scowl.
"I am not a princess," I almost growled.
His smile got wider... a cocky, annoying smile that only made me angrier.
"Feisty." He raised his hands in the air and turned back to the attendant.
"Make the black drink two. Make it very black... as black as her attitude." Before I could say anything back, he grabbed his order and walked away.
When it got to my turn, the cashier handed me a cup. "The gentleman paid for your drink, too."
When I saw it, my legs almost gave out. It was the strongest, darkest espresso... pure black, bitter, no sugar, no cream. It was exactly like my mood.
My phone started ringing. Mimi. I rolled my eyes and picked it up. "What?"
"Sis, where are you? We’ve all gotten to Ezra’s dad’s place, but we can’t find you."
"I was feeling hot, so I decided to get a drink. Where exactly are you guys?"
Mimi told me where they were. She explained that Ezra’s dad decided to welcome us with a small get-together before heading to the main mansion. Based on her description, it was right around here, just behind this place.
I told her I’d be there in a few minutes.
As the call ended, I took the bitter drink and walked toward the direction she gave me.
As soon as she saw me, Mimi started waving her hands. "Where did you go, sis?"
"I went to get this," I said, raising the drink.
Mimi looked at me in total shock. "Oh," I heard her say.
"What?" I asked, confused by her face.
"Ezra’s dad bought the same thing for you. I thought you wouldn't like it. I didn't know you would." She turned around and called her soon-to-be husband. "Babe, Sammy is here."
I was still staring at the drink in my hands when I felt two people walking toward me.
When I looked up, I nearly dropped the drink I was holding.