The Captain Claim

Seven-1

LILA

I stirred, my eyes fluttering open as the warmth of Callum's arm draped across my body seeped into my skin. His steady breaths whispered against the nape of my neck, each one a gentle reminder of the night we had shared. A wave of regret crashed over me, the pounding in my head a harsh reprimand for my overindulgence in alcohol. Fragmented memories of the previous evening pieced themselves together in my mind, forming a mosaic of passion and betrayal. The realization that I had surrendered myself to Callum's embrace struck me like a lightning bolt, and the mere thought of facing him in the harsh light of day made my stomach churn with embarrassment.

With the grace of a cat, I disentangled myself from Callum's hold, taking great care not to rouse him from his slumber. My movements were calculated and precise as I gathered my discarded clothes from the floor, hastily dressing myself in a futile attempt to erase the evidence of our tryst. Each ache and pain in my body served as a bitter reminder of Ethan and Trisha's treachery, and the idea of ever looking my sister in the eye again filled me with revulsion. Casting one final glance at Callum's sleeping form, I slipped out of his apartment, the soft click of the door closing behind me echoing in the silence.

The journey back to my house stretched on for an eternity, each step a leaden weight upon my soul. I chose the winding, less-traveled paths, my eyes darting about in fear of encountering a familiar face or stumbling upon a place filled with memories of Ethan and I and trust, there were many. As I finally reached the sanctuary that was supposed to be my home, the opposite of relief washed over me.

I opted for the back door to avoid detection. As I crept inside, my heart pounding in my chest.

Just as I was about to cross into my room, Trisha's voice cut through the air like a knife, stopping me in my tracks.

"Lila! You didn't even greet me happy birthday."

My jaw clenched, the muscles in my face tightening as I slowly turned to face her. There she stood, magnificent in a dress that hugged her curves like a second skin, her hair coiffed to perfection. The sight of her, even more stunning than usual, only served to fan the flames of my anger.

"I don't know what you are trying to pull here you little s**t. But I couldn't care less. Happy birthday Trisha," I forced the words through gritted teeth, each syllable dripping with insincerity.

“I don't understand why you are being hostile," she replied, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips. "But if it is about yesterday, I'm sorry for what happened between Ethan and me. But nobody chooses when to fall in love. If it helps, I can break up with him."

I plastered a saccharine smile onto my face, the effort almost more than I could bear. "Of course not. Since the perfume I got you is broken, you can keep Ethan. My birthday gift to you."

Trisha's face lit up, her eyes sparkling with delight as she stepped forward to envelop me in a hug. "You're the best sister. Are you coming to the party later?"

The audacity of this girl!

“Is that your game?” I scoffed. “Play nice and force me to bite?”

“Lila—” she tried to speak to me again in that plastic voice that was starting to grate my nerves.

"You know what, save it." I replied, my voice strained, the words fighting their way past the lump in my throat. “I will not be coming to your party. Got it?”

"That's a shame," Trisha said, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout. "Mom!" she called out as Hannah appeared, her presence filling the room. “I told you Lila would be fine. She just needed some time to think.”

"We're going to be late."Hannah's eyes darted between us, her brow furrowed in disapproval. "The birthday girl should be there first," she said, her gaze falling upon her watch, the seconds ticking away in the silence like a countdown to my demise.

Trisha pressed a kiss to my cheek, her lips cool against my skin. "You can come if you want to, but if you're feeling tired, you can keep checking our classmates' i********: stories like you always do. They'll all be there."

With that, Trisha turned to Hannah, her voice turning urgent as she traced a finger on her throat. "I need to get my necklace," she said, before disappearing from the room, leaving me alone with the second woman in this house who had made my life a living hell.

Hannah's eyes narrowed, her gaze boring into me like a drill. "Slept outside like a little slut. Is that what you've become, Lila? A little slut?"