Dragging my feet, I finally made it into the house.
It was quiet.
Pitch-black darkness swallowed the walls.
A few lights were on in the hallway, but they gave off just enough illumination to keep me from stumbling into the furniture.
When I entered the foyer and glanced toward the second floor, I saw that it was dark up there too.
So no one was home.
Just as I expected, everyone had forgotten my birthday again.
But in my case, that was almost a blessing.
It was better to celebrate my eighteenth birthday by myself somehow.
At least then I wouldn’t have to endure any mocking or humiliation.
Careful not to bump into the armchairs or sofa, I made my way toward the kitchen.
I reached out, found the light switch with my palm, and flicked it on, immediately squinting against the sudden brightness.
I was about to head for the refrigerator when I abruptly froze.
My whole body jerked so violently that, for a split second, it felt as though my heart had stopped.
I was so startled that I nearly screamed.
There was a man sitting at the kitchen table.
My first panicked thought was that he was a burglar.
Who else would be sitting in the darkness of a completely empty house?
I instinctively took a shaky step backward toward the door, trying to figure out what I could use to defend myself if necessary.
But then…
Did burglars really wear wristwatches that were obviously worth more than this entire building?
He was dressed in trousers and a shirt, with a narrow tie wrapped around his collar.
His hair was black and appeared coarse and unruly.
His skin was tanned, and his eyes were blue.
But his gaze was so dark and oppressive that I instinctively wanted to shrink into myself.
I wanted to disappear.
I could almost physically feel the murderous pressure radiating from him, so intense it seemed to squeeze the air from my lungs.
There was no denying that the man was attractive.
Extremely attractive, in fact.
And yet, for some reason, looking at him made me deeply uneasy.
And…
what was I supposed to do?
Who the hell was he?
“Sorry, but…
who are you?” I asked cautiously, still hovering near the door.
God, if he was one of my stepbrother’s friends, I’d be in serious trouble just for speaking to him.
I should have simply turned around and left without saying anything.
The man tilted his head slightly to one side.
A few strands of his stiff black hair fell across his eyes.
Another chill ran down my spine.
Even sitting lazily in a chair, he somehow looked like a king.
And standing before him, I felt like some pathetic, misshapen little nobody.
“I’m your boyfriend,” he said.
His gaze slowly traveled over my face.
His voice was deep and heavy, sending an unsettling shiver through me.
For a moment, I simply stood there, frozen.
Then I took another step backward, closer to the door.
“Yeah…” I drawled on a slow exhale.
“That’s not funny.” What was he even talking about?
He had to be my brother’s friend, and this was probably just another one of their sick jokes.
Those bastards had pulled all kinds of stunts on me before.
This one was particularly bizarre, though, and I really didn’t like it.
A terrible feeling had settled in the pit of my stomach.
I turned around and hurried away, completely forgetting about the pastry I’d meant to put in the refrigerator.
I’d had a rule for a long time: whenever my stepbrother was home, and especially when his friends were around, I needed to get to my room as quickly as possible, lock the door, and stay there.
I’d barely crossed the threshold when I heard his voice behind me.
“Come back, Diana.” I stopped despite myself.
Something icy seemed to crawl through my entire body.
There was something deeply unsettling about this man’s voice.
And…
he knew my name?
Then again, my brother’s friends knew it too.
They simply never used it.
Instead, they mockingly called me “Guarantee.” “Do you need something from me?” I asked on an exhale, turning around while instinctively tensing.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t place him among my brother’s friends.
I’d never seen him before.
I was certain of it.
A man like him wasn’t someone you could easily forget.
“Sit down.” He nodded toward one of the chairs with a short glance.
I shook my head.
“I’m sorry, but…
I don’t want to.” I took another step backward, then quickly turned and walked away.
But just as I reached the door, it suddenly slammed shut directly in front of my face.
The thunderous bang made my heart stop.
I spun around in terror and let out an involuntary scream.
The man was already standing directly behind me, one hand braced against the door.
“I’ll try to treat you like my girlfriend, since apparently I’m obligated to do that now,” he said coldly.
His words made my blood run cold.
I instinctively tried to move away, but before I could, his enormous hand grabbed the back of my hoodie and yanked me backward.
The fabric dug painfully into my neck, choking me and cutting off my air.
“But I wouldn’t recommend making me angry.” His voice dropped into something dangerously calm.
“I’m not exactly known for my patience.”