Page 2 of The Sweetest Revenge

Zaiden Knight. The same Zaiden who looked me in the eyes at Kacie's funeral and whispered, "You are dead to me." The same Zaiden who was now apparently my stepbrother. I hadn't prepared for this because it was never in Zaiden's plans to go to Westbrook.

"I thought he moved away for college."

She shook her head. "No, he changed his mind. Maybe he can show you around campus and introduce you to new friends."

A harsh laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "No thanks." The last thing I needed was for them to try to force Zaiden to have any type of relationship with me. It had been almost a year since I'd seen him, but I didn't know how he would feel about me living here with him. Maybe enough time had passed that he wouldn't still hate me. "I can figure it out."

At the top of the staircase, she swerved left and stopped in front of Kacie's old room. "Suit yourself," she shrugged. "Here's your new room." My gaze followed her hand, and my heart pounded erratically as she reached for Kacie's doorknob, twisted, and pushed the door open.

"Mom." My voice cracked. "No. You can't be serious. This is Kacie's room."

"Ariella." She drew out my name with a sigh.

"Six bedrooms, Mom." I gestured down the hallway. "Six. And you're putting me in this one?"

"Kacie's not here anymore." Her lips pressed into a thin line. "There's no reason for this perfectly good room to go to waste."

My face twisted with horror as my eyes shifted to the room. "Where are all of Kacie's things?"

"Her father disposed of them." My chest tightened, and it was hard to breathe. "Everything is new for you. It's your room now."

I shook my head, unable to speak. "I?—"

"Oh, honey." She placed a hand over her heart. "Kacie would have wanted you to have her room."

My jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached. "Well, she's not fucking here to say that, is she? Would she have wanted you to fuck her dad behind your best friend's back?"

"I know you're angry, and you're saying things you don't mean."

I grunted. I meant everything I said. My mother was always good at being oblivious to reality.

"So, I'm going to let you cool off, and you can apologize later." We both knew I wouldn't apologize, but she spun on her heels and bolted for the stairs.

Watching her disappear down the staircase, a tear streamed down my cheek as the anger boiled over.

I didn't want to be here. My gaze shifted back to Kacie's room. My room. I didn't want to move into it like she never existed.

CHAPTER2

ARIELLA

Clutching my towel in one hand and my phone in the other, I strolled from the bathroom to mynewbedroom and stopped. I stood in the doorway, letting my gaze sweep over everything.

A full bed in the corner of the room, dressed in grayish-purple linens. White furniture—a nightstand, two half-empty dressers, and a make-up table—stood stark against the plain white walls and dark hardwood floors. It was the complete opposite of Kacie's vibrant room.

They'd completely erased her.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, I tossed my phone on my bed. I couldn't help but feel like I was being punished for something terrible I'd done in a past life. Having to wake up in her room every day and remember that she was not here with me was a heartbreakingly cruel punishment.

The floorboards creaked behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up before I even heard his voice.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?"

My fingers flexed around my towel as I slowly turned, already knowing who I'd see.

Zaiden.

He filled the doorway with his massive body, wearing black joggers that hugged his thick thighs and a white Westbrook Predators t-shirt that clung to his sculpted chest. His dark tattoos trailed down his tanned and toned arms and up his neck. His grayish-blue eyes swept over the room, and his fists clenched at his sides.

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