Page 72 of Vow of Revenge
Kaleb fed my desires and gave me hope.
The bastard played me like a cheap guitar.
Heaving myself to the bathroom, I rummaged through the cabinets, shoving pills and hairspray aside. I knew exactly what I was looking for. Syrah bought it a few months ago when she thought it would help her boredom, but sensible Freya told her to wise up – that it would be a disaster and she would regret it. I should have kept my mouth shut. Little did I know her life had an expiry date of a few months. I owed it to her to complete the task.
I finally found the box, filled with bleach and half read the instructions. In a drunken blur, I plastered the purple cream over my scalp with the black brush, covering the entire mass of sleek black hair so that every strand was saturated. With a nod to my reflection and a gulp of champagne, I said goodbye to sensible Freya Beaumont.
“Don’t leave me, Syrah.” I half sobbed.
I wasn’t in the right state of mind to be on my own – but I was. No one else was here, by my side, helping me survive.
I was alone, that old friend I knew so well from my past.
After a few hours of wandering through the empty apartment, spraying her Chanel perfume in every room, so she felt closer to me, I was ready to wash off the hair product. Leaning over the whirlpool, I doused my hair with lukewarm water, letting the strands flow. Reaching for a towel, I wrapped up my new colour, roughly drying it so I could take a peek in the mirror.
Tugging off the towel, I revealed my pure white locks. I was no longer the raven-haired girl who miraculously had the same hair colour as my sister – I was different. It was a seismic shift in the realisation that my life would no longer be the same.
I was losing myself, unravelling.
My phone beeped. It was only when the screen glowed that I saw several missed calls from Kaleb and one unopened text message.
I need to see you. Call me.
Whether I should or shouldn’t, I needed to see him again. The anger in my belly needed to escape and he was the target. If I was honest with myself, I just needed his arms. Hell, I needed to understand.
Grabbing my phone, I bounced out of the apartment and wobbled to the lift. I hadn’t bothered to throw on a jacket or dry my hair, but that didn’t matter because I was numb. I didn’t feel the icy chill whip around my shuddering body or give a fuck at the odd look that the taxi driver gave me when I almost fell into his cab. I rhymed off Kaleb’s address like I’d known it all my life. A storm was coming his way.
I wanted answers. I would demand his truth.
Banging loudly with the heel of my palm, I shouted for him to open the door. A minute later, it flew open and there he was, dressed only in boxer briefs. His sculpted body was firm and smooth, the ridges of his muscles protruded in the most perfect manscape, rippling over his chest right down to the magical v shape that lead to his groin. His dark hair was messy, and his jaw peppered with a five o’clock shadow.
His brow furrowed. “Freya.” He hesitated, eyeing my snowy hair, kissed with raindrops. “What happened? Are you okay?”
A strangled laugh slipped out of my throat. “Am I fucking okay? Are you serious?” I pushed inside, feeling the heat affect the alcohol in my bloodstream.
He stepped forward, closing the barrier of space between us. “Did you do this?” He reached for my hair, his fingertips teasing the damp strands.
“Yeah. So what? Just another thing for you to hate, right?” I bit out.
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t hate it. I don’t hate anything about you.”
I blew out a puff of air through my pouted lips. “Sure. I don’t care if you hate it. I know you’re the perfect liar. It’s the new me. I’m starting over.”
My arms wrapped around my chest as his expression hardened. “Even if you shaved your hair off, Freya. I’d still need you.”
“Bullshit!” I snapped, tipping into his face.
“I get that you’re angry, sweetheart. I’m glad you came to me.”
“Don’t you dare call me, sweetheart!”
“What do you need?” His voice was all but a husky whisper. Sleepy warmth radiated from his skin as he stepped closer.
In a beat my palms shot out and I pushed him away. He was getting too close and my mind was fraying. “Oh no you don’t, mister. I’m here on my terms. It’s up to me what happens next.”
I was braving my demons, right up to the second his arms tugged me tight into his stomach and his sigh soothed my soul.
“Be rough with me, Kaleb. Make me hate you. Make me feel something physical. I’m drowning in emotions here.” Sobs muffled against his skin. “I need to lose myself, and the only person I can do that with is you.”
