He actually liked Zane. The guy gave great parties and as a rival, he was the best. Lucas enjoyed matching skills with Zane at everything. And well. Sicily was a girl, a pretty great looking one. No, scratch that, she was more than fine, she was hot. He didn’t really believe that she’d done this on purpose. She was just a ditz maybe.
A crooked smile immediately played on his lips. He suddenly remembered she had to babysit him. He let out a grunt. He hated that word. Babysit. It made him sound like a helpless baby. He was no baby, only helpless. For now. His mind drifted back to Sicily. He was going to let her experience Hell right along with him.
"You're going on another business trip?" Lucas' mom shouted. "Don, I'm tired of waiting and being alone at the house! Can’t you spend some quality time with your family?"
Lucas let out an irritated sigh, although he didn't let his parents hear it. They were having the same argument, in the same frustrated tone of voice, with the usual stressed-filled faces. He was so used to his parents fighting that he’d actually grown immune to the shouts and irritation. Externally, he didn't care anymore, but there was a very tiny part in the pit of his stomach that would twist and turn whenever he'd see or hear his parents going at it again. It disappointed him.
"Why won't you look for a job? You're just at the house the whole day!" his father returned. "Who wouldn't feel alone and bored with that?"
"I do not wish to work because I want to look after our sons!"
"Lucas is seventeen already! I'm sure he can take care of Theodore!" Lucas' father said in response.
Lucas held his breath, technically yes, he was seventeen. Today. But his birthday was tomorrow. Not like anyone would acknowledge that fact. His parents were so caught up in hating each other that they would forget it. His friends might remember, but it really wasn’t something they did for each other. And Theodore was too young to realize what day it was.
Theodore was Lucas' younger brother. He was ten-years old. The siblings looked a lot alike. There were many who had commented on their similarities, sighting the obvious bond as adorable.
Theodore had the same black hair as Lucas, and his grey eyes looked like a replica of his older brother. But there was a difference in those eyes. Theo's grey eyes looked sad, and as if they were always sorry, while Lucas' eyes were menacing, always looking down on a person.
Hah! Everyone would probably cry tears of joy or kill themselves in ecstasy if they ever saw him smile where it reached his eyes. Lucas Mercer was not known to be an extremely happy person.
"Stop giving me that family shit!" Don spat out before his wife could say any else. "I'm already working my ass off to give you guys what you want! What do you want me to do? Resign?" he threatened.
"I never said anything like that," Rebecca replied, looking like she was about to cry. "I just wanted to remind you about your sons."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
Before both Don and Rebecca could continue their argument, their son, who was lying helplessly on his bed, intervened. "Stop it," he shouted at them. "Can't you see I'm tired? If you guys want to pick each other apart…again…I'd prefer that you do it at home." No matter how apathetic he had grown to his parents' arguments, he still didn't like seeing them fight, but of course he wasn't going to tell them that. He was eighteen-years old for goodness' sake. He wasn't going to tell his parents that his heart bled every time they shouted at each other. Only pussies did that, and he had a dick. Like that wasn't obvious.
Lucas knew that at school his reputation was that as a cold bastard. And he acted that way to anyone he wasn't related to. But beneath his cold exterior, he had a heart, probably one that was even softer than Sicily's. He was willing and was able to withstand anything that came to him whether it was a fight among his classmates, detention, a nightmare of a teacher, or anything, except a broken family.
Don and Rebecca turned to their son and each wore a different facial expression. Don looked irritated and glared at his son in a way that translated into be-a-man-you-wimp, while Rebecca gave her son a look of worry, anxiety and love. He still hadn't grown up in her eyes. Sometimes that disgusted the high school senior.
"We'll go," Lucas' mother said, pressing a kiss onto her son's forehead. "I'll come back after your nap."
"Get well soon, son," his father said before stepping out of the room.
* * * * *
Watching a reality TV show on MTV, Lucas looked at the screen in his room. He was feeling better, still bored, but better. Fifteen minutes into the show, he heard a knock on the door and he shouted for his guests to come in. One-by-one, Zackary, Tanner, Mallory, and Adriana entered. In her hands, Mal carried a bouquet of flowers and a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. She handed Lucas the roses before she placed the box of donuts on the table opposite his bed.
"It's almost midnight," Lucas said, giving them a small smirk when they greeted him. "You guys still have the energy to visit me?"
"Yeah, dude," Zackary said, his eyes gave away his nervousness.
"Did anything interesting happen today?" Marina's king continued as he discreetly eyed his friends' faces for any suspicious looks.
Lucas Mercer usually enjoyed the company of his friends. They would do anything to see that he had a good time. If there was a problem, that was it. There were some that always took the ass-kissing just too far and some of their actions better fit a pack of wild animals. Sure he enjoyed the attention, the benefits, and the privileges he got for being his school's Athletic and Academic King, but the whole scenario bored him already.He never worked anymore to get what he wanted. And where was the fun in that? Although most of his teachers still hated him for having the guts to answer back and embarrass them. They were a different, boring story.
"We ran into Sicily and Zane," Mallory answered, looking disgusted with the mention of the queen of Sun Coast High.
"We were about to beat them up," Tanner added, sticking his chest out proudly from his body. "But the losers ran away."
"And…?"
They all looked at the injured person in disbelief. Wasn't that news enough?
"What else did you want us to say?" Adriana asked, tying her blonde hair into a messy bun. "You look…bored."
"Bored to death you mean," he answered, looking away from Mallory's assistant. "Yeah, I am. I think the news of me breaking my arm is more exciting than your late-night escapade with the Sun Coast-ers."
"Stop being an ass," Zackary said, being the only one who wasn't intimidated with his best friend's stone cold vibe.
"What did you say?" Lucas answered back as if he was giving Zack some sort of threat. "Did you just call me an ass?"
"Yeah, I did," his closest friend returned. "I know you're pissed off for breaking a bone and for not being able to play basketball, but you don't have to take your wrath out on us."
Lucas exhaled deeply as he looked away from his friends. He started playing with the blankets that covered the lower half of his body while he simultaneously thought about what Zack had just said. He rolled his eyes in exhaustion. He shouldn't have taken it out on his friends. "You're right," he said sincerely. "I should just take it out on my sitter. Isn't that her job anyway?"
That was when the light bulb went on over his head and he had a great idea. He crossed his arms over his toned chest and curved his lips up into a mischievous and playful smirk. Even though earlier he had pretty much forgiven her, Sicily Carmichael had no idea what she had gotten herself into when she hurt him. Everyone knew that payback's are a bitch.
Chapter 3: The Devil's Lair
Forced awake at 10 a.m. by her younger brother, who continuously pushed a finger into her side, Sicily opened her eyes and then cursed a string of profanities. Her fifteen-year old sibling, Matt, looked at her and smirked. For revenge she threw one of her pillows at him. She then let out an exasperated sigh before she finally got out of bed and shooed him away.
"Leave. Your job here is done," she said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
Pacing around the room, Sicily didn't know what she should do first, take a bath, pick her outfit, or to brush her teeth. Her brain wasn't fully functioning at the moment which slightly irritated her.
Having her brother stand and star at her, added to her annoyance. The two siblings resembled each other quite a bit. And she knew that he was smirking at her and making faces behind her back.
She whirled around and gave him a glare. But he wasn’t intimidated by her cheerleader status, so he ignored it, as usual. "It's a pleasure to be of service to you," he answered as he bowed down exaggeratingly. "Until later."
She rolled her eyes against her brother's retreating back. What a goofball. Today was the first day of her sentence, she had to take care of Lucas Mercer and she was, surprisingly, scared. She didn't have a clue how she would be treated. Lucas, she was certain, was a complete ass without any heart.
She didn't want to be misunderstood, mistreated, degraded, and most especially, abused. Unfortunately she had a feeling deep down in the pit of her stomach that she was going to receive exactly that type of treatment.
Before she made herself crazy, she sauntered off to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. As she bathed she started thinking of new moves for the routine she needed to finish in a week. Those thoughts quickly drifted away and her mind went back to Lucas. She let out a grunt. She needed to get this done and over with. After a few minutes she got out of the bathroom and chose her outfit for the day, a white graphic shirt from Zara, her denim skirt from A&F, and slippers from Reef. She then left her bathroom and on her way to the living room ran into Matt.
"Have fun in the devil's lair," he said, trying to make his sister feel better.
She frowned; she didn’t even detect any sarcasm. "Oh, look at that," she responded in feigned shock. "We're actually agreeing on something."
He grinned and then said, "Treasure this moment since it will probably be the last."
Sicily could only smirk at him before she left the house. She made her way to the garage and got inside her silver Audi. She placed her red leather bag on the passenger seat of the car before she fit the key into its place and turned the engine on. She drove away, her house getting smaller in the distance, as she drove the few miles to Lucas' family’s mansion.
It took her at least ten minutes to get to the front gate, to get entrance to the grounds and the house. It was a minute to go from that steel gate to the front door of the mansion. She parked her car in the driveway, got out and then rang the doorbell, which was answered immediately. A servant greeted Sicily, and she was led into the living room and told to sit on one of the couches. While waiting for Lucas, his parents, or whoever was going to welcome her, she surveyed her surroundings. His house was damn luxurious, but it was different from hers. The house had more of a home-y feeling to it. Her parents' place preferred a minimalist style. Lucas' home was decorated in antiques that still had a cozy feel. It was definitely a family-friendly house.
A young boy, probably around nine or ten years old, came running down the stairs as he tried to catch the basketball that was bouncing away from him. The ball stopped eventually and it landed in front of her. She looked down to see an almost-perfect clone of how Lucas had looked at ten. The kid was totally adorable, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling, even if he was the sibling of the person who was number one on her Death List.
"Hey, what's your name?" she asked, starting a conversation.
"Theodore," he answered timidly as he picked up the ball.
"Can I call you Theo?"
The young boy looked at her with sad eyes that in many ways reminded her of Lucas. The kid was a total darling, and for a second, she thought that Lucas was probably adopted or maybe it was the other way around. How could such a sweet guy have a brother like that? That though boggled Sicily's mind for a few seconds. However, her musings were interrupted when a group of three came down the stairs, looking almost regal. I the middle of all that parental support, was Lucas, with his left arm covered in plaster.
"Fashion victim," Sicily said to herself in a voice that was barely audible. She was sure no one heard her.
Lucas wore a pair of faded jeans and a simple black band t-shirt. He had Vans on his feet. The simple attire still made him look drop-dead gorgeous. The black complimented his dark grey eyes, bringing out the color. In such simple clothes, he really looked like a God.
But of course, Sicily would never, ever, say that out loud. Sadly though, his cast ruined everything. The white hardened bandage made his arm seem inflated and enlarged. It kept the look from being completely stunning.
"Good morning, darling!" Mrs. Mercer greeted with her arms widely opened in clear acceptance.
"It's nice to meet you again, Sicily," her husband then said in a formal tone.
Sicily hugged Lucas’ mom, and said, "The pleasure is all mine." She kept a small smile on her face. "And same here, it's nice to see you guys again." Sicily had to try to stop herself from rolling her eyes as she thought about her father’s many lessons in proper etiquette. Sure, she had manners, but she hated having to act that way as it just wasn’t her. During a dinner she wasn't the type who would close her mouth and press her legs together with her hands folded in a gentile way on her lap. No way in hell was she going to be a Stepford daughter. She was the blunt girl willing to start a fistfight if needed.
Apparently, Lucas saw through her. "Mom, dad," he intervened. "Cut it with the formality crap."
That definitely earned him a glare from both his parents, and Sicily, once again, had to control her face from showing her hatred. Lucas was Lucas, and he was, is, and will always stay an ass, cold-hearted and self-centered. When Lucas opened his mouth, Sicily eyed the guy who was acting as if he might own the whole of Florida, or even the world. He sure had a lot of nerves for someone who was injured.
"Lucas, your manners." his father demanded.
"I don't have any," he answered back.
"Lucas!"
"He wouldn't be like that if you spent some time with him!" said Mrs. Mercer.
Sicily, along with Theodore, eyed the three. It was like watching a three sided ping pong match, our eyes going to Lucas, then to his mom and then to his dad again and again. It seemed like they thought they were the only ones in the room and so, they were free to do whatever they wanted – shout, argue and stuff that wasn't fit to be seen by a ten-year old, or by the daughter of a family friend. Don looked at his wife degradingly and she looked at him in anger.
Lucas, on the other hand, looked apathetic, uncaring, and ignorant. Sicily wasn't surprised at all, that was just how he really was.
"Do you want me to be the breadwinner and the trophy wife?" Lucas' dad asked in an outraged voice. "What the fu-"
"Theodore, come with me," Lucas quickly said, cutting his parents. "Why don't we play a game or something?"
The younger sibling immediately obliged as he ran towards his brother and hugged his waist. The older sibling had to bend down to be able to return the embrace. This made Sicily smile although her happiness was cut short when Lucas opened his mouth.
"Aren't you going to follow us?" he asked without emotion. "You're my sitter. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"
Sicily did follow, but begrudgingly. She huffed to herself as the Mercer siblings walked side-by-side in front of her. Theodore was bubbly and unconcerned with his parent’s drama, while Lucas was reacting the way he normally did, like a cold bastard. There was no other way to describe the guy. Seriously. Oh, she could have called him an ass, too. She was a little surprised at his parents though. And wasn’t today Lucas’ birthday? She didn’t see any sign of it, maybe she’d remembered the day wrong. She looked around the house for any signs of a card, wrapping paper, balloons, and there was nothing. Maybe they’d celebrate it tonight.
"Can't we play basketball?" Theo asked, looking a little sad as he tugged on his brother's hand. "Please, please, please?"
"We can, but I can't run too fast," Lucas answer
ed, patting his brother's head.
Sicily saw Theodore curve his lips into a frown. Wanting to see Lucas' reaction, she turned to face him only to see him focus his attention on the long hallway.
"It's your fault!" the ten-year old then said to his brother. "You broke your arm!"
"No, I didn’t do it. You should blame her.”
Sicily's eyes grew large when two pairs of grey eyes looked at her, and added to that, Lucas' finger was pointed in her direction, right at her face. What happened at the mall was just an accident, and yet he was ready to condemn her to his ten year old brother.
Her already-crazy life got much crazier and there was no way out of it. Taking care of Lucas Mercer as a punishment given by her parents, meant she couldn't just say no.
"Why'd you break my brother's arm?" the younger Mercer asked, shocking Sicily. "Did he do something bad?"
"It was an accident," she answered. "I didn't mean for it to happen."
"But it did,” said Lucas accusingly.
Sicily's nose flared at his cold emotionless voice, and before she could stop herself, scathing words flew right out of her mouth. "Yeah, it happened, and I'm actually glad it did," she said, stopping soon after she realized what she’d said. She wanted to cover her mouth and turn back time "I didn't mean to-, I-umm-…oh hell with that! You're an ass and you deserve every needle inserted in you."
"How about I insert myself in you?" he asked in a mocking manner. "Will I deserve that?"
Sicily was shocked, first by her own words, then by the risqué suggestion that Lucas’ had made in front of his little brother.
Lucas had definitely heard what she said and quickly added a new number to his list of New Year’s resolutions. In fact, he bumped, to bring Sicily Carmichael down, up to first place.
Breaking the Arm, Healing the Heart Page 3
