Page 3 of Let the Game Begin (Kiss Me Like You Love Me #1)
I sighed and stared out the window, trying to think about something else, like the fact that I would be starting my sophomore year of college at Pace, where I would need to study rigorously while trying to fit in and make friends. A difficult task for an introvert like me.
“I’m glad I finally get to introduce you to Mia,” Matt said awkwardly, breaking the heavy silence that hung over the two of us. It wasn’t exactly the first thing I was expecting to hear.
“Since when are you into blonds?” I ask tartly. I had only seen pictures of her, but I already knew, deep down inside, that it would be impossible for me to get along with Mia.
Matt gave me a brief, blank look before turning his attention back to driving. “You could make friends with her kids…” He deflected my pointed question quickly and cleared his throat, tightening both hands on the steering wheel.
“Children? For real?” I gave a mocking shake of my head. “And to think I’m an only child because you didn’t want any other kids. So, do you share a house with your partner’s progeny now? What a twist of fate…” I commented, both sarcastic and indignant.
Yeah, I believed in fate—an impersonal force that governed human affairs in some unknowable way. I was convinced that everyone had a destiny, for better or for worse.
“Selene, I understand your perspective, but I want you to try to—”
“Don’t start with that bullshit! The only reason we are doing this is because Mom convinced me to make an attempt, but I already know that nothing is going to change between you and me!” I answered adamantly, pulling my cell phone out of my jeans pocket.
I didn’t want to talk to him.
I knew it wasn’t exactly the mature thing to do, but I also knew that this was a consequence of his behavior and he would have to deal with it. Immediately, I noticed a text notification flashing insistently on my screen.
It was from Jared, my boyfriend: Did you get there yet, baby? I’m waiting for your call.
I answered immediately, not caring if I seemed rude. I’m with Matt now. I’ll call you later. XOXO.
“Are you listening to me?” Matt burst out suddenly. He had said something before that I didn’t catch, so I decided to be honest.
“No…I was responding to a text.” I smiled at him with the same indifference he had shown me for years.
I wondered how he was feeling at that moment.
Had he been hoping for a hug from me, the kind he hadn’t gotten in a while?
The situation wasn’t easy for me because, although I always put on a good face, I had missed having a father figure.
During those first few years, it hadn’t been easy to accept that I was the daughter of a powerful man who thought only about himself and his career.
A man who regularly sought pleasure from other women because he wasn’t satisfied with the pure love that his wife gave him.
A man who was only ever able to carve out a tiny space in his life for me, for being a father.
Then, I got used to it.
When Matt pulled the car in front of an enormous iron gate, I knew we had reached our destination.
He took a remote control out of his pocket and pressed it, the gate opening automatically.
He turned down a stone driveway and parked between a white Audi and a black Maserati.
I resisted the urge to make an inappropriate comment and instead just opened the door and got out of the car to grab my suitcase from the trunk.
I turned my gaze to the palatial manor before me and was astounded: it was a luxurious three-story house with a manicured garden, an illuminated swimming pool, and windows everywhere to provide a view of the splendor inside.
It was a high-profile property located in wealthy Westchester County, but all that opulence only served to remind me of Matt’s empty and superficial personality.
He flaunted his prosperity and cash, not understanding that no house or car could ever make up for a lack of paternal love.
“Here we are.” He cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the silence with a banal observation.
“Yeah, thanks… I kinda figured,” I answered sarcastically with an insolent smirk.
I pulled the suitcase along with me and dodged his hand when he kept trying to take it.
My heart was unsettled. I felt like Alice in Wonderland , except that nothing about this situation was wonderful.
I had only just gotten there, and I already wanted to run away.
Shortly thereafter, a woman with gold-colored hair, cornflower blue eyes, and a skimpy blush pink dress appeared before my eyes, draped in what I hoped was a faux fur. It was like a jump scare in a horror movie.
“I’ve been waiting for you! Finally, you’re here!” she declared euphorically, clapping her hands like a delighted child. Then she turned her joyful smile on me while I scrutinized her carefully.
I’d definitely had a different impression of her based on the Mia Lindhom that I had seen in the newspapers. I had imagined her as a conceited and haughty sort of person, but instead she had revealed herself to be friendly and eager to get to know me.
“You’re so beautiful, Selene! Wow, I’m just thrilled, I—I’m Mia.” She smiled again, adjusting her dress. She seemed genuinely abashed and apprehensive, possibly about the impression she was making on me.
“Yes, thank you, and I hope my stay here is a short one,” I told her automatically, watching her smile slowly fade as she began to compulsively touch her bright hair.
I, on the other hand, stood motionless in front of the entrance to the sumptuous manor, with its sophisticated, modern design, feeling wholly inadequate—a tiny fish struggling to survive out of the water.
“Are the kids here?” my father interrupted, uneasy with my excessive candor.
“Oh! Yes. They’re inside. Let’s go in.” Mia tried to take my suitcase out of my hand, but I moved to avoid her.
“I’ll carry it, thanks.” I pasted on a polite smile and continued dragging my luggage along as I followed the lady and my father into the house.
The interior of the enormous home was exactly how I’d imagined it from the outside.
A marble staircase that led to the upper floor was all high-quality craftsmanship, which gave it a unique and compelling look.
Heavily laden crystal chandeliers decorated the ceiling and threw off opulent, multifaceted light in gold and silver.
It illuminated the entire room, dazzling the eye.
Every detail of the place was a fashion statement: elegant and refined.
Even the walls were made of fine marble veined with gold.
“Kids, come here!” Mia shouted, and I continued to admire the vivid colors that surrounded me while I waited to meet her children.
“What do you want, Mom?” a petite blond girl muttered acidly, all while she continued to chew gum and tap rapidly on her phone’s screen. She can’t be older than sixteen , I thought, based on her not-yet-mature body and her delicate, childlike face.
“Sweetheart, I’d like you to meet Selene,” Mia said excitedly. Her enthusiasm embarrassed me more than it should have.
The girl looked up from her phone and cocked an inquisitive eyebrow. Her gray eyes were overly made-up. She wore a cropped, figure-hugging sweater, and skinny jeans covered her slim legs.
“Chloe,” she answered with an arrogant air.
I just stared at her. It wasn’t at all polite and perhaps a little defensive as well, but I was very nervous and the agitation had put me in a bad mood.
“What did you want, Mom?” asked a male voice.
A moment later, a boy came down from the upper floor and broke some of the overbearing tension in the air.
His eyes immediately found mine, and I saw that they were a warm, earthy brown.
Neat chestnut hair framed his fresh face while his athletic physique was highlighted by a pair of dark pants and a lightweight shirt.
He approached me slowly, examining me meticulously. “Logan. Pleasure to meet you. You must be Matt’s daughter.” He held his hand out to me while his sister continued to regard me skeptically.
“Yeah, I’m Selene.” I shook his hand in return and smiled.
“Pretty name,” he said. He lifted one corner of his mouth in a sensual fashion. It was an expression that I was sure had captivated many a girl before.
“Thanks,” I answered, obviously embarrassed, as I stared into his gorgeous eyes.
He was a very good-looking guy. I had to admit it.
“Wonderful, darlings. Now, I think Selene needs to see her room. Which of you would like to volunteer to show her?” Mia interjected coquettishly, and I suppressed a huff of irritation. She had a particularly strident voice, which I would—with great reluctance—have to get used to.
“I’ll do it. Come with me, Selene.” Logan immediately demonstrated his readiness with a jerk of his chin, though, for a second, I just stood there, lost in my own thoughts.
It all felt so surreal. Me, Matt’s new family, Matt himself, and our already shattered relationship… What the hell was I doing there?
“Are we going?” Logan called, grabbing my attention.
And I just nodded rather than spilling all my inner torments to a complete stranger.
I made a grab for my suitcase, but he very politely beat me to it, so I followed him up the stairs, watching his broad shoulders and trying to tamp down the misery of the moment.
“So, Selene… You like it here?” He glanced at my body, and I tensed up automatically, as though he were judging me. Or, more likely, judging my decidedly relaxed and casual look.
“Are you asking if I like luxury, expensive cars, swimming pools, and all this crap?” I couldn’t help but be honest with him.
But Logan only gave me an amused smile, not at all offended by my words.
He was the kind of boy who exuded his own unique charm, with an elegant bearing and a pure, radiant smile.
“Yeah…all this crap. Do you like it?”