Her Guardians Lost(83)

“Your sarcasm isn’t exactly washing with me.”

It seems like he is.

“People like you make me sick. You act like the world is an animal kingdom. We only chose the opposite sex so we can procreate. It doesn’t work like that. What about love and companionship? Why can’t we just chose someone because we find them attractive, regardless of sex, race, or religion? What’s the harm of living your life like that? As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, why should it matter to you how people conduct their lives? It’s called freedom, Simeon. Get used to it!” Feeling my head pound, I buried it in my hands.

“That’s not the way the world goes around.”

I snapped my head back up, my eyes filled with rage. Realising he wasn’t worth the fight, I chuckled. “Oh, Simeon. Poor, stupid, deluded Simeon. You’re talking like it is a sin to live a life that doesn’t seem normal to you. Not to everyone—to you.”

“Well, it isn’t normal.”

“And drugging a girl so you can take her back to her flat and take advantage of her is?” I shook my head in dismay. “You know, Chris, Billy, Lisa-Marie, Catherine—they’re all wonderful people. They all work, they all pay their way in society. They all love and care for their families. They don’t commit crimes. They don’t say a bad word against anybody. They’re beautiful people, but you treat them as though they’re ugly. You’re the ugly one, Simeon. People like you are ugly.”

Simeon waved his hand dismissively. “I’m bored with this conversation. Quite frankly, I thought you would be a little more submissive than this.”

“Yeah, whatever shit you gave me is obviously not working, is it? Besides, you’re only dismissing me because you know you’re losing the argument. You have nothing to say about yourself, do you?”

Wobbling slightly, I gripped the arm of the chair. Stay strong, Cassie. You can do this. Fight the drugs inside you!

“You’re so determined, aren’t you? You feel that strongly about it?” he asked.

“Of course I do. I don’t care how people conduct their lives, as long as they don’t hurt others. Shouldn’t it always be that way?” I took some deep breaths and willed myself to stay strong. Whatever he put in my drink was strong, but I wasn’t going to give in.

“Whatever you say, Cassie.”

My head seemed to clear again as I gazed upon Simeon. “You know what the most twisted thing about this is?”

“Enlighten me.” His tone was arrogant and opinionated, but I chose to ignore him.

“It’s the fact that you felt this way, but you were smiling with my friends and family the whole time. You gave Billy and Chris your blessing. What kind of person does that?”

“I’m an angel, Cassie.”

I almost laughed. I didn’t know whether it was the drugs or the fact he was being a pompous arse. I think it was the latter. “You could have fooled me!”

“You can’t talk to me like that!”

His eyes were full of rage and a fleeting concern came over me as to whether I really wanted to push him. The problem was that I was way beyond angry now to care.

“No? Really? I think I can talk to you how I like. You’re in my home, in my bed, laying your filthy hands all over me.”

“I never heard you complaining! You were practically begging me to touch you.” He scanned my whole body, making me shudder.

“Only because you drugged me! Only because you made me think you were Stephen!”

Snapping his head up, I saw a thunder in his eyes. “Well, it worked with Elizabeth!”

Gasping, I dropped the clothes on the floor and stepped back. He saw my reaction and a sudden panic rose in his eyes. “It was a joke. I was joking.”

After all this time of everyone believing it was Stephen who slept with Elizabeth, it was Simeon.

“How...how could you?”

Simeon shook his head. “You always favoured him. Everyone always favoured him. I looked exactly like him, but you never batted an eyelid at me.”

Confusion filled my senses. “What are you talking about?”

An evil laugh left his lips, causing me to shudder again. “Of course. You still don’t remember, do you? I thought you were starting to earlier.”

Gripping onto my sheet, I desperately tried to get my brain to work. What was it I said or did that made him think I was starting to remember? What did it all mean?

“Why are you doing this?”

“Well, you see, baby brother wouldn’t want you if I had you. If we had made love tonight, you would have been mine—not his.”

“You’re evil, sick, and twisted. I would never be yours. Ever!”