The moment Amanda shut the door behind her, hoping her mother was still asleep, her breath was hitched up her throat when someone grabbed her neck and forced her back to the door.
"Steven!" She could hear Noah call out warningly in the background.
Her words were stuck from leaving her lips as she dug her nails in his hand, trying to catch her breath, but the menance in his eyes directed into hers promised he wasn't going to let her go as soon as she wanted.
"I thought I made myself clear about anyone leaving this room." He spat out angrily, his grip tightening around her neck.
Amanda felt the life slowly leave her as her eyes rolled back in her head, her grip around his growing weaker by the second.
"Steven. I wouldn't want to be you when your mum wakes up and sees you strangling your own sister. You know what it took to get her to sleep again." As he said so, Steven abruptly let go of her and stepped back, watching her in anger and disgust as she dropped to the floor, gasping like a fish out of breath.
"Well, I hope no one wakes her up." Steven says, towering over her, and Amanda took that as her cue to shut up when she realizes he was referring to her.
When Noah stepped forward to help her up, Steven intervened immediately and he had no choice but to step back, a worried look on his face.
He knew he shouldn't butt in as It was a family matter and It didn't concern him, but even he knew how Steven got when he was angry and It didn't matter If Amanda was his sister or a girl- he would break her into pieces If he had to.
"Where were you? Do you know how worried mum got!?"
"You just tried to kill me!" Amanda snapped at him as she got on her feet and Noah sighed, almost face palming himself.
She was the one woman who always wanted to have the last laugh when It came to Steven. Like all other women, she was scared of Steven, but when It came to standing up to him, no one had the guts except her.
"Kill you?" Steven laughed with a bitter smile in his eyes. "You think I didn't have chances to kill you? Why would I want to waste my time doing that now?" When she looked like she wanted to retort, he approached her and trapped her with her back to the door and no where else to go. "Now, I'm not going to repeat myself again. Where were you?"
She tried to push him to get her breathing space but when it looked useless, she replied between clenched teeth.
"I just went out for a stroll. Is that a crime?"
"It is If I gave an..."
"An order?" She raised a brow before sticking the tip of her tongue in her inner cheek with narrowed eyes. "Do I look like an animal you can control Steven? A brainless donkey who does everything Its told?"
"At least a donkey listens. You just do whatever you want. Do you even know why I brought you guys here in the first place." He yelled at her so loudly, the veins on his forehead and neck were popping.
"Why?" Amanda suddenly snapped and yelled back, standing on the tip of her toes to meet up with his height even though she wasn't even close to the scruff of his neck. "Why?! No, because It's like you hadn't heard me When I asked in the first place. So now tell me, Steven. You barge into my room one night and tell me to pack my things. You don't tell me where we're going to, why we're even leaving in the first place and you just bring us in here, lock us in like animals and tell us not to leave. I'm a teenager Steven. We're literally the same fucking age so don't fucking act like you're dad!"
Noah worriedly turned towards the bed but Samantha was deep asleep and for a minute, he wondered how she could sleep through this tornado storm.
"Yell at me all you can," Steven suddenly grabbed her arm with a snickering smirk. "But you're still going to tell me why you had to flaunt my orders and head out. You could have at least told mum where you were heading off to before you left her in a state of panic."
She wanted to tell him she left a note, but It wasn't worth It. Would he even listen to her? And even If he did, would he even accept It. He would still insist on the fact that she had left the room when she wasn't supposed to.
"I told you- I went out for a stroll." With that, she pulled her hand from him grip and this time, Steven's expression softened a little when he saw the brusies and cuts on her arm.
"Why are you bleeding? What happened to you?"
Noah's face paled when he saw how badly she was bleeding now- like the bruises on her arms were paid actors, bleeding the moment Steven had noticed them.
"It's nothing. I'll take care of It. Don't act like you care." With that, she walked away, heading towards the bed with her expression softening on seeing her mum's pale- almost ghost white face on the bed with her hair spread out behind her on the pillows.
She looked so peaceful- like she was in a deep slumber which she would never be able to wake up from.
Noah approached her and knelt Infront of her where she sat on the bed, tenderly grabbing her arm and scruntinizing It carefully.
"Looks like you rolled on dirt on something.. does It sting?"
"Not really. I just had a bad fall. It's nothing to worry about " Her voice softened. She bit her lip, holding back a wince as she watched Noah, Ignoring Steven.
"Rolling on dirt?" Steven suddenly snorted. "What are you? 6?"
"6? 5? 4? I'll still be the smarter child." She retorted, and just before another fight could break out between them, Noah butted in without a thought.
"I have a first aid box in the car. I'll get It."
"Oh Noah. You don't have to..."
"No. I insist." He almost blushed when her siren eyes stared deep into his. It meant nothing, but those eyes looked seductive even without her trying.
With that, he left after casting Steven a warning glance.
"Why do you have that wrapped around your head." Amanda asked. Since she had calmed down a bit, she finally glanced at Steven carefully and noticed the bandage around his forehead.