Chapter 16

Gabriella

"Gabriella, come on! You're taking forever!" Martin's voice rings out for what feels like the umpteenth time, but I continue to ignore him, still engrossed in my makeup.

After all, he's the one who insisted I should look pretty, so he better deal with the consequences of his request.

"I'm coming in!" I hear him holler, and I swiftly lock the door, hoping to frustrate him enough that he changes his mind about taking me with him. My mind tends to get jumbled when too many people are around, and I'm already quite nervous as it is.

"Gabriella, don't forget that this is my house, and I have the spare key to your room," he reminds me, and I hiss in response.

"You also forget that you're such a messy animal; it would take you hours to actually find them," I retort, and he falls silent, finally giving up on trying to intimidate me.

I cautiously peer through the door to se