Hating & Loving Him

Chapter 8: His Daughters Body

 I slept with my door locked last night, but it was weird, I was so used to Ace next door that it almost felt lonely with the room empty. Then I had to remind myself that he's literally right down the hall.

Dad left this morning when they called in that they had a car collision last night they just discovered this morning.

Popping open one of my smoothies, I took a drink and headed to the garage to do a small run on the treadmill.

After thirty minutes of running, I headed inside and bumped into Ace who was heading down the stairs.

"Sorry." He mumbled heading past me to the kitchen.

I ignored his apology and headed upstairs to the bathroom showering off the sweat and then pulling on a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt. I'm not going anywhere today anyways.

Why not stay comfy?

Grabbing one of my books, I laid on my bed and began the reading.

Of course that didn't last long, "Do you know when your dad will be back?" Ace asked watching the book in my hand carefully.

I eyed the clock, "Probably not for another four hours." I said curiously before giving him a look and watching him nod and shut my door.

Hm.

It took twenty minutes before I heard the sound of a girls voice.

He invited a girl to f**k. Lovely.

Sighing, I shut my book and put it on the bed going out the room and watching him walk up the stairs with Abbigale.

His eyes moved from her to me and we shared a long stare, he looked to Abbigale, "That door." He said watching her eye me over laughing and then going to the room.

What the hell is she laughing about?

Ace stared over at me a sighed, "Ill have her gone before he comes back." He admitted.

I nodded, "Just spray the house with some air freshener too. She wreaks of weed." I said quietly.

He sniffed the air and then nodded, "Thanks." Ace headed into the room shutting the door behind him.

I went back to my room keeping the door wide open to watch in case she leaves the room and wanders.

After an hour, she headed out the room with Ace and they both went down the stairs and out the front door.

Good, she's gone.

I can't breathe and relax now.

Ace came back up spraying the lavender scent and then staring over at me, "You just read all day?" He asked me again trying to start a conversation.

Why doesn't this guy get that I don't want to be friends?

I never want to be his friend, he's a deceitful asshole and I know he's a jerk because the day in the library he was anything but nice.

Staring over at him, I gave him a small glare, "You should start. There's not much to do when you're stuck in a house all day." I said gesturing to my book shelf.

He walked over to it cautiously and eyed the book titles, his hand running over the oak wood shelf. "You don't ever go out." I wasn't sure if that was a question or a statement.

I just ignored him though.

Ace pulled a book off the shelf, those blue eyes moved over me and then he took the book and walked to the door.

He stopped in place and turned, "So quiet." He said quietly under his breath before walking out the room.

Yeah, I'm quiet, I get it.

More like I just don't like him.

Back when my brother Max was alive, Ace and him were always at each other's necks fighting and causing trouble. Ace beat Max up and stole his girlfriend because Ace just felt like it.

That's not the first time him and Max have fought though, they were like sworn enemies. Usually Ace was the one who always had it out for Max, I'm almost sure he was happy the day Max took his own life.

As he headed off to wherever, I tried to focus on my book instead. 

Aces POV:

Putting the book down, I got up and walked out my room passing by Katie's.

She was asleep curled into her pillow with the book on the floor and her hand dangling off the bed.

It was a bit cute.

I leaned into the doorsill and eyed her room over, the only poster she had was one of some hippie singer of the seventies. 

This was the closest to being in her life I've ever been, I've always watched from the window, or anywhere far away to not be noticed.

There's many moments I'm sure she never knew I saw, the time she brought over a girl for a class play and the girl started kissing her.

It was very hot, especially when she started kissing the girl back but even though they made out, I could tell Katie was very off about it. I'm sure that was her first kiss, odd to think she lost her first kiss to some random girl for a school play.

I was there though, I was also there when she sobbed in her pillows after brothers passing. The anger that filled her and every item she threw in the wall. I was also there when she cried about some popular guy turning her down for Sadie Hawkins dance.

There's so many moments I've seen, things I bet she never wanted anyone to notice.

I always noticed her though.

Abbigale made fun of her a lot, apparently a lot of girls did. Her and Hannah were considered nerds, losers. Just prudes, and many rumors flew around. One of the worst was that she stayed away from s*x because she had AIDs. Obviously not.

I've lived beside her for almost all her life, I know her well.

"You need something?" Nathan asked breaking the silent train of thoughts. I didn't even realize he came home.

I gestured to the book, "I was going to return this." I said clearing my throat and then going to walk away.

His hand hung over my arm as he held it, stopping me in my tracks, "She's all I have left. If you hurt her, if you take her from me, I will keep you for the six months. By the end of the six months you'll be eating through a feeding tube and paralyzed from the neck down. Forever stuck in your body but unable to talk, to f**k to cause mayhem." He threatened quietly.

I understood.

Nodding, I looked back at Katie and then over at him, "Like I said, I just want to serve the six months and get out of this town." I reminded him.

He scowled gently and then gave a single nod, "For your sake, I hope so." He said taking the book and then staring at Katie softly shutting her bedroom door.

I went back to my room to avoid his scorning and thought about his daughters body a bit more.

Two hours later, I had finished unpacking all my s**t and took the boxes into the garage to grab again when the six months are over.

Only when I opened the door, Katie was on the treadmill running while looking really hot.

I'm starting to think she does this s**t on purpose.

She had headphones in and her eyes closed.

I avoided spooking her and slowly began stacking the boxes in a corner while stealing glances at her.

That was until Nathan called that dinner was Chinese because they're out of meat.

Katie opened her eyes and stopped the treadmill pulling her headphones out and staring over at me a bit surprised.

I've been caught.

Putting the last box on top, I acted nonchalant "Your dads ordering Chinese takeout." I said to her.

She nodded and got off heading to the door and then stopping and looking me over, "There's dumbbells in that cabinet, a jump rope and one of those things that you put on the doorsill to do pull ups." She said blandly.

I watched her look back at the treadmill, "And the treadmill." She added.

Then she headed inside and shouted to her dad to order extra orange chicken and fortune cookies.

Smirking, I went inside and dropped my smirk going to the kitchen.

Nathan stared from a paper menu and then up at me, "Anything you want specifically?" He asked making me wonder if he plans on feeding me for every meal.

I ran my hand through my hair, "Orange chicken is fine. I'm not a picky eater." I stated watching him nod.

He eyed the menu, "You like spring rolls?" He asked while flipping the menu over and dialing the number.

God I hate being asked about food, just fuel that'll get my body working and keep it from nagging. Anything works.

I gave a small nod, "Drink?" He asked.

Staring at the fridge I shook my head, "I'll grab something from the fridge." I said clearing my throat.

He had me read him the menu since he didn't have his glasses. After he gave our order over the phone, Katie walked in with her hair brushed and wet, the tank top on wasn't tight, it didn't form to her nice body, but it still caught my attention.

She usually wears cardigans over all her tank tops and short sleeved shirts. Plus, she was wearing shorts. Not booty shorts, or even those tight shorts but just loose pajama like shorts.

I don't know but she had really long legs for a petite girl.

Katie walked to the fridge grabbing one of her shakes, "Extra fortune cookies?" She asked her dad.

He nodded, "And orange chicken. You fiend." Nathan teased which brought a smile to her lips.

"Someone's already trying to buy your home." Nathan said curiously as he watched me.

Someone wants to buy a house where my dad was recently murdered in?

They asked if I wanted to go to the funeral tomorrow but honestly, I don't. I'll visit his grave when I'm out.

Nathan gave a shrug, "The price was very low and so they bought it." He said sighing.

Nice.

"It'll be someone else's hell." I said quietly. 

Katie heard even though Nathan didn't, her eyes running over my face before she stared down at her drink.

She leaned into the counter, "When do we get to meet them?" She asked staring at her dad.

Nathan shrugged, "I'll invite them over for dinner this weekend. They're moving in Wednesday." He said scratching his chin.

Her eyes fell to her drink, "Hopefully no rebellious kids. The towns quiet I hear, finally settled." She said giving me a judging stare.

Definitely saw that coming.

An old memory of her came flowing back to my mind, that same stare.

He was tossing things, shouting and calling me a piece of s**t, worthless and claiming that I am the reason my brothers dead.

It was the middle of June, the hottest time and the AC was off because I couldn't make the p*****t on time.

Heading into my room to avoid his bullshit, I slammed the door shut telling him to f**k off. Giving the bed a hard kick, I went in a rage tossing things and I wound up throwing my shoe into the blinds. Four of them broke and all in different places.

Shit.

Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair feeling my heart rate race in stress.

I headed to the blinds examining them but instead catching her eyes. That stare, it hurt me to see her look at me that way. She watched me with annoyance, disgust and a bit of fear.

Her eyes moved from me to her laptop and she stared back at me a few minutes later. But this time she was staring at my hands, her eyes moving from them to my window and back at them.

Following her stare, I noticed the blood along my fists. s**t.

Heading out the room to the bathroom, I rinsed off my hand and wrapped it going to clean the blood off the floor that I tracked.

When I got back though, she had her blinds dropped and the light shining out. 

Now she stood there giving me that same look but then breaking into a grin when her dad said he felt like he was working up a lot trying to find the real suspect.

I had such a crush on her, but I only knew her in glimpses, I can tell you a lot about her though.

She sleeps with a nightlight on, shes got a heavy attachment for a chunky beige cardigan, every night she kisses her moms picture Goodnight, she's got a birthmark the shape of a heart on her left rib cage, her favorite song (the one she plays and sings the most) is Mess Is Mine by Vance Joy. I've got it downloaded onto my iPod. Her favorite book is a book called Center Of Winter, very dark. I've read it twice. The first time was to see what kind of books she liked, I wasn't too surprised. She constantly smells the books when she's lost in thought.

I know more than she probably wants me to.

Sometimes, I think she knows that.