Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Chapter 16 "So I'm supposed to lie to her and basically tell her that lying is acceptable because her older brother has no morals?" She responded
"Like you know anything about morals," I thought.
I knew I could hit her right where it hurt, so I went for it.
"Shut your damn mouth, I have never been mean to you, I have simply reminded you of who you truly are. I know this little act you're putting on is a charade; I know the real you, the one I saw in LA." I exclaimed. NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
She sighed, almost sad and disappointed in herself. Her reaction surprised me; I expected her to scream back at me; I was perplexed; I thought I could hurt her, but I was mistaken.
"OK, Andrew, I'm not going to mention you to Dalia anymore." She stated that as she approached the door, she opened it and exited.
I was surprised by her reaction; she was pushing me, but when I pushed back, she retreated; what is this woman doing?
I was taken aback.
I couldn't figure out why she reacted like that for a few days; the first time I called her a whore, she thought I was crazy, but when I went further, she didn't react?
I was going insane and needed to get her off my mind. I knew she'd show up to work today, and I planned to observe her to figure out why she seemed unconcerned about what I'd said.
I drove to my mother's house and walked into the kitchen, eager to get the day over with. When I walked into the kitchen, I noticed Ava lifting her shirt, revealing a portion of her back.
"Stop undressing on my counter, whore," I yelled, hoping to elicit a response from her.
She turned around, and when I looked her in the eyes, she appeared to be in pain. I let my gaze fall to her exposed stomach. "Who hurt her?" my eyes widened. and suddenly became protective of her. I shake the thought from my mind, furious at myself for caring what happened to her.
I despised her so much that I wanted her dead, right?
"What in the world did you do?" I inquired.
"What exactly did I do? That's hilarious, Andrew." She responded
Who the hell did she think she was talking to?
"I don't mind at all." I growled.
"Oh no, this is because of you," she exclaimed, pointing to her bruise.
"Last time I checked, I never hit you; as much as I despise you, I don't hit women." However, you are making me reconsider." I said
I had never intended to hit her, but it was the only way I thought I could get her to stop talking. I had a rule against hitting women: if you're a grown man and I hit a woman, you're a total wimp.
"This was because of you and whatever you do for a living." She spit.
Curious, I raised an eyebrow. What information did she have about my job?
"Why are men following me around and attempting to beat me up because they believe I am your girl?" She inquired.
The thought of her being mine made my stomach turn. What was it about the thought of her being mine that had such an impact on me? I became enraged; no one should have that kind of power over me.
I approached her and grabbed my jaw.
"You're not my girl, and you mean nothing to me." I growled.
I saw her wince in pain but didn't care, but then I saw her terrified for half a second and it was gone as quickly as it came. I wanted her to be afraid of me, but when it happened, I vowed that it would never happen again.
It bothered me to see her fear of me...
I began to walk away because I didn't know how to deal with any emotion other than anger, and she was making me feel things I didn't want to describe.
"I understand that I am nothing to you, just as you are nothing to me. But I get annoyed when three men try to beat me up in an alleyway, claiming they need to hurt you by using me. I don't care what you do, but I stay out of it. I'm not here to help you; I'm here to help your damn sister "As I walked away, she screamed.
I came to a halt, wondering how she didn't get hurt if she was attacked by three men.
"How did you get out of there with only a bruise?" I inquired.
Why was I more concerned with her than with the people attempting to pursue me? Why was she coming before business when I barely knew her and despised her?
"You don't have to worry about that; you just have to make sure the rest of the world knows that me and you are nothing, and that I could never feel anything for "you."" With a smirk, she said.
She made me feel everything except anger with that single sentence. I despised her for making me feel anything other than rage. I stormed out after a few minutes because I needed to get away from her. I drove away from the house as quickly as I could.
Ava's POV
After two weeks...
It had been two weeks since anyone had seen Andrew, he had not come to the house and he was not in his own house. I was worried because he had hurt me, but I noticed a change in him when I last saw him. I was worried he'd hurt himself; Veronica said he was reckless, but the longest she'd gone without seeing him was a week. I'm not sure why I was worried, but I was, and I just wanted him to be okay...
Dalia was not coping well with his absence; she would ask me every day if he was returning to her. She became depressed because she believed he no longer loved her. I told her he was just on vacation and that he missed her terribly.
I began writing her letters, pretending that Andrew had written them. I knew I shouldn't have done it, but I didn't want Dalia to be sad and unloved. As much as he despises everyone around him, I know he adores Dalia more than anyone else on the planet. She would tell me about him all the time, the way she talked about Andrew made me think she was talking about a completely different person.
Dalia would tell me how he would stay home with her all day whenever she was sick, caring for her until she was well again, and how he would always kiss her goodnight no matter how late he got home. She adored him, which was why I wrote her letters; I never wanted her to doubt his feelings for her.
Because Andrew was gone, I began to stay later to prepare Dalia's dinner and tuck her into bed. She loved it when I sang her to sleep, so I changed the songs every day. Veronica wanted me to live in the house outside, but I knew Andrew would come home and I couldn't be that close to him all the time. Andrew Jayson didn't need to know where I lived.
Thursday...
After dinner, I took Dalia upstairs and undressed her; as I slipped her nightgown over her head, she said, "Ava, today is the 15th day and he is not home."
I sighed; she'd been counting the days since he'd left, and every time she mentioned the number, it broke my heart. No three-year-old should have to keep track of the days her older brother is absent from home.
"I know what you mean, Princess," I said
"I'll be getting a letter tomorrow!" She said while clapping her hands.
I wrote her letters every two days and put them in the mailbox so that when she woke up, she could read one from her "brother."
"Princess, you are correct. But first, let's get you to bed." I picked her up and placed her on the bed.
"Can you tell me what song you're singing today?" she inquired eagerly
"Maybe, someone like you, Princess." I responded
I sang the song until she fell asleep at the end. I kissed her on the cheek and went downstairs.
I sat on the stool next to the kitchen island and took out my pen, a piece of paper, an envelope, and a stamp. I was thinking about where "I" was now that was "cool and exotic." Egypt is my choice.
I was just about to start writing when I heard the front door open. I assumed it was Veronica, so I gathered my pen and paper, stuffed it into my purse, and began walking towards the door.
When I looked up at the figure standing in the living room, I knew it wasn't Veronica. The man was buff, dressed in a leather jacket, and had tattoos that reached all the way up to his neck.
"Andrew..." I said