Razor Sharp | ✓

Twenty-Four

♡♡♡

I hear feet shuffling along the hardwood floors outside my bedroom door as I lay down in bed, my eyes on the ceiling.

I watch as the old fan spins around and around, not cooling down any of the humidity that is causing my discomfort.

The door opens with a whine but I don't look over to see who it is.

Tonight, I feel drained. Drained of energy and drained of caring about anything. I'm not phased about the person about to walk into my room. As if I can control who it is, anyway.

I can see the mop of blond hair in my periphery vision. Hunter's wearing loose tracksuit pants that hang low on his hips and he's bare-chested. I gulp.

"You can't stay in here again. It's wrong, Hunter," I whisper, tucking my hands behind my head, resting them on the pillow.

I continue to stare unblinkingly at the ceiling, feeling the weight of the world crushing me.

"I don't care if it's wrong, Ellie. I just want to make sure you're alright," he whispers, leaning against the door.

He crosses his arms over his chest, but I make sure that it doesn't seem like I'm looking. "I'm fine," I whisper.

"No, you're not."

I sigh, closing my eyes. "I'm not in the mood to fight with you about this. If you already know my answer, then why ask?"

"Because I wanted to give you the opportunity to be truthful with me."

I don't know what he expects from me. It's so abundantly clear that I have feelings for him, but my whole life, I've only known how to hate him. This new found development isn't something I know how to handle.

"Please, just leave," I whisper, keeping my eyes shut in an attempt to stop any unwanted tears.

"No. I know you need someone right now," he says, sitting on the floor next to my mattress. "I know you really want to talk."

"And what? You think that just because I want to talk to someone, that I want it to be you?"

I'm purposely trying to hurt him in an attempt that he'll leave me alone. I'm not in the mood to have a heart-to-heart with someone I'm trying to let go of.

"I'll go first," he says, completely ignoring my response.

I groan softly as he begins, turning to face the wall away from him.

"It's been a shit couple of years for me," he says and I roll my eyes.

"Oh, and it's just been sunshine and rainbows for me," I say, sarcastically.

"I lost my mum," he blurts, and my chest instantly tightens. "To cancer. Five years ago."

I almost open my mouth to tell him I'm sorry, but I stop myself. I know when mum left I never wanted pity. So, would Hunter?

"I want you to know that I will never excuse my father's behaviour anymore, but he wasn't always like this, El. When my mother was around, he was never like this. I never saw him frown or threaten to kill someone. She was the light of his life and when she died, his world turned to darkness. He can't live without her, even now. I still see the pain in his eyes."

A part of me wants to reach out to hold his hand but the more sensible part of me doesn't. Instead, I focus on my breathing. I don't like to admit it, but I can see why Hunter has such a hard time comprehending who his father really is now.