012

AVA

I sat with my mom until I caught sight of Mr. Grant descending from the stairs. His eyes remained fixed on us, and the moment he got to where we were, he exhaled sharply.

“I'm sorry about Caden,” he muttered. “He doesn’t normally act this way. He has been having a rough time since his mother passed away.”

Mom nodded with a smile, and I tried to do the same.

“We will be leaving now, Ava. I have a meeting to prepare for tomorrow,” Mr. Grant added, causing Mom to stand.

I accompanied them to the door, and Mom wrapped her arms around me. “Be good, okay?”

I nodded, tightening the hug for a minute longer before pulling away and waving them goodbye.

As soon as they drove off, I shut the door, letting out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

I slid down to the ground, with one person in mind.

Caden.

I wanted to let it go… I mean, Mr. Grant said he was going through a lot, but the image of my mom crying because of him?

I just couldn’t let it slide.

He needed to stop being unnecessarily rude to her, as she did nothing but try to be nice.

I thought about it for a few more minutes before making up my mind.

‘Just a mini conversation, nothing heated,’ I said to myself as

I dragged my foot until I arrived at the door, my hands tapping against it.

He didn't respond to the first knock, nor the second and third. Perhaps he was asleep…just as I turned to leave, the door clicked open.

I took in a deep breath as I walked in. The stale smell of cigarettes hit me instantly, causing me to cover my nose with my palm.

I didn’t know he smoked. He didn’t look like one. I walked in further, and the room was in total darkness, except for a dim bulb at the table.

My eyes scanned the room, trying to find Caden who had controlled the remote for the door—there he was, sitting by the window, still puffing a cigarette.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He voiced out, his tone oddly calm.

“I came to talk.”

“Talk?” He repeated with a scoff. “If this is about—”

“Why are you behaving this way?” I cut in, my voice louder than intended.

Silence.

“Why do you always have to be so rude?”

“It’s none of your business!”

“Oh, it is,” I shot back, coming closer even though the room was still dark. “It’s my fucking business, Caden, since you keep disrespecting my mother, and I know she would never say it, but you need to be told.”

“She has done nothing but show you care, love, affection…”

“And did I ask for it?” He cut in sharply. “Tell me, did I fucking ask for it?  All I have asked for is for her to leave me the fuck alone. How hard can that be? I want nothing to do with the shitty family you guys are trying to build, Ava.”

I waited, trying to structure my words before speaking. “You can’t keep being an asshole to people that show genuine affection towards you,” I said. “I understand you lost your moth—” I trailed off as the lights turned on, and I nearly gasped when my eyes met with his.

What the hell did he do to himself?

Was he crying?

Did something enter his eyes?

Plenty of questions ran through my head as I stared at him. “Caden,” I called out, my voice barely a whisper. “What did you do to your—”

“Get out!” He thundered.

“Caden, you need help—”

“I said get the fuck out!” He thundered, and I flinched from the impact of his voice.

I took one last glance at him before walking out and heading straight to my room. I fell onto my bed with a deep breath, hating how concerned I was about him.

Perhaps I should inform Mom? But that would only prompt more rude behavior from Caden.

I tossed around the bed for some minutes before finally opting for a cold shower, which helped make me relax.

I stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my chest before looking for something comfortable to put on.

Once dressed, I pulled out my laptop and looked over the unfinished project we were handling. I thought it would distract me, but the image of his bloodshot eyes was literally haunting me.

With a frustrated sigh, I picked up my phone, deciding to scroll through I*******m, and somehow I found myself on his page.

Fuck me.

I hated how concerned I was… I mean, I was literally scrolling through his pictures to know when it all changed.

I stopped at an image, the only one with him smiling. It was two years back, and the smile was so vibrant and looked genuine. It made me realize I had never seen him smile since I came here.

My chest tightened as I tossed my phone, with one question that I would never have an answer to. How did his mom die?

I pondered over that question for minutes, maybe hours, until exhaustion filled me.  Just as I closed my eyes, the blasting of loud music got me up.

Not again.

Wasn’t he just down hours ago?

I placed my pillow over my head to block out the noise, but it didn't help a bit. I wanted to endure; perhaps he was probably in his feelings, but it kept getting louder!

I rose from my bed with a tired yawn and headed out.

The moment I stepped out, I literally froze.

There was music, lights, drinks, and people making out almost everywhere. The fuck?

My eyes scanned around, searching for him as I came down the stairs, bumping into people. He was nowhere, and I just couldn’t help but wonder how he was able to set up a party in less than hours.

I reached outside, and that was when I saw him—dancing near the pool, shirtless.

I marched forward.

“What the hell, Caden,” I shouted. “I can’t fucking sleep; why didn’t you inform me about a party?”

“Why? Am I supposed to take permission from you?” He slurred, barely looking at me. “It’s my house, freak.  My house, my rules!”

“No, our house, and I’m trying to sleep, but—” I trailed off, too drained to argue.  

“Don’t be boring,” he muttered, gulping his drink. “Go dress up, and join in the fun.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling defeated, and was about to walk away when I felt a push.

“Ahhh,” I screamed, smacking my hands across the pool's water as I made big splashes.

The scream wasn’t because I fell. It was because I couldn’t swim!  

Panic set in immediately as I fought my way, the water gurgling as I struggled desperately to keep my head above water.

I couldn’t.

Instead my body going down, I was fucking drowning…and just as I was about to close my eyes, I felt strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me up.

I could barely breathe. The moment my head broke the surface, I sucked in a sharp breath, coughing furiously.

By the time he carried me out of the pool, a crowd had already gathered, every pair of eyes fixed on us.

Caden and me.

My heart was still pounding hard. I should’ve been furious—someone had pushed me into the damn pool. Instead, all I could think about was the fact that Caden had jumped in after me.

Before I could dwell in the fantasy world, he dropped me hard on the floor. “Next time, keep your clumsy ass off the damn pool,” he muttered before walking out.