CHAPTER FIVE

ABBY'S  POV

I was in the kitchen when the door bell rang. 

Before I could put down the dishes I was stacking into the dish washer and get around to answering it, Drake who was in the sitting room beat me to it. 

He was talking and then laughing with the person at the other side of the door who I guess was Jason's tutor. 

She's the only one we are expecting at this time since Jason have been repeatedly reminding us that he is having someone over and for tutoring reasons only. 

Why he felt the need to point that last part out, still eludes me. 

I was going to make a nasty crack at Drake about what I knew so well he was doing but I didn't for two good reasons. 

Firstly, I didn't want to say anything that might give the others a pointer to his 'big' secret.

Secondly, Cade and Kenzie were sitting in the room watching a program on the television and we are not allowed to use curse words around them.

Why the hell not, I don't know because those two have a well sophisticated dictionary of curse words of their own in their damn heads. 

Cracks aren't sweet without good cursing so I bit back my comment. 

I was about to beat a retreat into the kitchen when I saw Jason break his stride down and pause on the stairs. 

He looked well pissed at the picture Drake and his dear tutor made at the door, smiles and all. 

I remained in my spot knowing things were going to get interesting from here. 

I would have warned Drake if I could and if it would have made any difference but it wouldn't. 

I wasn't really shocked when I heard Jason's, 

"If you are done flirting with each other, can we go up to my room and get on with what you are actually here for."

That beast, I would disown him any day if I could. 

The poor girl was doing no more than laughing at something Drake had said! 

I wish Drake would sort his shit out soon so the guys would know he is no threat to them when it comes to their girls. 

I entered back into the kitchen right before Drake stormed in cursing Jason fluently in two languages I understood and one I didn't. 

I continued putting the dishes into  the washer silently as he poured himself a glass of water. 

His hair was falling into his face and I thought to myself, 

I really do have handsome, hung brothers.

I was already imagining letting all four of them, Cade included, beat the God given light out of Ben. That cheating, lying son of the dev...... 

The stinging on my fore head drew me out of my awesome thought. 

I take back what I thought earlier about this ogre being handsome. He fucking flicked my fore head hard with those monstrously big finger of his. 

"What was that for?" I demanded. 

"I dunno. You were looking lost there for a minute, thought I should call you back."

He half shrugged. 

"What happened to using my name?" 

"Now, where's the fun in that, hmmm?"

I wanted to whack him in the head but I just scowled at him and ended up giving in and letting the corners of my mouth lift in the making of a smile. 

"Asshole."

"That's Jason not me."

He did the half shrugging thing again with a sad smile and a distant look in his eyes. 

"I'm sorry about what he said back there."

"You heard?"

"Yeah. Cade and Kenzie are going to be using the flirt word now, they heard too." I winced. 

"You nosy brat." He smiled, a real one now. 

"Quite an audience we had, May was in there too. I was just trying to get her less tense. She looked like she was walking into a lion's den."

"He hates girls and acts indifferent towards them since Bianca and he makes sure the whole world knows it but he was going all macho man out there. I think he likes her."

"Nice way of showing it then. He'd end up scaring her away and then start acting like an injured lion around everyone. She's already mightily scared of him."

I made a show of listening intently, 

"I hear someone running from our hard headed brother, think it's her?" 

I made a puzzled face and he started laughing. 

"Nosy brat." He called me still laughing. 

He pinched my left ear red  before he turned and sauntered out of the kitchen. 

I love him. 

I spent a little more time in the kitchen tidying up and then fixing myself a sandwich before I left for my room. 

"Where's mine?" May asked as I started up the stairs. 

"We want one too." Cade and Kenzie said unison, tearing their eyes away from the television to look at me. 

"You want one, you go fix it in the kitchen." I answered them without breaking my stride.

Siblings! 

My phone was ringing when I entered my room. I share it with May. 

I dropped the sandwich on the bedside drawer and picked it up. 

There was no caller ID but it was a number I knew by heart. 

I just deleted it from my phone last week.

I let it go to my voice mail. 

Seven missed calls, three voice messages and several texts were displayed on my screen from the same number. 

I sighed as I unlocked my phone. 

The first text read, 

I'm sorry jewel, it wasn't what it seemed. I'd take it all back if I could. I'm really sorry. 

Jewel huh, and he had the nerve to cheat!!

Nobody cheats on their four carat diamond ring with a simple steel band!

Please talk to me, let me explain it to you. 

No!

Please pick my calls. I'm sorry. 

No!

Can we talk? Please Abby. 

No!

I didn't want to open them anymore so I deleted the whole lot without reading the rest. 

I picked up my sandwich but I ended up dropping it back without even taking a bite of it.

The douche bag just made me lose my appetite.

I hate him so much right now.

Fuck him.

Tears were pooling in my eyes again.

But I wasn't going to let them fall, doing that would mean he wins again.

I can't let them keep doing this to me.

I can't live like this anymore, it's going to kill me someday.

My grades weren't even comforting.

It was in this moment I realized I have been letting all these guys hurt more than my heart.

They were hurting my studies too, my future.

It was high time I called quits.

Enough playing chess with my heart and studies.

I picked my phone from where I had thrown it across the bed and without giving it a second thought, I deleted everything that even so much as hinted at my past relationships.

I was done getting over one guy by dating another.

So done.

I threw my phone back down and somehow doing this made me feel good, like I was well on my way to doing much better.

Nothing better than clean slates.

Getting a new line would be best for strengthening my resolve because it eliminates the temptation of replying a text or a call.

I know the best person to help me with all these and I can't wait for him to finally come home next tomorrow.

His first visit in three years.

I miss him, we all do but nobody talks about why he suddenly chose Ohio and left  or why he hasn't come home since then.

Maybe they didn't know either.

I wish he was here now .

Somehow he always manages to know the right things to say and do.

Not that Janice haven't being doing a good job with that but Damien always understood me better.

He always told me, when I asked how he knew so much about this, that he was in some kind of complicated shit of his own he hopes works out one day.

He wouldn't say what though no matter how hard I tried.

Sometimes I wonder if it already did.

The difference between him and Janice is that while Damien is open to relationships and have had his heart broken, at least he thinks he have, Janice have never even tried to test the water.

She doesn't even let herself care enough to come close to loving someone.

She always ran.

Well I guess she's not getting the best examples.

I mean look at me, and Kayla too.

I sighed and curled up in my favorite foetal position.

My phone dings indicating a new text and I almost reach for it hoping it was Ben.

God, this was going to be harder than I thought.

I really need Damien's big hand stroking my head and his deep voice telling me that I can do this, that everything is gonna be okay.

In fact forever scowling Jason or even Janice with her annoying jabs and insults will do right now.

***

I didn't want to go to school the next day. 

I wasn't ready to face it yet but I still got my ass out of bed and got ready anyways. 

It couldn't be worse than another time I've broken up with any of my B curses as Janice calls them. 

I waited down stairs for Jason and Drake. 

I always hitched a ride to school with them every morning. 

As expected, I could already hear the snide remarks as soon as I walked into the hallway.

With my head held high, I ignored the whispers, the condescending staring eyes and made my way to my locker.

I wouldn't let it affect me. 

It didn't matter if this was what I have to endure every day for God knows how long.

As I was getting my books out, my locker was slammed shut, its sharp lock making a small cut on my temple.

Ronnie!

I glared at the blonde bitch while she and her minions laughed their ass out .

“who is it gonna be now, you whore?”  She drawled.

“It would've been you, but your dick just isn't big enough!” I spat.

I could hear her gasp and feel their glare and hear her frustrated “fuck you”,  as I made my way to my first class.

Ronnie is your typical high school bitch, complete with two puppets she control.

She is also the reason Ben and I are no longer together.

I made it to my class feeling better, that was until I saw him.

I almost forgot Ben and I shared this class.

He was seated at our favorite position, the spot next to him empty probably being kept for his fair haired, empty head, new love Ronnie.

I found an empty spot at the back and sat. For the first time in a long time I tried to listen to what the teacher was saying.

I caught Ben turning to look at me a couple times with an expression that made him look like he was sorry on his face.

Trying to play me for a fool the second time.

Maybe there was some kind of bet on whether he could convince me that he was sorry and have another go at me for the fun of it.

I tried not to look in his direction for the rest of the class.

The rest of my classes passed in a 

blur till lunch break.

I went down to the cafeteria and got myself a tray.

The problem now was who to share a table with

I usually sat with whoever was my flavour of the month but seeing as I've sworn off guys, it seems I'll be sitting alone till I graduate high school.

Hell of a way to spend my high school days.

If you were wondering where my friends were, well I only had Camille until her father got a promotion and they all had to move to the big apple so he could work at his company's headquarters.

And Maybe Kayla and Janice when they were still here in high school and I was in middle school but they are in college now and I'm all by myself.

I didn't bother making any friend since then.

Who knew this day would come when I'll need someone to share a lunch table with.

I stood and racked my Brain for a solution to my problem.

Maybe someday I'd be able to eat in here on a table with friends but not today.

I blocked everyone and everything out as I put in my earphone, started on my favorite playlist and went out of the cafeteria.

I found a spot and sat on one of those side benches in the field.

I got comfortable and dug into my food.

I must have been too engrossed in my food or the song playing that i didn't notice it when someone made his way to my bench, until he'd  stooped a little and said,

“Hello, baby Abs”.

I jerked my head up, there's only one person on the face of earth who calls me 'baby Abs'.

I stared at his tall figure and I almost screamed.

No way!  I thought to myself.

I couldn't stop smiling as I jumped on him and held him tight in a bear hug.

Just the person I needed right now.