Chapter 1

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART ♠️

~CHAPTER 1~

🥀Glen🥀

The cool air seeps through my warm fingers as my dad’s car dives through the evening Californian
traffic after just coming from our flight from France. I smile to myself as the therapeutic wind brushes
my brown curls across my face while I peek my head through the window feeling the afternoon air.

‘’Honey would you please not do that… you know how I feel about not staying
still in the car.’’ My dad whines and I huff before getting back inside giving
him my best smile.

‘’Can you please let me enjoy being back dad just this once.’’ I sigh and he pursed his lips giving me
a closed smile.

‘’I know Glen. Trust me I feel the same too.’’ He takes a turn towards Greenbrae street.

I can’t stop grinning from ear to ear as the car drives past familiar houses and I catch a glimpse of
Pepper’s house. I haven’t seen her since the last time I left the town when we were both fourteen.

‘’I wonder how Pepper has been. It’s been so long.’’ I squeal for the umpteenth time as my dad parks
the car in the driveway of our old house. I half expected it to look like crap after been gone for so
long but he had paid someone to take care of the exterior while we were away in France.

I take the keys to the house off the dashboard as I hop out the car opening the hood and taking a
box that has my satin pink bedside lamp a few novels pens and erasers I bought before catching the
flight to California and a box with my new pair of Air pods. I had to make sure to get notebooks
stationery and some
new clothes for school which is starting in three days. I take my academic work seriously so that
means getting prepared for returning to Redwood Highschool since it’s my last year of schooling
before I go into Yale University next Summer.

I can hear the soothing sound of the beach from here as I shove the key into the door lock before
entering the familiar house.

Inside the house smells like drying paint and bleach and newness.

Memories of how it used to be before we left hit me and I force myself to

swallow the painful lump in my throat. ‘’I miss mom.’’ I said to myself but dad enters too and stops
beside me. Glancing around before heaving a sigh. The sudden solemn look on his face tells me he
feels the same way too.

‘’Me too sweetheart.’’ He pecks my cheek as he drops the boxes on the clean polished floor.

‘’You outdone yourself this time. This place looks brand new.’’ I clear my throat changing the subject
before I start crying as I climb the stairs to my room. ‘’I’m so proud of you.’’ I give him a playful smile
placing my hand on my chest to add more drama to my exaggerated gesture.

Dad shakes his head before letting out a chuckle while unloading his beers into the refrigerator. ‘’Go
get those things settled and come back down. We need to do grocery shopping for supper.’’ He
yawns tiredly and my heart aches for him.

After my mom passed away from cancer ten years ago my dad has been playing the role of both
mom and dad ever since. He doesn’t get enough rest cause he has to work overtime to feed us both
and take me to school. So the least I can do is be there for him too lend a helping hand where I can.

‘’I can drive there and get the grocery while you rest. What do you think
dad?’’ I pause before opening my door to hear his response.
‘’That’d be great honey.’’ Dad yawns again as he climbs up the stairs. Tossing me the car keys and I
catch them just in time before they hit my face. ‘’Got to work on your aim.’’ He teased as he passes
to his bedroom that’s just across the hallway.

‘’No one is going to marry me if I am short of one eye dad.’’ I feign agitation
but dad only lets out another lazy chuckle from his bedroom.

‘’I’ll still love you without an eye Glen.’’ Then he disappears into the restroom.

I shake my head in amusement as I unload the box and plug the lamp in before placing it on the
pedestal beside the bed. I replace the rest of the stationery and Air pods on my study desk that’s still
at corner before I stop for a moment to take in the feeling of being back again. My bed is covered in
white sheets and pillowcases. Everything smells brand new and looks the part too.

I walk to the drapes covering the French doors and pull them open letting in a gust of wind that
caresses my bare arms and legs. I lean on the railing and inhale the smell of freshly cut grass as I
gaze at the closed window at the Caruthers household.

My hands involuntarily grip the railing as flashbacks of the encounter I had with the boy next door
had scarred me before I left for France those years ago. Just then the window creaks open and he
peeks through not really noticing me yet.

His eyes are cast down as he stares at something below. The muscles in his bare arms and chest
flex as he leans closer and the corners of his mouth tilted up in a lazy smile. My eyes involuntarily
dart to where he’s looking and it’s his dog Daisy. The four-legged animal is chewing on a plushie
Daisy. The four-legged animal is chewing on a plushie dragging it across the dirt.

I raise my eyes to look at my infamous neighbour but has noticed me now and pinned me with a
challenging gaze behind his dark eyes and his smile is long gone.

It is only when he stands upright raising one hand to lean on the windowsill that I see the tattoos
adorning his abdomen and lower arm.

Jesus Christ. Aidan Caruthers is a ruthless hearthrob.

None of us says a word to the other as if waiting for whoever will wave first. As if that’ll ever happen.

Before he says anything cocky to hurt my feelings I roll my eyes irritated as I walk back inside the
French doors and shut them pulling the drapes close and exhaling a breath I didn’t realise I was
holding.

‘’Glen it’s getting late!’’ My dad’s voice brings me back to reality. I grab the
keys off the study desk and exit the room before descending the stairs and reaching the kitchen.

Dad has already brought in the rest of the luggage from the car so I take a
packet of mint bubble gum from the island and throw it in my mouth. I open his wallet that is on the
kitchen counter taking out dollar bills. ‘’Dad is there anything else that you’d like from the convenient
store other than groceries?’’ I ask as I dig out my phone from my ripped jeans back pocket.

‘’Nope.’’ Dad says as he descends the stairs dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a black tee.

‘’Alright then I’ll be back in a few.’’ I announce as I head out already dialling Pepper’s contact.

She replies on the first try.

‘’Hey munch cakes.’’ She said as soon as I place the phone on my ear.

‘’Guess who’s back.’’ I teased making her squeal so loud I have to remove the phone from my ear as
I hop into my dad’s BMW 3.0 CSL. ‘’Are you home? I’m going to drive past your house right now.’’

‘’Not really. I’m at the convenient store right now.’’ She chuckles with someone in the back.

‘’I can’t wait to see you. I’m on my way there right now.’’ I start the car and drive out the driveway. In
no time I park at the convenient store and hop out with the dollar bills in my jeans pockets and my
cellphone in my sweater pocket as I walk toward the entrance. The automatic door slides open as I
let myself in and glance around for Pepper.

‘’Hey.’’ Someone says and I turn around to find a grown Pepper. Her geek
glasses are gone and so are her gigantic red bow ties she used to wear on her pigtails her mom
used to tie on her hair in middle school. She wears a skimpy jean skirt with a loose fitting tank top
and flats on her feet.

‘’Hi Peps.’’ I rush to her and she meets me halfway with a tight squeezing hug.

‘’You look so pretty.’’ I squeak and earn a blush from her.

‘’You took the words right out of my mouth.’’ She sizes me up cheerfully and clamps her hands. ‘’You
look ravishing babe.’’

Pepper and I catch up while she helps me with the grocery list I have and exit the store fifteen
minutes later. After loading the groceries into the hood of the car we hop in the front of the car and
get on the road.

‘’So are there any new faces in Redwood this year?’’ I ask Pepper keeping my attention on
the road ahead. I can see her grinning from the corner of my eye as I swiftly take a turn towards
Greenbriar street lane.

‘’Well there’s about three transferring students from LA and two of them are
Aidan Caruthers’ friends. They are kind of stuck ups if I may say so myself but you’ll see for
yourself.’’ She said curtly.

I nod and purse my lips. The thought of going to the same class as Aidan after the past few years
makes my head hurt.

‘’What really happened between you and Aidan? You two seemed to have been on bad terms before
you left for France. You used to be inseparable as kids.’’ Pepper asks as I park outside her house.

‘’I guess he changed and decided he didn’t wanna hang out anymore.’’ Is all I manage to say.

It is hard to explain to my best friend how one day my world had crumbled
when Aidan no longer wanted to look my way let alone say 'hi' for reasons that were unknown to me.
A wall had been raised behind his eyes leaving me outside and unable to climb in. At first I had felt
like blaming myself punishing myself for whatever
was going on in his head. But eventually I resented that he had pushed me away without an
explanation. Eventually I built the same wall that he had built between us but two imes over.
Refusing to be the first one to let in and ask what was wrong.

‘’I’m so happy you’re back Glen. Can’t wait for you to see everybody again.’’ Pepper smiled at me
sheepishly.

‘’I can’t wait either.’’ I lean in for a hug before she waves and blows kisses
in the air as she walks to her house leaving me alone to dwell in the thought of meeting my
counterpart in the upcoming three days.

This is going to be one long school year.

Chapter 2

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

CHAPTER 2

🥀Glen🥀

It’s school day today and I am thrilled to start off my last year at school. The
sunlight drifting though the window tells me it’s a warm one today so after a long shower I decide to
put on a pair of loose-fitting stylish boyfriend jeans and a long-sleeved peach coloured tee over my
bra that’s holding my
round chest in place. I opt for a pair of my floral custom designed All Stars and let my hair untied
with wavy curls cascading down my shoulders. Then I grab my backpack which already has my
books for today’s classes before going downstairs at 6:40 to join my dad for breakfast.

‘’Morning dad.’’ I beam as I enter the kitchen placing my backpack on an

empty stool as I walk to the refrigerator.

‘’Morning sweetheart.’’ Dad looks up from his daily newspaper. A coffee in

one hand. ‘’Ready for the big day?’’

‘’I was born for this day.’’ I peek through the open refrigerator door earning a toothy smile from dad.
‘’Have you had breakfast yet?’’

‘’No.’’ He replies as he sips his coffee. ‘’I'm not really hungry I’ll eat something after dropping you
off.’’

I nod and finally decide to grab a orange juice and ice cubes to go with the sandwiches dad has
already made in a bowl at the centre of the island. ‘’You should eat enough dad…’’ I say as I take a
seat opposite his with my breakfast in front of me.

He gives me a tired sigh; I know what he’s about to say.

‘’I’m the one who is supposed to take care of you hun. Not the other way
around.’’ He says while turning the pages on his newspaper and I choose to rather let that
conversation slide for another day. I am starting today on a positive note.

I finish up and brush my teeth again before heading back downstairs. My dad already is at the door
with the car keys in one hand as he opens the door for me with the other. ‘’Let’s go.’’ He beams.

In less than fifteen minutes dad finally drops me off and I take my iPhone and send a text to Pepper
telling her I’m here. It'd be awkward to walk around the school halls alone on my first day so…

‘’Hey Gee.’’ Pepper waves at me she is with some guy with wavy blonde hair
that’s perfectly gelled to make him look like a classic English man with a tight-fitting powder-pink tee
and a pair of jeans. Pepper wears a jean skirt similar to the one she wore last time I saw her and a
white sweater and sneakers.

I walk over to them and embrace her in a hug after saying a quick hi to the guy she’s with.
‘’I can’t stop loving this new look you’re coming with Glen. You’re literally glowing.’’ Pepper gleams.

‘’Awww thanks babe.’’ I coo and bat my eyelashes at her.

‘’This is Seth he’s been my bestie when you were gone. He’s the sweetest.’’ Pepper introduced with
a grin and Seth rolls his eyes playfully.

‘’When you’re not here I’m Satan’s helper. Today I’m bestie…hmmm.’’ He yawns feigning to be
sleepy and I can’t help but laugh at their goofiness.

‘’Well I hope she didn’t say I’m a weirdo when I was not around.’’ I tease earning a playful glare from
Pepper. ‘’It’s nice to meet you Seth.’’ I add with a sweet smile.

The three of us enter the school premises and head toward the main entrance.

The words Welcome to Redwood High School are written on a wall we're facing as we walk in and
just like us people are walking side by side with their friends and others alone. Nothing I am seeing
here is different from my previous high school in France except for the fact that Redwood Highschool
is not as big.

We walk to our lockers and since it’s my first day I don’t miss the stares I keep getting from some of
the students here.

‘’Stares stares stares.’’ Seth rolls his eyes at one guy who quickly did a double take upon seeing me.

‘’They recognise that you’re not from around here Glen.’’ Pepper says as we reach our lockers which
are on one side. "I mean who wouldn't when you look like desert." She adds making me blush. I like
how Pepper and I are still the same with how we always hype each other up.

I load in a few things I use every day

including my favourite lip-gloss an extra calculator in case I leave the other one at home. I tend to
forget a lot especially when I’m stressed. I paste in a few reminders on the
inside of the locker door and my favourite Shakespearian quote written in glitter and black print. TO
BE OR NOT TO BE; THAT IS THE QUESTION
‘’So Gee. Are you into business or chemistry sciences?’’ Seth asks as we head toward the same
way where the seniors’ classes are.

‘’I am into chem; hence my first class today is biology.’’ I reply with a grin. ‘’And you?’’

‘’Business I can’t stand going to the labs and doing experiments. No offence but I’d rather watch
paint dry than go to the same class as Tiffany either.’’ He dramatically fans his face and Pepper
winced in response.

‘’Wait wait wait Tiffany? As in Tiffany Conway from middle school?’’ I am stunned as to why Seth
wouldn’t stand Tiffany. She used to be one of the sweetest.

‘’Tiffany Conway is the epitome of annoying. She totally went from the priest’s daughter to Lady
Gaga’s daughter.’’ Pepper adds with an annoyed look.

‘’I guess people change.’’ I said not really believing what I’m hearing. Tiffany even used to come by
my house when we were kids. It is getting pretty hard to believe she’s a buzz kill now.

Just then a wild feminine laughter makes me stop in my heels and so does Seth and Pepper. A girl
with tanned skin wearing a tank top with the school’s name on it and a skirt that leaves very little to
the imagination walks in with two
similar dressed girls beside her. Her blonde hair has a few strands of light
brown and is straightened and tied into two ponytails on her temple.

Her eye catches mine and when I see that familiar shade of blue hues that’s when I see she’s
Tiffany Conway. And I gotta say different is an understatement to define her she looks like she was
hit by a makeover truck. Her body is typical of any high school cheerleader with a flat tummy round
chest and clothes that look like she snatched them away before they were finished because they're
so short.

‘’Shut the front door! Glen McCartney!’’ She beams her and her two friends stopping in front of us.
She is still a bit shorter than me by about an inch though.
‘’I haven’t seen you in forever and you still look the same.’’ She makes sure I don’t miss the sarcasm
in her tone. Making her two friends chuckle.

My smile falls and I raised a brow taken aback. ‘’Well I wouldn’t say the same for you Tiff.’’ I reply
and she tilts her head holding her hand to her chest.

‘’Happy to see you back. I hope you enjoy your stay here.’’ She flips her hair and gives me a small
smile before taking off her two sidekicks trailing behind her.

‘’Well…’’ Pepper shrugs her shoulders giving me that I-told-you-so look.

‘’Tell me about it.’’ I shake my head to myself still taken aback. The bell suddenly rings and students
scatter and scurry in different directions for the first lesson.

‘’We have Business Studies up next.’’ Pepper says as she tosses her phone into her backpack and
giving me a brief hug. ‘’See you at lunch.’’

I wave at Seth as they disappear into their class before I head into mine. Just when I am about to
enter the door I bump into someone and nearly fall but he holds my wrist just in time.

‘’Sorry.’’ I mumble picking up my phone that fell from my jean pocket and inspect it for any screen
cracks.

‘’Are you the freshman?’’ The masculine voice makes me look up from my phone. The guy has a tan
that makes him look like he just jumped out of a magazine cover with his hair tied in a low man-bun
leaving a few strands peeking from his nape. And his eyelashes are longer than mine.

‘’Not really… I mean yeah.’’ I stutter shoving my phone into my jean pocket again.

He gives me an animated grin and chuckled. ‘’I’m Kai by the way.’’

‘’Glen.’’ I spoke.
‘’After you Glen.’’ He gestures for me to go in first and I do making my way to a desk at the centre of
the middle row because I’m not a fan of the front or the back desk either. I take out my biology
textbook and the
notes I jotted down Saturday night along with a pencil and eraser.

By now I’m not fazed by the gazes I keep getting from everyone as they fill in their desks. Some
faces are familiar and some are not.

The single desks start to fill in in no time. Kai took a seat on the desk that’s on my left. But two more
desks remain empty and that’s the one on my right and the one behind me.
The biology teacher walks through the door with a file under his arm and his
phone in one hand.

‘’Good morning class.’’ He greeted and a few murmured ‘hellos’ and ‘HI’s’ can
be heard.

Just then two more guys walked through the door and my back stilled upon laying my eyes on the
one at the back. I dart my eyes to my notebook and I try to think of rainbows and the beach to calm
myself down as Aidan enters the room.

Aidan walks past me to take a seat on the desk behind mine as the guy with a pierced eyebrow
takes the one to my right. And right now I feel like a trapped mouse. I can feel Aidan’s eyes boring a
hole through my head.

‘’Hey man.’’ Kai says to Aidan and they fist bump.

Disappointment shoots me in the gut. I was hoping Kai was a nice guy who has nothing to do with
Aidan
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now I have to play far away from him too to stay out of trouble.

‘’Hey Aidan.’’ Tiffany’s voice said somewhere in the back. I don’t hear any response from Aidan to
Tiffany after that.
The guy with dark hair to my right cocks his head forward to get a better view of Kai. They both
chuckle to an inside joke and my insecure inner self makes sure I believe that small gesture was
done because I’m here.

None of the guys says a word for the rest of biology class until the bell rings for the next class. I slide
through my phone as I make my way to the next class which is just opposite this one.

The teacher is already in sitting at her desk and flipping through the math
textbook. I make my way to the second desk from the back on the first row because the ones in the
middle are already taken as well as the ones on the front.

‘’Hi everyone I am Mrs. Potter your math teacher for the rest of the school year. To those who are
new here welcome to the best class the school has to offer.’’ She smiled at us and gets up from her
desk with a stack of papers in her hand. ‘’This is just a quick quiz. You have fifteen minutes to finish
up and I’ll mark it so you can leave with it to show your parents.’’ She spoke. Clearly joking cause
none of the seniors would actually take a quiz home to show their mommy and daddy.

‘’Yeah right like that’s ever gonna happen.’’ Pierced Eyebrow snorts to my right making a few more
students giggle.

‘’Settle down Damon.’’ Mrs. Potter eyes the guy. ‘’No one wants to know what you’ve got to say.’’

Kai snorts at Mrs. Potter’s response. Earning a glare from Damon.

After the quiz Mrs. Potter marks and I am only short of one mark before getting the total over twenty-
five. I smile to myself as she gives me my paper.

For the rest of the class we do equations and graphs with Mrs. Potter until the bell rings for lunch. I
get up from my desk and pack my math textbook and file into my bag and my pencils before exiting
the class to my locker. I grab phone and card to swipe for lunch food and walk to the cafeteria where
I spot Seth and Pepper in line to get their lunch.
Seth noticed me too and waves. ‘’Our table is over there.’’ He points to a table at the far end of the
cafeteria close to the windows and I nod before getting in line too. I decide to get a chicken caldereta
and plain rice and apple juice.

I mouthed a thank you after getting my order before walking over to Seth and Pepper taking a seat
next to Pepper.

‘’Hey guys.’’ I greeted as I place my phone next to me on the chair. ‘’I am starving.’’

‘’Same here.’’ Seth says with a mouthful of sandwich making Pepper frown in disapproval. ‘’Don’t.’’
Seth raised his forefinger in the air stopping Pepper’s pending rant.
Possibly it’s about talking with his mouth full which Pepper specially hates. I find myself chuckling at
Seth’s cheeky attitude as I pick up my fork and dig into my rice and caldereta.

‘’So how was your first lessons with Tiff?’’ Pepper smiled sheepishly as she sips on her milkshake.

‘’She’s not thaaat bad.’’ I look up from my lunch. ‘’She’s not mouthy in class you know.’’

‘’Oh well would you look at that.’’ Seth scoffs as he leans back on his chair eyeing the cafeteria
entrance. Pepper and I look and for some reason my chest tightens as Tiffany walks in clinging to
Aidan’s arm. She is grinning from ear to ear and when she sees me she whispers something in his
ear as they make their way to a table with girls wearing cheerleading uniform and a few other guys
including Kai and Damon.

I look forward and shove a fork of rice and caldereta into my mouth to force
down the painful lump that has no business making my throat hurt.

‘’I really don’t get what the big deal is. You shouldn’t pay them much attention.’’ I said after
swallowing. Taking a sip of my apple juice.

‘’We would Glen. We would mind our own business if she weren’t constantly
in everyone elses business.’’ Pepper snaps and sighs. ‘’I swear she makes me so mad.’’
‘’Last Spring she slept with her now ex-best friend's boyfriend. When Diane called her out for it in the
middle of lunch break she snapped back and I quote saying ‘I gave it better to him than you did’.’’
Seth mimics Tiffany’s voice.

‘’No way.’’ I gasp.

‘’Then days later the girl’s parents received pics of the girl making out and giving the guy oral.’’
Pepper adds. ‘’Of course we didn’t suspect it was Tiffany.’’ She said sarcastically.

‘’That’s messed up.’’ I can’t believe someone would do that to someone who used to be their best
friend.

I look over my shoulder at the table but I wish I hadn’t because I catch Aidan’s eyes on me. He
wears a red sweater with the hoodie on covering his head but his dark brown curls peek through.
His dark eyes hold a challenge behind them.

Tiffany is seated next to him talking to the side kick she was with earlier. Aidan's lips tilt into a smirk
as he throws his arm around Tiffany’s
shoulder and draws his fingertips up and down her arm.

‘’Good thing we hate drama we would have been sucked up in one of her shenanigans too. Half of
the school hates her and the other half wishes her priest daddy would ship her to a covet school.
And honey I’m part of the second half.’’ Seth says dramatically flipping invincible hair.

The bell rings and we pick up our takeaway containers and throw them into the large trash cans on
our way out the cafeteria. And I make a mental note to never look Aidan’s way for my own sanity’s
sake.

We are on the second floor of the school building when I suddenly remember that I had my phone in
my jean back pocket.
I reach inside my jean’s pocket for my phone but terror washes through me.

‘’Oh my god Pepper. Did you see my phone?’’ I pat all my jean pockets but to no avail.
‘’No babe didn’t you leave it in the locker?’’ She furrows her brows in worry.

‘’No I think I dropped it in the cafeteria.’’ I add.

‘’I can come with to help you look.’’ Seth suggests but I shake my head ‘no’.

‘’I wouldn’t want you to be late to class.’’ I force a smile. ‘’See you guys after school.’’

‘’Okay good luck babe. Text me when you find it so that I know you got it.’’
Pepper says as she turns around rushing to class.

I turn on my heels descending the stairs in a haste and turning toward the cafeteria direction. When I
walk in the whole cafeteria is clear of students so I walk to where we were seated and gladly I spot
the familiar beach aestheticsphone cover and grab it off the floor.

I sigh relieved and text Pepper.

📱~ Got it 😮💨

I then exit the cafeteria before rushing back to the lockers to get my
backpack. But my throat closed. I couldn’t swallow and it hurt to breathe as I approached and right
there -plastered on my locker- is Tiffany Conway. Her back is against my locker door as Aidan’s
hand snakes around her waist and her legs wrapped around his waist with his tongue down her
throat.

Bile rises up my chest and I still my jaw. Clearing my throat.

The set looks up and sees me. Unbelievably Tiffany rolls her eyes and Aidan just has that usual
solemn look on his face as he lets Tiffany’s legs drop from his waist unfazed.

Aidan and I hold each other's gaze as he walks past me.

He is the first to head to class with a strap of his backpack over his shoulder leaving Tiffany with a
rosy blush around her cheeks. She snaps back to reality when I unlock my locker and crossed her
arms over her chest.
‘’I hope you’re not hoping that he’s ever going to look your way when you look like that.’’

Tiffany’s words take me off-guard as I exchange my textbook for Literature and History which are
next. I shut my locker close in irritation and I have to remind myself that she’s just trying to get under
my skin. But I can’t help but wonder why.

‘’Excuse you.’’ I snap raising a brow at her. ‘’What makes you think I’m after
Aidan? I don’t go after assholes that drive Mustangs but clearly you have a pretty low standard
because you do.’’

I saw Aidan's Mustang Boss 302 parked outside his house this weekend. I'm sure she's probably
wondering why I don't find her five seconds of fun enticing. I mean why would I? The only thing
Aidan does for me is throw daggers and scowls my way .

Clearly annoyed Tiffany rolls her eyeballs. ‘’Don’t go chasing waterfalls

sweetheart.’’ She eyes me up and down before storming off and I follow behind her to class.

I take a seat in the front not really feeling like facing or walking past Aidan or Tiff. I can feel Aidan’s
eyes on me as I take a seat on the front desk.

‘’Alright class welcome back. I hope you had a splendid Summer.’’ The Literature teacher beamed
as she stops scribbling on the white board and averting her attention to us. "Let's turn to page five."

For the rest of the remaining two lessons I am irritated and uneasy about how Tiffany just went off on
me like she did. I hope Aidan didn’t put her up to that or God help them both cause I won't have
anyone ruining my senior year.

And why the heck were they making out right at my locker?

Chapter 3

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

 ~CHAPTER 3~

🥀Glen🥀

The week went along fine because Tiffany stayed put after the encounter I had with her on Monday.
It was as if someone had told her to behave because she stayed out of my way for the rest of the
week but ofcourse that does not include the daggers I get from her across the school halls everytime
she sees me. But she’s just wasting her time if she thinks I have time for her pathetic stunts.

Today is Saturday the 27th August and the first weekend of my first week at Redwood High. I have
to go shopping for some necessities like cosmetic products and a few decos for my room. I’ve
decided to change the plain white comforter and pillowcases with something more my style. I’m
thinking of violet or spring purple.

I descend the stairs wearing my ripped Jeans shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt with my Ramones
shirt over it and my white Nike kicks. My hair is tied in a loose messy bun and I’ve my Air pods in my
ear.

I exit through the French doors that lead to the back of the house where I find my dad working in the
garden his shirt sleeves pushed backwards and his working gloves covering his hands. His back is
facing me so he hasn’t noticed me yet. I walk over to him. “Dad I’m off to the store now. You mind if I
take the car?”

He looks up and wipes sweat off his forehead. “I almost forgot you are going today. I have a list of
stuff I need from the hardware store. The list is on the dresser in my bedroom.”

“Alright.” I said before disappearing into the house and grabbing the list. I’ve had breakfast already
so I just grab the car keys off the kitchen island and exit through the front door hopping into the car
in the driveway.

***
Ten minutes later I park outside the hardware supplies store. I walk through the alleys and find two
of the tools my dad jotted down but I have a hard time finding the last three. I spot a guy wearing a
short-sleeved shirt with the store’s name on it and I walk toward him.

“Hi excuse me.” I said but his back is facing me and he has earphones on so he doesn’t hear me.

Who even wears earphones at work?

I tap his shoulder which finally works cause he turns around and that’s when I see it’s Damon from
class. Aidan’s pal.

“Hi. Is there anything I can help with?” He gives me a closed smile. Raising one of his pierced
eyebrows.

“I have a list here…” I hand him the list. “…but I can’t find the last three stuff. I was hoping you’d…”

“Oh that.” He raised his brows not even letting me finish. Amusement is clear in his tone and face.
“This way.”

I follow him to the alley I just passed moments ago and he stops at the spot where I found the other
item from my dad’s list.

“And here it is.” He pulls the screwdriver-like tool and hands it to me. The name is written in Dutch on
the product a contrast to the English list my dad gave me.

“Thank you.” I said heat rising up my neck from embarassment. “There’s two more.” I remind him
hating the fact that I don’t know how those things look like because I could just look for them myself.
I don’t like that this guy looks at me like I’m so pathetic for not knowing them.

After Damon helped me to find the rest of the items I pay at the register and can’t help but noticed
how similar the middle aged man looks to Damon. I suppose it’s his dad cause they have the same
shade of hair colour and eyes too just that this man’s hair is beginning to grey at the sides of his
temple just above his ears.
“Thank you.” I said as I carry the paper bag and head toward the car.

When I look back to the store as I open the hood of the car and find Damon’s eyes on me.

He looks away unashamed and I could’ve sworn I saw a smirk as he disappeared somewhere in the
store.

I ignore his weirdness and enter the car heading to the furniture store where I find a sale for
comforters and pillows cases. I even find a pretty bright purple butterfly reading lamp which I add to
the collection of bedroom deco I found.

Before heading back home I stop at the gas station to get snacks for the rest of the weekend for me
and energy drinks for dad.

After paying I place the bags in the backseat of the car before shutting the door and am about to
enter the driver’s side when a familiar sound of an engine rattling jolts me. I stop to look around only
to see Aidan’s Mustang Boss 302 which halts for a gas fill.

I continue to enter the driver’s seat but I don’t start the car yet. I find myself staring at him through
the rearview mirror as he pays for the gas and sits on the nose of his angry car staring at the floor
with his hands in his back Jeans pockets.

He looks so calm with a short sleeve white shirt that’s a see-through. I can see the tattoos on his
abdomen and the ones on his arms peeking through. His hair is still messy as if he has been running
his fingers through it and his lips are slightly parted.

Memories of how good it used to be when we were still friends flood me and I find myself smiling.
How he used to sneak out his window when we were seven to sleep over at my house because his
parents were fighting. How he used to cheer me up when other girls at school had said nasty things
to me after my mother passed away. When we were ten he had told me I was pretty when I cried
after falling flat on my face and in no time he had made me laugh so hard I forgot why I was crying in
the first place.
We were so young then we didn’t know what was the meaning behind what we felt but we dwelled in
the sweet feeling of innocence and friendship. He was my best friend and had felt like my second
home.

Aidan gets up from the nose of his car and rounds the car to get in the driver's seat but my face falls
when I see Tiffany sitting in the seat opposite the driver’s seat staring into her cellphone screen as
she applies red glossy lipstick to her lips.

Aidan said something to her and she bats her eyelashes before grinning from ear to ear.

I shove the key into the ignition as he leans in to kiss her. Liquid heat coursed through my veins
when he looked up.

Shit.

Knowing him he definitely recognises my dad’s car but I don’t care if it looks like I’ve been peeking. I
drive off and get home faster than I anticipated. I’m lucky the LAPD didn’t stop me with the speed I
was driving at.

When I open the front door I hear chatter in the kitchen.

“Dad?” I call as I walk in and to my surprise I find him sitting on a chair around the island as Mrs.
Caruthers Aidan’s aunt works on the kitchen counter. She’s chopping carrots.

“Hello Glendale.” Mrs. Caruthers beams upon seeing me and I force a smile. She’s the only one who
calls me by my full name. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her here. I thought she lives in New York.

“Hey.” I give her a toothy smile and my eyes land on my dad who is sipping coffee.

“Monique here came to my rescue when I almost burnt down the house trying to make us dinner.”
He lets out a deep chuckle and she joins in.

I can’t help but grin in amusement as I think of my dad cooking. Mrs. Caruthers must’ve been
traumatized by the sight.
“Well I’m glad you helped us Mrs. Caruthers before we became homeless after dad burnt the house
to the ground.” I joked as I place the tools paper bag dad had sent me to get on the island next to
him.

“Thanks sweetheart. I thought you’d have a hard time finding them.” He teased as he peeks inside.

“Just because I’m a girl.” I tease him back biting back a grin because I actually did have a hard time
finding most of the tools.

“Well of course I know you’re smart. This must have been a peace of pie for you.” Dad adds as he
wiggles his eyebrows. “What’s in the other bags?”

“It's the rest of the other stuff I said I’d get for my bedroom décor. I’m just going to get to it and shift
some stuff around.” I give my dad his credit card but embarassment creeps in at the thought of
leaving Mrs. Caruthers to the pots by herself so I ask. “Do you need help with anything Mrs.
Caruthers?”

“Not really Glendale. But thanks for offering…and please call me Monique.” She adds with a soft
smile and I take that as my que to excuse myself.

When I get to my room I start replacing the comforter and pillowcase with the ones I got just as I had
planned. I fold the white ones and put them in my closet. I then decide to do some math and make
History notes too but I find myself on my bed falling asleep as the exhaustion creeps in at about two
in the afternoon.

****

I am woken up by an irritating sound and when I look around the room it has already gotten dark.
The soft afternoon light peeking through the French doors is gone and replaced by violet dusk.

I get off the bed and stretch my arms before walking to the French doors and when I peek through
it’s raining. Butterflies dance in my stomach at the sight of droplets splintering on the balcony. I love
it when it rains.
I listen closely and the irritating sound persists and it sounds like a dog barking.

It must be Aidan’s dog

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it’s raining. Butterflies dance in my stomach at the sight of droplets splintering on the balcony. I love
it when it rains.

I listen closely and the irritating sound persists and it sounds like a dog barking.

It must be Aidan’s dog Daisy. I try to ignore it while brushing my teeth in my bathroom but
uneasiness creeps in as the sound continues so I exit the room and descend the stairs after flossing
my teeth.

“Dad.” I call to hear if my dad’s home and he replied from his office upstairs. “I just wanted to hear if
you’re home.”

“Oh alright.” He spoke.

I drift out the front door and tiptoe around the house and when I look next door Daisy is barking in
the rain at the closed front door.

“Daisy…” I call but it doesn’t notice me yet so I walk through the rain and stop next to the dog.
“Daisy.” I call again and it wiggles its tail when it sees me. A sudden warmth fills my chest at the
small gesture. It’s nice to see it remembers me. Aidan and I used to play in the back yard with Daisy
for hours on end.

Right now the dog is drenched and shaking from the cold rain and I’m sure it wants to get inside the
house. I knock on the door in hopes that someone will open but to no avail. I knock one last time
before turning the knob and the door opens.

The dog wastes no time to scurry to it’s bowl that’s on the kitchen floor at full speed.
“Mrs. Caruthers.” I called but there is no sign of life in the house. I flick the switch on the wall and
look around the not-so-familiar house I used to play in when I was seven. The lounge has changed
from the warm light brown and white décor to more modern Black leather and charcoal décor. The
sofas have been replaced with black leather ones and the once cream coloured drapes that cover
the windows are replaced with dull silver blinds. The house just looks like an office now it doesn’t
feel like home.

I am about to turn on my heel and exit because the dog is finally inside but I halt when I hear the low
purr of an engine.

Aidan.

My heart starts hammering against my chest and heat travels up my neck making me hot all over.

“Great just perfect.” I murmur to myself as I think of any logical reason I’m going to give him when he
finds me in his house.

I turn toward the door and turn the knob but someone turns outside too and before I brace myself
Aidan pushed the door open as I pulled from the inside.

When his eyes land on me his brows go up in shock and he drops his gaze down my form and up
again to my face. Now his eyes were dark and hooded.

Here we go...

“What are you doing here?” He asks as he glanced around looking like he doesn't believe what he's
seeing. The question comes out like a warning and I take a step back as he takes one toward me.

“The dog was getting drenched so I opened up and…” I stop midsentence. Suddenly feeling it
unnecessary to explain myself with the way he is staring at me like I just spat on his favourite pair of
shoes.

“Which dog? 'My' dog?” He asked and irritation hit my gut.

I furrow my brows. “Yes your dog.” I reply curtly keeping my temper in check. He’s trying to make me
feel dumb.

“Well I don’t see how the dog is inside the house but you’re still standing here too. You should go
Glendale.” He says in the most monotone voice ever. He knows how I hated it when people call me
by my full name. Another tactic to get under my skin.

“I’ll see myself out.” I snapped walking around him to exit.

“Good.” He said curtly and that was it I lost all control of the brakes to my tongue.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I spat turning around. It’s about time I find out what his issue is.

Aidan’s face lights up into an amused smirk and he scoffs. “Well I guess it’s pretty clear that you’re
standing in the middle of my house so that pretty much is my fucking problem Glendale.” He raised a
brow as if that’s the most logical response ever.

Air struggles to enter my lungs as I stand rooted. “You’ve been nothing but an asshole to me when I
left three years ago for reasons that are unknown to me and now I’m back and you’re still behaving
like a spoilt brat.” I retort and his eyes darkened.

I can see by the way his jaw flexed. Now he was mad.

He steps toward me closing the gap between us and pushing the door shut behind me causing me
to flinch at his sudden reaction.

I walk back until my back is against the door and Aidan’s form towers over mine. Aidan was taller
than me three years ago cause puberty was just starting. But now....

His form was huge.

His broad chest the muscles in his arms flexing and the way the fabric of the chest stuck to his skin...

And there it was. That familiar challenge burning behind his eyes.
“We are not ten anymore Glendale. Watch your mouth or there’ll be consequences.” He stared into
my eyes and I barely heard what he said with the way my heart is beating so loud in my ears.

“I’m not scared of you Aidan.” I say but my voice betrays me and comes out too soft.

“You should.” Aidan’s tone drops and he holds my gaze. “Those days of playing cards and riding
bikes in my backyard are over. Keep pressing my buttons and we’ll end up upstairs in my room to
play since that's what you're trying at. But there’ll be fucking involved.”

What did he just say?

Heat travels to my cheeks and I suck my bottom lip trying to appear unfazed. “Stop calling me that.”
I breathed out. “And back up.” I push his chest with one hand his sudden body heat mixed with
cologne and the familiar scent of a car's interior leather is making me dizzy. My knees have become
Jello.

“Why would I stop calling you by your name?” He almost chuckled but he gives me his usual
condescending smirk instead. His eyes dart to my hand that’s still on his chest and he quickly grabs
my wrist before I think to remove it.

For a moment I forget how to breathe with the way he is staring at me.

Aidan surprises me by leaning in and whispering in my ear. “You’re hot Glen. Better run away from
me if you don’t want me doing things to you that’ll get us both in trouble.” He warns as his lips graze
my ear.

Jesus Christ.

I sucked in a breath. “You wouldn’t touch me.” I reply barely even believing what I’m saying either.

“Trust me. If I touched you you’d want it.” He pushed his hand away from the door and his heat and
scent leaves me. Leaving my stomach in knots and my throat dry.
I blink away tears as he walks up the stairs leaving me stranded in his living room floor. Now I hate
myself for coming here in the first place.

My head is in cloud nine and my heart is heavy. Aidan Caruthers has a way of getting under my skin
and that makes me really mad. He is the only person who manages to bring out my alter ego and I
hate him for that.

Turning around to open the door I exit and run to my house. Climbing the stairs two at at time and
locking myself in my room.

“Glen are you okay?” My dad asks outside my door but I lie and say I’m fine before burying my face
in my pillow and crying.

I hate the push and pull tension happening between us. Some things have got to change.

Chapter 4

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 4~

☢️ Aidan ☢️

-3 years ago-

I am woken by a sudden crash like a glass falling to the floor. My eyes snap open and I look around
the room that I fell asleep in last night for the first time. The bed sheets smell like laundry powder
and the whole room smells like wood vanish and polish. A contrast to the lemon and spring scent
that surrounds the house back home. And that’s when I finally register that I’m not at home but at my
dad’s house. A twenty minute drive away from my mom’s house.

I rub the sleep off my eyes and slide out of the bed sheets and look around the clean floor for my
shoes but I don’t see them anywhere. I kneel and peek under the bed and spot my sneakers put
neatly on the other side of the bed. I get up and round the bed to put the shoes on before I exit the
room.

The walls surrounding me are covered in sleek grey coloured oil paint and dark brown ceilings that
hang above as I make my way down the stairwell. I still haven’t gotten used to how big this house is.
I guess it takes a little more time to get used to a mansion this huge when you’ve grown up in a
double storey Victorian house all your life. I only came here because my dad had been asking for me
to come over and after denying me to come for the past three months my mom finally let me.

I descend the stairs in a kind of haste still wondering what the crash had come from. When I reach
the bottom of the stairwell I finally spot the broken whiskey glass and stilled when I saw my dad lying
on the floor his body facing down.

My heart leaped into my stomach at the thought that he is dead but relief seethed through me when
he winced raising his head up to look around.

He must’ve heard my footsteps cause he shifted and tried to sit up.

“Don’t just stand there help me up!” His voice comes out harsher than I’d expected. I hesitate only a
moment before strolling to him and helping him sit on the stool around the dark marble kitchen
island. The intoxicating smell of whiskey and adult beverage hits my nostrils.

“I hope you slept well… your mother would breathe down my neck all the time if she heard you didn’t
enjoy your stay here.” Dad whined and irritation made it’s way up my neck. I flexed my jaw.

I walk to the cabinet just above the kitchen counter and then to the refrigerator and pour him a glass
of cold water. Returning to place the glass in front of him.

“Here.” I said quietly. And he hesitates before taking the glass and gulping half the content.

“Thanks son.” He roughs up my hair with his hand but I shift and turn on my heels suddenly feeling
the urge to call him out for his behaviour. I may just be fourteen but I know very well that fathers
don’t go around getting drunk around their kids and expect them to clean after their mess.
I walk to the lounge and take the remote off the coffee table turning the television on. Not really
feeling hungry.

After watching Anime for about an hour and half I hear dad’s chair screeching and watch him head
up the stairs. Probably up to his bedroom.

I ignore him calling me as he reached upstairs. He keeps mumbling something I can’t comprehend
so I raise the volume to the TV and get up to make something to eat.

I make toast and fry eggs for myself just like mom taught me but by the time I sit down to eat my
toast is half-burnt and the eggs taste like trash. But I eat it anyway after pouring myself a glass of
orange juice.

I decide to take a shower and get dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt I brought along for the
weekend and the same sneakers I wore when I came here. I leave my hair as it is to dry making my
way to the garage where I grab my skateboard and exit through the front door.

The Californian summer sun is already overhead even though it’s only eight o’clock in the morning.
It’s no doubt leaving a tan on my exposed skin.

I throw the skateboard onto the paved driveway ground and hop on with both feet letting the wheels
carry me to the pavement just outside the yard. As soon as I’m at the side of the road I push myself
forward with my right leg across the pavement and continuing the motion until I stop outside Flynn
Davidson’s house. I propped myself off the skateboard and pick it up holding it below my arm as I
make my way to Flynn’s door. His house is no different from the rest of the mansions adorning the
North side of Greenbrae.

I ring the bell and as if he knew it’d be me Flynn appears through the door and squints his blue eyes
as the sun hits his face. His red hair and freckles welcoming the shining sun ovehead. He grins
revealing braced teeth. “You made it I thought you were kidding when you said you’d come to the
North side.” He chuckles as we fist bump.

“I thought I told you to listen to your elders son.” I tease and he snorts.
“Yeah right.” He scoffs teasingly as he walks out the door.

We race towards the amusement park. Making our way to the car rides and he pays with a dollar bill
from his jeans pocket.

The horse rides make a perfect position for watching the girls from my school walk by. One girl
who’s wearing a floral print blouse a skirt and flats catches my eye and my stomach somersaults
cause I thought it’s Glen but she turns around and dissapointment slaps the grin off my face.

Glen is one of the fewest people who I look forward to seeing. She listens to the things I tell her no
matter how insignificant they may seem. Except for my mom who also adds to the list when she
decides to be sober which can only last for so long. It really would have felt better to see Glen today
especially after how shitty my day started. It's a good thing I have a pal like Flynn in this
neighborhood .

Flynn and I drive around on our skateboards causing trouble here and there and I can’t stop
wheezing by the time we go back to the north side.

“The look on that girl’s face was priceless.” Flynn catches his breath stopping to pick up his
skateboard as we stand outside his house on the driveway.

“It was fun while it lasted she’ll tell me off to her mom. She’s the headmistress’ daughter at
Greenbrae Middle School ya know.” I can’t help but find that ridiculous. My mom will flip out when
she finds out I’d been causing trouble popping girl's balloons at amusement parks when I’m visiting
my dad. Not that I’d be bothered if she stopped me coming here either so I’m not complaining.

Flynn and I do our handshake we came up with two weeks ago and I make my way back to my dad’s
house feeling better than I did this morning.

It is already in the afternoon by the time I turn the knob and walk in. The whole house is so quiet I
almost backed out because the sudden serenity sent chills down my arms. I place the skateboard
down just as I walk to the lounge.
“Dad.” I call kicking the shoes off my feet and plopping down on the couch. I’m about to grab the
remote control but he suddenly spoke.

“In the living room.” His voice comes out so low I almost wondered if he is sick.

When I pass the kitchen I can see the glass that broke early this morning is cleaned and so is my
glass and platter I ate in for breakfast. I walk through the hallway as my socks slide on the smooth
surface of the cold marble floor.

When I reach the living room I find him sitting on the large table that’s already set. He sits on the
narrow side of the table with a plate in front of him and just to his right another plate is there so I
guess it’s mine.

A smile creeps on my lips and I head over. “You made dinner.” I sit down. Chicken Salad rice stew
and creamy mashed potato and creamy pasta was there ready to be served. My mouth watered and
I suddenly remember I missed lunch cause stuffing myself with candy with Flynn doesn’t really count
as lunch.

“You missed your lunch today.” His voice came out better than last time. More lively this time as he
reached for the chicken salad. Giving me the go ahead to dig in too.

“I ate at a friend’s house.” I lie already pouring myself the pasta and chicken salad. “He lives just
around the block.” I add grabbing the fork and ready to bring it to my lips but dad takes me off guard
stopping me from shoving the pasta into my mouth.

I furrowed my brows on reflex. “You don’t eat until I say you do.” He said with hooded eyes
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his own platter had pasta and chicken salad as well.

Confusion washes over me.

Is there something I’d done to make him mad? Was it because I’d not cleaned the glass that broke
earlier?
Is he drunk?
“What time did you wake up today?” He lets go of my hand but now everything just becomes hard to
take in. There is a solemn quietness about him that makes him almost unrecognisable. My dad is
usually a friendly guy. Known as the former senator’s son and also the local police officer.
Everybody loves him for his willingness to keep his town safe but now I am seated next to a stranger
that I cannot recognise.

“I didn’t look at the time.” I reply to his question after thinking. Suddenly afraid that anything I say
would piss him off.

“I see.” He picks up a fork full of pasta. “You can eat.” He gets up and leans forward to grab the salt
across the table and sits back down.
My chest begins to tighten and I don’t feel safe anymore. The sudden feeling that I’d done something
to anger him bugs me and snatches away my appetite.

Not really sure what he’d do if I didn’t eat like he ordered I dropped my gaze to my plate and dug a
forkfull of chicken salad and shoved it into my mouth chewing slowly.

I don’t pour myself anything else until I’m finished eating. “I’m just going to sleep now. I’m feeling
lightheaded.” I popped to my feet as the defeaning silence starts to make me feel nauseas but he
grabs my wrist and pulls me back down into the chair.

“You skipped lunch and now you’re about to go to bed without enough food in your system!” He
retorted as if skipping a meal is a crime and I furrowed annoyance creeping it’s way up my neck.

Why is he suddenly coming at me like this? I didn’t ask to come here in the first place. Memories of
how he and mom used to argue when I was a kid come flashing back so quick that my head almost
feels too heavy for my liking.

“I am not hungry anymore.” I bit out trying to pull my wrist out of his hold cause he is cutting my
blood circulation now with the way he’s gripping it. “Let go dad.” I looked into his eyes.

Fiery fury burnes behind his grey eyes that are the same shade as mine. His perfectly gelled brown
hair is just a shade lighter than mine. “Your mother didn’t teach you manners boy.” He picks up the
spoon from the pasta pot with his free hand and pours pasta into my bowl. “Sit the fuck down and
eat Aidan!” He throws off my wrist and I wince.

I plump down into the chair and instead of eating I gritted my teeth so hard I feel a pain in my jaw.
The platter is getting blurry with each passing second as I stare at the contents in front of me. I
inhale a deep breath and try to think of Glen and I playing in my back yard when we were ten to
keep myself calm. The way she used to giggle when my dog licked her face as we rolled on the
green grass.

Breathe.
Fucking breathe goddamn it.

A tear falls on the expensive cloth covering the table and forms a dark circle bringing me back to the
table. I suck in a quick breath.

I half expected my dad to yell or throw a tantrum just like he did moments ago but he doesn’t and
that’s when I realise I’d zoned out because he was long gone from the table. His empty platter
remaining as evidence that he was there. Remnants of his spicy wood cologne stuck in the air.

As if on autopilot I get up and wash the dishes before going up the stairs to my room.

Assuming that he’d went off to sleep now.

When I get to the bedroom my bed has been made too even though I remember leaving it unmade
in the morning. I throw myself onto the bed and stare at the ceiling wishing that I’d protested against
coming here in the first place. The weight of a truck hangs in my chest at the thought of how sick
both my parents make me with each passing day. My mother a struggling drug addict and my father
who’s an honorable public outside his house but an unbearable monster to his son and soon to be
ex-wife.

- PRESENT –

The promise of autumn enters the open window as the wind seeps through and I lazily open my
eyes up. I am met by the familiar ceiling in my room. It’s five minutes before my six o’clock alarm
goes off so I groan and sit up. My head feels like it was hit by a ten ton truck and it takes me a
moment to remember what happened the night before.

I rub my eyes with my fingers as I get out the bed and pull the door open walking to the bathroom
and turning the cold water on as I turn around to turn the water resistant speaker on that’s on the
window sill. Stileto’s CRAVING blares from the device and I throw off the boxers and hang them on
the bathroom rail. I open the shower door and step under the cold faucet. I still my jaw as the icy
cold water hits my skin but in no time I throw my head back and my mind drifts back to her.

I’d gone out last night after she left because I’d felt like a prick for seeming like an ungrateful idiot
when she brought the dog in. But she was getting worked up and that had gotten me excited so I
didn’t stop until she was hurt which made me feel even shittier. Glen standing inside my house after
so long had given me a closeup glimpse of her. Three years has done wonders on her and it keeps
getting harder and harder to not notice her. And I’m not sure how I feel about some creep from
school getting his hands on her cause I know I’m not the only one who sees how beautiful she’s
become.

I got shit-faced drunk last night and paid Brandt the bartender to drive me back here cause I couldn’t
do it myself from Melvyn’s bar.

I ignored Monique’s rants as I dragged myself up to my room cause getting wasted is the only way I
can get some sleep after I’d hurt Glen.

I descend the stairs dressed up in a pair of sweatpants and sneakers and a black sweater with the
hoodie over my head. The weather is drifting from the humid warm Summer atmosphere to a more
Autumnal one. I grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator and do a double take to see if my aunt is
still around.

When I see no one I peek through the kitchen window and her car is not around either which can
only mean she left for work already.

I warm a sandwich from the ones she packed up in the refrigerator and chew it as I look around the
living room for my backpack which has my copy of the literature book which is my first class today.
When I don’t find the book I finish the sandwich and down it with the cold water before exiting and
locking the front door.

Climbing into my car I open the dashboard and dig out a packet of mint gum and throw two into my
mouth. I revved the engine and glance at the McCartney’s house as I drive past. The BMW is not
onsight so I guess she already took off. My lips curve up in a smirk as I think of how good she had
looked in those shorts she wore last night. Barefoot and her hair drenched and sticking to her
temple.

I groan as blood rushes to my cøck and let down the window letting the cold air rushing in to take my
thoughts elsewhere. The clouds are starting to gather now…the promise of rain lingering in the air.

I spot Damon’s ride and park next to it. My eyes roam around the crowded school and I find myself
searching for a light pink backpack and wavy brown hair.

“Hey you.” Tiff’s voice says from my right and I force my lips into a grin. Eyeing her skimpy sweater
that reveals her toned stomach and tight full jeans and knee-high boots. The eyeliner under her eyes
making her eyes look more fierce.

“Hi.” I open my arm and she slides into it as it drops around her shoulder.

“I’ve been texting you the whole night and this morning. Thought something had happened to you.”
She blurts out feigning concern. I know Tiffany well enough by now she’s only worried I’d been
burying myself into some of the girls in her cheerleading squad whom I always catch staring at me or
Damon or Kai.

Just then I hear a familiar chuckle and my back stills. Tiffany is now long forgotten as I looked over
my shoulder and see Glen with her friend. She is talking about something and raises her eyebrows
as she stares into her friend’s eyes animatedly.

By the time I finally remember that Tiffany was right here next to me she turns around and stomps
away slipping onto Lawrence’s lap who’s sitting on one of the old exterior chairs.
I chuckle under my breath at how emotionally unstable she allows herself to be before I sit on the
nose of my car watching Kai and Damon walk my way. Kai says something that makes Damon
snicker behind his fist and Kai let’s out a smirk at the inside joke but his smile fades when his eyes
land on Pepper who jogged past me toward some dude with wavy blonde hair throwing her arms
around his neck.

I almost laugh at Kai’s expression. The girl has been dragging his ass all over the place but he still
won’t quit.

“I thought I’d told you to toss her over.” Damon says referring to Tiffany who snuggles against
Lawrence's chest but my eyes catch sight of Trevor Daniels making his way to Glen. I watch him as
he throws his arm over her shoulder and she stilled looking uncomfortable at something he
whispered in her ear.

“Well well. Would you look at that pretty little lass.” Damon snickered earning himself a glare from
me.

Chapter 5
♠️ TILL HATE DO US APART ♠️

~CHAPTER 5~

🥀GLEN🥀
I watch as Pepper rushes to throw her hands over Seth's neck as he hops out of a red La Ferrari
with a chaperone driving in the driver's seat. She's excited because Seth agreed to finally get her a
Prada handbag to match his after begging to get her one of the same colour.

My phone suddenly rings and take it out only to see it's my dad.

I reply and he tells me I forgot my literature textbook copy at home. I tell him to not worry about it. I
wouldn't want him to drive back here from work just because I forgot my book at home.

I then shove the phone back into my hoodie pocket but my back stills as someone throws a hand
over my shoulder.

"Hey bunny." The male voice says and it takes me a few moments to register who it is. Only one
person used to call me that in middle school cause he thought I have buck teeth. I half roll my eyes
at the memory of that.

I furrow my brows and wiggle out of Trevor Daniel's embrace.

"Come on that's no way to warm up to an old friend." He grins revealing his perfect set of teeth. His
dark hair is styled to make him look like his name should be Chad. A
He wears a perfect white golf shirt and black pants with shiny shoes.

"Hey Trevor." I force a smile. "Great to see you." I say but it comes out forced and obvious that I'd
rather be anywhere else but with him standing in front of me.

"I didn't know you were back in town." He smiles revealing a dimple on his left cheek.

"Well..." I shrug in response. "...I'm here aren't I?"

"Yikes. Still sassy I see." He winced chuckling as he rubs his neck nervously. "So are you doing
anything after classes this afternoon?"

I raise my eyebrows at him pursing my lips. Is he being serious? "Uh-

"Hope we're not disturbing." Seth interrupts and Pepper appears alongside him.

"Trevor hi." Pepper said before winking at me. I almost scoff at the gesture but I don't for Trevor's
sake. He hasn't done anything to make me think he's a jerk but I don't see him that way.

"So..." I say because he wasn't saying anything now. Trevor glances between me and my friends
before pursing his lips.

"You know what I'll catch you during lunch. I've got to slide...you know Dean meetings and all that."
He awkwardly walks away backward before winking at me and turning forward towards the entrance.

"Well that was painful to watch." Seth mumbles and I sigh.

"Tell me about it." I roll my eyes wishing the day could just end already. Am I really supposed to
wear a sign that says 'STAY AWAY' for boys to stop nagging me cause that sounds like the only
option now.

"I think he's sweet." Pepper coos earning a playful glare from Seth and I.

"Of course Kai was cute too last Summer before you found out he..." Seth is interrupted by Pepper
clearing her throat signalling for him to zip it.

"Kai Duffler from my class?" I squeal and gasp under my breath. "You too were a thing?"

"It was just a fling... thing." She half rolls her eyes.

Seth and I give each other a knowing look and snort.

"She actually liked him...a lot." Seth wiggles his brows and I chuckle.

"Awww babe." It's my turn to coo now. Pepper throws me a playful glare and I stick my tongue out.
Making Seth laugh.
The bell suddenly rings and takes us out of our gossip mood. We agree to go to the beach after
classes today before we leave our lockers and go our separate classes for first lesson.

I take my favourite seat on the desk in the middle row and take out my notebook as the teacher
walks in with her copy of McBeth. I look at my notebook and suddenly wish I was invisible. I can't
believe I left the book at home.

My eyes dart to the door as Aidan walks in not long after that Kai walks through with Damon behind
him and I don't look back but I think they settled in the desks at the back. The chairs start filling and
the lesson begins but my stomach flips when Mrs. Tomasz raised her eyes to look at us.

"Everyone please take out your copy of McBeth and turn to page seventy three." She walks around
her table and leans against it at the front her own copy of the book in her hand as she flips through
the pages.

I drop my gaze to the table and suck in a breath as she calls my name. Slowly I raise my head to
look at her and she is staring at me through her glasses. "Where is your copy?" The question slips
out her tongue and I bite my tongue as everyone turns around to look at me. Now I wish Seth or
Pepper had theirs so they could lend me but they don't have Lit today.

"I left it at home." My response burns my own ears as soon as I say it. I can literally feel Aidan's eyes
boring a hole through my skull right now.

Mrs. Tomasz doesn't regard me anylonger as her eyes dart to the back. "Caruthers at the back.
Where is 'your' copy?" She blurts out. A snort can be heard from the back and I still my back.
Suddenly wishing I would've been absent or sick rather than being here right now.

What sort of sick trick is the universe playing on me?...

The first time I forget my literature book Aidan does too?

No response comes from Aidan and giggles go off somewhere from the girls in class. I square my
jaw as I anticipate whatever Mrs. Tomasz is going to say next.
"I think the two of you can excuse us and read your own copies in the library since you can't bring
them to class." She finally says turning to her table and calmly writing on two pink que cards with her
red pen. My first thought is detention and my chest tightens my dad will freak out. I've never gotten
into trouble before.

I pick up my notebook and pencil and throw them into my backpack as I popped out of my chair.
Aidan's form towers past me first and he snatches the que card from Mrs. Tomasz. I follow behind
him and take the other que card from Mrs. Tomasz shove it inside my hoodie pocket and exit the
class murmurs following as soon as I leave. Another reason for Tiffany to hate me added onto her
bucket list.

Feeling like the worst version of the worst version of myself

Sponsored

AD

murmurs following as soon as I leave. Another reason for Tiffany to hate me added onto her bucket
list.

Feeling like the worst version of the worst version of myself I round the corner and take the stairway
that leads to the first floor where the library is. The whole time Aidan's musk scent reminding me of
Saturday when I was in his house. My skin gets warm as I think of spending the rest of the remaining
thirty minutes alone with him again.

I walk into the library and my eyes involuntarily dart around but I don't see Aidan insight. I walk
toward an empty desk and put my backpack there as I make my way toward the sci-fi book shelf. I
squint my eyes as I read the names and numbers on the narrow sides of the books. Slowly running
my fingertips across the edges of the books as I walk through looking for one particular copy that's
my favourite.

I furrow my brows as Aidan's scent hits my nostrils again and I look around but only see the librarian
who's replacing different copies on the Literature shelf that's adjacent to this one.

I get back to my sci-fi hunt and my eyes land on an old cover of Frankenstein. A smile creeps on my
lips and I lean forward and stretch my arm to grab the copy but I touch someone's hand on the other
side.
I pull my hand away and peek through only to see Aidan walking away with the book I was about to
grab.

Sucking my bottom lip in frustration I walk around the shelf and watch him take a seat on one of the
empty desks. As if knowing I'd be looking he smirks and flips through the pages of the book I know
he has no business reading.

I bite the inside of my cheeks strolling toward him. But I stop halfway and decide to play his game
instead.

Grabbing my backpack from the desk that I had initially planned to sit around I throw the bag strap
over my shoulder and walk to his desk and pull a chair plumping down and throwing my bag next to
the chair on the floor. Facing him.

Aidan looks up from the book and raises a perfect dark brow but doesn't say anything. I raise a brow
at him too as I dig out my math textbook and notebook and flip the pages to Calculus. I manage to
concentrate through the first three Calculus problems but my stomach somersaults as images of
Aidan and I in the same room alone dance around in my head.

"*If I touch you you'd want it*" he'd said that when I stood stranded in his house Saturday night.

I exhale an exaggerated sigh trying to focus but I find myself raising my eyes and right then Aidan
raised his and we held each other's glance.

I wait for a cocky remark but it doesn't come. Only us staring into each other's orbs.

Aidan shuts the book in his hand and puts it on the table before standing up from his chair. His eyes
never leaving mine for a second.

He walks around me and I can't help but notice he hasn't got a backpack to school again today.

God. He's such a rebellious prick.

I look down when he walks past me and embarassment washes over me. Why can't I just ignore
him? Now he must feel like he has the upper hand.

"My offer still stands if you wanna play Glendale." Aidan's voice suddenly whispers close to my neck
and I almost whimper as my heart skips a beat and liquid heat coursed through my body settling
right at my core.

Fuck.

I thought he'd left.

His musk scent covers me all over and it takes me a moment to get out of his masculine spell. But I
tighten my grip around the pencil in my hand and shake my head slightly.

"I don't play games with idiots Aidan ." I bit out. "Besides wouldn't it be a waste of time to play games
with pissy girls with snort noses?" I blurt out reminding him of his exact words he spewed at me
three years ago before he never set eyes on me again.

I smirk tilting my head to look at him and a scowl is plastered on his face now. I could've laughed if I
wasn't so annoyed. He almost looks hurt.

But Aidan surprises me by turning the chair I'm seated on around forcing me to look his way.

"Wha..." I retort. Glowering at him.

"You forget one thing Glendale. I am not like you." He smirks leaning in so his face is inches from
mine and his eyes are level with mine. "I can do whatever I want and get in trouble and nobody will
give two shits. But you..." He lets out a deep chuckle amusement behind his eyes. I know what's
coming. "..you care about what the Lit teacher thinks of you if you don't have a copy of McBeth in
front of you. You care about what your dearest daddy will say when his little princess starts
misbehaving...you care about who you're seen with at the convenient store. Hell you even care how
many people around the school yard think you're a good girl." He chuckles his gaze narrowing on
me.
His minty breath hits my face and I swallow a painful lump. My throat aches as his gaze thins on
me. My voice fails me when I think of something to say.
No matter how long I stare into his eyes the Aidan I know is gone. In his place is a broken little boy
who needs someone to care for him and he's trapped inside a scary man covered in tattoos who
pretends he doesn't care about nobody else but himself.

"What happened to you?" I croaked and for a moment his gaze falters but he recovers quick with a
solemn expression. Digging his brows into his forehead.

"I stopped believing in wishing stars and golden treasures Glen. I grew up. You should try it." Then
he pushes his hands off the armrest of the chair I'm seated on and turns around exiting the library.

I blink away tears and suck in a sharp breath digging my hand into the centre pocket of my hoodie to
read the que card which is written DEAN'S OFFICE AFTER CLASSES in Mrs. Tomasz handwriting.

I groan agitated at the thought of seeing Trevor Daniels again. He's a part of the students Dean
council so it's inevitable that he'll be there. Right now I don't know which is worse between being
around Trevor and his tireless intellectual conversations or sharing punishment with Aidan who
would undoubtedly leave me to deal with the punishment alone.

I huff as the bell rings signalling my next class which is Chem.. I grab my bag and make my way to
the lab.

Chapter 6

♠️ TILL HATE DO US APART ♠️

~CHAPTER 6~

🥀 Glen 🥀

I join Pepper and Seth at our usual table during lunch in the cafeteria. ‘’Hey.’’ I huff as I plump myself
onto the seat.
My tone is lower than usual as I shove my card into my hoodie pocket.

‘’You sound like your cat died what happened?’’ Seth furrows his brow and I give him a
tired blank stare. ‘’Ok. Sorry.’’ He adds with a small smile. ‘’What happened?’’

‘’I heard that you were sent to the Deans office in first class. What happened?’’ Pepper
chimed in.

‘’I forgot the Lit copy at home. Worst case scenario I was sent out with Aidan
Caruthers.’’ I sip the soda I got from the que because I don’t feel like eating anything.

‘’I bet he was an ass.’’ Seth adds chewing a chip from his lunch. "He was an ass right?"

‘’An ass is an understatement. He was a total prick.’’ I roll my eyes for the umpteenth
time today.

‘’Don’t despair yet we still have our date at the beach this afternoon remember?’’
Pepper tries to lighten my mood but I just give her a closed smile.

‘’That’s if the Dean doesn’t give me detention with Aidan.’’ I murmur. The reminder
of that making my skin crawl. ‘’Not to mention coming across Trevor that side too.’’

‘’I still can’t believe he won the Student Body President votes. I thought he was just a
cutie with no brains.’’ Seth says leaning back on his chair as he sips iced coffee from his straw.

‘’Speak of the devil.’’ Pepper mumbles as someone suddenly sits next to me. The
unfamiliar smell of hand sanitizer hits my nostrils and I suddenly know it’s Trevor.

‘’Hey Trev.’’ Seth wiggles his brows at our visitor who lets out a breathy laugh.

‘’Very good to see you Sethany.’’ Trevor replies shortly and averts his attention to me. I
don’t miss Seth’s eyeroll before he stands up with his bag.
Pepper continues scrolling through her phone looking like she is focusing really hard on something
with her
brows furrowed.

‘’How is your day going?’’

'’Fine.’’ I reply curtly sipping my soda.

‘’I heard you got sent to the Dean’s office today.'’ Trevor speaks and I finally raised my
eyes to meet him. His forest green hues staring into mine.

‘’News travel fast in this school don’t they?’’ I said rhetorically as I continue to sip the
caffeine-free soda which will run out pretty soon. ‘’Is there something you wanted to say
about that daddy?’’ I immediately regret saying the last part even though it was just to
make him notice I don’t appreciate his prying and acting like my dad. Trevor’s eyes darken and he
let’s go of a smirk.
He shifts in his seat and clears his throat.

‘’Look I know we didn’t get along before but

things can be different if you give us a chance. Tiffany Conway is throwing a party this Saturday you
can be my plus one if you don't mind.’’

God please no. I bite the inside of my cheeks and shake my head.

‘’Not a chance.
Sorry.’’ I dig out my phone from the centre of my hoodie pocket when it vibrates
showing a text from Pepper.

-See you later

I raise a brow and look next to me only to see Pepper long gone.

‘’Something wrong?’’ Trevor asks but I shake my head.

‘’Everything is fine.’’ I mumble as I text Pepper ‘OK’ back.

‘’So you’ll think about it?’’ He asks pursing his lips his eyes darting to my lips as he
spoke.

‘’About what?’’

‘’Giving us a chance I mean.’’ He adds. Trevor has that kind of unsettling calm
demeanour about him that most psychopaths got. I don’t want to take my chances with
someone who tries so hard to look perfect on the outside because on the inside those
are the ones who can be really ugly. ‘’I am not as bad as I seem you
know.’’ He grins giving me his perfect smile. The kind that any girl can fall flat on their
face for.

‘’I’ll tell you if I change my mind.’’ I say as I pop out of the chair with the empty can of
soda. Giving him a closed smile.

‘’Great I’ll be patiently waiting.’’ Trevor gets up too and gestures for me to go ahead
and pass through the small space because there is another table with people seated
close by.

‘’Thanks.’’ I go ahead and he goes in the opposite direction. I’m about to throw the can
into the trashcan by the door when I raise my eyes finding Aidan staring after Trevor
as he disappears through the exit of the cafeteria. Aidan raised his eyes to meet mine
and smirks.

What was he thinking now?

I narrow my eyes at him before throwing the can into the trash and heading out the
same way Trevor went. I make my way to my locker and press in the combination and
the locker opens. I change my books with the ones for the two classes after lunch. The
bell rings as I take out my mathematical instrument for today’s test before rushing to
class.
Upon entering the class I take a seat in the front as I notice Tiffany sitting in my usual chair. I don’t
even waste
my breath on her as I look forward and take out a pencil and eraser from my
mathematical instrument. Mrs. Potter is not here yet.

‘’Looking good Glendale.’’ Tiffany’s voice beams. ‘’Hope you gave Caruthers a little blow
while you two were squeezed up in the library this morning. You swallow?’’

What the hell did she just say? That frickin'Freakshow.

I square my jaw as snorts go off in the room before Mrs. Potter walks in.

Aidan walks in as Mrs. Potter displays the questions on the projector and goes to sit at
the back like usual. I quietly inhale and exhale to calm myself down before
resuming to writing the test which actually turns out to be easy.

***

When the last bell rings I make my way to the Dean’s office and to my surprise I find
Aidan leaning by the wall outside the Dean’s office with his hands in the centre of his
hoodie pocket. As if sensing me here he raised his head and only looks my way once
before turning around and letting himself into the Dean’s office.

Was he waiting for me? I almost smile at the subtle gesture.

I make my way into the office and sit down on the seat opposite his. Dean is not here
yet so I am stuck with Satan’s helper over here. The ordeal between him and I in the
library earlier starts replaying in my head without my consent and I regret coming here. The
deafening silence is
intoxicating as Aidan taps his fingers on the wooden armrest of the chair he’s seated
on. Agitation gets under my skin and I am about to open my mouth to speak but the
door springs open and a man dressed in a dull white suit and white shirt walks in.

He takes off his glasses and sits on the office chair behind the desk before regarding
us. ‘’Evening.’’
‘’Good evening Mr. Churchill.’’ I say as I purse my lips. Aidan snorts for only I to hear and I imagine
strangling him which helps to calm me down.

A drop of sweat
glides down my back. I hope Mr. Churchill doesn’t call my dad about this.

‘’So you two were sent out for not bringing along a copy of Literature McBeth? By Mrs.
Tomasz?’’ Mr. Churchill reads from his journal and sighs. ‘’Well that calls for an hour in
detention. I’d really much appreciate it if you leave your phones here and you’ll come
back to take them at two o’clock after the detention which will start…’’ He pushes back
the arm of his suit to glance at his wristwatch. ‘’…in five minutes. That or I call your
parents right.’’

In responseI take out my phone without hesitation and he motions for me to throw it into an empty
print paper box on his desk amidst the stack of paperwork and books. Mr. Churchill’s
gaze drops to Aidan who just stands up and shrugs. ‘’I don’t have one.’’ He said.

Like anyone's going to believe that. But he said it himself nobody asks him anything about what he
does or doesn't do.

I narrow my eyes at him and glance at Mr. Churchill who just pursed his lips. ‘’I don’t
think your father will approve of you lying to the Dean Aidan.’’

Aidan steeled his jaw and looks like he's trying not to say anything that'll get him in deep shit so he
exits. ‘’Three more minutes.’’ Mr. Churchill said regarding me.

Mr. Churchill gestures for me to follow Aidan and I do. Aidan is already ahead and
disappears around the corner towards the stairway leading to the first floor. In no
time at all I reach the door written DETENTION in bold yellow letters and take a seat
on the middle row like I always do. Aidan is seated at the back and leaning back on his
chair. One other guy whom I recognise from Chem class suddenly gets up from his
chair at the front leaving the both of us alone.
Mrs. Potter walks in and glanced at her watch. ‘’You’re the last two right?’’ She looks
up and meets my eyes. ‘’Didn’t expect to see you in here.’’ She stopped on her tracks
Sponsored

AD

giving me a closed smile. ‘’You’re a troublemaker now?’’

‘’I just left a book at home that’s all.’’ I am about to reach for my bag to take out a book
but she clears her throat.

‘’No books or cellphone. You are here to think about what you did and reflect on your
actions. Which is why there needs to be silence…’’ She glanced at the back. ‘’Isn’t that
right Aidan?’’

‘’Is it?’’ He replies curtly and Mrs. Potter’s face reddens in embarrassment. I almost snort at the
unexpected response but I suck my bottom lip instead.

Mrs. Potter’s phone suddenly rings and she excuses herself. Leaving the two of us
alone. Ten minutes pass slowly and I stare at the clock on the wall as it clicks and is the only sound
that can be heard as well as the raindrops splattering against the windows.

Great now I have to walk in the rain. Pepper and Seth won’t be able to reach me because I left my
phone in the Dean's office and
my dad won’t either. I mentally smack myself for not dialling him earlier and telling
him to not come to get me today. But I told Pepper and Seth that I got sent to the
Dean’s office so they might have an idea where I am.

I fold my arms over the desk as I rest my cheek on top of my arm staring at the raindrops slipping
down the windows. The clouds gather and the room darkens with the sunlight now gone.

A lightning suddenly strikes and I flinch at the sound that

follows. It might sound crazy but I love rain and am terrified of storms.

Aidan and I used to love playing in his backyard after a storm. I can almost smell the
scent of the damp soil as we dug our toes in it until my mom called me in. Tears sting at
the back of my eyes and a painful lump logs at my throat. I inhale a breath but smile
amidst the tears. No matter how shitty he gets I'll always treasure those moments with him because
they made my childhood.

‘’Remember when your leg got stuck in a hole in the yard at the back of my house back then?’’
Aidan suddenly spoke taking me totally off guard. I don’t reply but I know he knows I’m listening.
‘’You were halfway to bawling your eyes out before I started singing It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like
Christmas…’’ He continues and I am once again taken back to that day. He had been so calm even
though he was also an eight-year-old kid like me. I still don’t know how he came up with the idea of
singing me that song because it worked. ‘’…I pulled your tiny leg out and helped you sit on the
old bench because you had needles prickling inside your leg.’’ He lets out a chuckle and
I do too. Suddenly wondering why he is telling me this. But I don’t interrupt him as he
continues and now he was behind me.

‘’I still think about the way your hair smelled after PE with your hair sticking to your
temple. You were so sweet…’’ Aidan’s hand slides down the back of my neck and my
back stills. ‘’…but now.’’

He walks around my table and stops in the front leaning forward with his hands on the
sides of the table. ‘’What happened those three years ago? You became cold.’’ I say
curtly my eyes rising to meet his.

‘’My mom relapsed that same week you left and had to go to rehab. I had to go to my dad’s at the
north side.’’ He said and the longer he stood in front of me the bigger his form
becomes. ‘’Everything went downside from there and I shut everybody out including
my dad obviously my mom too I began to hate everyone who pretended to care and eventually you
as well. But when I saw you in that pink dress rushing toward my house with a smile on your face I
was aggravated. You had a father who cares for you paternal and maternal grandparents who
always made sure you were well taken care of. As for me…’’ His
hands gripped the edge of the table as his face hardened. ‘’I had a cold glass house and
an absent dad waiting for me when I got back from school.’’ I find myself furrowing at the last part.

And the pink dress? That was the first time he shunned me and told me to stop coming by his house.
Does that mean he was alone the whole time?

Aidan seems to notice my expression and leans back from the table turning his back
on me as he walks to the window staring through the glass at sweet nothing. He
throws off his hoodie and shoves his hands into his hoodie pocket as his gaze
darkened.

Words struggle to come as I watch him standing there because I’m

afraid my assumption may be right.

Did someone hurt him?

I stand up from the table and stroll slowly to him. Stopping behind him.
‘’There’s more to it than that I know there is. Tell me.’’ I place my hand on his back and
my heart warms. I keep getting the feeling that there is more to his infamous transformation than
that.
Aidan turns around and looks down at me a solemn
look in his eyes.
Without a word he raises his hand to touch my cheek and rubs his thumb against my
lower lip. Suddenly the dull expression on his face is replaced with desire behind his
eyes. I suck in a breath as his hand snakes around my waist and he effortlessly picks me upmy feet
leaving the
ground before he lays me to sit on a desk nearby.

‘’Why does it have to be you that I need Glendale?’’ Aidan’s voice comes out low as he
leans in his hand holding my chip up. On any normal day I would’ve called him out for
using that name but now with his minty breath flaring on my face and him between my
legs I almost forget why I hate him in the first place.

‘’Aidan.’’ I whimper as his hand slides down my hips and he grabs my behind. His touch doing things
to me that I can’t seem to put into words.
Aidan leans in and brushes his lips against mine and I part my lips ready for him. Our
lips intertwine and I welcome his hot tongue as it slides against mine. My stomach flips
as my hands find their way to his nape before sliding through his silky-smooth hair. He
pulls me closer to him and I feel his crotch growing against my jeans.

God I should
stop. We’re on school grounds for heaven’s sake.

‘’Are they in here?’’ Someone says and I recognise that as Trevor’s voice coming across the hallway
and I can hear he’s close and I stop. Aidan stares into my eyes for a
moment before he reverts back. His gaze darting to the door as footsteps approach
fast.

Before Trevor can walk in Aidan turns on his heel the desire and lust in his eyes
replaced with irritation and spite. And I was long forgotten.

My blood boils as he walks away but I can’t say anything to stop him. I’m starting to
think Aidan feeds from making me weak and sweeping me off my feet before letting
me fall flat on my ass cause that’s what he just fuckin did. My eyes dart to the clock on the wall
above the board and it's thirty minutes after two o'clock already.

I get on my feet towards the desk where my bag is and grab it before Trevor gets any
ideas that anything happened between Aidan and me. I wouldn’t look it past him to
report that kind of thing to the Dean’s office even if we were just kissing.

Aidan pushes the door open and just then Trevor appears too. The two glare at each
other before Aidan nudges Trevor with his shoulder as he storms past
him.

‘’Hey do you need a ride?’’ Trevor says as he sees me walking toward him at the door. I
stop and look behind Aidan as he disappears through the first floor door. Never looking back for a
moment.

The painful ache in my chest is replaced with annoyance as flashes of Aidan kissing me assaults my
brain cells. I’ve got nothing to lose for taking the offer from Trevor. It’s not like Aidan would drive me
home.
‘’Why not’’
I force a smile and Trevor grins from ear to ear. ‘’Perfect.’’ He pursed his lips. ‘’After
you then.’’

I walk past him and wish I were home already. What a shitty Monday this has been.

Ten minutes later Trevor drops me outside my house and I say a quick thank you as I get out.
Thankful that he wasn’t nagging about taking me out anymore. I did say he’d hear from me if I want
to go out with him or not anyway.

When I step in through the front door I find my dad sitting on a couch and staring at
the television I know he’s not watching.

Great now I have to explain why I am late.

Chapter 7

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 7~

☣️Aidan☣️

My jaw aches with the way I’ve been gritting my teeth as I open the door and bang it before
letting myself into the house. The living room is dark and so is the kitchen signalling
that Monique is still at work.

I run my fingers through my hair and make my way to the refrigerator but halt when I hear a familiar
engine purring outside Glen’s house. I furrow my brows as I spring the refrigerator open the
vegetables and milk glasses clinking against each other with effort I pulled the door with.
That low purr can only be Trevor’s Chevy Camaro. Just like I had guessed he’d taken
Glen home. I would’ve asked Glen to hop in but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to face her after
almost telling her too much. My grip tightens on the refrigerator door as I reminisce
about the way her lips tasted and her body melted under my touch so perfectly.

I shut the refrigerator door and the darkness in the house surrounds me. My hands hum
for her touch again as I storm up the stairs and into my room. I leave the lights out as I
make my way to the window the rain now pummelling down the glass. I lean my shoulder on the
frame of the window as I watch her shadow pacing around in her lit bedroom with the drapes slightly
open.

Just then the drapes behind her French doors open and she stands there wearing only her skimpy
sleep shorts and top. The light material does little to cover her silky-smooth
olive skin and the tan she got from staying in the sun throughout the summer.

I finally let my eyes land on her face and she is looking right at me. My back stills and I steel my jaw
as her eyes thin on my window. But I relax remembering that the lights are
off in my room so she can’t see me because it’s so dark in here.

I push myself off the

window and head out the room again down the stairs until I reach the refrigerator
taking the Smirnoff bottle and shut the refrigerator door. I open the lid and throw it somewhere in the
room as I make my way to the living room slipping through the unlocked French doors that lead
outside to the back yard. I throw off my hoodie and kick off my shoes as I make my way
to the back.

The old bench under the veranda sits there with the grey paint over it starting to dry and fall off. Day
by day no matter how much time passes by the memories that it carries fail
to fade away with the old paint. When Glen left the memories remained right here in this yard and
reminded me of reasons why I should hold on to the light even though the darkness was pulling
tricks on me luring me away from the bright side.
When I’d almost lost all hope in myself undetected visits to this inconspicuous yard had kept me
company.

But now she was back and she had kissed me senseless during detention. Breaking the rules with
me just like it ought to be. She would slowly realise and come to terms with the harsh truth that was
now hitting me in the gut too…

There's no going back from here.

We’d only finish what we started in that class today sooner or later. But there is no escaping the pull
that keeps dragging my ass back to her.

I throw back the bottle for the third time and images of Trevor touching her assault my brain. I wince
as the heat of the alcohol burns my throat; the glass was now half empty.

I turn on my heel and storm inside the house putting on the sneakers I left on the living room floor on
before darting towards the stairs. I reach my bedroom and pull the closet
door open grabbing my black hoodie and throwing it on. I place the bottle on my study desk and it
almost topples over to my computer keyboard but I catch it and put it on
the floor. Opening my bedside drawer and slipping out my black skull tactical paintball mask. I grab
the mask and exit the room and in no time I am outside and into my car
shoving the key into the ignition before driving off.

Ten minutes later I park the car a couple of blocks away from Larkspur public library. It’s five thirty
now and the library will close in thirty minutes. The sun has long set leaving dusk painting the
evening sky and there is no moonlight either. Perfect scenery for a crime.

I slip the mask

on hiding my face because what I am about to do doesn’t require me going noticed not even by the
old librarian who I know will be having the last shift before six o’clock before security comes for the
night shift.

My lips curve into a smirk as I hop out my car doing a double take to make sure there is no one on
sight before I jog toward the library and as soon as I’m close enough to the
building Trevor’s Camaro is parked just outside in the driveway. I make my way to the entrance and
slip through the door careful not to make a noise. The librarian Mrs.
Barlow is dozed off at the administration table as I let myself in and walk through the
maze of library shelves on the first floor.

I take the stairs leading to the second floor where I know Trevor will be sitting with his head buried
into a Chem textbook being a good boy and studying to secure his future which his granddad
must've perfectly planned two years before he was even born. Trevor is the perfect example of a
prick-sucking pervert who thinks he’s so smart because he’s got himself convinced that he’s some
smooth fuckin criminal.

July fourth he roofied Mitchel James’ drink and almost got his way with her before Damon caught
him in the act at the back of his white Chevvy Camaro. He denied drugging the girl but the girl’s state
of which she could barely stand alone on her own said otherwise.

The weekend before classes commenced he’d tried to convince fourteen-year-old Maya
Davidson to go with him to his house but Kai and Jonas from class had seen him and told the girl to
go with Mrs. Potter home since she had missed the bus after school. Which I think is very noble of
them because if I'd been there
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but the girl’s state of which she could barely stand alone on her own said otherwise.

The weekend before classes commenced he’d tried to convince fourteen-year-old Maya
Davidson to go with him to his house but Kai and Jonas from class had seen him and told the girl to
go with Mrs. Potter home since she had missed the bus after school. Which I think is very noble of
them because if I'd been there Trevor would've lost his front tooth right there in the parking lot.

I fist my hands agitated as I think of the smug grin Trevor had on his face when Kai Damon and I
had threatened him to stay away from girls cause he’s a sick prick.

He knows he can get away with shit because his Senator granddad has his back in case he does
anything that costs him getting locked up.
I had not taken anything into heart then cause he wasn’t getting in my way but now he was playing
too close to Glen and I am not sure if he is any safe with the way I keep
imagining strangling him until he admits he is a rundown piece of crap.

Trevor Daniels needs a quick wake up call to reality. Greenbrae is not his or his granddad’s
playground.

I halt by the thriller shelf. Now he was insight leaning back on a chair
sliding a lime marker across the open book in front of him. I lean on the shelf and smirk watching him
so oblivious to the fact that he’s about to pee his pantsa few minutes from now.

I grab a cover of The Loft from the shelf and flip through the pages and stop at a line I know too well.
‘’When you own a piano it’s harder to think of moving.’’ I read the line
the voice enhancer in my mask making me sound like death itself.

I look up and smirk as Trevor glances around alarm evident on his now pale face. He can’t see me
but I can.

I replace the book where I got it and push the middle row of the thriller books watching them topple
to the floor sending a rush of adrenaline through my blood. Now Trevor was on his feet and I would
have laughed if I didn’t feel like jabbing my shoe through his face so much.

He picks up his belongings and shoves them into a backpack and he is about to take a step away
from his desk but now I am at the stairway one second from flicking the
lights off.

‘’I am not scared of you…whoever you are.’’ His voice comes out shaky and I finally let out a snort.

‘’Pathetic.’’ Is all he hears me say before the lights go out. I walk up the stairs and wait for him to
walk this way because it’s his only way out of this side of the library. His
phone torch comes to life and his heavy footsteps tell me he’s jogging this way.

Perfect.
I spring out my leg when he is about to pass by tripping him and he falls onto the floor and winced.

‘’Fuck.’’ He groans trying to get up and grab his cellphone which is now further away from him than
we would want. He is about to touch the phone but I grab his leg and twist him around pinning him
onto the floor on his stomach as I wrap my elbow around his neck tight enough to scare him but not
to strangle him. And the latter depends on if
he chooses his words right.

‘’You’re not gonna hurt me.’’ He breathes out struggling to get on his feet. But I can hear the
uncertainty in his voice.

‘’Wouldn’t be so sure.’’ I elbow his back causing him to groaning in agony. ‘’Your old papa ought to
teach you some manners Trev.’’ I don’t miss the look on his face when he hears I know his name.

I drag him across the hard mat on the floor and down the stairs. Knocking the air out of him before
grabbing him by the collar of his white shirt sending buttons flying as I push him into the wall and
holding him there.

‘’I warned you to stay away.’’ I breathed out. ‘’But you like everything the hard way always have.’’

He tries to tug out of my grip but I pin my lower arm onto his neck. ‘’This is not a fuckin drill. I’ll end
you if you keep pulling those sick stunts of yours Daniels.’’

‘’Who the fuck are you man? What do you want? You want money? I can give y-"

‘’I’m somebody you don’t fuckin mess with.’’ I bit out before letting him go and falling to the floor in a
thud. ‘’Careful who you mess around with…or you’ll wish you never set foot in Greenbrae.’’

I walk away from him and jog towards the exit and just as I’d thought oblivious Mrs. Barlow is still
behind the administration desk I glance at the clock on the wall as I sneak
out before she noticed me.

Ten minutes before six o’clock.

I reach my car and jump in before revving the car out of sight from Larkspur library and in no time
stopping outside Damon’s house which has lights down low in his bedroom up on the third floor. I
take off my mask and throw it in the backseat before getting out
the car. Just seconds later he peeks out through his bedroom balcony and looks down at me.

‘’Just in time for pool.’’ He smirks and I snort.

‘’What makes you think I want to play? It’s Monday for Pete’s sake.’’ I joke as I and I make my way
to his front porch and don't have to look up to know he gave me the middle finger. But he knows I'm
just pulling his leg cause I never turn down a pool game.

I walk toward his

front door and I can tell his parents are not around by the lights which are all out. Damon hates
turning the lights on for whatever freaky reason.

I make my way through the dark stairs and reach his hallway finding him sitting across the couch in
his room cigarette between his lips.

‘’Black sweater? What the heck are you up to now Aidan?’’ He chortled as I sit down next to him on
the leather sofa.

‘’You know me too well.’’ I let go of a smirk as I take a cigarette and light it.

Chapter 8

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 8~

🥀Glen🥀

It’s been raining from Monday and it’s Friday today. I think this rain is preparing for the Autumn
which is just around the corner. The atmosphere has changed too and the dry smell of fading
summer is in the air. The summer roses on the garden around the yard are slowly drying signalling
that soon the leaves will shade away the green and welcome the golden brown which will adorn the
whole neighbourhood in no time.

I slip out my shoes at the door as I walk into the house. The smell of paper and
newness engulfing me. I dart my eyes to the living room table and see dad’s workpapers and
blueprints on the table. Pencils and measuring instruments are amidst the dozen work material.

‘’Hey Glen. You are back early today.’’ He slips out his muddy boots as he walks in through thefront
door. He must be coming from the garden outside.

‘’Hi dad.’’ I pursed my lips walking in and dropping my backpack on a couch. ‘’It’s
Friday so the classes take less time. Did you manage to make anything for dinner? I am starving.’’

‘’I was so wrapped up with work. Sorry sweetheart. Can you order in something
healthy? Vegan maybe?’’ Dad sighs as he sits down on the couch in the living room.

‘’And come here after eating I need to discuss something with you.’’ I stop midway to the refrigerator.

‘’I can order in.’’ I reply. Suddenly wondering what he wants to talk about.

I make my way to the refrigerator and my eyes land on a sandwich my dad left for me. I grab it and
the juice. Pouring myself the juice into a glass and sitting around the island on a stool. I order in
some carbs and fried chicken before joining dad in the living room.

‘’So…’’ I wiggle my brows at him as I plump on the couch facing his. I can’t help but
stare at the blueprints on the table. My dad has got to be one of the best architecture’s in town. The
way he manages to draw all those blueprints so effortlessly is thrilling.

‘’Well…’’ He stops what he is doing and sighs.

Oh boy. I hope it’s not about the shower I forgot to switch off this morning.
‘’As you know I have been super swamped with work for the past weeks. Usually when work requires
me to move I’d wait for the holiday nearby so you could join me because you know how I feel about
leaving you alone. But this time I need you to work with me and be responsible while I’m gone.’’ Dad
pursed his lips holding his hands together.

‘’No boys in…’’

‘’But dad you know I’d never bring boys into the house.’’ I am quick to say defending myself.

‘’I know sweetheart. I know.’’ He nods in understanding before proceeding. ‘’But just I need you to be
careful and always keep the house locked when you leave and when you get back from school. No
parties no crack cocaine either.’’ He chuckles at the last part. I know he is just teasing. He knows me
too well to think I’d do crack.

‘’I can’t believe you’re leaving. This is such short notice.’’ I say truthfully. ‘’How long will you be
gone?’’

‘’I’ll probably be back from LA on the first week after Halloween.’’ He adds. ‘’That’s
November.’’

‘’That’s…’’

‘’Long I know.’’ He runs his fingers through his dark hair. ‘’I just need you to bear with
me we need the money and I can come back with enough to pay for college.’’

I nod in understanding. ‘’Of course dad. I’ll always support your decisions. It’s all for the best right?’’ I
stand up and go to sit next to him. ‘’I’ll be good I promise.’’ I hug him and he does too.

‘’The good news is I’ll be getting you a car because I have to take mine with me.’’ Dad
pulls away from the hug and I gasp.

‘’No way.’’ I widen my eyes in awe before squealing. ‘’Are you for real?’’

He chuckles at my reaction. ‘’It’s very much real you catch my flow.’’ He stands up and
tries to do the moon walk failing miserably at it.I chuckle and throw my arms around his neck again.
‘’Thank you dad.’’

‘’No problem dear.’’ He smiles. ‘’We need to go as early as tomorrow because I’m
leaving Monday.’’ He explains and I nod.

I can’t believe I am getting a car. I’ve never really thought about it because he had
initially said I’ll get it after graduation. But I’m glad anyway. This is music to my ears.

I hurry upstairs to my room and plug in my PC and Skype my grandma who said she
wants to talk to me before three o’clock this afternoon. It’s two minutes before three now as I
connect to Skype. My guess is that my dad got her to talk to me since now I just found out my dad is
going to LA as soon as Monday. Grandma probably has to give me some pep talk before dad leaves
because she is the mother figure I have since mom passed on years ago.

I pull the drapes open letting the warm rays of the afternoon sun into the room. Skype connects and
my grandmother’s face appears on the screen.

‘’Glenda? Are you there?’’ She squints her eyes before she puts on her glasses. ‘’Oh there you are.’’

‘’Hey grandma.’’ I give her a toothy smile and plump on the desk chair. ‘’How are you
doing my love?’’

She giggles and cups her cheek. ‘’Look at you you have grown so much. Last time I
saw you you were this short.’’ She tries to show me how short I was forgetting I cannot see anything
away from the computer camera.

‘’Kids grow up so fast don’t they?’’ I chuckle and she does too.

‘’Always so silly.’’ She pushes back her glasses. ‘’Your father tells me you’ll be alone until November.
How do you feel about that?’’
I press my lips together trying to think about how that really makes me feel. ‘’It’ll be my first time
alone so I guess I’m sort of nervous a bit. But I’m going to embrace the responsibility of having to
stay alone and take care of myself.’’

‘’Good. And you forgot... staying away from boys

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too.’’ She grins sheepishly revealing

her missing side teeth.

I find myself chuckling. ‘’It baffles me how everyone always warns girls about staying
away from boys but no one ever warns boys about girls.’’ I said and she laughs out loud. My
granddad appears behind her and smiles.

‘’Hey grandchild.’’ He waves.

We end up talking about other stuff as well as stocking for food to avoid travelling to buy groceries
and necessities when dad is not around.

Later on I study for a history test I have on Monday and start with Chem assignments
which are due next week. By the time I am done it is seven o’clock in the evening. I am startled by a
rattling engine which sounds like it stopped outside Aidan’s house. I peek through my balcony
making sure the person getting out of the police car doesn’t see me.

What are the police doing at Aidan’s house?

I watch closely as the man walks out and I recognise him as Aidan’s father. I’ve
seen the man about three times in my life including today.

A scowl is plastered on his

face as he disappears in the front leaving his parked car in the driveway.
About five minutes while he disappeared into the front of the house Aidan’s car parks outside and he
hops out his Mustang. He frowns upon seeing the car and bangs his
door abruptly. I think he sees his father because he said something I can’t hear while looking in the
direction his father disappeared.

‘’For what?’’ He finally said loud. More like retorted. The frown on his face twists into a scowl.
His father finally comes into view again and storms towards Aidan grabbing the hem of Aidan’s
stripped black and white t-shirt earning a disgusted scowl from his son.

Aidan says something I can’t hear to his father and his father’s grip slowly loosened on his shirt.

Mr. Caruthers points his forefinger at Aidan before storming to his cab and driving off.

Aidan just stands there as if stranded and his scowl peels away revealing a darker side of him I’ve
never seen. Which makes me wonder what his father said.

But Aidan raised his eyes and sees me giving a blank stare. I stilled my back and bite the inside of
my cheeks before raising my chin trying to appear unfazed before I go back inside.

Shit.

I let go of a breath I didn’t realise I had been holding.

What the hell was that? By the looks of it that looked more than just a disagreement
between father and son. The way Aidan looks at his father is unsettling to say the least.

There's so much more than rage in his eyes…

It was hate.

***

Saturday morning I make my way down the stairs dressed up in my track suit because it is a bit chilly
outside with overcast skies. I have worn my ankle boots on my feet. It is going to rain again today.

I find dad already dressed up in his jacket and jeans with combat boots his car keys in one hand.
‘’Ready when you are.’’ He gives me a smile.

I grin giddily all the way to the car and hop in as we drive to TrueCar for a car in good
condition. When we reach TrueCar vehicles dealer my dad and I check out the
available cars until I finally settle for a Honda Civic which has a blue exterior and black interior and
has only ever had one user. By the looks of it the previous owner must’ve taken good care
of the car.

My dad and I sign the papers required to sign before they hand me the car keys.

‘’I can’t believe it. My own car.’’ I squeal as I round the car to the driver’s seat and shove
the key into the ignition revelling in the sweet feeling of the purring engine. ‘’Oh my god.’’

‘’You look great in it.’’ Dad peeks through the open window grinning from ear to ear and looking like
he is enjoying this as much as I am.

I take a few pictures with my dad and my new car before we drive back home. I waste no time to call
Pepper and Seth to tell them about the car and I had to remove the car from my ear with the way
they were screaming excitedly from the other side of the line.

They said they can’t wait to see it so at twelve they showed up and we went on a ride around town in
it. By the time I return home it’s almost time for supper. I make
something to eat quick for my dad and me.

After that I take a shower and put on my

clean pair of pyjama pants and a loose-fitting pyjama top.

***

Monday finally comes but I am reluctant to go to school as I see my father loading the hood of his
car with stuff he will need. I hug him for the umpteenth time before he enters his car. But just when
he is about to take off Aidan’s car stops by our house and he rolls down his window.
What was he thinking now?

‘’Mr. McCartney. My aunt told me that you’ll be gone for a while.’’ He pursed his lips and if I were
someone who didn’t know him I could swear he is the sweetest guy. ‘’But don’t worry we’ll be looking
out for Glen when you’re gone.’’

My dad smiles genuinely and nods. ‘’Thanks Aidan. See you soon sweetheart.’’ Dad said before
waving at me and driving off.

I watch his car disappear down the street but Aidan is not budging he is still parked
outside my house and now his eyes were on me. A knowing look passing behind his
eyes as he smirks looking behind me at the house.

He leans his tatted arm on the open car window and smirks. ‘’It must be fate; I am also home alone.’’
He chuckles for a change and my stomach summersaults. I know he is already getting ideas. ‘’Now
we can finally play Glendale. Just like old times.’’

There is a deeper meaning behind Aidan’s threat and I know he doesn’t make empty
promises. I steel my jaw and turn on my heel and walk into the house. I can hear his car finally drive
off as I plaster my back against the door.

I have to make sure to stay away from Aidan. Him and I so close and finally alone is enough to drive
me insane. I can’t lie and say I haven’t been thinking about him ever since the kiss during detention.
He plays his game well and now he has gotten so deep under my skin that sticking him out will only
end up in a bloody mess that'll leave scars on me.

Chapter 9

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 9~

🥀Glen🥀
Wednesday first week of September and luckily today the weather forecast has shown possible rain
and it won’t be a storm. I don’t have to worry about sleeping through a thunderous storm because
I’m home alone. Dad won’t be there to tell me it’s okay because I have a terrible fear of
thunderstorms.

I get out of my car after parking and make my way into the school building. There are students
pacing up and down and others are just chit chatting with their friends at school corners and outside
on the premises because
the bell hasn’t rung yet.

My phone beeps and I check the text from Pepper telling me they’re in the library. I reply ‘OK’ quickly
before pressing in the pin combination into my locker and open it but I quickly regret doing so as
countless packets of condoms fall out splattering across the
floor at my feet.

Snorts go out around me and heat rises up my neck suddenly I wish I would just
disappear. I look around me to see anyone who might look suspicious anyone who seems worthy of
pulling the prank.

I push out the rest of the remaining condoms out my locker and bang it close but just then the Dean
enters through the front entrance and his eyes dart to me.

Great…just great.

Heat hits my cheeks and I feel like disappearing as his eyes widen in shock. ‘’Glendalein my office
now.’’ He firmly said before turning on his heel heading on the direction toward his office. The stares
I keep getting from everyone are totally nauseating.

I bite the inside of my cheeks as the bell rings and immediately think about having to make a last
entry to class after such an incident.

‘’Take a seat.’’ Mr. Churchill said as he shoves his hands in his pants pockets and stares down at
me as he leans on the desk. ‘’A week ago you got detention now this?’’ He accuses me and I bite
the inside of my cheeks urging myself to think before
replying.

I wouldn’t want to be thrown into detention for having a big mouth too.
I inhale a heavy shaky breath and fan my face suddenly feeling emotional. ‘’Mr. Churchill I
promise I would never do such a thing. I would have never put abunch of-" I clear my throat. ‘’I never
would have put those things into my
own locker just to embarrass myself in front of everyone like that. And last week was a mistake.'’ I
croaked.

‘’It is very hard to believe so when everyone is given their own secret code combination for their
locker Glendale. Who else would know? Your friends?’’ He pushes off the table and walk around his
table and I cross my fingers that he doesn’t call my dad. He’s the last person who needs to know
about this especially because it is not my fault. ‘’I’ll let you off the radar just for today and I’ll have the
student council to look into this. You may get to class.’’

He dismisses me and I see myself out trying to think of whoever might have done that and I find
myself suspecting my friends but quickly push that at the back of my mind. Pepper would never do
that. And Seth has no reason to either.

Could it be Aidan? He did throw threats my way on Monday even though it seemed he was joking.
But I can never be sure.

I walk back to my locker and find the janitor sweeping those things into a trash can. The hallways are
empty now because everyone has gone to class. Suddenly heavy footsteps can be heard entering
the hallway and I dart my eyes up only to see Aidan. It takes him a moment to notice me and he
raised a brow at me as he walks past seemingly oblivious to the event that took place a few
moments ago.

I take out my textbooks for first lessons and shut the locker doing a double take around
before heading to class. And just like I feared low murmurs go off as I step into the class. My eyes
rise to meet Aidan’s who looks like he’s seen a ghost but also I can see
the slight amusement behind his eyes.

Frickin idiot.
Tears sting the back of my eyes but I do my best to push them back as I take a seat in
the front.

‘’About time Glendale.’’ Mrs. Potter sighs and turns toward the board. ‘’Turn to page thirteen there’s
a task to complete there. You have about…’’ She glances at her wristwatch. ‘’…ten more minutes.’’
She purses her lips before turning on her heel and going back and taking a seat behind her desk
and.

‘’Nice one Glen.’’ Tiffany’s voice whispers somewhere to my right. Mrs. Potter must’ve heard
because she looks up from her paperwork before looking back down. ‘’I knew you had the bad girl
spirit in you.’’ Tiffany continues and I suck my bottom lip to stop it from trembling but this time it
wasn’t because I was sad. My palm ached to smack the living hell out of her and to shut her fish
mouth up.

I ignore her as I always do and go through the task but fail miserably to concentrate. I still haven’t
texted Pepper or Seth to tell them but I’m sure they know already. News travel like wildfire at
Redwood High. I’m probably trending on TikTok or twitter newsfeed already.

My leg won’t stop bopping under the table as anxiousness gets the best of me. I keep glancing at the
watch on the wall but the lesson seems to be taking forever and I just want to disappear right now.

I don’t have to look up to see the stares I’m getting from my classmates.
Half my brain is listening to Mrs. Potter as she speaks standing behind her desk while the other half
is trying to crack a code. My mind is restless as I keep thinking about what my tormentor might have
under their sleeve next.

I’m sure whoever that is will work to make sure I live looking over my shoulder for the rest of the
senior year.

I waste no time to rise from my chair as soon the bell rings signalling the end of the first lesson. I slip
out the door and am ready to rush to the restroom to calm myself down because I feel like I’ll faint
with the way my head is spinning. Someone suddenly grabs my wrist and I turn around abruptly
ready to throw hands only to see Aidan.
‘’What do you want? Haven’t you got the leverage you’ve always wished for?’’ I bit out trying to tug
my wrist out of his hold.

‘’I can’t believe you’d think I have anything to do with it?’’ He pushes off his hoodie revealing his
messy hair and furrowed eyebrows.

‘’You’ve never given me a reason to trust you Aidan.’’ I say through clenched teeth finally managing
to pull my wrist out of his hold.

‘’Trust me I didn’t do it.’’ He shoves his hands into the centre of his powder blue hoodie. Glancing
around as if that’ll help with anything.

I scoff and follow where his gaze has landed and it’s on Tiffany who giggles while staring into her
cellphone as she disappears into History class across the hall. ‘’Guess your puppy has something
against me huh.’’ I turn to him making sure he hears this one. ‘’…well tell her she has nothing to
worry about. I’d rather bang a car door into my toenails than be associated with you. Stay the hell
away from me.’’ I blurt out and his eyes immediately darken. The hurt evident behind his grey orbs.

Aidan seems speechless as he just stands there looking like he wants to say something…but
doesn’t.

I turn on my heel and walk towards the restroom and after that make my way to History class
plumping my ass into the chair in the middle row. I am distracted by a buzzing sound in my
backpack. I quickly grab the phone out before the teacher walks in.

📱-Oh my god
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Gee. I just saw this are you okay? 💔

The text from pepper reads and I click on the video she sent of the ordeal this morning. I bite the
inside of my cheeks as I reply
her back.
📱-Where did you get this?

📱-It’s on twitter. People have already retweeted it a couple of times

I read Pepper's response more times than I have to. Not believing what I'm seeing. Without thinking
twice I pop out of my chair and pin Tiffany with a hard stare.

She doesn’t notice me walking to her until I bang my palm on her desk. She flinches and turns
around to see me.

‘’You think pulling a stunt like that is pretty huh?’’ I narrow my eyes at her. The students nearby turn
around to stare at the unfolding scene. Tiffany scoffs and puts her hand on her chest.

‘’I am offended that you’d think I would pull such a childish stunt like that on you. That was pathetic.
If I wanted to play that game you’d be at home crying to your daddy right now.’’ She bit out and I dig
my nails into her desk which my hands are gripping right
now.

I swallow a hard lump and push away from her desk just in time as Mrs. Tomasz walks in with a
stack of papers in her hand.

‘’Good morning.’’ She beams and places the papers on her desk. ‘’Take out only your pen or pencil
we have a Lit test today remember?’’

Someone in the class winces at her words and shuffling can be heard as people dig out their pencils
and pens. I take out a pencil and eraser and soon Mrs. Tomasz displays the test in front of all of us.
By the time we’re all done there is only ten minutes remaining before lunch break.

I raise my hand and Mrs. Tomasz comes to take my test paper. ‘’May I please excuse myself?’’ I
purse my lips.

‘’Of course.’’ She replies before turning around to take Kai’s paper.
I throw my pencil into the bag and scurry out making my way to the restroom but I am
taken aback by some girl who runs and disappears around the corner. It looks like she is coming
from the same row of lockers where mine is.

‘’Hey.’’ I call behind her as I dig into my heel running after her. Rounding the corner my flats squeak
on the floor as I jump down the stairs leading to the first floor two at a time.

When I reach ground floor she is nowhere to be seen and I can’t decide if she went left or right.

Darn it.

I hold my knees as I catch my breath irritation and anxiety seeping under my skin. I feel like my head
is going to explode with the thoughts running through my mind. I mean why else was the girl running
if she has something to hide? And who was it? Why would she spite me when she doesn't even
know me?

Or does she?

There are hundreds of blondies in Redwood high so finding her would be a waste of my
time.

I turn on my heel back up the stairs and to my locker throwing my backpack inside as
I head toward the cafeteria with my phone and cards on me. Anything else in that locker is not as
important so I lock it and walk to the cafeteria.

‘’Hey.’’ I sigh as I sit down at our usual table. Pepper and Seth look up at me sadly.

‘’I don’t even know what to say.’’ Seth rubs his hand on mine over the table. ‘’Who would do such a
thing?’’

‘’It’s someone who wants an ass whooping that’s who.’’ Pepper interjects. ‘’I can’t help but suspect
Tiffany. I wouldn’t look past her to stoop so low.’’

‘’Well she says that was too childish for her liking. That if she would have pulled a
prank on me I’d be at home crying.’’ I scoff looking over my shoulder to look at their usual cheer
table but she is not there and neither is Aidan or Kai or Damon...

‘’That is totally uncalled for and serves for punishment. I mean think about it if we let it slide who
knows what that biatch will pull next?’’ Seth twirls his fork into his spaghetti.

‘’Where do I even start? One thing I know there are only CCTV in the parking lot and
just outside the premises and some of the teacher's lounges. There are no cams in the halls.’’ I
breathe out tiredly. ‘’This is exhausting and so unworthy of my time. Honestly speaking.’’

‘’Seth you're right…but Glen is also right. Whoever did that it will be hard to trace them. I suggest
you change the lock combination to your locker.’’ Pepper adds.

‘’You’re right I’ll do that.’’ I take out my phone and just as I am about to watch the video again
Pepper stops me.

‘’Don’t do it babe. You’ll only torture yourself.’’ She puts her hand on the cellphone screen.

‘’You’re right.’’ I purse my lips as I delete the damned video from my phone and log out
from twitter. The last thing I want is seeing all the mean comments on the platform about the
incident.

When classes are over for the day I make sure to change my pin before I get home.

Pepper is already waiting outside for me and I am about to head out but Trevor appears from across
the hall.
‘’Hey you.’’ He catches up with me. Giving me a full smile. ‘’How are you?’’

‘’Fantastic.’’ I blurt out. My tone clearly being sarcastic and I almost regret being an ass to him.

‘’Is everything okay?’’ He stops his hand gripping the leather strap of his satchel.

‘’No Trevor. Everybody just witnessed tons of condoms falling out of my locker. Of course nothing is
okay.’’ I retort and am about to leave but he holds my arm.
‘’I didn’t know. I’m sorry I had gone to the Student Body President’s conference out of town so I just
got here twenty minutes ago.’’ He says concern now plastered on his face. ‘’Do you have any clue
who might’ve done that?’’ He finally lets go of my arm.

‘’I don’t have a clue. I really don’t.’’ I say and watch him as he takes out his phone and starts dialling.
‘’What are you doing?’’ I ask.

‘’Getting someone who will tell me who got here first this morning.’’ He gives me a reassuring smile.
‘’The Headmaster must’ve seen or the janitor. They’re usually the first to arrive. Or the swimming
class teacher who usually knocks out later with her team and that’s if whoever that did that was here
last night.’’

I nod and find myself taken aback. Trevor really is smart. It is a good thing that he’s the Student
Body President because he has more access to a lot of people.

‘’Thanks Trev. That’s actually a good idea.’’ I say as he placed the phone on his ear.

‘’Mrs. Gordons.’’ Trevor beams as the person on the other side of the line replies.

‘’Glen!’’ Pepper calls as she leans against the steel bars on the parking lot. ‘’Should I go with Seth?
You look kind of swamped.’’ She said and I nod.

‘’Yeah I’ll text you when I get home.’’ I tell her and waves before opening the back door getting into
Seth’s sister’s car.

‘’I think we might have a lead.’’ Trevor says as I turn to face him.

‘’Really? Who is it?’’ I asked.

Chapter 10

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

 ~CHAPTER 10~

🥀Glen🥀

‘’Really? Who is it?’’ I ask furrowing my brows. The anticipation eating away my patience.

Trevor exhales and pulls the cellphone from his ear.

‘’Are you sure you want to hear this?’’ He sighs. Giving me a pitiful look.

I exhale a shaky breath. ‘’Yes I’m sure.’’ I nod frantically not sure if I’m ready to hear it now.

‘’It was Caruthers. Mrs. Gordons said his car was parked in the parking lot when she got here at six
thirty.’’ He soothes my arm. ‘’I’m sorry I know you two were really close
buddies but this is uncalled for.’’

‘’I can’t…He wouldn’t.’’ I shake my head. Hoping that I’m not hearing it right. ‘’Aidan wouldn’t do
this...I thought...’’ I croaked. Trevor pulls me close to his chest wrapping his arms around me.

‘’It’s okay we’ll make him pay for this.’’ He soothes.

‘’But…where is...’’ I pull away from his embrace. ‘’…I will need proof if I need to pin this on him.’’
Trevor furrows his eyebrows as if he is thinking deeply about what I just said. ‘’You’re right.’’ He
sighs. ‘’Let’s go and get the CCTV footage. The Techteam must’ve saved the data.’’ He wipes a tear
that escaped from my cheek with his thumbs. ‘’Is it okay if we go inside and get the footage? I don’t
want to hold you back since you got to get home and all that.’’

‘’It’s okay I want to know. I need to see it for myself.’’ I wipe my cheeks with the sleeve of my
hoodie.

I follow behind Trevor as he climbs up to the third floor and we take a short-left turn before he
knocks briefly on a door written Tech department with a sticker of a guy wearing specs with braces.

‘’It’s open.’’ A voice says from inside.

Trevor turns the knob revealing a guy sitting behind a desk with three computers.
Different posters on the wall display incomprehensible tech drawings which look like they were
drawn by hand. The guy behind the desk looks like the sticker on the door with specs that look
bigger than his own face. He is a blonde wearing a loosened tie
and white scotch t-shirt and definitely looks like a nerd.

‘’Hey man how’s it going?’’ Trevor goes to shake the guys hand before he pulls a chair for me to sit.

‘’Yo Trev.’’ The guy says before eyeing me up and down. ‘’Hey.’’ He waves with a sweet smile. I
wave back briefly before finally sitting down.

‘’I need help to retrieve this morning’s CCTV footage from about six-thirty.’’ Trevor continues. Giving
me a closed smile before continuing. ‘’...some guy took it upon himself to pull a prank on Glen here
but Mrs. Gordon’s said she believes she saw Caruthers’s ride early when she got here.’’

The nerd guy’s eyebrows dig into his forehead and I could swear I saw fear flash behind his green
eyes. ‘’Aidan? As in the basketball captain dude from Greenbrae?’’ He swallowed and chuckles
nervously. ‘’Are you sure man?’’

‘’Just pull the video up Ethan.’’ Trevor orders irritably.

‘’Alright alright man.’’

It takes the guy about two minutes to do what Trevor asked and from where I’m sitting I can see
Ethan shift uncomfortably in his chair before he looks up at me and Trevor. He nods while looking at
me and my insides twist into a knob.

What is he seeing?

I stand up to go and look. Ethan reversed the footage back and stopped where Aidan’s black
Mustang Boss 302 parks and he walks out wearing a black hoodie which
covered his whole face. He does a double take before walking away from his car and disappearing
into the premises.
‘’And that’s where we lose him. He could have done the prank while he disappeared inside. But
there is not hundred percent certainty that he did it…he could have been here to pick up something
from the boy's lockers or he might've been getting ready for the game tomorrow.’’ Ethan mumbles
but earns a blank stare from Trevor.

‘’I think it’s pretty clear.’’ Trevor pursed his lips. ‘’Besides it wouldn’t be the first time Aidan Caruthers
pulled a prank on a student. It's his specialty.’’ He adds and Ethan
nods before giving up.

‘’Yeah so it seems.’’ Ethan runs his hand through his hair. ‘’Just don’t tell him I pulled the video up
man.’’ He picks a hand sized anxiety ball and squeezes it between his hand. ‘’I don’t want to be in
Caruthers bad books it’s best if I remain unknown to him.

‘’Please send the footage here can you do that?’’ I ask Ethan and he nods. I continue and I take out
my phone from my backpack. ‘’Who else was pranked by Aidan before?’’ I looked at Trevor.

Trevor ignores my question and gestures for me to follow him as he exits the room.

‘’What do you mean when you say you want to remain out of Aidan's bad books?’’

"Look if there's anything you want to do is stay away from Aidan and his pals. That's all I gotta say."
Ethan said and soon he finished sending me the footage.

"Thank you."

I trail behind Trevor and shut Ethan’s office door before holding Trevor’s arm and stopping him in his
tracks

‘’Who else did he prank before?’’ I repeated the question but he just gives me a tired
look and sighs.

‘’It doesn’t matter anymore.’’ He murmured avoiding my gaze. But the look on his face says it all.
‘’It was you wasn’t it? He pranked you too?’’ I follow Trevor as he descends down the stairs. ‘’Come
on Trevor you can tell me.’’

He stops as we reach the first floor turning around to face me. ‘’Yes it was me.’’ He admits before
straightening up. ‘’But that's in the past it doesn’t matter to me anymore.’’

‘’It matters to me. What did he do?’’ I ask barely above a whisper as I study his solemn expression.

‘’It was two years ago on Halloween night when I was just about to go to a part out of town.
Someone knocked on our front door and cause it was halloween I thought the kids who usually
collect trick or treat were here so I climbed down the stairs from my room and headed to the kitchen
to grab the treats from a bowl on the kitchen island. I made my way to the front door but there were
no kids.’’ Trevor pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. ‘’No this is a mistake. I
shouldn’t be narrating this again.’’ He walks towards his car but I find myself following him. He can’t
leave me hanging like that.

‘’There’s more please tell me what happened.’’ I stop in front of him placing my hand on his chest to
stop him. He seems to be rethinking and continues.

‘’I was unsure now if it was the kids you know. My granddad was also out of town so I was alone. I
shut the door and headed upstairs but when I was halfway up the stairs about to return to my room a
knock sounded
from the back door that’s where the pool is. Three seconds after that one the alarm could be heard
coming from the basketball court at the back of the house.’’ He paused and my eyes just couldn’t
stop gazing into his forest green orbs as he repeats the chilling tale. ‘’The bell a knock and the
alarm. My grandfather's mansion is not really a typical Victorian no one can run around it so quick
and do all those three things at once. Three people were in my house and I froze and wondered if
those were still the kids from my neighbourhood. Entering our property was a bold move none of the
middle school kids would dare walk into our yard everybody knew that.’’ He pursed his lips as he
rubs his forehead in frustration. ‘’I walked towards the pool side but I immediately paused on my
tracks when I saw dripping red liquid outside on the glass door. Luckily I had my phone on me so I
pulled it out and flashed my flashlight to read the writing…’’

He stops and opens his backseat throwing his satchel inside before turning to face me
his six five-foot height towering over mine. ‘’…Dirty birdy.’’ He spoke. Holding my gaze.

‘’Dirty birdy? Isn’t that the line from…‘’

‘’Stephen King’s Misery thriller novel.’’ He finished for me. ‘’I thought that had been red paint. But I
opened the door and when I stepped on the cold porch a dead raven laid on the lawn with it’s head
missing. It was the bird's blood that was dripping on my glass door.’’ He said curtly.

I sucked in a breath tears clouding my eyes as goosebumps ran down my arms. ‘’How did you find
out who did it?’’

‘’Caruthers walked up to me the very same Monday after that weekend and quoted the same line
that he had painted on the glass door on Halloween night. He wasn’t ashamed to let me he did what
he did and it was what it was.’’ Now his face was twisted into a scowl. ‘’He wanted a reaction from
me but he never got it. Aidan hated me for not conforming to his rule. He hated that his pathetic
attempt to try to get adoration from everyone and him and his lap dogs trying to get people to fear
themdidn’t work on me. Two bulls in one kraal have never got along Glen.’’

‘’Did you report him to the cops? He must’ve gotten punished for doing such.’’

‘’Come on his dad works in the police department. Do you think that was going to work?’’ He uttered.
Leaning his arm over the top of his Chevy Camaro. ‘’I wasn’t going to play his game. I had better
things to do rather than behave like a shallow wuss.’’ He gives me a smile his scowl gone in an
instant.

‘’Well I’m glad you helped me find out who pulled that prank. I’ll need it as proof to show to the Dean
tomorrow.’’ I add and Trevor gives me a sweet smile.

‘’Good.’’ He says and opens his arms for me to hug him. I do and inhale his scentless body. When I
struggle to feel the comfort I expect from his embrace I pull away and give him a closed smile.

‘’Thanks again. I owe you one.’’

‘’Don’t sweat it. It was a pleasure helping you find out who tried to sabotage you.’’
****

I open the front door and throw my backpack onto the couch before heading to the refrigerator to
grab a cold bottle of water that I left this morning immediately dunking the
cold liquid down my throat. My head is spinning and my whole body is heating up.
I pull out the phone from my pocket and play the footage over and over again and with
eat view it feels like my lungs would give in.

How could he do this to me? And when he made that last entrance this morning it was all a coverup
for what he had done earlier? I’ve got to give it to him Aidan deserves a Grammy for being such a
marvellous fucking actor.

I turn off the video and walk to the front door immediately locking it as I turn on my heel towards
Aidan’s house. His car and another one I recognise as Kai’s car are both in his
driveway. I ring the bell at his door and wait.

A few seconds later I can hear footsteps coming from behind the door before it opens revealing Kai
who wears a black short sleeved shirt that reveals a cardinal points tattoo
on his upper arm.

‘’Hi. Is Aidan home?’’ I blurt out.

‘’Yeah…he is.’’ Kai gives me a sweet smile before stepping aside revealing a shirtless Aidan who
has a basket ball under his arm. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing me.

‘’What?’’ He blurts out as he saunters towards me while I’m rooted outside the door.
Kai looks between us before walking back inside.

‘’We need to talk.’’ I say curtly as Aidan walks past me towards his car leaning against it as he looks
at me up and down. He throws his ball into the backseat through the open
window.
‘’I’m listening.’’ He says and I am surprised he doesn’t have any cocky remarks under his sleeve this
time.

‘’Well…I thought it’d be decent of me to show you this…’’ I pull out my cellphone and press play on
the footage before showing him the screen. ‘’…before I report you to the
Dean tomorrow.’’

I hang my other hand on my hip cheekily as his eyebrows dig into his forehead. ‘’So?’’
He asks unfazed and for a moment I think of throwing the damned phone at his face.

‘’What the hell? Is that all you have to say for your damned self?’’ I retort. Getting in his face. ‘’A sick
prank is pulled on me the same morning you arrive early at school and
you were the only one on the footage who arrived so early by the way…and all you have to say for
yourself is ‘SO’?’’ I fold my arms over my chest. ‘’You are sicker than I
thought.’’

‘’If you’re done get the fuck off my property Glendale.’’ He says irritably and walks past me but I hold
his wrist stopping him.

‘’Tell me that you feel like a man after making me feel like crap…tell me you get off of seeing me
miserable and hurt…’’ I choked out. ‘’Tell me Aidan that you sleep like a baby at night knowing that I
am crying myself to sleep every time when I think about how much it hurts to see you treat me like a
stranger every day. Are you satisfied?’’ The tears cloud my
view and Aidan’s view in front of me turns blurry.

‘’Aren’t you even going to ask if I did it?" He shot back. "And no I don’t feel like a man for making you
feel like shit. You think I get happy when you cry? Is that the picture you have painted of me in your
head? Glendale what the fuck? I have no intention of hurting you why can’t you see that…’’ He
paused catching his breath. ‘’Where did you even get that?’’

‘’Trevor di-

‘’I knew it.’’ He throws his hands in the air. ‘’This has fuckin' Trevor written all over it.’’
‘’Of course because he was the only one who even cared to help me while all you did was disappear
into the restroom during lunch break with Tiffany.’’ I immediately regret saying that. Now he'll think
I'm jealous.

God I'm pathetic.

‘’You don’t even think I tried to find who did that? Have you even tried to look if the prank video is still
on the internet?’’ Aidan asks and my face falls. "But ofcourse Superman Trevor came to the rescue
didn't he?"

‘’We found the girl who did it.’’ Kai suddenly spoke at the door leaning against the door frame with
his hands folded over his chest.

My eyes flash to Aidan who won’t look me in the eye now as he flexed his jaw clearly annoyed. ‘’She
was sent by somebody but she won’t talk.’’ He says as he turns around
towards the door.

‘’Aidan I…’’

‘’And for the recordI went to practice this morning in the basketball court for a match against Falcon
Pride tomorrow since you wanted to know so bad.’’ He said before disappearing inside leaving me
once again stranded.

I heave a sigh and turn on my heel towards my house feeling like a deflated balloon.
How am I going to ask Aidan who the girl was now when he’s clearly mad at me?

I make my way to the shower hoping that it’d make me feel better but it doesn’t so I make something
to eat before heading to my room to study but an hour later I shut the
math textbook and huff. I'm distracted.

Remembering what Aidan had said about the removed video I reinstall twitter and revisit my timeline
only to find the video gone. I search for it on google but it doesn’t come
up…
I notice I got a text from Pepper a while ago. And one from Trevor five minutes ago.
-
-Did you get home safe? (The text from Trevor reads) I reply ‘Yes’ with a smiley emoji.

-The prank video has magically disappeared check timeline xoxo (Pepper texted)
I reply to her with a dancing fish gif before I plug the phone before walking to shut the French doors
as it starts to rain outside. I open the window though because I love the sound of the pouring rain so
much.
I suddenly remember that I promised to call my dad so I video call him and he asked about how I’m
doing and I lie and say everything is okay obviously. I wouldn’t want him worrying about me.

When I’m done talking with my dad I make my way downstairs and exit the front door. I open the
garage door and tiptoe to my car through the rain hop inside and drive it into the garage. I turn off
the AC before getting out and closing the garage door.

I am about to make my way inside when I hear Daisy barking outside Aidan’s house again. I tiptoe
over the wet paved driveway

‘’Again huh?’’ I say to the oblivious dog which wags it’s tail while continuing to bark at the door.
Aidan’s car is in the driveway so he is supposed to be inside. Déjà vu of the last time I came here
slaps me in the face as I knock on the door waiting for my doom.

I ring the bell three more times but no one comes. ‘’Aidan open up!’’

I’m getting drenched now. I turn the knob but it doesn’t open. So I round the house to the back and
the French doors are open. The house lights are all out and I forgot where all the switches used to
be so I just let the dog in.

‘’Aidan.’’ I call out but there is no response and the house is eerily quiet. ‘’Aidan I know you’re here.
Can we talk. Please?’’ I make my way up the stairs but halt as I hear the French doors shut. A cold
drop of sweat glides down my back and I froze at the stairs. ‘’Aidan?’’ I swallow and dart my eyes as
a tall silhouette of a man covers the living floor down there.
A squeal escaped my throat as I scurry up the stairs making my way to where I remember Aidan’s
room is. I turn the knob and the door opens which I immediately shut upon getting inside. But I don’t
know where the keys are so I just plaster my back against the door which is fruitless because I'm not
strong enough to hold back the man behind it.

My heart is beating against my chest as the heavy footsteps of the man approach. But I suddenly
can’t hear him anymore as my heart beats so loudly in my ears. I clasp my
palm to my lips silencing a scream.

I push away from the door to hide under the bed but the door suddenly springs open before I can
succeed to hide. The dark form saunters towards me and grabs my wrist and my attempt to scream
fails
because he pulls my back to his chest and clasps his huge hand to my lips.

Musk and rain and man…The scent hits my nostrils and for some reason my heartbeat slows down
and I calm down.

‘’I’m going to remove my hand nice and slow.’’ Aidan 's voice whispers and I nod slowly. ‘’Don’t
scream.’’

He does so and I inhale and exhale turning around to face a shirtless Aidan. His chest is wet and I
think it was the rain. Strands of his hair are plastered to his temple and his
eyes are hooded as he stares at me through a pair of dark eyebrows.

‘’I opened up for the…’’ I am about to finish but he closes the gap between us and a whiff of whiskey
hits my nostrils.

He’s been drinking on a school night.

‘’I told you we’d end up here to play. ‘’ A smirk breaks from his lips and my eyes dart to
his hand where I see a bottle of Jack Daniels.

‘’You’re drunk.’’ I say as I walk backward but he closes in on me until my back is against his
bedroom wall.
Aidan takes a swig of the alcohol and I watch as his Adams Apple moves up and down when he
swallows the liquid. The drink is already half empty and my stomach twists into a knot as I watch
him.

Alone in a dark house no mom or dad to care around. And I doubt he even sees eye to eye with his
aunt. His surroundings are made up of cold dark empty corners with demons lurking at each one.

Even a blind person can see that Aidan is sinking deep into a dark hole…and no one is coming to
pull him out.

But I have to try.

Without even thinking I reach my hand out to snatch the bottle away from him and escape his grasp
as he storms behind me. I slip out his bedroom door and dart down
the stairs making my way to the kitchen. I can feel him coming fast behind me as I dunk the Jack
Daniels into the kitchen sink.

Aidan’s hand grabs my arm but it’s too late because only a drop of the alcohol remains inside the
bottle.

He frows and snatches the bottle away and he is about to throw it to the floor but I pull his arm and
he lets me take the glass placing it quietly on the countertop behind me. I bite the inside of my
cheeks as his dark eyes stare me down but I'm not scared. Because Aidan may seem like a cold
self-centred prick to the outside world but to me he is an ice palace that I will always find refuge
within no matter how far apart we are...our souls will always have each other.

Aidan grabs my wrist and turns me around pinning me against the counter as his body pressed
against mine. His body heat pressed onto my back sends my stomach into
flipping mode.

‘’I want to be good for you.’’ His hot breath flares against my earlobe and I almost peed myself. "But
the bad is attached to me like second skin the darkness lives inside of me now."
His hand moves up my neck and he wrapped his fingers around my neck but doesn’t squeeze he
just lets it rest there. His other hand snakes around my waist and he pulls me so that my butt is
pressed against his crotch and my eyes flutter shut.

‘’That’s what you do to me.’’ His voice was now barely a whisper as his lips grazes my ear.

Jesus Christ.

My stomach summersaults and heat travels down to my core making me dizzy. ‘’You have no idea
what you do to me Aidan.’’ I whisper and he pulls away from me and turns
me around before grabbing the back of my thighs and spins us around sitting me on the kitchen
island.

His dark eyes hold mine and I’m temped to kiss his pink lips but Aidan replies to my thoughts and
crushed his lips on mine his groin now pressed onto mine. I whimper as our tongues twirl against
each other. Driving me to the edge.

Aidan’s hand finds it’s way to my chest and he squeezes my breast over the top I’m swearing. My
hand finds it’s way to his nape as the other slides down his toned chest and rests on his abs.

The sound of the front door interrupts and I look at him and he let's go of a smirk. A blush hits my
cheeks when I look at his crotch.

His aunt is home.

I slip down the kitchen island and embarrassment slaps me in the face as Mrs. Caruthers turns on
the lights and steps into the kitchen wearing her nurse uniform.

‘’Oh Glendale.’’ She raised her eyebrows clearly surprised.

‘’Mrs. Caruthers I was just…’’ I look at Aidan who rubs the back of his neck before turning on his
heels.
 ‘’Glen was going to give me some papers from school…’’ He said and took my hand leading me to
the front door.

‘’It was nice seeing you Mrs…Monique.’’ I correct myself as I chuckle nervously. I know she wouldn’t
fall for such a lie.

"Oh alright." Monique gives me a tired smile as she takes off her short heels

Aidan smashes his lips on mine as he shuts the front door the rain pouring down on us outside his
front door. ‘’You taste so good.’’ He murmurs against my lips.

‘’Who was the girl who did the prank?'’ I reluctantly pull away not ready to let go either.

"Emma Sally." He spoke.

"Emma Sally? She used to attend Greenbrae Middle School with us. She's two years younger than
me." I recall. "Why would she do that though?"

"Hopefully she'll talk tomorrow." Aidan pulls my waist again and pecks me on the cheek and I can't
help but blush. I keep looking back at him smiling at me until I disappear into my house. I clasp my
hand to my lips my cheeks hurting from blushing so hard.

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Chapter 12
♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️
 ~CHAPTER 12~

🥀Glen🥀

I just came from PE and now I am in the girl’s locker to take a shower and wash off the sweat
from running around in the school field. I am about to open my locker door as Pepper walks in
wiping off sweat above her brows with the back of her hand as she stands at her locker which is
five lockers from mine. The locker room starts to fill in as people walk to their lockers getting
ready to freshen up.

‘’You know about what's happening at six o'clock tonight?’’ She wiggles her eyebrows at me as
she springs open her own locker.

‘’What?’’ I raised a brow earning a sheepish grin from her.

‘’There’s a bonfire at the beach this afternoon and one of the seniors are hosting it.’’She explains
as she pulls off her tank top. Followed by her bra.

‘’And…?’’ I continue to open my locker taking out a fresh dry towel and throwing it over my
shoulder. I grab my shampoo conditioner loofa and a lavender scented bar soap.

‘’The punchline is that each person must come with a plus one…and I already got a
card during my second class this morning. But I’m still yet to know who sent it.’’ She
sighs but offers a pursed smile. ‘’Will you go if you get an offer?’’

‘’Uhm…I don’t know really.’’ I take off my clothes and wrap the towel around my chest as I
make my way to a free shower stall.

‘’Maybe it depends on who might ask. I can’t just say yes to anyone’s offer.’’

‘’But then you won’t know who the offer is from until someone walks up top you and
says ‘so...you want to go to the bonfire with me?’’ She adds and I nod in understanding. Not
really convinced though.
‘’I’ll see if I want to go I’m not really the best socialiser in senior year so maybe I might
pass.’’ I look at Pepper over my shoulder as I open the stall turning the faucet on for hot water.
She wraps a grey towel over her chest too. ‘’I wonder who sent you the card but I already have a
picture of someone in mind.’’ I smirk and she blushed.

‘’And who exactly would that be?’’ She walks to the shower stall next to mine also turning on
the faucet inside.

‘’Kai Duffler.’’ I blurt out and her cheeks redden. ‘’I know am I right or am I right?’’ I don’t
wait for her to reply as I walk into the stall shut the glass door throw the towel over it and letting
the water hit my scalp and pour down my stressed body.

‘’I don’t get why you and Seth always insist the guy is into me I mean…I don’t even see
Kai like that.’’ She murmurs but I can hear her and so I snort.

‘’Yeah right.’’ I add smiling to myself and actually imagining them together. I think
they’d be a banging couple.

‘’So…’’ Pepper’s voice adds. ‘’…what about you and Aidan?’’ She clears her throat but I can
hear the laugh in her voice that she’s teasing.

‘’Well. Nothing to see there.’’ I use the loofa to scrub my skin as I blush thinking about
Aidan last night at his house before his aunt caught us. ‘’We kissed last night you
know.’’ I said and Pepper gasps from the other side.

‘’Oh my gosh I should’ve known all that bad blood between you two for so long was attraction
and sexual chemistry at play. But you guys are sooo cute.’’ She says and I imagined her batting
her eyelashes.

There’s a basketball match between Redwood High and Falcon Pride in about twenty minutes. I
am a little bit on edge because it will be my first-time watching Aidan play. I
mean I have always known he loved the game but I had no idea he was in the team this year and
apparently already has a sponsorship for joining the Redwood High
Varsity team for next summer.

We finish up so that the others can use the showers as it is getting filled up in here and whenI
step out the shower my eyes land on Tiffany sitting on a bench beside one of her friends
speaking for only the both of them to hear. I look over at Pepper and notice her eyeing them too.

‘’I know they’re up to something when they start being so quiet and sneaky.’’ Pepper rolls her
eyes.

‘’Whatever who frickin cares.’’ I roll my eyeballs too and finish getting dressed in a fresh pair of
sweatpants I came with before throwing over my satin pink tank top over my chest. I tie my hair
in a tight ponytail above my head.

Pepper and I head out to the basketball court and take a seat on the second row bench up in the
audience. A sudden cheer goes around the court as the team walks in. Damon Fitzherbert Kai
Duffler Louis Drift whom I remember from middle school and who also shares classes with
Pepper and Seth. And the tattooed tall dark brown haired one with a pair of dark eyebrows to
compliment his demi godly looks is Aidan.

The rest of the seven are faces I recognise who take the bench as backup because the first five
will be playing. Falcon Pride makes an entrance and so the match begins with the ten players on
the court dibbling the ball against for to back and forth on the court until by the end of the match
Redwood High stands on a whooping sixty-three over thirty-seven.

We all stand up to cheer for our team and my eyes dart to Aidan who is catching his
breath as Kai whispers something in his ear making him chuckle. But my breath caught at my
throat as Aidan grabs the hem of his Redwood high black and red jersey and wipes the sweat off
his forehead. His tight abs flexing as he wipes the rest of his face. As if feeling my eyes on him
he looks up and catches me staring.

I peel my eyes away and heat rises up my neck in embarrassment.

Gawd I must be looking thirsty. I’m sure my cheeks were a deep red right now.
The team dispersed and I guess they're heading to the guys lockers. The audience benches clear
of people as everybody gets ready to go home. Pepper and I walk out the court amidst the crowd
but I stop on my tracks when someone shoves something in my sweater pocket.

I immediately dig my hand into the pocket and when I look at it it’s a grey card written with gold
print inviting me to the bonfire. I dart my eyes around me but it’s too crowded at the exit and no
one looks like they actually did that as they are all minding their own
business.

‘’Pepper wait up.’’ I said as I make my way to Pepper who is smiling with her cellphone
screen.

‘’Look what I got.’’ I flash her the paper not really impressed or thrilled because this
could be some creep inviting me to the bonfire.

Aidan left with the team before

everybody else so there is no way he might have given the card to me.

Ugh why am I even thinking he would be the one sending it. As far as I know we
haven’t put labels on anything and we are definitely not a couple either.

‘’Oh my gosh Gee. Who would have sent the card?’’ Pepper takes it and examines it. ‘’Could be
Trevor…’’ She says and somehow my stomach drops at the sound of that
name. I am not really ready to face Trevor after discovering that his help didn’t really
help much at all. I honestly feel like him showing me that footage was because of his previous
bad blood with Aidan. But i don't want to seem ungrateful so I keep my mouth shut.

‘’I don’t think so.’’ I blurt out. ‘’Wait where’s Seth anyway?’’ I look around
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where’s Seth anyway?’’ I look around suddenly remembering I last saw him in PE.

‘’He called in sick during PE I forgot to tell you.’’ She says with her brows furrowed.
‘’Is it serious?’’ I enquire but she shakes her head.

‘’Just a minor headache I’m sure he’ll be fine.’’ She reassures. ‘’Also he got the card
too.’’ Pepper beams and I widen my eyes in awe.

‘’Oh my…who’s the lucky guy?’’ I ask her as we make our way to our lockers where
we’ll probably get ready to go home from there.

‘’I have no idea but I’m sure he’ll spill the tear tomorrow.’’

Pepper and I head toward the parking lot ready to go but a hand suddenly slips inside mine and I
turn around to find Trevor smiling at me. ‘’Hey.’’ He says before waving at Pepper.

I give Pepper the keys so that she can get in the car since it’s a bit chilly outside.

‘’Hi.’’ I pursed my lips looking around. ‘’How are you doing?’’

‘’I just wanted to see how you’re doing. If you’re great then I’ll be happy too you know.’’ He
adds still holding my hand.

‘’Well I’m feeling great actually.’’ I push my hair behind my ear.

‘’So…you got the card?’’ Trevor asks anticipation clear in his tone as he waits for my response.

‘’The card…You sent the card?’’ I ask hoping he says no but he nods.

‘’Actually I did.’’ He beams. ‘’Shocking right?’’ He jokes and I chuckle. ‘’So you
want to go to the bonfire with me?’’

I get a text from Pepper who asks if this will take long but I don’t reply to her yet as I check what
time it is. It’s already fifteen minutes before four o’clock and the bonfire is at six. My first
thought is if Aidan wanted to ask me he could have by now but I don’t see him insight and
neither is his car where it’s usually parked.
But do I really want to go to the bonfire? Pepper is going too and so is everybody in my class
surely. Do I want to wait on Aidan whom I don’t know what our status is right now?
Hell he could even be god-knows-where right now.

‘’The basketball team went out to celebrate their win if you’re wondering.’’ Trevor’s
words take me out of my trance.

‘’Oh I wasn’t thinking…about…’’ I mumble but paused and pursed my lips. ‘’You know what?
Why not?’’

Trevor’s lips tilt into a smile and he pecks the back of my hand. ‘’You won’t regret this I
swear.’’ He flashes me another smile before walking away.

I exhale a breath as I walk into the car turning the AC on.

‘’He’s the one you’re going with right?’’ Pepper asks and I furrow my brows and avert my gaze
to her.

‘’Who are ‘you’ going with?’’ I enquire and a blush hits her cheeks. ‘’Oh my god it’s Kai
isn’t it?’’

She nods and shows me a text from Kai saying he’ll pick her up. My chest tightens at the thought
that Kai is probably where Aidan is too right now but he managed to make time to take Peps
out.

So right now it’s either Aidan just doesn’t care to ask me out or I’m just an idiot for
expecting him to when he’s clearly a high school heartthrob and has all the signs of a
heartbreaker.

‘’Well I guess I’m going with Trevor then.’’ I force a smile and bite the inside of my
cheeks as I start the car. I drop Pepper outside her house before driving off to mine. As usual I
make sure to make sure that all the doors leading outside are locked using the
electronic security system my dad had installed when he left.
I throw my duffel back that has my changing clothes from PE onto the living room floor and
make a mental note to throw those in the washing machine after I am done making myself
something to
eat before meeting Trevor at the beach later on at six o’clock.

The lights are all out so I flick the one in the living room before walking to the kitchen and
turning the lights on in there too. I leave the lounge as it is as I make my way to the refrigerator
to grab something to cook for dinner but I froze when I hear a weird noise that sounds like
someone walking around the house.

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I let the refrigerator door shut slowly as I turn around but see nothing. Walking towards the
living room to flick the lights on I reach out my hand to press the switch button but someone
pulls my wrist and pressed me against the wall so hard the air is almost
knocked out of me. Before I can attempt to scream a hand comes to clasp my lips
silencing my wailing.

My eyes bulge as my heart beats inside my ears making it hard to hear what the
person behind me is saying. Tears immediately cloud my eyes and I blink multiple times to try to
think of what to do but nothing comes. I’m trapped between the cold wall and my captor's firm
hold.

I wait there for my fate already imagining my throat slit or my brains blown out but I
am pulled off the wall the hand still clasped to my mouth and am thrown on the couch in the dark
lounge. I immediately sit up on reflex.

‘’Scream and I’ll blow your fuckin brains out princess.’’ A strong voice warned
somewhere to my right and I stilled so quietly that my stomach flipped at the threat.

But my eyes dart to the form sitting on the couch nearest to the French doors. I can’t
clearly see the man’s face as the moonlight slipping through the glass doors only
illuminates behind him.
Who could this be? Oh god I don’t want to die so young.

‘’Have you ever thought about how your life will end?’’ The cold voice spoke and I
almost peed myself as the person next to me pressed a cold gun to my temple. ‘’Calm down Cole
she won’t scream.’’ The man said. ‘’Will you baby?’’

I shake my head slowly amidst the tears. Sniffling and wiping my face with the back of my now
cold hands.

‘’Returning to my question now…’’ He continues and now he walked around the coffee table
separating the couch he was seated on and the one I’m on now before stopping right in front of
me. ‘’…has the thought of how you will die ever crossed your mind?’’

I look up at his face as the uncontrollable tears itched down my cheeks. There was
something evil in the words he spoke. Each syllable he spits out I can feel the contempt he feels
towards me and I can’t help but wonder who the fuck this is and how the hell he got into our
house which has a full security system without it sending off the alarm.

There is no questioning that this is a cruel and dangerous person.

‘’I asked you a question butterfly.’’ His hands slowly reach down to my lip and he runs his
thumb on my lower lip sending a chilling feeling down my arms and back.

‘’No…no I haven’t thought about how I’d die.’’ My voice croaks and I clear my throat. ‘’Please
don’t hurt me.’’ I swallow hard as the way my heart is beating is starting to make it hard to
breathe.

‘’Don’t worry I’m going to hurt you really good. You’ll love it.’’ His tone dropped as the threat
slipped out his mouth. ‘’Pin her on the couch.’’ He orders the guy behind the
couch who still has his gun pointed at me.
 Open

Chapter 13

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 13~

🥀Glen🥀

‘’Pin her on the couch.’’ He orders and the guy behind the couch who still has his gun
pointed at me rounds the couch and yanks my wrist planting me face down on the
couch. ‘’On second thought don’t.’’ The guy who seems to be the boss takes back his
word and grabs a handful of my hair pulling it back so that I can see his face.

The amusement and pleasure on his face almost causes me to puke up but I shut my eyes hard
instead. Trying not to think about relieving my stomach which is in knots.

He is enjoying the torture he’s giving me.

‘’See that…’’ His cigarette and mint hot breath hits my face. ‘’…that is power. I don’t
have to touch you to make you feel like you’re nothing. That is the strength that comes with holding a
life at your hands.’’ He spews. ‘’Something that Caruthers doesn’t have. Hell he doesn’t even have
the balls to face me himself so he takes it out on my brother ey.’’ His thick Australian accent adds
salt to the torture he's giving me. And there's nothing that convinces me he won't do exactly what he
says.

I finally open my eyes when I hear mention of Aidan. A smirk breaks from my captor’s
lips and he chuckled deep. ‘’I knew you’d know him.’’ He lets go of my hair and retreats a step back
shoving his hands into his pockets. ‘’I need you to deliver a message to him for me. Tell him that I’ve
been missing him quite a bit lately…I wasn’t so pleased when I heard he terrorised my brother. But
I’ll forgive him if he joins my side…’’ He chortled.
What was he talking about? And who is his brother? What does this all have to do with
me?

‘’I am running short of assholes like him who will do the dirty work for me so that when the time
comes I can crown him. And he can become a close apprentice of mine like Cole here.’’ He walks
around the coffee table and stops as if thinking before he reaches on his lower back and bringing out
a gun.

God he’s definitely going to shoot me.

I shut my eyes as I listened to him continue. ‘’Tell him I said if he doesn’t oblige you’ll be my
leverage for his bad behaviour. Tell him I’ll kill everyone dear to him and let him watch me dispose
the bodies…’’ He snorts and shakes his head. ‘’Scratch that.’’ He says calmly and turns around and
points the gun my way.
A whimper escapes my lips as I pray under my breath awaiting the shot. ‘’If you tell
anyone about this I’ll visit your daddy in LA. He’ll be delighted. Right?’’
I shiver as I feel like I’m going to get sick my hands trembling where I am covering my face with
them.

A sudden door shutting jolts me but I keep my hands covering my face. Two minutes
go by but still nobody says anything. When I remove my hands from my face I am met
with the shock of my life as the house is eerily calm as if nothing ever happened.

My first thought is to call the cops but I hesitate before getting up slowly not to make a noise as I tip
toe to my backpack by the living room door.

But I halt remembering the man’s words. I don’t know what he’s capable of but I know
there is no guarantee that his words could be lies. How else would he know if my dad is in LA if he
hasn’t been watching me the whole time?

I rush with my wobbly knees to the French doors but everything seems perfect like no one even tried
to get in. I shut it and lock it and make sure the front door is locked as I make my way to my room
upstairs grabbing a black hoodie as the tears clouding my view make it hard to see very well.
I open the French doors in my room and peek out into the moonlit evening. Suddenly I heard Aidan’s
car driving into his driveway and I crawl my way to the balcony outside my room and watch him.
Hopefully he will go right to his room when he enters the house.

I rush downstairs where I forgot my phone in the bag and I'm constantly wiping my wet cheeks.

When I check the time it is exactly fifteen minutes before six o’clock. When I cope back up again the
light in Aidan’s room is on. Like I used to ten years ago I climb down the balcony and carefully make
my way to the cold grass below.

Making sure my phone is tucked carefully into my sweatpants I climb up Aidan’s

window and soon I make it to the window.

I frantically knock and it seems he heard

because the window slides up and Aidan peeks through.

‘’What the-" He sees my face and suddenly his face twists into concern.

I waste no time as I climb in and I didn’t realise I was holding in my breath until I wrap my arms
around his waist and I let it all out. I cry so hard I even scare myself but Aidan hugs me back
soothing my back. I’m thankful that he doesn’t rush me to say anything as he just stands there and
hugs me quietly as I revel in the warm feeling of his body.

‘’It’s going to be okay.’’ He soothes me by rubbing circles on my back continuously but that only
makes it worse as I cry silently. I hear a car outside my house ringing a horn but I don’t make a
move. ‘’Are you expecting someone tonight?’’ Aidan asks quietly his deep
voice calms my nerves and I finally find the strength to nod.

‘’Trevor.’’ I whisper and I can feel his body still but he doesn’t say anything. Trevor’s keeps ringing
the horn of his car but I ignore it. I pull away from Aidan’s arms looking up at him. ‘’Whose brother
did you hurt Aidan?’’ My voice croaked and the tears just won’t cease.

Aidan’s face immediately goes pale as he looks at me perplexed. Probably wondering

how I know. But the wheels seem to be turning in his head because he finally runs is fingers through
his hair and his eyes become bloodshot. ‘’Fuck…’’ He cursed under his breath but his gaze meets
mine and agony flashed behind his now red eyes. ‘’…what happened?’’

My face cracks and I sit on his bed trying to calm my breathing. ‘’Some guys came with guns and
threatened to hurt me…and my dad. He said he’ll murder my dad if I called the cops and he
said…he said something about to tell you to join his side or else…’’ My chin trembles as
I think of the gun that had been pointed at me. ‘’…he said…’’ I shake my head and
Aidan walks close to me pulling my face to him while he stands between my legs.

‘’I’m sorry Glen. I just…I never thought it’d get like this.’’ He says but I shake my head
slightly pushing him away to see his face.

‘’You haven’t answered my question Aidan. Who did you hurt?’’ I said firmly.

He sits next to me and sighs. ‘’I didn’t hurt anyone.’’ His voice comes out firmly too. ‘’I
just scared the wits out of Trevor a week ago to warn him to stay away from you.’’

‘’Why would you want him to stay away from me?’’ I ask taking offence. ‘’What if it was just some
other dude from school then? Would you have done the same? You go around scaring anyone who
shows interest in me because...why? I am obligated to live under your shadow.’’ I get up looking
down on him now as he watches me calmly. Just like any other time Aidan won’t flinch even at the
most serious confrontation but I am
not having it. This actually involves my family and my life is at stake.

‘’It’s not like that please. Just sit down and I’ll explain everything to you.’’ He reaches
for my hand but I yank it away.

‘’No talk while I’m still standing here.’’ I wipe the tears from my cheeks my chest still heaving from
crying too hard and my head is already starting to hurt really bad.

‘’Trevor is not what he seems

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Glen. Okay…can we clear that one first. He hurts people

and gets away with it because his family is really connected. He spikes girls drinks at parties does
things that others take the blame for pulls people’s legs and
get’s away with it because he always gets what he wants from people in power. When I saw him
getting close to you I went to the library and scared him and I didn’t even hurt him…which obviously
was a grave mistake because he’s coming at you again and just to try to get under my skin-

‘’Wait wait wait...are you trying to say Trevor is behind what those guys just did?’’ I cut Aidan short
and he nods.

‘’The prank supposedly he even asked you out to the beach…it was a diversion to
make you believe that even if I told you he planned for you to get terrorised you would not believe it
because he had asked you out to the bonfire.’’ Aidan stands up and walks over to me. ‘’I need you to
trust me on this one Glen. Trevor has no intention of making
you happy or having the best interest at heart for you.’’ He pushes a strand of hair off my face. ‘’And
that guy who terrorised you is his brother Sullivan. He’s one sick bastard himself but Trevor plays his
cards well and hides his own sickness behind a pale fucking mask that makes it hard to see through
his bullshit…’’

I still my back and pull my hands into fists at my sides. My face hardens as I think of all the
compliments Trevor gave me the smiles he always had when he was around me the treatment he
gave me and… All of it was backhanded bullshit.

‘’Then I’ll be the one to slip off that damned mask myself.’’ I bit out pushing back the
tears as I look up at Aidan who is also taken aback but he gives me a closed smile.

‘’I’m sure you will.’’ He pulls me into a hug and pecks my forehead. ‘’You’re heating up. You need me
to get you a glass of water?’’ He asks not pulling away from the hug.

‘’Yes please.’’ I whisper. He wipes my cheeks and holds my hand. Thankfully replying to my thought
because I don’t want to be alone right now.

I take Aidan’s hand as he leads us downstairs where he gives me a glass of water and makes
something for me to eat.
Twenty minutes later he sits beside me as he helps me to eat. An hour later we go up to his room
and my head is still aching from crying too
much. I wait for Aidan to come back with a migraine tablet and so I swallow it down with water before
replacing the glass on his pedestal.

‘’Better now?’’ He asks as he sits down on his bed.

‘’I just took the pill.’’ I chuckle weakly and his smile falls. He inches closer and furrowed his brows in
concern.

‘’I’m so sorry Glen.’’ His voice cracked placing his hand on my cheek. I hold his hand on my cheek
and fight back the tears.

‘’I know you are.’’ I pursed my lips. Tasting the salty tears as they enter my lips.

I lie on the pillow and he does the same. Aidan finally tells me about his mom who
apparently has been thrown into rehab who has been struggling for years now. His dad who's been
really terrible to him even though he hasn't gone into specifics. I know it is hard for him so I reassure
him that it’s okay throughout until he tells me about a friend he made while he and I weren’t hanging
out before I left for France and that Flynn passed away in a car accident.

I inch closer and bury my face in his now clad chest and throw one arm over his torso.

‘’So much has happened during the years when we were apart. I’m so sorry that I never reached out
when you we’re dealing with so much.’’ I said and Aidan tries to defend me but I put my forefinger on
his lips because I know what he’s going to say. ‘’I should’ve asked why you suddenly gave me a cold
shoulder that was a dark time for you. I’mvsorry you lost your friend and I wasn't there to provide
comfort to you. And your mom is a very brave woman she will come out soon. Your father...you need
to find it in your heart to forgive him. It’s the only way to let go of the darkness.’’ I continue.
‘’Everything that has happened has worked to get us back together again. I wouldn’t change any
detail because it has shaped you to be one of the most kind-hearted people I know. It doesn’t matter
if everybody else feels different I know you way deeper than that.’’ I peck his bare chest and trail hot
kisses up to his collar bone.
‘’What would I ever do without you?’’ His voice said and I smile.

The following morning I wake up in Aidan’s bed and we’re still dressed in yesterday’s
clothes but my tank top is damp from the heat of our bodies and I had asked him to
turn the AC on last night because I felt cold. I wake up to turn the AC on as I put my sneakers on.

‘’Aidan.’’ I call quietly so his aunt doesn’t know I slept over. Wouldn’t want her gossiping about it to
my dad. ‘’Aidan.’’
He groans and opens one eye and god he looks good. His messy hair and ruby lips
pouting as his eyes find me. ‘’We’ll be late for school.’’ I sit back on the bed pecking his lips quickly
before walking to the window ready to go.

‘’No…we’ll go tomorrow.’’ He whines like a baby but I shake my head and find myself
chuckling under my breath.

‘’No you promised we’d take your car today.’’ I stand by the window and
Aidan finally sits up and looks at me. Taking my form in.

‘’I must be dreaming because an angel is standing at my window right now.’’ He wiggles his
eyebrows animatedly before darting his eyes to his bedroom door. ‘’My aunt probably left now. You
can use my restroom for a shower.’’ He offers and I immediately think about how good he smells; I’ll
be covered in his scent all day. ’Well you know I can’t turn down that offer.’’ I smirk as I open the
door and go to take a shower.

He gives me a fresh towel a loofah and a new toothbrush.

And just like I’d thought I walk out smelling like a fresh Aidan Caruthers.

‘’Smell thaaaaat.’’ I say dramatically as I wrap my arms around him. Aidan picks me up like a baby
and chuckled.

‘’You smell like a King baby.’’ He teased and I snort.

‘’You’re so full of yourself.’’ I playfully roll my eyes at him and puts me down. I give him a peck as I
dart down the hallway and to the stairs. ‘’Finish up. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes ready to go.’’

‘’Okay moooooom.’’ Aidan says at the top of his voice from upstairs as I exit the house and go to
mine. I dig out a black high school girl skirt with a white long-sleeved shirt and a vintage red tie
which I just loosened around the collar. I wear my Converse All Starts boots and stripped black and
white socks that reach my thigh leaving a sliver of skin between the
socks and my skirt. I then tie my hair into two ponytails and let two loose thick strands curl at the
sides of my temple. I finish the outfit with a red matte lipstick and light makeup to cover up the dark
circles under my eyes from crying so much. Then grab my backpack as I head out.

Walking over to Aidan’s car which is parked in his driveway he’s staring at his feet with
his hands in his black sweatpants pockets and a black hoodie on. His messy dark
brown hair is covering his forehead and calling for me to run my fingers through it. He looks up and
his eyes meet mine.

‘’You look…’’ He stands up from the nose of his car. Taking my form in and I smirked before closing
the gap between us.

‘’My ego chose the outfit today.’’ I whispered in his ear making him groan in pleasure as his hands
snake around my waist. ‘’Uh uh no touching. Not yet.’’ I pull away and smirk pushing him slightly with
my forefinger on his chest. I wink at him as I round the car and opening the passenger seat. Aidan
has a mix of pain and pleasure as he rounds the car and gets in his driver’s seat.

‘’Having to look at you like that the whole day is going to be pure torture.’’ He looks me up and down
and I know with the way he’s sizing me; he’s long undressed me in his head.

For the whole ride to the school I fight back the tears as I think about what happened last night but
seeing Aidan next to me consoles me. We’re in this together. And Trevor will get what’s coming for
him soon enough. Aidan and I have already spoke about it and Devil's night the night before
Halloween is coming. It's time he gets a taste of his own medicine.

When Aidan’s car parks in his usual spot he rounds the car to open for me and I step
out taking his hand as he shuts his Mustang. I can feel everyone’s eyes on us as he takes my hands
into his and right then Tiffany’s eyes meet mine and her face falls. I look ahead and smirk.

Well well...

Chapter 14
♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 14~

🥀Glen🥀

The day has been going perfectly well for me today. I mean why else would it not with the way Aidan
and I have been inseparable in the school halls. We kissed in a corner at the librarythis morning
before class snuck into the janitor’s storeroom during the second lesson switch and now his eyes
won’t leave mine as he sits with Damon at a lunch table where all the basketball team are.

‘’You guys are definitely fucking already.’’ Seth beams but loud enough for only Pepper and I to
hear. Heat rises up my neck and I slurp my smoothie to hide the blush.

‘’Uh…no Seth we’re not.’’ I said and Pepper giggles beside me.

‘’Yeah right. With the way you guys keep eye-fucking you’re going to definitely need a room.’’
Pepper chimes in. ‘’And please don’t make a baby Gee-gee. We got to be the hot chicks who travel
the world without kids crying behind us remember?'’

I widen my eyes at her in awe and playfully smack her arm. ‘’Peps.’’ I gasp and chuckle.
‘’Of course I won’t make babies I’m still in school and Aidan and I aren't...'’

Seth snorts as he finishes off his lunch. We were waiting for him now. ‘’And you
Seth Pepper told me you also got an invitation to the bonfire yesterday.’’ I ask Seth who almost
choked on his food.
I lied to my friends and said I got sick and that I couldn’t make it to the bonfire last night. I really hate
myself for lying so much these days but I wouldn’t want them to worry about me and end up calling
the cops which is totally not an option is Aidan and I want to keep our plan low-key.

I am also not anticipating coming across Trevor in the school halls because I need to play nice for
the moment until Devil’s night.

‘’Yeah I did get an invitation. But I couldn’t go because I didn’t feel like myself so…’’
Seth finishes the soda in his can.

‘’Who was it from?’’ Pepper straight on asks biting back a smile.

‘’Come on bestie you can tell us.’’ I add and Seth finally blushed pursing his lips.

‘’I don’t know yet.’’ He lies and stands up but Pepper and I aren’t buying it. We
follow Seth as he throws his takeaway container into the trash can and we do the same before
exiting the cafeteria hall.

‘’Come on Sethany. It’s only fair you tell us because we told you too right?’’ We press
on as our friend avoids the confrontation. But Pepper sighs hanging her hand on her
waist.

‘’He’s never going to talk when he gets like this.’’ Pepper spoke as we all exchange
books from our lockers for third class after lunch. I also grab my notebook which has my history
notes and toss it into my bag before shutting the locker but I almost drop from heart attack as Trevor
suddenly appears when I close the locker.

I hold my hand to my chest and irritation seeps under my skin. But I need to keep my calm so I
plaster a smile on my face.

‘’See you later Glen.’’ Pepper and Seth said in unison as they head toward the direction of their
class. I wave quickly before averting my attention to Trevor.

‘’You almost gave a heart attack.’’ I exhale and look into his green hues; he looks less
calm than most days. I can see the uncertainty of my reaction behind his eyes.

Guilty much mafia Trevor?

‘’Hey Glen I just wanted to see how you are doing. I stopped at your house last night but no one
came out. I was worried and left texts. I even called but you didn’t pick up.’’ He voiced out leaning his
hand against the lockers as one rubs the back of his neck which is another nervous sign.

‘’I got sick and lost track of time lying in bed. You know girl stuff.’’ I purse my lips and I turn around
but knowing him he won’t take the fucking hint so he’s going to follow me. I
am fighting back tears as flashes of the gun pointed at me on his call assault my brain. You’d think a
rich brat like him would have morals and etiquette to treat women with
respect.

‘’It’s okay we can always reschedule.’’ He follows me toward where my next class is.
‘’October is just around the corner and you know it’s festivities time. We can grab a
drink anytime if you’re free.’’ He stops in front of me. Giving me a closed smile. ‘’That’s if you don’t
have a problem with that.’’

‘’I’ll definitely see if I’m not busy. But…’’ I run my forefinger down his white shirt buttons
and I can hear his breath hitched at the sudden gesture. ‘’…but we can hang out on
Devil’s night. It’s my favourite night of the year.’’ I winked and smirked at him. He bites his lower lip.

Fucker!

I almost rolled my eyes.

‘’Sounds great.’’ He touches my cheek and my back stills.

‘’I know right.’’ I feigned a smile. ‘’See you soon Trevor.’’

I walk into class and plant myself behind my usual desk. There is a few of my classmates in class
who are already in their seats and not long after that the bell rings and the others come inside too.
And so does Tiffany.
She saunters her way past me but sweeps her hand across my desk dropping my
textbook and notebook onto the floor. My eyes dart to her and she smirks.

"Oops my hand slipped." She remarks.

I plaster a smile on my face as I pick up the books. ‘’I’m sure it was a mistake.’’ I purse
my lips. And just as I thought irritation is evident on her face and it’s only a matter of time before the
anger inside her spills over which is exactly what I want. ‘’You should
really get a pair of glasses for yourself Tiff. It's clear that seeing is not your strong suite anymore.’’ I
tilted my
head and plaster my hand to my chest feigning conern with a sarcastic tone.

Her eye twitches and she thinned her lips as she makes her way to her desk but she
turns around halfway.

Here we go.

‘’I just think it’s funny how you used to think yourself better than me because ‘you don’t
date assholes who drive mustangs’ but look at you now.’’ She taunts.

I look forward and

bite the inside of my cheeks. I am not going to let her turn me into the likes of her.

Tiffany is an unstable mess hiding behind a face lift and lip filler who hates herself for and right now
she wants to see me cry or falter so that she can feel good. But I won’t give her that satisfaction.
‘’Look at you now picking at scrubs of Aidan I left because I was tired of him. Really downplayed
yourself there if you ask me.’’

Now everyone was listening the room fell so quiet I wondered if they could hear my heart hammering
against my chest as I fought back the urge to bust Tiffany’s fish mouth with my elbow and shutting
her up.
She is really asking for it. ‘’Should have picked Trevor at least he’ll take you out and treat you better
but here you are…behaving like a skank for Aidan.’’ Now he whispered
at the back of my head.

Tears of rage burned my eyes and I am about to say something but Aidan walks
through with his two pals and his eyes immediately dart to me and Tiffany behind me.

Damon and Kai walk past to the back but Aidan stops beside my desk and holds my
chin.

‘’You OK?’’ He gazed into my eyes but Aidan stops beside my desk and holds my
chin.

‘’You OK?’’ He gazed into my eyes and I was lost for a moment in his gaze like the calm before the
storm.

I bite the inside of my cheeks and nod. ‘’I’m fine.’’

‘’I believe you know where your desk is Tiff.’’ He says to Tiffany behind me who I can hear hissing
before going to take a seat. People murmur to themselves but get quiet as the
teacher walks in.

***

After school I walk to Aidan’s car and find him waiting for me outside it. He opens the door as soon
as I get to him and rounds the car to his side. ‘’How was your day?’’ He asks looking to see my
reaction. I know he's concerned after he saw the encounter I had with Tiffany today.

‘’It was nerve wrecking to say the least.’’ I sigh and he reaches to place his warm hand on my thigh.
‘’Tiffany and Trevor are going to be the death of me.’’

‘’Sorry about Tiffany. She feels threatened by your presence. I think you’re the first
girl to make her feel less sure about herself and that scares the shits out of her.’’ He says and
shoves the key into the ignition. Revving the car out of the school parking lot and driving out the
premises.

‘’Did you ever like her?’’ I find myself asking but Aidan wastes no time to shake his head slightly.

‘’I made it clear to her before we…’’ He trailed off and I know what he means so I just listen. ‘’…that I
am not looking for a relationship and she agreed to it too but as time went on she worked toward
creating an image of the perfect life she wanted people to see. Redwood High cheerleading captain
dating the basketball captain
seemed like an ideal picture-perfect life she painted in her head. But she always knew about how I
felt towards you. When you left three years back she had noticed how cold I had become and even
witnessed me not wanting to have anything to do with you.’’
Aidan turns the car towards our lane now driving past the familiar houses in our
neighbourhood. ‘’But she wasn’t blind either she knew my cold demeaner towards you was attraction
and for a while she ignored it but the same week you came back she
confronted me about you going to come between us now that you were. It was a
typically hilarious thing to witness her acting like we were an item when I made it clear we weren’t
from the set go. For the most part I think everybody always knew about us.’’ Aidan finally parks the
car outside my house.

‘’What do you mean everybody knew about us?’’ I shift in my seat pulling off the
seatbelt and facing him.

‘’The first time you moved into the neighbourhood when we were seven I woke up every morning
ready to play cars with the girl next door and my mom thought I’d gone mad. It thrilled me that you
didn’t even mind playing board games with me which girls usually didn’t like at that age. But you
did.’’ His hand rises up to my lip and he runs his
thumb under my lip. ‘’My mother knew there was a bond forming between our friendship and so did
your father I’m pretty sure. But you know how dads are with their
daughters.’’ He lets out a deep chuckle and I find myself wiping a tear that had escaped my eye.
‘’And so did your mother.’’ Aidan finally says and my face cracks a combination
of content and sadness swirling in my chest.
‘’The same month she passed on…’’ Aidan
takes my hand into his intertwining our fingers ‘’’…I had knocked on your front door and she was the
one to open this time. I will never forget the smile she had on her face with that floral blouse she
loved to wear remember that?’’ His lips break into a smile as he gazes into my eyes. I nod amidst
the tears and find myself smiling with him. ‘’She told me you’d be down in a moment and I waited for
you sitting on the couch. She then brought me those easter chocs she used to give us and I
remember thinking I wish my mom was as sober and kind as yours.’’ His smile faded for a moment
but his face lit up again.

Now I was so engrossed into the story because a part of me was back into that
moment again back when we didn’t know what pain or love was. We were so carefree. ‘’ She sat
beside me and said ‘your friendship with Glen is so special Aidan. She talks about you all the time
and she won’t go a day without playing with the short boy next door with the
red shirt. Then her lips broke into a sad smile and she said ‘look out for each other and never let
anything come between your friendship’. Those words taunted me every day. I didn't know the
deeper meaning behind it at that time but
after I lost contact with you it felt like I had betrayed her by not keeping my promise.’’ I
wipe a tear under his eye and peck his cheek.

‘’She was right about everything.’’ I croaked and Aidan picks me up so that I am
straddling his lap. ‘’She was right about all of it.’’ I bury my face into his neck as he
embraced me into a warm hug.

We stay like that as we remind ourselves of our childhood and how far we’d come. It’d be a grave
mistake to throw all of this away now. And I will fight with every willpower in
me that no one tries to come between us.

Later on I made something to eat and Aidan joined me for dinner after I texted him to come. I finish
before him
and go upstairs for a quick shower and I only realise when I look through my bathroom window that
it’s raining. I finish cleaning up and wear my pyjama shorts and pants and
sliding on my slippers before going downstairs and finding Aidan wiping the dishes we ate in.

‘’You didn’t have to babe.’’ I walk in and he smiles at me.

‘’It’s nothing.’’ He placed the last platter in the cabinets before turning to me. ‘’You smell amazing.
Even look the part too.’’ He snakes his hands around my waist and slightly picks me up and my feet
leave the ground.

I peck his lips and soon we end up kissing slowly. Aidan picks me up from the ground
and I automatically wrap my legs around his waist. His hands lower and grab my behind as we kiss
hungrily. Heat travels down my stomach and settled at my core as our
tongues slide against each other.

‘’So perfect.’’ Aidan murmurs against my lips as his lips leave mine and he kisses my neck definitely
leaving a hickey there. I throw my head back welcoming him. His other hand grazed my breast. He
strokes the hard flesh of my nipple and I whimper in sweet pleasure. My core clenched and I shut my
eyes at the feeling.

I need more of him.

My lips crash into his as he walks up the stairs with me still in his arms and my legs
wrapped around his waist. Aidan groans as he throws my bedroom door open and lays me on the
bed and hovers over me. My legs are still wrapped around him when he leaves trails of kisses down
my collarbone and slips the top off my shoulder and kisses me there. ‘’I want to explore every part of
you baby.’’

He said deeply and I let my legs fall

from his waist as he raised my top revealing my stomach. Aidan kisses me down to my lower
abdomen and his fingers trailing on the waistband of my pyjama pants is driving me crazy.

I slip the pants down my legs and am only left in my undies. His lips part as he
stares at my body in awe. ‘’Beautiful.’’ He murmurs against my abdomen. ‘’Sexy.’’ He
voiced. ‘’Mine.’’

He crashed his lips on mine and helps me slide off my top before I sit up and hold the hem of his
own t-shirt and throw it somewhere in the room. I smirk as I unbutton his jeans and grab the belt and
pull it off. Aidan’s eyes darken with desire as
he pins me with that heated gaze behind his eyes.

‘’It’s just us. You and me.’’ I said and lie on my back as Aidan pushed down everything below his
waist and comes back to kiss me like our lives depend on it. I can feel his thick flesh on my thigh as
he continues to kiss me everywhere but suddenly goes down to my sensitive area and nibbles. He
leaves trails of wet kisses and licks every drop. I roll my eyes to the back of my head and my back
arcs on the bed.

I want more of him.

‘’The sheath is in the left drawer.’’ I finally said and a sexy smirk breaks from his lips.
Aidan reaches for the sheath and bites the wrapper off and slides the rubber around his thick flesh
before hovering over me with his lips returning to my boobs again. A smile breaks from my lips
because I think I just discovered his favourite part of my body.

He looks up at me and without even saying a word I know what he is entailing and I
nod.

‘’I’ll stop anytime if you’re not comfortable kay?’’ He looks into my eyes as he holds his weight above
me by placing his hands beside my hand. Soon I welcome his shaft as a stinging feeling makes me
look between us where out bodies are intertwined. My fingers dig into his back as he sinks deeper
inside each stroke going deeper than the last until he’s buried to the hilt.

I whimper with the intense combination of pain and pleasure and crash my lips on
Aidan’s as he slides in and out of me until soon the pain goes away and only need and pleasure
remain. I raise my hips to meet his strokes as we both gaze into each other’s eyes.

‘’You feel so good inside me.’’ I whisper and Aidan’s lips parted. He wraps his fingers
around my neck and heat travels down to my core. ‘’Jesus Christ.’’ I whimper as he
picks up pace but Aidan surprised me when he slides out.

Wha-

‘’Get on your knees.’’ He says and my cheeks heat up with a blush.

I nod and suck my bottom lip before kneeling and laying my chest on the bed with my butt propped
up. Without a warning Aidan slides into me and I gasp because his length goes so much deeper in
me in this position. He gently grabs a handful of my hair and my back arch off the bed as Aidan
pumps into me from behind.

‘’I can feel you everywhere.’’ I cry in pleasure as his thick length hits my walls sending waves of
pleasure inside me until I feel an overwhelming emotion of ecstasy as I have my first orgasm. In no
time Aidan finishes too and we both crash on top of each other.

‘’I can’t get enough of you.’’ Aidan says beside me. Strands of his hair now sticking to his temple.

‘’Me too.’’ I said and blushed. I rise up from the bed after we caught our breath and take out another
sheath before returning to the bed.

Aidan stares at me with a heated gaze as I straddle him and I can feel his shaft already hardening
for the second time while it pokes my thigh. I peel off the wrapper and he watches me slide it onto
him. ‘’This is my first time so I won’t be a pro.’’ I said as I position my core onto his
shaft. A blush heating up my cheeks at the thought of what I'm about to do.

‘’You’re perfect.’’ Aidan whispers in responsehis eyes never leaving me for a second as I slide his
thick shaft into me.

My lips part and I balance myself placing my hands on his chest as his length goes
deeper than before.

My new drug.

Chapter 15

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 15~
 🥀Glen🥀

It keeps getting cooler with each passing day as we approach Halloween and today is no different.
Only one day remains before it’s Devil’s night.

I open my eyes and sit up immediately smelling the sweet smell of the soft rain. I left the window in
the bathroom open that’s where the smell is coming from. I stretch my arms and walk to the French
doors peeking through the glass at Aidan’s house. There is no movement behind his window so I
guess he’s not up yet.

We’ve been getting along quite well if I may say so myself. We’re inseparable but not in
an obsessive kind of way. That’s what I’ve always loved about Aidan and I. Nothing that we do feels
forced it just comes naturally. Just like two halves of one whole. Opposite sides of a magnetic that
attract each other.

I turn on my heels to the bathroom and brush my teeth before uncladding and stepping under the
shower faucet cleaning up and then trying my hair in a loose ponytail before getting dressed in a pair
of sweatpants a loose fitting white plain t-shirt and warm socks and going downstairs to make
breakfast. I open the refrigerator and to my surprise
there really isn’t much to make because it’s been a long time since I went out for
groceries. I sigh and close the refrigerator after grabbing the ice cream and cookies
from the cabinet where I store the snacks. I make my way to the lounge and unplug
my phone from the wall socket as I sit down and turn the channel to the movies channel and watch
After.

I eat half the ice cream and put it back in the refrigerator and head back to the couchbut I halt when I
hear a notification vibrating in my sweatpants pocket and it’s a text from Aidan asking if he should
make breakfast.

I texted him yes with a smile plastered on my face. He just literally saved my life because I really
don’t have anything to make for breakfast so I’m stuck with the junk in the cabinets instead. I text
him telling him I’m coming before going upstairs making my bed closing the bathroom window and
putting on my sneakers before locking the house and going to Aidan’s house. The soft droplets of
rain do nothing to wet my clothes as I make my way into the front door shutting it behind me.
As soon as I walk into the kitchen I spot a shitless Aidan working on the kitchen island with an apron
on. I just lean by the door frame here and watch him as he operates like a pro. He looks so unreal
with his messy brown curls covering his forehead and the rest of his hair trimmed perfectly and I’m
sure he must’ve gotten the fresh haircut yesterday after we came back from the theatre because it
was a Saturday. We’ve been having a lot of those kind of laid-back dates lately and they’re adorable.
I’ve gotten to know him
and he has come to know me too both on an emotional and physical level as well. A
blush hits my cheeks as I think of all the times we’ve made love to each other.
Aidan finally looks up from the table and smirks sexily. ‘’Stalker’’ He says.

‘’I got that after you you know.’’ I push off the door frame and walk towards him
hugging him from behind as he works. ‘’You look hot when you’re taking care of me you know that?’’
I say mimicking his voice just as he had said a few days ago when I
cooked for him.

‘’Haha really funny.’’ He snorts and takes my hand pecking it and sucking my tiny
pinkie finger and that sends a warm tingly feeling in my stomach.

I help Aidan finish making the breakfast before we both sit down to eat. He insists on feeding me
until we both finish the food not leaving a scrubs behind.

‘’You’re so good at this you should be a chef.’’ I said to Aidan who wipes my lower lip and pecks it.

‘’That’s not a bad idea actually. I could make a lot of cash cause nobody would actually come to
watch me cook at my show. I mean why would they?...’’ He winks at me as he flexed his biceps
making me laugh my ass off cause he's being silly.

Aidan is about to wash the dishes but get up to help him packing them away in no time.
I know he’s just joking about being a chef though cause he has always loved being a
Marine. And I have had a passion for clinical psychology. It's been our dreams eversince we've been
old enough to know what choosing a career is.
I am about to open my mouth to speak but a horn sound that’s coming from my house
makes me stop.

‘’That’s at your house.’’ Aidan peeks through the blinds in the kitchen and his face becomes pale.

‘’What?’’ I ask looking at his reaction which went solemn in an instant. I check out what he’s seeing
only to see my dad’s car parked in the driveway.‘’He’s back early.
He’s supposed to be back Monday latest.’’ I murmur and immediately think of a lie to tell my dad
when he sees me coming out of Aidan’s house. He will know about Aidan and I because we’re
basically too old to be playing cars in his anymore.

My dad will get suspicious because it is kind of suss cause he already he warned me to stay away
from boys when he left. Guilt seeps under my skin immediately as I think of his reaction.

‘’I guess I got to go.’’ I say looking at Aidan who has a concerned look on his face. He
already empathises with me because he knows how awkward this will be but I force a smile. ‘’I’ll see
you later.’’ I peck his lips and turn around leaving him at the centre of the kitchen.

"Text me how it goes." He calls after me as I head out.

When I walk towards my dad’s car he’s not inside which can only mean he’s already
gotten inside the house with the spare keys he had with him when he left.

‘’Honey I’m home.’’ His voice beams from inside and I bite the inside of my cheeks as I step in.

He is coming down the stairs and he is staring at his phone maybe he is about to call me.

‘’Dad.’’ I say trying to sound cheerful as much as I can. My dad looks up and smiles
from ear to ear. His windowpane polo shirt is wrinkled and his greying hair is a bit
messy signalling he hasn’t been getting enough rest lately.

‘’I’ve looked everywhere for you. Where have you been?’’ He asks.

I meet him halfway as he finally makes it down the stairwell and wrap my hands around him.
''Hey dad.’’ I genuinely smile as I engulf his musk scent. I’ve actually missed him to be
honest even though Aidan has been a great distraction to take my mind off a handful of stuff. ‘’I…I
had went to Pepper’s house.’’ I lie and pull away from the warm hug but his
white smile fades.

‘’What do you mean you were at Pepper’s house? I just saw her at the convenient store with a young
man just a few moments before getting here.’’ My dad tries to enlighten the mood but the confusion
is evident on his face.

‘’I…I was at…’’ I mumble fiddling with the hem of my shirt as I try to look anywhere but into his hazel
brown gaze.
I finally look up at my dad who’s at a loss of words but he scoffs and chuckles a bit
before slightly shaking his head and pointing his thumb referring to Aidan’s house.

‘’You were at that the Caruthers’s house weren’t you?’’

My heart falls into my stomach and I now I'm the one who's at a loss of words. But I only manage a
nod.

My dad rubs the back of his neck and sighs. ‘’Well that’s a disappointment. I had hoped Monique
was just making the stuff up about you always at their house these days with that boy."

Ugh that's so low for Monique to do that.

Can't people just mind their own business?

‘’But dad there’s nothing going on between us. I was just hanging out like we always
did when we were kids
Sponsored

AD

you know. Like we always did-‘’ I mumble. God I was not

making sense.
‘’Then why did you lie about being at your friend Pepper’s house instead?’’ He asks
raising his brows questionably like he always did when he is about to ground me.

‘’I knew you’d get mad.’’ I blurt out. ‘’I swear it dad. We are just hanging out and-
‘’I’m not a child Glendale.’’ He calls me by my full name and I pout. Now he is not calm anymore so I
need a different approach.

‘’I’m sorry.’’ I spoke still fiddling nervously with my t-shirt.

‘’You have to stay away from him Glendale. I don’t want you getting hurt. You know I
spoke with you about staying away from boys when I left you just don’t listen do you?’’ His voice
rose a tone higher now and I faltered.

Stay away from Aidan? The thought of that alone terrifies me. We have just started to
get to know each other better.

‘’…I’ve been a young man myself Glen I can promise you that nothing good can come
out of a young relationship.’’ My dad keeps going on and my chest tightens.

‘’But dad-

‘’Glendale. Don’t.’’ He warns and I keep my mouth shut pushing back the pending
tears.

Great. Now I’ve done it.

How will I even do what he’s asking of me? Tomorrow is Devil’s night and we’ve already planned
everything. I even ordered the dress I’m supposed to wear for heaven’s sake!

‘’Give me your phone.’’ My dad’s voice jolts me out of thought and I widen my eyes at
him.

‘’Dad.’’ I call as he opens his palm to me gesturing for me to hand my phone to him.
‘’But dad please. You can’t take away my phone.’’ I mumble but he gives me a warning look.
‘’I am still your legal guardian and you’re not eighteen yet.’’

‘’But I will be tomorrow.’’ I said finally remembering. God I had even forgotten my own birthday? How
more pathetic can I get.

Aidan has done a number on me. His love

has totally made me lose my mind. And now I'm fighting with my dad about staying away from him
which I doubt I can do.

‘’Why do you think I came here early? I wanted to surprise you before your birthday and here you
are Glendale! Sleeping around with the boy next door! Kudos to me for being the best dad.’’ He
slides the phone out my sweatpants pocket easily and turns around to head upstairs. ‘’And I’ll be
driving you to school and back until further notice.’’ He waves my phone in the air as he disappears
up the stairs.

‘’Thanks a lot Monique.’’ I mumble to myself and hang my hands on my waist as I make my way up
the stairs to my room and open the French doors and just as I’d hoped
Aidan is leaning by his window frame gazing this side.

He waves with a sweet smile but the worry is evident behind his furrowed eyebrows.
‘’You okay?’’ He asks.

I look around my room and shut my bedroom door before returning to the balcony and shaking my
head. ‘’Nope nothing is okay. Monique outed us.’’ I said and Aidan’s dark
brows dig into his forehead. ‘’Please don’t lash out at her. I’m sure we’ll figure
something out.’’ i add quickly. I wouldn't want to worsen the already unstable relationship he has with
his aunt.

‘’What do you mean? Does your dad know...everything?’’ He leans forward on his window frame the
muscles in his arms
flexing as he does so.
‘’My dad took away my phone and I’m not allowed to see you again until further notice he said.’’ I tell
him and I sure as hell don’t miss the disappointment on his face.
‘’I get it he’s just being a caring dad.’’ Aidan says and my heart breaks for him. Him not
having a present father in his life left a scar on him too. But he has me. We have each
other now and we’ll get through this tomorrow.

‘’But about tomorrow will you still be on for Devil’s night?’’ He runs his hands down his
face in frustration. ‘’I mean…if you can’t it’s still okay. We can do something else…at
your house. Your dad won’t have to worry he can watch us the whole time to make sure we don't do
anything inappropriate.’’ Aidan says and I shake my head. He's got to be out his mind.

‘’My dad would flip out if he heard you want to come over to our house after I just lied
about not coming from your house. Trust me.’’ I add and he chuckles.

‘’I’m kidding.’’ He smiles and my stomach summersaults. Happiness looks good on him. Spending
the past couple of weeks together has had a personality upgrade on him. He even turned into a
comedian and always jokingly teases me whenever he gets the chance.

‘’Glendale.’’ My dad calls and I scurry inside as the door to my bedroom opens and act
like I’ve been lying on the bed. ‘’You want pizza? I’m ordering in.’’

I nod and watch him as he walks inside sitting on the edge of my bed. ‘’Honey I hate to be the bad
guy but I am just trying to protect you. I don’t want you to get hurt this is hard for me too. You don’t
know how much I wish your mother was here every day to help me. It can get so difficult especially
since you’re a girl child and it’s not easy for dad’s to
understand you as mothers do.’’
My heart aches as my dad as he speaks so earnestly. I know it’s hard for him but I just
wish he could trust me to make decisions for myself without always expecting the worst-case
scenario out of it.

‘’I know dad.’’ Is all I manage to say as I sit up next to him laying
my head on his shoulder as he wraps an arm around my shoulder.

‘’Can I get my phone now?’’ I said and dad sighs and stands up.
‘’I thought you were listening…I’ll tell you when the pizza gets here.’’ He shuts the
bedroom door behind him. He looks so done with me right now.

I plump back on the bed and sigh. An hour later I’m reading a novel I got from Paris last time when
we were in France and yawn tiredly by the time I’m almost halfway through the book. I have already
grabbed a piece of pizza downstairs before my dress was delivered to our doorstep. I drink down the
soda my dad gave me and throw the can in the small bin under my study desk.

When boredom gets the best of me hours later I get up from the bed and walk to the French doors
only to see it has already gotten dark. The Caruthers house is pitch black too and the lights are off. I
am guessing Monique hasn’t come back from work yet but Aidan must’ve turned on the lights by
now and his car is in the driveway so he’s supposed to be in
there.

I lock my bedroom door and sneak outside the French doors down the balcony and up
Aidan’s window but I halt halfway up his stairs when I hear something crashing loudly from inside.
The unsettling sound is followed by masculine voices growing in the driveway and without second
thoughts I rush down the wall and immediately dart to the front of the house and am met with the
shock of my life. There is bloody drops down the driveway from the front door towards a black
Bugatti and just when I think of
screaming for help a bullet flickers into the wall next to where I’m standing and I jump
away in fear hiding behind the wall of the house with my heart hammering inside my
chest.

‘’Aidan?’’ I call out and different scenarios of what might’ve happened to

him assault my brain. ‘’Somebody help!’’ I wail with a shaky voice not caring if my dad finds out I
sneaked out anymore.
I peek from behind the wall of the house and finally see the Bugatti drive away at full speed.

No they’re getting away.

I look around me and immediately hear the front door at our house opening and shutting and I know
my dad realised I was gone.
‘’Glendale!’’ My dad calls behind me as I run towards Aidan’s front door and pushing it
open but a hot flame scares me away. Forcing me to retreat. The sofas and carpet have already
caught the fire and soon everything else will follow.

‘’No!’’ I cry and try to get in but my dad pulls me back. ‘’No! Dad! No no no.’’ I cry into his chest as
my heart falls to my feet.
He might still be in there. I shake myself out my dad’s grip but he grabs my wrist and drags me away
from the house as the flames roar inside the Victorian house. The glasses from the windows in the
living
room splattering out onto the paved yard.
‘’The cops will be here.’’ My dad soothes me but I just won’t let it go. Aidan might still be inside. I
know how cruel he said Trevor’s family can be and I am sure without a doubt that they’re behind this.
‘’It’s going to be okay.’’ Dad soothes my back as my body shakes with the uncontrollable sobs.

No nothing is okay anymore.

Chapter 16

♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 16~

☣️Aidan☣️

🔞 Strong Language 🔞

I winced as a sharp stinging sensation wakes me up in a dark room. There is a small window which
lets a light through which I think is the moonlight outside. The room smells like cigarettes and alcohol
and cologne so I guess someone comes here from time to time after all. And I can hear a faint sound
of people conversing which is a sign that I’m not in a secluded area in the middle of a dessert. I grit
my teeth when I think of Glendale. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to forgive myself for what I’ll do if
something happens to her.
Something shifts in the dark room at a corner. I look that way wincing again as the sharp pain at the
side of my temple is hard to ignore.

I don’t have to be a detective to

know Sullivan is behind this he’s probably been planning it for a while now.

‘’What have we here.’’ The familiar base said as the footsteps echo around the room. ‘’I
underestimated you C. I got to say you put on quite a fight.’’ He stops behind me and exhales a
breathy laugh. ‘’But not quite enough to save yourself from the grasp of the devil."

‘’What do you want?’’ I blurt out irritably.

Sullivan ignores my question and walks around me stopping in front of me and gazing down at me
with his hands in his pockets like he didn’t have to break a sweat to get me here. Even though he
had to drug me to get me to fall asleep so I wouldn’t give them a hard time. He knew damn well I
wouldn’t go down without a fight.

‘’I thought I’d told your girl to send word for me. I guess she does need discipline
after all for being a bad messenger pigeon.’’ He chuckles and leans forward and the small light
coming through the window finally illuminates his face revealing the bloodied side of her face and a
busted lip.

If I weren’t so pissed off I’d laugh. I must’ve did a number on him too when they dragged me out the
house. ‘’I got your damn message Sullivan. What I don’t get is how the heck does any of your sick
mafia business involve me. I have no interest walking around in a fancy tux with a cigar between my
lips to get people to respect me and you know that.’’ I retort.

Without warning Sullivan’s fist meets my gut almost knocking the air out of me and leaving me
wheezing. ‘’I haven’t said you should talk yet boy.’’ He straightens up. ‘’Now where was I…Oh about
disciplining your bloody bitch. I think I should visit her tonight in her sleep and join her in her warm
bed. Now that would be an experience of a lifetime.’’

‘’You’re bluffing.’’ I murmured. Catching my breath.

‘’Am I?’’ He taunts me grabbing my chin to make me look into his eyes. ‘’Maybe I can
send someone else who’ll do it when you’re not there.’’

Who? He must think Glen is dumb if he thinks she’ll fall for any trap that comes her way at this point.

‘’She knows everything now so don’t think sending your fag brother will
convince her to forget about what you’d done. She knows that the terrorisation you gave her that
night is related to fucking Trevor.’’ I spit out the blood onto the floor scowling at him but he starts
chuckling.

‘’Am I supposed to be scared?’’ He laughs as his shoulders shook. ‘’No you are missing the bigger
picture here C. You see I have been playing this game for a long time. I’ve gotten away with murder
when I was seventeen. My grandfather covered that up.’’ He scoffs. ‘’I almost got caught with a
minor in my hotel room just a few weeks ago. I sold some coke to the local teenagers at a party this
Saturday.’’ He shrugs like that all means nothing. ‘’That’s the power of control. I had it before you
ever thought of becoming this ragged mess of cowardice. I had it before you knew I could be a threat
because that makes me even more dangerous. I’m subtle and patient. I let you get in the feels and
forget that you still owe me. You were so busy buried in your chick’s thighs that you forgot I had
summoned you even though you know my place…you could’ve come anytime and I’d let you in. But
no you were too taken away in the moment for a mere cunt.’’

I glowered at him before swallowing back the words I wanted to say. It’d only end up
with him hitting me knowing well I won’t hit back because he has me tied up on this
chair.

‘’The first one was a bit terrifying to be honest. I remember that summer really well I’d been partying
with my friends celebrating my seventeenth birthday but I guess I got too wasted and high and by
the time I decided to go back to the house it was already dark.’’ Sullivan starts to narrate and I wish
I’d had rocks stuck in my ears rather than listen to his futile speeches.

‘’What the fuck do you want me to say? I get it you’re the man. I don’t want to hear your pathetic life
story.’’ I retort and await the strike but it doesn’t come. Instead he looks at me with an unreadable
expression and sighs before strolling away towards the shadows in the room.
‘’Trust me you’re going to love this one.’’ He continues. ‘’I had been so drunk I kept
swerving around the road and at that point I knew I’d get arrested for driving under the influence.
Hell I didn’t even have a licence at that time. But I had to get home one way or the other and getting
one of my mates to drive for me was out of the question because they were wasted too if not even
worse than I was. I was three blocks away from my grandfather'shouse when I bumped into
something…or someone so it seemed. I stopped the Jeep and got out.’’

A jeep? When was this?

‘’…when I got to the nose of the car seeing it bloodied I knew I’d definitely hit someone not
something. I took out my phone and my fingers fumbled across the screen and tried to find the
flashlight until I did and the white light shone upon a young boy’s body.’’ His voice grew stronger and
I can hear the strong emotion behind it. ‘’He was already gone
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no doubt. So I thought of running but someone grabbed me from behind. I hadn’t realised

the cops were there so quick but my only thought was your father who I'd discovered was the only
cop in the neighborhood. Someone must’ve called him that night."

My heart drops to the pit of my stomach as I try to digest the chilling tale. It's like reliving a
nightmare.

My dad went out in a rush that night when Flynn was run over. It was the summer I was fourteen but
I’m pretty sure Sullivan was seventeen at that time because he was a senior at Redwood High. I ball
my fists on top of the armrest of the wooden chair I am tied to and grit my teeth so hard my jaw and
head ached.

"It was you." I retort.

‘’There was no way my grandmother and father would've let me take the fall for the accident so three
days later as I was sent to Australia in a flight my grandmother who rode with me back to my home
country told me that the boy’s name was Flynn. It was the least I could know about the life I had
taken out of recklessness. But there was no going back from the darkness after that.’’ His voice
echoes in the room.

I steel my jaw and fight back the tears; I wouldn’t ever let Sullivan see me falter. But he will definitely
get what’s coming for him.

‘’You murdered him.’’ I said so quietly I actually scared myself. I hadn’t imagined I’d be so calm when
I discover the person who took my friend’s life. But here I am sitting in a room with the person who
should be held accountable. Maybe it had hurt so much for so long that I’d become numb from the
aching pain of loss.

Sullivan doesn’t say a word until he finally appears in the light of the window and tears that he won't
let go hung at the rim of his own eyes. The bloodshot green hues saying so much more than what
the silence in the room did. None of us speaks until he clears his throat and
looks up.

Good try prick. That’s not fooling me. He’s a good actor I’ll give him that.

‘’I am not requesting you to join my cause C. It’s an order. Or else you’ll lose much more than that
Victorian house of yours we set alight tonight.’’ He stilled his voice but I can still hear the hurt behind
it. He’s trying to appear tough after confessing to have killed an innocent young boy.

‘’Fucking forget it. Might as well kill me right now cause ain’t no way I’m becoming
mafia Sullivan.’’ Now my voice was grounded. He’d killed my friend terrorised my girlfriend and set
my house on fire. He's not getting anything out of me. ‘’You’re sick. You need help and ain’t no damn
way
I’m going to be a part of a sicko’s circle. You’re loaded get a therapist or something and fix your
head.’’

Sullivan starts laughing hysterically like I’ve cracked a joke and walks towards me again and holds
my jaw his cigarettes and mint breath hitting my nostrils. For a moment he just stares at me like he’s
thinking deeply until he lets go of me and walks towards where I think is the door.
There is something about the way he glances at me that is unsettling for a man to look at another
man. He has a way of gazing into my eyes like he’s trying to reach my soul and that I got to admit
spooks the shit out of me. The realisation starts to sink in as his footsteps echo away.

No way this could be true.

‘’Are you…into men?’’ I blurt out and almost laugh. ‘’That’s the only rational reason why
you would call me here when you could get anyone to work for you.’’ I finally
chortled. ‘’You like me.’’

‘’Shut the fuck up!’’ Sullivan thundered and closes in on me placing a gun to my
forehead with his eyes wide like he lost his mind. ‘’You don’t know what you’re talking
about.’’ He swallows and wipes a drop of sweat down his brows with the gun and
scratches his head like he’s thinking as he paced up and down.

‘’You’re in love with me.’’ I taunt him throw my head back and laugh just to annoy him ‘’…that can
only explain why you showed up at Glen’s house after we had started to take a liking for each other.
Trevor told you about her and I cause he’d known too even he tried to ignore it but he knew
Glendale loved me more than she’d ever admit it to him. So he confided in you and you took your
opportunity masking everything as though you care for your brother but the whole time you just
wanted her to stay away from me so you scared the wits out of her instead. That's why you wouldn't
even touch her that way it's because you wouldn't see her like that…’’

‘’I said enough.’’ He cocks the gun a warning look burning behind his green eyes now. ‘’...Or I’ll
shoot your brains out and feed them to my hounds.’’

The door suddenly springs open but I don’t shift in my seat as the footsteps get closer and closer.
Until the last person I expected walks in side by side with Trevor and stop
beside Sullivan.

‘’Damon?’’

Damon smirks and leans his arm on Sullivan’s shoulder. ‘’How’s it going bro?’’
What the fuck? He’s in on this too? How did I miss this?

‘’Don’t worry I’ll take care of your girlfriend while you’re gone. I’m your closest pal she’ll confide in me
soon enough and we both know of my inevitable lure to women. She’ll be screaming my name under
my sheets in no time we're hours away from Devil's night after all.’’ Damon saunters around the
room and Sullivan smirks. Pulling the gun away from my forehead before giving it to Trevor who has
that smug grin plastered across his face.

‘’You motherf-

‘’Watch it Aidan. I call the shots now.’’ Damon bit out making Sullivan chuckle.

‘’Who’s laughing now?’’ Sullivan flicks the lights on and the bright light enters my eyes sending a
stinging sensation to my temple.

Just as I’m about to open my eyes one of them tases me with a taser gun and that’s all I remember
before blacking out.

Chapter 17

♠️ TILL HATE DO US APART ♠️

~CHAPTER 17~

🥀Glen🥀

Firetruck and cop cabs have been beeping from the wee hours until now. I should have gone to
school two hours ago but one of the investigators said I would be asked some questions because I
am the witness at this point. Right now I am sitting in the kitchen replying to Pepper’s texts who
wants to come over but I tell her not to because there is a lot going on. I’ll see her later after school.

"Here you go.’’ My father says placing a hot cup of coffee in front of me.

‘’Thanks dad.’’ I give him a closed smile.

‘’Do you want me to get you anything else? You haven’t had breakfast yet and it’s already nine
o’clock.’’ He asks as he opens the cabinets looking for something to make but I shake my head.

‘’I’ll have the coffee now maybe I’ll eat something after.’’ I replied. ‘’I promise.’’ I add when he seems
unconvinced.

‘’Mr. McCartney and your daughter.’’ A strong female voice beams and a woman wearing a full
LAPD uniform walks in. ‘’I’d like to have a word with your daughter sir. If you don’t mind.’’ She
pursed her lips as she looks between me and my dad but we both know it’s not a request.

‘’Yes officer no problem at all.’’ He replied and is about to walk out the kitchen but the cop tells him
there is no need.

My dad leans on the counter with his arms folded in front of his chest and now both of them were
staring at me.

‘’Before we begin I just want to remind you that you’re not in any kind of trouble. I am just going to
run a few questions that you have to do your best to reply honestly. You are a vital person in this
ongoing investigation okay?’’ The cop explains calmly with an assuring smile and I relax a bit before
taking a quick sip of my coffee as she takes out a notepad and pen. ‘’I’m officer Hopper by the way.’’
She smiles as she takes a seat on one of the chairs. ‘’First of all what would you say is the
relationship between you and Aidan Caruthers? Is he a friend or…a romantic partner maybe?’’

God she just had to start with that didn’t she? I release a shaky breath afraid to look at my dad
before replying. ‘’Aidan is my boyfriend.’’ I rub the back of my neck nervously.

‘’Have you two known each other for a while or did you just start dating recently?’’ She asks already
jotting stuff down.

‘’I’ve known him for a while from since we were both kids. But we recently started dating.’’ I explain
as I wrap my fingers around the hot coffee mug to console myself. I can practically feel my dad’s
eyes on me.
‘’Alright.’’ Hopper jots something down again. ‘’When last did you see him before last night’s
ordeal?’’

‘’I saw him that morning.’’

‘’That was it? Only that morning?’’ She asks again and I nod briefly before taking a sip of the coffee
which is now starting to get cold.

‘’Does he have friends that you know of that he could have gone to at the time when the house was
set alight? Friends from school or from the neighbourhood?’’ Hopper’s investigative eyes are slowly
moving from friendly to more serious.

‘’He…His friends that I know of that is...are Kai Duffler and Damon Fitzherbert.’’ I stammered.

‘’Are those the one’s you know or the only ones he has?’’ She pressed on.

‘’They’re the only ones I know of.’’ I let go of the now cold mug of coffee and fold my arms over my
chest.

‘’Relax okay.’’ She presumes to smile briefly. ‘’Nothing is going to happen to you.
You’re safe.’’

I nod. ‘’Thank you.’’ I purse my lips.

‘’I take it that your father has been away for a while so you were staying here alone right?’’ She asks
and I finally look to my dad who has a calm expression on his face.

‘’Yes I had been alone at the time.’’ I respond clearing my throat. Averting my gaze back to the cop.

‘’Is there anything that might have happened when your father was away? Anything absurd at
Aidan’s house?’’‘

'’Not that I recall no.’’ I add a bit unsurely this time and I think she noticed my changed tone because
she rephrased the question.
‘’Anything absurd that happened to you or anything suspicious you saw happen?’’ She leans forward
on the table no longer focusing on her notepad now.

‘’Not really. I mean not that I saw anything weird happen at my…Aidan’s house.’’ I stammer my
stomach is now in knots and with the way she is looking at me it looks like she will catch me in a lie if
I even try to lie. She is a trained professional of course she will catch me if I lie she made that clear
from the beginning.

‘’The truth is...something did happen here

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AD

a few weeks back.’’ I clear my throat trying not to look at my dad. ‘’Two guys broke in undetected
and…’’ Tears sting the back of my eyes and my throat aches as I try my best not to cry. I’ve been
trying not to relive that night. ‘’…they asked me to warn Aidan to stay away from Trevor. And I was
scared to tell anyone that because they said they'd hurt me and my dad.’’ I finally look up at a blurry
view of Hopper. The tears are now at the brim of my eyes.

‘’When did this happen?’’ Hopper starts jotting down. ‘’And which Trevor is this you speak of?’’

‘’It happened on the first week of September.’’ I croaked wiping my cheeks with the sleeve of my
gown. ‘’The Trevor I am speaking of is Trevor Daniels from Redwood High.’’

‘’O that Trevor huh.’’ She shakes her head. ‘’I think we might have a lead.’’ She shut her mini
notepad before shoving it in her black pants pockets. ‘’That boy and his Austrian half brother have
been released on parole more times than my grandma’s years on this planet. I’ve been waiting for
them to slip and now we might finally have them.’’ She sighs hanging her hands on her hips.

‘’So does that mean they will be caught or will they just slip out like they always do?’’ My dad unfolds
his arms and walks to my side. ‘’I know the Daniels as in the senate’s family right?’’

Hopper nods but gave a reassuring smile. ‘’Mr. McCartney no need to worry. They’re not getting
away this time not on my watch.’’ She takes out a paper and writes something on it. ‘’Here this is for
her to get counselling. She’ll need it after she went through and right there is the number for my
office give me a call if you want to say or ask me about anything.’’ Mrs. Hopper walks to my father
and gives him the paper before shaking hands. ‘’Thanks again for your cooperation sir.’’

''Anytime. Thank you officer.’’ My dad replied.

My father exhales exaggeratingly and I know what’s coming now.

‘’So people broke in and you didn’t think to tell me. Glendale?’’ He throws his hands in the air before
palming his forehead with a pained expression on his face. ‘’Are you okay? Did they do anything to
hurt you?’’

He kneels on one knee and placed his hand on my knee as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His
shoulders shaking with silent sobs. My stomach turns as I witness my father tears up. I have never
seen him cry since mom died.

‘’They didn’t hurt me dad. And I didn’t want to tell you because they warned me that if I did they’ll kill
you. They even knew you were in LA at the time. Those are very dangerous people and it seems
they had been watching us for a while.’’ I wipe my cheeks repeatedly as I explain to him. ‘’I was
scared for your life.’’

‘’It’s okay. But next time tell me when something bad happens. I'm the adult and it's my job to protect
you sweetheart.’’ He holds my hands and pats them briefly as he stands up opening his arms.
‘’Come here.’’

I wrap my arms around him. ‘’I’m sorry dad. I know you must be disappointed.’’ I sniffle.
My chest is heaving with the painful sobs as I think about what might’ve happened to Aidan. All I
know is that he didn’t burn in the house because the fire truck got here just in time before the fire
could spread to the rest of the house. And the detective said there is no evidence of life in there but
the uneasiness just won’t go away. Poor Monique had to leave her shift when my dad called her to
tell her what happened. I’ll never forget the mortified look on her face.
‘’Anybody home?’’ The familiar voice called before the person walks into the kitchen and it’s
Monique. ‘’I’ve been knocking for some time.’’ She feigned a smile but I can see her eyes are
bloodshot and her face is a deep pink. She must’ve been crying.

I walk to her and give her a hug. ‘’I’m sorry that you have to go through this Monique I know it must
be hard for you.’’ I murmured.

‘’Don’t be sorry Glendale. Everything will be okay.’’ She sniffled as she pulled away from the
embrace pushing a strand of hair off my face. ‘’Birthday girl.’’ She smiles.

‘’How did you know?’’

A small smile breaks from her lips. ‘’Aidan told me.’’ She smiles amidst the tears that slide down her
cheeks. ‘’He told me the last time I saw him before my shift that he’d get you a gift but didn’t know
what to get you. He was worried sick about that.’’ She wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand
chuckling.

My heart aches and it takes everything in me to not break down and cry. I excuse myself and leave
them as they converse over small conversation. The mood is gloomier than most days in the house.
I stop midway up the stairs when I hear her mentioning Aidan’s mom.

‘’What am I going to tell Julian that her son is missing?’’ She croaked. ‘’She might relapse again
when she comes back home and sees her house has been set on fire and her son is gone.’’

The tears are logged at my throat as I sit down on the stairs and cry silently.

Everything seems to be going south at this point. Trevor will be interrogated by the cops and I’m
guessing they’ll get him from the school. I can already imagine the rumours that will be going around
with me absent and Aidan missing. So much for trying to not be the centre of attention.

I get up from the stairs and go to take a shower because I look like shit. My eyes are bloodshot and I
have bags under them. I wear a comfortable pair of sweatpants and tank top before lying on my bed
and crying all over again. This is the worst birthday ever.
A notification beeps on my phone and when I check it it’s a number I don’t know. I hesitate a
moment before replying.

-Hi. Who is this? 😶

-A friend.

A friend? What the heck is that supposed to mean? I frown and typed.

-Sorry I don’t think you got the right number.

-Oh it’s the right one.
-…
-It’s Damon.

Damon? Why is he texting me for?

-I just wanted to ask if you’re okay. I heard about Aidan.

-Thanks for checking

-Np. What happened?
-Someone set the house on fire and drove away afterward. I think whoever was in there took him
with.
-Ha-ha no one would ever abduct Aidan. He’s the smartest guy I know. And he's a big guy
-Well what do you suggest happened to him? (I asked irritation already making its way under my
skin)
-He must’ve ran away or something. I can’t say much.💁🏻♂️
-What do you mean?
-Are you coming to the Devil’s night party at my house tonight? We can talk there.
-IDK🤷♀️
-You might know some stuff about Aidan. He spoke to me yesterday before he left.
-He did?
-Just come. Tonight. Okay?
-Address?
He sends me the address and I send a thumbs up before exiting the chat. Damon Fitzherbert texted
me and he is inviting me to his party? Who even throws a party after their friend mysteriously
disappears isn't he going to try and find out if something bad happened to his pal?

An unsettling feeling hits my gut all of a sudden. Something doesn’t add up. And shouldn’t he be at
school? It’s not even lunch yet so I’m guessing he’s texting from class.

Without a waste of time I dart out my room and skip the stairs two at a time before walking to the
kitchen island and grabbing officer Hopper’s card and dialling her number.

‘’Officer Hopper?’’ I said as soon as she picks up. ‘’I think I might have something for you.

Chapter 18
♠️Till Hate Do Us Apart♠️

~Chapter 18~

🥀Glen🥀

“Are you sure about this Gee?” Pepper asked for the umpteenth time as I parked my car outside
Damon’s house. “The fact that you’re so calm about this creeps the shit out of me cause I’m shit
scared right now.”

“Like I said Damon said he might have some intel on Aidan’s whereabouts. So I’m here to find out if
he's just pulling my leg or not. Besides we have officer Hopper on standby in case anything happens
right? What's the worst that could happen?” I lean back on the leather seat and sigh tightening my
grip on the steering wheel and staring at the already crowded mansion.

Party goers are entering and exiting the front door and I can see others either chit chatting on the
lawn and others on the poolside from here. Cars are lined on the driveway and by the sidewalk. I can
hear the beat of Miley Cyrus’ Mother’s Daughter blaring inside from here.
“If you say so then.” Pepper shrugs. Pulling out her Cat woman mask from her handbag. She is
dressed in a pretty red cocktail dress that drops midthigh and has her hair in a ponytail.

As for me I’ve opted for a midnight blue sling sleeveless V-neck dress that splits from my left thigh
revealing a sliver of skin. I've worn medium height heels with a translucent heel which sparkles when
exposed to light.

I open the dashboard to my car and dig out Aidan’s black skull tactical paintball mask I managed to
sneak out his window this evening. I was glad the fire didn’t get to that part of the house or else most
of his belongings would have been burned to ash in the rubble too.

“They’re going to get what’s coming for them. That’s a sweet promise Karma always keeps.” I find
myself smirking the prospect of witnessing my enemies fall to their knees when their schemes finally
come to light makes me want to throw a party myself.

Pepper gives me a small smile before she pulls on her mask. “Let’s do this then.”

I exhale an exaggerated breath as I shove my phone on a lingerie strap on my thigh which is hidden
by the dress. Please don’t ask me why I got lingerie as part of my halloween fit cause I’ll start
bawling my eyes out literally! My plans were ruined let's just put it that way.

Pepper and I hope out of the car. The cool air hits my bare arms and legs and I immediately
quivered regretting not coming with a jacket.

There are two guys standing by the entrance that can be seen from here. I have a feeling those ass
bongs will want guests to hand over their cell phones tags why I made it a point to hide mine out if
sight.

As soon as we cross the road Seth arrives with a chaperone who then drives away after dropping
him off. He’s dressed in a black suit without a shirt underneath with a spikey choker serving as the
only accessory aside from the Pennywise mask on his face.

“Yas Yas Yas. Y’all are definitely dressed to kill.” He snaps his fingers and I can already imagine the
grin behind his infamous clown mask. I’ve already let him on the situation too so he knows why we’re
here. “So sorry about what happened Gee. I'm praying that your booboo comes back in one piece.”
Seth give me a quick hug and pulls the mask up revealing his dashing face. He's applied minimum
makeup to give his outfit a finishing look. “But can we talk about how the chaos that happened
during lunch today was the one to live for. I still can’t believe Trevor is involved in such a case.
Guess he’s just been a big fat rat behind a cat’s mask.” He fans his face exaggeratingly.

Pepper pursed her lips also pushing her mask up and revealing half her face. “We’d really like to
rewind the tale Seth but we have a party to crash.” She raised her eyebrows before pushing down
the mask.

“Party Poopers suck Pepper. Party poopers suck." Seth whines and playfully rolls his eyeballs before
sliding down his mask.

The three of us sauntered out way up the driveway past the unbelievably breath-taking cars and
make our way up to the front porch. Two guys wearing biker jackets are standing in the way of the
door making it known that no one is getting in without the invitation.

“Code.” One of the guys with a bald head and a pierced lip grumbled.

Seth rolls his eyes before pulling out his phone and showing the guys the code I sent him for the
party which was send to me by Damon. The spikey haired bulky blonde next to Bald Head takes out
a scanner and scans Seth’s code before doing the same on Pepper’s phone.
And that leaves me.

“And you Kim Kardashian?” Spikey Blonde furrowed his pierced eyebrows at me. “Where’s your
code?”

“I don’t have a phone.” I replied curtly. “Damon invited me without one.” I said with a raised eyebrow.

Damon’s name leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. It feels weird to be associated with him even if it
means just referring to him as if I’m familiar with him.

“No code no entrance pretty face.” Bald Head bit out and I retreated a step as his cigarette breath is
getting a bit too close.
“What’s going on here?” Someone spoke behind us and the three of us turn around only to see Kai.
A blush hits Pepper’s cheeks instantly.

Perfect timing.

I don’t know how I feel about any of Aidan’s friends at this point and that includes Kai even though
he does seem like the sweetest one among Aidan and Damon.

Officer Hopper made sure to keep a sharp eye on both Damon and Kai. Someone would probably
wonder why the heck a teenager like myself would be walking into a death trap like this one instead
of letting the cops handle it but then it would be out of the picture for officer Hopper to come
arresting Aidan’s friends at a party just because of a text I showed her. So this alternate plan better
work or else somebody might actually end up getting hurt.

“Hey.” Kai said briefly to me giving me a lazy smile. “They’re with me.” He simply said and the two
meanies move away without hesitation.

“What you gonna do now chop sticks?” Seth teased Spikey Hair who seethed back at him.

I find myself actually chuckling under my breath at Seth’s silliness. My eyes roam through the holes
of the paintball mask and wonder around for one person

"Kim Kardashian? That was legendary though." Seth nudged my arm and I roll my eyes and give him
the don't-start-with-me look making him chuckle.

Excitement and giddiness filled the laid back atmosphere as the youth inside giggle and chatter at
corners and others sitting across the kitchen stools and most with a drink in their hands. There are
several black balloons hung on the high ceilings and others outlining the elegant stairwell leading
upstairs. The mansions overall theme is charcoal and dark wood with a touch of classical early
nineteenth hundreds stairwell. Some creepy looking stuffed animals are also placed at several
corners around the house.
People are dressed in and covered in halloween masks and consumes from the likes of Harry Potter
and Shrek to Spiderman and Tinkerbell and the list is endless.

From here I can see the fancy lounge and the huge TV on the wall which is displaying what I
recognise as Godzilla. Aidan and I used to watch it together at my house when we were twelve.

“Would you like anything to drink ladies?” Kai said jolting me out of thought as tears had began to
gather behind my cold black mask. He throws his arm around Pepper’s shoulder.

“Not yet for me.” I reply shortly before resuming to subtly look around.

Where the heck was Damon anyway? He’s not actually thinking I’m going to hunt him down. I’m the
guest afterall. It’s rude to keep guests waiting.

“A cocktail would be nice.” I heard Pepper said to Kai and when I look to my left Seth is already gone
and at a table full of drinks pouring himself one.

This is going to be a long night and my nerves are dancing tango under my hot skin. I need a drink
to loosen up.

"On second thought I’d prefer a cocktail too.” I eyed Kai who has now pulled on his Joker mask. He’s
typically dressed in what I imagine Aidan would choose too. A plain grey hoodie and jeans with
sneakers and accessorized the plain look with a terrifying Joker mask. Anyone who has a fear of
clowns wouldn't stand the sight of this one.

I turn to Kai who was already on his way to grab the drinks with Pepper. Uneasiness creeps in at the
thought of him pouring my drink and I end up walking to where he is headed with Pepper through a
short hallway which leads to a bar. There is a pool table at the centre of the suite and a couple of
guys which I don’t recognise are playing the game with red cups on the top rails of the table.

I would say I’m shocked but no one drives a Mustang Shelby boss 439 and then lives in a cottage.
I’m not surprised at all that Damon Fitzherbert is born to rich parents which I've recently discovered
at real estate owners who own several property in New York and New Orleans.
People are lined across the bar and Kai orders the cocktails for us. Two minutes later the bar tender
slides the drinks to Pepper and I. I plopped down on a stool adjacent to the small bar and slightly
push up my mask to reveal my lips so I can drink my cocktail. My eyes immediately wander around
for Damon who I haven’t caught a whiff of even once. He should be around here somewhere.

“Have you spotted him yet?” Pepper whispered so Kai doesn’t hear but I shake my head.

“Nothing yet.” I murmured in response.

Who even throws a party at their own house and then disappears for God’s sake?

“Petunia.” Someone called from behind us and Kai snorts before looking at Pepper.
I can practically imagine Pepper rolling her eyes even though half of her face is covered by the
mask. She hates her full name jokes aside. And judging from Kai’s reaction I’m sure he knows now
too that Pepper hates that name. But Pepper doesn’t make a move to turn around and look at the
caller.

I finally recognise the high pitched voice and I look over my shoulder only to see Tiffany dressed in a
sequined halter top and black bodysuit with bunny tail and fur accents throughout. She completed
the look with fuzzy wristlets and boot tops plus the rabbit ear headband

Of course she would come dressed up as Regina fucking George.

“What now Tiffany?” Pepper doesn’t even hide her annoyance as she laid her cheek into her palm.

"Come on that's no way to greet a former bestie now is it?" Tiffany beams. "I just wanted to say hi."
She adds and proceeds to order a drink.

"Am I supposed to clap my hands? I don't need your company." Pepper snapped and I almost
choked on my drink.

Damn
Sponsored

AD
that was classic.

"I'm just being nice. No need to be a bitch about it." Tiffany snaps beside me and looks unaffected by
the blow honestly. She leans forward on the bar counter top as soon as she sits on a stool between
me and Pepper.

She's oblivious that I'm here.

"So..." Tiffany clears her throat as she looks at Pepper who raised a brow at her irritated. "Where is
your friend?"

Okay I would have minded my own business but now she had my attention. Why would she ask
about Pepper's friend? I know she's referring to me.

"Which one?" Pepper plays dumb just to purposely annoy Tiffany.

"Ugh you know. The one with the dark hair and flat chin.

Pepper rolls her eyes. "Don't act stupid. Just say you want to know where Glen is. I'm starting to
think you have a thing for her. You're obsessed." She taunts Tiffany.

"Well that's where you're wrong honey. I don't care where Glendale goes or doesn't go. I wouldn't bat
an eyelash if she woke up dead or landed in a coma. It just doesn't affect my buzz." She sighs
exaggeratingly as she takes the vodka the bar tender slides toward her.

"Actually I've got a better idea." Pepper smirked and I can see her eyes peeking through her mask
looking my way. "I think you might wanna tell Glen that yourself." She smirked and raised her glass a
if she's making a toast before getting up from her stool and following Kai somewhere to the back
which I think might lead to the pool. "Sneaky bitch." I heard Pepper retort as she disappeared
through the hallway.

As for Tiffany she doesn't even finish her vodka before it choked her halfway after what Pepper just
told her. Now that she knew I was behind her her demeanour had changed at the forever sassy and
bitchy Tiffany was now replaced with a stuttering one as she turned on the stool and her eyes landed
on me.

"Surprise." I said low but loud enough for her to hear me.

"Glendale you're wearing Aidan's mask." She blurts out.

Of course that's the first fucking thing she'd recognise.

"I am aren't I?" I shrug as I sip my cocktail.

"I almost didn't recognise you there. You look -

"Classy and sexy." I cut her short as I stand up before placing my glass on the bar. countertop. "I
know. Hard to believe right?" I don't even let her make a snarky comeback remark before I turn on
my heel and make my way up the stairwell.

I find a restroom and luckily it’s quiet so it’s safe to take out my phone. I dial Damon’s phone and it
takes me on voicemail.

I grit my teeth frustratingly as different scenarios of what he might’ve planned begin to assault my
head. Damon is a guy and him getting me to come to a party surrounded by his frat bag pals and
creeps is a pretty fuckin’ smart move to keep me cornered right where he wants me. He could be
fucking anywhere watching me right now cause he knows this house better than I do.

Great.

I bang my fist against the wall but immediately regret it. The pain shoots straight to my shoulder and
to my heart. Tears sting the back of my eyes and I bite my tongue to stop the pending tears.
I just want to see Aidan again. Why does the universe have to let him slip away from me just when
I'd found him. What we have is something special but it just got snatched away when we least
expected. Maybe we let our guard down too soon.
Irritation makes it’s way up my neck and I stifle back a curse. I suddenly want to hit something so
bad and feeling the urge to take this rage out on something…

The door suddenly springs open and reveals Damon and some girl have each other’s tongues down
their throats. The brunette digs her hand down into his jeans and whimpered as he grabs her neck
sensually. They haven't noticed me standing by the mirror yet so I take out my phone and start
recording before strapping my phone back onto my thigh.

“You seem to be fucking enjoying yourself.” I lean with my back against the wall beside the mirror on
the wall folding my arms over my chest.

The set looks up taken aback by my presence. The blush on the brunette’s cheeks is quickly
replaced with annoyance. She darts her dark eyes down my body and I can see the rage behind her
eyes quickly transform into jealousy.

She clicked her tongue before taking her hand out Damon’s jeans and wipes her palm on his black
shirt.

"Fuckin' pervert." She hissed before storming off.

I roll my eyes as she stomps out but when my eyes dart back to Damon I don’t miss the lust burning
behind his pierced dark brows. His one pierced eyebrow is slightly raised as if he can't believe it's
me standing here in front of him.

“You really came.” He rights himself tugging his shirt into his jeans before strolling toward me. My
breath catches at my throat as his body stops in front of me. His height towering just as I remember
Aidan’s . They’re the same size and height no doubt.

“I keep my promises. Unlike some people.” I straighten my back trying to appear unfazed. “You said
you’d tell me where he is.” I cut straight to the point raising a brow at him.

“Oh that.” He placed his hand beside my head on the wall.

I know what he's doing. He’s trying to cage me in and make me cower and fumble with my words
since he's so close.

Nice try dude. I’ve met worse than you already. I push his chest with my hand without much effort
and he doesn’t resist. Instead he flashes me a smirk. "Now I see why he chose you. You’re sharp.”
He winced revealing his murderous side smile.

I half roll my eyes. “I’m not here for an autobiography.” I bit out. “Talk.” I walk close to him watching
him through the dark glasses covering the paintball mask on my face.

“Fine.” Damon tilts his head. “Now where do I start.” He makes a thinking face crossing his arms
over his broad chest.

“Start from the beginning.” I said sarcastically.

“Aidan is still alive. I know that’s what you’re worried about. I spoke with him about an hour ago and
he’s doing great.” He said with a sick monotone ass voice as he takes out his iPhone and shows me
a video with Aidan sitting around a kitchen island drinking what looks like water from a clear glass.

In the video Aidan looks at the camera and frowns at who I think was Damon when he filmed the
video of him. He’s in a house I’ve never seen before but by the looks of it it’s pretty fancy and
spacey. I can see what looks like a living room and pine trees behind him on the view outside wide
glasses.

“That could be from any place or anytime in the past. How do I know it happened recently?” I retort
refusing to believe any of it.

He shoved his phone into his jeans pocket and shrugs. “Well if that isn’t convincing enough then I
don’t know.” He walks back to me. “You want to know the truth? I dare you to give me a lap dance
right now.” He pins me with an amused smirk. “And if you’re not lucky enough he may never come
back again to Greenbrae. But that can all change…”

“Forget it.” I bit out.

“Why would I?” He challenged but still with a calm demeanour. His calmness not slipping even by a
second. “What do I get by lying to some girl who got screwed over by my pal? Not really wise now is
it? You're not worth my trouble really."

I swallow a lump as I digest his words. He's a sick prick I'll give him that.

“Don’t call yourself that. You’re not Aidan’s friend and never will be.” I bite back. “Now talk before I
leave this pathetic bore of party. I can't believe you invited me to this Freakshow and expected me to
be impressed. I've been here thirty minutes and I already miss my bed.” I mocked.

Damon chuckled low as if I said something funny and I finally push him out of the way and I’m about
to rush out but he grabs my wrist. My face falls as my phone falls to the floor.

Shit.

I’d say luckily for me it didn’t crash but it looks like it’s about to do just that judging from Damon’s
glare on the device.

“The rules clearly said no phones.” He seethed. His annoyance mixed with a laugh in his voice
sending chills down my spine. If anyone ever told me what evil looks like it’s the exact same look on
his face right now.

Both our eyes dart to the phone and we simultaneously sprint towards where the phone is beside the
medium sized porcelain bathtub. I beat Damon at it and am about to grab the phone but he grabs a
handful of my hair shoving me in the opposite direction.

I feel the air knocked out of me as his grip in my hair sends a burning sensation on my scalp.

“Let go.” I bit out and throw my manicured nails over my head scratching any part of him I am able to
reach.

I heard him winced and he loosened his grip on my hair. I elbow him in the gut and dart to the phone
and grab it I try to press send on the recording but this time he grabs the back of my neck but I don’t
let the phone go yet. My fingers sweep on the screen trying to find Hopper’s number struggling to
catch my breath as Damon tightened his grip on my neck.

“Who are you gonna call huh?” He taunts an evil laugh escape his lips as he pressed his hot lips on
the back of my ear.

He thinks I’m calling someone? He’s stupider than I thought. By the time I fumble and finally tap
send to Hopper the view is already getting blurry and it’s hard to catch my breath. I gasp for air as I
feel my heart beating inside my ears. With the last strength I have in me I elbow him on the stomach
multiple times and he loosened his grip but surprised me when he walks to the door and locks it.

I catch my breath watching him through teary eyes. My neck hurts so bad I can practically taste salty
blood on my tongue. My body is hot from struggling to take in oxygen into my lungs for the two
minutes Damon strangled my neck.

Now I'm lying on the floor still trying to catch my breath and trying to keep up with the unnatural
speed my heartbeat is beating at.

“Help…” I attempt to call but my voice fails me.

I watch as Damon walk up to me and squats over me. He slides his phone out and takes pictures of
me. I swallow hard as tears well in my eyes and now all I can hope for is that Hopper makes his way
up here quick. I shared my location with her earlier before we came here. I can’t believe how dumb I
was for ditching Pepper and now she can’t even reach me on my phone because she left hers
outside. She would have been able to call me.

A knock suddenly jolts Damon and he frowns but doesn’t say anything.

“Help…” My voice only comes out as a pathetic whisper and Damon grins.

“No one can hear you.” He taunts with a smirk.

“Glen?” Seth’s voice says behind the door.

I widen my eyes as Damon pressed his hand to my lips.
This was a really bad idea. Hopper should get her soon or this psychopath will kill me while Aidan
gets shipped off to another state for God-knows-what. Something tells me Damon was not lying. He
had no reason to lie if he didn’t know I was recording him on my phone in the first place.

“Glen?! Are you okay in there?” Seth spoke again and a wail was logged at my throat and Damon
was now panicking. The uncertainty on his face makes him look like a scared rat. He switched pretty
fast from a scary wolf to a helpless sheep.

If I wasn’t scared to death I’d laughed at how ridiculous he looks but I can’t even master the faith to
believe Hopper will make it here before this narcissistic maniacal psychopath decides to kill me.

“Police! Open this door!” Hopper’s voice demanded from the other side.

Thank goodness they're here. Damon was now breathing like an old cow trying to catch his breath
but I wasn’t out if the woods yet. The first bang at the door causes me to flinch but it doesn’t open
yet. Damon takes that as an opportunity to drag me to the large window towards the wall in the
gigantic bathroom. Another black and white porcelain bath tub rests towards the wide window.

I can see the door that Hopper and the others a trying to get through from here and it looks like one
more strike they’ll be inside.

I kick and squirm trying to free myself but Damon grabs a handful of my hair and bangs my face
against the hard surface of the window.

Adrenaline shoots through my gut as the pain almost makes me lose sight of my surroundings. My
head buzzed with the sudden violent blow.

“Freeze!” Hopper said as she walks in with the pistol pointed in our direction but as I’d thought
Damon shields himself with my body and I can hear him push open the window which I undoubtedly
think is on the third floor.

Oh god please don’t let him pull me with him.

I shut my eyes as I hear Hopper cocking the gun ready to fire. By now my heartbeat is so fast
against my chest I'm afraid it’ll jump out and leave me here to fend for myself alone.

Damon drags me with him and somehow his quietness scares me more than the gun pointed in our
direction as Hopper gets closer and closer.

Whatever he is thinking is not good.

A cold chill runs downs my arms and I whimper as I feel the cold air from the night outside biting my
skin.

“Damon please…” I whimper as I tilt my head enough to see how far down the fall from here it is.
“…don’t do this please.” I plead to the unnervingly quiet man who now holds the key to both our
lives.

If Hopper shoots there’s a high chance Damon will go down with me even if the bullet hits only him.
And if he decided to jump instead I’m still going with him.

“Damon…listen to me.” Hopper said as she comes closer with the gun still pointed at us but now she
was calmer now. An alarmed expression plastered to her face.
The reality of what might happen in an instant was getting to her too. Two people are going to die
here tonight and I’m one of them. “…you don’t have to do this buddy. All we have to do is negotiate
and maybe we can figure out a way to keep you protected from those guys…”

“Maybe?” Damon’s crispy voice finally broke the silence. “There is no maybe…it’s either in or out.”
His voice said in my hair as he takes another step back.

“Oh God please no…” I cried. The hot tears burning my cheeks. My dad has now entered the scene
and a blank expression is plastered on his face too with his hands to his head.

No no non this can't be the end for me. Is it?

Chapter 19
♠️TILL HATE DO US APART♠️

~CHAPTER 19~

🥀Glen🥀

The reality of the situation is getting colder and colder as Damon keeps stepping back towards the edge.
‘’Get back or I’ll just go down with her. I'm not fucking around.’’ His voice quivered as he threatened and
I don’t miss the pale look of despair in my father’s eyes.

‘’Please don’t hurt my daughter.’’ He pleads with his hands still on his head. I can see his hands shaking
from here.

I fight back a sob as Damon pulled me back but my heart logs at my throat when he lets go but my hand
darts out on autopilot to grab his hand of which my body instantly follows.

‘’Glendale no!’’ My father thundered behind me and I can feel strong arms wrapping around my body
and pulling me back inside. Now Damon was hanging by my hands which is the only thing that separates
him from the cold concrete below.

‘’Let go damnit. What the heck are you doing?’’ Damon bit out fear now plastered on his face but it
wasn't for himself.

It is as though he fears for me.

I should be doing the sane thing and saving myself but my conscience merely won't stand the thought of
watching him crashing into a bloody mess but the cold truth is I can only hold on for so long.
I can’t hold on any longer and if my dad hadn’t held me just in time we both would’ve crashed.

‘’Someone get downstairs and place a cushion on the surface! We can’t lose the suspect.’’ Hopper yelled
somewhere inside and I can feel my body being propped up by my dad with Damon slowly rising with
me but his lips tilted into a sad smile.

‘’He said you’re the only reason he’s still holding on to this side of the veil Glen.’’ Damon said so low I
barely heard him. ‘’...maybe there is hope for him after all. Some of us had none…’’

Before I could grasp the meaning behind his words he nudged his wrist out of my hands and crashed
into a bloody mess on the ground.

My whole body stilled as I lost train of thought and I think my dad realized the sudden tension in my
posture because he pulls me back and wraps his arms around me pulling me at the centre of the room.

‘’It’s okay honey.’’ That’s all I hear before my breath got stuck at my throat and I couldn’t take in air
inside my lungs anymore. The images of Damon's crashed body hitting my brain from all angles.

‘’She’s having a panic attack.’’ My dad’s panicked voice yelled but it sounds so far away as my eyelids
flutter shut and I slowly sink into a dark hole.

☣️Aidan☣️

Sullivan is pointing a gun on my back urging me to walk toward the Yacht which seems pretty much
ready to take off. There's some guy who's already pulling the anchor out the water. I can hear the waves
washing on the shore from here.
I don’t need to be a sailor to know that the weather won’t allow for a smooth sailing for any shit
tonight.

Not even this gigantic Yacht will save us if a storm uprises while we're in the middle of the ocean.

‘’Don’t you think you should be cuffing me? I’m not really in a bad mood but you shouldn’t take your
chances.’’ I smirked.

‘’Shut the hell up C.’’ Sullivan retorted pressing the pistol harder onto my back as we stepped onto the
Yacht.

It has become clear at this point that Sullivan is not planning to assassinate me but there is no guarantee
he won’t go after Glendale. I’d rather it be me stuck with the sicko than her having to deal with him. It’s
a hard pill to swallow but I’ve brought nothing but trouble into her life and it’s just about time I get out
of the picture.

With Cole leading the way we enter the companionway and Sullivan directed me to sit on a wooden
banquette. I plop down on it and release an exaggerated sigh.

‘’Tie him.’’ Sullivan commands Cole as he climbs out the companionway but he stops and looks over his
shoulder. ‘’And watch him if he tries any funny business.’’ He throws daggers at me before disappearing
onto the deck.

He's still mad I busted his lip moments before we got out the Bugatti when he kept talking shit about
Glendale.
I watch Cole as he reached behind him for the cuffs and pins me with a glare. ‘’You better not try
anything stupid. We’re in the middle of the Pacific and I might just throw you overboard if you get on my
nerves.’’ He blurted out the obvious and I stand up and put my hands behind me so he can tie them.
‘’Good boy.’’ He snickered but just as he is about to wrap the metals around my wrist I throw my head
back right into his face and he stumbled back.

‘’Fuck.’’ He cursed and before he could retaliate I dug my boot into his gut and when he falls his face
meets with the sole of my combat boot knocking him right out.

I reached on his back while he’s still passed out and grab the pistol and checking if it’s loaded. ‘’Two
bullets?Pathetic. I guess y'all really let your guard down.’’ I scoffed and shake my head.

I quietly climb out the companionway and spot Sullivan standing by the sailor with his cellphone on his
ear. He hasn’t noticed me yet as he yells at the person on the other side of the line.

‘’He what?!’’ He thundered. ‘’What do you mean Damon's dead?’’

I cock the gun and that caught his attention because he and the sailor turned their heads.

Sullivan slowly takes the phone off his ear and I almost chuckle at the bewildered look on his face.

‘’Told you to tie me up.’’ I snickered pointing the gun at him. ‘’Keep your damned eyes on the wheel.’’ I
retorted at the sailor who shivered and turns to stabilize the wheel.

‘’You aren’t actually going to shoot me.’’ Sullivan boasted.

‘’You bet?’’ I blurt out and pulled the trigger nailing him on the knee. The sound of the pistol sends liquid
fire through my veins as I watched him crawl to the floor and winced. "I should get me one of these." I
smirked.

‘’Fuck…’’ He cursed under his breath. ‘’You motherfuck-‘’

‘’Don’t even try.’’ I warned walking toward him and now the sailor was so shit scared he wasn’t looking
anywhere else but to his boss who’d began whimpering like a baby on the floor.

‘’Sorry sir.’’ The sailor cried and just when I thought he wouldn’t get any dumber he jumped over the
pushpit straight into the cold water.

‘’Well that leaves you and I.’’ I sauntered toward Sullivan who glared up at me with a firm grip of his
hand on his busted knee.

‘’That’s gonna take a long time to heal.’’ I chuckled and squatted down pointing the gun to his temple
before grabbing his knee and pressing my thumb into the wound.

Sullivan’s face turned into a deep red in seconds and tears hung at the corners of his eyes. ‘’You
motherfucker! What the fuck are you doing!’’ He cried out but does not make a move to push me out of
the way. I guess I've finally gotten my point across that I'm not messing around.

‘’Now that I finally got your attention.’’ I bit out hardening my grip on the wound and watching his face
twist in pain sweat gliding down the sides of his temple as the tears drenched his shirt. ‘’I won’t say I
didn’t warn you. You took my patience for granted but you know what they say Daniels beware the fury
of a patient man.’’ I rise above him and I’m about to pull the trigger on him when a loud chopping sound
interrupts me and I look up to see a chopper. We are not far off the beach yet and I can see the LAPD
cabs fleeing onto the beach side.
‘’Put your hands where I can see them! I repeat put your hands where I can see them!'’ A male voice
bellowed from a speaker on the chopper as the anchor light shines upon the deck almost blinding my
eyes. I toss the pistol into the ocean and put my hands up in the air while Sullivan struggles to even
move because of the pain.

Two guys dressed in full LAPD uniform climb down a fast-rope and one of them is my dad. His eyes are
bloodshot as he walks towards me and wraps his arms around my neck engulfing me into a tight
embrace.

He doesn’t say anything until he pulls away and takes out his P25 device.

‘’It’s him. It’s my son.’’ He said into the P25 and his eyes dart around the deck and landed on a heaving
Sullivan who won’t even meet my eyes now.

‘’There’s someone in here.’’ The other cop said from inside the companionway. ‘’He’s still alive.’’

‘’And this? What happened here?’’ My dad squats down and checks out Sullivan.

‘’That is Sullivan Daniels as it should be obvious enough. I shot him.’’ I added with emphasis on the last
part and I can see that the wheels are turning in my dad’s head which can only mean that he recognises
Sullivan who is the infamous mafia gang leader who apparently just got pathetically gunned down by an
eighteen-year-old high schooler.

That’ll make headlines.

‘’We have two men down. Sullivan Daniels and Aidan Caruthers are aboard the Yacht.’’ The other cop
spoke into his P25 device as he drags a passed-out Cole out the companionway and onto the surface of
the now unstable rocking Yacht.

‘’There’s another suspect on the run towards the south east side of the beach. It looks like he just fled
out the water sir over.’’ A voice said into my father’s P25 device as he climbed behind me on the fast
rope.

…...

As it was expected Sullivan and his crew got tracked down and turns out there's more to Sullivan's
crimes than meets the eye. There's only one way he didn't serve his time behind bars all this time and
that's because he'd been working with some officials from the inside. Who knows what his real
intentions were with me? Something tells me I don't wanna know the real reasons behind his motives.

Five hours later I exit the station a free man and walk toward my father’s car leading the way as he tails
behind me. I’ve been trying not to talk to him throughout the whole Q and A while some officer called
Hopper asked me questions about the whole ordeal inside the station but being the nut job that he is he
hasn’t gotten a hint that I just want to get out of here away from him. Which is quite ironic since I'll be
using his car because I've got no one else to drive me to wherever. All I want to do is see Glendale now.

‘’Aidan.’’ He calls for the third time since we exited the station. ‘’Aidan I’m sorry okay. I just didn’t think
this would get this far. I know you’re probably thinking I failed at doing my job-

‘’Because you did!’’ I retorted in rage turning around to face him. ‘’You failed at doing your job just like
you always do with everything else.’’ I huffed.
For once he just stares at me and doesn’t retaliate with a snarky remark. He just stands there and takes
it; with the tears he won’t let go of hanging at the corners of his eyes. ‘’I almost fucking died. Did you
realise that part too? Of course not! It’s always about you. It always fucking were! And now look at us.
Look at me. Where is mom? I lost a friend and you never cared to sit down and talk even though you
saw what happened and knew very well Flynn was my fucking friend! Where have you been dad? Where
have you fuckin been?!’’ I choked out a sob and retreated a step back as i run my fingers through my
hair frustratingly. ‘’I don’t fucking need this right now...’’

I storm away from him and start walking towards the road not caring that it’s beginning to rain and it’s
too damn cold for a stroll around the town. I’d rather feel the freezing cold than the pain in my chest
that will undoubtedly lead me to saying and doing things I’ll regret later.

Although I sure as hell am receiving Karma first hand if I'm walking through the dark lonely streets at
three o'clock in the morning alone.

Headlights of a car illuminate the road as I make my way into Greenbrae street but I turn around when
the car which I recognise stops behind me. Something tells me to run but I am too fucking tired for that
so I just stand there with my hands in the centre of my hoodie pocket.

Someone steps out the car and it’s a woman.

‘’Aidan.’’ The small shaky voice called my name and I don’t even have to ask who it is.

My feet moved on their own as Glen walks through the rain on the wet pave and throws her arms
around my neck. I let in the feeling of her warmth and scent as my arms find their way around her
waist.

She feels like home.

‘’It’s gonna be okay.’’ I said into her neck as she cried in my arms. I can only imagine what she went
through because of this.

‘’I…I thought I’d lost you.’’ She whimpered. Neither of us wanting to pull away from the hug.

‘’I’m here now.’'