Bastard

Book 0: Bastard

by J.L. Perry

Genres: Romance; Romance Anthologies & Collections; Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

The #1 Bestseller. A heartbreakingly beautiful love story by Australia's favourite new romance writer and author of the #1 bestseller Hooker: J.L. Perry. ***FULL LENGTH STANDALONE READ WITH HEA*** Warning - Contains coarse language and sexual content. This book is recommended for 18 years and over. My name is Carter Reynolds . I was born a bastard and I'll die a bastard. I learnt it at a young age, and nothing and nobody can change that. I'm on a one-way path of destruction, and God help anyone who gets in my way. I hate my life. Actually, I hate pretty much everything. That's until I meet the kid next door. Indi-freakin'-ana. My dislike for her is instant. From the moment I lay eyes on her, she ignites something within me. She makes me feel things I thought I was incapable of feeling. I don't like it, not one bit. When she looks at me with her big, beautiful, haunting green eyes, it's like she can see into the depths of my soul. It freaks me the hell out. She's like sunshine and rainbows in my world of gloom and doom. I hate sunshine and rainbows. **** I'm Indiana Montgomery . My friends call me Indi. Despite losing my mum at the age of six, I have a wonderful life and great friends. My dad more than makes up for the fact that I only have one parent. I'm his little girl, the centre of his world. I adore him. When Carter Reynolds moves in next door, my life takes a turn for the worse. He's gorgeous, sinfully hot, but that's where my compliments end. He seems hell-bent on making my life miserable. He acts tough, but when I look into his eyes I don't see it. I see hurt and pain. To me, he seems lost. I should hate him for the way he treats me, but surprisingly I don't. If anything, I feel sorry for him. I want to help him find peace. Help him find the light that I know is buried somewhere within his darkness, but he won't have a bar of it. He's warned me time and time again to stay away, but I can't. I'm drawn to him for some reason. He's always referring to himself as a bastard. That may be true, but to me, he's more like a beautifully misunderstood bastard. Whether he likes it or not, I refuse to give up on him. Carter and Indiana's story is told in dual POV, and in two parts, spanning over 8 years. **INCLUDES BONUS CHAPTER OF J.L. PERRY'S 'HOOKER'** **VOTED BEST NEW AUTHOR FOR 2014 IN AUSROM TODAY'S READERS CHOICE AWARDS** J. L. Perry is a mother and a wife. She was born in Sydney, Australia in 1972, and has lived there her whole life. Her other titles include MY DESTINY, MY FOREVER, DAMAGED, AGAINST ALL ODDS and the novella LUCKIEST BASTARD, which follows BASTARD. J. L. Perry is currently writing three novels: HOOKER, JAX and NINETEEN LETTERS. She would love to hear from you on Facebook or @JLPerryAuthor. 'I was so excited to start Bastard. When I read the synopsis it sounded so good, and I'm happy to say, I was not disappointed one bit! I loved it! Like seriously LOVED it! It brought every single emotion out of me. I laughed, I swooned, I fell in love and yes ... I even cried!' I Love Story Time, Amazon 'The book is as sexy as the cover . . . Great character development and a story that keeps unfolding page after page. Loved it!!!' Loss,strain&butterflies, Amazon 'Perfection is an understatement' Jelena Bosh, Goodreads

Release date: December 7, 2015

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Print pages: 488

Sample

Prologue

The past …

Carter

Reaching out, my mum wraps her long, dainty fingers around my small hand. “Jump, baby.” She smiles as I launch from the bottom step off the bus, landing on the sidewalk. We both laugh. I love my mum. She’s fun.

“Brrrrrr, it’s cold today,” she says.

Looking up, I find her shivering. I smile at her as she zips up her coat to keep warm. Digging through her bag, she takes out my favourite Spiderman beanie and scarf, holding them up for me to see.

“Put these on, sweetie,” she says smiling as she crouches down in front of me, placing my beanie on my head and wrapping the scarf around my neck. “Let me get your gloves,” she adds, reaching into her bag again. “I can’t have my little man getting sick.” I stand and watch as she pushes my small fingers into my blue gloves, one by one. “There, all snug.”

“Snug as a bug in a rug,” I add. This is something she says to me every night when she tucks me into bed.

“That’s right, baby,” she says leaning forward, giving me a soft kiss on my nose. Rising to her feet she reaches for my hand. “Come on.”

As we walk down the street, my eyes take everything in. I don’t think I’ve ever been here before. There are shops on one side of the street, and big houses on the other. “Where are we, Mummy?” I ask while looking around. The loud roar of a motorbike passing makes me jump.

“This is my hometown. I grew up here.” I look up at her. Wow. Mummy lived somewhere else before our home?

She gazes down at me, but she looks sad. “You lived here when you were little, like me?” I ask.

“Uh huh. This is where your grandparents live.”

“I have a grandma and grandpa?” I didn’t know that either. I feel my eyes widen and I smile. I hear the kids at school talk about their grandparents all the time. I’ve always wondered why I didn’t have any of my own.

I’ve never asked my mum why. Once I asked her how come I didn’t have a daddy like the other kids, and it made her cry. I don’t like seeing my mummy cry.

“I’m taking you to meet them now. They’ve never met you before.” I’m getting so excited, like I did a few weeks ago when I turned five, and my mummy bought me a big chocolate cake. My friend, Josh, was allowed to come over. He even bought me a present. Nobody but my mummy has ever bought me a present before. I met Josh’s grandparents once, when I was playing at his house. They were really nice. I hope my grandparents are like his.

I start jumping along because I’m so happy. Mummy stops in front of a big, white house. It’s really, really big, like the houses you see in movies. It’s so much bigger than where mummy and me live.

My mum’s hand starts shaking as she holds mine. I look at her. She looks mad, like the time I drew on the wall at home. Her eyes are doing funny things.

“Your hands are shaking, Mummy.”

“I’m okay little man, I’m just cold.” She looks down at me and smiles. Her eyes look happy when she looks at me.

“Do you want to borrow my gloves?”

“No, baby,” she says as her smile widens. She crouches down, placing her hands on either side of my face. “No matter what happens when we go in here, just remember how much I love you, and how special you are.”

“Okay,” I say. I love my mummy. I know I’m going to love my grandparents too.

“Good boy.” She leans forward and kisses my cheek before standing up and reaching for my hand again. “Let’s do this.”

As we walk down the long driveway, my mum’s hand continues to shake. I wish she’d put my gloves on. I hate how she’s cold.

“One … two … three … four … five.” I count the stairs in my head as we climb them before we stop in front of the big yellow door. I hear my mum let out a big breath. Letting go of my hand, she makes a fist as she raises her arm, but she stops mid-air. Looking down at me, her lips turn up before finally knocking on the door. I can’t wait to see my grandparents. I hope they have chocolate. I love chocolate.

Reaching for my hand, she gives it a squeeze. When the door opens, I look up at the man who stands there. He doesn’t look happy when he sees mummy.

“Elizabeth,” he says sternly.

“Hi, Daddy,” she replies nervously. He relaxes when mummy says that. The corners of his mouth turn up slightly. I feel my own big smile. Wow, this must be my grandpa. He looks so strong.

“What are you doing here?” he asks.

My mum doesn’t say anything for what feels like one hundred years. “I wanted to see you. I … ummm, wanted you to meet your grandson, Carter.” She gives my hand another squeeze as she looks down at me.

“Hello, Grandpa,” I say. I’m seeing my very own grandpa. I want to hug him.

He looks angry again as he stares down at me. Then his head snaps back up to look at my mummy. “Why did you bring that little bastard here?” he asks really, really meanly. “Get him out of here. Don’t you ever bring him here again.” Stepping back, he slams the door in our faces.

My mum makes a strange sound and I feel like crying. I’m sad because my mummy is sad. She only makes that noise when she’s upset. I don’t like my grandpa. He’s mean. “Come on, baby,” she says. When her eyes meet mine, I see her tears are already falling. I don’t like seeing my mummy cry.

I’m almost running behind her as she tugs on my hand. She hurries down the driveway and back out into the street. “What’s a bastard?” I ask. I’ve never heard that word before. The way my grandpa said it, it doesn’t sound like a nice word.

My question stops her walking. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she squats down in front of me. “You’re not a bastard,” she says sadly. “Pay no attention to what he said. You’re a beautiful boy.” She gives me a kiss on my forehead. “I’m sorry I brought you here.”

“It’s okay, Mummy,” I say trying real hard to be brave. When my bottom lip starts to quiver and the first tears fall, I know I’ve failed. I’m not brave.

“Oh, baby.” She opens her arms, pulling me tightly against her as I cry into her chest. “You’re not a bastard,” she whispers.

I want to believe her, I do, but why would grandpa say it if it’s not true? I hate that I’m a bastard. Even though I don’t know what it means, I know that this moment and that horrible word are going to stick with me for a long time. Maybe even the rest of my life.

•

bas·tard

1. Offensive A person born to parents not married to each other.

2. Slang

a. A person considered to be mean or contemptible.

b. A person, especially one considered to be unfortunate.

3. Something that is of irregular, inferior, or dubious origin.

It’s funny how one fleeting moment in time can change you. One stupid, crazy, fucked-up word can define you. I didn’t know it at the time, but after that day things changed—I changed. I was only five years old the day I learnt I was a bastard, and sadly as the years progressed, that’s exactly what I became.

Chapter One

The present …

Carter

Packing the last of the boxes into the trunk of the car, I turn and take one final look at the only place I’ve ever called home. The place I’ve lived for the last seventeen years of my life. Sure it’s just a shitty old apartment block, but it’s my home. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’m fucking pissed they’re forcing me to leave here. I’ve been dreading this day. I hate that I’m going to have to live with that fuckwit my mum now calls her husband.

Thank God it’s only for six months. That’s when I’ll be turning eighteen; finally becoming a legal adult. You can be sure as hell the first thing I do, is blow this godforsaken place. My mum has that cocksucker to look after her now. She doesn’t need me anymore.

She started dating John Shepard six months ago. It was a whirlwind romance you could say. I guess she’s been alone since I was born, so I can’t really blame her for wanting a companion. It’s always been just the two of us. At first I kind of liked the idea of having a father figure around, but my hopes were soon dashed when I got to know Fuckwit. That’s my pet name for him. It suits him perfectly.

I saw the difference in her when she’d come home from being out with him. She was happier. Lighter. Like she was floating or some shit. I liked seeing her like that. She deserved happiness.

They’d been seeing each other for a few months before she brought him to the house to meet me. I was on my best behaviour the first time we met. I did it for her. He was very pleasant until she left the room for a few minutes to get us some drinks. The way he looked me up and down with disdain instantly had my suspicions rising. As time wore on, those looks turned into hateful remarks. In the beginning I’d done nothing to provoke them. I guess he just took a disliking to me for some reason. Maybe because I was a bastard. Who knows? I was used to rejection. I’d faced it my whole life.

My mum’s love has always been unconditional. Even when I acted up, she still loved me, still cared. I’ll be forever grateful for that. She’s been through a lot with me over the years, but her feelings for me never wavered. Not once. I was nothing to Fuckwit, I guess. Just a thorn in his side. Someone standing in the way of him being with my mother.

I was shattered when he proposed and she accepted, but I didn’t let her know that’s how I felt. I wasn’t about to burst her bubble. She deserved happiness after all the sacrifices she’d made for me over the years. I wasn’t about to stand in her way.

The day he finally put the ring on her finger was the same day he made his true feelings for me be known. They had some lame-arse civil ceremony at the registry office. It was my mum’s first marriage. She deserved so much more than that. I didn’t even want to attend, but she wanted me there, so for her sake I had to grin and bear it.

Afterwards, the three of us were heading to a nice restaurant for a celebratory lunch. Well, they were celebrating. I sure as hell wasn’t. My mum asked Fuckwit to stop off at the local patisserie so she could buy a nice cake to take with us. The minute she was out of the car he gave me a hateful look through the revision mirror.

“I love your mother,” he told me. “But don’t think for a minute that any of that affection extends to you, because it doesn’t. In my eyes, you’re the unwelcomed part of the package.” I hate to admit it, but his hurtful words stung. It only served to make me feel even lower about myself.

Why was I such a hard person to love?

Before I get a chance to close the trunk, my stepfather leans out of the driver’s side window. “Hurry up, son. I haven’t got all day,” he sneers in a sarcastic tone. I swear he does shit like this to bait me. My head snaps in his direction.

“I’m not your son. You best remember that, old man,” I retort, my eyes narrowing. “If you got off your arse and helped instead of sitting there barking orders at me all afternoon, we would’ve finished hours ago.”

Throwing back his head, he laughs at my comment. He acts so sweet in front of my mum. She falls for his pathetic shit all the time. Truth is, he’s a fake-arse prick. As soon as my mum’s back is turned he treats me like dirt. She might love him, but I don’t. I fucking hate him. This is going to be the longest six months of my life.

Slamming the trunk shut, I make my way around to the passenger side of the car. “Wipe your damn feet before you get in the car,” he barks. I swear if there were some dog shit nearby right now, I’d tread in it just to spite him.

Sighing, I do as he asks before seating myself in the passenger side. “Prick,” I mumble under my breath.

“Watch that smart mouth of yours, boy. I won’t tolerate you speaking like that in my house, and especially in front of your mother.” I’d never speak like that to my mum. Him though, that’s a whole other story.

Ignoring him I turn my head, gazing out the window, taking one last look at my home as he backs out of the drive. Christ, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours and I already want to punch him.

Not a word is spoken on the drive to his place. I’m thankful for that. My stomach is in knots. Living with this arsehole is going to be pure fucking hell. I have no idea what my mother sees in him, but surprisingly he makes her happy. That’s the only reason I’m going along with this bullshit. I’m doing it for her, no other reason. After everything she has sacrificed for me she deserves to be happy.

It’s about an hour’s drive from my old neighbourhood to the gates of hell. Fuck, I need a cigarette. As soon as we pull into the street I’ll now be calling home, my heart rate picks up. The street is lined with perfect houses, with perfect lawns and fancy manicured gardens.

I hate it here already.

“This is your new home, my home. Remember that,” Fuckwit says when we pull into the driveway.

“Whoop-de-fucking-do,” I reply as I exit the car before he has a chance to say another word. I make my way around to the back of the vehicle to unpack the boxes. Of course that lazy fucker heads straight inside. I guess I’ll be doing all the work again.

Figures.

As I go to open the trunk, I’m stopped when I hear laughter. Pure, sweet, sickening laughter. My head snaps in the direction it came from, and that’s when I see her. Well actually, the first thing I see is her tight little arse. She’s bending over patting a dog, wearing these sexy little shorts. Tearing my eyes away from her, they land on the dog. It’s a long-haired German Shepherd.

The perfect dog.

Growing up I always wanted a dog like that, but living in an apartment building that didn’t allow animals made it impossible.

When the girl stands up straight my eyes move up to her long, dark hair that now cascades down her lean back. The sun’s beaming down on it, illuminating its shine. I find myself wishing she’d turn around so I can see her face. She doesn’t, so my gaze moves back down to her arse. Fuck me, what an arse.

Images of me wrapping her hair around my wrist as I bend her over, pounding her from behind enter my mind. It makes my dick stir. Jesus, why did I let my thoughts go there? Her body might be rockin’, but that doesn’t mean her face is. I guess, if I was giving it to her from behind, that wouldn’t really be a problem anyway.

I watch as she raises her arm, throwing the ball across the yard. She’s got a pretty good throw for a girl. The dog turns, galloping towards it. When he makes his way back he almost bowls her over in his excitement. She starts to laugh again, and I feel the corners of my lips turn up in a smile as I watch them.

“Good boy,” she says in a sweet voice as she scratches him behind the ears. “Who’s a good boy?” When the dog notices me standing there watching, he drops the ball from his mouth and trots in my direction.

“Hey boy,” I say holding my hand out for him to sniff. He seems friendly so I reach down, running my fingers through his long mane. I can feel my smile widen. Smiling is something I don’t usually do.

“Lassie,” I hear her call out, making my smile instantly turn into a scowl. She’s got to be fucking kidding. Lassie? She had the audacity to name this cool dog Lassie. What in the hell was she thinking? He looks more like a Rambo or Butch, definitely not a fucking Lassie.

“You poor thing,” I whisper as I scratch him behind the ears. “She’ll probably be cutting your balls off next and putting a fucking bow in your hair.”

My head snaps up and my brow furrows as she makes her way towards us. Fuck me if her face isn’t as beautiful as that luscious body of hers. I swear my jaw goes lax as she approaches. She’s a fucking babe. Her long dark hair frames her angelic face. Her large eyes are surrounded by thick, dark lashes. Her creamy skin is flawless, just making me itch to touch it. My eyes drift down to her tits. They’re kind of small, but more than a mouthful’s a waste, I suppose. She has a cute little button nose that makes me want to throw up in my mouth.

Okay, maybe that last comment was a bit over the top. That’s just my bastardry rearing its ugly head. It’s a defence mechanism I’ve developed and mastered over the years. A barrier I’ve put in place. I hate that she’s already making me feel things I don’t want to feel. I’ve learnt over the years if you can’t feel, you can’t hurt. If I’m going to be seeing her daily, I need to nip this shit in the bud right now before it gets out of hand.

“Hey, you must be Carter. Your mum told me you’d be moving in today.” Her beauty has rendered me speechless. What the hell?

Pulling myself together I straighten up to full height, towering over her tiny frame. Her sexy-as-fuck plump lips curve up into a smile as her beautiful green eyes meet mine. “I’m Indiana. Your new neighbour,” she says sweetly, extending her hand to me.

Game on.

It’s time to push her away before she gets too close. It’s called self-preservation. I learnt a long time ago, it lessens the sting if I reject someone before they get a chance to do that to me.

My gaze moves down to her extended hand then back up to her face. “You called your dog Lassie?” I snarl. “What were you fucking thinking? That’s a pussy name for a dog like this. You do realise he’s a boy, right?”

Her sweet mouth opens in shock and her pretty green eyes widen before narrowing into slits. “The dog that played Lassie in the movies was a boy too, you know,” she retorts, folding her arms over her chest. If she’s trying to look tough she’s failing miserably. Crossing her arms only manages to push her perky little tits up further. I feel my cock grow at the sight, and that pisses me the hell off. I hate how she’s having this effect on me.

Opening the trunk, I reach in to retrieve a box and place it in front of me. The last thing I want her to see is the damn hard-on she’s just given me.

“What’s your problem anyway?” she asks, her eyes meeting mine again. “You’re not exactly making a great first impression.”

I almost want to smile at her fucking attitude, but there’s no way in hell I’ll be giving her that satisfaction. “I don’t give a fuck what you think of me, kid. Why don’t you run along and go play with your dolls like a good little girl?”

I’m really struggling not to smile now as her eyes widen in disbelief at the way I’m speaking to her. When her lips open, forming a perfect little O, all I can think is she has the most fuckable mouth I’ve ever seen. That thought only makes my cock even harder.

Sweet Jesus, what is she doing to me?

I’m surprised I almost feel bad for the way I’m treating her, but riling her up is way too much fun. I’m not about to stop now.

“Well that’s just plain rude. Something pretty shitty must’ve happened in your life to give you such a bad attitude.” She hit the nail right on the head. It sure did I want to say, but I don’t. My brow furrows. Why does her saying that piss me off even more?

I hate that in less than a minute she has already seen through my facade. What is she, some kind of crazy clairvoyant or something? My eyes lock with hers again, and the sympathetic look I see on her face makes me dislike her even more.

“Nope. I’m just a bastard, and stop fucking looking at me like that. You’re creeping me the hell out.”

“Like what?” she huffs, placing her hands on her hips.

“Like you feel sorry for me. I don’t want or need your sympathy. The sooner you learn that the better off we’ll all be, Princess. Do yourself a favour kid, stay the fuck away from me.” She gasps at my words and a satisfied smile crosses my face.

Mission accomplished.

“Later, Larry,” I say to the dog, giving him one last scratch behind the ears before walking away.

“His name’s Lassie, arsehole,” she snaps to my retreating back.

“Not to me it isn’t,” I chuckle as I walk towards the house. “You won’t catch me calling him that pansy-arse name.” Maybe living here isn’t going to be as bad as I thought.

“Come on boy,” I hear her say, exhaling an exasperated breath.

As I walk up the porch stairs to my new hell, I hear her front door slam shut. Surprisingly, this makes the smile instantly drop from my face. I actually feel shitty for the way I just treated her. I don’t often feel remorseful for my actions.

Why am I such a bastard? That’s right, I was born one.

Chapter Two

Indiana

Slamming the front door, I stomp down the hallway towards the back of the house. “Out you go, boy,” I say to Lassie once I slide open the glass door. I feel so let down. I can’t believe I was actually looking forward to meeting that douche. Nobody has ever been so rude to me. Ever.

He’s nothing like I expected. Well, I don’t really know what I was expecting. Certainly not what I got. He’s a prick, plain and simple. A rude, egotistical arse. And as much as I hate to admit it, a sinfully hot one. Why does he have to be so good looking?

He’s so tall, and so built. Every stinking inch of him. His dark hair and haunting chocolate eyes just add to his attractiveness. His cute little dimple on his left cheek. His perfectly straight white teeth add to his illuminating smile. Well they do when he smiles. I hate to admit that he’s gorgeous even when he frowns. To top all that off, he has this perfectly chiselled face, which I’d seriously like to slap right now, by the way.

That part definitely took me off guard. Sure I’ve met a lot of hot guys before. Nothing that could compare to him though. He towers over my tiny five-foot-one inch frame. His dark hair and eyes suit his equally dark persona. It’s a shame he doesn’t have the personality to accompany his looks. If he did, he’d be perfect.

Unexpectedly, I felt an instant attraction to him. That was until he opened his damn mouth. God I’m so mad right now. How could I let him get under my skin like that? Jackass. I almost feel sorry for him. I did say almost. Crazy I know. I swear I saw something in him. I can’t explain what. It was almost like his bastardry was an act, a front. I could be wrong. Surely no one could be naturally so rude and mean. His mother seems so sweet.

I’m glad my dad isn’t home at the moment. I’d hate to have to explain my sudden bad mood to him. He’d be furious if he knew how Carter just spoke to me.

I make my way towards my bedroom. I need my iPod. Music may be the only thing that can calm me down. At the very least, it can help occupy my mind so I don’t have to think about my new neighbour from hell. I thought Mr. Shepard held that title, but his new stepson has just taken the prize.

After placing my earplugs in my ears I turn the volume up to full. I also grab my iPad off my desk and move to my favourite spot in my room—the window seat my dad built for me. This is my happy place. I sit here for hours some days. Even though my bedroom window is at the side of the house, it’s towards the back, so I get a glimpse of the lake that backs onto our property.

Logging onto my Facebook account, I send a private message to my bestie, Meg. If anyone can cheer me up, it’s her.

Me: You around?

Meg: Of course. You know I live on here. LOL. What’s up pretty girl?

Me: I just met my new neighbour.

Meg: What? Mr. Don’t-let-your-dog-poop-on-my-lawn-again moved out?

Me: LOL. No. His new wife and stepson moved in.

Meg: WHAT! Someone married the fucktard? OMFG!

Me: I know. Crazy! She’s actually really nice. I have no idea what she sees in him. Her son on the other hand …

Meg: How old is her son?

Me: A year older than us.

Meg: Is he hot?

Me: Meh. He’s okay.

Total lie. He’s more than okay. If I tell her the truth she’ll be over here in a flash. I’m not sure why the thought of her crushing on him doesn’t sit well with me, but it doesn’t. Maybe because today he just became my enemy. Maybe it’s something else. My bestie is boy crazy. She has a new boyfriend practically every week. I swear I can’t keep up with them.

Meg: What’s the deal with him then?

Me: Ugh! He’s a douche. A rude prick.

Meg: Oh. Did he upset you? You need me to come over and teach him some manners?

Me: No. I can handle him. Thanks for the offer though.

If I told her what he said to me she’d be straight over. She’s very protective when it comes to me for some reason. We’ve always had each other’s back.

Meg: Wanna come over to my place? I’m still in prison for sneaking out the other night. My parents suck.

She makes me laugh. Meg is grounded because she got busted sneaking out to meet her boyfriend in the middle of the night. If my sixteen year old did half the things she has done, I think I’d lock her up permanently.

Me: Sure, I’ll be over soon. x

I have a quick browse through my newsfeed before I log off. Looking out my bedroom window, my eyes move towards my neighbour’s house. Imagine my surprise when I see Carter standing at the window directly opposite mine. He’s looking straight at me. Great. Don’t tell me that’s going to be his bedroom.

My eyes narrow at him. What is he staring at? A small, smug smile plays on his lips. God he infuriates me. Standing up, I reach for the cord of my blinds. I don’t think I’ve ever closed them before. I love the sunlight the window provides. There goes my sanctuary, my happy place. Could this day get any worse?

When my eyes reluctantly move back to his, I find him laughing. Fuck him. I can already tell he gets pleasure out of pissing me off. Flipping him off only makes him throw his head back and laugh harder. Arsehole.

I tug on the cord, hard, in frustration. Dreary darkness fills my room when the blinds are down. I have a feeling this is what my life is going to be like now that I have that douche as my neighbour.

Grabbing my phone off my desk, I storm out of the house. I end up staying at Meg’s place until late. Her parents treat me like one of their own. My dad’s working the night shift for the next two weeks, so there’s no need for me to be home. The further I’m away from that arsehole, Carter, the better. His room is so close to mine we’re practically damn roommates. What a nightmare.

•

My dad’s still asleep when I get up Monday morning. It was around 3:00am when he finally got home. I hate the hours he works sometimes, but he loves his job. He’s been working in the Police Force since he was eighteen years old. That’s all he knows, he’ll never give it up.

After I eat my breakfast and wash my dishes, I set about getting things ready for my dad when he wakes. I pour his cereal into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. I put two slices of bread in the toaster. All he’ll need to do is pop it down. I fill the kettle with water and place two sugars and a tea bag in a mug, leaving it on the benchtop.

When he’s doing day shift we always eat together. When he’s not, I usually get things prepared for him. Not that he expects it, but I like doing it for him. I’m sure being a single parent for the past ten years hasn’t been easy for him.

I was around two years old when my mum’s headaches first started. She would spend days, sometimes weeks in bed because of them. My dad tried to get her to go to the doctor, but she refused, saying they were just migraines. My dad said she was stubborn like that. It’s a trait I’ve inherited I’m afraid.

By the time she finally did go for tests, the tumour on her brain was so large it was inoperable. They tried chemo. It was her only option. It wasn’t successful. It made her so sick. She spent the last six months of her life bedbound. She died when I was six. Her death broke my dad’s heart. They were teenage sweethearts. I’m not sure if he’ll ever completely get over it.

•

I open the blinds in my bedroom before leaving for school. I’m not going to be home all day, so I don’t need to worry about stupid Carter taunting me. I don’t even bother to look in the direction of his house. I’m not going to let him ruin my day again.

Heading out back, I give Lassie a quick pat before I feed him and replenish his water dish. “I’ll see you this afternoon, boy,” I say as I leave. He’s too busy eating to even notice me disappear through the side gate.

Just my luck as I walk down the drive, Carter and his mother come out of their front door. “Morning, Indiana,” she says to me. “This is my son, Carter. The one I was telling you about.”

“We met yesterday,” I reply, plastering a fake smile on my face.

“Oh, you didn’t tell me that,” she says turning her attention back to her son. I use that time to narrow my eyes at him. I have a good mind to tell his mother how rude her son is. Maybe he’s adopted. How else could someone so lovely have such a prick for a kid?

Now that he’s standing by his mother, I see they have the same eyes. That’s pretty much it though. He must get his looks from his father. I bet he’s good looking. His mother is extremely attractive, but her features are fairer than Carter’s.

“Slipped my mind, I guess,” he says, looking my way and winking. Ugh!

“Why don’t you give Indiana a lift to school, since you’re both heading the same way? It’ll give you a chance to get to know each other better.” What little I know about him is enough.

“No,” we both say in unison.

“Carter,” she scolds, causing him to frown at me. “It will do you good to have a friend on your first day.” I almost want to laugh at her comment. Friends is some