12. Him
HIM
The one good thing about me is that I’m resilient. I don’t give up easily, nor walk away from a challenge.
I persist. I keep showing up.
My feisty girl is lucky she’s got me, so determined to make her happy. Make her see me.
I’m a very attentive guy, too. She has no idea how much I care.
For example, I replace the boxes of her favorite cereal before they run out, so they last longer.
I also make sure there’s always a fresh cup of coffee on her desk at work, whenever she accidentally leaves one unattended for too long.
I even make sure her drawers are stacked with tampons and pads, so she’s never unprepared when it’s that time of the month.
Heck, I’m so devoted that I charge her Kindle when she forgets to and even set up notifications for when her favorite authors have a new release.
With that being said, being attentive has its downsides. Because I saw what she did, and I can’t say it didn’t sting.
I knew it was a risky move.
My girl was ungrateful, throwing out my gift that way. Inconsiderate.
Like, I didn’t gather every ounce of courage to walk into that store and get it for her.
It was a first for me, too.
My heart clenches in my chest at the results, but the consequences will follow.
She won’t get away with this.
That doesn’t mean I give up on her.
I wish I knew what Madelyn sees in him. The tension between them is clear.
It makes me fantasize about crushing his skull.
But I can’t hurt him. At least, I’m doing everything in my power not to. My girl is making it hard to resist, though. She’s giving him all the attention I deserve. He’s been given a warning. Hopefully, he’ll listen.
She’ll be a good girl, and he’ll be a good guy and behave. It’s going to be tough, given he’s a piece of shit.
But I’m not innocent either, I’ll give him that.
I’m trying to sympathize. Throwing hints of our shared past at him.
Why doesn’t he understand that he can’t have her?
He will get it.
For now, I watch them interact. Him, making lame jokes that’ll get him nowhere with her. And my girl, blushing at every word he says.
I see it in her eyes. The lust. That’s how she’s supposed to be with me, not Kayden. I’m the good one.
He’s the bad seed, the rotten one.
I’ll change her mind. I’ll forgive her sins this time.
I browse through the bag of goodies I brought home for her.
Pick a white box with a red ribbon and prepare the next surprise.
This one caught my eye when I first read a certain line in her journal.
I take out the notepad I bought specifically to write notes for her on, and jot down the phrase she used in her fantasy. She’d better appreciate my gift this time. I’m respecting her. Not overstepping. Giving her a taste of what’s hers, what she’ll get with me.
I’ll leave it by her door so she’ll find it when she gets home.
It’ll blow her away. Every single part of her.
Fingers crossed that stupid stepbrother of hers is there when she opens it.