Sweet Little Lies

Ch. 5 Upset?

Harper Morgan
Ignoring Ajax as he sits next to me at the table is hard to do. I continue talking to Mrs. West and try not to think about the incident earlier. Obviously Ajax is used to people listening to him and he doesn't know what to do when they don't. Yet, it seemed like he was trying to get me to react to him. The way his eyes held mine it was exactly like it used to be. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe he's just an ass.
I shift in my seat and accidently brush against his shoulder. I feel the heat of his body and lean away from him, not bothering to apologize. I focus on eating, not tasting anything. Mr. and Mrs. West are arguing about what movie to watch and I try to listen but fail. When a hand comes to rest on my knee I jump. Not realizing I had been bouncing my leg restlessly I look up to Ajax.
"What I can't bounce my leg either?" I whisper sarcastically.
His hand moves up my thigh just above my knee and squeezes gently. "You can try" He replies, holding it down. My eyes narrow on his as I try to move his hand off of my leg. His grip tightens a little more and he smirks down at me. Still hearing his parents argue I look at them and think of a plan. Smiling to myself when it occurs to me what I should do, I look back up at Ajax and smile coyly. My heart beat quickens as I slide my hand onto his muscular thigh and turn towards him slightly. When his hand loosens, exactly as I predicted and he isn't pushing down on my leg, I bring my knee up against the table as hard and as fast as I can. There's not much of a reaction from Ajax, so I know it didn't hurt when I pinned his hand against table. However, his parents jump and their argument stopped.
"Your knee again Ajax?" Mrs. West asks, knowingly.
"Yeah." Ajax replies and starts eating again. I watch him for a few seconds before I realize it and finish eating my lunch as well. His hand doesn't move to my knee again but I still feel the heat and weight of it.
Lunch seems to drag on. I don't know which one of us was more eager to leave until I hear Mr. West say, "Harper, keep working. If you have any questions come get me, I'll be in the theater room."
"Okay." I respond, almost choking on the word.
"Teach Ajax a few things. I can't get him to listen to me." He urges, winking at me before he and Mrs. West leave the kitchen. I should've listened to them talking instead of focusing on Ajax. Now, here I am completely reeling. I have to spend at least another 2 hours alone with Ajax. Great....not.
"Nervous?" Ajax, whispers in my ear. I turn around to face him.
I can't help but take a deep breath, breathing in his scent. "We had a truce last night after you talked so horribly to me. I thought we moved past it? Why don't you just say what you need to say and them you can go about your day." I suggest.
"What do I need to say to you?" he asks, perplexed.
I throw my hands up. "If I knew, I wouldn't have to ask. Do you have a problem with me working here? You didn't seem to mind yesterday. It's like one minute you're regular Ajax and the next you're 'Ajax the terrible'. What's going on with you?"
He looks to the ground. "I'm sorry its not you. I'm just trying to....adjust."
"Adjust to running The West End?" I ask.
"That's part of it, yes." He nods, looking at me.
It dawns on me and my heartbreaks for him. "You don't want your parents to leave. Do you? I'm sorry, Ajax. I didn't think about that. Is that why you're refusing to learn what your dad is telling you? You should talk to them about it."
He chuckles, "I don't mind that they're leaving, Harp."
"Ajax, whether you want to admit it or not you're not acting like yourself." I reply, confused by his attitude towards me. Sure, he's always been a little controlling, but he's being rude. does he really think at my age I need a babysitter?
"I know and its not you. Its not your fault." He responds, giving nothing away.
"You're not going to talk to me about it? I may be able to help you know. Instead of you taking it out on me." I point out.
He grumbles something under his breath then speaks louder. "Listen, about earlier. I just don't want you skipping meals. I realize you're a grown woman but I feel a sense of responsibility towards you, whether you like it or not."
"So, it wasn't a power trip? It was only a family responsibility thing?" I question, trying to understand where this new Ajax Is coming from.
He gives me a cold look and walks towards the hallway. I walk after him, at a loss about what's upset him now. It's probably all my questions. Knowing him for as long as I have, I've learned he hates questions and teasing. It's none of my business and he obviously doesn't want to talk about it.
"Sorry, about all the questions. You don't have to tell me about it, I understand and I'll stop teasing for the rest of the day, but you have to be nice too." I state, firmly. I may have been provoking him earlier and I need to stop. He is my boss, I need to start acting like it. He stands at the office door and turns to me.
"I'll be nice." He smirks and motions for me to go in first. Just like that, regular Ajax is back.

Ajax Preston West
    I want to yell at her every time she says the words 'family' or 'brother'. I notice she's getting frustrated with my mood swings, not that I blame her. I need to control myself and start treating her like I used to. However, this new Harper has me second guessing myself. Four years ago I know she would've had me, we'd be together even now. Every time I think of the day she left has me thinking about what might have been. I could've said something to her and admitted my feelings. Traveling to see her would have been a pain in the ass, but it would've been worth it. Seeing her a couple times over the past four years would've been better then not seeing her at all. It was the hard to keep myself from going to Flagstaff. The only thing that held me back was knowing when I left for Arizona I'd be bringing her with me. I couldn't do that to her, she wanted an education.
"You've changed at lot too." I point out, watching her intently.
"Yes, I have." She replies, distractedly.
"Why didn't you come home?" I question, wanting to know the answer to this question for so long.
"I had internships and it didn't seem necessary to come back home." She responds, glancing at me quickly, then back to her computer.
"It wasn't necessary?" I bite out. I know she loved me. I want to yell at her and force her to admit it to me and to herself. I haven't stopped loving her these past four years, I refuse to think she could've stop loving me.
"No, it wasn't. Dad and Dan work from sun up until sun down. Mom has her crafts and the church. Every time I'd call it'd be at a busy time. I know they missed me, but they didn't need me here."
"You never called me." I state, keeping the bitterness out of my voice.
Surprised she looks up at me. "Was I supposed to call you?"
I nod. "It would've been nice."
"Well, if I leave again I'll be sure to call." She says, typing away on the computer. I feel every muscle in my body tense up.
"You plan on going back?" She must feel my eyes on her because she looks at me and shifts in her seat. Something she did a lot when we were growing up. Harper never liked being put on the spot, its good to know that hasn't changed.
"No, just if I do." She shrugs. "Do you want to learn any of this stuff?" She asks, pointing at the screen.
"Nope." I respond, truthfully.
"So, why are you still here? Go somewhere else. I don't want to be glared at the whole time I'm working." She mutters.
"What else have you changed since you've been gone?" I inquire, ignoring her comment about me leaving. I'm not going anywhere, at least for the next few days.
"I have work to do, Ajax. When did you become such a chatter box?"
"Answer my question." I demand, wanting her to tell me, 'nothing has changed' and I want her to do it while shes looking at me.
"Nothing, Ajax." She says, typing on her laptop computer. I pick up the computer and put it on the other side of me, out of her reach.
"Nothing's changed? It sure seems like it has." I point out.
She squares her shoulders and sits up straight. "I've gotten older. I'm not the little girl I once was, anymore than you're the boy I left behind."
"You're wrong. I'm exactly how you left me." I state, adamantly.
"Everyone changes, Ajax. You're no exception. Can we please move on now. I have things to do." She states, standing up and reaching for the laptop. Refusing to move, she has to bend across me to slide the computer back in front of her.
She's fighting it, she has to be. If she didn't think it was 'necessary' to come back home she would've stayed in Flaggstaff. This is where she wants to be, even if she won't admit it I know I am a part of that reason she's back and deep down I know she does too.