her disappearance

19

"If you make me marry him, then I will hate you forever." I whisper, my voice trembling like my hands.

"I don't care if you hate me or not." my dad snaps, his voice not the same loving voice that I used to admire when I was a child.

"Marrying someone will stop you from acting like a whore in school." he snarls. "Isn't that right, Creighton?" my dad asks him, laughing.

I look at Creighton, who was glaring at my dad. If looks could kill, my dad would be so fucking dead.

"Anoushka doesn't need me to speak for her but disrespect her like that again and I will hurt you. I don't care who you are." Creighton says, his voice harsh and promising.

My dad blinks twice and I gape at Creighton. He just said that to my dad and I am not even offended. I feel...proud?

"Creighton." Daniel scolds.

"And you?" Creighton chuckles. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Anoushka isn't your daughter. She's no one to you, so don't ever try to tell her what to do."

I glance at Aspen, who was watching Creighton. She looked proud of her son. My mum on the other hand looked disgusted.

"We're going now," he says, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up with him.

His mum stands up as well and he walks up to her, he lets go of my wrist to kiss her cheek. "I'll call you later." she tells him.

He grabs my wrist as he storms out of the house. He eventually lets go of my wrist. "Take your car." he angrily says, running a hand through his hair. "I'll pick mine up next week."

"Wait." I tell him.

He freezes before turning back. His green eyes were dark with anger. "Get in the car, Anoushka." he orders.

"Why do you care if I marry Ivan?" I ask. "You clearly don't want me in your life so why would you care if I marry him?" I repeat, my tone getting harsher with every word.

His jaw tightens and his dark gaze narrows on me. "That's what you wanted." he tells me.

"How do you know what I want?"

He stalks towards me. "You fucking said you didn't want a relationship with me, Anoushka."

True. "That didn't mean you had to cut me out completely and replace me with her," I admit, my voice wobbling.

I will not cry in front of him.

His gaze softens. "Who's her?"

"The girl you always sit with at lunch. Everywhere I see you, you're always with her."

"She's a friend." he tells me quietly.

"I thought we were also friends." I say.

"We are friends." he says, smiling softly.

"Then why do you treat me like I'm no one and why do you care if I marry Ivan?"

His gaze darkens and he pulls away. "Get in the car Anoushka," he says, turning his back to me and walking to the drivers side.