Soft || 18+ Reverse Harem ||

11 - Property

For attention, one of the nurses had said. And she wasn't wrong. I had done it for attention.

I was thirteen. I had no other problems than my parents.

It was plainly for attention.

I had turned thirteen a few days ago. And there had been no party. No wishes except for people at school. My parents forgot because Emilia had another surgery to get.

I never blamed Emilia for the shitty way my parents raised me, but I did blame my parents for not raising both of us correctly. Emilia was entitled, and I couldn't breathe if people gave me attention.

Way to go, Mom and Dad. Way to fucking go.

. . .

I spent the rest of the day in tears. My head hurt when the night finally came. It was midnight and I was sitting in my bathtub, inhaling the smell of lavender candles lit all around. Vaness and Bobby fought each other near the bathtub. I watched them with a smile.

I care about that kitten more than I care about many people. What does that say?

That you're not surrounded by the right people.

Andros was right. Except for Otto and Marie, who was positive in my life? But, how could I want people who'd be good to me when I could barely be good to myself?

Marie and Otto were used to my moods - to my rage and my unwillingness to share anything close to my heart. I was a friend who you could talk to all the time, and still wouldn't really know much about.

I didn't know how Otto and Marie put up with it.

I pet Vaness' head as she walked closer to where my hand was dangling. She purred, curling into a ball. Bobby curled into a ball beside her, setting his head on her. I smiled again.

I loved my cats. They were my only source of comfort most of the time.

My phone buzzed, disturbing the silent peace of the bathroom. I reached for it and Emilia's name flashed on the screen.

"Hello, Emilia."

"How are you?" She asked, her tone a bit worried. "Mom told me about the house. I am so sorry he made you do that. He must have his reasons but it's just so mean-"

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, how are you?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"You expect me to be better considering what happened?"

"Um, no, of course not. It's too soon." She sighed. "God, this sucks. At least he's letting you take anything you want from the house."

"Letting me?" I whispered. "It was mine, Emilia. Mine."

She was quiet for a while. "Dahlia, it was supposed to be passed down to him. Uncle just must have been confused."

I massaged my forehead. Emilia and I used to talk a lot a while ago before the whole Evan thing blew over. We'd talk through the night. But then my heart broke.

I still wanted to talk to her. But it was like she was speaking a different language.

"Uncle Noah was smarter than all of us combined, Emilia. You know that."

"I...I do." A pause. "I wish I had been there to talk him out of it. I don't understand why he had to sell it."

Angry tears filled my eyes. "He just likes being horrible to me."

"That's not true. Dahlia, he loves you-"

I hung up.

That's not true, Dahlia.

But it was.

. . .

"Minnie, my love." I kissed her little face. "How are you?"

She meowed to me, her nose booping mine and her little paws ticking my jaw.

"You're acting pleasant," Marie, who was sitting on the ground with her sketchpad in her hands and the pencil scribbling on it. "Why? Who died? Who did you kill?"

I pet Minnie's head as I sat down beside Marie. It was another late night at the shelter. "No one died. I killed no one. I'm just..." I shrugged. "Happy to be out of the house for a while."

"Didn't you go to the bookstore?" She asked, eyes still on whatever she was sketching.

"I did," I said. "It wasn't busy today. It rarely is on Mondays."

"Hm." She set her head on my shoulder. "I'll come in on the next Monday. We can just eat the whole day."

I smiled. "I'd like that." I pet Minnie's stomach as she rolled on her back. I smiled as she kept purring. "Any adoptions today?"

"Yes," she said. "I forgot to tell you. Someone wants to adopt this little princess here." She smiled at Minnie.

"Minnie?"

"No, you." She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Minnie. Not gonna lie, the man looked shady at first. But then he started playing with Minnie and I was like adopt me, too, please."

I laughed. "Really? How did he look?"

"Older than us," she said. "By a lot. He looked to be around...fifty?" She asked. "Yes, fifty. He looked like a angel, too. Aging like fine as fuck wine."

A fifty-year-old man.

"Did he look like he'd be able to take care of her?" I asked. "What was he wearing?"

"A suit," she answered, closing the sketchpad. "It looked expensive, too. So I am hoping he's well off and feeds Minnie everything yummy, right baby?" She smiled at Minnie, petting her head.

I looked down at Minnie, a bit uneasy about letting her go. She was so tiny. Anything could hurt her.

I cuddled her to my chest. "When will he pick her up?"

"Tomorrow."

"I want to meet him before he takes her."

"Alright, mama bear." Marie kissed my cheek.

. . .

I walked past my uncle's house. Nothing had changed. A part of me had thought the new owner would have broken it. I didn't even know why I thought they'd do it so quickly.

But the house sat still, as unaware of its future as I was. I hoped the new owner would care about it more than my father did.

I sat down on the steps and reached into my pocket. I touched the cigarette but then took my hand out.

No.

I didn't want to be so fucking sad all the time. I wanted to feel something other than this. Other than this breathlessness and tightened fists and sinking ribs.

A car stopped in front of the house.

I recognized the car.

One of the Monet brothers stepped out.

He looked a bit surprised. "Dahlia."

"Monet." I stood up. "What are you doing here?"

He tilted his head, eyes taking me in. "I'm here to check out my new property."

. . .

Well, shit. Ig.

Ima go nap now bie bie