Crooked Young (Oli Sykes) ✔️

Chapter 5

"You honestly shouldn't be walking out here by yourself at this time of day." A voice came up beside me, startling me and resulting into me bumping into the wall of the building I just passed.

I looked over, hand over my heart, and spotted Oliver in the dim streetlight. "You gave me a fright." I breathed, still feeling my heart beating rapidly in my chest.

Oliver chuckled. "I gave you a fright? You mean I scared the fucking shit out of you." He pointed out with a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

I felt my cheeks turn a light pink, but it was probably too dark for him to see anyways which I was grateful for. "I prefer my choice of words." I mumbled quietly, before continuing my fast pace down the street.

"So where do you think you're going?" Oliver then asked as he quickly caught up with me, which honestly didn't take very long, considering he was quite the bit taller than me.

His question made it sound like he was implying that I was lost though.

"Home." I simply told him. Though part of me didn't really want to, I still had to.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to protect myself from the chilly air. It was dark already, but it was getting colder too. For some reason, Oliver was still walking beside me.

I turned my head towards him only slightly, inspecting how he walked through the strands of my hair. This was the first time that I had seen him in normal clothes. He was wearing combat boots, black tight jeans, a black shirt with what looked like a dead stuffed animal on it, and a red and black flannel shirt.

Something about me found him insanely attractive looking like that.

He then suddenly whipped his head in my direction and smiled. "What?" He asked sounding utterly amused. I guess that he had noticed me sort of staring at him.

My cheeks flushed as I turned my head to look in front of me again. "N-Nothing." I stuttered. "Why are you following me?"

I quietly crossed the street, Oliver still at my side, hearing several cars drive by behind me. I recognized the street signs, telling me that I was getting close, just a few more minutes until I reached the entrance to the valley.

"Who says I'm following you? Perhaps I'm just going in the same direction." Oliver noted with a thoughtful frown etched onto his face.

"And for what purpose would you be headed to the valley?" I spoke after a moment of silence, as we passed the last couple of buildings and arrived at the broad driveway-like road that led up to the residences inside the valley area. It was strange, but this vine-covered wall surrounded our entire community. It made for such an obvious difference between being in there and out here in the city.

I walked up to it, only to notice that now Oliver wasn't walking beside me anymore. I looked back at him and just saw him standing there, unsure of what to do. "Weren't you going in the same direction?" I asked him, trying to sound just a bit teasingly.

A smile spread across his face as he shook his head, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets.

Without another word from either of us, I turned back around and walked through the massive gate-like entry. It was quiet, it always was. It was late and dark out, but even during the day it was quiet. This wasn't exactly the kind of place that had kids playing outside in front yards and playgrounds, like in the movies.

"I was actually." Oliver's voice suddenly beamed as he caught up with me yet again.

I chuckled, slightly amused with his effort. "You shouldn't be here though." I then told him in all seriousness.

"Or what, they will throw my arse back out? What a shame." He commented in fake disappointment.

No actually I was more worried about what would happen to me if I were to be seen with him... by let's say my father. There would be severe consequences, I was sure of that. I was lucky enough that I left and arrived back at the valley at times that no one really noticed. But I wasn't going to tell Oliver about all of that.

"Don't you have like a personal driver or whatever to pick you up and shit?" He eventually asked as we passed the many mansions, which personally I was used to seeing, but Oliver's eyes were nearly popping out of his head at the sight of them.

"I prefer to walk." I said in a small voice. He didn't need to know the real reason. I actually much preferred it if he would leave now too.

"Well you should be more careful then. I bet it's all safe and whatever in here, but back there... there's bad people out there."

"People like you?" I decided to ask jokingly.

Oliver laughed. "Worse than me."

Well that actually did worry me quite a bit.

"Thanks for your concern, I'll be just fine though." I told him confidently, although I really wasn't all that confident. Of course I believed Oliver immediately when he said that there were worse people out there than him. I already knew one worse than him. And I didn't mean my father.

I was about to say something else, but then noticed him already walking off in the opposite direction. I pursed my lips and sighed. "And a good night to you too."

I quickly made my way further into the valley, until I arrived at the familiar metal gates with the massive W woven in its fancy design. This used to be such a happy place. A lonely one at that, but my mother's smile would always light up this big mansion like no other. I placed my hand on one of the bars and pushed open the gate just slightly, so I could fit myself through.

Quietly, I closed it again behind me and quickly made my way to the front door. As soon as I had my keys out, the door opened and my father grabbed me by my arm, yanking me inside. He shut the door firmly and pressed me up against it, anger flaring in his eyes.

"Where were you?" He demanded to know, his awful liquor breath washing over my face.

"I-I wa-was working la-ate. I t-texted you a-about it." I stuttered nervously, trying to ignore the pain that I felt as he gripped tightly onto my arm.

"You did not do such thing!" He yelled in my face, his anger getting worse by the second. "Are you calling me a liar, Katrina?" He then asked, narrowing his eyes at me as the distance between us disappeared.

I quickly shook my head. "N-No father. B-But I swear, I d-did text you."

He stepped away, finally letting go of my arm, but then raised his hand and slapped me across the face. I gasped, feeling the awful burning sting on my cheek.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that!" My father seethed as he pointed a finger at me. "Call your boss in the morning, you need to attend a party at the Bostwick's with me tomorrow."

I couldn't just call and tell Jared that I couldn't show up because I was attending some useless party! That would get me fired for sure. "B-But father I can't—"

But I immediately cut myself off when I noticed my father raising his hand at me again in a threatening manner. "You will think of something, and you will attend this party, do you understand me? As a Winters you are expected to be present, and I will not accept you ruining my image."

His image? Please, he was only married into the family... Everyone knew that. But sadly that gave him power, and everyone knew that too. "Yes father." I mumbled quietly, before he stepped aside and motioned for me to 'get out of his face' as he would so put it.