Falling in Hate with You

FIHWY - 3

A smolder-y Chris Pratt as Jared Connors^^^

Dedicated to SkyDancer, because "Living High School to the Fullest" was amazing, and another book I re-read often. Also, because she's been missing from the Wattpad scene for awhile, and I want to send her some encouragment.  

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Falling in Hate With You

Chapter Three

                I lurched forward in my seat a little as Jacky pulled up to the curb and put the car in park. We sat there for a moment in comfortable silence – which is not something I can do with many people – before Jacky spoke.

                “I meant what I said at lunch, Tasha. Just like I meant what I’ve said literally every day for the last three months.”

                With a grunt I opened the car door and stepped out, “And I still don’t care. Pop the trunk.”

                Jacky complied, saying he would see me tomorrow. I grabbed my bag and shut the trunk, and began to walk to my house. I threw a wave over my shoulder, knowing Jacky would be watching. I turned the doorknob quietly and eased the door open. Stepping inside the hall I made sure to shut the door without a sound. Hearing the murmur of the TV in the living room located at the farthest back corner of my house, I let out a small sigh of relief. That meant it was going to be a Norman free day today.

                I slipped into the kitchen off to the right and eased the fridge door open slowly, not letting it squeak too loudly while pulling out what I wanted from the meager options. Chocolate pudding, Dunk-a-roos, an apple, a whole cucumber and two store bought sandwiches that were going to expire soon. Balancing all that in one arm, I shut the fridge and went back out into the hall, pausing for a moment to sniff the air.

                It smelled like a bad day for Norman.

I booked it up the two flights of stairs, knowing it didn’t matter if I was really quiet or not; Norman wouldn’t hear anything till tomorrow evening, a.k.a. when his forthcoming hangover would slowly dissipate.

My feet slowed down as I approached the door at the end of the large attic hallway. My heart ached as I heard the sweet lullaby emanating from the room. I planted a soft three hit knock on the door to let him know it was me before stepping into the soft yellow room.

Jared looked up and smiled softly at me before gazing back down at the sleeping bundle in his arms, singing lowly all the while. The four o’clock sunshine coming through the window bathed them in a golden haze. I let my backpack slide off my back while I put the rest of the load on the sparsely covered desk in the corner. The chair creaked behind me, and I turned to face Jared as he easily rose from the rocking chair still holding Nikki. He stopped singing the song and her eyes immediately opened. When they landed on me, her adorable smile popped out and her arms grabbed for me. Jared passed her to me, and I hugged her as hard as one can safely hug a four year old.

“Hey baby girl,” I murmured in her ear.