a plot twist called you | ✓

▪︎ chapter seven ▪︎

"How's Connor?" He asks me.

"Recovering, he'll be out of this hell soon." I say, sighing heavily.

"Why do you call this place hell?" He snorts and I look up at him, keeping a straight face.

"The reasons are pretty obvious. Blood, sweat and tears" I state. Why was I even talking to this guy? Didn't I hate him?

"Look, it can be the other way round. You could call it heaven instead. Your brother is alive and breathing" He points out and it takes me a while to process his words into my brain. This guy is optimistic, very unlike my pathetically pessimistic self.

"Alright? May I ask why you're here, again?" I think my question might have dumbfounded him because he doesn't answer. Instead he walks an inch closer to me, looking into my ocean blue eyes.

"Because I felt like it?" He shrugs, his face quite emotionless.

I didn't continue the conversation. My mind was too foggy to fight with him right now, especially when he's trying to be nice. But hey, apparently, he did nothing that was not nice to me. I mean, he had given me a lift to school...he was there when my parents weren't. And yet, all I am doing is being apprehensive of him for no reason. Perhaps because of the way he makes me feel different.

"Are you staying here for the night?" He asks. I had been shuffling between my house and the Adelaide Gen for the umpteenth time in two days.

"No, I'll come back in the morning tomorrow." I answer. To make things worse, the caretaker was out of town this weekend for some emergency. I don't know how much stone-hearted you have to be not to break down in that huge mansion all alone, everything in your responsibility.

The sun was setting behind the horizon, lighting up the sky in pink, purple and orange.

"I can drop you off if you wish." He says as we walk down the stairs. It was time for me to go home and I would have mostly lovingly taken the offer if not the flashback of the last ride with him kept on coming to mind at regular intervals. My Audi was given in for repair leaving me to the only choice to call an Uber.

"No thanks, I've already called a cab" I lie, possibly convincing him to leave. He does, after nodding and bidding me a quick 'see you later.'

I didn't want to see him later or anytime soon. The kind of feels I was getting in my stomach was very uncomfortable in the first place and every time we met, it was only getting worse.

✵

The clock struck eleven when I dragged myself to the kitchen, my body limp and exhausted. I had been lying down on the bed for five hours straight, staring blankly at the ceiling. Binging on cheesy romantic comedies on Netflix was a better option but I was in no mood to do anything at all. With not a single soul except for me, the Davenport Residence seemed eerie at night, the hallways too empty. My footsteps echoed as I walked. I had turned on practically every light in the house. At least the kitchen didn't give me the chills.

I take out two eggs and the glass jug full of fruit juice from the refrigerator. I'll be making scrambled eggs. I know I am weird that I am actually making a breakfast food for dinner. But who can blame me when I'm all alone?

Just as I was about to sit down on the kitchen slab to eat (because even the dining hall would terrify me right now), the doorbell rings. Who would be here at this unearthly hour? I hesitated a little before opening the door, only to reveal Ian Eastwood.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Like, have you seen the time? And this is my house, not the hospital. What's your excuse this time?" I shout at him, fuming already.

"Look Vanessa, you should be glad I came or else you'd be scared to death by the time morning arrived." He rolls his eyes, walking past me and sitting down on the couch. Sure he had all authority to come here, especially since he has been doing favors all the time. And maybe he was right too, I had never been this alone before. I was at the hospital for the previous nights and yes, I was scared.

"But it's pouring outside and...why did you even bother to come?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows and trying to look as unfazed as possible.

"Well, Iris wanted me to turn up. She thinks you need someone to be beside you." He was resting his head against the back of the couch, as if he was all at home.

"Really?! And why does that person have to be you? I have friends" I reply with sarcasm evident on my tone.

"Not any that I can see here. I am literally the only company you have right now, admit it Vanessa" He sighs, mocking me. Why does he always have to have a better comeback?

"Sit there and brood then. I'm gonna eat" I huff, walking over to the kitchen again.

My food was almost cold but I could just swallow up somehow. When I returned back to the living room, he was still there. I had expected him to leave. Is he going to stay here now?!

"Aren't you going back?" I ask and he raises his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why would I even come if I was going back?" He chuckles and I pop the bubble I had made out of chewing the gum with a lot of intensity.

"You have bubblegum fetishes at night?" He laughs at me again and it gets on my nerves.

"What's there to laugh? And it's mint." I grunt in annoyance.

"It is bubblegum." He says, putting emphasis on 'bubblegum'.

"How do you know?" I retort. I can't believe I am bantering with this guy.

"Mint doesn't form bubbles. Duh!!" He rolls his eyes now, as if I was a fool.

I stare at him for some moments, I couldn't respond now. Like I said, he always manages to have better answers.

"Okay fine, it's bubblemint. Happy?" He laughs again, clutching on to his stomach.

I couldn't help but join him. He looked adorable when he smiled, with a dimple forming on his cheek. Did I just call him adorable?

"So Vanessa Davenport laughs?" He asks, still unable to stop himself.

"I am human." I giggle. I don't know if there's some bug in my brain. Because, laughing felt strange. And oddly comforting tonight. Obviously I didn't like the idea of him staying in but at least it made me feel a little less terrified.

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A/N: I honestly don't know which genre this novel belongs to. Romance? Humor? Mystery? Or all in one? So I basically put it in the teen fiction category because it never violates rules. I am looking forward to your reviews. If you're reading, please please please vote <3

Next chapter will be up soon. Btw, period cramps are so damn torturous! I am half-dead. Take care everyone.

-Mia.