Legends

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: The bedroom, Main Street

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Elena hid herself underneath the blankets as well as she could. She was only wearing a bra and underwear while Asher's dad was looking down at them. He wasn't just angry, he was furious for some reason. Elena stayed as quiet as possible while father and son fought.

"Out!" Mr. Singleton yelled, pointing at the door of Asher's bedroom. "And do not dare return until your brother is helped."

With a grunt, Asher stepped out of the bed. He quickly threw on a shirt and a pants, then walked passed his father with an angry look on his face. Mr. Singleton had just interrupted them while they were making out because Benjamin needed help. It had caused a fight with yelling and shouting because Asher wasn't pleased that his father didn't help his youngest son.

Elena wished she could disappear in a hole in the ground. Even more now, with Mr. Singleton glaring at her. Asher's footsteps were walking away from the room, and Elena feared the only man in the room. He still didn't look pleased.

"My son is a good kid, you know," Mr. Singleton said through his teeth. "He has good grades, works hard at the restaurant, loves his family. He had never had any run-ins with the police."

The look he gives Elena is very intimidating, his eyes squeezed to slits. She wished even harder for a hole to swallow her and make her disappear. "Then suddenly he shows up with a girlfriend. And the first time he leaves Saint Charles without us, he gets in contact with the police. He talks back to us, wastes his time studying and working to be with his girlfriend. And you know who brought this on?"

He points an accusing finger at Elena. "You. you have a bad influence on my son. He loves you, and I respect that, but if you don't respect me or my family or my rules, I won't respect you either. And trust me when I tell you that that is worse than breaking up with him. So either you clean up your act, or you the stay the hell away from my son!"

Without another word, Mr. Singleton turned around and left the room. Elena's heart beat loudly as she tried to calm her frightened self down. And once she finally did, she stood up and picked up her dress. She didn't want to go to the dinner anymore, but she couldn't disappoint Mrs. Singleton – or Asher.

And maybe she could prove herself to Mr. Singleton.

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Asher was silent. Elena didn't know if that was a good sign or not. Did he hate her for dragging his deceased father through the mud? Or did he appreciate her for telling the truth? Was he trying not to get angry, or not to cry?

He didn't admit how he felt. He only asked: "why didn't you tell me anything?" His voice proved he was disappointed in her.

"I didn't think anything of it," she admitted with a shake of her head. "I thought he was just saying it to scare me off. But I was stupid and I didn't back down. I loved you too much to break your heart just because he told me to."

Another silence fell. Was it always going to be like this? If she admitted something, would he always stay difficult? They used to be able to talk so smoothly. Their conversations could take hours, and they would have to stop themselves from talking because one of them had to go. But now, neither of them knew what to say.

She wondered if she said too much. Maybe that was why he was quiet. Was he shocked that she said she loved him? Was he worried about the past tense in that sentence? She wouldn't admit it, but she still loved him. There was only guilt, fear and secrets in her way of being together with him. But those feelings wouldn't easily leave her – if they would leave at all.