Page 52 of When love and Hate Collide

I roll my eyes, “Oh, do yourself a favour and shut up,” I retort sinking down on the bed with a heavy sigh. I’m going to kill both Ashlyn and Oz the second I get out of this room. My whole body is thrumming with vexation. Why is it the harder I try to stay away from him the stronger the force becomes and we’re thrust together again?

“Why?” Dean inquires plainly, “You’re so quick to run your mouth but you can’t take the heat when it’s given back to you, can you?”

My eyes snap over to him sharply and I narrow my eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry, did you expect me to burst into tears just then?” I retort sardonically and place my hands over my chest and feign sobbing. “Oh, Dean, your words have cut me deep.”

Dean stares at me and I stare right back defiantly, “How about you stop flapping your gums JJ, you’re boring me.”

I laugh sourly and nod, “Oh really? Why don’t you go look in the mirror and entertain yourself then? You self-centred, buffoon.” I drawl dryly and place my head in my hands. “Damn it, what I’ve done to warrant this level of punishment, I’ll never know.”

Dean snorts, “The fact that you’re breathing is reason enough, JJ.”

“Stop calling me that,” I gripe, glaring hot daggers at him and he straightens.

“I’ll call you whatever I please.” Dean fires back and takes a step toward me when I stand up. “And you can’t do squat about it.”

“Why don’t you go back to hell where you spawned from, you fiend?!” I scream at him wrathfully.

Dean smirks, “How about I take you with me, you heinous shrew?”

I growl in a very ungraceful manner and hurl the first thing I come across—which happens to be the hairbrush sitting on top of Ashlyn’s bed. Much to my dismay the brush lands right in his hand and that only infuriates me further.

“Sharp reflexes, baby.” Dean drawls smugly and tosses the hairbrush to the side of the room.

“Kiss my arse.” I turn and plonk myself down on Ashlyn’s bed. I’m so angry with her I’m contemplating jumping on her bed until it breaks.

“Bend over, then.” This boy is fucking insufferable. I opt for staying silent and not engaging with him further.

Twenty-five minutes goes by at a snail’s pace and I’ve taken about as much as I can take.

“Oh, this is bloody ridiculous!” I exclaim, slamming my hands into the mattress to make a show of my frustration and startling Dean who has his eyes closed is just a bonus. Those green eyes of his snap open, clearly not expecting my sudden outburst. “Look, divvo, I don’t know about you, but I can’t take being locked in this room any longer. Can we just agree to be civil to one another for the duration of this holiday?” I suggest pushing myself up to sit straight.

Dean blinks, “Civil?”

“Yescivil, you cretin,” Dean rolls his eyes and lifts his gaze to the ceiling. “We just have to get through this holiday without killing each other. I’m sure we’re both mature enough to handle that, right?” I offer, pinning him with an expectant look and he sighs, licking his lips.

“I certainly am. I can’t say the same about you, though.” I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my scathing tongue at bay, but boy is it itching to come out. “Will you be able to keep that scathing tongue of yours under control?”

I stare at him blankly. I swear, sometimes I’m convinced this boy has the ability to read my mind.

“I will if you will.”

Dean chuckles and shakes his head as if he’s not buying a word of what I’m saying. “No fucking way, it won’t last. We’ll be at each other’s throats by the time we get to the airport, I assure you.” I press my head back against the wall and exhale to kerb the frustration knotting up in my gut. I don’t buy it either, but what other choice do we have?

“You know what frustrates me the most, Dean? You are actually more than capable of being polite and civil when you want to. Those three days we spent together we actually did get along but for some bizarre reason your dead set on acting like a dick towards me. Care to explain why?”

Dean shrugs coolly and lowers his gaze to look at me. “I just find your whole personality grating.”

Excuse me?Mypersonality is grating. He cannot be serious, has hemethimself? I’ve got my catty reply all lined up and ready to go. I chuckle and shake my head, “Oh my God, you find my personality grating? Can you imagine how I feel about your personality? You’re about as exciting as an iceberg lettuce.”

The corner of Dean’s lip curls in amusement while he distracts himself dusting off invisible lint from his white vest top. “I’ll take that over being an attention seeking princess any day.”

I gape at him, affronted. “I beg your pardon? I am not an attention seeking princess.” Dean lifts his eyes to look at me meaningfully and I just glare back at him.

“Yes, you are and a big one at that,” he insists placidly. “God forbid someone dares upset Princess Jeyla. The world goes into an uproar. Every fucking time I said something hurtful to you or we pulled pranks on each other, and you went running off in tears I got chewed out for it. But when the tables were turned, and you would do and say hurtful things to me everyone thought it was hilarious. You had everyone wrapped around your finger; you still do. Ashlyn, Oscar,our parents. You were always, always the victim in our little feud, and I was the bad guy whether it was my fault or not. To everyone else you’re this innocent angel, but to me you were, and you always will be a devious little bitch.”

I wince inwardly when I feel a pinch in my heart behind the austerity of his words. I don’t have a devious bone in my body, what the hell is he talking about? This whole feud between us started because of him. I tried countless times to be his friend, but he refused and actively went out of his way he to hurt me. I understand now why he holds such resentment toward me if that’s his perception but that isn’t the case at all.

“Is that really what you think?” I ask, shifting so I can face him properly. “Because that’s bullshit. All those times I ran off crying was because you genuinely hurt me Dean, not because I enjoyed playing the victim and trying to gain sympathy or get everyone to turn on you.” I explain openly. “You did that on your own with your moody standoffish demeanour. Everyone naturally chose to support me because they knew I didn’t deserve any of the shit you were giving me. I tried, I even offered you an olive branch, but you chose to continue with this stupid quarrel between us and here we are, almost twenty years later still at each other’s throats, so you can take your resentment and shove it.” I finish crossing my arms over my chest and resting my back against the wall again.

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