Page 59 of The Loathing

“Honestly?” I turn to face him and he gives me a silent nod, the awkwardness in the room suddenly thick. “I’ve been better,” I rub my lips together, my palms running down my bare legs.

“I am hoping this will all be settled soon,” he smiles towards me but his smile struggles to meet his eyes and it fills me with dread, my stomach knotting.

I nod. “It could have never got to this you know…” I pause for a moment and catch Xander staring at me.

“What’s done is done,” Ezekiel snaps at me and my brows pinch.

“Sorry?” my back is up, rage coursing through me. “That’s okay for you golden boy. Nothing changes for you; your life stays the same. Yet my life gets turned upside down and I get told what’s done is done,” I am seething, it doesn’t matter how much I try and calm myself down, I am too far past that point.

“So,” I hear Titus’ upbeat tone echo round the room, his hand slipping under the table, and moving to my thigh and I feel the reassuring squeeze. I watch my mother’s lips twist, her eyes cast down on her place setting. “How was everyone’s day? Royal, what did you get up to?” Titus asks as dinner is placed in front of us. Stuffed chicken breast, green vegetables, and dauphinoise potatoes. “Well, this looks delicious,” Titus hums, picking up his knife and fork and stabbing a carrot before pressing it to his lips and taking a bite. “Crunchy.”

I nibble the inside of my lip.

“Thank you for asking Titus, that’s really kind of you,” my mother’s eyes finally lift and cast across the table to Titus. “I had to run some errands,” she nods softly, “then just done some gardening.”

“You have a lovely garden, do you tend to it yourself?” Titus continues, cutting into his chicken.

“I do, I started when I first moved here when I was twenty-one,” her cheeks blush slightly and I hear my father’s growl.

“Yeah, when dad kidnapped you,” I scoff as I continue to push my food around my plate as I hear my mother tut.

“Amora,” my father’s tone is sharp.

“What?” I snap.

“Enough,” his eyes narrow on mine, but I hold his gaze not breaking away, willing for him to look away first.

“No, I am sick of the whispers, sick of the silence as soon as I walk into a room.” I shake my head from side to side continuously.

“Amora, it isn’t like that…”

“Then what is it like?” my brows raise high and my eyes bug out of my head.

“You don’t need to worry about it, just trust me,” my father hovers his fork above his plate with a string bean dangling from it.

I snigger, utter disbelief consuming me suddenly.

“How about you Ezekiel, Xander… good day?” Titus continues and I watch as my father rolls his eyes, his jaw tight and clenched.

“It was alright,” Xander shrugs and he takes a mouthful of potatoes.

“Same,” Ezekiel’s bored tone irritating me.

“I see,” Titus nods, reaching for his water and taking a sip then popping it back on the table gently.

“You’re annoying me,” Xavier growls across the table.

“Why?” Titus looks at me, a smirk pulling at his lips before he faces my father again.

“You’re asking too many questions,” he pops his forkful into his mouth, chewing slowly whilst keeping his eyes pinned to my bodyguard.

“Well at least he is making the effort unlike some people,” I mutter under my breath and Titus coughs.

“How are you Titus? Have you had a good day?” my mother asks, and I can hear the humour in her voice. My father’s eyes cross over to my mother as he glares at her as if she has just told him that she is leaving him.

“I am wonderful thank you,” he chimes, cutting into his chicken again, “honestly, Royal, thank you so much for asking,” I try and hide the smile that is threatening knowing full well he is pissing my father off something chronic. “And my day, well, I got to spend it with your beautifully talented daughter, so yes, I have had a really, really good day.”

A deep, rumbling growl echoes round the room and all eyes swiftly land on my father.

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