I Hate You But I Love You More

Chapter 18

"Babe, here. The pasta is really good." Darson pushes a spoon of pasta toward me and I force a smile onto my face, my eyes screaming to know what in the hell he's doing. His mother looks between us with a smile on her face. "Babe." He grits out with a smile and I unwillingly open my mouth. He not so nicely dumps the food in my mouth before sitting back in his seat that is across from me. I give him the death glare. Does he want to die? Did I ask him to feed me?

Mrs. Meldeev silently gushes at us. "How is it?" She asks. She is the one that made the pasta. She brought it as a gift.

"It's really good actually." And that's the truth. Her pasta is one of the best I've tasted in a long time. She pushes some salad toward me.

"Try this." I nod before taking a bite. The taste of it runs all the way down to my feet and I can't help but choke. Darson gives me a warning look. Okay, so the salad isn't that good. "Is it not good?" Why is he glaring at me?! She's asking for my opinion! What do you want me to do? Lie?

The look he gives me next answers my question. He definitely wants me to lie. He takes a bite of the salad himself and his hands immediately goes up to cover his mouth. See?

"It's fine, mom."

"Actually, it's not." I scratch my head and I swear Darson looks like he's about to freaking murder me. For being freaking honest! "I think your hand may have slipped a little bit on the salt." I bite my lip. "Actually, it may have been a lot on the salt. I'm not trying to insult you or anything. I just think in order for you to improve, I have to be honest."

She turns to Darson. "I really like her." He rolls his eyes. "I can't believe my son lied to me like that. I purposely put the salt, Darson. At least my daughter in law is truthful to me."

"What daughter in law?" I hear Darson mutter with a roll of his eyes. I hope he finds a brain back there. He seems to be searching for it a lot this morning. Did he lost it in REM?

"Shush and finish eat your pasta." His mouth pulls into a thin line. Darson is a mommy's boy, isn't he? A laugh rises in my chest. Omg, this is too funny.

"What are you cackling about?" I shut my mouth.

Mrs. Meldeev is in the living room while Darson and I pack away the dishes. "Your acting sucks." He comments.

"Like you're one to speak. You can't even pretend to be nice for one second?"

"I'm only nice to people who deserve it."

"I feel like you have this personal thing against me that you're holding over my head." I try keeping my voice down. The last thing I want is his mom over-hearing our little quarrel.

"Like, no shit."

"What is it then?" I put a hand on my hip and turn to him.

"Your existence."

"Then you must have it tough." I give him a sarcastic smile. I feel like every step Darson and I make forward, there is three that goes backward. Back in Australia wasn't all that bad but now he seems to hate my guts. Is there something I'm doing that is pissing him off? I never admit it before but what he said last night bothers me. What's killing me on the inside is the fact that I don't entirely hate Darson anymore. I didn't realise that change until our argument last night. We get along sometimes. Seldom but we do. So why the hell would I never mean anything to him?

I sit on the island when I'm finished and Darson eyes my position on his counter. He wants to scold me. I can see his mouth opening to let the words tumble out. "Khara-" He begins and at the same time Mrs. Meldeev strolls into the kitchen. The word 'Khara' becomes a soft drawl upon her arrival. Darson leans forward so that his elbows are on both sides of me on the kitchen island. "You have such pretty eyes. I always get lost in them." He does this cute pout thing and honestly if it is anyone else, I would have swoon. He looks ridiculously cute. He blinks his eyes twice as he stares up at me.