Piercing Hatred | ✔️

7

~Flora's POV~

I sat in my living room after work the next day, curled up on the couch as a movie played quietly on the TV. Though, really, I only had it on for background noise and not because I was watching it. A lot of the time I didn't like it being dead silent in my apartment.

My legs stretched out to prop my sock covered feet up on the small, circular table that I had in the space between my comfy, white L-shaped couch and the rather low entertainment center that my TV was mounted above on the wall. There was a large, rectangular rug that stretched beneath the table and some of the couch, and a grey potted plant just to the left of the entertainment center. It was a small, simple space, but it was cozy and I liked it as it was.

While I was on my computer, looking at clothes that I could never afford, I heard a few single knocks from the front door. I frowned and paused my scrolling, craning my neck slightly as I looked towards the door and narrowed my eyes. "If that's who I think it is, go away!" I exclaimed, not wanting to get up from my spot.

Before Knox had moved in, nobody had ever come over to my apartment or bugged me before. Yet over the last week, the man had disturbed me twice since just moving in.

There was no verbal response, but another few knocks sounded that caused me to groan in annoyance and set my laptop beside me on the cushion. I rose from the couch and reluctantly walked over to the door, swinging it open with dramatic aggression. Unsurprisingly, Knox was there, and I huffed as I stared at him.

"Why do you insist on making my life difficult, Knox? I told you to go away." I stated, cocking up a brow. He just shrugged his broad shoulders and let his eyes trail over my features. "Not my fault that you make it tempting to piss you off." He retorted, earning a stunned look from me. I debated on saying something about the words that just left his mouth, but I shook the thought away before I could convince myself to do so. If he found it fun, I'd just make it not fun for him instead. Maybe then he'd leave me alone.

"Is there any actual reason you're here?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice calm and even as I kept my eyes on his. When he looked as good as he did, I found it was surprisingly hard for me to do. I felt flustered, overwhelmed just by looking him in the eye. I wanted to look away, but I pushed myself not to and instead found myself glaring instead. The fact that he made me feel this way made me mad.

"Do I need to have a reason to pay a friendly visit to my neighbor?" He responded innocently, but the playful look in his eye made me think he knew exactly what he was doing. I scoffed in disbelief and took a bold step closer, going as far as to poke him in the chest. "Considering it's us, yes." I said, peering up at him through my lashes. 

Those dark brown eyes of his seemed to dare to slip down to my lips, lingering there for a second before meeting my gaze again. "You know, doll face, I don't hate you." He said, causing me to smile in amusement. "Really? Could've had me fooled." I snippily retorted, crossing my arms beneath my chest. "Too bad I can't say the same." I huffed. For the first time this week, he actually looked a little frustrated with me, judging by the ever so slight narrow of his eyes. "Look, Flora," He began with a bit of reluctance. "If you want me to leave you alone, then I will." He told me.

I took the opportunity immediately, giving him a curt nod of the head. "Good. Please, leave." I responded, hating that I was wondering if I was making the right decision even as I said the words. Still, it was too late to take it back now.

Knox stared at me for a second before he nodded and stepped away, leaving me standing in the doorframe of my apartment as he left. I slammed my door after a minute, chewing on my bottom lip as I wandered back to my living room and plopped down on the couch once more. Despite the fact that I sat in the same spot and assumed the same position I'd been sat in, I couldn't seem to get comfortable again.

For some reason, Knox wouldn't leave my mind for the rest of the night, and I mentally cursed him for it.

**

On Saturday I decided to stay at home on my day off, not in the mood to go out and do something. I ended up laying around in bed after I took a shower, covered by my blankets as I laid on my stomach and watched Dexter on my phone.

Though I didn't mind spending time at home or going out on my own, I'd admit that sometimes I wish I had friends. Sure, I knew Odette, but not well enough to consider us close friends. Ever since I'd graduated high school, I hadn't really had friends. Hell, I hadn't had friends since my junior year of high school, really. They all just filtered their way out of my life, slowly but surely. Maybe it was better that way, though.

A few hours passed that I laid in bed and, because I had woken up at almost one PM, it wasn't very long before I ordered pizza to be delivered for dinner. It only took about twenty minutes before it was delivered, and I could've moaned in delight when I got the box and opened it up in the kitchen. Hawaiian pizza, my usual order since I was about sixteen, was something that I used to hate. I wasn't sure when it became my favorite, but somehow it did. 

I took the whole box to the living room with some ranch to dip it in, plopping down on the couch before tugging a blanket over my bare legs. My stomach grumbled happily as I took a bite, continuing to watch Dexter on the TV instead of on my phone like I had been. 

It was a short, uneventful Saturday, and when I went to go to bed at night, I found my thoughts lingering on Knox a little. Though I tried to push the thoughts of him away, they stayed until I fell asleep.