The Broken Memories

CHAPTER 3

You're late, again. A sharp raspy voice startles me, my brain is quick to recognize that 'always irritated' voice. I quickly rise from the floor embarrassed that Damien's just seen me like this. I fix my out of place clothing and hair and quickly wipe away the remains of my tears. God, I hope he didn't notice that I've been crying. I notice he has his eyes kept on me the entire time making me feel more mortified, it's quite dark he couldn't possibly see that I've been crying, but he definitely saw me wipe them away with all the staring he's doing.

I uncomfortably shift my weight on the stabbed foot, glad it doesn't hurt anymore. It gets eerily quiet, I can hear my heart beating inside my chest, what is it with this tension that always lingers between the two of us. Whatever it is, I certainly do not want to explore it and I feel he feels the same way. I can tell he senses this tension too, because he immediately stops staring, shifting his eyes away too quickly. He faces the curtains further behind me, they split open and then close back again, allowing more light through. Damien faces me again, opening his mouth to say something but he doesn't, he cocks his head at a slight sideways angle and strains his eyes, lingering them on me for a few seconds then he frowns.

"Well if you are going to play mute and depressed, you might as well at least try to be slightly more considerate of other people who have things that need to be accomplished that unfortunately depend on your being active today, sister."

I find myself frowning too, an involuntary reaction we've both found to be a habit, each time we speak to each other. A very minuscule part of me had a different expectation of the reaction he just made. I don't yet understand why I still have these kinds of feelings, hope, that he won't always be so cruel to me every time he opens his mouth to speak to me, but it's never like that. I'm so sick of the disappointment I cause myself by believing in him. I sure as hell am not going to be the lesser person here and let him talk to me like I'm a problem he inconveniently has to survive with. 

Excuse me but need I remind you that I never wanted to go to that stupid gathering in the first place, that you oh so insisted we just must attend in order for you to kiss a bunch of old men's asses just to get a fraction of their stupid attention. And please, maybe you should try not to be such an ass yourself by simply just knocking before entering a lady's room and I insist that you please not call your sister. 

"Oh, so she speaks". " I'll be ready in thirty minutes that is if you fuck away from my room, I angrily say to him. "See I would have a long five minutes ago but then again I will not". "What?" He loudly sighs and roll his eyes at me. I'm not going back downstairs, not until you get ready within, he pauses to check his wrist watch and dramatically says "fifteen minutes" looking at with a mocking grin on his face. I give him back the look he gives me. "I think you are well aware of my reputation for not being the most punctual member of this family, I put more emphasis on the word family and shrug at him. "Yes I am, and am I to once again tell you just how much of a convenience you are to everyone around you, Lenore?

Ouch. He picked the 'your the biggest disappointment and disgrace to the Tate family name' cards. I open my mouth to protest but this hits me a little hard, so nothing comes out of my mouth, I look away from him, refusing to show that he hurt me but I know he doesn't need to see it to know he has. He remains quiet too for a while, which gives me that minuscule feeling again, that maybe he feels remorse for what he said, I don't expect an apology though. Damien is well known for his sharp tongue and cold responses. He spits out whatever he thinks, which according to my father is 'his best quality'. They're both two lonely men with no filter in between their head and mouth, and I'm just one of the many victims of theirs on a daily basis, and the sad part is that I actually still haven't learned how to take their shit yet. How is one expected to bare being emotionally tormented by their own father and so-called brother figure.