The Harper Family: Double Trouble (Wattpad Version)

Scars

Daría

I cleared dirty dishes from empty tables, set them in a plastic tub, and carried it to the sink. After emptying the tub, I returned to the dining area and cleared more dirty dishes. Once I had a sink full of dishes, I rinsed them before placing them in the industrial dishwasher.

"So, I was thinking," Ryden said.

I turned to Ryden and wagged my finger at him. "I thought I smelled something burning."

Ryden rolled his eyes. "Cute."

"Well, when you think, I get dragged into your bullshit. Did you forget about Mandy Pandy?"

"No, I didn't forget," Ryden mocked.

"I wonder if Mandy Pandy is making a plan. Oh, wait. You need brains to plan anything. Since she lacks them, I doubt that's the reason she hasn't shown her plastic face." I shrugged.

If you couldn't tell, I hate Mandy Pandy since she threatened to call the cops on me. Is it a person's lifelong mission to make my life a living hell? Do they get satisfaction from it? I do nothing except defend myself and still get the shit end of the stick.

"Daría, no one is going to call the cops on you. You met my cousin, Morgan. He's a cop. Did he take you when you met him?"

"No, but brought a complete stranger to me."

"Which wasn't Andrew's fault, and he's trying to reconnect with you."

"Rome wasn't built in a day. You can't force people to have a relationship when they have trust issues."

"No one is forcing you to do anything."

"Oh? You force me to be your girl." I crossed my arms across my chest.

"I did not! I asked, and you said okay. Now give me back my snow globe."

"Because you keep using my snow globe as leverage. What is with you and MY snow globe? You have some weird fetish about it. Are you having a secret rendezvous with it? Should I step aside?"

Ryden stared at me with an unamused expression.

"Just saying if you want to spend time with it, I can let you."

"Will you stop?"

I snickered.

"Why must you always be snarky?"

"Why must you have some weird infatuation with my snow globe? The world will never know." I shrugged with a smirk.

"Can we get back to our original conversation before you hijacked it with that damn snow globe?"

"If we must."

"I thought we could have a movie night and cuddle on the couch."

"What?" I raised my brow.

Ryden strode toward me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled me to him. "Yeah, I like to cuddle."

"When did you turn into a teddy bear?"

"When I got a girl that doesn't pressure me to take off my shirt."

I knitted my brows in concern. For years, I refused to let anyone see my scars. I viewed myself as a hideous monster. But Ryden hid his from his family even though they knew he had them.

"Why do you hide your scars from your family if they know about them? It's not like they would laugh at you."

Ryden removed his arms from me. "It doesn't matter. It's bad enough that I have to see them. It reminds me of the horrendous pain I had to endure."