Pretend

Chapter 29

Torrey's POV:

As the car pulled up to our familiar driveway, the silence between my father and me was deafening. I sat there, my body tense and my mind racing, grappling with the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to consume me.

My father turned off the engine, the quiet hum of the car fading into the stillness of the night. He glanced at me, his eyes clouded with a mixture of regret and frustration, as if the weight of his actions finally dawned on him.

"I'm sorry, Torrey," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to..."

I cut him off, my voice sharp "You never mean to, do you? But it always happens"

He winced, the guilt etched on his features, but I couldn't bring myself to offer him any forgiveness. Not anymore.

I'm done.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," he insisted, his hand reaching out as if to comfort me, but I move away from him.

He bowed his head, his silence made me insane and all I wanted to do was....

Kill him.

I breathe in and step out of the car, I didn't want to be anywhere near him as I headed inside.

I made my way to my room, finally alone in the silence, I sank onto my bed, my thoughts keep flooding with moments of Maddy... and Liv.

I reached for the journal tucked away in the drawer, its pages of words. I wouldn't dare to speak aloud. As the ink flowed across the paper, the weight of my emotions found release, the words capturing the tumultuous storm that raged within me.

I found peace in the written words,
As I try to not cry while writing. Don't be a pussy. Don't cry.

As the door creaked open, I look over to see Liv. Her eyes made my before peaceful thoughts to rage.

"What... the fuck is wrong with you?" she demanded, her voice laced with an aggressive edge that only fueled the fire within me.

"Get out" I close my journal trying to control myself. She steps in closer and I look at her.

Her eyes narrowed, her demeanor defiant as she squared her shoulders. "You think you can control everything? Well, you can't," she retorted, her voice dripping with a challenging disdain that grated on my already frayed nerves.

"Don't you dare turn this around on me. I saw you," I seethed, my fists clenched at my sides, the memory of her kissing Maddy etched into my mind like a scar.

A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, her arrogance radiating like a toxic aura. "So what if you did? It was none of your business," she spat, her words are as meaningless as her.

My chest heaved with suppressed rage, my jaw locked in a taut line as I fought to contain the tempest raging inside. "You don't get it, do you? You were making out with my ex," I growled, the accusation laced with a rawness that echoed the searing pain in my chest.

Liv's gaze hardened, her indifference morphing into a brazen defiance that only served to stoke the flames of my fury.

"Your ex? What's the big deal? You act like you own her or something," she retorted, her words a calculated jab that sliced through the air like a blade.

She doesn't even have any respect for me.. shit I can't even be mad because we don't even know each other.

Yet I thought we actually bonded. Of course I was fucking wrong. I keep on trusting people and always end up betrayed.

I need her to leave now before I actually get mad. I look at her and I still see no remorse. She thinks she's better then me. That she's the better option for Maddy.

"Is it attention? Is that what you want? You seem to want to fuck anyone who encounters you" the words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop.

I get up and see her eyes spike as she looks up at me as I step closer to her.

She scoffs and a smirk comes across her lips. "I don't need to fuck.. to gain someone attention. They already know where to look at" she whispered against me which felt like a burn.

Her confidence angered me seeing how she acts like she has power over those around her.

"Stay away from Maddy" I never felt threatened by anyone before, and I hate it but I can't help but feel... excited.

"Or what?" She shot back, her voice murmured with defiant edge that dared me to challenge her more.

"Or you'll find out how far I'm willing to go, to break you" my tone heavy with warning that created silence.

She smiles again like I complimented her. Her eyes trailed down to my lips forcing a weight against it as my bruise ached in response.

I start to hear knocking as she leans closer from the sound breaking the barrier.

"Everything okay?" I hear Shawn speak out and Liv clears her throat as she opens the door.

"Yeah" is all she said before leaving the room and heading into hers. She didn't bother giving any of us a second glance before closing her door.

Shawn looked back at me in a confused look. "You okay?" He asked staring at my obvious bruises on my face.

"Always"