things i can't (l.s)

Chapter 20

YAY she updates twice in one day!!!!!! Who thinks I could bust out another chapter today? Feeling inspireeeddddd!!!!! :) I love you all!!!!

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Harry walked back into his room after the brief encounter with his mother's new man. He really didn't want to come back down and eat dinner with them but he knew he had to in order to make his mom happy and to try and feel out Scott and what he might have to offer our family. Harry sighed, scratched his head woefully, and waited until dinner was ready to head back down the stairs. 

Harry's POV: 

My expectations weren't high at all for this guy, as neither were my mother's standards when it came to men. As long as they partially filled the void inside her that my dad left, she wanted them- and she wanted them for as long as she could hold onto them for. The last three men that had moved in with us didn't last very long due to my mother's constant need for affection and hope for true love. True love is something that everyone deserves, but I know that my mother simply doesn't know what that even feels like anymore- maybe she never did. I know my father and maybe even my step father loved her but was it true and beautiful like it's meant to be? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but the fact now was that she had completely lost her sense of how she deserved to be treated. The good news about most of the other men who have moved in with us was that they were never physically or sexually abusive toward her, but I couldn't help but feel like she was so far gone that now she'd let in this man who might be abusive in some way. I really just didn't get a good feeling from him, and I had only just met him. I suppose I should go down for dinner now- wish me good luck. 

Scott's POV: 

Anne's son came through the front door in whilst I was waiting for her to finish cooking our meal. What was up with this kid? He looks like a 17 year old in a 12 year old's body because of how frail he is... Hah, good news for me. 

Harry's POV: 

 I come downstairs to find my mother serving up dinner onto all three of our plates. 

*gurgle, gurgle* 

Damn, whatever she made does smell reaaaalllyyy good. I knew I had to try and eat a little bit in front of this guy so he wouldn't think there was anything wrong with me. So, I decided I would eat everything on the plate, and throw it up as soon as I left dinner. I guess it wouldn't hurt to eat a little something so I could have some brain power to figure this guy out. So, I sit down at the head of the table whilst my mother sat next to Scott. 

Eck, I kind of don't even like referring to him as Scott- I just want to refer to him as "that guy," or "this guy". I really don't feel comfortable around him. 

"Well, go on, everybody! I made it special for our beginning as a new family!" Anne toasted excitedly. 

Scott simply nodded and grunted a small grunt before shoving a mountain of spaghetti into his mouth. My mother's watched nervously in response to his intimidating grunt. 

I dig into my salad first (habit), and watch him secretly as I take a small bite. I see the look in his eyes that he feels angry after finishing his bite, but that he pushes the feeling down and nods at my mother in what seems to be a bad gesture of approval. I look down at my plate before he can see that I had been watching him and wrap a small bite of noodles around my fork. I inhale a breath that invites the scent of spaghetti into my nose and take the bite. I am immediately flushed with the taste of garlicy, salty noodles but just before I can swallow, Scott interrupts my food frenzy with a, 

""Ey kid, what school 're you at?" 

I reply with a blunt answer as to where I go and he brushes his greasy hair back and says, 

"My son goes there too," 

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Harry's POV: 

He continues eating, and I don't really react- I simply give a nervous smile and look back down at my plate. I mean, I don't really care if his son goes to my school. It's not like anyone talks to me there anyway besides Lou. 

Ah, Lou... I love thinking about Lou- 

"Yeaaaahhh," Scott stretches out, "I don't talk to him anymore anyway- he's pretty irrelevant to me." 

My mom looks at him concerned, but stays silent. I, for one, am glad he states that- I don't care enough to hear about his son or even know who he is. 

My mother continues eating and stays silent, perhaps trying to seek out how I am feeling about her new man. She goes back and fourth between watching Scott and I for a few moments, then finally decides to grab his plate after he finishes his last bite. Before she can, Scott grabs her arm rather roughly and says, 

"'M not done. I'll tell you when I'm done," he lets her arm go, a slight red mark left behind. 

My mother sits back down in her seat and brushes her lap softly before continuing to eat the last of her noodles silently. I glare at the man in front of me, not scared of him at this point considering I see red after he touched my mom like that. 

"She's fragile- try not to grab her so hard," I say with somehow booming confidence. Maybe having Lou in my life for the past few days has made me a tiny bit more confident. 

Scott looks up at me with those beedy blue eyes and turns to my mother, 

"Go to our room for a moment, sweetie." 

My mother looks at me worriedly, yet trails off into the hallway, leaving me alone with this ugly man. 

Scott watches her exit the room and then turns to me after she disappears, 

"Don't you fucking talk to me like that, kid. I've got your mother wrapped around my finger- as if that was hard to do," he laughs, menacingly. 

"So if you think for one second that you have a chance to try and stand up to me, especially looking like that," he gestures toward my body.

 The man reaches over the table and grabs the collar of my sweater forcefully, "then you're in for a huge wake up call, kid. I will fucking ruin your life if it comes to it, and there's nothing you can do about that," he gets closer and closer to my face to where I can smell the whiskey on his breath,

"And as for your poor little mommy, you better hope that you don't make me unleash my anger on her, because I will. And then, you'll be next," he lets go of my sweater and calls for my mom to come back in. 

I lean back into my seat, motionless, with a shocked expression on my face, not knowing what to do or think. I stare blankly at the table where my food sits cold. 

As my mother strolls in he glares at me and demands, 

"Put a smile on that fucking face, kid, or else." 

My mom sits down next to him again nervously awaiting to know what had occurred between us and I force out a small smile. 

"Don't worry baby, I'm just reminding him who's boss- now that Harry's got a new dad," Scott grabs my mother's jaw, pulling her towards him gently, kissing her on the nose and stating, 

"And I'm not going anywhere," he lets her face go and looks at me, grinning, piercing me with his devilish eyes.