Hate Thy Neighbor

{Ch. 5}

Sorry for the wait! Having laptop issues. Posting this from a school computer! :) Enjoy!

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Rocci sighed as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It came as no surprise that it was from Harper. Harper is always spilling his problems on Rocci and it's starting to drain her more and more. With an exhausted groan, Rocci skims the text messages. She doesn't reply and heads into the shower.

***

Harper yawns and turns over in his bed, groaning.

"Harper?"

He rolls over out of his bed and tends to his mother immediately. "What is it, mom?"

"Your dad called."

A scowl forms on his face. "Okay? So what?"

She rubs her belly. "He wants to come visit us soon."

"You woke me up to tell me that?" He glances at his phone, "It's 3:00AM, Mom."

She looked like she wanted to say more but did not.

Realization hit Harper. "He's coming over right now, isn't he?"

"He told me he's on the way."

"Our first night though?" He clenches his fists.

"Harper, please," she wraps her hand around one of his fists soothingly. "When he comes, please promise me you'll ignore him like you always do."

"Can't make a promise I have no intention of keeping," Harper candidly responds.

She sighs, "Weren't you just whining about how we needed more help?"

"Yeah, but—"

"But what?" Before Harper could answer, she reminds him, "I'm having twins, Harper. You're going to college soon and I can't raise them on my own. I need him."

The way she said "need" left a sour taste in Harper's mouth. It sounded like she needed more than just his help. Harper bluntly inquires, "Do you still love him?" He looks directly into her eyes, "After everything he's done to you? To us?" The expression on her face answered his question. "Why, mom? Why?"

"Harper, that isn't fair and you know it."

"What isn't fair is the way he treats you." Harper growls, "What are you expecting to happen when he comes? He's going to do the same shit he did when you had me. He's only good for getting you pregnant and leaving."

"Harper, that happened so long ago," she sighed, "When are you going to let go?"

"Let go of him abandoning us? Let go of him abusing you? Let go of him beating me?"

"Harper, what are you even talking about? He never abused me."

"Mom, yes he did," Harper eyes her in disbelief.

"Harper, he just said a few bad things a few times to me when he was angry with me. That's it. He never hit me."

"Yeah, he didn't hit you. He only slammed you against walls and grabbed your arm so hard, it bruised."

"I don't know what you're talking about" she folds her arms across her chest, looking at Harper as if he's making it all up.

Harper eyed her intently too, trying to see any blemish of any sort that will expose this terrible joke she's trying to pull on him. Her expression remained solemn, which took Harper aback. "Are you serious right now? I swear to god you guys were arguing one day when I was six and he kept shaking you and screaming at you, so I... I tried pushing him off you and then he beat the hell out of me." Harper grimaces at his father hollering for him to "stay in a child's place".