I’m grateful the lady at the jewellery store offers to gift-wrap it for me otherwise she’d be just getting it how it is. I have one more thing to get before I get the hell out of here.
When I arrive back home, I stash my purchases in my room and head outside to wash my mum’s car. I don’t mind doing things for her, but I hate that he has asked me to do it. Just another thing that cocksucker can gloat over.
An hour later I’m done. I empty the bucket, wash the sponge and start to roll up the hose when Fuckwit decides to come around the side of the house. “Before you put all that away, you can wash my car as well,” he snaps.
“What?”
“You deaf as well as dumb?”
“Neither,” I reply through gritted teeth. I’d love to knock this prick out. If it wasn’t for my mother, I wouldn’t hesitate. “I didn’t borrow your car, so why should I wash it?”
“Because you live in my house, eat my food and use my electricity, that’s why, smartarse. You’re nothing to me and you’re not a damn charity case, so if you want to continue to live under my roof, you’ll do as you’re bloody told.” I exhale an exasperated breath while counting to ten in my head. The longer I stay in this house with him, the harder I’m finding it to keep my cool. “Get it done,” he adds before walking back towards the house. “You better do a good job as well or I’ll make you redo it.” I hate him with a fiery passion. What I’d really like to do is ram this damn sponge down his fucking throat.
Snatching the bucket off the ground and heading towards the tap, my gaze moves towards Indi’s room. Great. She’s fucking standing at the window looking at me with a sympathetic smile on her face. I don’t want or need her damn sympathy. I hate that she just witnessed that cocksucker handing me my balls.
Once the bucket is full and I add the detergent, I slap the sponge onto the hood of his car. “Hey. You want a hand?” Indi asks from behind me, making me jump.
“What are you trying to do, give me a damn heart attack?” I grumble.
“That’s a little dramatic don’t you think?” she says sarcastically, placing her hands on her hips. I love her attitude. “I was only trying to be nice.”
“Well don’t.” She narrows her eyes at me and I try hard to suppress my smile. Is it wrong that I like getting under her skin?
“You shouldn’t let him treat you like that?” she says as I turn back to the job at hand.
“When I want your opinion, kid, I’ll ask for it.”
“You don’t need to be such an arse,” she says, pursing her lips.
“And you don’t need to be such a busy body,” I retort.
“Fuck you, Carter.”
“Oh I know you’d like that, but sorry. Like I said before, I can’t do that.” She growls at me and turns in a huff, making me chuckle. I think I’ve had enough fun with her for now. “Hey,” I call out as she storms off towards her house.
“What?” She stops walking but doesn’t turn around.
“Thanks for the offer.” When she flips me off over her shoulder I throw my head back and laugh. I’d also like to thank her for lifting my mood, but of course I don’t.
••••
Later that night I’m sitting in my room, sketching, when I hear the side gate next door creak open. Jumping up I take a look. Indiana. Where in the hell does she think she’s sneaking off to this time of night?
Opening my window, I jump out in a flash. “Hey. Where do you think you’re going?” I ask when I move up behind her.
“What the hell, Carter?” she angrily whispers while clutching her chest. “Are you trying to scare me to death?” Smiling, I decide to throw her words from earlier today, back at her.
“That’s a little dramatic don’t you think?”
“Ha ha. I think this is a little different, Carter. It’s dark, it’s late and I’m a girl.”
“All the more reason you need to tell me what the hell you’re doing out here,” I snap. She better not try and lie to me either. I’m ready to lose my shit with her. I’ll haul her arse over my shoulder and deposit her back inside her room if I have to.
“None of your business,” she replies, quickly moving one of her hands behind her back. Yeah I don’t think so kid. I’m not sure what she’s trying to hide, but I intend to find out. Reaching towards her, I grab hold of her arm.
“What do you have behind your back?” I ask.
“Nothing,” she says trying to step away from me. Nice try. I’m way too strong for her and easily manage to snatch the bag out of her hand.
“Give me that,” I say taking it from her.
“No. Be careful with that!” she cries out trying to reach for it, but I hold my hand high in the air. She’s a shrimp so there’s no way she can reach it. When she jumps up to try and grab it, it only makes me laugh.
Stepping back, I lower my arm and look inside. Opening the bag instantly has me gagging. The smell alone should’ve been enough to warn me of the bag’s contents. What the hell? I quickly drop the bag to the ground.
“Fucking shit. What are you doing with a bag full of shit?” She throws her head back and laughs.
“It’s Lassie’s. That’ll teach you for snooping.” She bends down and picks up the bag off the ground before turning and walking away.
“Where are you going?”
“To right a wrong,” is all she says. I have no idea what she’s up to, but if she thinks I’m letting her go out on her own in the dark, she’s mistaken. I go to follow, but when she stops next to the driver’s side door of my stepfather’s car, I’m stopped in my tracks.
My mouth turns up into a smile when I see what she’s doing. She opens the bag and tips the contents out right next to the driver’s side door. It’s still dark when he leaves for work in the mornings so I know he’s going to step straight in it. Fucking brilliant.
When she’s done, she walks straight past me with a cute little smug look on her face. “Night, arsehole.”
“Night, kid,” I chuckle. “And thank you.” I can’t believe she’d do something like this for me. I’m not used to people having my back. She’s taking a big risk as well, especially after the way he carried on when Larry shit on his lawn a few years back.
“You’re welcome,” is all she says as she climbs through her bedroom window. I stand there and watch in awe. For an annoying little shrimp, she’s one kick-arse fucking chick.
••••
I set my alarm for 5:15am. There’s no way I was going to miss the show. My stepfather leaves for work at 5:30am. He only has to go and open up the store he owns on the weekends. He’s usually back by breakfast time. He works Monday through to Friday. He has staff who manage the weekend shift. Don’t ask me what he does. I have no clue. My mum did tell me once, but I wasn’t really listening. Anything she has to say about him doesn’t interest me.
His performance was well worth getting up at the butt crack of dawn. It was hilarious. After cursing his head off when he stepped in the shit, he marched over and bashed on Indiana’s front door. He had no proof it was her, or Larry, but of course I knew he’d blame them.
I couldn’t see the front of her house from my bedroom window, but I clearly heard Mr. Montgomery rip him a new arsehole. I kept my bedroom light off, but Indi didn’t. My eyes were glued on her while I listened to her father going off his nut.
Her ear was pressed up against her bedroom door as she listened to her father tell my stepfather off. A few times she covered her mouth and threw her pretty little head back, laughing at the things he was saying. I could feel my smile growing wider as I watched on. She’s a fucking legend in my eyes for what she did.
••••
I’m not sure what time it was when I finally fell back to sleep, but I know I was beaming when I did. It’s kind of surreal how one person can make such a huge difference in your life. As much as I hate living here with Fuckwit, somehow the kid makes it all worthwhile.