Disaster.

The entire thing is a disaster!

The tension swimming through the air is so much it feels stuffy in this airconditioned dinning room. I swallow down a big chunk of Caroline's signature apple pie thanking the clouds that dinner is almost over while focusing all my attention on my meal so as to not accidently catch any of their gazes that I know are burning down on me.

The lucky part is that no one has said a single word and I'm hoping it would stay that way till they are up and out of here... But no Caroline being the sweet soul she is and sometimes annoying character of trying to fix everything goes ahead and speaks up, directing her question to the unwanted couple.

"So, how was the wedding?"

It is quite obvious she doesn't really care how the wedding went, neither do I or Kyle but she is just trying to make light conversation, that I most definitely do not appreciate.

"Fabulous." Andrew comments with a faint smile on his lips and his new wife goes ahead to elaborate on the topic at hand.

"It was so beautiful you should have been there, this romantic here went all out to make it perfect." She grabbed his hands in hers squeezing lightly with a vibrant smile on her lips that she shared with him.

I don't know if it's just an intuition but she always seems to have on that same smile on her face whenever I see her. The same smile that looks like she's practiced over and over a million times in front of her mirror so much that she's perfected it into looking real.

I cringe watching as Kyle's mum returned her smile while biting down on her meal.

"You know," Brittany goes on, directing her attention to me "My husband..." she pauses for a moment seeming to love the taste of those words on her tongue that she repeats it again "My husband was really anticipating your arrival, he'd done so much to the point he arranged the reception menu to your favorites. It's a pity you didn't show up." I catch Andrew secluded throwing her a warning side glare.

Lifting up a brow, I hold in a scoff at her declaration "Oh really? Enlighten me then, what are my favorites?" As far as I know, Andrew knows nothing about me literally, other than my physical attributes, I bet he doesn't even know my favorite color.

"Violet" he says it so softly I can't deny the evident shock that has me paused and looking up at him "the theme was violet because I know you love the color and your favorite meal?" he smiles softly "If spring rolls and banana Ice-cream with peanut toppings would fit in a reception desert it would have been perfect but I'd settled for those whoopie pies. All Annie's idea."

I sit there, mouth agape, not believing what I was hearing.

"That's so thoughtful." I can basically hear the smile in Caroline's voice as she says that. Kyle on the other hand doesn't say a word but just silently and sluggishly eats his food.

There's a pregnant silence for a few munities before Andrew speaks up again.

"So have you started applying for colleges?"

I think that is a dumb question considering the summer is literally just our neighbor and everything that had to do with school and papers this season was done and over with a long time ago but I don't voice my thoughts, actually I don't give him the privilege of hearing my voice at all.

Kyle notices the dragging tension and decides to reply in my steed. "Yeah actually, she won a scholarship offer in Boston, Berkeley and Florida."

Andrew nods but doesn't seem the least bit impressed as he continues to press for answers. "Have you tried applying for Harvard? They have amazing facilities especially for science majors, or Yale? they're great too." 

Very slowly I lift up my gaze to meet his trying to hold in my anger, beside me I can hear Kyle mutter some words under his breath at the revelation of what is about to happen. Andrew crossed a line, a thick line that I thought was obviously not meant to be neared and I'm pissed.

"I don't remember seeking your opinion on my choices in life, but they are mine and I'd like it to remain that way."

Caroline is glaring at me from the other end of the table but I don't care, I'm sick, sick of his presence and i want nothing more than to see him and his wife out the door right now.

Does he even know what he's saying? Even if I wanted to I can't possibly afford the tuition in Harvard or Yale for half a year not to mention four. I was lucky enough to have been given those scholarships and I'm not going to let it slip by.

"I know, and I respect that" Andrew says "But all I'm saying is that you have a better shot attending a Private."

"Could you just stop!" I yell getting aggravated "Just stop it and tell me why the fuck you're here."

"Because I care and I want to fix things."

Maybe he does. Maybe he really does care, maybe he's really trying his best to fix things but the thing is, I don't want it to be fixed and neither do I want to be fixed because that's what he's going to do if I let him in even the littlest bit. He's going to try and rearrange my life into the way he sees it fit, remold me into the daughter he needs, the first heir to his life success and put me in a spot light that I could get sick from.

"I can help you Alexa," he continues to say "You don't have to battle life alone.."

I cough out a dry and humorless laugh interrupting his speech "Don't you see that you're the only thing I'm battling?"

"I could support you financially and in any other way you need Lexa you just have to believe me." He goes on saying unbothered by my outburst. Right now it's like we are the only ones in the room seeing how quiet everyone else is to the point Kyle and his mum find a way to excuse themselves by gathering up the empty dishes to the kitchen while Brittany claims to go find the rest room.

"I don't need you Andrew!" The frustration is clinging on to my head that I place my hands on it to find even just a little bit of comfort.

"Yes you do! You might not like to admit it now Alexa but you do and you know it."

I take a step back, then two, which becomes three, shaking my head in disapproval "You're wrong." My voice falling out defeated as I back away from him "You think you're so perfect huh?" 

His face contours into one of pain "That didn't come out right."

"I think you need to leave." I finally look him in the eyes and watch him defy my powerless order when he says blankly..

"No."

"Alright then, I'm getting the fuck out of here!" 

And I do just that, storming my way through the kitchen and running past my best friend and the woman who set this whole thing up with worried looks on their faces. I don't stop to spare them a glance  but push my way through the back door and not until I was a good distance away from the house did I stop to breathe.

I let my thoughts consume me and then I let the tears fall, It feels like a whole weight being pushed down on my shoulders but what scares me the most is that there is a possibility that, that venerable little girl in me that always wanted his attention, that always craved his love and affection was still buried somewhere deep down and maybe, just maybe she still did.

But I don't want to! I don't want to rely on anyone in or out of my life for anything. I already put so much dependence on Kyle and it was too much to drink in I don't want it to run too deep.

With one final groan of frustration I wipe off the tears blurring my sight and decide to take a little stroll only to get distracted by the voice of a woman shouting from a distance and it's not coming from inside the house. So I take the bait, a little distraction to stop myself from thinking too much and follow the aggravated noises.

She is pacing around, a hand dug in her strawberry blonde curls and another holding her cell phone up to her ears and I watch her scream at the person at the receiving end I almost feel pity for them.

I should walk away, give her space and let her finish with her call, she doesn't seem happy with the person she's conversing with at all and I know better than to jump in, in the middle of a heated conversation but the next thing Brittany spits right out of her mouth has me stopping right in my tracks.

"What about the rest of the board? If we are going to kick Andrew out we're going to need much more votes goddamn it!" She screams. My eyes widen as I turn back to stare at her back facing me. "I don't care Jerome! Throw in some cash, get people to swing him out, just don't fucking mess this up!"

Of instinct my anger flared hotter than it was before. This is what she has always wanted and she played the man I refuse to call 'father' for a fool, she'd used him only to trap him into a meaningless marriage and steal everything he's worked for. 

And I caught her. But she did to, because just before I could make a dash for it and go rob it in his face that he's sleeping with a back stabbing whore, she turned around and then her eyes caught mine.