All Chapters of Daddy's Pet.: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

[Rue’s POV]I stare at Mr. Owens as he stares at me, determination flashing in those dark eyes of his.He’s showing me that he means what he is saying and that nothing I do or say is going to change what he has just promised me.Why?Why was he insisting on staying beside me now that there was no reason for him to do so? Why was he shaking up my feelings like this right now when it felt like my whole fucking world was ending?“Whatever,” I sigh, suddenly feeling too tired to argue. “Do what you want.”I give him one last look before turning and taking in the large hospital in front of me.Just knowing what waits for me inside that building breaks me and for a second I consider running away.“Let’s go,” Mr. Owens says softly, easily catching onto my hesitation. “I’m sure that the doctors are waiting for us.”Nodding, I allow myself to be led inside, where I have to go through the motions of going through paperwork and plans for what is to come next in regard to my mother.It gives me a

[Leo’s POV]The preparations for Darlene’s sendoff go by in a blur. From writing her obituary to planning her service and then the small funeral that was held for the few friends that Darlene had.During that time, Rue seems to slowly become nothing more than a shell of the woman that she used to be, and that leaves me feeling uneasy.At night, I would wake to find her walking about the house aimlessly, with a hollow look in her eyes and a nervous energy similar to the night Darlene died and she tried to step out into that busy street.Because of that, I made it a habit to sleep in the living room so that Rue couldn’t go out without me noticing.On those nights I would wake up to find Rue curled up in the chair beside me, like just being near me was enough to help calm her so that she could sleep peacefully.After that, it became a habit for the two of us to fall asleep in that living room instead of our bedrooms. It was like an unspoken agreement between the two of us, and as the tim

[Rue’s POV]For the rest of the day, I stay locked in my room pretending to study for courses that I already had pretty good grades in.I knew that it was a cowardly thing to do, but I just couldn’t bring myself to face Leo and risk him questioning if something more was going on with me.Of course, I was more than aware that when dinner time rolled around I would need to face him because he would worry if I didn’t eat, but I was sure I could manage to shovel down some food and then escape to my room once again.And what about your new nightly ritual? The small voice in the back of my head asks. Won’t he be really suspicious when you don’t sleep in the living room with him?He would, but again I was positive that he wouldn’t ask me anything about it.That was one of the things I always liked about him even back in high school. He would patiently wait while I processed what I was thinking, and he would listen intently when I would talk to him about it. However, this time was different.

[Rue’s POV]I remain in place, watching as Leo sleeps peacefully, memorizing his face since I know that this will be the last time I see him for a while.Once I’ve gotten my fill, I turn and quietly head back up the stairs and into my room, where I start packing.“This is for the best,” I whisper as a suffocating sadness over knowing I’m truly about to be alone hits me. “I have to leave now before anything actually ends up happening.”I was certain that if Leo and I continued to live under the same roof, then my dependence on him and feelings would continue to grow. Not like there was much more room for them to do that, but as I was now, I knew that with time I would be able to live without him, and I was certain that he would be able to live without me.When I finish packing, I stand in the middle of my room, taking in everything while memories of my time here slowly come to me, and when it all becomes a bit much and the desire to stick around hits, I grab my bag and head out of the

[Rue’s POV]I stare at Leo, my heart hammering in my chest as his words slowly begin to give me a false hope that I shouldn’t have.“You missed me,” I say slowly, my heart wavering. “In what way?”It was a ridiculous question and one that I was certain would crack the little bit of hope that I was beginning to have, at least, that was what I was trying to do, but with the way Leo stares at me, his expression pained, his eyes filled with longing, I can’t stop that small hope from growing.“Leo,” I say slowly, the world around us disappearing. “What exactly do you want from me?”Tell me. I beg silently. Tell me that you are seeing me as me and not as my mother.I knew it was selfish to want this.I knew that I shouldn’t hope for anything, but I desperately wanted to know that he was suffering the same as me.“I don’t know,” he admits, deflating. “I just know that the house is too empty when you aren’t there with me.”The house. I repeat silently, my heart squeezing painfully. So, it was