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"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later." - Og Mandino.

Dedication: Sassyreads for the character icon! Thank you!

Recap:

Slowly, I turned and stared into the jade-green eyes of a boy I'd grown to despise, pretty quickly. Which is strange, because my initial reaction is to reach out and kiss him. Until I took a second look.

My throat felt dry. I grimaced, staring in horror as he had our school uniform on.

"Chase."

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"What the hell are you doing here?" I sneered, staring up at Xavier's evil twin brother distastefully. Well, that's what I refer to him as anyway.

"Happy to see me?" he gleamed, giving me a toothy smile.

My eyes narrowed into slits.

"I guess not," he smirked, shrugging. "Bummer. Thought we were going to be study buddies."

"Er- Faith, what's going on?" Olivia asked, staring in between us both.

"Oh, nothing," Chase grinned charismatically before I could say anything. "Faith and I just have some catching up to do. Where's my baby bro?"

"Aren't you twins?" Olivia pushed, staring up at him through her eyelashes.

She was like a mosquito and I wanted to swat at her so she would piss off.

"Yes, but I'm two minutes older," he smirked playfully down to her. "Therefore, making me the big bad brother."

I narrowed my eyes at his flirtatious attitude. "Okay, that's enough."

"Hmm?" he asked, swivelling his eyes to me.

"You've made your point. You can crawl back into whatever hole you came out of now."

"Oh Faith," he chuckled, gripping my shoulder. I flinched, stepping back as if he burned me. His eyes darkened slightly at the gesture, but his charming smile never wavered. "I don't plan on going anywhere, anytime soon."

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

"So, Chase..." Olivia started.

I turned to her, glowering. "Oliva. Back off."

My voice was like a whip, the snap was that harsh. Her eyes popped out of their sockets as she stared at me, her mouth falling open.

"Now, now, girls," Chase teased. "I know I'm good looking - some may say more handsome than Xavier, but there's no need to fight over me."

I scoffed, ignoring the hurt look on Olivia's face. "Get over yourself."

He just grinned.

Scowling, I grabbed Brooklyn's hand and stormed away from him, pulling Brooklyn with me like she was a rag doll.

"Charming, isn't he?" Brooklyn muttered.

"Yeah. A little too charming."

"What do you think he's doing here?" she asked, biting her lip.

She then winced as my nails began to bite into her flesh.

I didn't stop tugging her until we had successfully made it around the corner. I stopped and realised my hands were trembling slightly. She frowned at me, before rubbing her hand.

"To get Xavier to go back to working for his step father, I'm guessing."

"How does joining our school achieve that?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

I gave her a helpless look.

"We're about to find out."

***

"He's what?" Xavier exclaimed, choking on his yogurt.

"I told you to put the yogurt down," I snapped, my hands planted on my hips.

"You mean my brother, Chase?"

"Yes, your look-a-like, evil, charming, twisted, twin brother," I snarled, collapsing with a puff on the bench chair near the kitchen island. "Who else would it be?"

Slowly, he put the spoon down. "Shit."

"Yeah, shit alright," I sighed, burying my head in my hands. "What are we going to do?"

"What can we do?"

"I don't know, that's what I was asking!" I bit out, glaring at him.

"Woah, don't take your anger out on me."

"Sorry," I mumbled, my eyes feeling heavy in my head. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be fine," he assured, giving me a small smile. "Look at you, caring for me and stuff."

I rolled my eyes.

"For my mental sake, I hope so."

He laughed, before continuing to eat his yogurt.

"How's the pain?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

"So-so," he shrugged, before wincing. "Ribs hurt when I move. Shoulder hurts when I move."

"So don't move?" I suggested, a smile dancing around my lips.

"Ah, that's where I've been going wrong."

I let out a soft laugh as I shook my head at him.

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" I asked, getting to my feet, feeling tired.

I wandered towards the kitchen pantry and began browsing, realising we were severely lacking in groceries. It was Xavier's week to do the shopping, but I realise that may be a bit difficult for him right now.

"I feel like steak."

"How are you going to cut it up?" I asked him, my eyebrow quirked.

"That's where my loyal and faithful girlfriend comes in," he smirked, giving me an adorable lope-sided smile.

I paused, staring at him.

He did ask me to be official, but it was the first time he has referred to me as his "girlfriend". My belly flopped, making me feel a little squirmish.

I can't believe I was doing this again. The whole 'dating' thing.

"What?"

"Huh?" I asked, having realised I'd be standing there, off in space. "Oh. Right, yeah. I can do that for you. Steak and veggies?"

"That would be delightful."

Again, I paused. "Delightful?"

"Delightful," he repeated, a satisfied grin on his mouth.

"Right... Let's get to the store before it gets too late."

And before Xavier gets any weirder.

After helping Xavier out of his sling so he could change his shirt, we headed out the door and piled into my car.

"Wait," he said as I jammed my key into the ignition.

I spared him a glance, placing the gear stick into neutral.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine briefly, before pulling back. I felt my cheeks grow warm as I squirmed back into my seat.

"What was that for?" I murmured.

He did a one-shoulder shrug. "Been wanting to do that ever since you got home."

The smile on my face grew. That was a bit cute.

Trying to get myself to act normal, I focused on getting the music sorted for our short trip.

"I miss my bike," he sighed wistfully.

After the accident, the bike was deemed a write-off, meaning he was back to his car, which had been sitting unregistered in my backyard for months now. I don't even know if it would pass rego now. He totally neglected it once he got his bike.

"You poor baby," I sighed back.

"Don't sound so sincere."

"What? I'm not going to miss the thing that almost killed you." I argued back defensively, turning left down Smith Street.

"The bike wasn't the thing that tried to kill me."

"You would not have done that much damage to yourself if you had been in a car."

"You don't know that!"

I frowned at him, giving him a side-long glance. "Really Xavier?"

He sighed again. "Whatever."

"All I'm saying is that there isn't much to protect you- AHHH!" I screamed as I slammed on the breaks, narrowly missing a car that completely cut me off.

"Fuck!" Xavier cried out, flying forward.

He let out a mix of a cry and a scream as he gripped my dashboard, his slinged arm making a crack kind of sound as it made contact.

"Oh my God, are you okay?"

I glanced over to where he was cradling his dislocated arm. He didn't saying anything for a moment and the car behind me beeped, making me jolt.

I sped up behind the car that had cut me off. I stared at in surprise. The whole roof was dented and the back window had a crack in it.

"Doesn't surprise me," I muttered, more to myself as Xavier was still suffering in silence beside me. "An idiot that drives like that obviously has crashed before."

"That really bloody hurt," Xavier moaned, finally lifting his head up. "No way..."

"What?" I asked as the light went green.

"That car... that's the one I hit."

"Are you sure?" I asked him, staring at the car again in surprise.

"Positive. Look at the damage on it. That was my body colliding with it."

Feeling slightly anxious, I began tailing the car and was surprised that it actually pulled into the supermarket car park, which was where we were heading anyway.

I parked next to the car and scrambled out, ready to go completely off at whoever it was.

I didn't really expect Chase to step out.

"You." I growled, stomping around to the side of the car.

"Hey babe," he said breezily. "Knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from me."

"Excuse me?" I snapped.

The passenger side door opened as Xavier tried to get out, but I slammed it shut, not wanting another fight to break out between the brothers.

"Oh, that's not my favourite little brother, is it?" he asked, stepping around me to give a wave to Xavier, who I heard began swearing as he tried to beat the door down, seeing as I wouldn't let him out.

"No and I am not finished with you."

"Really? Sure looks like him."

"Did you make Xavier get into that accident?" I asked, slamming the door shut again as Xavier tried to escape once more.

"Hey!" I faintly heard him say.

"No idea what you're talking about," Chase shrugged.

"What happened to your car?" I asked, waving my hand toward it. "Almost looks like a motorcycle ran up the back of it."

"Hail damage."

I actually laughed at that. "Wow, really good cover up you've got there."

"Faith!" Xavier frowned, cracking the window. "I'd like to get out so I can kick Chase's ass now."

"Sit." I barked at him.

"Look at that, Xavier's a little bitch. Times haven't changed, clearly."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Watch what you say."

"Or what? I'll become your bitch boy too?"

My lips spread into a thin line as I stepped towards him. Which was my mistake, because Xavier chose to crawl out of the car at that moment.

"Aw, Xav, what happened to you?"

"Like you didn't do this to me," he snarled furiously.

I stepped in between the two brothers, giving Xavier a warning look.

"Chase, you-"

"We got a problem here?" a deep, masculine voice rumbled.

I glanced towards Bob, the manager of the supermarket as he effectively cut off my threat.

"Yes, actually," I said. Bob glanced at me and a flash of recognition lit his eyes. He was friends with my dad. "This guy is bothering us."

"Take a hike, Kid," Bob said.

"I've done nothing wrong, Sir," he said charmingly, offering him a polite smile. "This is a misunderstanding."

"Then understand this," he said, stepping forward, his face darkening. "Get in your car and leave. Now."

I always did say Bob suited a security job at a bar more than running the local supermarket. But hey, I was appreciating his burliness right now.

Lifting his hands in the air, in a peace type gesture, Chase turned.

"This isn't over," he murmured to me, his voice full of undoubted promise.

Bob gave me a nod after I threw him a grateful smile. He turned and I felt a little relieved that Chase had to go. I hope he remembered him. And realised that Xavier was his twin. That would be awkward if he threw Xavier out on our next grocery shop.

Suddenly, my phone dinged. I flinched as I read the security message.

Someone was attempting to get inside my house.

"Oh my God, Xavier, get in the car!" I cried out.

Just as I blindly ran around the side of the car, I met eyes with Chase.

He gave me a cold, unreadable expression as he stared at me, before sliding silently into his car. My stomach felt tight as I slid into my own car.

I broke about three different speeding laws as I rushed to get home. I had no idea what I would do if it was Xavier's step dad. I had nothing to protect myself and Xavier wasn't in the position to help, either.

I slammed the car to a stop and faintly heard Xavier mutter something under his breath about my driving "not having improved" as I tumbled out of the car.

The alarm was blaring so loud that I actually winced when I heard it.

I froze, recognising the car in the driveway.

"What the..." I trailed off slowly.

"Who is it?" Xavier asked, peering around me.

"Hey, Kiddo."

I've never been more glad to see my dad, than I was in this moment.

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Sorry if this chapter was a bit all over the place. I've had a huuuuge week of work and trying to fit in study around my hectic work hours. I practically wrote this half asleep haha so my apologies if it isn't that great.

What do you think about Chase driving a black car, fitting the description of the car that hit Xavier?

And what do you think about Faith's father being back?

Let me know what you think! :)