Hatred With Benefits

F O R T Y - T W O

EVA.

"What are you reading?" I drop my gaze from my book to look at Emerson who's sitting right where my

bent legs end on the couch.

"A novel. " I state the obvious and Emerson throws me an annoyed look. "Obviously I know it's a novel,

Carson. "

With a chuckle, I lift the book I have in hand for him to read the title across the cover before dropping it

back to my belly.

"You have a bad taste in books, don't you think?" He teases and a smirk climbs on my face as I lift my

body from the couch so I'm sitting close to Emerson. "You do realize you have a copy of this?"

"You looked through my shelves, Carson?" He furrows his brows and I bob my head. "I've been in your

room several times. What did you expect?"

Emerson looks away from me and says, "It isn't mine though. It was a gift. "

"But you still have it, and you read it. Maybe my taste isn't as bad as you love to say it is. " I chuckle

and he snaps his head to me, the corners of his lips curving into a tiny smirk as he says, "No. Your

taste is fucking sweet. " He lifts his hand to my shoulder and slides a finger underneath the strap of my

top before he shrugs it to the side.

My eyes fall to his lips, and I wet my lips with my tongue at the sight of his. More tempting than they

should be.

"I wanted to ask you something. " Emerson speaks, cutting through the tension that's stimulated

between us and I shift my gaze to meet his eyes as I say, "Yeah?"

"Will you leave for home for the semester break?" He questions as he plays with the strap of my top

and I lift a teasing brow, "Why, Ford? You don't want me to leave here?"

"That doesn't answer my question, Carson. " He frowns and I let out a chuckle before I say, "Yes, I will.

They want me home. "

"Are you saying you would have preferred to stay here if they didn't, Eva?" There the sound goes.

There's an obsession that comes with Emerson calling my name. Maybe it's the way it rolls off his

tongue in a graceful way, or maybe it's because he never uses it often, but when he does– there's a

touch to his voice that ignites something in me.

"I answered your question, Ford. " I tell him and his lips tug up in a small smile before he leans forward,

and he's about to meet my lips when there's a knock at the door.

Emerson turns to look at the door before he turns back to me and says, "Are you expecting someone?"

"I should be asking you that; I rarely have someone come over. " I say and shrug his hand off my

shoulder, letting it fall from the strap of my top before I move to my feet.

"I don't have anyone coming over," Emerson calls behind me as I stride towards the door.

Pulling it open, I'm met with the least expected face standing in front of me and my mouth opens.

"Eva?" Hanna utters in confusion. She takes a step back and looks around her before she moves back

before me. "I'm in the right place. How are you here?"

"Um–" I start, struggling to find my words. "Hey, Hanna. What are you doing here?"

"I came for my brother. How come you are—" she pauses and her eyes widen. "Oh, shoot! Don't tell

me you live together? You're the roommate?"

"Who's it?" Emerson's voice queries behind me before I could speak, and the man appears in front of

us– surprise masking his face at the sight of his little sister.

"Hanna? What the fuck are you doing here?"

Hanna throws him a smile. "Hello brother. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Emerson looks at me before he looks back at his sister, and when it seems he isn't going to make a

move; I take a step back and gesture for Hanna to move inside. "Come in, please. "

She throws me a flying kiss before she strides inside and I shut the door, nudging Emerson by his

shoulder before I jerk my head for him to follow after his sister.

"I'll be back. " He says before he paces forward, grabs Hanna by her arm and drags her to the direction

of his room.

EMERSON.

"Why are you here?" I ask Hanna as she stands in the middle of my room and she raises a shoulder, "I

got bored at home. "

"Hanna. " I drawl, pinning her with a glare. "Don't lie to me. Tell me what truly happened. Do dad and

mom know you left home?"

"No. " She responds. "They wouldn't let me if I told them. "

"As they shouldn't. Why the fuck would you think it's alright to leave home and travel miles to come

here?" I snap, and she snickers. "I'm not a kid, Emery. I'm sixteen, not five. "

"I should have never brought you here that day. How did you even know your way? You were here

once and it's been months. " I say with a groan and she lets out a chuckle. "You seem to forget I have a

pretty good memory. "

"Why are you here? The truth, Hanna. " I repeat my earlier question in a warning tone and she heaves

a sigh before she turns around and strides to my bed.

"I didn't say you could sit on that. " I tell her and Hanna lifts her gaze to me with her lips pushed

forward, "Your little sister is hurt. Can you not show a bit more care?"

"This is why being the good big brother sucks. " I mumble under my breath, taking my gaze to the door

before I look back to my sulking sister. My shoulders sink in a sigh as I stroll towards her and take a

seat next to her.

"You know I'm not good at this, so I'll need you to open up to me without me having to pet you. " I say

softly and she raises her head to me, a tiny smile resting on her lips. "I knew you love me. "

"Don't push it. " I inform her and she chuckles before pressing her hands into the mattress behind her.

"I fought with Micheal. "

"Micheal?" I repeat and she nods. "Micheal, your best friend?"

"Yes. It was a big fight and I felt bad after it. You know how much I hate being on bad terms with him. "

She says before she drops her head again, and I shift closer to her side, gliding a hand over her

shoulder.

"I don't know why you fought with him, but you'll be fine. I'm sure he feels just as bad as you do, and

you both just need to sit down and talk about your troubles. " I drop my hand to her back and give soft

strokes to it.

"You're pretty good at this than I thought. Maybe I would come to you when I have issues like this. "

She beams cheerfully and I retract my hand with a frown, "No fucking way. This is a one-time thing.

Never repeating itself. "

"But—" she opens her mouth to argue and I throw her a glare, silencing the rest of her words.

"Fine. " She mutters and I move from her side, standing in front of her as I say, "You should head back

home now. "

Hanna's head snaps to me at my words. "Right now? I didn't journey miles just to leave the second I

get there, Emery. "

"And I didn't ask of you to come here, did I? Do you know how much trouble you'd be in if any of them

figures out you came down here?" I raise my brows and she scoffs. "They won't. "

"Not if I tell them. " I say with a straight face and she cackles. "You won't. You hate it when I'm in

trouble. "

"That's what you like to think. " I retort and she grins before she looks away from my face to behind me.

When she looks back at me, she says, "You didn't tell me you were roommates. "

"You probably don't know a lot of things about me, Hanna. " Her face falls, but she's quick to keep a

smile on her face again as she says, "Is there something going on between you two? You like her?"

"You're overstepping your boundaries. " I proclaim and she rolls her eyes, mumbling some words under

her breath that I'm unable to catch before she raises to her feet. "Fine, I'll leave, but I'll spend some

time with that beautiful girl first. "

"No, you—" Hanna doesn't wait to hear the rest of my words before she's out of my sight and I hiss in

frustration as I watch her walk out of my room.

Little sisters can be annoying for silly things, but Hanna Ford is a different kind of sister. You'd think

pushing her away and being nonchalant would do the trick, but it doesn't. It only pulls her closer, with

her always so bright and cheerful personality. She's a ray of sunshine, always wanting to brighten up

everywhere around her with each step she takes, and though I tend not to show it to her– I love Hanna

a lot more than she knows, and I'd do anything to keep that smile on her face, because as much as she

likes to appear tough, she's just actually a softie inside.

I slip my hands into my pant pockets before moving from my spot, and walking in the direction of the

living room.

I halt my steps and lean against the wall as I catch the sight of Hanna and Carson.

And a smile climbs on my face as I watch them interact on the couch and argue about the characters

that appear on the screen before them.

Eva speaks to her like she's someone she has known for a long; like she's her little sister and she,

once again, astonishes me.

With each side of her, there's always something I didn't expect.

Eva Carson does a lot of things to me– things I find maddening, but goddamn interesting. She makes

me lose my fucking control. She makes me want to overlook the things that there are, to make the ones

that there shouldn't, but most of all– she makes me want to break every rule that's set between us.

Eva Carson makes me want to cross the line that should never be crossed between us.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.