Falling For The Girl I Bullied
Chapter 82

Kyle’s P.O.V.

We were practicing hits as we were still weak in the killing. The front row, including Ethan and Albert, were trying hard to overcome their weaknesses. They were not weak but sometimes lacked coordination and this was what we needed to overcome. I saw her coming towards us with Noah and Mr Stammers. I didn’t pay attention to them as I needed to focus on the game. We had only ten more days before going to the tournament. Only ten days to overcome all our hurdles and weaknesses.

We took a short break after fifteen minutes. Ethan and Albert were scowling as they were not at their best right now. “Don’t think too much guys… you two just came back after your injuries. We still have time”, I encouraged them but they looked at me with the same scowl. I knew my mates well. They took their gameplay seriously and always tried not to make any kind of mistake even during practice. Nick and Vivek were doing well and that was why I was relaxed because I could alternate members any time during the whole session, giving them a short break during the matches. “Mathew… you need to work on your play as an outside hitter. Noah is doing a great job but we need a backup too”, I instructed Mathew, who gave me a thumbs up. Noah also nodded in agreement.

“Okay… guys.. back to game”, after catching our breaths, I signaled them to go back to the court again, switching their positions with each other. I was thirsty… so I went to get my water bottle from my bag. I noticed that all the bottles were not at their places. I looked towards the dispenser and found Violet looking at the team while thinking so hard. She was filling up the bottles but was thinking so hard and I was sure that it was bad. Suddenly her expression changed into horror, as if she had found something really horrible. I narrowed my eyes at her while trying to guess what was in her mind. I looked at the boys who were now playing and then back to her.

She was breathing heavily as if she was having her panic attack again. I was about to take a step towards her when her expression softened. I followed her gaze and saw her looking at Ethan. What was going on inside her mind? Suddenly, all the lines on my forehead straightened when I realized that she was doubting our concern towards her. She was doubting if we were helping her with some ulterior motive. I saw her lips moving as if she was cursing someone. I huffed in annoyance and shook my head in disbelief. She was really something.

I was sure that her doubt disappeared into thin air when she recalled what Ethan did for her and that was why her breathing became normal after her gaze fell on Ethan. Suddenly, she moved her head once again and our eyes met. I gave her a look filled with disbelief while shaking my head and her eyes widened again in shock. I was right. She had doubts about us. I signaled her to bring the water bottles. She immediately looked down and took all the bottles in her embrace. She jogged towards me, still hanging her head low.

She gave me a water bottle after standing in front of me. I wanted to flick her forehead for having doubts in her mind but resisted myself. I would deal with her at home. “You are really something, Carter”, I taunted her while opening my bottle and gulped down some water. She was still looking down as if there was something very interesting on the floor. “Prepare the drinks for the boys. They will be back soon”, I instructed her before going back to the game after giving the bottle back to her. “Okay”, she replied to me timidly and I jogged towards the court again.

We practiced for another fifteen minutes before calling for the day. We were all completely drenched in sweat. We all needed a quick shower before going to our first class. “Noah… you will stay with her until I come back after taking my shower”, I instructed Noah while going towards the benches. She was sitting there but stood up when she saw us coming towards the benches. She immediately took the bottles from the benches and started giving us our bottles. She gave me my bottle but lowered her head before I reached her. Her reaction pissed me off because she smiled at them when she gave them their bottles but lowered her head in front of me. Can’t she smile at me as she smiles at them?

“This happens when you torment the girl whom you like the most”, Ethan suddenly whispered into my ear in a playful tone, and I immediately glared at him. He chuckled at my reaction and started drinking from his bottle. “I don’t like her”, I whispered yelled at him and he just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. I didn’t know what was wrong with him. How could he think that I would like Violet? This girl was a wrack of nerves, always made me piss when I tried to stay calm. How could I like her? “You know the answer very well, brother. It’s just you don’t want to admit it”, Ethan again spoke in a teasing tone and earned a hard glare from me.

“You like her and I tolerate her just because of this. There is nothing else between us”, I once again gave him the same reason that I was giving him since he had started talking nonsense about me and Violet. My heart was now pounding in my chest very hard. “Kyle”, suddenly Mr Stammers called my name and we all looked in his direction. He signaled me to go to them. “Go.. I will take care of her”, Ethan whispered to me and I nodded. I gave my water bottle to him and then jogged towards Mr Stammers. “Your father is here. He is in my office”, he told me in a calm and low tone. I clenched my jaw while balling up my fists. “Thanks, Mr Stammers”, I thanked him and then walked towards his office.

I opened the door of his office after taking a long breath. “Hey, dad”, I greeted him lightly while entering the office. He moved his head behind his chair and looked at me coldly. What was I expecting from him? I scoffed internally and went near to him. “Why are you here?” I asked him in a light tone again. “You didn’t come home yesterday”, he said in a cold tone. I jerked my head while narrowing my eyes in confusion. “And why did I have to come home yesterday?” I asked him in confusion. He glared at me and stood up from the chair. Now we were again face-to-face. “Yesterday was your birthday and you know that we throw a party every year on that day”, he said in an angry tone while putting his hands inside his pant pockets.

“I am sorry… but you didn’t inform me that you were doing something like that”, I said in a nonchalant way without any remorse while scratching my nose. “You are going too far, Kyle. You know how embarrassed we were in front of all those people?” he yelled at me and I jerked my head back once again on earth. “Did you inform me?” I asked him in a calm tone while looking straight into his eyes. “I am your father, Kyle. I don’t need to inform you of those small things. You know the drill yet you didn’t come just to embarrass us again. I don’t know what I have done wrong to get a son like you”, he loathed me in a tone full of disgust. “That’s the exact question, dad, which I always asked myself”, I immediately replied back in a very serious tone.

He narrowed his eyes at me in anger. “I always asked what I have done wrong to get parents like you”, I said again in a very serious tone. “Kyle”, he yelled and I lost my temper again. “Don’t shout at me, Mr Knight. I am your son, not your employee. If you are throwing a party, then it’s your duty to inform me, not mine to ask you. Forget about the party, did you even think of calling me only to wish me my birthday, huh?” I asked him in an accusing tone while shrinking my eyes. He didn’t say, just glared at me. “No.. you didn’t because, for you, your reputation and business is the only thing that is important. You don’t need a child, dad…. You don’t need a child.. you need a robot who can dance according to your wishes. You need a machine without any emotions, not a human made up of b***d and flesh”, I yelled this time in anger, while showing him the mirror of bitter truth.

“I am eighteen now. So, I am giving up all my rights as your heir and you will soon receive the papers from my lawyer. You can name all your business and property to whoever you replace suitable for yourself”, I informed him in a cold tone and walked towards the door. “Kyle… listen to me”, he suddenly grabbed my arm, making me stop in my track. I just looked at the place on my arm where he had grabbed my arm. “Why do you loathe us so much, huh? When we did nothing wrong but try to make your life comfortable as much as we can”, he asked me in a calm tone this time, and I looked at his face again.

“I don’t need anything, dad…. I need my parents. I want my parents to love me like other parents love their children. I want my parents to understand everything about me, even if it is about a scratch that I got during my match”, I once again tried to make him understand that all I wanted was my parents, not their money. I saw a complicated expression on his face as if he really didn’t know what to say to me. I closed my eyes and sighed aloud. “Forget it, dad… you can’t give me what I want and I can’t give you what you want. I know that I am on my own”, I said in a helpless tone this time, and then removed his grip from my arm.

I stormed out of the room without looking back at him. I felt tears in my eyes once again. I felt pathetic, unwanted, and useless. Why had it to be me who couldn’t get love from his parents? Why were all my friends so lucky to have their parents’ love and care and why was I so pathetic? There were so many why’s in my mind right now. I bumped into Violet who was, I guess, coming towards the room. I saw Noah and Violet together. Noah looked at me worriedly. I moved my gaze to Violet, who had her eyes widened in shock. Without thinking about what I was doing, I grabbed her hand and stormed to the other side of the corridor.

“Kyle”, I heard her calling my name but I didn’t stop. I went straight to the back side of the building and pulled her in front of me. I pulled her in my embrace and tightened my grip around her torso while putting my head on her shoulder. I was breathing heavily while trying to control my emotions. I felt her embracing me after a while and she slowly started stroking my back without saying anything. I was glad that she didn’t open her mouth. She just stayed in the same position as me. I knew that Noah would ask me later, but right now, I only needed someone to tell me that everything would be okay. She didn’t say the same words, still, she was consoling me by stroking my back gently. I hated to appear so weak in front of her, but I was a human too.