Peace and Love

Chapter sixteen - Taming the devil

Luke's POV:

Our friends are finally pregnant. Technically, Loren is. Boys still can't get pregnant. At least her wish came true. They have been talking about a baby since we met them. Both have to wait a bit more, but there will be a result. Jason and I talked about a wedding. I wondered if they planned to get married at all. My friend said yes but didn't know when. For sure, it will be after the baby is born. Abby and I will help them, but only with that. The baby is their responsibility. Also, I don't think Loren will give it to someone else. The poor girl has been waiting so much. She will take care of it alone with her boyfriend. It feels good when you get what you have been waiting for. In their case, that is a baby. My girlfriend and I don't need anything. Maybe, except to fix the relations with our parents. That is still on our list. I will try to talk with her dad one more time. Since he won't tell me what he wants from me, I will be nice to him. That can help. At least, that is what I'm hoping. Otherwise, I don't know what to do. I'm starting to think he doesn't want me to prove myself. I mean, he sees what I do every day. Very carefully. This man is watching me like a hawk. I'm not complaining, but sometimes it's too much. It makes me feel nervous. I know this is what he wants. The thing is that I don't know why. No matter what I do, Abby won't go away. She could've left a long time ago. I mean, if she had a problem with me. I'm trying not to care about this, but it's hard. I'm not looking for his approval. Something I don't like is when people constantly watch me. It feels like he is waiting for me to make a mistake. Well, that won't happen. I know what I'm doing. Mister Lee can't do anything to me. I love his daughter, and she loves me. That is all that matters. I hope that this man will finally leave me alone.

It's another weekend without plans. Well, kind of. I told Abby what I wanted from her. She and her mom have to do something outside. Let's say it's girl's day. That way, I can be with mister Lee alone. He didn't want to talk with me much before. Well, he will do it now. I'll try to be the best person I can be. Usually, I don't think about stuff and do it. Now, I have to plan my every move. If I mess up, all of this will be for nothing. It's not like I will do much. I will make us breakfast and lunch. He can also help me, but I don't think it will happen.

I woke up and looked next to me. There was a note on the bed. Abby has walked out with her mom. Great. I can put my plan into action. Of course, mister Lee doesn't know about this. Otherwise, it won't be worth it. Also, he won't stay at home. I got dressed, made the bed, and went to prepare breakfast. Today, I will make my best sandwiches. Everything is between two slices of bread. I put butter, ham, cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes. There is no way he won't like this. I put them in the toaster and made coffee. Soon, I heard footsteps. Let's see what he will say about that.

- Good morning, mister Lee.

- Where are Abby and my wife?

- I found a note on my bed. Both walked out. I don't know when they will come back.

- Great.

- Here is your coffee.

- I didn't ask for one.

- But I know you need it.

- No, I don't.

- Ok, then. - I said and put the sandwiches on a plate

- What is that?

- Our breakfast.

- I won't eat with you.

- Come on. You will miss such a good meal.

- Since you made it, it won't be good.

- Try it and then criticize me.

- Alright. - mister Lee said and took a bite

- Well?

- I have eaten better food.

- If you want, you can help me with the lunch.

- What?

- We can prepare lunch. I don't know when the girls will come back. I won't stay hungry.

- Why do you cook?

- Because I have to. We can't order all the time.

- This is Abby's job.

- That is where you are wrong, mister Lee. I cook more often than Abby.

- Because?

- Because I want her to have more free time and do whatever she wants. Also, she comes home tired from work. I prefer to take care of everything.

- Then what does she do?

- Rest. I don't know your style of living. Here, I take care of everything. I let her help me sometimes.

- So, she doesn't help you at all.

- That's not true. Abby helps me a lot.

- You know she will become lazy.

- You, mister, are wrong again. Your daughter works a lot. She has a channel as well.

- I have seen it.

- See? Abby might not post there that often, but she takes care of that, too. That is something she wanted to do. I let her take care of it. I only help if she needs me.

- She is resting while you do the hard work. I get it.

- I didn't say that.

- That's exactly how it sounds to me.

- I think you need to start helping miss Lee more.

- I can't cook.

- Neither do I. The thing is that I learned with time. You can do it, too.

- You wish.

- To ask again. Do you want to help me with lunch?

- No.

- Ok, then. I will take care of it. You can sit and watch me. I know how much you love doing this.

- I have to go out.

- You want to leave me alone?

- Abby will come home.

- What a shame.

- What?

- I wanted to spend some time with you, but since you hate me, you don't have to stay with me.

- It doesn't matter if you do the whole work. You still can't do it properly.

- Then stay here and tell me how to do it.

- Maybe that's what I have to do.

That wasn't the best idea. At least I will keep him inside. We can go out, but I know he won't agree. I washed the dishes from breakfast and went to take care of the lunch. Yesterday I bought a chicken. It was a big one, so we'll have it for dinner too. I was thinking about filling it with something. Maybe rice and vegetables. Pees will be good, too. I know Abby will like it. Miss Lee, too. The challenge is mister Lee. I told him he could watch me, but I didn't think he would do it. This man was observing every single move of mine. I'll ignore him and pretend he is not here. Otherwise, I might get nervous and mess up.

- You can help me if you want.

- No, thanks. You need to wash the vegetables.

- Thank you. I didn't know about that.

- Are they fresh? Abby can't eat old food.

- I bought everything yesterday, mister Lee.

- But did you check if it was fresh?

- Yes, I did.

- My wife soaks the chicken in water before she uses it.

- I do it, too.

- Also, the skin is slightly toasted.

- Thanks for the information.

His comments are annoying, but I will ignore them. After all, I have to be good. Let's see how long I can keep pretending. Luckily, the girls are not here to see this. That was part of the plan as well. Abby wouldn't like what her dad does, so it was better if she was gone. I did everything he told me and put the chicken in the oven. Also, I set a timer. Usually, I don't do this, but mister Lee said I had to do it. Otherwise, I might burn it. What a great reminder.

While the chicken was baking, we went into the living room. I thought he would talk to me, but no. There was silence. That was until the front door opened. The girls came earlier than expected. Abby came in and sat on my lap.

- Hello, did you miss me?

- Maybe.

- You mean yes.

- Hey, how are you two? I see both of you are alive, which is good. - miss Lee said, chuckling

- You need to check the oven. - mister Lee said, looking at me

- Thanks for the reminder. I will be back. - I said and walked to the kitchen

- How bad was it?

- Hey, Abby. It was good.

- Truth, please.

- He commented on everything I did.

- I'm sorry. You wanted this.

- Overall, it was fine. At least we didn't argue.

- Really?

- I agreed with everything he said.

- Woah. That needs a lot of patience.

- I was on the verge of yelling.

- Aww, I'm sorry.

- It's ok.

After an hour, all of us were around the table. Let's see if mister Lee will like my meal. I did it the way he told me. Also, cooking is not that easy. I wonder when he will start doing it.

- Do you like the food, mister Lee? - I asked

- It's decent. You could've done it better.

- I told you to help me, but you didn't want to. Two people work better than one.

- You said that here, you were the one cooking. Your house, your rules. Remember?

- Yes, I do. Thank you for that.

- I wonder when you will drop the act, boy.

- Excuse me?

- I know you are pretending to be nice because of me. It's not like that is working. I won't change my mind.

- I don't know what you are talking about.

- Yes, you do. It was a good plan, but it failed.

- Why did you agree to stay here?

- To see how long you can survive. You have a lot of nerves, but that won't help you.

- I am so confused.

- You should be because you have no idea what you are doing.

- That is not true. Be glad that you even have food on the table. Without miss Lee, you can't do anything. She does all the hard work at your house. I'm sure about this. Instead of helping her, you rest all the time after work. I mean, as if she is not tired.

- You don't know what I am doing at my house.

- No need to know. I'm sure about everything I said.

- Be careful with your words. That is the only thing you can't take back.

- I know, but I don't need to be careful. Not when it comes to you.

- Excuse me?

- You are not excused.

- Ok, enough. I want to enjoy my lunch. The food is delicious. - Abby said

- At least someone appreciates what I do.

- Because she has no other choice. Otherwise, she has to come back home.

- Dad! That is not true. I do have a choice. That's why I moved here so early.

- You were young and dumb.

- No, I was right. I don't regret what I did back then. That was the best decision I have ever made

- Are you sure?

- Yes, I am. At least someone is on my side and supports me. It's visible that you won't do it.

- I have never said that.

- You don't have to do it. I see it. You are here because you don't have a choice. The house is not ready yet.

- I can go to a hotel. I have the money to afford it.

- But you will be without my mom. She won't come with you.

- I won't be so sure.

- But I will. I want to spend some time with Abby. I don't know what is happening between you two, but you better fix it. How many years have to pass so you can accept him? The boy didn't do anything to you. - miss Lee said

- So you are on their side.

- No, I won't pick a side. I'm saying that you have to give up. Abby won't come home. Thanks to you, I lost her too young. I won't let you ruin my relationship with her. You might not like her choice, but I do. You can't keep telling her what to do. She is not a little girl. I hope you can understand this. - miss Lee said and left

- Mom, wait. - Abby said and walked after her

- What?

- Nothing.

- You see what you did.

- Mister Lee, this time, you can't blame me. You are a grown-up man. I think you should start acting like one.

- Says who?

- Me. Do you want to argue with your wife about such things? It's ridiculous. You can pretend to do it even if you don't like me. I mean, in front of her.

- I won't do that. Unlike you, I like being honest.

- Hey, I have never lied. Not since I started dating Abby.

- Are you sure about that?

- Yes, I am. Please, stop blaming me for everything you can't do right. Your problems are not mine.

- True. I am blaming you for everything you can't do right.

- Seriously?

- One day, you will understand me. I hope it won't be too late. - mister Lee said and left

What did he mean by that? I swear this man is more confusing than all my classes in high school. I washed the dishes and walked into our room. Abby was lying on the bed. She is mad at her dad, but she better let it go. He won't change, so I don't think she has to keep trying. Once his house is ready, he will move there and won't see us. It's not like that is how I want things to end.

- Are you ok?

- How do you think? He is horrible. I don't know how you can be so calm.

- Every person has a reason for what they do. I don't know what is his, but I let him go. I will never be happy if I pay attention to everything he says about me. After all, the only person I care about is you. What people think about me is not that important.

- I'm glad you think this way. You are perfect.

- Said from you means a lot.

- I love you. Forever and always.

- I love you too. - I said and kissed her

The rest of the day, we were at home. Mister Lee walked out for dinner. I wanted to talk with him more, but it didn't happen. I guess my plan failed. Taming the devil was not an option. He is not a real devil but acts like one. I don't know what he wants from me, but his actions hurt Abby and his wife. I don't know how he doesn't see it. Unlike him, I will never do anything that will hurt his daughter. She is the reason why I am doing all these things every day. Without her, my life wouldn't have meaning. I don't see a reason to live anymore. I hope that, one day, mister Lee and I will understand each other. That is all I want.