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  “Okay, don’t tell me then,” he mutters. “Anyways, I was thinking we could go somewhere for lunch today. I have Alex’s car.” He gives me a small smile.

  “Aiden! There you are!” Nicole’s annoying high-pitched voice exclaims before I can tell Aiden no. Nicole basically throws herself at him. Her eyes flicker to me before they go back to him.

  “Nicole, what are doing?” he asks her. But he doesn’t try to push her off.

  She flashes him a fake smile. “I was looking all over for you.”

  Aiden’s eyes flash to me and I close my locker. “To answer your question, I’m saying no thanks. I’m having lunch with Ryan,” I tell him.

  Nicole smirks. “Well, he certainly downgraded. I, however, upgraded,” she says as she looks up at Aiden.

  I don’t respond to that. I just walk away from them.

  ***

  Friday eventually comes and I can’t be any happier. Not only am I missing school, but I get to see my dad. My mom will drive me there and pick me up on Sunday.

  I had finished packing last night. My mom was being delusional and only let me pack two of my band t-shirts. The others she had bought for me and made me pack.

  I don’t understand why she was acting like that. I’m eighteen and I can wear whatever the hell I want to. But I didn’t want to make her too upset, so I packed the shirts anyway.

  Ryan and I spent more time together these past couple of days. I didn’t see Nicole or Aiden at all, so that made school a little easier. I also went to the movies with Lucas again. I know he wants to be more than friends, but I just don’t like him like that way and I hope he gets the hint.

  Before I leave the house, Ryan texts me and wishes me a safe trip. I smile and send him a quick thank you.

  I get into my mom’s car and we’re off. While I stare out the window, I feel my phone buzz in my hand. I look down and see that I have a message from Aiden. My heart races when I see his name. I open the message and read it.

  Can I talk to you at lunch?

  Seriously? I quickly replied, I’m not going to school today

  Why? he responds hastily.

  I scoff. Why does he care?

  —Out of town, that’s why

  —Oh. Well can you call me around twelve?

  I hesitate as I read his message. Do I really want to talk to Aiden? I slowly type my answer.

  —I guess

  —Awesome. Talk to you later Led Zeppelin Girl

  I mentally sigh. How can he act like nothing is wrong? Am I being overdramatic with all of this? No. I have every right to be angry with him. He’s been toying with me and I’m not going to take it anymore.

  And I intend to get some answers from him when I call him later.

  Chapter 23

  I feel someone shaking my arm and my eyes spring open. I quickly rub them and yawn.

  “Riley, wake up,” I hear my mother tell me. “We’re here.”

  I glance around and let my eyes adjust to the light. I look out the window and see that we’re at an unfamiliar house. My dad’s house, to be more specific. I sit up in my seat and sigh. “Okay.” I nod. “Are you coming inside with me?”

  She gives me a small smile. “I think it would be best if I just drop you off.”

  I understand. I open my door and open the backseat door to get my bag. Once I have it on my shoulder, my mom rolls down the passenger window. “Do you have everything?” she asks.

  “Yup.” I nod.

  “Okay. Call me if anything happens and I’ll be here in a heartbeat.” She smiles.

  I chuckle. “Sure thing, Mom.”

  “Have fun. I love you,” she says.

  “Love you too, Mom,” I say, backing away from the car. I turn around and make my way up to the front door. I glance up at the house and notice that it’s pretty nice. It’s bigger than ours. My nerves kick in.

  I hear my mom drive off as I ring the doorbell. I fidget with my shirt as I wait for someone to answer. The door slowly opens and reveals a tall man.

  “Riley?” he asks. I recognize his voice from when I talk to him on the phone.

  “Hi, Dad,” I say awkwardly. It feels weird calling him Dad.

  He grins. The first thing I notice about him is how tall he is. He isn’t freakishly tall or anything, but he definitely is not average height. His dark brown hair has a few greys here and there. He wears a white pin-striped button up shirt with black dress pants. “I can’t believe it’s you.” He smiles. “Come in.” He opens the door wider for me.

  I shuffle past him and grip onto my bag. I glimpse around the house before looking back at him.

  “You can sit your bag on the couch.” He gestures to it. “I’ll take you into the kitchen to introduce you.”

  Introduce me? “Okay.” I smile weakly.

  We walk into a hallway then we approach another doorway. I take a deep breath when we walk into the kitchen. It’s pretty nice in here. There’s a big island in the middle with a sink. There are stainless steel appliances all around us.

  “Honey, Riley is here,” I heard my dad say.

  Honey?

  A lady with light brown hair comes into the kitchen. She looks about a year or two younger than my dad. She has big brown eyes and her makeup looks natural. She’s really pretty, to say the least. She gives me a small smile then eyes me up and down as if she’s scanning me. “Welcome to our home, Riley. I’m Alyssa.”

  I don’t like the way she’s looking at me. It almost looks like she doesn’t approve of me or something. “Hello.” I offer her a small smile.

  “Would you like something to eat?” she asks me.

  “No thank you. I’m still full from breakfast.” I feel like if I eat anything right now, I’d probably throw it back up.

  My dad looks at me. “Have a seat, Riley,” he says, pointing to the stools by the island.

  I slowly walk over and sit down. I play with my hands nervously.

  “I can’t believe you’re eighteen already.” He shakes his head. “It doesn’t seem that long since I’ve seen you.”

  Well, it has been, I want to say. But I bite my tongue.

  He snaps his fingers. “I’ll be right back. I have something for you,” he says, walking out of the room.

  I sit there uncomfortably. Alyssa glances at me and clears her throat. “So, you’re staying until Sunday, correct?” she asks me. I nod. She doesn’t say anything after that though.

  Soon enough, my dad comes back in with a gift bag. Tissue paper spills over the top as he sets it in front of me. “I know I didn’t have to, but Alyssa insisted I get you something.”

  Alyssa gives me a small smile.

  I pull the tissue paper out of the bag and peek inside. I reach inside the bag and fish out my gift. The first thing I grab is a book, which excites me. I look at the cover and read the title. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I look at my dad.

  “I hope you like to read. If not, then I hope the other present makes up for it,” he tells me.

  I smile. “I love to read,” I assure him. Once again, I reach inside and pull out a rectangular box. I take the top off and discover a silver heart-shaped locket. Even though I’m not a big fan of jewelry, the piece is very nice. “Thank you. It’s beautiful,” I tell them.

  “I told you she’d like both.” Alyssa smacks my dad’s arm. She looks at me. “A man should always trust a woman’s instincts.”

  I put the gifts back in the bag and set it down next to me. Alyssa takes a seat next across from me while my dad sits next to her.

  “So tell us about yourself, Riley,” Alyssa tells me. “I’d love to hear about my stepdaughter.” She seems more interested in me. Though I mentally cringe when she calls me her stepdaughter. I don’t think I want to hear those words.

  “I want to assume you’re a good student?” Dad asks.

  I nod. “I’ve been getting straight As all through high school. I think I got a B once during my sophomore year, but that teacher never gave out As,” I say,
easing up a bit. I still remember that teacher. I never smiled at her when she saw me in the hallways.

  “That’s good.” My dad smiles.

  “What about friends?” Alyssa asks. “Do you have a lot of them?”

  That sounds kind of offensive. I feel like I’m getting interviewed for something. “A few…”

  “What about a boyfriend?” Alyssa smiles. “A pretty girl like you must have a boyfriend.”

  I scoff. Boy is she wrong on so many levels with that statement. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” I tell her. “I have guy friends, but no boyfriend.”

  “What are your friend’s names?” my dad asks.

  “Um, there’s Kelly, Ryan, Lucas…” I mentally sigh. “And, uh, Aiden.” I just add him to the list so it will sound like I have more friends than I actually have.

  Alyssa stands up from her seat. “I’m getting quite hungry. I think I’ll start lunch,” she tells us. “We can talk some more later.”

  “I’ll start lunch, honey. Why don’t you show Riley her room for the weekend?” my dad suggests then looks at me. “Once you’re settled in, we can all regroup at the kitchen table.”

  Alyssa and I both nod. I stand up from my seat and grab my gift bag. I then follow her out of the kitchen and seize my bag from the couch. Alyssa takes me through a different hallway and points out the bathrooms and bedrooms. I notice a room we pass by has small play toys and a little bed.

  Do they have a kid?

  Alyssa opens the door next to the room. She walks in and I follow her. She looks at me. “This will be your room this weekend. Make yourself comfortable.”

  “Okay. Thank you,” I say to her.

  I throw my bag on the bed as she walks out. I sigh and sit on my bed. I glance around the room and notice how plain it looks. The walls are white; the bed comforter is a beige color, and the pillows are white too. In front of the bed is a medium-sized dresser with three drawers to it. There is also a small table next to the bed with a lamp and a clock. I see that it’s going to be twelve.

  My stomach fills with butterflies once I remember Aiden wants me to call him at twelve.

  I busy myself with settling in. Even though I only fill up one drawer in the dresser with my clothes, I keep finding something to do. It’s ten minutes past twelve and I keep wanting to distract myself.

  But my heart flips when I feel my phone buzzing in my back pocket. I slowly slide it out and see Aiden’s name on the screen.

  I sigh and answer, “Hello?”

  “I knew you weren’t going to call me,” he automatically says.

  I sit down on the bed. “I didn’t notice the time. Plus, I was busy,” I tell him, slightly lying.

  “Busy visiting with your dad?” he asks.

  I frown. “I don’t remember telling you that information.”

  “It might’ve slipped out of Ryan.”

  I roll my eyes. “It slipped? Or you forced it out of him?”

  “Slipped, forced, same difference,” he says. “Why didn’t you tell me you were visiting him this weekend?”

  I scoff. “Why would I tell you when you’ve been ignoring me since Monday afternoon?” I snap at him. No more small talk. I want answers now.

  “I tried talking to you on Tuesday.” He defends himself. “You were the one ignoring me.”

  “I had a good reason to ignore you,” I retort. He’s not going to twist this around and make me look like the bad guy.

  “And that reason is?” he asks.

  I ball my fist, feeling angry again. “You kissed me. Then you just left. You can’t just kiss someone then leave automatically.”

  “I had somewhere to be. Besides, you went upstairs after the kiss anyway,” he tells me.

  I’m fuming. “Oh yeah. Did you have fun screwing around with Nicole after you left my house?” I ask, remembering the messages Nicole showed me between them both.

  He stays quiet for a minute. “Riley that was planned before I even thought about kissing you. Hell, I didn’t expect you to invite me into your house, let alone let me kiss you. I thought I could just go over to her house after I walked you back home…”

  “You make me sick,” I say angrily. “Do you even care that Nicole is basically bullying me? I spilled my heart out to you, confessing that her words do get to me sometimes and you helped me through it. Now you’re off messing around with Nicole and toying with me. Do you care at all?” I ramble. I’m now pacing in my room.

  He lets out a frustrated sigh. “I do care, Riley.” He sounds helpless. “I don’t—I just—it’s hard to explain.”

  “What’s hard to explain?” I demand.

  “That’s the thing. I don’t know what is hard to explain.”

  I sigh. “I’m done with this. You’re making no sense and I’m not going to waste my time.”

  “Riley…You can’t do this. You’re the only person I can talk to about everything without being judged.”

  “Go talk to Nicole.” I snap at him.

  There’s a knock at the door before it slowly opens. Alyssa comes in with a small smile on her face. “Lunch is ready.”

  “I’ll be down in a minute,” I say to her.

  She frowns a bit. “Is everything okay?”

  I nod. “Everything is fine. I just need to tell them something really quick.” I gesture to my phone.

  She nods and slowly walks out of the room.

  “Who was that?” Aiden asks, sounding normal.

  “None of your damn business,” I tell him. “Stop acting so normal. It’s pissing me off even more.”

  “Why don’t you just hang up on me if you’re so mad?” He taunts. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you’re using this opportunity to just talk to me.”

  I purse my lips. “Just leave me alone, Aiden.”

  “Sorry to burst your bubble, Summers, but I’m going to keep calling and texting you until you fully forgive me.”

  Are you kidding me right now?

  I sigh in frustration. “I need to go.”

  “Then go.” I can practically see him smirking.

  “I will,” I say then angrily hang up. I wish I have a flip phone at this moment because just tapping the screen isn’t working for me.

  I put my phone back in my pocket and I make my way back to the kitchen. I find it with ease and walk in.

  Alyssa and my dad are already sitting at the kitchen table and I instantly feel guilty because they’re waiting for me. I sit down quickly and give them both a small smile. “Sorry for making you wait,” I say sheepishly.

  “It’s fine, dear.” Alyssa smiles. She hands me a plate with a sandwich and some chips. I give her a quick thank you, and soon, we’re all sitting together at the kitchen table.

  “Um, so what do you guys do for a living?” I ask, making conversation. I feel my phone buzz in my back pocket. I grab it and put it in my front pocket.

  My dad clears his throat. “A friend of mine and me own a law firm in town.” I raise my eyebrows. I didn’t know he’s a lawyer. “I took the day off today so we could have some time together,” he tells me.

  “I stay here,” Alyssa says, gesturing around us. “I’m in charge of keeping this place in order.”

  I nod, understanding.

  Alyssa gives my dad a look and it looks like they’re having a conversation in their heads. My dad finally clears his throat and looks at me. “Uh, Riley, there is another person we want you to meet.”

  “Okay,” I say slowly. “Who?”

  My dad seems to have trouble speaking at the moment, so Alyssa speaks instead. “Our little girl, Amanda.”

  I suspected that they have a kid, but hearing them say it feels weird. What I don’t understand is why my dad left my mom and me to go get himself another wife and have another little girl. “Oh.” I look down at my plate. My phone buzzes twice in my pocket but I ignore it. “How old is she?” I ask.

  “Seven,” Alyssa responds.

  My phone vibrates like crazy in my pocket, so I
finally take it out. I notice that my mom is calling me. “Um, I’ll be right back. It’s my mom,” I say as I hop off the chair.

  I walk to the doorway of the kitchen and answer, “Hello?”

  “How’s everything going down there?” she asks. I guarantee she’s going to call me at least twice a day.

  “Fine. I already got settled in,” I tell her.

  “How is…everyone?”

  I bite my lip. “Good. Did you know about…” I remember that I’m still near my dad and Alyssa.

  “Alyssa? And Amanda? Yes, I did,” she says honestly.

  “I wish you would’ve told me before I came,” I say, feeling a bit hurt.

  “I didn’t want you to decide that you didn’t want to go,” she says. “I know it might be a little hard to take in, but promise me you’ll try to have fun over there.”

  I sigh. “I promise.”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to you later, Riley.”

  “Bye, Mom.” I hang up with her and look at the messages I have. I have three of them from Aiden.

  Led Zeppelin Girl

  I’m going to keep texting you

  Please forgive me Summers. Believe it or not, I can’t handle knowing you’re mad at me :(

  I roll my eyes. I’m not going to let him off the hook that easy. I walk back into the kitchen and sit back down at the table and set my phone next to my plate.

  “So have you done anything exciting lately?” Alyssa asks me.

  I think about it. I’ve spray painted on the back of the library; I’ve had a paint-filled-condom war…“I was in a wedding recently.”

  “Oh really? Whose?” she asks.

  “A friend of my mom’s,” I say then take a bite of my sandwich.

  Alyssa’s eyes sparkle. “I love weddings. They always fascinate me.” She grins.

  “They last too long.” My dad frowns. “Sure, it’s a happy day, but they seem to drag on.”

  I chuckle. He isn’t a big fan of weddings either.

  Alyssa smacks his arm. “Oh hush. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Soon enough, we all finish and I help Alyssa clean the kitchen. Around two thirty, Alyssa rushes my dad out the door to go pick up Amanda from school.

  I’m kind of nervous to meet her. I didn’t even know she exists until now.