UNCONDITIONALLY YOURS

Higher Power // 21

I clambered back through my window after Parker drove me home. It fell satisfying to know that I had been out and come home without the hassle of my father. I knew he hadn't noticed I was gone seeing as if he had, he certainly wouldn't have been silent about it. Also, how would he know? I wasn't directly walking past him and it wasn't like he would ever check on me. It was good to know, however. Maybe I could start doing it more often.

My phone buzzed and I subconsciously knew what it was. There weren't many people I can given my number to. I had my father, my stepmother, Ben, Mia (the owner of the café), Logan, a few old friends that were just my stepmother's contacts and Parker more recently. It was unlikely to be any of them, and Parker had only just dropped me off. But there was someone else who had my number who I hadn't given it to.

'Riley, don't forget that I know everything and I can find out anything. I know your family name only too well and I know your family. So I firmly recommend doing exactly as I say. Firstly, stop seeing Parker Jones. Secondly, meet me at the city border sign tomorrow at eleven. I know you.'

Deciding whether to be afraid of this or not was tough. My gut was telling me that this delved far deeper than a few threats, but I could barely admit that to myself. I had to be strong, right? That was what I always did, that was how I got through things. I wondered if the only reason I was starting to think different it because, like Parker said, I was changing.

I wasn't sure if it would be better to tell some one as soon and I could, but my nature screamed at me to be independent and it felt wrong to defy that. I retrieved my notebook back from its hiding place and looked over the notes I had made trying to figure out who it was sending those messages. Who could want something from me, and who could want something from my father? It was either that they wanted something, or they could have just wanted revenge.

I knew my father had done terrible things most likely and I knew that there were still secrets he kept from me, I just wondered what deserved this level of threat and why they would target it at me.

They wanted me to stay away from Parker and I wondered why. Of course, I didn't listen to them because I did what I desired when possible and if I didn't want to see Parker that would be my choice. But why could that be? I thought maybe they wanted someone like him out of the way and uninvolved. He and my father had a lot of power and influence; if they knew me as they claimed they would also know I would have never gone to my father with anything like that and maybe they were afraid I would tell Parker?

I wanted then left to wonder whether that meant I should be telling Parker. I wasn't going to, at least not yet as there was still a chance they were empty threats. Maybe I was being stupid, however I couldn't help the fact I felt undeniably driven to do something for myself without the need of someone more rich or more power, more influential than me. I would wait it out and do more investigating and surely I would get to an answer, right?

I would also not meet them. They could be a murderer for all I knew and it would simply be quite idiotic to meet them in the dark at night. I sighed and wondered how on earth I had managed to find myself into this.