Risky Decisions

Chapter 81: "What Happened? What Happened?"

"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends.
I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature"
(Jane Austen).

|◁ II ▷|

"So, nothing happened?"

"Nothing happened, West," I groan, opening the front door. "He literally closed his eyes. Gosh, you're insane."

"I am not!" West cries.

"What happened? What happened?" Juliette cries, matching West's pitiful tone.

"West is overprotective," I retort hotly, marching up the stairs and away from any more West-Speeches.

"He's a guy!" West calls after me, his own tone indignant.

He lowers his tone for Juli. "When I came to pick her up, she was wearing his clothes with her dress in her hand."

Juli gasps dramatically, and I hurry back down the stairs.

"I was asleep! Nothing happened!"

Juliette's expression turns horrified.

I groan again. "Not like that! Oh, my gosh. It doesn't even matter anyways! Y'all are too damn dramatic."

Mom spawns into the living room, brandishing a wood spoon from the kitchen. "Nicolina Vallea Vaughan, did you just curse?"

She pauses. "Are you wearing a boy's clothes?"

She gasps happily. "Are you wearing Valen's clothes? What happened, what happened?"

I flee to my bedroom to escape my dramatic family.

|◁ II ▷|

A knock sounds on my door.

"Come in," I call, putting the last of my hanged clothes away.

West appears in the doorway. "Hey... So..."

I eye roll him, moving back to my laundry basket. "Come sit on my bed. Tell me all your troubles. And they better not be about Valen."

West complies. "They aren't. Nico..."

I pause my putting away of my folded clothes. "Did—did something bad happen?"

West's eyes widen. "No, just... I know I said to stay away from Sam, but—"

I groan miserably.