after they met her

thirteen

i v a n a

It was friday afternoon, and as Ray and I drove back home after the last day of school, I couldn't help but be relieved.

The past few days had been exhausting, but now things were finally starting to settle down.

After Asher looked into Lily and confirmed that she didn't have any connections with the mafia or any of our family's enemies, I was allowed to spend time with her.

Hurray.

Lunch had quickly become the highlight of my day. We spent every lunch period together, and even started hanging out during recess. School had become more fun and less lonely, though I still wished we had classes together.

Ray was in a particularly good mood as we cruised down the highway. He had the windows rolled down and the radio playing some rap music. He glanced over at me with a grin.

"So, any big plans for the weekend?" he asked, keeping one hand on the wheel.

I shrugged, leaning back in my seat. "I think Matthew has something planned. He said we're supposed to come home straight after school ends."

Ray chuckled. "Ah, yes. Matthew said something about 'family bonding' weekend. Should be interesting."

"What about you?" I asked, curious. "What do you have planned?"

Ray's grin widened. "Well, I actually get to drive home to my family for the weekend. Finally get to relax and have some fun. I'm meeting up with some friends. We're going to party and let loose."

"Your friends," I began, a question forming in my mind. "Are they also part of my family's mafia?"

Ray's expression changed slightly.

He quickly shifted his gaze back to the road, and his tone became more guarded. "Some of them, yes, you wont know them though. But enough about that. Have you decided what you're going to do in art class next week? Or are you going to brainstorm on it over the weekend?"

I frowned at the sudden change of subject but decided to let it go. "Yeah, Lily and I were thinking about FaceTiming to think about it. She gave me her number, remember? You were standing next to me? I will just take Matthew's phone. If Matthew's plans don't take up the whole weekend, that is."

Ray nodded, a relieved smile returning to his face. "That sounds great. It's good to have something to focus on."

We fell into a comfortable silence as we drove the rest of the way home.

When we finally pulled up to the house, Matthew was waiting at the front steps, his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. Ray parked the car and we both got out, the gravel crunching under our feet.

"Hey, Matthew," I greeted, trying to gauge his mood.

"Glad you're home," Matthew said, his expression softening slightly as he looked at me. "We have a lot to do this weekend."

Ray gave me a quick pat on the back. "Good luck with that. I'm off to enjoy my weekend. Try not to get into too much trouble, alright?"

I smirked. "No promises."

Ray laughed, then turned to Matthew. "Take care, boss. I'll be back on Monday."

Matthew nodded. "Enjoy your time off, Ray."

With that, Ray climbed back into the car and drove off, leaving me standing next to Matthew. I could see the anticipation in his eyes, and I couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive about what he had planned.