Only You

Chapter Two

Ally

I dug around my beach bag looking for my phone. When I finally found it, I held it in my hands not knowing what to do with it. Who was I going to call? My brother was at a meeting and Ryder left me.

I needed new friends.

"Best friend my ass." I muttered under my breath. The time on my phone indicated that I needed to be home in an hour. Since my brother, Tyler was working tonight, it was my duty to take care of my dad.

I shook my towel out, trying to get the sand out, shoved it in my bag and sighed. This was going to be a long walk back to my house.

Forty five minutes later I had blisters on my feet and my brother was pacing around the front yard.

"What the hell?" He yelled. I don't know why he's freaking out, he didn't bother to call me or anything.

"What?"

"I was ready to send out a search party!" He yelled, waving his hands around like the lunatic he is.

"I'm not even late!"

"Jesus Ally, just get inside before the neighbors call the cops on us, again." He said, stomping into the house. I rolled my eyes and followed his dramatic entrance.

I threw my stuff on the couch and stood in the living room with my hands on my hips.

"Why weren't you with Ryder?"

"He left me." I shrugged. Tyler's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head and he took a sharp intake of air.

"We're talking about this when I get home." He said, walking out the door.

Yeah right.

I changed into a simple crop top and a pair of jean shorts and checked in on my dad. I opened the bedroom door to see that he was watching Bonanza.

"Hey, kiddo." He smiled. It was hard seeing my dad like this. He was visibly weak and some days he couldn't get out of bed. I tried not to think about that as I walked into the room.

"Are you hungry?" I asked him, even though I knew the answer to that one.

"Not really." He sighed.

"Want to go sit outside?'

"Okay."

I had a feeling that would make him smile. He loves being outdoors, that's probably why we live in California. Growing up, my father did everything he possibly could outside. We camped, we hiked, had fire pits, you name it and we did it.

He slowly got out of bed and I helped him walk down the stairs and out to our backyard. I carefully helped him sit down on his favorite chair and took a seat next to him.

"Feel better?" I asked, laughing at his expression.

"Hell yeah." I laughed and relaxed in my chair, soaking up the slowly setting sun.

"So, where's Ryder?" My dad questioned. "He's always at your hip."

"I don't know. He and I were at the beach and he left me for some girl." I shrugged.

"Do I detect jealousy?" My dad asked. I dropped my jaw and he started laughing at me.

"I'm not jealous; I'm annoyed. Why would he ask to hang out with me if he's going to ditch me?"

"He's a boy." My dad deadpanned.

"Well, that's irritating." I muttered.

"Punch him a couple times and he'll get the message." My faster shrugged.

"That's terrible!"

"Yeah, well."

When the sun set, I brought Dad back inside. He was getting tired and obviously uncomfortable. I helped him take his myriad of pills and then he was out like a light. I started heating up some dinner while I cleaned the house. Tyler used to be a neat freak, now he's letting things go. Including the cleanness of the house.

Just as the oven beeped, Tyler walked in. He looked tired, supporting dark bags under his eyes.

"Dinner?" He asked, sniffing his way into the kitchen. I laughed at him and shook my head. I pulled the pasta out of the oven and set it on the counter. Tyler and I exchanged some small talk, but nothing more. He was tired and I was too annoyed to talk.

He cleaned the dishes and I headed up to bed. I would like a nice sleep, something I haven't gotten in a while.

I was woken up with the annoying ringtone on my phone. I groaned, moving my hand around my nightstand trying to grab it. The lock screen showed that Ryder was disturbing my sleep. I wanted to ignore it, but the ass would just keep calling.

"You better be dying." I snapped.

"Hey, Ally, I think you need to come get Ryder." I heard Henry say. Like hell I was doing that.

"Huh?"

"Andy is having a party and well, your boy got extremely wasted."

"He's not my boy." I snapped.

"Ally!" I heard Ryder yelling in the background.

"Ryder." I groaned.

"I feel fucking alive!" He sang.

"Great."

"There's no way he can drive, Ally." Henry said.

"Make him walk, I'm not driving to Andy's because Ryder is a dumbass."

"He would do it for you."

"Yeah!" Ryder shouted.

"That's where you're wrong! I really don't think he would." I said softly.

"Ally-"

"Goodnight." I said, hanging up on them. I did feel a little guilty, but I wasn't doing it. I always had to bail Ryder out and he repaid me by screwing me over. Sure, he's there when it comes to my dad, but anything else in our friendship; he comes first, he always has.