Typhon

Chapter 6

Rylee~

"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you not to worry?" I asked for the millionth time since senior year had begun. Like I'd said, my college degree meant the world to my parents, and they believed that having my degree was the strongest foundation that I could have for a good life.

"I know, Rylee," she mumbled. "It's just...you've worked so hard to get this far, and...well, I'm just getting nervous, is all."

My chest warmed with her concern. Once Bishop had made it clear that he was going into the military, my parents had sighed with relief. He'd found his path, so they weren't going to have to worry about him, outside the obvious when you had a child in the military. I was still floundering with career choices, even though my major was solid. So, since succeeding was important to my parents, I didn't want them to ever think that I didn't appreciate all that they'd done for me.

"Mom, I've got this," I reassured her. "I promise."

"Okay," she replied, her voice sounding a bit more upbeat. "I'll stop nagging and let you do your thing, Rylee."

"It's okay, Mom," I chuckled. "Just know that I'm not going to disappoint you or Dad. I'm seeing this through, and I'm going to make you guys proud."

"Oh, Rylee, honey," she rushed out. "We're already proud of you. Don't you worry about that. We just want you to have all the tools necessary to be happy, honey. That's all."

"I know, Mom," I replied, because I really did know. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay, honey."

We hung up, but it wasn't five seconds later that my phone pinged with an incoming text, and it took me a second to understand what I was reading.

Unknown: A car will pick u up at 7 tmrw nite

I looked at the message and knew that it had to be the wrong number. A quick image of someone waiting on a ride flashed through my mind, and there was no way that I wasn't going to let this person know that they had the wrong number.

Me: Sorry. Wrong #

Unknown: No, it's not, Rylee

My heart dropped.

Me: Who is this?

Unknown: Be ready at 7

"Why are you looking at your phone like you've never seen one before?" Laney asked, and I let out a pathetic yelp as she startled me.

Now, while we'd gotten past her bitchy moment in the library, I could admit that my feelings were still a little raw where she was concerned. There was no doubt that Stone Lexington was out of my league, but she hadn't needed to point it out to everyone.

"Oh, God, Laney," I rushed out. "Sneak around much?"

"I wasn't sneaking around," she laughed as she walked over to sit down on the couch next to me. "You were just very focused on your phone."

I shook my head, trying to clear this weirdness. "I...I just got a strange text," I told her. "I thought it was the wrong number at first, but whoever it is, they typed my name."

"What's so weird about it?"

"It's a text that's telling me to be ready tomorrow at seven," I said. "That a car will be waiting for me."

"What?"

The tone in her voice had my head snapping up, and my eyes went from the screen on my phone to Laney's pale face. Her entire body was still, and she looked uneasy. She looked cagey, and so something was definitely going on with her.