TWENTY

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TILLY

"Are you out of your mind? Noah and Allie are not goals, and don't let me get started on Noah. Guy has too many red flags to be anyone's dream guy." I still in the doorway of the apartment at Evangelins voice. Silently closing the door and I walk further in, I see all three girls, plus my brother lounging around on the sofas while The Notebook is playing on the TV.

Don't ask me why, but it's my brothers favorite movie.

I take my bookbag to my room and join them. Ana offered me a slice of pizza before returning her gaze to the boat scene.

"Tilly!" Evangeline shouts, clearly not caring if she's using her inside voice or not. "Tell me I'm right."

"About what?"

"Dream guys." Ana says. "Millie says she wants a cool, calm, and collected nice guy."

"And do." She takes a huge bite of her pizza and shrugs.

"Yeah, right." Ana says, crossing her arms over her hot pink hoodie. "Not even a couple of months ago, you said, and I quote, "I want me a bad boy to ravish me, ruin me." Did you not say that?"

Millie sets her plate down, looking a little pale while doing so.

"Mills..." I rub her back and glare at Ana, "We all agreed not to bring him up. Remember operation getting over Lee?"

"Fuck off Til, I remember you saying something similar when we asked you." Evangeline scoffs, "What was it again.. Ah yes I remember. "Your dream guy is someone who you'd let control you, force you, choke you. Ring any bells?"

I feel the tips of my ears heat as I remember that drunken night, which Nate came over and guilted us into pre-game drinking before his birthday party at the Ledger mansion. One which I did not go to.

Let's just say we drowned ourselves into some Jim bean.

Never again.

Poor Millie is trembling, which is odd considering she's not the type to get too upset over small things. But this is Leighton we're talking about.

I pull her into me protectively. "We were under the influence of alcohol that night, and I'm surprised that you even remember any of it."

She wiggles her brows, "How could I forget the night I found out that not one, but two of my besties were just as fucked up as I am. Even in secret." She winks. "Anastasia, my sweet sister, please do tell us what your dream man should consist of. Since you didn't partake in the activities that night."

Ana doesn't drink. She's the complete good girl.

"I don't have one."

"Psh, everyone has one."

She rubs her palms on her jeans for a moment before sighing, "I guess my dream guy would be the silent type. Not the shy, quiet type but the dangerous kind. One that his actions speak louder than any threats ever could. Who'd do anything to protect me. Have everyone kneel at his feet, but I'm the only one who he gets on his knees for."

Astonishment is written all over our faces as we all stare at Ana.

Evangeline is the only one who chuckles at her sister. "Damn sis. Who knew."

"I mean, it's not what you all think. Yes, that would he a dream, but the reality of it isn't real. That person isn't real, and if he was.. Let's face it I'm not the kind of girl that attracts those kinds of men. Plus, I want the whole shebang, marriage, kids, and the man I described does not do those things."

"That's not true, Ana." I whisper.

"It's fine, really. I've made my peace with it. I can barely find a nice man to go out with me. Why think a bad boy would." She waves her hand "any who, Tate, your turn."

My brother, who is so engrossed in the movie, turns to look at all three of us crowding him. "My turn what?"

"Your dream girl."

He shifts on the floor, fidgeting with his sweatshirt. "She's outgoing and outspoken. She's can quite the room with just making her presence known. She intimidates the people who know they can never measure up to the kind of person she is. Which is someone who is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside."

We all stare at him, shocked is an understatement. Tate never talks about girls, not the ones he's interested in.

He's talking about this dream girl as if she already exists.

"Soo.. Party?" Evangeline says with her cheeks tinted pink.

"Yes, please!" Millie jumps up from the couch, and they both head into her room to get ready.

I glance at Ana and see her eyes watering up. "Ana?" I softly smile at her, "Are you okay?"

She clears her throat, "Yeah, yeah, totally."

"You sure you're alright?"

She nods slowly.

She opens her mouth but closes it like she's wanting to say something but settles with "I'm okay, really. Thanks for checking, though."

"I feel like you're keeping a secret from us."

"We all have secrets, Tilly." She hints with a frown.

"But we tell each other everything."

"That's crap and you know it! I mean, we've all seen how engrossed you are with a certain Ledger brother."

"I have not!"

She scoffs, "Then Millie was dreaming when she told me that the other day you kept refreshing Lexingtons insta profile for hours."

"Oh.."

"Yeah, oh. Come on, we've  all noticed it."

"It's nothing."

"Even if it's something that's okay too." Her expression softens. "Ever since this Lexington thing started, you've been more.. Tilly. You're coming into your own, and not what your mother wanted you to be." She freezes. "I do need to tell you something."

"What?"

She looks at Tate, and he's knocked out.

"The other day, Tate called me panicking. Saying someone left you a... note of some sort."

"What do you mean?"

"It was a bullet in a pill bottle. A note was taped on it saying, "We're watching you.".

"Where did he find it?"

"Tate said it was in front of the apartment door." She sighs, "who would target you? I mean, you're the least problematic person ever."

She's right. Unless I got myself in more trouble than I realized, and they found out what I did..

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