Mr. Popular and I

Chapter Twenty-Four - Don't Drag Her Into This

River

"I kissed her,"

After the words leave my mouth, I almost want to eat them back up. I feel guilty that I've cheated when I promised myself I wouldn't anymore. 

"You kissed Lea?" Ky repeats. 

I nod, rubbing my face with my right hand, irritated.

"Nice one, man!" Jake hoots, raising his hand for a high-five.

Ky turns to him with the most disapproving look that resultantly makes Jake drop his hand in defeat. It's assuming because his now puppy-dog eyes don't match the tough demeanor he displayed just a moment ago. 

"When?" Ky questions, his eyebrows furrow.

"Yesterday, in the hos—" I reply, cutting myself when I've realised what I'm about to say.

They're not supposed to know that I took her there. 

"In the what?" Ky asks, evidently confused.

I inhale, shutting my eyes at my stupidity of letting it slip from my tongue. "The hospital," I say again.

After a moment, Ky's eyes widen in realisation, diverting to stare absentmindedly at the wall behind me for a moment. Then, he turns back to me, confusion clouding his eyes.

"You've told her about Emily?" He questions.

I lean back onto the couch, distancing myself from Jake and Ky, both their expressions verging on the edge of disbelief.

"Dude, that's not cool. You've only known her for a day." Jake inputs and I turn to him.

"A week, actually. And I don't care what you guys think, Emily is my sister." I retaliate.

"Yeah, but you said you'd slice off all our dicks if we told anyone you guys were related."

"Emily didn't want loads of people to know that we were related – it took me at least a month to convince her to tell you guys," I say, pushing myself off the couch to stand amongst them.

"So, if Emily didn't want that many people to know, then why tell Lea?" Ky asks, annoyed.

"Because..." I try to think of something to say, but nothing springs to mind. I don't know why I told Lea, it was a spur of the moment decision, and it just felt right. "I just did."

"You've known that girl a day, don't you think telling her about this is a little too soon?" He finishes.

"I've known her for a week!" I yell exasperatedly. "And she has a name."

"Well then, you've known Lea a week. But the number of days and her real name doesn't change the situation," Jake replies. 

I hear a sigh escape Ky's mouths before he too speaks, a much calmer note to his voice. "How do you know she won't tell Marissa?"

"Ky, you've seen Lea. She's not like that." I reply, letting my annoyance calm itself a little.

"That's the same thing that you said about Flo when you told her as well, but then she told Georgia," Jake mutters, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Can you not bring Flo into this?" I spit at him.

         "Why? Lea seems to be the second Flo, don't you think so too Ky?" Jake turns to Ky, who is staring blankly at me, showing no emotion.

         Damn it; I hate it when we fight. And this is not the time to fight with the boys, not when I've already fought with Lea.

         "Whatever you're playing at River, I reckon you should stop. You've pissed too many people off." Ky says coldly.