Rules To Live By

Chapter 8

The picture on the right is Paul!

 

Chapter Eight

                I managed to successfully avoid any serious conversations until school started. I mean, I talked with my mom briefly to apologize for overreacting, though I didn’t think I was. I just didn’t want her to feel guilty about dating Todd. I had a feeling she wanted to continue our conversation, yet I still was able to avoid any serious talk since I had a mini breakdown that night.

                I also managed to avoid talking to Damien. Although he didn’t seem like the type of person to talk things out with someone, he looked at me every now and then like he wanted to say something about that night. He never did though, and I certainly didn’t bring it up either.

                The only person I talked to about it was Delaney because I had to get everything off my chest. Normally I’d rather listen to someone’s troubles than speak my own, but I needed to tell someone about what my mother told me, so I was obviously going to talk to my best friend.

                However, I didn’t tell Delaney the story until we were on our way to my favorite place to eat, Joe’s Diner. A week of school had already passed, so we were going out to eat dinner as a sort of celebration. Unfortunately, Will and Paul weren’t going to meet us at the diner for another hour.

                “Alright, so they got along really well. Then what?” Delaney said, continuing our conversation as we took a seat at a booth near the window.

                I sighed, glancing at the menu on the table. Neither of us were ordering until the guys got here, though I already had the entire menu practically memorized. I did love this place, after all.

                “Well, long story short, I guess my mom ended up falling in love with him, but they never got together officially. That’s why she moved onto my dad. She just wasn’t expecting to get pregnant so quickly,” I explained.

                Delaney nodded as she listened carefully. “So why are you so upset about this?”

                “Because, my mother basically gave up her life for me! She didn’t love my father as much as Todd, yet she still married him because she wanted me to grow up in a happy family—even though that didn’t exactly work out. My dad’s rich parents were really strict and threatened to take away his inheritance unless he married my mother before I was born. No wonder my dad left when I was so young, he didn’t love either of us,” I said with a small humorless laugh escaping my lips.

                “Now I know that’s not true, Leah,” Delaney stated.

                I almost let another sigh out at that. “And why is that?”

                “Because everyone that has the chance to get to know you ends up loving you,” she said seriously, yet in a light tone.

                I smiled and rolled my eyes jokingly. “I can name at least two people off the top of my head who hate me, Delaney.”

                She raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Who?”

                “Let’s see, Christy for one,” I replied.

                Delaney rolled her eyes. “She only loves her reflection, but whatever. Name another.”