Not Another Summer Love Story

Chapter 27 - Memento

I woke to a knock on my door.

It was unusual, Dad almost never woke me when he came home, so I hastily, without casting a thought to my scanty sleepwear, echoed a sleepy 'come in'.

That's how Alastair Sullivan ended up in my bed.

Well, not in my bed, but on it.

"How did you get in my bedroom?" I asked him, convinced I was in some weird dream. 

"Your Dad let me in."

"My Dad let you in?" I repeated, my puffy eyes wide. I pulled the blanket further over my lap. Even with the curtains pulled closed, the light was still blinding to my dreamy eyes. 

"Yeah," he shrugged. "He's pretty nice, he offered breakfast. But I'm just dropping by."

"What time is it?" I still didn't understand why he was here so early.

"Ten." Well, maybe not that early then.

I rubbed my eyes, my mind still foggy. Then it seemed to sink in, Alastair Sullivan is sitting beside me on my bed.

"What are you doing here?"

"I've got news for you," he said, his fingers knotting in his lap before him. "Oh, and I couldn't help visit you on, you know, Val-entine's Day."

I scowled at him as he chuckled.

"That was a joke, by the way."

"A joke I hear every year," I said, rolling my eyes. Like I was the type to find any enjoyment in Valentine's Day. "What news do you have?"

"I know who told Logan," he said. His demeanour was now a little more composed. I straightened up, still feeling a little self-conscious in my pyjamas. My hair was probably a nest after my restless sleep, and I definitely had morning breath.

But, all of that escaped my mind pretty rapidly at his deceleration. "Who? How do you even know?"

"Because she bragged about it to me this morning."

She. So it was a girl. But who? Then my sleepy mind suddenly grasped it. Who would be talking to Alastair this morning? "Lottie."

"Yeah."

"Why would Lottie-" My sentence was cut off when her incentive became clear in my mind. "She wants Logan out of the picture."

"What?" Now Alastair was the one confused.

I shook my head, of course it was Lottie. She was always trying to suggest things to me relating Alastair, like how we should act like some big couple for his parents. Coming to think of it, it made sense that she knew all about the deal. "Did you tell her everything? Or did she just know?"

Alastair's eyebrows furrowed. "You think I told her?"

"She's you're twin sister. I would understand."

"Val, I wouldn't have told anyone about the deal," he said. "Not even Lottie."

"Then how did she find out?" I pondered sceptically.

"Maisie," he said. "It must have been Maisie."

Right. Maisie was now, apparently, Lottie's new BFF. At least she didn't tell Logan directly, I guess, but it still stung to know she'd told anyone at all. Especially someone who clearly had an interest in meddling.

"You don't seem that surprised," Alastair noted.

"Well, I guess it makes sense..."

"She's spoken to you, hasn't she?" he groaned.