Treat You Better

36.

I sluggishly pulled myself into the shower and let the hot water massage my muscles, I never realised how much I appreciate showers until now. I took my time in letting myself soak in the heat, I wasn't going to school anyways.

When I was done, I climbed out and wrapped myself in a towel, walking back into my room and sitting on my bed with my legs crossed. I took my phone off charge and began to scroll through it, luckily it wasn't like the movies and people weren't posting shit about me online which I was thankful for. Instead I saw pictures of Ashley and Tyler with their new friends, people supporting them, making me feel worse for putting them in that position in the first place. I locked my phone and dropped it on my bed, running my hands through my wet hair and sighing.

I don't have the energy to dry it.

I pulled on some clothes and put my phone in my pocket with some money. I opened my door quietly and creeped through the hallway, I ran down the stairs in order to avoid my family who were sitting in the kitchen.

"Riley, come here now!" My mom shouted. I sighed and reluctantly walked into the kitchen where everyone was sitting, they had cups of coffee and empty plates- they have obviously been sitting in there a while.

"You need to start talking to us." Mike said.

"I don't want to talk." I fought.

"You have to." He responded.

"Look honey, we know you are dealing with something right now and we decided to let you handle it the way you wanted to, until you were ready to talk to us but you're getting out of control." My mom said. "You're not going to school, you spend all your time out of the house and you're binge drinking."

"I'm fine." I said.

"You're far from it. I'm done waiting around for you to talk to us." Mike replied.

"I don't want to talk!" I shouted.

"Why not?" My dad asked, a mixture of confusion and sympathy on his face.

"Because every time we talk all you do is try to comfort me, you make it seem like Tyler is the one who cheated on me. I am not the victim here and you guys are babying me. I cheated on Tyler, I am a piece of shit and deserve to be punished. I have ruined so many people's lives and you guys sit there like it's okay. It's not okay." I could feel tears stinging my eyes.

"We know that, we know what you did was a shit thing to do but we are your family and we know that you will make mistakes. We have all made mistakes. You can't keep beating yourself up about this." My father fought back.

"I deserve it."

"No, you don't. Sweetheart you have punished yourself enough. It's time to go back to school."

"Everyone knows, everyone knows that I fucked up and it's not like no one knows who the kid is." I said trying to make excuses not to go back to that place.

"But what about college, you made all those applications and you worked your ass off on the SAT's. Mike said.

"I don't even know if I am going to be able to afford it." I countered.

"What about your job?" Mom asked.

"I got suspended, they caught Lucas and I arguing in the janitors closet over the stupid shit he does. I haven't been to work for two weeks." I admitted, they sat there a little shocked.

"Why didn't you tell us?" My dad asked.

"What reason was I supposed to give? Do you expect me to just walk through the door as say 'hi mom, hi dad, by the way I got suspended from work today because I was having another screaming match with my boyfriend's brother in the janitor's closet'?" I ranted, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Why didn't you make something up?" Mike questioned.

"I didn't want to, it escalates and I couldn't do it anymore." I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders, I leant into the person and started sobbing.

"I never meant for any of this to happen." I whispered. Throughout everything that had happened I hadn't cried, I had never shed a tear; I always felt some numb that none came but now talking to my family, it was like an explosion. After a few minutes of being cradled in, what I now know were, my dad's arms- I finally calmed down. I sat at the table with them, this time sipping on a coffee of my own.

"We weren't having an affair," I began, "I wasn't seeing Luke behind his back. If I'm honest I don't know what we were doing. We were becoming close, like friends and sometimes things escalated. I can't even explain it."

"Complicated." Mike muttered.

"Yeah." I replied.

"When do you go back to work?" My dad asked.

"Suspension ends today, so I am going to go in tomorrow and see what's going on." I answered.

"When ae you going to go back to school?" Mom questioned.

"I don't know. One mess at a time." I sighed.

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A/N

Short one, the next one will be longer though, only a few more chapters left and then this book is done.

Thanks.

~Jadey6688