Misinterpreting Fate (Book 2)

2. Awkward Car Ride

Chapter 2: Awkward Car Ride

Sam

I stared down at my phone, looking at the sun emoji that stood in place of Owen's name. I missed him already. How was that even possible? Dad and I only left Poppa's restaurant half an hour ago. I wanted to text him, but I knew he was working. I also didn't want to seem too clingy. Clingy wasn't cool. 

"Who are you texting over there?" Dad asked, breaking the silence in the car. "Flower? Balloon? Fish? Are those even the right symbols? I can't keep track of your contacts anymore."

I smiled. "Names are too boring. Having one emoji for a person really captures who they are."
It was something I started years ago and it worked out as an amazing cover to texting Owen all the time. Shawn had the ghost emoji because he either never answers his phone, making us all think he's dead, or he's always ghosting our conversations. Jaime had the dog emoji because she was obsessed with dogs. Courtney had a flower because she was a huge plant fan. Ryan had a pizza because it was his favorite food. I gave Owen the sun since he was my ray of sunshine in this world and, unfortunately, a heart couldn't be an option because it would raise too much suspicion. 

"Come on, talk to me," Dad said as he turned the volume of the radio down a little. "I feel like we haven't talked in a while. All you ever do is text your friends. What's been going on in your life?"

"Nothing."

"There can't be nothing. You're sixteen, Sam. A ton of stuff happens as a teenager. Are there any girls at school you like?"

"Ew, no," I said before I could stop myself.

"Boys?"

"Dad! I don't want to talk about this." Talking about it would lead him, and Poppa, closer to finding out about Owen. I couldn't risk his life and his job by a slip up if we had this conversation right now. 

"Okay, okay," Dad said, glancing at me quickly with a smile. "Just know you can always come to us about anything, alright?"

I nodded, even though I knew the one thing I could have gone to them about is the only exception to that. Keeping this secret was really getting difficult. 

Reaching into my backpack, I went to pull out my sketch book. Drawing always takes my mind off everything. Except I couldn't seem to find it. 

I started pulling most of the crap I had packed out, dumping it all on my lap and the floor of the car and I still couldn't find it. 

"What are you looking for?" Dad asked.

"My sketch book." Then it dawned on me. "I think I left it at Poppa's."

"Well... he'll bring it home tonight. You'll have it back on Sunday. You can go a couple days without it."

"Yeah." I wish not having it for two days was the problem. I really hoped Poppa doesn't open it at all. I had drawn some pretty intimate pictures of Owen and me. If Poppa sees that... we'd both be dead.

I quickly texted Owen: please tell me my sketch book is still in the kitchen and my poppa hasn't found it yet.

I didn't know when he'd see the message. I just hoped it wasn't too late when he did. 

Dad and I spent the rest of the ride in silence, aside from the faint music playing from the radio. He and I didn't really have anything in common, which is weird because he was my actual father, not Poppa. Even if I wasn't told that when I was younger, we look too much alike not to suspect it. It's just like how I knew Amy wasn't actually my sister and also not actually Poppa's sister, although that honestly took a lot longer for me to figure out. I didn't really care either way who was my biological family or not. They were all around my whole life anyway. They were my family. 

By the time Dad pulled into Nana's driveway, I still hadn't heard anything from Owen. I knew he was busy, and it's not like he's ever been quick to answer my texts anyway, but I needed an answer. 

Nana was at the front door before Dad and I could even get out of the car. She looked just the same as the last time I saw her a couple months ago, at Amy's wedding, not that I really expected any difference. She's looked like that for as long as I can remember. 

"There's my handsome grandson!" she cheered when we walked up to the door. "Give me a hug."

I gave in, letting her hug me tightly and kiss my cheeks excessively. 

"Hi Nana," I said once she let go of me, wiping the lipstick off my face. 

"There's cookies inside for you, Sammy. And Allen, you couldn't have gotten here sooner? I swear your father is about to break that damn railing. We should have had a professional come in this morning, but no, you insisted on fixing it yourself."

Dad chuckled. "Good to see you too, Ma."

She shook her head, leading us inside. "Where's Mika? He didn't come with you? I thought he was coming."

"He's working, Ma. I told you that."

I left them talking in the hallway, heading for the kitchen where the cookies would be. Grandpa, of course, was sitting at the table munching on a cookie already. 

"Sammy-boy!" he said excitedly. "How are you doing?"

I slid into the seat next to him, grabbing my own cookie. "Hey grandpa. I'm good." I then put the cookie fully in my mouth. "Mm," I muttered. "So good."

"Didn't your fathers teach you any manners boy?"

I shrugged. They did, I just sometimes didn't care, especially when these cookies were involved.
My phone chimed from my pocket and I quickly pulled it out. Owen finally answered me!

Opening the message as fast as I could, I blushed as I read it: those are a major turn on. Who knew you could draw so well?

It took me a few seconds to get over myself before I could reply: Please tell me you have it out of sight of my poppa and he hadn't seen it yet.

"Sam?" Dad called from the hallway. "Come here. I need your help."

I sighed, shoving another cookie in my mouth before standing up. I just wanted to sit in the corner and draw in my sketch book. Was that too much to ask for this weekend?

In the hallway, I found Dad kneeling next to the staircase, a screwdriver in one hand and holding onto the railing with the other. Nana was nowhere to be seen. 

"Hold this," Dad said, referring the the whole railing. 

I grabbed on, disinterested, but then had to tighten my grip when he let go and I almost dropped the thing because he had already taken all the screws out. 

"Careful," he warned.

"I am!"

My phone chimed again and, using the hand that wasn't holding up the railing, I pulled out my phone and quickly opened the text: Don't worry our secret is still safe.

I breathed a sigh of relief, which made me accidentally relax my hold on the railing. The thing slid almost into dads head. Thankfully I grabbed it before it could do any damage. 

"Sam!"

"Sorry."