Until The End ✔

8 | Riley

Chapter Eight

Riley Danforth 

It wasn't difficult to find Ethan's house. His directions had been extremely precise, and not forgetting that his house was easily the biggest house on the damn street. I skidded to a stop outside the front gate, picked up my skateboard, and slid my phone into my jean pocket. There were no cars in the driveway, but I could hear people round back. I unlatched the lock on the gate and strode up to the front door.

The chime of the doorbell echoed loudly throughout the entire house. A few seconds later, Ethan appeared at the side of the house and ushered me round back.

"You found it!" he said, surprised.

"It's not exactly hard to miss!"

He laughed. "I guess that's true."

We turned into the garden. And by garden I mean paradise. Attached to the back of the house was a large deck, with a barbecue, an outdoor dining table that seated ten people, and an outdoor corner sofa. A couple of guys that probably went to our school were draped across the sofa, soaking in the sun. Down a couple steps from the decking was half a basketball court, surrounded by bright, well maintained flowers and bushes. There was a large koi pond, a pool, and enough emerald green grass to have a decent game of rugby on. Underneath the mellow music playing through a small speaker on the dining table I was sure I could hear the ocean. I craned my neck, and surely enough, there was a gate tucked away in the neatly trimmed hedges at the end of his garden that opened onto the beach.

"Holy shit." The words drifted out of my mouth involuntarily.

Ethan seemed unfazed by it all. He hopped across the deck and disappeared inside through a folding glass wall.

"Coke or Dr Pepper?" he shouted from inside.

"Dr Pepper, please."

He tossed me an ice cold can and we headed down to the basketball court. I leant my skateboard against a wall, and sucked down half the can in seconds. The sun was beaming down, and for a late May evening, it was scorching.

"So people have been talking," Ethan said. He squared his shoulders and threw the ball perfectly towards the net.

"You're Will's brother," a dark haired guy said. Simon. His name was almost definitely Simon. "Aren't you?"

I felt my eyes roll back into my head. Of course everybody already knew. "Yeah."

I stood back while they finished their game of Horse.

"So how come you've been in England this whole time if your brother's been here?"

"We're not brothers," I said quickly, but then I retracted it. "Well, we are. By blood. But that's as deep as it gets."

"Sounds messed up," Simon said.

I nodded. "You're telling me."

"Same dad or same mum?" Ethan asked. There was no beating around the bush with these guys.

"Dad."

"Always thought that Will's parents were dead. He lives with two old people." Simon threw the ball but it hit the rim and bounced back. Ethan laughed, and dribbled it backwards to the free throw line.

"Our grandparents," I told them. "My dad's parents. I guess Will's mum died. I don't really know the full story."

"Shit."