Conspicuous Secrets

Chapter Forty-Seven

Here's a long chapter:)

It had been weeks since we were given the assignment of writing an essay, and I had yet to think of a topic. It was due next week—the first day back to school for the second semester—and I had accomplished nothing. So there I sat, in the middle of my bedroom floor, staring at a blank document on my laptop screen. Every now and then, I would catch myself glancing at my cellphone like if I willed it enough, I'd receive a call or text from Kason.

On top of that, Christmas was in five days. I had already talked to Gavin and we both agreed that there was no possible way that we could buy any presents this year—not with us in our current situation anyway. Kason had once invited us over to his house on Christmas morning, but I didn't even know if that was still an idea. To be honest, we would probably be living in Aria's beach house in Virginia by Christmas day. We had started packing and everything. As of right now, that's what our plans were looking to be, considering the fact that Miles said that Charles was going to be coming back really soon.

After we had left the café, we took Lucas back home and then met Daniel back at his house, where he explained that Aria's parents were fully on board and were more than okay with Gavin and I staying in their beach house for as long as we needed. I was super thankful and hopes that I would get to thank them in person soon. We didn't even know them, yet they were being so kind.

With all of this in mind, I finally came up with an idea for my essay. It was crazy how at times when you least expect it, people would show up in your life, even when you didn't want them to, and how important they could end up being to you. When I moved here, I didn't want new friends. I was perfectly content with just me and my brother. But in the end, four people pushed their way into my life and I couldn't be happier that they did. Now, I was losing one and it felt like a piece of me was getting taken away. It was a horrible feeling. Sometimes things happen in life that you aren't exactly comfortable with, but they can end up being great, new beginnings. That's what I wrote about.

Now, it was around three p.m. and I was finally finishing my paper. A "ding" filled the air around me as my phone reacted with a text message. "Can you watch Lucy tonight? It would be from six to ten at the latest," it said. I replied with a "yes" almost immediately, not minding the distraction from everything going on.

#

I unbuckled my seat belt and climbed out of the car. "Text me as soon as you get back home," I told Gavin.

He nodded. "I will."

Gavin had dropped me off at the Wesley's house. He had very much insisted on not letting me walk alone. We were both constantly worrying about each other now that we knew Charles was coming.

Walking up to the door, I knocked on the wood a few times and waited in the cold until someone opened the door. I was now standing face to face with Kason who had an expression on his face that I couldn't read. Without saying a word, he opened the door further and stepped back so I could get out of the cold weather. He grabbed his jacket from a hook on the wall. "Dad's working a late shift tonight. I should be home by ten," he told me.

"Where are you going?" I asked. I wasn't going to act like I didn't notice that he was spending most of his evening at home with Lucy now. Without street fighting, his daily schedule had gotten a lot less busy. It seemed odd that he suddenly had plans.

"It doesn't matter," he said.

I just stood there, taken aback by his answer. He was acting odd. His eyes avoided looking into my own and he was quickly pulling on his jacket and shoes. I watched him closely as he walked out of the house and closed the door between us without speaking another word.