Running Into You

Chapter 25

Emma

That Saturday I throw my bag in the back of my 4Runner and pick Caleb up. He lets me know that Henry's with Piper at their parents' house so I don't need to make two stops.

"So how did you get your parents to let you spend the week with Piper?" I ask curiously.

"I asked them if I could spend the week with Piper and her parents and they said okay," he answers matter of factly.

"Really? It was that easy."

"Yeah, it's amazing what happens when you bring your girlfriend around and they know her and her parents. You should try it," he say as he throws his duffle bag in the back of my car. "How did you get your mom to let you go?"

"I told them you'd be there," I say as I close the back of the car.

He lifts his eyebrows, "Uh huh?"

"I didn't lie. I told them Henry was going to be there too," I say as I go around to the driver's side and get in the car.

"You told them Henry was going to be there?" he asks as he stares at me through the passenger window before he opens it and gets in.

I crank the car and we head to Henry's parents' house.

"Well, not Henry exactly, but she knows I'm dating someone just not who it is."

"What do you think she's going to say when she finds out you're dating one of your teachers?"

"I know she won't like it. I just don't want her to go up to the school and tell them about it or try to refuse to let me see him."

"Don't you think she has a right to?"

"She won't understand. That he's not and has never taken advantage of me. I'm not a silly naive little girl."

"Whatever, you might not be silly, but you're as naive as they come."

I glare over at him.

"I would defiantly tell her before she finds out on her own."

"I know."

"Have you thought about it? How you're going to tell her?"

"Almost every night while I lay in bed."

He pats me on the knee, "Ah, it sucks to be you."

When we arrive to Henry's parents' house we load up their stuff and Henry drives the 4Runner to the beach with me in the front seat and Piper and Caleb in the back. Piper glares at me from the back seat. I look back at her. "I'm sorry," I say again for the hundredth time.

She brings her hand up to hit me, but Caleb grabs her wrist and brings her hand back down. "You don't know what I had to deal with for two damn months. Do you know what a heartbroken Henry looks like? DO YOU?!" she yells so loud my ear starts ringing.

I wince and turn back around. Henry takes my hand and holds it while Piper continues to yell at me. For the next fifteen minutes we listen to everything Henry did while he was nursing a broken heart. We pass a drive thru Starbucks and without asking Henry pulls in and orders a Grande Mocha Frappuccino. He then looks over at me and asks if I'd like anything. I tell him to make it two. When Henry gets his order he hands me mine and then he reaches behind him and hand's Caleb the other one. Caleb puts a straw in it and hands it to Piper. She gives him a kiss and tells Henry thank you. From then on out Piper is the sweet giggly girl I remember from before. "I forgive you, Emma, but if you break his heart again I'll cut you."

I put my straw in my mouth and keep my eyes forward.

Henry's parents own a five bedroom, three story condo on the beach. It is all white with white walls, white floors, and white furniture. The only color in the whole place are the paintings on the walls. There are paintings of the beach in the dining room and a painting of their family behind the couch in the living room. The whole back of the condo that faces the beach is windows and there is a balcony on the top two floors and a porch with a walkway that leads past the beach grass to the sand.