Rayston Point Road || Editing

Chapter Ten

"Loren!" I looked up from saving Isaac's phone number into my contacts to see Leighton walked towards me from the study to my right, her glasses on and her short hair half tied up on the top of her head, indicating that she had been working. Dan's car wasn't in the driveway, and I didn't hear the boys, telling me that the three were out of the house, leaving Leighton and I alone. I sighed, slipping my phone into the pocket of my shorts, turning to her.

"Where have you been?" She stopped a few lengths away from me crossing her arms over her chest, and a brief flash to the future made me feel a premature moment of pity for the twins and the wrath they would face if they ever crossed their mother. She already had years of practice on me before the twins.

"I went to the beach to read," I started, moving the book slightly in my hand. "My car wouldn't start so I had it towed. Isaac and I grabbed lunch, we hung out for a while, and then he brought me home. All innocent." I watched as a mix of emotions danced over Leighton's face, from suspicion to concern, to restraint and relief, then finally something that resembled a resigned, remorseful expression.

"Loren," she started again, exhaling. I held up my hand to stop her.

"I don't want to hear it, Leighton," I sighed, trying to turn away from her, but she lightly grabbed onto my wrist, stopping me.

"Can you just listen, please?" Leighton begged, nodding her head slightly to the side. "You don't know what I'm going to say. Don't cut me off before you even give me a chance." She let go of my arm and moved to the side, sitting down on one of the lower steps, moving close to the wall. Even though I still knew exactly what she was going to say, I followed after a moment, sitting on the same step next to the railing, swiping my hair back behind my ears as I stared forward at the door, knowing that Leighton was looking at me.

"I need to apologize for what I said about Isaac. It was insensitive of me and not at all the kind of comment I should be making as your big sister. I wasn't thinking about you when I said it, but I should have been. I was thinking about Dan. However," her tone started to switch from gentle and apologetic to more firm, and I instantly knew what was coming, and instantly wanted to retreat up the stairs. "Loren, I'm concerned about you."

"Leighton," I tried to interrupt her again, and this time she put her hand on my knee to stop me. I dropped my eyes from the door to where her manicured fingers were resting, another habit she hadn't seemed to drop since moving down south. I wanted to brush them off, but couldn't bring myself to move.

"I may not be around much anymore, but I'm not clueless, baby. I know you nearly flunked out this semester, that you're on academic probation, and that Dad being an alumnus is basically the only reason they're letting you stay." I flinched at her mention of our father and his indirect involvement in my schooling. "I know that you've been partying, that you almost got arrested." I winced even more at her words, at the memory they brought back, trying desperately to dispel it from my mind.

"I need you to talk to me. I need to know what's been going on, why you're acting out like this. I'm worried, Loren, and so is Mom and-" I huffed out a laugh, shaking Leighton's hand off my leg as I shook my head.

"She doesn't actually care about me, Leighton. She's only concerned about her image and her ex, neither of which I am currently doing any good for. Don't buy into her bullshit." Beside me, Leighton folded her hands together as the rest of her body tensed. I didn't need to look at her to see the way her back straightened and her lips pursed, as she fought back the urge to argue back.

"She does, Loren," Leighton sighed, her words tight and controlled. "And so does-" She tried for finish her sentence for the second time, and for the second time I cut her off.