Relentless

Chapter 28

Ashton

One Week Later

Jay has been doing better than expected on her own. She is being active, doing the school work that I bring her, and is less afraid to stay in her own home.

She's getting her stitches out at 6p.m. today, but told me not to come with her. I guess she is trying to be more independent with some things, but I still wish I could be there. It's 5:55p.m. so I decide to text her.

How's it going?

Babe, I'm still in the waiting room. Same as five minutes ago when you texted me the same thing.

I know, I'm just thinking about you. A lot.

I'll be fine, Ash. Don't worry.

That looks weird.

What?

Ash. That doesn't look normal. You always call me by my full name.

Okay, ASHTON, I will call you by your full name from now on. <3

Do you want to do something tonight? If your up to it, that is.

You're cute.

Why do you say that?

Because I can tell that you are worried about me.

Just a little.

I have to go, your Mom just called me in.

Okay. You're going to be fine, baby! I'll see you when you get home. I love you!

Love you too

I told my Mom to be gentle with her. Jay, whether she believes it or not, is fragile. She puts on this tough girl act all of the time, but recently she's been vulnerable and weak because of what happened. People in school ask me where she is, because they saw me walking with her in the hall and are curious, and I tell them she's sick. I'm not telling them anything else.

"Ashy?" I hear a small voice call me.

"Anty?" I reply, looking in my doorway to see her walking into my room. She sits on my bed next to me and stares at my face. "Why are you staring at me?"

"You don't seem right."

"What do you mean?"

"You've been distant recently."

"I'm sorry, Antonia. A lot is going on right now and I,"

"With Jay?"

"What?" I ask, flabbergasted at her remark.

"You've been with Jay all the time, Ashton. It's like you... Like her or something." I take a deep breath, trying to think of a way to tell Antonia that I consider Jay as someone more than a friend.

"I do like her, Ant." She look at me and lifts her hand up to feel my forehead.

"You don't have a temperature. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," I chuckle. "I just really like her. I never expected to feel this way toward someone, but I do." Just as I am about to explain how I feel, I hear my little sister sniffle and look at her to see her crying. "Hey, Antonia. Why are you crying?"

"You always said I was your girl. You always told me that I would be the only girl you would ever like. Now I'm not."

"You'll always be my girl, Ant. You're my little sister and I love you. But I love Jay too. The two of you will always be my best girls. Nothing will change that."

She is reluctant to look me in the eye, so I resort to the one tactic that works every time. I pull her into my lap and start to tickle her. She starts squirming and laughing, trying to get out of my grip.

"I am the tickle monster! Prepare to be eaten!" I chant with a deep, monstrous voice.

"No!! Ashton!!" She laughs. Her childish laugh is infectious as toss her onto my bed and tickle her stomach more.

"Tell me you love me!" I yell, continuing to torture her.

"No!!"

"I'm not going to stop until you say it!"

"Well, I'm not saying it!"

"Then I won't stop!" I say, tickling her harder.

"F-Fine! Fine, I love you!" I stop and lean back, watching her laugh and sit up.

After a few minutes of just sitting on my bed, doing nothing, she grabs my laptop and gives it to me.

"Can you turn it on?" She asks.

"Sure." I reply, pressing the power button. I give the laptop to her and watch as she types in another Genevieve King song. As we sit on my bed, watching Genevieve perform, I watch her movement and observe her talent. As she does a spin, I see her blonde hair flow in the wind, but notice something underneath it. Brown hair.

The discovery makes me curious and I want to know more. After the video, Antonia leaves my room to take a nap and I decide to do some research.

I type in her name and replay the video we watched. I freeze it when a lock of brown hair appears under her blonde hair. I minimize the screen and pull up a picture of Genevieve's face to try and see what she would look like with brown hair.

This girl is hiding something.

Her face looks familiar. The cheek bones, the eyelashes, the lips. As I'm observing her features, I remember Antonia showing me a fashion site when she was little that let's you dye celebrities hair different colors and design clothes for them. As a guy, I never looked it up, but now I'm intrigued.

I search the website and pick a picture of Genevieve. I click her hair and then the color brown. The new person in the photo shocks me and leaves me in utter disbelief. There must be some mistake. I pick another picture of the girl and do the same thing with her hair to have the same outcome.

"Oh my God." I whisper to myself. As I stare at the picture, my phone goes off.

Hey, I'm out! Everything is fine and I was given the all clear! Come over at 7:30!

Jay Summers is Genevieve King.

The girl I'm in love with is a celebrity.

She is rich and famous.

She's lying to me.

She's using me.

------

After at least a half an hour of lying on my bed, I hear a knock on my door. Without my permission, my Mom walks in and sits on my bed.

"Hi honey." She greets me. I ignore her and place my pillow over my head. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine and dandy, Mom." I muffle into the pillow.

"Did you eat?"

"Nope. We were waiting for you."

"Okay. I'll order us a pizza." She says, standing up. As she is leaving my room, she says one final thing that leaves me stunned.

"Juliet did an amazing job today. She's so strong after everything she's been through."

I throw the pillow off of me and sit up rapidly, wide-eyed.

"What did you just call her?" I ask my Mom who stands in the door frame.

"Juliet. That's her full first name."

Lie after Lie after Lie.

Jay Summers is really Juliet Summers who is actually Genevieve King.

The one time I let myself fall for someone, they end up being a lying celebrity.