Cover Credit @StormRidden (she's amazing right?)
You can't really know just how incredible someone or something is unless you peel back the outer layers. It's more than just scratching the surface, you have to really dig in, get rid off the facade...
I texted Eddie again, waiting for him at our designated meet up near the Mall. While I sat there, my eyes wandered around, watching as oblivious people happily walked back and forth. Their bliss bothered me for some reason.
My fingers drummed on the steering wheel impatiently. I needed to get home and do some digging, and more importantly, I needed to talk to Dad.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Eddie jogging over to the car. My hand caressed the top of the gear shift immediately tilting it into drive.
"Well?" Eddie asked as he climbed in, "Did you get to see him?"
I pulled the car out once he was fully situated. "I did. Not that it matters. I won't be able to see him again unless I have Dad with me."
Eddie laughed, "That means you got caught, right?" I didn't respond, only breathing deeply as I turned onto the main road. "You were brave today, Ally. I'm pretty sure you were shaking but you went through with it."
"Didn't really feel like I had a choice." I bit my lip. There was no other choice. Noting to myself that Ryder's family had been absent from the station, made me feel like if I hadn't gone he would've been feeling completely abandoned.
Eddie tapped his finger loudly on the passenger-side window. "You like him, right?"
His question made my breath hitch and I checked the side mirror to make sure that I wasn't going to cause an accident. Of course, I liked him. It was easy to admit to myself but a lot harder to say to someone else, even if all my actions pointed to the obvious.
"I'll take that as a yes." He laughed, but Eddie's lighthearted take on the situation was lost on me as my mind turned in all different directions. I kept quiet as I drove home while listening to my brother on the phone, he sounded happy. It was nice.
My mother was at the corner of the porch, phone to her ear, and a wide smile on her face. Eddie quickly waved at her as he went into the house. I paused, looking at her with such disgust that soon the vibrant smile faded, and her lips folded in.
"Is there something I can help you with, Allison?" She took measured steps as she made her way to me, no doubt on edge about the way I was eyeing her.
I certainly didn't need to engage but the way she acted rubbed me the wrong day. My mother was always the wrong and strong type, but even she knew that what she said to me last night was completely uncalled for. "If you hate me so much then why don't you just get a divorce?"
"You think I'm not getting a divorce because I don't want to?" She rolled her eyes, annoyed with my question. "You know something, Allison? Why don't you grow up and stop being such a selfish child? You want everything to go your way but you're not smart enough to see what's happening here, are you?"
I was taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," my mother flipped her hair over her shoulder in typical mean girl fashion, "that I don't hate anyone in this family and you should do your best to remember that the next time you think of asking me that. When and how I choose to divorce is entirely up to me!" She stormed off, bumping into my shoulder as she pulled open the front door.
I rubbed at the spot, my mind jumping around on what she'd said and the things I still needed to look into. It was already past noon and I had some digging to do.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
