You're Not Enough

Chapter 69

"See, doesn't this look better?"

I look down at the silver necklace my mother loaned me. It falls right between my chest. I shrug my shoulders. "I guess. I'm not really a jewelry person."

"Well, it looks good on you."

"Let's go!" My dad yells from the main room. "They're waiting for us." I follow my mother out of the bedroom. His eyes go wide when he turns around. "My two beautiful girls." My mother continues walking towards him. He embraces her in a hug, and he kisses her on the forehead. "You two ready?"

"Yup," I answer him. He opens the door, and we walk out.

"Oh, and Jayda, when we get back there's, something me and your mother want to discuss with you," he says.

"Oh, okay." Finally, theyre going to come clean about the house in LA.

We walk down the hall and get into the elevators. It takes us about three minutes to get downstairs. When the elevator door dings open, we walk across the lobby over to Josiah and Evelyn. Ryder isn't with them.

Crap.

How am I going to ask him about tomorrow? Maybe I'll just call him or text. I would really like to ask him in person. Perhaps he'll feel more obligated to say yes... hopefully.

Now that I think about it, why didn't I just tell them I was going out with Blair? And we wanted to hang out more before I left. That would've made more sense. Too late now.

"Hello," Evelyn says, greeting us. My parents greet them back. Evelyn looks at me.

"Jayda, you look beautiful."

"Thank you." I give her a small smile. I examine the long sky blue dress she is wearing. "So do you."

She smiles back at me. Josiah clears his throat. "Jayda, have you seen Ryder?"

I look over to him. "Uh, no. Not since earlier...he came with me to the bookstore. And then after we... well, he walked me back to the hotel, and then we went our separate ways." I tell him.

"Did he mention where he was going?" Evelyn asks me, concerned. I shake my head. There, silent for a few seconds.

Josiah sighs and then says, "Well, I'm sure he'll be back here by the time we return. Shall we." He holds his hand out to the hotel entrance. Everyone walks ahead of me.

I take out my phone and dial Ryder's number. The line doesn't ring. It just goes straight to voicemail.

...

We pull up outside of the art gallery. There's a whole crowd of people standing outside. Everyone is so dressed up. Not as dressed up as the people were from the show. They are dressed fancy but with a little bit more casualness. Everyone has bright, vibrant colors on. Maybe this is how people dress at an art gallery opening. I'm the last one out of the limo; I close the door behind me. I have to lift my dress a little so that I can step up on the sidewalk. I walk beside my parents.

"Do you see him?" My mother asks my father. My father stands taller and looks through the crowd.

"There he is." He points. I follow his hand and spot the man wearing a yellow suit. I squint a little because it's so bright.

The man looks up and spots us. His eyes go wide. "Marcus!" He holds his arms out. My father walks up closer to him and grips him in a hug. They make this weird growl noise. They let go of each other, still holding each other's arms.

"Good to see you, man." The brown-eyed man says.

"Good to see you, too, Tone." My father says back. The man looks past my father and over to my mother.