Prince Charmings (BOOK ONE)

5

Signing off with Han after my talk with Bella was odd.

Though I knew she had spoken with him he made no mention of the play, only adding that he would see me again on Monday.

As promised the minute I stepped out the hall's front door Dad's car stood idle by the pavement. He had taken to picking me up and dropping me off everywhere, school included. While it was good not to worry about finding parking every morning in the school's parking lot, it did make me feel like I was in middle school all over again. People didn't find it sexy to see a seventeen-year-old get dropped off by his father, though the amount of people taking an interest in me since the break-in had skyrocketed in a way I never expected.

I had somehow shifted from noticeable enough due to Thomas to being stopped every day in the hallway and asked about some batshit rumor I'd given up on trying to deny.

"Did you really break into Barkers' house, attempt burn it down, and then strangle his cat?"

"Is it true half your body is covered in scars from trying to burn down Barkers' house with him inside?"

If people wanted to believe I broke in and tried to kill Barkers, they would. I'd given up trying to set the record straight.

Buckling into the backseat I matched eyes with Dad in the rearview as he u-turned us onto the road. He took a minute before starting a conversation.

"You work hard today?" he asked, the thickness of his Arizona accent cutting through the fake Newport tone he carried for work.

"Yes, sir," I said, glancing out the window.

The cold had shaken the trees down, leaving the ground riddled with burnt leaves. It reminded me of when Thomas used to push April and I around in a wagon while he raked the back yard. Every now and again he'd tip the thing over, landing us in a pile of leaves and complain as he had to re-rake them. He always said it with a smile on his face so we knew he wasn't truly mad.

Something inside me panged at the memory, missing the days before Thomas' football career took off when he was just my older brother, and not the town's poster boy of perfection.

I doubted Thomas even remembered those days.

"Your Mother made spaghetti. I know you're not a fan, but just grit through it. She worked hard on it."

Frowning I titled my gaze his way.

Mom only made spaghetti when...

I perked up.

"Jenny's in town?"

Dad begrudgingly nodded, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"Yes, your Aunt decided to grace us with her presence for the rest of the month."

I ignored his poor mood in favor of my bettering one. Even though Dad had a strained relationship with his sister, for reasons unknown to the rest of us, Aunt Jenny fit in with the rest of the family perfectly.

Mom treated her like the big sister she never had, having come from a home of boys, April confided any remaining relationship drama she had in the older woman, and Thomas did everything in his power to impress her and receive praise.

As if he didn't already get enough of it in and out of the house.

I never really had a special bond with Jenny, even though she tried. My life was boring, I confided almost everything in Clark and Tommo, the latter of which was surprisingly insightful, and as for the whole feelings thing I had yet to talk to anyone but my subconscious. Who was kind of dick and brought up the topic at the worst of times. But even without the defining thing to tie us together Aunt Jenny coming over always brought fun with it.