Living with the Millers

Chapter 37 - The End

Chapter 37 - The End

Ben and I had agreed it was best to wait until after his graduation to tell his parents about our relationship. In the following days, the house had become eerily quiet. If I didn't know how many people lived in that house I would have thought it was abandoned. Savanna hadn't been around much. I think it was too painful for her to be home; there were too many memories of a life she was about to leave behind. The day before Ben's graduation, suitcases and moving boxes were left in my room. It seemed to make the whole thing more final, finally more realistic than a nightmare I was hoping would end.

But Ben was coming with me, so none of it mattered.

I packed up my belongings without question. As I was shoving the last of my clothes into my suitcase, Ryder appeared in my doorway. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "So ya'll are leaving," he muttered with a frown.  It wasn't a question, just a statement that hung heavily in the air between us.

"Don't do this now," I stood up, wiping my hands on my jeans. "I will start crying." Ryder had become my best friend in this house. He was the person who first understood me, he saw me when I was trying my best not to be seen. He got it. We shared the pain of losing someone we love, something that nobody else in the Miller household was able to sympathize with. I was going to miss him terribly.

"I'm just going to miss you," he shrugged, trying to pass it off as no big deal. I could see by the slight shine in his eyes he was tearing up too. "What am I going to do without my sisters here?"

"I'll still see you!" I promised, forcing a smile we both knew wasn't genuine. "There's birthdays and Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I'm sure you'll visit LA." He shrugged, finally stepping into my room and flopping onto my bed. I followed to sit next to him.

"This is so dumb," he sighed, pulling a pillow over his face. "My mom actually acted surprised when I said I wanted to stay here as if it was some sort of shock that I didn't want to leave the only home I've ever known. I'm almost done with school! Why would I want to change at the last minute? And then the others, of course, we want to stay with Dad. Skylar's the only one who didn't have a choice, the baby is going to stay with Mom. I just can't believe they're doing this to us." I placed a hand on his knee, rubbing to give him some sort of comfort. He threw the pillow off, sitting up. "At least Ben will be close by."

I stiffened as I realized Ben hadn't even told his brothers about his decision yet. 

He shrugged. "Parents are a mess, huh?"

"Yeah," I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my neck. For a moment I was conflicted, trying to decide if I should let Ryder in on our little secret. But I couldn't risk anything going wrong with this plan, not when Ben and I were so close to being able to be together. I had to keep my mouth shut, no matter how guilty it made me feel.  Plus, it wasn't my place.  Something this huge needed to come from his brother, not me.

"What about you and Ben?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I was sure my bright red cheeks would give me away, so I quickly turned my head and pretended to be very interested in the hem of my t-shirt.

"That's kinda non-issue, don't you think? With the whole not being able to date your foster brother thing?" I couldn't bring myself to look at him, but I could feel him staring at me. For a moment he was silent as if waiting for some other response, but he finally just sighed. He stood up, moving to leave.

"Well, I'll see you around, Quinn."

"Right back at you, Miller."

***

The next day was Graduation Day. I woke up with my stomach in knots, feeling like I was going to puke. Today was the day. We would tell everyone tonight at Ben's graduation party. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous, there wasn't much anyone could do about it. Ben was eighteen and could go to college wherever he wanted, and I had to stay with Savanna to finish out my senior year of high school. They wouldn't separate my sisters and me, both Savanna and Jason had hearts too kind for such cruelty. We had figured out a way where no one could stop us.