For The Second Time {Tony Perry}

0.8

{Song for this chapter; Roger Rabbit - Sleeping With Sirens}

• Emilia's pov •

"So, I'll see you later?" Tony asked, smiling with that same smile he had earlier. Small, but genuine. Me and Tony were standing on the sidewalk about twenty feet from my parents' house, after he'd convinced me to let him walk me home. I - for sure - didn't want him to know where I lived. He'd remember me right away.

I nodded, about to turn around. "See ya, Tony." With one last look at him, I started to walk away, checking behind me to make sure he wasn't watching. I shut the door behind me, my back leaning against it. What the fuck did I just do? I'm in deep shit if Tony finds out who I really am. I mean, I didn't lie. I am Emilia, but I didn't tell him my last name or anything. Just wait until he wants to meet my parents. Then I'm really screwed.

Mom and Tony were actually really close when we were dating. My mom couldn't believe it when she found out Tony cheated. It broke her heart. Just like he broke mine. Craig though, knew Tony wasn't any good. He actually wasn't surprised when Tony cheated. But Craig knew Tony made me happy, and if I was happy, Craig was happy.

I felt guilty but angry at the same time. Sure, I am kind of lying, but at least I didn't cheat. I'm doing Tony a favour and giving him a second chance. Trust me, he'll thank me later.

"Oh, Halley!" Mom said, running out of the kitchen to see me at the front door. "I mean Emilia, - sorry, it's a habit - but you're just in time, honey. Craig was about to eat your plate of supper."

I smiled. "I'll be in, in a minute. Just let me take off my jacket and shoes." I reached down to untie my boots and take them off. Mom nodded, turning around to go back into the kitchen. Shrugging of my jacket, I set it on the chair while I was walking past the living room.

Walking into the kitchen, all I could smell was barbecue sauce. My mother's homemade barbecue sauce. And if I really know my mother, I know she cooked ribs, too. Like she always did. "It's rib night, Em! Get your butt over here. We got some chewin' to do," Craig said, barbecue sauce smeared all over his mouth area. Mom ran over to him, a wet cloth in her hand. She began to wipe his face with it, laughing quietly.

I sat down on a stool, the marble counter in front of me. Craig and Mom were sitting on the other side of the counter, on their own stools. A plate with ribs and corn to the side and sauce all over the plate, was sitting on the counter. My mom pushed it toward me, a napkin and fork behind it. "Thank you," I said, picking up my fork and spearing a piece of corn with it.

~x~x~x~x~

"Hey!" I shouted into my phone, Mandy on the other end of it.

"Hello there, Emilia. How's life in Cali?" Mandy asked, trying to keep her voice down low. I heard a couple of voices in the background.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you at work?"

There was a pause, until Mandy cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah," she said. "But don't worry. A phone call with you is way more important than this shit hole."

I laughed, staring at the muted tv that sat in front of me. The satellite read; 12:48pm. "Well, you'll never guess who I met. Again."

"Mandy!" a loud, - yet distant - male voice yelled. "Where are you?!"

She sighed and I imagined her playing with the tips of her dark, brown hair like she always did. "The new worker, Mark, is here so I gotta go. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay," I said. "Talk to you later." I hung up my phone, not waiting for a reply. I kid of felt. . .odd. Like, I was actually excited to tell Mandy that I met Tony again. Who am I kidding? Of course I was excited to meet him again. It's been four years for crying out loud. If missing Tony was a crime, I'd be sentenced for life.

I thought about going back to North Wood Park. Maybe Tony would be there, but he most likely wasn't. Plus, my mom and I are leaving soon so I wouldn't have anytime, anyways. I promised her I'd go to town with her and that was what I was going to do.

Mom walked out of the kitchen, a bottle of water and a purse in her hands. "Ready to go?" she asked, taking a swig from her bottle.

"Yep." I nodded, turning off the tv with the remote and standing up off of the couch.

An hour later, Mom and I have gotten into town. But now, we're debating on where to go first. She wants to go to Starbucks, but I'm not exactly the biggest fan of coffee. I'd rather eat fast food. Or as my mom calls it, "extremely unhealthy food."

"Please," I said, batting my eyelashes like I always did when I wanted something. It just came naturally, really.

She bit her bottom lip in annoyance. "Emilia," she said in her motherly tone. "Stop. You know how unhealthy that kind of food is. And don't even get me started with what they put in that meat."

I sighed, realizing she was right and sat up right in my seat. "How about if I get Starbucks, you get McDonalds?"

Mom stopped at a red light and turned to me. "Fine," she agreed. "But only if I get to order my own food."

"Of course," I said, smiling with satisfaction. I felt my phone vibrate and looked down at it.

"Can I call you now? Are you busy?" it read, Mandy's voice playing in my head.

I texted back, "Yes and no." Two minutes later, my phone started to ring. Mom gave me a look as to say 'who's that?'

"Mandy," I said, pressing the green talk button on my phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Em! What were you going to say earlier?" Mandy asked, her voice louder than the last time we talked over the phone. My mom rolled her eyes, smiling at Mandy's loud tone over the phone. She could probably hear Mandy from there.

"Well," I said slowly. "I met Tony again." Mom stopped the car at a red light, her eyes wide as she stared at me. I gulped, hard.

"Oh, my god," Mandy said. I could picture her hand over her open mouth, a worried expression on her face. I think it was more dramatic to my mother, though. The light turned green and she still didn't stop staring at me. "Tell me more."

I avoided my mom's eyes as she continued to stare. "He didn't recognize me. At all." I felt a tear slip out of my eyes at the thought of him not remembering me. "Just like you said." I sniffled.

The car behind us beeped their horn for a long period of time as Mom turned back to the road, shaking her head. "I'm so, so sorry, Em," Mom said. I turned to her and saw her still staring at the road.

"Listen, Emilia. Don't cry. This is a good thing," Mandy said. "Let him get it right this time."

I nodded, then blushed when I realized she couldn't actually see me. "Okay. I get it."

"Okay, good. Now go think about this stuff and get back to me. Talk to you later, Em."

"Talk to you later," I said for the second time today, and watched as Mom pulled into an abandoned hotel's parking lot. I hung up my phone and set it in my lap. Mom put her suv in park and turned to me. She had a sad look on her face.

I wiped my tears away, blinking a couple of times to get my vision cleared. "Is that where you were yesterday?" she asked, her voice quiet. I nodded, my lip trembling. "Oh, honey." She pulled me into a hug as I tried to hold back my tears. She patted my back, rubbing it occasionally. "It's okay."

"I'm doing this for him," I said into her hair. "Only him." She had a confused look as I said this. And if she knew what these words really meant, she'd be so disappointed in me. I just know it.

Author's Note;

well this would be the end of the chapter babes

dont hate me please ilu

tonys pov will be first next chapter, i promise (:

love youu ♡

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