ALL THAT GLITTERS...

23.

"So how was the game?"

"We smashed them, you should have seen our team on that field. Wild." Ben said excitedly.

We were having lunch at his dad's restaurant. On a normal day, I would be dining with Selene but she had to rush back home and Ben had decided to ditch one of his classes to tell me all about the football game they won on Saturday.

"Our wide receiver, David. Man, that kid is good. He will make it to the NFL, I'm sure. That bastard is also a chick magnet, the pecks of being on the football team." He said his eyes gleaming with envy.

"Have you met him before?"

I had seen David a couple of times. I only knew who he was because his face was plastered all over the sports column of the university's website. He was what you would expect from the typical football team caption. Tall, built, popular, cocky and he wasn't bad looking.

"Mmm, I have seen him around."

"And what? You are not impressed, athletes, not your type?" Ben cocked his head to the side and have me a lopsided grin.

I knew guys like David, gosh, he reminded me so much of Asher. He seemed like a great guy at the time, good looking and all but now he seemed like a boy compared to Seth.

"I'm over athletes. What about you, what's your type?"

I diverted the attention to him, I was pretty sure he wouldn't be impressed with the type of guy I considered my type.

"I don't have a type. As long she is pretty and decent, I'm down."

"Got your sights on anyone yet?" Now that was something I was genuinely curious about.

He gave me a funny look before shrugging my question off.

"So, something weird happened on Saturday.

"It better not be about the Blackwells." This conversation was getting old.

"If you let me explain, I'm sure you will see that I'm right. There are definitely doing some shady business."

I groaned at that.

"I mean you should have seen the trucks that went to their house. Huge ones, and to they waited till we were all distracted with games to do it."

There was nothing shady about that but I wasn't going to argue with Ben. My body was still exhausted from the eventful weekend.

"They weren't even in town." I told him.

"I don't know about that but there is something going on, I just can't put my finger on it." I rolled my eyes at that.

***************************

"So you and Mathew huh?"

I said nonchalantly to my aunt as we sat on the couch watching the late-night news.

I had spotted Mathew wearing the same jacket my aunt's mysterious boyfriend wore the night I caught them in an intimate embrace. I normally found his car parked in our street, I didn't know it was his till Ben confirmed it this afternoon after he dropped me off home.

A little pink tint appeared on her cheeks before she turned her body to me and smirked.

"So you and Seth huh?"

"Touché." I said with a laugh.

"I have a little semester break this coming week. And I was thinking maybe I could go back ho--- to Jacksontown."

The look of shock on her face was expected and the look of concern that followed.

"Umm. Are you sure? Why?"

"I just need to do this."

I didn't have it in my heart to lie about something both of us were sensitive about.

"Do you want me to drive you there?" she asked.

"No. I have a friend who offered, I didn't want to inconvenience you."

That wasn't a complete lie. I didn't know whether the trip back there would answer all the questions I had about my mother but I couldn't sit here and wonder. There was also a big possibility that I would leave Jacksontown with more questions than answers but I was willing to take that risk.

"That's okay." She didn't seem very okay with it but she didn't argue.

**************************

"It's my brother's fault, I don't see you much." Selene complained as she lay on my bed the following day.

"Now you two are going on a secret lovers getaway together. Alone."

"God, just stop. It's not like that." I deadpanned at her.

"Hmmm then why I can't come with you?" she raised one eyebrow at me.
There wasn't a reason for her not.

"Why don't you then?" I challenged. I enjoyed her company a lot, we were really close now.

"Seth doesn't want me to. He specifically told me that I wasn't invited and that I shouldn't beg you to let me tag along."

She threw her head back on my pillow with a loud sigh.

My stomach did a little flip at that information. I would be alone with Seth, hundreds of miles away from home. My brain was already coming up with different scenarios which all ended with him and me, body to body.

"Uhm, I didn't know."

"He clearly wants to have you alone."

I didn't think so but I didn't argue.

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I don't know why this chapter is so shory but here we are...