I Choose You

Good Thing

"'Cause I already got a good thing with me

Yeah, I already got everything I need
The best things in life are already mine
Don't tell me that you got a good thing for me
'Cause I already got a good thing with me"

- "Good Thing" by Zedd & Kehlani

***

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. My dad could not walk in. He would kill me for having a boy in my room. Not to mention, he still did not know about Turtle.

It felt as if my heart was pounding faster than a jackhammer. "Uhhhh, one second. I . . . I -"

My head was spinning and my legs cementing in place. I never did well under pressure. It always brought on anxiety and worry, freezing me in place. This was the pinnacle.

"I assume you want me in the closet," Alexander asked.

I squealed when warm air fanned my face. I had not noticed Alexander coming to my side, let alone getting so close. I shivered.

"Are you okay?" My dad asked, followed by a rattle of my doorknob. "Your door is locked. Are you okay?" His worried tone reached my ears but I was still caving to the pressure of the situation.

"Tell him you're fine. You just fell while trying to put your pants back on."

As if Alexander was my brain telling me exactly what to say, I repeated what he had said. "Just give me a minute," I added.

Blinking, I gave Alexander a short nod. "Yes, the closet," I whispered for just him to hear. "Take the cat with you too. He doesn't know about him." My eyes were fixated on my bedroom door. I was scared of my dad finding out about the secrets that I had just beyond a door. He was so close. Too close. One wrong step or move and everything would be blown.

When Alexander was at the closet door, he looked over his shoulder at me. "Breathe, Grace." That was the last thing he said before hiding in the depths of my wardrobe.

I did. I took a large inhale and with wobbly legs, I made my way to my door.

"You need something?" I asked when I opened the door and was faced with my father.

I could see worry written across his face, "You okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah. It wasn't that bad of a fall. Just surprised me, that's all."

Dad gave me a skeptical look but soon accepted my words. "Okay. I just wanted to let you know that Holden just called. He said he tried calling you but that you didn't answer."

I furrowed my eyebrows as I had not heard my phone ring. I reached in the back of my jeans and pulled my cellphone out. The screen showed three missed calls and two text messages from Holden. "My phone is still on silent from the movies. I'm sorry. I'll call him back."

"You should. He was worried about you. Said you left with a male friend of yours and he just wanted to make sure you got home safely." My dad's eyes bore into me as Holden had provided my father with information that I neglected to tell him. "I thought that it was just you and Holden going to the movies. Did you also invite William?"

I shook my head. "I did not invite William. We just happened to run into another one of my friends at the movie theater, who offered me a ride home."

"Shouldn't your date take you home?"

I groaned. "It was not a date, Dad. Holden and I are just friends."

"And, this other guy - what's his name?"