Over the Edge

Ch.25-Bound to Happen Eventually

Eventually I mustered up the courage to pull out my cell phone, and just as I was a call came through from my mother. One of twenty she had made.

“Shit,” I muttered simply, before pressing the phone to my ear. “Hi, Mom.”

“Emmalyn Belinda Hall! Where the hell are you and why didn’t you come home last night?”

I winced. Rhys was smirking, which told me he could hear my mother loud and clear. “Sorry. I fell asleep.”

“Fell asleep?”

“Yes, with—” oh, God. “With Rhys.”

“You better be on your way home right now, young lady.”

“I am, Mom.”

“Good, then we’ll speak when you arrive.” And she cut the call. I had never heard my mom so angry. Then again, I had never slept over with a boy in the same vicinity before.

“She sounds happy,” Rhys commented.

I groaned. “Don’t even joke around. I’m toast. You should have just woken me up.”

He shrugged, clearly still half-asleep.

He pulled up in front of my house and I swallowed hard. “In case I don’t make it out alive, I hereby give you full ownership of all the clothes in my closet. Even the miniskirts.”

He snorted. “Gee, how kind.” He reached over and pushed open my door. “Now go.”

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were trying to get rid of me.”

“I’m tired," he garbled around a yawn, "and I want to go back to sleep. You have sweet music to face.”

I released a harsh breath and unbuckled my seatbelt, sliding from the car. “You better hope I’m still alive after this.”

“I’ll cross my fingers.”

I blew him a raspberry as he pulled away and turned to face the door.

I froze.

Both my parents already stood in the open doorway.

Well, this should be loads of fun.

“Hi,” I greeted sheepishly as I confronted them. They wordlessly ushered me inside. I caught sight of Michael and Clara quickly leaving the room. Cowards.

“Have a seat, darling,” my mother stated curtly. I did so in the living room. Both my parents followed me, standing in front. “Would you like to explain just what happened last night?”

This felt an awful lot like an interrogation. And it only made it worse since my dad was a cop. He had his stern face on. “I went to the diner with Rose and Luke.”

“That’s all?”

“And Rhys.”

“Ah.” She folded her arms across her chest. “And what happened afterward?”

“Rhys took me somewhere.”

“Where is that?”

“A place,” I answered cryptically, not wanting to divulge his secret hideout.

“And what did you do there?”

I threw my hands up. “For God’s sakes, Mom. He was just showing me the place, and I was tired. I fell asleep in the bed.”

“A bed!” she exclaimed. “Emma, did you at least use—”

“I was alone!” I cried. “Just me. We didn’t have sex, Mom! Oh, my God.”