Rayston Point Road || Editing

Chapter Nineteen

The ride back to Andie's house felt shorter than the ride to the diner, and when the truck stopped and Alex killed the engine, I forced my eyes open and looked over at him.

"Thanks for the ride," I smiled slightly, tucking my hair back behind my ear.

"Anytime," he grinned back. "Can I ask you something?" I had started to reach for the door, turning away from him, but stopped when I heard his voice again. I lowered my hand and looked back at him, nothing that his expression changed and was more serious, a hint of nerves hidden in his blue eyes as they darted over my face.

"You and Isaac," he started, and then his voice trailed off as he played with the keychain dangling over his thigh, still in the ignition. I huffed out a laugh, resting my elbow against the side of the door and dropping my forehead into my hand.

"Are nothing," I sighed, finishing his sentence for him, "We're nothing." I couldn't even bring myself to say that we were friends, because the constant back and forth with him was already making me question that after just three weeks of knowing him.

I turned my head towards Alex, watching his expression as he relaxed slightly, but his eyes still darted nervously across my face. I knew what was coming next. "I was wondering if-"

"Alex," I interrupted him, trying to keep my voice as soft as possible. "I'm only here for the summer. Two more months and I'll be going back to New York. I'm not looking to get involved with anyone while I'm here, I'm really sorry." I meant it when I said it, genuinely regretful for the fact that Alex was a really good guy, and if we were in another universe, one where I wasn't so fundamentally messed up and incapable of handling my own life, let alone someone else, he could have been a good boyfriend.

"It's fine," he said, but his voice had quieted slightly, and I could tell that he was trying not to look disappointed and uncomfortable as he shifted slightly in the drivers seat. "There's still something I want to show you. As friends?" I nodded. "Can I pick you up tomorrow when I get off work at 4:00?"

"Sure," I replied, and reached for the door. "I'll see you later." Alex lingered in his truck until I was in my car with the ignition running, and then he pulled out of Andie's driveway. As I walked up to my car, I pulled my phone out and quickly texted Andie.

Alex just asked me out.

I kept my phone in my hand as I pulled open my car door and sat sideways in the seat, running the air and rolling the windows down to cool down the space that had already heated up in the early summer sun. I hadn't even swung my legs into the car when my phone vibrated in my hands.

Omg what?! What did you say?

I swung forward on the seat and pulled the door closed, keeping my legs up off the seat, brushing my hair off of my skin with one hand as I read her message.

I said no, obviously. I dropped my phone into my lap as I pulled my car into drive and moved out of Andie's driveway. As I pulled onto the main road, my phone brightened in my lap again, and I glanced down at the next text message in our thread.

And???

I knew she was looking for Alex's response, for more details about what exactly he said. On the relatively deserted road, I took my phone in my right hand and typed out my response as I drove.

And what? He was cool with it. But he said he still wants to show me something tomorrow, just as friends. He's picking me up when he gets off work.

I dropped my phone onto the passenger seat as I neared the center of town, knowing that if I got pulled over for texting and driving, Leighton would put me on house arrest for the rest of the summer. I ignored my phone as it buzzed two more times over my drive home, looking at it only when I had parked my car in Leighton's driveway.

OMG, he's soooo into you and is definitely not cool with it.
What about Isaac? Are you going to tell him?

I scowled at my phone as I trudged up the front steps towards the door.

Why the hell would I tell Isaac?

I slipped my phone into the pocket of my jeans, knowing it would be a few minutes before I was able to look at it again as I pushed open the front door, bracing myself. As I pushed the door closed softly, I watched as Leighton rounded the corner from the living room. Her body was tense and her face was neutral, and I knew she was trying to refrain from losing her temper.

"Where have you been?" She asked, even though I texted her when I woke up this morning that I had stayed at Andie's house.

"I told you where I was, Leighton," I sighed, leaning back against the door and glancing up the stairs towards my room, the promise of my bed and sleep so close, but my sister was physically standing in my way.

"I know," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "But why couldn't you come home last night? There was a party, right. Were you drinking?" She took a step forward, eyes scanning my body searchingly, and I knew she was looking, and probably sniffing for, traces.

"Is it even worth me lying?" I grumbled, running both of my hands back through my hair as I shifted on my feet, my entire body screaming to be in a rested, reclined position. My head was still pounding, and I was trying just as hard as Leighton not to snap back at her.

"This is serious, Loren," Leighton frowned, her expression morphing into a sad and sympathetic concern.

"I'm nineteen. Everyone my age parties."

"Maybe. But not every nineteen year old has had-"

"Don't go there," I snap at her, interrupting her before she could finish her sentence, my eyes narrowing into a hard glare.

"Why not? Because then you'll actually have to admit you have a problem?"

"I do not have a problem. I drink just like any other teenager. Just like you did when you were nineteen, remember? Just like the twins did. I had nothing to do with what happened with Nolan that night and you know that. I thought you believed me?" I couldn't help the way my voice broke with my final words, and the sound of my words cracking only trigged a more emotional response as I started to blink rapidly, running my hand over my brows and forehead, trying to distract myself from the hurt I was starting to feel.

"I do," Leighton exhaled remorsefully, looking upset and frantic as she stepped towards me. "I do," she repeated, wrapping her arms around me. "I'm sorry, I do believe you. But that doesn't mean I'm not concerned about the way you've been handling everything since that night."

"There's nothing to handle, Leighton, because I'm over it. What's done is done, I can't change it so I've moved on." Leighton stepped away from me and frowned as if she didn't believe me, and opened her mouth as if she wanted to keep talking.

"I love you, Leighton, and I know you're just looking out for me, but I swear I am fine. I'm incredibly hungover, but I'm fine. Can I just go to sleep?" Leighton stared at me for a moment, calculating and considering, before she finally nodded. I couldn't decide if it was because she actually believed me, which I highly doubted but hopefully thought so, or just because she knew no conversation she had with me in this state would produce anything reflective or productive, but I took the chance anyways and started the hike up the stairs to my room.

Once in my room and protected by my locked door, I pulled out my phone and tossed it onto my bed. I stripped myself of the clothes I had been wearing since the night before, finding one of the old t-shirts I slept in and a pair of cotton shorts to pull on before collapsing onto my bed. Fishing around for my phone, I opened it to Andie's text messages.

Please tell me you're actually not that dense that you don't realize that boy is head over heels for you. He'll flip when he finds out.

I groaned as I rolled my eyes to myself, typing quickly in response.

I'm not dense. Isaac also knows I said we were just friends, not my problem if he doesn't listen. And it's not his business if I do hang out with anyone else because again, we're just friends.

I locked my phone and tossed it on the bed behind me, not in the mood to respond to Andie's text message that buzzed to my phone almost immediately. I shuffled around to pull my comforter over my head to block out the sunlight streaming through the windows, finding relief as I finally fell asleep.