Chapter 1
{Rileys POV}
“Miss Kennedy, I’m so, so sorry to tell you but you mother has, um, passed away.” I froze in my seat, those fourteen words, were the words that changed my life. I, Riley Kate Kennedy, from Cheshire was crushed. My mom was my rock and now she was gone. She had been in a coma for a month, however just last night my father had been taken into a mental hospital / rehab center and was charged as an unfit father. He had been taken away because he turned to drink, drugs, violence and tried to commit suicide. Twice. As I was thinking about him, I fingered the bandage covering the deep slit in my upper arm, but all of a sudden I dawned on me. I officially had no other family except my poor excuse of a father who attacked me a few nights ago, blaming me for my mother’s early death. I guess I was actually partly to blame so I took it. Just yesterday, o talked to my ex-best friend Chelsea, and she just told me that I was just a needy bitch and it was no wonder he cheated on my bad ass attitude, so I slapped her. Hard. And, because I caught Aston and Chelsea doing the dirty I called my mom who, when I told her she told me she was coming home to sort out the stuff for my inheritance anyway. She was driving down our street when a guy/girl in a black truck (a bit like Astons brothers) came speeding past her small car, hitting her bumper and sending her flipping onto her car roof and tumbling onto our front lawn. The worst part was that I saw it all unfold right outside of my bedroom window, it was bad only having my sick father left as my family, but my mom was my best friend, the one I could rely on. All my grandparents were now dead I had no aunties or uncles as my parents were only children, but my gran dies and then a month and half later my mom dies, ironic huh?
“Your mother has left everything to you, the business, her two holiday cottages, your grans ice-cream/ice-shake shop, two Lamborghinis, her lime green Beatle, £7.5 million from her bank, £4.5 million from your grans bank and there is also an American house she bought in LA next door to your new legal guardians, Mr Robert Evans and Mrs Sarah Evans, that comes with stables and two horses, both female.” Well, now it felt really real. Why me? Was it just some cruel joke? Karma? A horrible nightmare? I felt so alone. I didn’t even know these ‘new guardians’ of mine. My mom she understood, she cared and most importantly she loved me. Oh well I’m all alone now. I’m alive she’s not, how unfair. She was everything to me and she was the best mother ever. She was me.
“All your stuff will be shipped to Los Angeles, California,” America. Across the state. “You have one week to sort everything out. Meanwhile one or two of the Evan’s family will come to help you out with it, ok?” I slowly nodded my head letting the news sink into my brain. ”Your motorbike will be shipped over in two days and your car will be shipped the day before you leave as well as all your business equipment, alright? I felt really nervous. Nah I couldn’t be, could I? Nope, I’m never nervous; I’m a confident outgoing, independent young woman. So why did I feel like I was about to puke up the fries and powerade I managed to eat this morning? Must just be the news of losing my mom sinking in.
“I will leave you alone for a few moments to think about this terrible news Miss Kennedy.” And with that the police lady flounced out of the room and down the hall. I was finally alone in this dingy little office. I was angry, upset and confused. Why did this have to happen to my happy-go-lucky parents that never regretted anything? What about my amazing twin sister Casey? Although I wouldn’t wish this on anybody, why did this happen to us? They had helped me through everything, primary school, secondary school, heartbreak, pain, injuries, self-harm, counselling, literally everything. Yet now, when I needed them the most, they weren’t here, why? Oh yeah, because some drunk twat was doing up his/her shirt, eating a granola bar and talking on the phone whilst speeding in the middle of the day! That frickin’ asshole! If that person wasn’t stupid enough to get hammered in the morning then this whole shitty mess would never have happened and id still have my happy loving parents. I didn’t know how I could go on without my mom, but I knew I had to try, for mine and her sakes. I had everything I needed but wasn’t some spoilt stuck up cheerleader bimbo brat girl. Me and my sister were real unlike the Barbie’s we used to go to school with. I had youngish caring parents who loved me and Casey so much. All of a sudden the police lady burst through the door and walked up to me and sat down across from me with a really uneasy look spread across her make up covered face. She folded her hands on the table and looked up at me,
“Miss Kennedy, the person who was responsible for your mother and sister’s death has been identified…”
“Who did it?” I asked through clenched teeth
“Um, Mr Ryder, Mr Aston Ryder.” I took a sharp intake of breath and I was glad I was sat down, or else I would have probably collapsed. “He has been brought in for questioning but he is demanding to speak to you,” I stood up and asked
“Where is he?”
“Um outside the office come on.” She lead me outside to where Aston was leaning against the wall.
“Hey baby.” He said,
“Don’t baby me, you are the one responsible for this shitty mess! You cheated on me with my best friend for fuck sake! I would still have my mom and Casey! My dad wouldn’t have abused me!” I shook my head, “There you saw me, and now you can be taken to the cell where you belong, you vile animal.” I stormed back into the room, at in the seat and put my head in my hands. Hell, my life was undeniably screwed up and you know what? There was absolutely nothing I could do. My life was spiralling out of my grasp and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t catch it.
