Changing You ✦ The Sequel

Chapter 19 {R}

✦ RILEY ✦

"How did the two of you meet?"

I looked at Zach's aunt and didn't really know how to feel about her. She was younger than I had expected, I'd say halfway down her thirties.

Her big, brown eyes were kind and she smiled a quirky smile. She was nice, appeared genuinely interested, and everything about her told me that she cared a lot. But she was super extroverted, too straightforward with her opinion and curiosity.

And that wasn't like Zach at all.

This was the first question she asked that didn't put him on edge.

"We met at school," he said, looking up at me with a soft smile. "She's in my class. I knew she tutored Spanish, so I asked her to tutor me and she helped me with a project. That's kind of how it all started."

I smiled back at him. "We've been dating for over four months now," I said, more to him than anyone else, realisation hitting me.

I didn't know if it felt longer or shorter than that, because honestly, time seemed to be slipping right through my fingers lately.

I could remember meeting him like it was yesterday, and everything that came after happened so unbelievably fast that it passed by in more than a blur, but at the same time we had been through so much, had experienced so many things, had gotten to know each other so well, that it felt like I knew him a lot longer than four months.

"And they're gonna stay together for a lot longer than that," Reese stated matter-of-factly, and I had to stop myself from bursting out laughing when she actually shot Zach a warningly glare.

"Because she's like my big sister now and I like having a big sister," she added, and I felt my heart heat up like a hot air balloon and float through my chest, flying high on happiness.

"You heard the boss," Zach chuckled, glancing back at his little sister.

I saw something flash through Jenna's eyes, something that told me she, also, was still dealing with the loss of Zach's mother. The loss of her big sister.

She cleared her throat, faked a smile. "Do you have any siblings, Riley?"

There was too much sympathy in my smile, but I couldn't help it. "Yeah, an older brother and a little sister."

She picked at her fingertips, peeled off the soft pink nail polish. "So you're the middle child, huh? That's nice."

I nodded, searching for a way to change the topic. But then she already did so herself.

She shot up. "Oh, by the way, my parents- sorry, your grandma and granddad, asked about you guys," she said. "They really miss you. And they were kind of hoping you'd come visit them with me some day."

I wondered how long it had been since they had seen their grandparents. Zach hadn't seen his aunt in three years.

The looks on their faces said enough.

They didn't jump up with excitement. Reese didn't even crack a smile. She glanced at Zach, back at her aunt, back at Zach. So did Ryan, and I felt the tension rise in the room. Uncertainty blinked in their eyes.

It hadn't occurred to me before that Zach must have fallen completely out of touch with his family. Probably one of the changes their father forced upon them. I felt my heart sink.

All I could see now was Ryan and Reese asking about their grandparents, their aunt, and their father denying them a visit. Forcing the family apart. Yelling at them to stop asking.