Stick Around ✔

𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦 ~ 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘶𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳

It doesn't surprise me that the Reiley family lives in a fairly sizeable, contemporary townhouse, on Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica.

"Wow." I breathe as I step out of the pickup, taking in the beautiful view of the white walled mansion.

"Home sweet home." Ed sighs, slamming his door shut.

"Skye!" Sophie screams and runs out the door, before throwing her arms around me in a hug, "I'm so happy you're finally here!"

"Ah, Thaddeus." A deep voice says from the doorway as we walk up the drive, "This is the girl you've been spending all your time with?"

All his time? I think, but don't have time to process, because Thaddeus Reiley Senior is stood right in front of me, hand out.

I shake his big, warm hand, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Reiley."

"Nice to meet you too, you must be Skye Jameson?" He lets go of my hand and surveys me, "Call me Tod."

"Okay." I grin, surveying him as well.

He's tall, with grey-brown hair and tired, blue eyes. He looks like the sort of person that can get very angry very quickly. The dark grey suit he's wearing shows that he's literally just come from work.

It turns out that I'm here for late lunch as well, so it's a good thing that I haven't eaten anything yet today. For lunch, we have smoked salmon and blinis, which is quickly becoming a favourite of mine.

"So, Skye." Tod begins, after finishing a mouthful, "Where are you from again?"

"Miami, Florida." I tell him.

"Ah, so you're here on vacation then?" He raises an eyebrow.

Sophie looks uncomfortable as Ed says through gritted teeth, "Dad."

"Thaddeus." Tod responds, treating his 22-year-old son like a child, "You shouldn't interrupt."

"Yes. I'm, erm...taking a kind of gap year." That seems like the right thing to say, doesn't it?

"How much longer are you planning on staying in California?" My boyfriend's dad grills.

I swallow, "I haven't decided yet, I—"

"So, you are planning on leaving, eventually?"

"Well, I—" I glance across at Ed; this is rapidly turning into a disaster and I can't figure out how to save myself and Ed.

Right now, my worst fear is Ed's dad forcing him to break up with me, then kicking me to the curb.

"I was accepted to an Ivy League college." I try desperately pulling out everything I have.

"On what basis? The fact that you'd already signed a modelling contract?"

"No, on the basis that I got the best grades at my high school." I fire back.

"Ah. I see." Tod replies, but he really doesn't see—all he thinks I am is a self-centred, waste of his son's time and effort.

But I don't know how to prove to him that I'm not that.

I stare down at my plate; I'm not hungry anymore, and I know that if I did eat, it would all taste like cardboard anyway.

"Please may I be excused to go to the bathroom?" I ask.

"Of course." Tod says, but eyes Ed, "Sophie, show her the way."

Sophie leads me away from the table and up the beautiful dark-grey stone stairs.