"Welcome to Signature. May I please have the reservation name?"
"Yes, Levers." The man dressed in his finest suit nods.
"This way please." I felt so out of place. Everyone here was so dressed up and everything was over the top fancy.
The man leads us to a private room in the back, which had a huge dining table and an antique chandelier hanging from the ceiling. We all walk in and the man closes the door behind him as he leaves. This is so not my scene. "Riley, sit beside me."
"Sure." I slowly walk down to the far end of the table. I sit down beside Jen. The seat was also across from Heath. I look at his swollen lip. I hold in a laugh, but I couldn't hold back a smile which earned me a glare from him.
None of us were as dressed up as the other people in the restaurant. For some reason Heath has this vibe around him which told me that he doesn't want to be here. Then why is he? I am such a curious person, I really hope that doesn't backfire one day.
The door opens revealing HOLLAND BETT! My jaw drops open. Holland Bett is a world renowned fashion designer. She is my life goals. "Close your mouth princess don't want to catch any flies. Now do you?"
I glare at Heath, but nonetheless close my mouth. "Mom! Dad!" Jen gets up hugging them. David Bett is Jen's dad?! He's a huge business man. Eff my life. I couldn't help, but notice the displeased look on Heath's face when Jen called them mom and dad.
To be honest, I never even knew they had kids. Weird. "Riley this is my mom, Holland and dad, David."
"Hi, I'm actually a big fan of your work." I say to Holland, and she pulls me in for a hug.
"It's really nice to meet you Riley. I've heard a lot about you from Jen."
"Thank you." I reply to Holland. She smiles back before going over to talk to Heath.
"Riley. It's a pleasure to meet you." David says gesturing a hand shake.
"The pleasures all mine." I smile and take his gesture. David walks over to Heath.
"Heath."
"David." Wow. Heath has no respect for anyone.
"Well, we should start eating. I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving." Holland tries to break the awkwardness. Not really working.
Jen and I both smile and take our seats. Holland sits at the end of the table close to Jen and David; who sat beside Heath.
"So how's school Jen?"
"It's great, I got into all the classes I wanted this semester. How's work?"
"Great. But it's very disappointing sometimes, to see how far people take things just to be known and not even for their own work." Jen nods.
"What happened to your lip Heath?" David asks," Get into a fight?"
"Something like that." He glares at me.
"Yeah with a girl." I mumble and Heath's glare deepens. His eyes felt like they were shooting daggers at me.
"Did you say something Riley?" David asks and I nod sideways. "What happened to your wrist?" He asks. I look down at the wrist which I was unknowingly rubbing. I was wearing a bracelet on the other so the bruise on that one didn't show," Um...-"
The door opens revealing the waiter. We then order what we each want. I sigh in relief. I had no idea what I was going to say. The food here was pretty expensive, but I still ordered what I wanted not really caring about the price. If anything I was never going to sacrifice my food. Ever.
"Mom?" Jen starts talking as we dig into the freshly made food. Mmm. I couldn't help, but notice Heath's eye roll at the word mom.
"We're coming home for winter break. You'll be there right?" Jen asks with curiosity.
"I'll try my best honey. You know that, but I can't promise anything." Jen's expression drops, but she tries to cover it by eating her food and slightly nods.
Heath lets out a scoff and I glare at him. He can clearly see his sister is not happy right now why can't he just be caring about it.
Dinner was pretty quiet except for the occasional moments where Jen and Holland started making small conversations or Holland started talking to me. "Heath you're coming home for winter break as well, right?" Holland asks.
"No." He simply says and eats his dessert.
"Heath." David gives him a warning look.
"What the fuck are you trying to show me by giving me that look, huh?" I stop eating my dessert surprised by Heath's outrageous outburst.
"Heath!" Holland warns him yet, once again.
"No. I've fucking had enough. You're not my parents!" Heath stands up and slams the table with the palms of his hands. I jolt at the sudden movement and we all stand up," I'm very thankful for you. For the fact that you took care of us when we were little. But we are grown up now and I am sick of you bossing us around especially trying to make us forget about our parents. Well guess what? I will never forget them."
He looks at Jen," The sooner you understand that our parents are dead and these people here just used us to get their money. The better it'll be for the both of us."
Holland and David both looked stunned. Holland even looked like she was holding back tears. Jen, well she just couldn't hold them back. Heath starts walking away.
How can he just leave after disrespecting his legal guardians like that. Let alone his biological sister. He's a monster. I come back to my senses and notice that my footsteps had led me to Heath. I grab his arm before he could open the door. He turns around to face me." You're not going to leave without apologizing, are you?
"Well I wasn't planning on apologizing and I don't think I will be anytime soon." He peels my grip off his arm.
"Heath, I don't know how you're going to live with it. I don't know what you think about Holland or David and why you think that, because you probably have your reasons, but that girl over there." I turn around looking at Jen who was wiping her tears away." That's your biological twin sister and you made her cry. She's the only family you have left. Don't lose her by not apologizing for your stupid mistake. I've craved for a family my whole life. You have one. It might not be big, but at least you have one. I've never even had one and let me tell you by experience it's hard being on your own. And I'm not just talking about living alone I'm talking about having no one to talk to when you're at your worst. When you need someone from your own blood, because at the end of the day only blood can understand blood the best." I blink away the tears that clogged up my vision. "Just please Heath. Don't leave your sister."
He looks at me trying to understand the fact that I'm not what I lead on. Eventually giving up," I'll be waiting in the car." And he walks out. I clench my jaw at his infuriating stubbornness.
I blink a couple of times drying my eyes. tI breathe deeply and turn around trying to tug on a smile. Jen wipes her tears away and stops crying. She hugs Holland and David. I walk over to them," It was nice meeting you."
"I'm sorry you had to see that." Holland apologizes.
"It wouldn't be a family without a couple of fights now would it?" I smile. I look at Jen." We should go." She nods and leaves. I leave seventy dollars on the table and walk out behind her.
The ride home was silent. Both Jen and Heath didn't say anything. Heath parked in front of the girls dorm. I grab my purse." I'm sorry." I hear Heath almost mumble, but the words were still clear enough to hear what he said.
Jen nods in approval. This causes me to smile and I get out of the car. Heath drives off without saying another word. We silently walk up to our room.
After we get to our room, Jen grabs a couple of clothes and walks into the bathroom. I on the other hand, drop my wallet on the floor and sit on my bed sighing.
Scrolling through my phone for about fifteen minutes, Jen finally comes out. I grab my clothes and do my business in the bathroom. After I come out, I throw my dirty clothes into the laundry basket and sit on my bed.
I stare at Jen who was laying on the bed staring at the ceiling. A couple of voiceless minutes later I break the silence," You want to talk about it?" I ask my voice a little rusty.
"Our parents died when we were fifteen. They were murdered. Heath and I both weren't home that day. I was at my dance lessons and Heath was at Dylan's place." She sits up," I was so happy that day." She lets out a dry laugh and tears start dripping from her brown eyes." I had just earned my solo performance at regionals. But when I came home so many police cars and ambulances were parked on the drive way. My aunt.. uh, Holland she had picked me up and just from her expression I knew something was wrong. I was fifteen not stupid. Eventually they told me and I cried. I had swollen eyes for over a month. Holland and David had become our legal guardians. They've been just like my parents. They never let me feel like they're not here anymore. Heath, on the other hand dealt with it in his own way. He became the guy that never smiled, more uptight, less patient, and just more lonely. He pushed people away. He's not a bad guy Riley. He's just lost. That little kid, at the age of fifteen, turned into an adult. He took care of me like he was my dad, but I think when he says to me that our parents are gone he's just trying to tell himself. He still hasn't accepted that after so many years. Even knowing that about him, his words still hurt. I just wanted to say thank you for standing up for me. I've never seen him get this impulsive before."
"You don't need to thank me Jen. I just didn't want your guys' relationship to fall apart. After all, you're the only family you guys have. I wished every single day that someone would come into my life and just fix my dad and I's relationship when I was younger." I close my eyes," Whatever, I don't want to be a downer. He apologized and you guys should be back to normal soon. Just don't sweat it. Okay?" She nods," Now let's get some sleep!" I lay down onto my bed," Good night."
"Good night Riley." And I turn off the lights. Did they find out who murdered their parents? I cringe at the word 'murdered'.
A/N:
Riley king:
-21
-5'7
-Brown eyes
-Dark brown hair
Heath Levers:
-22
-6'3
-tanned face
-chiseled jaw
-chocolaty hair (brown)
-brown eyes
Jennifer levers: (Heath's twin sister)
-22
-dark brown hair
-pale skin,
-brown eyes 5'9
Kylie: (Jen's friend)
-21
-5'6
-blonde
-tanned skin
Dylan: (Heath's childhood friend)
-22
-dating Kylie
-blonde hair
-blue eyes
-built
Ian: (Heath's friend)
-22
-black hair
-hazel eyes
-Muscular
Katherine: (On the basketball team)
-African American
-5'8
-dark brown eyes
-21
Kirsten: (Bitchy captain)
-black hair
-5'8
-22
-pale skin
Luke: (Football quarterback)
-22
-blue eyes
-blond
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