Chapter 20: A stranger in the night
"We meant to tell you! We really did" my mother pleads, reaching for my hands.
"Come on Sandra! Let's be honest here, we weren't going to tell her until she turned 18, which I think is reasonable considering" my dad mutters whilst rubbing his forehead.
"Reasonable?!" I shriek dramatically, "how is any of this reasonable?! You've been lying to me my entire life and I just find out now that your work has been putting my life in danger since I got here!"
"Oh Violet" my mother sighs.
"No! Don't 'Oh Violet' me. Because of you guys I have to find a 'partner' before graduation or I'll be a disgrace to everyone in the town!"
The anger inside me is so overwhelming that my insides are jumbled up beyond belief, with my heart taking full control of my mind.
"So you found out about that part as well..." my mother asks, though it is clearly a conclusion.
"If I hadn't would you have kept that a secret too?!"
"Violet-" my dad starts pleadingly.
"Stop! Just stop! I'm done with all of this bull shit-"
"Language" my mother mumbles.
"You're in no position to tell me what to do! Because of you, my friends were forced to constantly lie to me!"
"That was Heather's duty as a member of our gang" my father defends.
"I'm not just talking about Heather!" I yell back, "I'm talking about Logan, Brendan, Ethan and Hunter as well!"
"HUNTER?!"
My father voice booms against the walls making my ear drums vibrate.
"You're friends with the son of my enemy?!?!" He asks angrily.
"Yeah. What about it?" I question, becoming a smidge quieter.
"Our families have been at war for generations!"
"What?"
Now everything seems even more confusing. Is that the reason why his family always used to have some sort of prior commitment whenever I came over?
"The fact that he didn't tell you is proof that he is just using you!" My father growls territorially.
"For what?" I question, my voice a hushed whisper.
"To get at me! His father was probably planning to have you fall for him and then be humiliated in front of the whole town. Then you would always be looked down on in the eyes of the gang!" My father explains.
"Richard, isn't that going a step too far?" My mother asks.
"Not for Dominic."
Shaking my head in confusion and a bit of frustration, I begin to back away from the conversation attempting to make it to my room unnoticed. My parents are still yelling at each other by the time I've made it to my door.
Sighing so deeply I can feel my heart banging against my rib cage, I slowly slide down the door. Then bringing my knees to my forehead I let out the barrage of tears that had been threatening to spill all day.
In just one day I have had my entire life twisted upside down, inside out and back to front! Everyone that I thought I knew has turned out to be backstabbing liar and tomorrow I have to go back to school and face all of them.
"Violet?"
My head shoots up from my knees. My eyes immediately lock with Hunter's through the window. However, this time his eyes aren't pleading or even empathetic. If anything, he looks regretful, as though his sadness is no longer directed at me and rather himself.
Nevertheless, I immediately raise myself to my feet, stomping to my window with balled fists. Swiftly yanking the window closed I watch in silent agony as his gorgeous eyes are suddenly cloaked in the transparent sheen of glass separating us.
I've gotta get out of here.
He seems to notice my suddenly defeated expression as I make my way back into the hallway, slamming my door behind me.
I've gotta get out of here... now
Ignoring my parents questioning shouts, I sprint down the stairs and straight out the front door. If I'm ever going to be able to get on with my life it'll be on my terms. I can't spend hours sitting alone in my bedroom with my parents knocking and Hunter's lingering gaze through the window. I have to get out. I have to escape.
I can't drive but that doesn't mean I can't run. If I can make it to the shops in this darkness then I can catch a bus to somewhere more secluded. Hopefully I won't catch too many muggers on the way there.
Tucking my hands into my pockets I begin to make my way down the street. Even at night everything seems so foreign to me. For a while I had gotten used to the weird feelings of driving down populated streets. Now all I see are the menacing shadows and my lingering nightmares.
"What are you doing, Vee?" Hunter asks from behind me.
Though I'm well past his house, he stands behind me in his grey tee and sweatpants like he barely walked a block. I'm honestly not surprised to see him. He was always the one following me when he was least wanted.
"I need to get out of here."
He doesn't have to ask why. He knows me well enough to understand.
"Can I tag along?" He asks hopefully, already knowing what I'll say.
"You sure your dad would approve? I mean aren't we supposed to hate each other? That's what my dad said at least" I spit back aggressively.
"I didn't let that stop me when I first met you, why should I let it now?" He responds calmly, as though he already knew what my dad had told me.
"Just leave me alone this once Hunter."
He observes me silently, his eyes an intricate maze of mystery and allure. On any other day I would have been weak at the knees. I mean, who wouldn't be? Even in this shadowed light, his slightly tousled hair and revealed biceps look like something from a magazine. Of course this annoyingly hot guy had to be the one I'm holding a grudge against.
"You might want to close that pretty mouth of yours before you catch flies" he taunts with a smirk.
Immediately realising my mistake, I close my mouth and fold my arms. Despite my deadly glare his cocky expression remains perfectly intact.
"Do you ever quit?"
"Depends whether you're going to come back with me or not?"
I'm honestly too overwhelmed to answer him, so I just turn away.
"I-I'm just so confused."
"I get it" he says deeply.
Damn it, even when he is comforting me I find it hard to breath. This is exactly the reason why I can't have him around when I'm trying to think.
"So" he continues awkwardly, "are you seriously going on a date with Ethan?"
His question has me spinning back around just to see his expression. I narrow my gaze at him, looking for any signs of jealousy. To my disappointment all I can find is a genuine curiosity. Looks like I was right. He's just a friend.
"Yeah, and as a friend I get that you might have your own opinion but honestly, I'm too tired and angry to care."
My words hit him like a brick, his eyes widening and eyebrows raising slightly. The expression makes him look younger, and a bit less intimidating.
"Ok then. I hope you get some time to think, "he replies neutrally, "Night Vee."
With that said, he turns away from me and disappears into the darkness like a figment of my imagination. Now I can't help but feel like he is toying with me. One second he cares whether or not I'm going out with Ethan and the next he is leaving me alone on the street in the middle of the night. Maybe he really is just a part of my imagination. Leave it to me to conjure up possibly the hottest guy in the country just to irritate myself.
Once I've made it to the bus stop I am simply shuffling along the pavement, in desperate need of a soft pillow and a warm bed. However, the lack of light from surrounding stores provides no reassurance of shelter whatsoever. But whatever the case, I'm not going home until I feel like I've thought everything through a few hundred times.
"Hey, are you waiting for the bus?" A masculine voice asks from beside me.
Jumping a bit, I spin to face a figure clad in denim.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh um that's ok. My fault."
This peculiar stranger seems to be in his early twenties but his teenage-like body language makes it easy to tell that he's around my age. Beneath a faded red beanie slumping off his head I can see a tuft of unkept dirty blonde hair. Yet, what strikes me most about him is his startling blue eyes. I don't think I've ever seen such blue eyes. They almost seem to glow in the darkness.
"Am I imagining you?"
The question just pops out of my mouth before I can stop it, his mysterious appeal hooking onto me.
He chuckles deeply, "bad night huh?"
"Yeah."
I'm about to go back to my normal position facing the curb when I spot him observing me. His eyes graze my features with an even more intent look than Hunter's.
"You look familiar" he thinks aloud, "ohhh right. You're Hunter's new play thing right?"
I have to blink a few times to distinguish whether his question was a joke or not.
"Sorry?" I ask a bit defensively.
"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that. From what I've heard you're not a brainless bimbo like the others. Of course his 'position' does seem to attract that sort of type."
"So you know about the whole 'gang' situation as well?" I conclude.
"What? No, I was talking about how popular he is, what were you talking about?" He asks in confusion.
My eyes immediately pop in surprise and embarrassment.
"Oh um, nothing, I-I just meant-"
"I'm kidding" he says with a laugh, "I'm in Hunter's gang."
"Oh" I say, sighing in relief.
"So, where are you heading?" He asks curiously, the corner of his lips quirking up a bit.
"Well, I don't really know. I just need somewhere to think" I mumble, bunching the edges of my sleeves in my palms to give some warmth.
We sit side by side for a few moments, so quietly that I can almost hear the wheels moving inside his head as he thinks something over. Then finally he speaks up again.
"You can always come with me to a party my friend Sadie is throwing" he suggests with a grin.
"A party?" I ask cautiously.
"Don't worry, it's not the kind you're used to. My friends and I are a bit more of an introverted group when it comes to stuff like that" he says, scratching the back of his neck.
I'm surprised by this since by his denim jacket and ab revealing t shirt I would have thought that he was a player like Hunter. He certainly has the looks to be one. Except unlike Hunter, he has a timid side. As if the universe didn't hate me enough already, it had to throw a mixture of Ethan and Hunter in between the two just to mix things up.
"Now how do I know that you're not a 40 yr old alcoholic who's gonna kidnap me in his beaten up red car?" I question jokingly.
"Well" he says amusedly, "for one, I'm way too funny to be a 40 yr old creep and secondly, I also know Hunter."
I crack a grin at his attempt at a joke.
"How do I know you're not lying about knowing Hunter?" I question once more.
"He's a self obsessive, cocky bastard that loves to catch girls staring at him."
"Ok I believe you now."
My giggle mingles with his deep chuckle until I can't help but smile at how adorable we sound together. Damn it, what kind of water are the boys in this town drinking?!
"You know what" I start with determination, "maybe a distraction wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."
"Atta girl Vee," he encourages, causing me to quirk an eyebrow at him.
"You know my name?"
"You realise that Hunter talks about you none stop right? And I'd be more than happy to steal his nickname for you."
"Well I don't know about that. He's been very territorial of the nickname" I muse, trying to ignore the tingling sensation I get in my stomach from his mention of Hunter.
Just as I'm about to ask what he meant by 'Hunter talking about me', the bus pulls up in front of us.
He stands swiftly, reaching at least a head taller than me, and probably even a little taller than Hunter.
"You coming?" He asks teasingly.
I grin but follow him as he clambers into the bus.
"I'm Jay by the way," he greets deeply as we pull away from the curb.
"Nice to meet you Jay."
After that, I just sit there in silence, staring out the windows at the world of darkness surrounding us, as I'm led straight into the unknown.
Hi guys!
I'm sooooo sorry for not updating in the last like 4 weeks, I tried to make this chapter long to make up for it. Anyways, I went through a bit of a lazy phase just before school started. But now that it has started again and I'm constantly getting bored in class I'll probably go back to my weekly updating promise. I guess I'll see you in a week or less, it's like 1am here so I should probably get to sleep.
PS: The actor playing Jay is below and yes you will be seeing more of him. Ship names are more than welcome in comments.
Xoxo
Jay (sweet Jesus! I need some holy water over here bruh 😍😱😭)