Addison's P.O.V:
"Ugh! Fine, I'll go," he said in defeat, "Don't miss me too much Addie," he said again as he closed the door after getting out of the car.
"What did Leroy do this time?" Iris asked immediately Ryan closed the door.
They both know only one person on the face of the earth can get me that angry. And they both know why I can't tell Ryan.
Well, here's the chain:
I tell Ryan about Leroy, he castrates Leroy, my brother finds out and Ryan ends up with the same fate as Leroy; no kids in the future.
In short, things get ugly.
So last thing I'll do is let Ryan know about Leroy.
"You guys know his assistant?"
"Uh, yeah, Brooklyn, right?" Julia inquires.
"Yeah. Well, during the meeting, she went to the bathroom. She looked devastated so I followed her. I found her crying and she told me it was because of him. Turns out he-" I explained and Iris cut me short.
"No, he did not!"
Why is this such a big deal?
Oh, how could I forget?
It's because Brooklyn has four big brothers and no guy even dares to go near her because of them. How she even made it to that party in the first place is a mystery.
"Yes, he did and he hurt her by doing it again with Ava the day before yesterday," I answered.
Ava is the school's Queen Bitch and she is the next cheer captain, or so people say, and my personal nightmare. Ever since... I don't know, forever?
But that's a story for another day.
"Brook actually thought they had something but he just frikin' played her!" I waved my hands in the air incensed by Rider's behavior.
"I can't believe he did that to her," Julia said, clearly flummoxed.
"I still can't see why my family love him so much and why my parents send me and not Chris to their place," I cross my hands over my chest.
Yes.
You heard that right.
They send me to his house on almost a daily basis to deliver some document to his parents.
I hate going there but there is always a bright side to that trip.
Annabelle, his small sister.
She is such a gem; in short, nothing like her big brother.
Julia and Iris both rant non-stop about how he keeps doing this and how he's always pinning a different girl on the lockers every day.
They immediately change the topic to something about dresses or something like that when Ryan opened the door.
It was almost comical how they changed the topic once they heard the door handle click.
"But seriously, Leroy should be put in his place *door clicks* that sells chiffon dresses, it's just amazing!" Julia says and I stifle a laugh.
"I know, right? I especially loved the black one with silver details," Iris adds.
I couldn't do it anymore.
I burst out laughing.
"What's so funny about dresses?" he asks, handing us our burgers.
I happily take mine and look at the girls.
They were giving me death glares and I smiled sheepishly at them.
"Oh, it's just that those dresses are so out of season," I said casually.
Totally saved it.
"Okaaay... So, we're still on for tomorrow?" he asks, taking a monster-sized bite out of his own burger.
I raise a brow at him and he gives me cheeky grin.
Then it clicks.
"Oh," I take a bite out of my burger and steal a glance at Julia and Iris to see if they were listening.
"Yeah, we are," I reply and wipe some sauce of my face with a napkin.
"Where are you guys going?"
I really need to find these two boyfriends.
"Yeah, where?" Julia adds.
"We're heading to my house for a project. Remember, the chemistry one?" he said and saved!
We decided to head the movies and on the way there, my phone buzzed with a text.
"Oh no," I muttered when I read it.
*Chris: Come home now. Mom and Dad want to send you to the Riders.*
It read.
A text from dear big brother.
I frowned at my phone to see if I had suddenly turned dyslexic but I hadn't.
But now I wish I had.
"What's wrong?" Ryan asks.
"My parents want me home now," I spoke with a sigh. Should've put my phone on silent.
"But, but, but Sandra Bullock!" Iris whined.
"You can see her after you guys drop me off," I said and sighed once more.
"Fine," Julia grunts, "Re-routing then."
I still don't get why the send me and not someone like Chris, or one of the drivers.
Why me?
I stared at that one text and tried not to reply with that question.
Instead, I sent him:
*Kay, be there in fifteen.*
After a few minutes of debating whether that was what I was going with, I hit send and shoved the phone back in my jean pocket.
I let out a frustrated sigh and crossed my arms over my chest.
I felt a finger under my chin, slowly lifting my head to look at the owner of the hand.
I looked into his hazels and let myself drown in them.
They had a lot of compassion in them. I wanted to stare at the depth of them for the rest of the night.
But he had different plans.
He leaned in and eliminated all the distance between our lips.
Just what I needed.
We continued, keeping the same pace, ignoring the fact that our lungs needed air.
I melted at his touch and I felt his breathe hitch at mine.
Just as our pace started to quicken, someone coughed.
We pulled away, opening our eyes and smiling widely. He rest his forehead on mine, just looking into my eyes.
"Uh guys, we're here," Julia said just as he was about to connect our lips again.
My eyes widened, my head snapping to my surrounding while Ryan let out a low curse.
"Yeah, we've been waiting for you guys to notice that for the last five minutes," Iris continued, adding to my fears.
Wait... Hold up... Five minutes?!
I didn't wanna start yelling at them for not telling me, because that would never end.
I mumbled goodbyes, glared at Iris and Julia and hopped out of the car, bracing myself for the FBI-level of interrogation that was sure to come once inside.
It was dark out, so they couldn't have seen what happened in the car. Besides, the car windows were tinted.
But they probably wondered why I was in the car that long.
I'll just make up something about having a serious best-friend-meeting, hoping they will buy it.
You're probably wondering why I'm kind of freaking out.
Yes, five minutes is that long.
Or maybe I'm over-reacting?
I mean, I am almost eighteen.
I shook my head.
Definitely not over-reacting.
As soon as I opened the door, Chris attacked me.
"That was Julia's car right? Who was with you? Why did you delay that long?" he continued and I started asking myself why I didn't come in through the back.
"My day was awesome, thanks for asking. Are you done?" I stated when he paused.
"Yes, I"m done. But I have to break it to you-"
"Air Con!" Cindy cut him off, pushed past him and jumped, wrapping her arms around my neck and legs around my waist.
"Hey! Sis! You're not as light as you used to be anymore!" I struggled to keep her from falling.
Meet, my little sister, Cindy Jane Rawlins.
She got off me and I pulled her into a proper hug.
"How's my favorite sister doing?" I asked once we pulled away
"I'm your only sister," she states in a duh tone.
"Well, you do call me Air Con..." I trailed off and she pouted.
We are interrupted by a cough.
Uggghhh!
I swear, if I hear another cough today, I'm gonna...
"Are you two done?" Chris asks, quoting me from earlier.
"You were gonna tell me something?" I said with a tired sigh.
"Uh... yeah," he scratched the back of his neck.
"Mom and dad aren't home," he finished and I gaped at him.
Did I hear that right?
"What?" I asked even though I knew I heard him right.
"Our parents aren't home Addie," he uttered, giving me this goofy smile that looked stupid on him.
"Why you little..." I lunged for his neck.
I ain't taking this tonight.
"Wait!" he yelled just as I got a firm grip around his neck.
"Sis, they actually left a document and sent a text saying you should take it there," he defended himself, and I let go of his neck.
"Proof, or it didn't happen," I said and he pulled out his phone after rubbing his neck a little.
After a few swipes, he showed me the screen of his phone.
*Mom: Call Addie immediately you see this and tell her to come home and take a document to the Riders. We left it on the coffee table in a white envelope. Oh, and tell her that it needs to be there by the end of tonight. XOXO*
I stared at that one message for what felt like hours reading, then re-reading, and repeating, my mind still trying to fathom the reason behind them saying me and not Chris.
Or even one of the drivers.
I sighed and walked into the living room.
"So, where's the said document?" I inquired and Cindy ran ahead of me.
"Here it is!" she announced as if she had just found gold and held out the white envelope to me.
My green-eyed, blonde-headed, eighth-grader little sister enjoyed Rider's presence too.
She is just too cute, I don't wanna shatter her bubble of joy.
"No, he's not," I said softly, "I'm heading there," I continue and inwardly shudder at the thought.
"Can I come?" she says in high hopes.
If only they knew...
If only they all knew...
"No Cindy, It's dark out and it's late. I promise I'll be back soon though," I gave her a soft smile and she smiled back.
She pulled me into a hug, seemingly sadly.
But she didn't seem to mind the fact that she isn't accompanying me.
"Will you be back soon?" She softly asks.
"Promise," I tightened my hold around her in comfort. She just missed her big sister.
I could tell because that's what I always asked when Chris would go to a party in his high school year.
"Okay," she says sadly and pulls away.
I gave her a comforting smile as I rubbed her arms and once I was sure her smile was genuine, I said my goodbyes and headed for the door.
I looked at the document as I opened the door and it looked overall important.
"Bye Air Con!" she yelled comically and I smiled while rolling my eyes at the nickname.
"See you soon Cindy!" I shout back and shut the door behind me.
I walked and while looking at the document, the guard at the gate stops me.
After assuring him that I didn't need a ride, he opened the gate for me with a smile and I stepped out.
Yes, I don't need a ride.
His place is about ten minutes away on foot.