Happy Everly After

Chapter 13

The car came to a stop, and I absently looked down at my hands. I began scraping off my already chipped nail varnish, trying to distract myself.

Owen's spoke first, but I couldn't quite decipher the tone.

"So", he said, and I mimicked his word.

I chewed on my cheek, contemplating just getting out of the car. Awkward silences with Owen were rare and unwelcome. He turned to me, one hand casually draped over the steering wheel, while the other hovered dangerously close to my thigh.

"Can we just forget about today? It happened; it's done with. You're my girl, King, and I don't want anything to come between our friendship".

His words again cut through me in a way they shouldn't have. They were perfectly nice and reasonable, yet I couldn't help the uneasy feeling they stirred within me.

"You're right", I said, forcing a fake smile. Playfully, I gave him a shove and added, "besides, you're not that great of a kisser anyways".

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response" he replied as his face twisted into a smug smirk.

I bit my lip as he lightly brushed his hand across my cheek before quickly pulling back as if he regretted it. With both hands now firmly on the steering wheel, he stared at something outside the window. Taking this as my cue to leave.

"I'll message you later", he said without turning towards me.

"Sure thing. Actually, we do need to talk. You know Charlotte and Riley are together now?"

He spun his head towards me in surprise. "Since when?"

I shrugged. "A while now. Charlotte told me after her rant earlier today. Funny how she was lecturing us, and then she just drops that little bombshell".

He looked visibly annoyed. "I can't really say anything, but we all promised not to blur any lines".

Sighing softly, I replied, "well, that makes all of us liars then".

Feeling like there was nothing else left to say, I shut the car door and headed towards my house. Glancing back at Owen as he sat deep in thought, I gave him an unenthusiastic wave before turning away.

He's going to waste no time getting into it with Charlotte, I thought, as I plopped down on to the couch.

My English homework was due tomorrow, and I begrudgingly pulled out my laptop to proofread it. It was a monotonous task, but still necessary. I had to retake my GCSE. A few minutes later, my phone lit up with a notification. I assumed it would be a text from either Charlotte or Owen since they both mentioned talking more later, but it turned out to be from my dad.

We hadn't seen each other in over a month, and his message seemed full of longing and hurt. Guilt tugged at me, but no matter what my mum said, I still felt abandoned by him. He had moved on with his new life and destroyed our family in the process. I didn't even realise how unhappy they were until it was too late. I guess I inherited their ability to hide what was really going on. He followed up his message with,

I love and miss you. Please come to see me this weekend!

A part of me also missed him. We talked more openly than I did with my mum. Maybe that's why I avoided spending time with him. I didn't want him to know.

I typed out my reply.

"I think I'm going to Charlotte's on Saturday, but maybe you can come pick me up on Sunday?"

In truth, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to go. We were all at odds with each other, and it didn't feel like we could just put on a movie and pretend everything was okay. He promptly replied,

I'm glad you guys are talking again. Sunday works for me. See you then!

As I went back to my homework, my phone flashed again.

Oh, and Vicky won't be here, it's just a me and you day.

I smiled triumphantly, even better.

It was Friday, but I didn't have that Friday feeling. My mum drove me to school, a glint of happiness in her eyes knowing that I would be spending time with my dad this weekend. School itself was uneventful, except for seeing Charlotte and Owen in passing. There was still a slight tension between us, but we were civil enough.

But even that tension couldn't dampen our enthusiasm for our weekend plans, as evidenced by the ping of our group chat. Charlotte excitedly shared the snacks she had picked up for us, each one tailored to our individual tastes. Riley, however, remained silent. I couldn't help but wonder what excuse he had given Charlotte for not joining us - not that I cared as long as he wasn't there. Just the thought of a day without his presence was enough to make me content.