Glee: Race to the Finish (the fifth book in the Glee series)

Chapter 48: I Don't Care If You Love Me Anymore

"You ready to go?" asked Kitty as she and Riley finished having breakfast.

"You mean to be at school for like two hours and then come back?" Riley responded. "I may as well skip the rest of the day."

"You have glee today," Kitty sighed. "Besides, it was selfish of me to let you skip the first half of your day anyway. I just... I didn't want to be alone."

"I heard you, you know," Riley responded softly. "Crying... That's why I went over there... Jake's not coming back, is he?"

"No," Kitty answered, her eyes stinging as she said the honest word. "I don't think he is. But you know what I do know? I know that you and I are going to be fine."

"So you're not sending me off with him?" Riley asked, trying to act like she wasn't frightened. "Kitty, I know that one day you're going to find a guy but Jake was the only one who... He knew."

"If I ever do settle down with someone new," Kitty told her, "it'll be someone who understands that I have you and that I'm crazy and you're a mess. But he'll love us anyway, ok? And Jake still loves you. I don't want this to mean that... You're my daughter now, Riley. But he's still your friend. Don't hold all this against him." Riley nodded, though she still felt uneasy about her involvement in all of this. "Come on," Kitty told her. "Let's get you to school."

***

"So this wasn't how you pictured our little trip going, is it?" Sam asked Julie as the two stepped out by the lake after having breakfast. They had finally gotten away from their friends, who were nice to have around but had hardly given them any time to talk alone.

"It's not," Julie sighed. "But..."

"But?" Sam responded when she didn't.

She looked back at the cabin for any sign of another person and then back up at him to say, "Last night before they got here, we fell asleep talking and it was so nice but... I can't help but feel like something's holding you back."

Sam looked away, his hands in his pockets as he looked out at the water. "I don't know what to tell you, Julie. I guess every time I think about it, I—"

"Hey, love birds!" Amity called out from the cabin. "We're going to go down to a western club in an hour or so! You in?"

Julie and Sam exchanged glances. The last thing she wanted was another distraction to keep them from talking but Sam looked hellbent on avoiding the topic, so he called out, "Sure thing!" To Julie he said, "Come on, let's go get ready to get our country on."

He led the way back to the cabin and Julie had no choice but to follow, though all she wanted was to stop him and get him to tell her what was really going on.

***

When the group arrived at the western club in their best cowboy and cowgirl getup, they were surprised to find John and Alex there, carrying two infants wearing checkered dresses.

"Oh my god!" Julie exclaimed, opening her arms out as she approached Alex.

"You are not taking her from me," Alex said, moving Gaby away so that Julie couldn't get her. "I showered her, fed her, and changed her diaper several times today so I think I've earned the right to have her all night."

Julie smiled as Sam asked John, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, Alex was drunk so he stayed with me last night at you guys' place and..." John began. "Then Amity called and told me you were coming here so we thought we'd meet up."

"What's the deal with Jake and Kitty?" asked Alex curiously, watching as Jake showed his dance moves to Bree and Leila. "We invited her to come with us but she said she had too much work, a teenager to look after, and a Jake to be nowhere near."