Forever The Maine

Chapter 29

JOHN'S POV

I let Elena pull me through the empty hallways back down to the pool where her parents and Tim were standing awkwardly in eachother's presence.

"Mom, Dad." She says marching right up to them-barely even AKNOWLADGING Tim, which made me feel a little happy inside.

"Come up to my room and let's talk about this."

They eye her and I skeptically but nod, and we lead them up to the second floor.

I take a seat on the couch in our room and Elena sits next to me, her parents opting for the two desk chairs. Katy plops right down on the bed, laying on her back and fiddling with my iPod.

"You guys are together," Katy blurts, still on her back.

I turn beat red and feel Elena tense. "Yep," she says.

"I can tell by your background," Katy replies, holding up my iTouch to us, revealing a picture of her and I last spring.

I sneak a peek at her dad who's jaws tightens and arms flex beneath his linen shirt. Her mother shoots me a disapproving look before turning her nose back up and exhaling.

"And I don't need your approval," Elena adds, shooting a look at her parents.

Her mom's face said that she wasn't done discussing this, but her father moved on.

"We just want you to come home," he said.

She squirmed next to me. "That's the thing. I don't want to."

Her mom shot out of her chair. "But why! Why not? We're your family, there's nothing here-"

"Stop." Elena holds up her hand. "Just stop right there. There is SO much here for me. These guys were here for me when you weren't. They were my family when you guys didn't act like one."

This time her father jumps out of his chair. "And we're trying to put the pieces of this relationship back together. I'm not going to apologize for what Daniel did-"

"Who's Daniel?" Katy interrupts, sitting up.

Her parents go stark white and I realize that they had no intention of letting that slip. But Elena beats them to it.

"Daniel is your big brother."

I want to give her a huge highfive and congratulate her on being so ballsy, but refrain from doing so.

"Elena," Her mom says sternly.

But she continues. "He's your big brother, Katy. But he's dead now. He died when you were five." Her voice cracks on that last word, and I squeeze her hand harder.

Mr. Meyer clenches his teeth. "Elena Meyer."

"No," she says, turning to face them once again. "If you want this family to come the slightest bit closer, she needs to know. About it all."

And so they tell her.