He Caught Her Eye (Caught #1)[UNEDITED]

13

Cover made by @EllaChio. Thank you! :)

RIANA GARCIA

"Riana!" Mom shouts and I freeze before meeting her eyes, my utensils causing quite a noise once dropped on my plate.

"Yes, Mom?" I ask her innocently, my eyes widening. Dad and Marla just look at me expectantly. Dad is Latin and Mom is American. Marla looks a lot like Mom while I look a lot like Dad, though the resemblance between my sister and I is canny. Marla got his eyes and I got everything else, my dark eyes the only feature Mom and I visibly share.

"I told you to pass me the ketchup about a million times already!" Mom scolds me in her usual annoyed tone. I pass her the ketchup in a blink of an eye, I don't want her to get mad. Not now.

"Sorry, Mom," I mumble an apology.

She narrows her eyebrows, my apology not enough for her to feel satisfied. "Who are you texting? Why are you so busy with that damn phone?"

Mom seems to be in a bad mood ever since she and Dad returned from their trip. Marla and I don't know what happened, but it's obvious they had a big fight. They don't sleep in the same room anymore, Mom insisting Dad to take one of the large guest rooms.

"I might leave for Latlint in a month," Dad announces, making us all look at him with such urgency.

"Where exactly in Latlint?" I automatically murmur loud enough for him to hear, not wanting him to leave. The country Latlint isn't exactly known for its tourist spots anyway.

Dad just shrugs. "Zarentil. Your Uncle Von isn't doing so well." Uncle Von is Dad's brother, who he still keeps in touch with. Uncle Von is the only family we have in Dad's side. Mom has two younger siblings whom she doesn't really keep in touch with — Uncle Galla, who I heard left the country, and Aunt Alyssa, who's responsible for my second name. I haven't heard much about Uncle Galla except that he's fun and annoying (according to Mom) while Aunt Alyssa is a single mom raising her only daughter who runs a fast-food restaurant. Dad claimed I got my rad cooking skills from her.

"What? And you're going to lend him money?"
Mom scoffs, finally opening her mouth, her voice sounding cold - a sign of another upcoming conflict Marla and I will have to witness.

Dad's eyes shift to Mom, his blue eyes full of emotions I can't seem to put in words. "He's my brother, Gloria. And his health is declining."

"Well, I wanna visit Marithstone this year." Mom blurts out flatly like it means no big deal. Marla and I roll our eyes. Mom always wanted more. We travel outside of Philiandel almost every season, and somehow all the places we've been to have never been enough for her. "But unfortunately your brother keeps asking you for help. Doesn't he have any of his own savings?"

Oh God. "I'm going to book a flight online soon," Dad comments decidedly, getting up from his seat before Mom can explode. Mom looks up at him.

"How long will you be away?" Mom questions him curiously.

"Six months..." Dad answers her slowly, eyes trailing to the floor.

The fuck?

"SIX MONTHS!?" Mom reacts immediately, raising her voice. "Six months!?"