Renee's River | √

44. queries & revealed secrets

❝No use wondering

While your change in heart has wandered

So I ask you this question

'cause it might help me sleep longer.❞

- Alessia Cara, Out Of Love.

"Hey, where are you going? It's Sunday today, I thought we were going to spend the day together," Tanner said Sunday morning seated on the counter, a cup of tea in hand.

"I'm sorry, big brother," I countered. "I'd made plans to hang out with a friend."

Something in me screamed 'liar!', but I wasn't lying, was I? Zee was my friend.

Yeah, and Tanner's ex-girlfriend.

"Do I know this friend?" Tanner asked, an eyebrow raised.

I swallowed, "Uh, nope," I answered, shaking my head.

Tanner tilted his head to a side, "Are you lying to me, Renée?"

How could I forget he could see through my lies? "Fine. I'm meeting up with River."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," I chuckled and walked to the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water even if I had no interest in having water at the moment. I only did that so I would no longer be under Tanner's microscopic look.

"Well, okay," Tanner shrugged. "Have fun, and call if anything happens."

"Sure," I replied, taking a gulp of water just for show.

"Plus, yesterday I had to go into your bathroom because my hair wash finished, and I found out that you had a bunch of hair stuff, so yeah, I used some of your shampoo."

I realized then that he was talking about the hair products Zee had given me the last time we saw. I took another gulp of water, "It's no problem."

"Where did you get them from?" He raised his eyes to look at me.

Why was this happening today? Why was he asking things in which the answers had to do with Zee?

"A friend from school gave it to me," I answered.

It sucked lying to Tanner. Especially lying to his face, he didn't deserve it, but I was scared. He always shut down from merely hearing her name, and I was scared that he wouldn't be too pleased if I told him Zee had given me all that... or that I would be seeing her in a few minutes.

"You sure have nice friends, don't you?"

"Mhm," I nodded, walking to where he sat and tiptoed, kissing his forehead. "I have to go now. I'll see you later?"

"Alright. Love you."

*

One of the disadvantages of not knowing how to drive was having to always take a cab wherever you had to go, and one of the problems of having to take a cab was spending money. I had never had to take cabs because if Tanner wouldn't be my chauffeur, then Kaleb would have to do it, but now that we weren't speaking, I could tell that me and cabs would be friends. It was just a part of not being dependent on Kaleb. I missed him so much, but after the incident last Monday, he hadn't tried to talk to me. No calls, no texts, and I wasn't going to lie and say it didn't hurt. I tried to push the thoughts aside as I walked up to the house address Zee had given me.

The house was very unfamiliar, and I knew that this wasn't the house Zee lived in with her parents. Did she live alone? The house exterior was cute and I was eager to see the interior. I rang the doorbell almost three times when the front door opened.