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Dad rushed out after a quick phone call, leaving his breakfast half-eaten. I had no idea what had him so busy.
With my phone and laptop confiscated, I was stuck lounging on the sofa, flipping through TV channels while waiting for Lily to show up.
Bella sprawled on the other end of the sofa, glued to her phone. Her left leg was crossed over her right, her bare foot swaying lazily, looking perfectly at ease.
Lily would be here soon, and having Bella around could complicate things. I needed to nudge her out. "Hey, Bells."
"What's up, weirdo?" she replied without looking up.
Years ago, she'd sprained her ankle and limped for a bit. I'd just watched a martial arts flick, so I dubbed her "Speedy." She hated it at first, fought me on it, but I kept at it. Eventually, she gave in and even fired back, calling me "Psycho." Honestly, I kind of liked it—it fit my vibe.
"You've got the weekend off," I said, leaning forward. "Why not hang out with your friends?"
"I've got two days free, so I'm chilling at home," she said, eyes still on her screen.
"Come on, go out for a bit."
"Nope," she drawled, dragging out the word.
I reached over, playfully tugging at her toe. "Just go have some fun."
She didn't pull away, just rolled her eyes. "You're so annoying. Why're you trying to get rid of me?"
"I've got studying to do," I said, giving her foot a gentle shake. "Homework's piling up."
"Study then. Doesn't bother me." She yanked her foot back.
"You being here messes with my focus."
She smirked. "What, am I emitting brain-scrambling waves now?"
"It's just… you're distracting," I said, grinning. "Your face bugs me so much I can't concentrate."
She kicked at me. "Get lost."
I dodged, chuckling, and started a silly rhyme. "Little Speedy, quick and spry…"
Bella didn't bite. She curled up her feet, still tapping at her phone, and shot back, "Psycho Alex, head held high, gets a smack and wonders why."
The doorbell cut us off. I hopped up and opened it to find Lily standing there, a bright smile on her face. She was dressed casually: a sea-blue jacket, white cropped pants, pink sneakers, and a backpack slung over one shoulder. Her ponytail bounced, bangs framing her lightly made-up face, radiating girl-next-door charm.
Tall for her grade—almost my height—she had a balanced, graceful figure, standing straight with none of the slouch some kids had. Her posture reminded me of Victoria's. Back when Lily used to visit, I'd sneak Victoria's clothes for her to try on. They fit perfectly, but Lily couldn't quite capture Victoria's vibe. Something about the aura, maybe.
Lily's mom and Victoria had been friends for nearly a decade. Lily had been coming over since we were kids—childhood sweethearts, more or less. She and Bella were tight, too.
Bella glanced up, smirking. "Oh, so that's why you wanted me gone. Got a VIP coming over." She waved at Lily. "Hey, long time no see!"
Lily, used to Bella's teasing, grinned back. "Hey, Bells. School's out for the weekend?"
"Yeah." Bella pouted dramatically. "I finally get a break, and this guy's trying to kick me out. Who knows what he's plotting."
"Enough with the drama," I said, nudging Lily toward my room. She slipped off her backpack, pausing. "Hold on, I need the bathroom."
While she was gone, I leaned toward Bella, lowering my voice. "Wanna hit the movies? I'll cover you."
She didn't look up. "Not interested."
"Come on, I'll give you a hundred bucks."
She glanced at me, eyes narrowing. "Make it two hundred."
"Where am I getting that kind of cash?"
"Your stamp collection," she said slyly. "One of those is worth at least a hundred."
"Fifty," I countered.
"Two hundred."
"Seventy."
"Two hundred."
"Forget it." I leaned back, thinking I'd rather spend the money on a hotel room.
"One-fifty," she offered, sensing my hesitation.
"One hundred. Take it or leave it."
"Throw in a movie ticket."
"Deal."
"And a new board game."
I groaned. "You're killing me. That's way over two hundred with the stamps."
"Then just give me two hundred."
I gritted my teeth. "Fine. One hundred, a ticket, and a game later. Now go."
Bella stood slowly, muttering, "So eager to ditch me. Definitely up to something shady."
As she slipped out the door, Lily emerged from the bathroom. "Bells left?"
"Yeah, she's off to catch a movie."
"Oh," Lily said, disappointed. "I was hoping to catch up with her. It's been a while."
"Forget her, she's a pest," I said, impatience creeping in. I slid an arm around her shoulders, steering her to my room. She grabbed her backpack, frowning. "What's the rush?"
I ushered her inside, closed the door, and rubbed my hands together, grinning. Her cheeks flushed—she knew that look. "I knew it," she said, swatting at me. "You and your 'studying' excuse."
"Work first, study later," I teased, stepping closer.
I pulled her into a hug, guiding her toward the bed, leaning in for a kiss. She pressed her hands to my face, pushing me back, and sat up, serious. "Alex, we can't keep doing this."
I wrapped my arms around her from behind, hands resting lightly on her waist, kissing her neck softly. "What do you mean? What's wrong with this?"
She squirmed, exasperated. "Stop it. I need to talk to you—seriously."
"Serious is overrated," I mumbled, nuzzling closer. "This is way more fun."
She dodged, grabbing her backpack and smacking my head with it. "Can you be serious for two seconds?"
I rubbed my head, faking a pout. "I'm super serious. Look, my hands are behaving." Seeing her frown, I straightened up. "Okay, fine. What's up?"
She sat on the bed's edge, looking down. "My mom chewed me out yesterday."
I blinked. "What? Why? She's cool with us, right?"
Lily hesitated, then said, "She asked if we were… together. You know."
I raised an eyebrow, playing dumb. "Together how?"
She grabbed a pillow and chucked it at my face. "Don't act stupid. You know what I mean."
I caught it, laughing. "Okay, okay. So, how'd she find out? Did you spill?"
She glared. "No, your stepmom told her on WeChat. How did Victoria know, Alex?"
I scratched my head, guilty. "Uh… no idea. Maybe she guessed?"
Lily crossed her arms. "Did you tell her?"
"What, am I an idiot? Why would I tell her that?"
"So what'd you say when she asked you yesterday?"
I paused, thinking. "What'd you tell your mom?"
She sighed. "She asked what we were doing in the storage room. I said you tried to kiss me, but I stopped you."
I grinned. "Liar. You kissed me first."
She gasped, reaching for my ear. "You begged me to!"
"Ow, okay, okay!" I yelped, pulling away. "My fault, happy?"
She let go, eyes narrowing. "What did you tell Victoria?"
I shrugged. "Said we were playing hide-and-seek."
She laughed, smacking me with the pillow again. "Hide-and-seek? In senior year? No wonder she didn't buy it."
"What was I supposed to say? That you were trying to jump me?"
"You're the one who's trouble," she shot back, smirking.
"So, what'd your mom say after?"
"Just scolded me. Didn't say much else."
I clapped, grinning. "See? They've been teasing us about being a couple forever. They probably expected this. Back in the day, we'd already be married with kids by now."
She frowned. "Can you not swear so much?"
"Me? You were cursing up a storm the other day."
Her face reddened. "That was your fault!"
She grabbed the pillow, hammering my head repeatedly. I blocked it, laughing. "Okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
She stopped, panting, and glared. "Do that again, and I'm telling Victoria."
I smirked. "Already snitching to my stepmom? Careful, I'll make your life hell if we get married."
She rolled her eyes. "Who says I'm marrying you?"
I leaned back, grinning. "Maybe it's better we don't. Free as birds, right? Sky's the limit."
Her eyes welled up, and she grabbed her backpack, heading for the door.
I caught her hand, pulling her back. "Hey, I was kidding! Come on, we're perfect together. Lovebirds, soulmates, the whole deal. If we don't get married, the universe'll riot."
She held it together for a second, then laughed, tears spilling. "You're such a jerk. Always joking around like some wannabe player."
I muttered, "Sounding more like Victoria every day."
She smiled, nudging me. "Maybe you should call me Mom, then."
"Mom," I said without missing a beat.
Her cheeks flushed, and she grabbed her backpack, heading to the desk. "You're shameless."
I was burning up, barely holding it together. I followed her, grinning like an idiot. "Come on, Mom, let's have some fun first, then study."
She spun around, glaring. "Are we studying or not? Because I'll leave right now."
"Study, study!" I grabbed her arm, panicking. If she left, I'd lose it. I had to keep her here.
We sat down to study, but my mind was elsewhere. Sitting so close, her warmth and the faint scent of her shampoo drove me wild. My whole body felt like it was on fire, and I shifted uncomfortably, trying to focus.