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“Ready to talk about it?”Crew asks, at the same time he hands me a helmet.
“Not yet. Let’s just go see our parents and see what they have to say. We’ll talk later. Promise.” When we get back from this meeting, I have to tell Crew and Jagger the truth about who I am. It can’t wait any longer, now that Neo’s dad knows I know. They’ll either tell me it changes nothing, or they’ll tell me it changes everything.
Content with my decision, Crew pulls down his helmet and flings one leg over the seat before dropping down. I follow suit and get behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist.
The snow hasn’t stopped falling since last night, and it looks like we’ve got a good six inches. With any luck, it’ll stop soon because the last thing we need is our parents getting snowed in at The Academy. We need them gone and we need them gone now.
My nerves are at an extreme high when we pull up to the community center. The last time I saw my mom and dad, I was a different person. Now when I look them in the eye, I have to lie. The same way my mom has lied to me for the last eighteen years of my life. I’m not even sure if my dad knows I’m not his biological child. I can’t imagine he doesn’t if Sebastian knows.
Crew offers me his black gloved hand and helps me off the sled. Once we’ve hung our helmets, we meet Jagger and Riley halfway. “Brr.” Riley shivers, hugging her arms to her chest.
Jagger scoffs, looking up at the falling flakes. “This snow needs to stop because if I’m forced to stay a night with my dad at this place, I’ll lose my shit.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I tell him.
Jagger lifts a smile on his face, finally. That one simple look offers me a moment of happiness. I was so worried I wouldn’t see it directed at me again. When he takes my hand, my stomach floods with warmth.
I curl around his arm, gripping it with my other hand as we all walk up to the community center together. Riley is talking with Crew about her dad, while telling him she’s certain he’s not here because none of this pertains to them. I’m not expecting him either, since this gathering is about Maddie and the Aima Chapter in The Society, which Riley is not part of.
Regardless, I’m glad she’s here for moral support. It’ll also make my parents happy to see I’ve made a friend that’s a girl. For the longest time, forever really, Maddie has been my only female friend—or friend at all, for that matter. I’ve never liked people much, and while I still don’t like most, these ones walking up here with me right now are keepers. Especially the cute boys.
I look up at Jagger and find his soft honey eyes already on mine. “Should we break this up before they see us?” I’m referring to his hold on me, or mine on him, rather. But I don’t have to say so, because he knows. And when he responds with an assured, “No,” it reaffirms everything we have.
For obvious reasons, they can’t know about Crew and me yet. There’s always a chance it’ll get back to Maddie and I need to be the one to tell her before she hears it from someone else.
Crew opens one of the double doors and holds it open for the rest of us. Once we’re inside, we all stomp the snow from our boots and shake the flakes off our coats.
Riley shivers. “Warmth. My old friend.”
We’re not even three feet down the hall when our parents spill out of one of the larger rooms on the right.
“Oh, Scarlett,” my mom gushes as she attacks me with a hug. Dad stands directly behind her, stern and serious, with his hands in his pockets. He’s not always like this, but when he’s around these guys, he puts on a tough guy facade. At home, he’s a soft teddy bear.
My first instinct is to push my mom away and demand the truth, but the joy of seeing her overpowers my anger at her lies. We will deal with that, but now isn’t the time. This is about Maddie, and me and the guys need to assure our parents that everyone is safe here and Maddie is not on BCA property.
So, for now, I let her hold me as long as she wants to because she gives the best hugs. Once she steps back and observes me, making sure I’m healthy and safe, she lets my dad step in.
“We’ve missed ya, baby girl.” He wraps one arm around my neck and pulls me close.
“Missed you, too, Dad.” My heart is shattered. It’s a struggle just to hold it together. How is it possible that this man isn’t my dad? It’s not. I cannot even fathom the possibility.
“We’re gonna find her,” Dad says, assuming my emotional state is because of Maddie’s disappearance. He hugs me tighter, and when he steps back, I pull him back in, not ready to let go.
After a few moments have passed, I loosen my hold on him and he kisses the top of my head. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, or what blood is in my veins,thisis my dad.
Everyone is chatting and saying hello when I glance at Jagger, who’s standing three feet apart from his dad, not saying a word. I’ve always felt tension between those two, and right now, it’s thicker than ever.
“What’s this thing going on with you and Cole’s son?” Dad asks, catching my stare at Jagger. “Saw you two walking up together. Looked pretty cozy.”
“Dad,” I drawl, swatting his arm. “Were you spying on me?”
“Always. And now that I know the Cole boy has his eyes on you, I’ll be spying on him, too.”
Better get those eyes checked, because you’re gonna need to watch more than just me and Jagger.
Crew and his parents break up the conversations with a heavy bout of laughter, and it’s a nice relief from the dreary days we’ve had here at The Academy this week. The Vances are very funny, down-to-earth people, much like my family. Jagger’s dad, not so much. And his mom, who is a high-fashion photographer, is always traveling, so we rarely even see her, even at meetings. I’m not surprised she’s not here.
