AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She owns it?”
“Yeah, her family is pretty wealthy and got her started with it.”
“That’s pretty neat,” he says.
I nod.
“I’m sorry if I was too forward the other day.”
I reassure him with a smile. “Truly, it’s no problem at all.”
Eric glances at me. “Sorry if it’s weird to say, but I find that you have a fascinating aura about you. It’s as if there’s a story waiting to be told.”
I pause for a moment and allow his observation to sink in. “You’re perceptive,” I say, a hint of vulnerability seeping into my voice. “There is indeed a story—one filled with twists and turns, triumphs, and heartaches. But it’s not a story I often share.”
His words touch a chord within me.
His eyes soften, and in that moment, I feel a sense of trust, something I don’t feel often or this easily. “I suppose we’re all shaped by our experiences,” I begin tentatively. “And sometimes, it takes the right person to inspire us to share those experiences. I’ve always had a love for stories. They have a way of transporting us to different worlds, helping us understand ourselves and others. And yet, my story… well, it’s been a bit of a journey.”
“Mine too. Maybe one day we will be in a place to share our stories with each other.”
“Maybe,” I say with a smile. I look down at my phone and see the time. “I gotta head over to Scarlett’s,” I tell him, standing up.
“See you later?”
“Sure.”
CHAPTERFIVE
There’ssomething about Eric and his smile that warms my heart. Any time I am around him, he gives me butterflies, and my heart aches in a good way. I’ve never felt that before. With my last boyfriend, I never felt this way.
Once, my ex-boyfriend had let the words, “I love you” slip out while we were making out on the couch. It was the first time a guy, other than my dads, had said that to me. I wasn’t sure if I loved him, but I brushed it aside and continued kissing him until he started trying to undress me. He was a kind enough, good-looking man, but I couldn’t bring myself to want more from him after those three words. I left in a hurry, went straight home, and spent the entire night contemplating whether I should keep him around. I didn’t even give him an explanation for why I left.
I never spoke to him again. Sometimes I wonder, did he truly love me? Did he genuinely want to be with me, or were those words just a means to an end? But these are questions I’ll never know the answers to.
* * *
As I approachScarlett’s house, I see my mom’s car parked in the driveway. I knock on the front door, and when Scarlett answers, she looks at me wide-eyed and motions toward the kitchen.
“My mom or Ray?” I mouth silently.
“Your mom,” she whispers.
I look at her with furrowed brows. My mom doesn’t stop by unannounced, ever. I step inside the house. As I make my way into the kitchen, I spot my mom sitting at the kitchen table.
“Mom?” I say, my voice filled with concern.
“Oh, Hailey! I swung by your house, but you weren’t there, and you weren’t answering your phone,” she responds with a troubled expression.
“What’s going on?” I ask, looking at my phone. I didn’t even notice my phone going off.
“There’s something wrong with your dad,” she explains.
“Yeah, something has been wrong with him since before you two met,” I respond with a tinge of bitterness.
She gives me a disapproving look before continuing. “No, I mean your other dad. Ray.”
My heart skips a beat. “What?”
