He checked in with us this morning and I assured him we were doing fine. I can handle it. I think I’m getting better at straddling that fine line between big sister and parent. It’s fun but it’s also hard work. One thing’s for sure though, when it comes time for me to have a kid, I’ll be a damn pro.
Just as the guy on the other end of the line gets our order right, my phone buzzes with an incoming text. I peel the phone from my ear and quickly glance at the screen.
Tully – I’m coming over and I’m hungry!!!!!
I press the phone back to my ear with a cringe. “Yeah, I’m going to need to change the order,” I tell the guy.
“What?” he panics. “Are you guys throwing some kind of party or something?”
“Sounds about right,” I grin, realizing that at some point Noah and Rivers will probably show up and raid the fridge. I add a few pizzas to the list and hang up from my fifteen minute phone call which should have been two or three minutes tops.
I guess that’s the price you pay being me.
I drop down on the couch next to Aria and groan, realizing she’s finally figured out how to work my Netflix account. She picks some show I’ve never heard of before and I relax back into the couch.
At least it’s a change from ‘SpongeBob.’ I don’t know how many more episodes I can watch of that show. The theme song has been stuck in my head for weeks. It’s driving not only me, but Noah, Rivers, and Tully insane.
I check over Aria’s homework to make sure she’s on track as we wait for Tully and the pizza guy, and when there’s finally a knock at the door, I sigh in relief. I’m so damn hungry and I’m absolutely positive that it’s the pizza guy waiting on the other side. Tully would have walked straight in; demanding attention be thrust upon her.
I get up off the couch and grab the cash from the entryway table before pulling open the door. I hear familiar laughter coming from somewhere and see Tully’s Jeep behind the pizza delivery guy’s shoulder, but don’t actually see her.
I make an even trade with the pizza guy and tell him to keep the change before placing the pizza down on the coffee table for Aria to dig into. I remind her that it’s hot and let her know that I’ll just be outside, searching for Tully.
Aria couldn’t care less what I’m doing as long as it doesn’t involve blocking her view of the television screen.
I step out front and my eyes follow the sound of Tully’s laughter, only for me to gawk at what I see.
Tully is next door, hanging out with Rocko of all people, sitting on the front of his old piece of shit car with the guy standing between her legs. I mean, this is simply taking the whole ‘I hate Rivers’ thing a little too far.
He murmurs something that I can’t quite make out, only for Tully to throw her head back in laughter and playfully smack at his wide chest.
What the fuck is this? Is she blind or stupid? Maybe she doesn’t realize who the hell she’s talking to. Messing around with Spencer is one thing, but this is just plain stupidity.
Rocko is nothing but bad news, but then, knowing now who Noah and Rivers work for, I guess the same could be said about them. But this is different. Rocko Stevenson isn’t a good guy, not like my boys. He’s reckless, dangerous, and unpredictable. He’s the kind of guy who deserves to be thrown in jail and not just put in a holding cell overnight for trying to jack a car.
Though… that could all just be in my head. I don’t actually have any proof of any wrongdoings, it’s all just rumors spread through school, but there are too many of them to be ignored.
Tully knows better than to get involved with a guy like him. Noah might forgive me for knowing about Tully and Rivers getting together, but he’ll never forgive me if Tully got messed up with the likes of Rocko Stevenson and I didn’t try to do anything about it. That would be a game changer for us and I’m not willing to risk what I have with Noah over this stupidity.
I clear my throat, loud enough for the two of them to hear. Tully’s head whips around and I expect to see shock or embarrassment at being caught out flirting with the guy, but instead, I get nothing, just a welcoming smile letting me know she’s happy to see me. Does she not feel ashamed of herself right now? She should be lunging away from him, not running her fingers over his chest.