" You came back!" Hayley shrieks as I climb out of Tyler's car.
" Why wouldn't I?" I question her while stretching out my aching limbs due to being stuck in a car for 8 hours.
The drive here wasn't as bad as expected. Like the previous time Tyler kept on complaining about being hungry even though I made sure to stop at Target to get enough snacks to feed a village and when he wasn't complaining about being hungry then he was complaining about getting cold. Tough love.
" Well I just assumed Tyler fucked things up the night before you left -"
" Language Hayley." Tyler's mom, Rachelle, scolds her daughter as she walks towards us.
She pulls me into a tight hug and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
" It's good to have you back Ally. " she whispers into my ear before moving on to pull her son into a death grip.
Shortly after, Tyler's dad, George, came out and greeted us before allowing the staff to take in our luggage. We are staying here for the next 10 days so I didn't pack light. I feel bad for the two having to carry my luggage all the way to the room where I'll be staying at.
" You guys must be hungry." Rachelle says as we enter the kitchen. It smells so good in here.
" Starving." Tyler comments making me roll my eyes.
As if he didn't eat his weight on the way here.
" Lunch will be served in 5 minutes." a short middle aged woman dressed in a maid uniform informs us as we all sit down around the large dining table.
I definitely missed the unlimited supply of food we get here and I'm sure Tyler would agree with me.
For the reminder of the day Tyler and I did as little as possible seeing as we were exhausted from the trip. We at least got more time to spend on catching up with his parents and me getting to know them a little better. Hayley was like a little excited bunny hopping after me everywhere I go. It's funny to think about the first time when we met and how she didn't like me at all.
You didn't like her as well.
That might be true but let's rather focus on where we are now.
***
Christmas shopping for the Andersons is harder than I thought it was going to be. What do you buy for someone when they already have everything they want? Exactly my point.
What is even harder than the shopping on its own, is to do it with Hayley. She insists on going into every shop we pass. There are a lot of shops in the mall where we are currently at.
Damn you Tyler for meeting up with a few friends today and then leaving me with your sister.
" We need to go into that shop!" Hayley shrieks.
" Do I have a choice?" I groan as Hayley basically drags me into the hundredth clothing store since we got here.
So far I've only gotten Tyler's mom a present. I saw a delicate golden chain with a matching bracelet that I thought fits her personality. It's not much but hopefully she appreciates the thought. Tyler already knows what his gift is so that only leaves his, dad and sister. At least I'm halfway through the Andersons.
" Look at this dress." Hayley gasps as her hand flows over a rose gold silk dress that a maniquine is modeling. It's a pretty dress that's for sure.
" If I buy it for you will you shut up and take it as your christmas present?" I ask Hayley in high hopes.
I know Hayley's allowence got cut off becasue her report card wasn't what was expected. The poor girl had to hand in her car keys and bank cards until she gets her next report card. That's if she stepped up her game and did good enough for her parent's approval.
" Yes! " she yells in excitement before throwing her arms around my shoulders and pulling me in for a tight hug.
Well that was easy.
Three Andersons down, one to go.
Hayley runs off in search of the right size and before I can even blink she's back with a death grip on the dress.
I pay for the dress shortly after and start making my way over to the food court. All this shopping has me drained.
" Look at that purse!" Hayley swoons from beside me.
" Look at that burger." I swoon as my eyes land on an advertisement from Wendy's.
I wrap my hand around Hayley's wrist and pull her into Wendy's. She complains for a minute before the smell of pure paridise fills her nostrils. Now we're on the same page.
We place in our orders before sitting down in a booth. Hayley starts rambling on about the dress I bought her and how excited she is to wear it on christmas eve.
" Why would you wear it on christmas eve?" I question her with an eyebrow raised.
I was just planning on wearing my pj's and sitting in front of the fireplace all cuddled up next to Tyler. Then when the clock hits 12am we can open our presents. It's how we've always done it back home. Now that I think of it, I don't know how the Andersons do Christmas.
" Why wouldn't I want to show off the gorgeous dress at the annual christmas eve party?"
" The what now?" I question with widened eyes.
" Didn't Tyler tell you?"
I shake my head from left to right before letting out a breath. They have an annual christmas eve party? I should have known. Why wouldn't they host a christmas eve party?
There goes my plans of being comfortable on christmas eve.
" There's something I've been meaning to tell you..." Hayley speaks up after finishing her first bite from her burger.
When a sentence starts off like that, its usually never a good thing.
" Please don't tell me you're pregnant." I gulp in pure fright . I can't go through another episode like that.
" I think it's worse."
Oh dear God.
" You're pregnant with twins and you have an STD."
I panic in situations like these okay.
" I'm not pregnant Ally. " Hayley laughs.
" Oh thank God-"
" I'm engaged." she says cutting me off.
My burger drops down onto my plate after hearing the words escape Hayley's mouth. I could have sworn she said she was engaged.
That's because she said it you idiot.
" Engaged as in sexually engaged? " I try and ask confidently but my voice manages to squeak at the end.
" No Ally. That doesn't even make sense." she laughs.
" Engaged as in-" she adds before digging through her purse and pulling out what I fear to be a ring.
An engagement ring.
" He put a ring on it." she whispers.
Oh God.
" Aren't you like 16?" I ask utterly confused.
She's way too young to have that kind of rock wrapped around her finger.
" I'm almost 18." she shrugs as if it's no big deal.
I'm 19 and I don't know whether to choose between normal fries or curly fries. How could she possibly know that she is making the right decision by agreeing to marry someone at 17? She has no reason to be tied down right now.
" Who all knows?" I ask too afraid to know the answer to my question.
" You're the only one besides Clark." she answers with an innocent smile.
You have got to be kidding me.
Why would she tell me, a girl she barley knows, that she's engaged and that no one knows? I always end up in these situations even though I didn't even try to get myself stuck in this one this time. Damn you drama for feeding on my nerves.
" Please don't tell Tyler." she pleads and grabs both my hands when I reach out for my poor lonley burger.
" You don't have to tell me twice." I answer with honesty. I definitely wouldn't want to be the one to tell Tyler that his baby sister is getting married to a guy he probably hasn't even met. May he have mercy over the poor soul that is Hayley's soon to be husband.
We finish up our burgers in silence. I don't really know what to say to her after the big bombshell she dropped. I mean if she's happy then by all means go for it but I've seen how strict her parents are. They took away her allowance and car keys when she brought home a bad report card. What will they do when she comes home with a ring attached to her?
I guess it's better than being pregnant.
Not long after our meal we decided it was time to head home. We had to make use of an uber seeing as I'm not allowed to drive Tyler's car and Hayley can't drive her own car. When we got back to the Anderson's residence I saw that Tyler's car was parked in the enormous driveway which hopefully means he's back from his little trip down memory lane with his friends.
" Remeber what I said about not telling anyone, especially Tyler." Hayley reminds me as we enter the house before skipping up the stairs.
" Don't tell me what?" I hear Tyler's voice from my left.
He comes into view with a confused expression on his face and folded arms.
" Oh uhm t-the gift she got you...yeah it's going to be a big surprise." I laugh off my lie.
One hell of a surprise indeed.
" Weird girls." Tyler mutters before wrapping his arms around my waist and planting a kiss down on my lips. I savor his taste before he pulls away.
" Come on. I want to show you something. " Tyler announces all excitedly while starting to pull in me the direction of the front door by the wrist.
I've had enough surprises for one day thank you very much.
Nevertheless I let Tyler be and allow him to drag me around the enormous estate he likes to call home. We walk around the house towards the backyard - I don't think calling it a backyard is appropriate for its size. He leads me all the way over to the furthest end of the backyard where there seems to be the start of a wood. This people really are rich. I wouldn't mind having the woods as my backyard.
" Close your eyes." he demands after a short while.
" What? No. I'll probably fall to my death -"
" Just close it." he demands again.
Wish he could be more demanding in bed-
Ally spare us the details.
Fine.
I do as I'm told and close my eyes. Hopefully Tyler doesn't lead me into a trap because I didn't get to finish my iced coffee I got on the way here. I'll be one pissed off soul if I have to leave earth without my coffee.
You're overreacting.
You need to stop begin so judgmental.
You need to realize you are talking -
" Open your eyes." Tyler announces, cutting me off from my fight with my conscience. I need help.
Slowly I open my eyes. I'm taken back by what my eyes land on. Did he really take me all the way out here for this?
" A tree house?" I question him while trying to hold in my laugh.
His face drops causing me to instantly regret the words leaving my mouth.
" I mean, a tree house! Yay?" I laugh awkwardly.
Tyler chuckles while shaking his head. He links his hand through mine while staring at the tree house in front of us- well more above us. I can see this tree house means something to him from the glint in his eyes.
" This place is basically my childhood. Hayley and I used to come here a lot when we were children. Mom and dad weren't fond of the idea because the tree house is out of sight from the house. We didn't care because it's where we could just run off and escape the busy reality we grew up in. " he explains. As he explains I can see the memories come back to him bit by bit.
Maddie and I also had our own little secret spot. It was under the stairs back home. We made it our own little escape room and decorated it with pillows and blankets and we even had a secret stash of candy hidden in there. Dad later on helped us put up a little flat screen tv but never invaded our space when we were in there. It was our little space.
" I have one last memory I want to make up there." He suddenly speaks up bringing me out of my thoughts.
" Yeah?"
He turns his head to the right so that he is now looking at me. The look in his eyes makes me shiver. He looks me up and down and licks his bottom lip.
" It doesn't involve you wearing clothes."
_______________________________________
I'm alive! I know I haven't been updating for a while and I'm sorry but I'm back!
Thoughts on the chapter?
Peace out âï¸