Chapter 0305


    I got home a little toote to see anyone. I mean, Rafe was probably awake somewhere, but I didn''t really feel like going to find him, so instead I


    simply cracked open the door to my parent''s room and called softly inside to let them know that I was home — groggy affirmations greeted me from


    both, which made me smile. I left Rafe’s special cake on the coffee table with a little note of exnation,ughing a little, and then I went to bed.


    I wake upte, and immediately looked for Daphne, but then I sigh when I remembered that mom moved her to her own bedroomst night.


    Scowling, I pull myself out of bed and dress casually for breakfast, wishing she was here so I could tell her what happened with Luca''s unclest


    night and get her perspective. Daphne’s really even-headed - she''d definitely give me good advice on how to handle this.


    My stomach growls as I yawn and pull a hairbrush through my hair, so when I finally set out for breakfast I''m definitely eager to get there.


    But when I push open the door to the breakfast room


    Instantly, I know that something''s wrong. The room goes from hushed, angry whispers to absclute silence as heads turn and see me standing at the


    door.


    "What," I say, freezing with my hand on the door, my eyes going wide. “What''s wrong?”


    Rafe, Ben, and Jesse sit at one end of the table, Daphne between them, all huddled over a copy of a magazine. Juniper lounges at the other end of


    the table, sighing like she’s so bored by all of it, and Markie freezes stock still at the sideboard, where he is loading up probably his third te of


    bacon and eggs for breakfast, staring anxiously my way. Cora and Roger stand with him, but Cora just grimaces when Ie in and Roger looks at


    me with a great deal of pity that makes me feel even worse — because if even Roger isn''t teasing me!?


    God, something really is wrong


    Frantic, I move my gaze to my parents, who are sitting at the center of the table right in front of me. "Come in, Ariel,” my mom says on a heavy sigh,


    putting down her own copy of the same magazine that Rafe and my friends are looking at. When I nce around the table again, I see another copy


    at Markie’''s seat, and one more in front of Juniper.


    “What?” I ask, worried. “What is it?”N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    “It''s nothing, baby,” mom murmurs, standing up and starting toe around the table towards me as my dad stays stoically in his seat, his arms


    crossed, looking pissed as hell.


    “It''s obviouslyrot nothing,” I reply,


    my voice getting higher as I be


    more frantic. I look around the roof


    suddenly;realizing tha Jackson isn''t


    here. (asp, and stumble backa


    step.starting to freak out. “Where is


    Jacks? Did he — he didn’t —Where —


    “Ari” Mom says, finally reaching me


    and taking mé.by the shoulders and


    looking mei the eye. “Jackson is


    fine, he''sgjuistte for breakfast, like


    you. Probably figuring out how te


    put afya pair of jeans — it''s all-a very


    news wor d for him. Okay? .~


    Just.e in, darling, close the


    door. We''ll talk about it as a family.”


    A huge sigh of relief rushes from my lungs at my mom''s assurance that Jackson is fine, justte and struggling with fashion. Because she wouldn''t lie


    to me — she wouldn''t say that he was okay if she knew he wasn’t.


    Still, something is happening, and with the whole way the room is looking at me right now, it''s obviously got something to do with me.


    "Mom?" I ask, my voice tight with worry as she guides me around the table to the seat next to her, where Cora brings me a cup of tea with milk and


    sugar. "What''s — what''s going on?


    “Sweetheart,” my mom says, sitting down next to me, and taking both of my hands in hers. "Now, I don''t want you to freak out —"


    "Oh, just tell her, E,” Cora sighs, putting her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes as she stands straight. “You''re making it all worse with all this


    coddling.”


    “[ am not!” mom protests, her jaw falling open as she gapes up at her sister.


    “You totally are! You —


    Jessees {0 my rescue, standing


    and 0ssing &-￠copy of the magazine


    halfway down the length of the table


    so that ifsmacks right in front of


    me. It''s upside down so I don''tcatch


    all the details, but my eyes gorwide


    when I see my own face ontone half


    ofthe cover, beaming. Cantent


    belongs to NovelDrama.Org


    "Someone spilled the beans, Ari,” Jesse says, crossing his arms and ring at me — not at me, of course, but angry and looking me steadily in the


    eyes. "About you being mated to Luca.”