Chapter Twelve continued...

Saturday

I wake up to a bright beam of light streaming from the window and into my eyes. The sun is too low and bright. I get the discombobulating feeling I've been asleep way too late. I throw my covers off and search my bed for my phone. It's no longer on my pillow or in my sheets but lying on my floor face down. I flip it over. Ari still hadn't responded to my text. The time flashes across the screen and I leap out of bed.

"Oh, no, oh, no, oh no." I chide myself in a panic.

It's already after one. My mother must have let me sleep in. I run over to my closet, grab a pair of jeans, and a shirt. Then I race to the bathroom across the hall. I don't bother showering but brush my teeth and splash some water over my face. I race back across the hallway. I grab my keys and my phone. I make my way towards the door and about to open it when my mother calls for me from the dining room.

"Honey, where are you going?"

I'd forgotten I was grounded. She'd only let me go to Prom because it was Prom. I wasn't supposed to leave or doing anything fun without a permission letter and a detailed dossier of where and why I was going. She would not approve of where I was going or why.

"The library." I lie and then I run out of the house.

She manages to squeeze out one question right as the door closes behind me. I didn't technically hear the question, at least not the full question, therefore I don't have to answer it. I am going to be in some much trouble later. I climb into my car, start the engine, and peel off down the driveway into the street.

I arrive at Ari's house a little after 1:30 PM. She hasn't responded to any of my text, but I'd let her know I was coming ten minutes before I'd arrived. I go over the script in my head as I walk up to the front door of her house.

Kris and Katie were right. I didn't have proof, I didn't know all the details, but it didn't have to stop me from at least making her aware. I also needed to apologize profusely. And most of all I needed her to know what had happened wasn't her fault. Ari had gone through much in the couple months I'd known her. More then I'd experienced in a lifetime.

She said she didn't remember, but part of her must know something about that night was wrong. She must know her missing time and the photos are all wrong. If such a thing had ever happened to me, if I was missing time when I was sexually active, I would be a train wreck. I would be in pieces. I couldn't conceive of what she was going through internally.

I'd been wrong the last time I saw her. She wasn't weak at all. Maybe in that fleeting moment, at a time when she'd been at her weakest, I could've struck her down. But she wasn't flimsy she was a rock, the strongest person I knew. I'm glad I hadn't delivered the blow to break her. I never would have forgiven myself.

I ring the doorbell.

A good portion of the front of the house is made of glass. I take a step back so I can better see inside the house. I wait a few minutes for a response, but I don't see any movement. Discouraged, I turn to leave.

Then out of the corner of my eye, I see the flicker from the curtains in Ari's room. I turn back around and ring the doorbell again. Still, no one comes to the door. I send Ari another text and then sit down on the porch steps.

I will wait. Like she'd waited on my porch. I'd stay all day and night if I had to.

About an hour passes before finally, the door unlocks. Relieved, I stand up and turn to face the opening door. My smile drops. It's not Ari who opened it but her brother Damien.

His hair is slick with sweat and sticking every which-way and is pasted against his wet brow. He's wearing a soaked cut-off hoodie. There are large sweat stains around the pits and neckline. It looked as if I'd interrupted his work-out and he looked pissed about it. He scowls from the half-open doorway.

"What?" He grumbles.

"I...uh..." I stumble over my words.

Damien's glare is so intimidating it takes me a second to get my poop in a group. I've never had someone look at me with so much venom. I look away from his piercing eyes.

The dark curtains from Ari's room shift again.

"Is Ari home?" I ask.

I try to give him my best innocent puppy dog eyes. It doesn't faze him.

"No." He says curtly then he moves to shut the door.

I place my hand on the heavy door to stop it from closing. I'm not sure what my plans are but I don't want to leave without seeing Ari. Plan B, if puppy dog eyes, don't work.

I smile and look up at him from under my eyelashes. Then I flip my hair over my shoulder. I know, I'm desperate.

"Please, I need to talk to her," I say.

I flutter my eyelashes and bite my bottom lip.

Damien's face relaxes. I continue to smile at him. It's working. Then his features contort, and he makes an odd face. He points a finger at my eye.

"Is there something wrong with your eyes?" He asks.

I wasn't the best flirt in the entire world but come on. This guy was the worst.

Annoyed, I scoff.  "No, can I see her? I know she's here. I'm not leaving until I talk to her." I say bolstered by my annoyance.

He nods his head and opens the door wider. I sigh and start to make my way through the door. But instead of letting me in, he steps outside and shuts the door behind him. I'm still moving forward and nearly bump into his sweaty shirt. Eck.

"You're not coming in." He grumbles.

I begin to protest but he takes another step further outside, forcing me to shuffle back a step.

"She doesn't want to see you."

At this I pause. She'd told him that? My voice is shaky. I'm too distressed to bother trying to conceal my hurt.

"She doesn't want to see me?" I ask.

Was she cutting me out, as she'd done to Katie?

"Look I don't know what happened with you two and I don't care." He snaps. Damien is still looming over me and scowling. His brows are low and menacing.

"But she doesn't want to see you. Leave now!" He shouts and his intimidating figure lumbers towards me.

I hastily stumble back and nearly fall backward off the porch steps. I'm embarrassed by my clumsiness, but I'm even more perturbed by him. He doesn't so much as twitch. He didn't care I'd nearly fallen down the stairs because of him. Damien stands unmoving and blocking the door.

He's meaner than a wet panther. How was he even related to Ari? What if I told him? Was it okay for me to talk to her brother about this before speaking to her? Before getting my facts straight. Probably not.

I contemplate charging him. If I am fast enough and went for his legs maybe I could knock him over long enough to reach the handle. But I quickly think better of it. He's a lot bigger than me. And then what would I do once I was inside. I am desperate to see her but maybe B&E is a little too far.

"Fine!" I huff and I turn again to look over at Ari's room.

This time there isn't any movement. I don't understand. How could I help her if I couldn't even contact her?

I turn back to her brother and eye the closed door behind him. Damien's face is smug. He's evidently impressed with himself. Keeper of his sister, guardian of the glass castle. I shoot him my meanest glower. Then I take a couple of steps backward, careful not to lose my balance and trip. That'd be all I needed to fall in front of his royal jerkiness. He would probably laugh.

He intently watches me leave. He doesn't go back inside until I get in my car. Utterly defeated, I pull my car out of the driveway. Halfway down the street, I'm struck with brilliance. I put my car in park and pull out my cellphone.

I type out my message and press send.

TBC...End of Chapter Twelve. Thirteen next.