CHAPTER FORTY
✧

I WAS RUDELY AWOKEN by the sounds of the storm outside, rain splattering my window with a rattle. I shivered as I could feel the breeze and flipped the hood over my head, pulling the cover off me and stepping into my bunny slippers. I trudged over to the window and pushed the curtains apart to take a look outside. It looked like a tornado had come through and wrecked the whole street. The street lights were completely off all down my neighborhood and I could see our trash cans tipped over near the front lawn. Trees were dancing with a quicker rhythm than normally and I pressed my hand to the window to feel how quickly the wind was hitting it.

A sudden white streak flashed in the sky, hitting something in the distance. I felt my heart quicken.

I shivered at the vast temperature drop in my bedroom and quickly walked over to my closet, changing out of my pajama shorts and into something warmer - sweats. I slipped my feet into some pink fluffy socks and shuffled back into my slippers, grabbing the door handle and walking across the hall to my Mom's room. I couldn't tell what time it was but I didn't care, the storm was getting worse and we had to catch up on the weather reports just in case we had to evacuate.

We lived close to the sea which was even more serious.

"Mom," I called, just above a whisper, and knocked again and again on her door. For a couple of seconds, it was silent, but when I knocked again, I could hear some shuffling. The door was pulled open.

"Sweetie, are you alright?" My Mom asked groggily, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Can you hear the storm outside? It's gotten a lot worse. I'm worried." I bit my nail and maneuvered myself passed her to go sit on her bed. I could hear the storm outside and it was like every second it was getting even more dangerous.

My Mom sighed and walked over to the window, looking outside for herself. "Holy heck. I haven't seen a storm like this since 1989. The biggest storm of the century it was."

Another strike of lightning flashed and a growl of thunder seized the air.

"Come on, let's go downstairs and put on some fresh brew of Jasmine tea, if we can." She said. She turned around and took her nightgown off her door and put it on. I followed behind her downstairs and quickly sat down on the couch, wrapping my arms around myself as she started to boil the kettle. Luckily the power hadn't gone completely out and we were able to load up the news on the tv and boil ourselves some tea.

Reports were saying, since earlier, that the wind was now going forty miles per second and could increase up to fifty to sixty. Storm Kayla was one of the worst storms to be known.

This meant no school — which I was thankful for since it wasn't the best place to go. But then if we had to be evacuated, where would we go? We didn't know anyone who lived nearby apart from my auntie. I didn't want to intrude on her and even still, what if she had to be evacuated? Where would we go then?

"Here you go, darling. Nice and warm." Mom handed me the mug of Jasmine tea and I wrapped my cold hands around it, humming in somewhat happiness I had left as I felt my fingertips warm up.

Mom soon came round and sat next to me, holding something I hadn't used in over a decade. A blanket. She threw that over us and kept the weather reports on just in case there was some new information we needed to know before it was too late. She rested her head on my shoulder. "If the weather is back to normal this weekend, some work friends have invited me out."

I sipped on my tea and rested my head on hers. "Where to?"

"Barley's Bar. I've been there before but apparently, it's had a massive renovation so they wanted to go check it out." She took a sip of hers.

"Sounds good," I told her. "Who are you going with?"

"Karen and Debra." She sighed and kicked her leg over her other. "You didn't hear it from me, but Karen's a raging alcoholic. Since the nasty divorce from her husband, it's left her completely broke. I don't even know how she can afford to go out this weekend when she can't afford to buy food for her children. They've had to be put on the free school meals list."

Holy fudge.

I loved Karen. My Mom always invited her over for dinners with her husband and her kids and we'd all have a great time. Derek who was her husband, I never really talked to apart from when I answered his questions of, 'How are you finding a big school?' Same questions at each dinner we'd have - which wasn't a problem, at least he made conversation. But I never knew that they had gotten a divorce. I felt for her, Karen was one sweet soul.

I guessed maybe I wasn't the only one having issues.

I felt bad for not listening or even trying to sort this out with Callum. I had been so high up in the clouds to realize the urgency he had when telling me and how I rejected it like it was nothing. Of course, I didn't want to know about it, I was scared. I was frightful that if I believed it, it would become true and I had to face that. No one would ever want to believe their own Dad was cheating on their Mother and starting a new life with someone else.

"I'm thinking of inviting her round sometime. I don't want her thinking now that she's not with Derek that we still can't be good friends." My Mom said, sitting up and I looked at her. She looked deep in thought. "If the power lines weren't being dodgy, I'd call her up right now."

I looked at the clock, "at two in the morning?" I asked with a slight laugh and my Mom rolled her eyes playfully.

"No, you know what I mean though." She sighed and I laughed.

We went into the abyss of drinking our drinks and checking the weather forecast every minute. We still weren't being evacuated which was a good thing. But I could still hear and see the storm outside, and it didn't look like it was getting any better.

"What are you wearing?" Mom asked and I spat out the coffee and coughed. I forgot I was even wearing it.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, hoping she was asking about the sweatpants or my slippers, or even about my fluffy socks.

"That hoody." She pinched at the fabric and inspected it. Then she looked at embroidered name on the top left, her eyes bugging out of their sockets. "From Balenziaga? Now I know you work but there's no way you could afford that, surely?"

I moved out of the way, making her hand drop from the hoody and I slowly sipped on the coffee.

One thousand dollars. Yeah, no way I could afford that on my pay.

Did he spend that much on a damn sweater?

No wonder it was in good condition.

Balenziaga?

He was rich, rich.

"I got it from a friend." I lied. Lies were spewing from my mouth left right and center.

Please fall for it.

Mom hummed and sipped on her coffee.

Then eyed me. "You've got one rich friend then, sweetie." She commented and I laughed. "Is this friend a guy?" She teased, bumping my shoulder with hers and winking.

Don't admit it.

The thing with Mom and I's relationship was that whatever it was, I'd tell her — apart from Dad — but everything else, I told her. She practically knew everything about me. The age difference between us meant nothing. Not only was she my Mother, but she was also my best friend.

"Is it from cute little Mikey?" She winked and I stared at her in shock.

"Him? God no. I don't even like him."

She frowned and whined like a little child who got told by their parents that they couldn't get a toy from the store. "That's a shame. I liked him. I and Ms. Carlton had plans for you two."

I pulled a face, "And you didn't tell me?" I placed my mug down on the coffee table and crossed my arms over my chest, annoyed. Nah, I wasn't annoyed.

"I tell you everything, but some things are just best kept secret." She was right there. "So, Willow Sofia Anderson, what hunk gave you this?" She arched a brow.

I gagged, "Using my middle name? And hunk? What're you, thirty-seven?" I knew damn well she was thirty-seven, I just liked to joke.

"Exactly. Now spill." She took one last sip from her mug and set it down, twisting her body around and clapping her hands in excitement.

"You're like a child, do you know that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"I know that." She informed me and I groaned, tipping my head back. "Now go!"

"Fine. Wait no, you'll judge me." I groaned again and she gasped.

"When in the world have I judged you?" She sounded hurt but I stared at her blankly. "When I didn't want to pet the goat at Farm Wildlife because I didn't want to get bit, but you thought it would be great to shout 'yolo' in front of everyone and embarrass me."

She pulled a crooked expression, "That was like when you were five. The darn goat wasn't going to bite you unless you did something to it first."

"This is why I never went to the farm with you ever again," I told her and she rolled her eyes.

"New Year's resolution: make you pet a goat." She said and I just groaned. "I just realized you are getting us off-topic. Was that intentional?"

I tilted my head to the side, answering her question. Of course, I was. I didn't want to tell her about Sam and Theo. She'd go ballistic, and not in the way you thought she would. She would be dancing and skipping around the house.

"There are two boys." I started and she raised a brow.

I told my Mom everything, okay?

"One's not enough so you got yourself another one?" She scrunched her nose up and I whacked her side. Then I set my tea on the coffee table next to hers.

"You said you wouldn't judge!"

"Fine, fine, fine. Carry on." She breathed and I cleared my throat. I could feel my cheeks warming up at just the mere thought of them both. They both had qualities that I liked, but I still didn't know where I stood with either of them.

"They are both Callum's friends which makes it all ten times worse," I said.

"Right."

"There's this boy called Sam, he asked me out on a date and even took me to some restaurant in Malibu which I was impressed with-"

"Snatching up rich guys? Let me in on that magic." My Mom begged and I only laughed.

"Anyways," I said, narrowing my eyes at my Mom who pouted. "Then there's this other guy, Theo. He's different to Sam. He plays football, he drives a Mustang-"

"Hot." My Mom nodded.

"Mom!"

"What?! I just said what you were thinking!"

"But yeah. He is, erm, very good-looking.." I might have purposefully left out the tiny teeny bit about how he smokes and drinks, and is a fuckboy. I knew she'd tell me to run in the opposite direction and not to think twice. But those factors of his weren't even bad. I could tell they were a coping mechanism for something and I wasn't judging him for it.

"So? What are your gut feelings for them both?" My Mom asked, leaning an arm on top of the couch and dragging a hand through her blonde hair. I shrugged. That was all I could do because I found Theo confusing and nice to talk to, whereas Sam was not confusing but was also nice to talk to. I didn't understand why Sam liked me and why Theo spoke to me. The start of the new school year was completely off balance and I was just taking day after day at the moment. I didn't want anything going wrong, you know?

"I'm not sure if I'm honest. I'm not looking for anything and I'm not dating either of them. I'm just.." I trailed off, my Mom finishing for me, "Taking things slow?"

I nodded, "Exactly that."

"Which is fine and understandable. You've got midterms and all your other exams coming up and you should focus on them. But, being a senior, it doesn't mean you can't have fun." My Mom reasoned and combed my hair back, playing with a long piece of my golden hair.

"Yeah. I suppose so." I muttered and my eyesight blurred into one as I zeroed in on a spec of dust in the air. "Which guy sounds the best to you?"

Even though I was more likely in the romantic stage with Sam, I hoped she'd say, Theo. For whatever reason, I didn't know why, but I wanted her to pick him.

"Sam."

Oh.

"Why him?" I asked.

"He took my daughter to Malibu for a date. That shows commitment."

I hummed and stared down at my nails.

She was right.

He put in the effort and was committed.

No one had taken me to Malibu before, not even family.

"But." My Mom spoke and I looked at her. "But?"

"What guy gave you this sweater?"

I had to try and swerve my thoughts in a different direction because the memory of Theo giving me his sweater today and his green eyes staring at me with a look that I had never seen from someone before made me want to blush. I knew I was blushing already and it was already too late.

"Theo," I said and I felt Mom trace my smile with her finger.

"You like him." She stated and I raised my brows at her.

"What? No, I don't!"

I didn't!

No!

"If you didn't, then why are you blushing?" She asked, laughing at my quizzical look.

"I just, blush a lot."

"Because of him." My Mom stated and I sighed. "Yeah, because of him." I closed my eyes and sighed, shrinking into the couch.

Fudge. Maybe I did like him.

Half an hour later, as my Mom took out a big bag of chips from the pantry and shoved some into her mouth, she looked at me. "Can you go wake Callum up, please? I forgot he was even here."

Oh, how nice.

I yawned and rubbed my eyes, nodding. I stood up with the blanket wrapped around me and trudged upstairs. I walked across the hall to his room and pushed open his door. I blinked a couple of times as I couldn't see him in his bed, nor did his bed look like it had even been slept in. I glanced around the room and squinted as I couldn't see a damn thing. I flipped the switch to hopefully see a little better but then remembered some lights in the house weren't working at the moment due to the storm. Luckily it wasn't the whole house.

Damn you.

I walked further into his room and looked around, seeing nothing.

"Mom!" I called from the stairs and my Mom popped her head around the wall. "Yeah?"

"He's not here," I said through a yawn.

"What do you mean he's not there?" She looked confused and placed the bag of chips down on the kitchen counter, wiping her hands.

"Callum's not in his room. Did he go out earlier?"

My Mom thought for a second, tapping her chin. "Ah! Yes! I remember now. His friend Jake- Jack-"

"Jackson."

"That's him. He came to pick him up earlier on." She said and I nodded slowly. "But he hasn't responded to my last message."

For whatever reason, a huge wave of panic came over me. No matter how much of a dick he was to me, I still loved that dude. "I'll call him." I walked straight into my room and instantly picked up my phone. I dialed his phone number and lifted my phone to my ear, impatiently pacing around my room.

"Come on, come on.." I chided. I paced back and forth again as the call rang and rang. But no one was picking up. What if he had gotten into a car accident, or slipped somewhere and needed help? The weather outside was dangerous.

The phone call ended and I stared down at my reflection. I spammed him with a load of messages and went to sit on my bed.

For getting myself in a spot of bother, I felt sick to the stomach.

I pressed the call again and again. But no answer.

"Come on you dick-"

"What an unusual way to say hello." I frowned at the unusually deep voice on the other end. That wasn't my brother. Was it?

"Unless my brother has somehow gone into puberty at the old age of eighteen and has gotten a deep voice, I have to ask who this is," I said, tipping back against my bed and pulling the blanket over my face.

Someone on the other end chuckled and I could feel goosebumps travel along my honey-pigmented skin. I felt embarrassed and flustered as I would if someone stared at me for too long. "It's Theo."

My mouth fell open and I pulled the blanket off my face, mentally screaming.

I stared down at the sweater I was wearing. How ironic.

"Oh, okay. Erm, why do you have my brother's phone?" I cursed mentally at how much he affected me. I was sweating already. Was that normal? That wasn't normal. We were just talking!

I jumped as I heard him chuckle again. It sounded extremely sexy. He sounded tired.

"He's at mine." He replied after a second and I could hear some shuffling on the other end. I could also hear distant voices talking before Theo was speaking to me again. "He's passed out but don't worry he's fine." At his words, I let out a large sigh of relief.

I pulled the blanket back over my face. Thank you, Universe. "That's great. Thanks for making sure he's safe, and stuff.." And stuff? What other stuff was there? Idiot.

"Mhm. It's nothing, don't worry about it." He replied curtly and I could hear more rustling and shuffling before he let out a loud sigh. I felt warmth cover me...maybe it was just the blanket?

"I wasn't worrying," I said, though too quickly. You were worrying Willow.

"...Sure."

"Cool," I said and slammed my eyes shut.

"I'll drop him back tomorrow Willow." I heard Theo say gruffly.

"Cool. Yeah, that sounds great."

Great?

It sounded great.

"Hey, is erm, Jackson there by any chance?" I asked, flipping on my front and pulling the blanket back over me.

The line went silent for a couple of seconds and I pulled back the phone from my ear to check if he had ended the call. Which he hadn't.

"Why?" I jumped at how cold his voice sounded.

I shrugged as he could see me. "He picked Callum up earlier," I told him, though I didn't know why.

"Well, Jackson's not here. He left a couple of hours ago." Theo's voice sounded much sharper and he sounded in some way, aggravated. But I didn't know why.

"Oh. Okay." My voice trailed off as I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"You still got my sweater?" He asked, reminding me. Through the darkness of the blanket, I stared down at the very sweater I was wearing. It smelt so good. Coconut, sandalwood? I had no idea what scent it was. It just smelt of him.

"Yes. I'll give that back to you as soon as possible. I promise." I sat up against my headboard and kicked my door closed with my foot.

"You're fine. You keep it." My heart raced at the idea of keeping Theo's sweater. I felt like a fool but I was happy.

But I couldn't. It was expensive!

"No, it's fi-"

"Keep it." He said deeply, cutting that discussion off with just two words.

Before I replied, I had to take a couple of deep breaths to stabilize my jagged breathing and erratic heartbeat. I cleared my throat. "O-okay, thanks."

He grunted in response and I heard some more talking in the background. "You should get some sleep. I'll drop your brother back tomorrow."

I twisted myself onto my side and grinned like a child in a candy store. "Okay. You too- I mean get some sleep. I don't know if you have a brother, I just me-"

Then I heard another deep chuckle. He was