James and I marched up to Grandma Jo's house. James was leading the way and I could feel the anger in his footsteps as they hit the ground.I never thought that I'd say this, but James was scary, especially when he was mad. Right now, I was just happy that James was on my side and that I wasn't the one he was upset with.The betrayal we both experienced tonight felt like an open wound, and now it was time for us to confront it head-on. We were about to figure out exactly what had happened.Without knocking and without a moment's hesitation, James swung open the front door. As it slammed the wall, I flinched and shot daggers up at James.He was going to break Grandma Jo's door!"Lucas! We need to talk!" James's voice thundered through the entrance.Suddenly, I realized just how upset James was. He wasn't going into this as calmy as I thought he would. He was coming in full force, ready to start an argument.Nervous pricked the back of my neck as I spotted Lucas and Victoria sitting on
Lucas and Victoria exchanged a glance as if sharing an understanding. The two of them knew that there was no point in avoiding it any longer– the truth had to come out eventually."Alright." Lucas took a deep breath and began, "Shana, James, we owe you an explanation.""You think?" James asked with an eye roll."Would you just let him talk?" Victoria asked, giving James her own glare.His eyes cut to hers with venom. "I don't think you want to try arguing with me right now.""Or what?" Victoria threw her hand on her hips and gave him a pointed stare, as if challenging him. "What are you going to?""Guys, now is not the time to be starting an argument," I interrupted them before they got too into it.It was hard to stop the two of them from wanting to fight with each other.Lucas took a deep breath and gestured to the couch. "You guys may want to sit down, this could take a while.""I'm okay standing," James said with an air of defiance. He crossed his arms over his chest to prove a po
Victoria stood from the couch and walked toward James. She leaned in and kissed James on the cheek, a silent apology in the gesture.James's previous hard demeanor softened as his cheeks reddened.Shock washed over Lucas at the unexpected act as his wide eyes met mine.James had told me that there was something going on between him and Victoria, so I wasn't as shocked as him. However, this was my first time seeing them be affectionate with each other with my own eyes and that was surprising enough."Wait, what?" Lucas stammered.James nodded, his expression a mix of sheepishness and pride as he looked down at Victoria. "We've been seeing each other for a while now.""Since when?" Lucas asked, he turned to me and said, "I told you so."I couldn't help but break out into a small fit of giggles. "I knew you would say that when you found out.""Since we won our championship game," James explained, grabbing Victoria's hand. "It's not really official yet."Victoria, probably not wanting to
"Who is it?" Lucas asked, noticing the stricken look on my face.I showed him my phone screen, his eyes scanning the caller ID. "It's my dad.""Let me answer it." Lucas held out his hand, and I could see the way his jaw tightened.I knew he wasn't happy with my father about what he had done to me. Lucas only wanted to start an argument with him."No, you're going to yell at him.""He deserves more than just that," Lucas argued, his eyes hardening. "He's lucky he's in hiding somewhere, otherwise I would pay him a visit and really let him know how I feel."As harsh as Lucas was being, I agreed with him on some extent and it warmed my heart that he felt so protective over me."Fine, if you don't want me to answer it. You answer it," he encouraged, sensing the gravity of the situation. "Do you want a moment of privacy?"I shook my head, my hand trembling as I answered the call. I wanted Lucas here for moral support, and I wanted him to hear whatever my father had to say.I put my phone on
Lucas POVShana pulled away from my arms, letting her head hang low. She didn't even make eye contact with me as she said, "I think I'm going to go to bed."I nodded, "That's a good idea. You deserve some rest."As I watched Shana walk away, a mix of emotions swirled within me. The events from the night hung heavily in my mind and I knew there was a lot for her to think about. There were probably still things she wanted me to address.She made her way up the stairs and just as she had closed the door to her bedroom, Grandma Jo emerged from her own room. She peeked down at me from the top level, her face a mixture of curiosity and concern.She walked down the stairs and motioned for me to join her in the living room. I felt like a little kid again, getting in trouble with my grandma.She pointed to the couch, and I reluctantly took a seat, watching as she took the spot beside me."Lucas, we need to talk," she said, her tone serious.I nodded, bracing myself for the inevitable conversat
The next morning, the sunlight filtered through my curtains, casting a warm glow in the room.As I stirred awake, the events of the previous night flooded my thoughts. I laid there for a moment, recalling the confrontation last night.All in all, it had ended on a positive note. Lucas was back in my life, but the scars of betrayal still lingered. I didn't know how long it would take for me to forgive him. Trust meant a lot to me, and it seemed like it was hard for Lucas to trust me.He's lied to me so often that I've gotten used to it. I shouldn't have to be used to feeling this way. I wanted Lucas to treat me with respect. I didn't want him to go behind my back and do things that I would eventually find out.I didn't want to make things easy for him. He'd have to work hard to gain my forgiveness. Hopefully, that will teach him never to lie to me again.When I finally got out of bed, I changed and walked downstairs. Lucas was already seated at the dining room table, a plate of breakfa
Once Lucas and I got to school we went our separate ways. I didn't want to hold his hand through the hallways like we used to. I just needed some space away from him to think.A few students seemed to pick up on our awkward goodbye, but for the most part, they left me alone. It was a rarity, and a blessing that I wasn't taking for granted.I walked through the busy hallways as I walked toward the senior lockers. I was not looking forward to spending the next seven hours inside of this building. I just wanted to go home and lay down in my bed and drown in whatever sadness was inside of me."Hey there Shanana Banana," a familiar cheery voice greeted me.I turned slowly, meeting eyes with James who was walking beside me. He offered me a small smile and bumped my side."Shanana Banana?" I asked with a cringe. "Really?""Cute, right?" he asked. "I think it suits you.""I don't.""Oh, don't be like that!" James smiled wider as we continued walking, but concern soon replaced the playful look
Over the next few days, things between Lucas and I remained the same.I still was surprised to see him in the mornings at Grandma Jo's sitting at the table, and our drives to school were still silent.Even though Lucas respected my space and gave me time to heal on my own, he was still making a quiet effort.I opened my locker the other day and found a note from him, complimenting how beautiful I looked that day.When I got home from Grandma Jo's yesterday. There was a bouquet of roses sitting beside my bed in a glass vase.He had been doing little things to show me he was sorry, using his actions instead of his words, just like I had told him to.I couldn't deny the fact that I found his gestures incredibly romantic. He hadn't made such an effort like that before.I knew he was sorry and as the days went by, I felt more and more willing to accept his apology and move on from this.After school on Friday, Lucas and I were driving back to Grandma Jo's in my car when his phone began to