EPISODE THIRTEEN.

EPISODE THIRTEEN.

The rest of the drive was eerily silent and we barely exchanged any words.

I just can't believe Michelle lied to my face, she's a lawyer who's supposed to uphold a stellar personality.

What could she be hiding from me? Did she know about the death of my sister?

Getting to Ryker's house, she heaved a sigh of relief and turned to me.

"Thanks for the ride." I mutter, trying to hide my furiousness.

I step down from the car and leave the door open wide, I turn to her, utterly pissed off.

"I know you're hiding something from me, Michelle and I will find out." I say matter-of-fact, gazing at her strictly.

She scoffs and pushes her hair back."Well, I hope you do, because I'm tired of trying to keep it cute with you."

A dry chuckle escapes from me, I stare at her in disbelief."What?"

"Have a nice night, Jenna. Let's pretend like this didn't happen." She grins at me and ignites her car back to life.

I have no choice than to close the door and watch her drive away from me.

What the hell just happened?

Sighing, I start to walk back inside the house, with questions running through my head, Even if Ryker and the rest of the world hates Lana that much, Michelle has no right to, she's just Ryker's friend, they shouldn't be hitched to a personal level of her developing hatred for Lana.

I opened the door to the main living room nervously, hoping that Arlene was already in her room but heaven was against me.

She's sitting on her couch, fully awake and watching TV while Ryker is at the dining, working.

"Hey baby." I mumble softly, hoping that the spirit that came over her that she mistook me for her mom sets in again but instead, she just ignored and continue watching the TV which almost pissed me off.

Ryker sat there, watching the whole drama and didn't say a word until a scoff elicits from my throat.

My cheeks reddened in embarrassment because how did the girl who snuggled into me in a loving manner the other day act like I don't exist now?

"Arlene." Ryker calls in a very low but audible tone, she drops the remote in her hand and walk towards me, her head bowed and hands clutching the tip of her dress tightly.

"Good evening, Mom." She greets politely, her voice heavy like she's about to cry.

I lower my height to her level and ruffle her hair, trying to be as loving as Lana would have been to her.

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't join for breakfast this morning, I promise to be the first person you see tomorrow morning."

She nods and suddenly raises her pinky finger to my face, I chuckle and wrap mine around hers.

"I promise to..."

"Promise me that you won't go to the balcony tonight." She cut me off, tears fill the brim of her eyes, her robust cheeks becomes pinkish and her hands tremble around my fingers.

I swat my head towards Ryker, hoping he will come to my rescue but he just watched without budging.

I roll my eyes at him. Fucking asshole.

"I promise darling, I won't go to the balcony." I finally say and she withdraws her hand away from mine.

Arlene turn to Ryker and wave at him. "Dad, please bring my milk in an hour."She requests cutely.

Ryker nods with a small smile lingering on his lips and waves at her back.

After Arlene is out of sight, I angle towards Ryker hastily, ready to tear him down with different questions but he raises his hand at me the moment I got to the table.

"Please, Jenna. I'm not ready for your tantrums tonight." He says in a pleading tone.

My heart sinks a bit, thinking of how much I must have traumatized him for him to think I'm there to curse him out again but I shrug it off, I mean, he's Ryker, a renowned asshole, he definitely deserves it.

"What did Arlene mean by the balcony? Did Lana cause her trouble there?"

Ryker tuts and slam the laptop shut, he shakes his head and raises his eyebrows at me a bit.

"What do you want to hear from me?" He suddenly asks, catching me off guard.

I find myself staring deep at his green orbs for the first time, I never imagined them to be that green and.....beautiful.

They match perfectly with the top he's putting on, his long eyelashes batting at intervals.

"What do you want me to say?" I throw back his rhetorical question at him after regaining my posture and giving myself a hard mental slap because why did I just check his eyes out?

Weird.

"You don't have to know the reason, Jenna, just don't go to the balcony, you promised her." Ryker starts to pack his gadgets to the kitchen, leaving me confused.

"Then you have to come to my rescue anytime your daughter is about to chew me out. I was so nervous."

"Why should I?" He turns to me abruptly, stopping on his tracks and almost bumping into me.

My small frame fits right below his chest and I find myself staring at the rise and low of his chest.

Fuck, this is so embarrassing and awkward.

Ryker moves away from me to the mini dining in the kitchen as if I burn him which hurts a little bit.

"Ryker." I suddenly call for no reason.

"You wanted to be in Arlene's life, don't tell me you don't have a perfect plan you curated so she can acknowledge you?"

I stutter a bit, because I didn't plan to be a present mother in her life, I just want to be close to her enough so she can trust me without her dad in the picture but I can't say it out loud, Ryker will throw me out and I can't afford to be thrown out.

"You're impossible." I huff annoyingly and watch him make Arlene a glass of milk, taking mental notes on the cup he used, the milk quantity and the level of hotness of the water, I'm definitely going to make her some tomorrow night without Ryker's help.

Ryker insists I follow him to Arlene's room for the sake of cordiality which I have no choice than to give in.

Getting there, she's already sitting at the edge of her bed, waiting patiently for the milk, she grabs it and gulp down the whole content and passes the cup to Ryker.

"I will take it downstairs." I offered, collecting the cup immediately from Ryker, hoping that I go to my room after that to rest my head.

I'm so sore and stressed out.

"You don't have to, I will take it down tomorrow, I used it, it's my responsibility." Arlene stops me from going.

She collects the cup from my hand and dropped it on her reading table.

I try protesting but Ryker stops me from doing so, I stare at her in awe, how is she so smart and responsible?

"Can we go now, Arlene?" Ryker asks, toning down her long hair with his fingers, she nods immediately.

"Goodnight, Arlene." I mumble with a yawn, walking out of the room.

"Are you going to the balcony again?" Arlene asks in the tone she used in the living room earlier, I whirl around and shake my head in confusion.

What does me going to sleep have to do with the balcony again?

Was Lana fucking some other man there or what?

"No baby, I promised you."I coax meekly.

"Then you and Dad should go to the room together."

I turn to Ryker in shock and back to her again.

What?