Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
THE ARCHER BY TAYLOR SWIFT
“Do you mind if I stop by my house? Since I’m already here I figured I could see B and my grandparents,” Bellamy asks as we sit down, finally out of the rain, and inside the cover of his Jeep.
“That’s perfectly fine.”
He probably doesn’t see them as much as he wants to considering it’s a long drive from our campus, “You don’t have to come in.”
I tilt my head in his direction.
“Do you not want me to meet them?” I ask.
I don’t even know if I want to meet them. Isn’t that something only couples do? Usually, but I’ve heard so much about his sister, I feel like I should meet her. I don’t know if it’s what he would want though.
“No, I do. I would love for you to meet them, you can meet them. I just didn’t want you to feel like I was forcing you because I wanted to stop in. I was just giving you the option to stay in the car if you wanted it.”
The thoughtful side of him shows once again. He turns down the road, exactly where he had pointed, and I look at everything around us as we drive. I’m sure it won't rain for long, maybe an hour or two. It’s not as hard as it normally is when it rains.
Bellamy pulls into a neighborhood, and it takes everything in me not to gawk at the size of the houses we drive past. Each one is big enough to house a family and probably all their friends if they ever had a party.
I know the inside must be far prettier than the outside which is truly saying a lot.
I didn’t grow up without money. My family was well off, but not like this.
Not like Bellamy. I watch as he pulls into a driveway, three cars parked in it, all of them fairly new looking compared to the old beat up Jeep that he told me belonged to his dad.
The sentiment of it still makes my heart swell.
“Your house is beautiful,” I look up at the white brick house, black shutters, and matching details all around.
“Thank you,” Bellamy gets out, and comes around to my side.
Once we’re both out, he keeps his hand on my lower back as we walk in through the front door. My eyes are scanning everything as we walk, looking at every beautiful detail of the home. This place is where a family is raised. It makes sense here, it’s perfect here.
“Ma, Pa! I’m home!” Bellamy calls out, one hand cupped around his mouth.
“Belly?” I hear a girl's voice and look around.
Around the corner of the walkway, a beautiful girl steps into view. She’s wearing gym shorts and a tight athletic shirt. Her hair is long and brown, with beautiful natural curls that hang down to her lower back. This is his sister. Brianne. I can see the resemblance between the two of them.
“Hey, B,” He smiles, and she runs down the long entryway until she’s jumping to hug her big brother.
He hugs her tight, and I smile at the reunion, the two of them making me wish I had a sibling. He lets her go, and her eyes go to me, and back to Bellamy.
“Oh. Bri, this is Kamryn, and Kamryn this is my sister.”
I smile, and wave, and his sister goes past that, wrapping me in a hug. It’s nothing like the hug she just shared with Bellamy, but it’s still warm.
“It’s so nice to meet you. Bellamy doesn’t bring girls here, he only brings those meathead football players he calls friends over,” She rolls her eyes, and I laugh, watching Bellamy shove his sister to the side.
“I’m letting Lawson know you said that, he’s going to have a mouthful to say to you when-”
“Oh I’d like to see Lawsy even try to get a word in when I’m in the room, he has no chance,” She argues back, and I love seeing Bellamy in his element.
This is his element just like football is. Being with his family is comfortable.
“Belly is that you?” I hear from upstairs.
“It’s me!” He calls back.
“Come up here for a minute, we need your help with something,” The older voice of a woman speaks.
“Coming!” He yells up. “Do you want to come with me?” I open my mouth to agree with him, but I don’t get a chance.
“No she can stay with me,” Bri takes my hand, and pulls me from the entryway, and to the other room before I can even say anything else, so I shrug my shoulders toward Bellamy, and turn toward his sister instead.
“I’ll be down soon. Don’t be annoying B!”
She rolls her eyes as she pushes the door open to a very clean, and simple bedroom.
It’s clean but lived in. There’s a desk with books and schoolwork.
She’s far more put together than I am. At least Bellamy and his sister have one thing in common.
She jumps on her bed, and she pats it too, signaling for me to sit down.
“You’re really pretty. Bellamy was right.”
I smile at the compliment.
“I wasn’t aware Bellamy had been talking about me at all,” I raise my eyebrows, and she smiles, just like I am right now.
“Obviously. He’s been telling me about you since February. I don’t remember, but he said you were his tutor right? And I thought it was a little bit silly that he needed a tutor, especially in math because he’s super smart. He tutors me in math every time he comes home.”
My stomach drops a bit at the confession. Her math must not be too complicated if Bellamy is the one helping her. He’s smart, but… He’s been with me once a week every single week since February.
“Oh, he does? Well, he seemed completely clueless when I was tutoring him,” Realization strikes me hard.
Has he been lying this entire time? He was so believable. He couldn’t have been. His sister shrugs her shoulders, completely unaware of what I’m thinking.
“But either way, I’ve been hearing about this crush he had, and now I finally get to meet you because you and Bellamy are dating right?” She doesn’t understand that she’s ratting him out right now.
And I can’t tell if I’m happy or mad.
“Oh... It’s complicated... Not dating... But-”
“I totally get it. Complicated is better than nothing. Sorry, I just never really get to meet any cool people through Bellamy, they’re all gross, and like throwing balls for fun.”
I laugh, despite the uneasy feeling in my stomach. At least she has a similar sense of humor to me.
“You don’t have to apologize. You seem close to Bellamy, I think it’s sweet you’re excited to meet his… Friends,” I fumble the words, and she smirks as she notices.
“We are close. Bellamy is my best friend. Boy problems? Bellamy. Math problems? Bellamy. If I just want to talk? Bellamy. He’s always here.
And I wanna be just like him too. I’ll be going to SPU next semester.
I just graduated and I got accepted to the university early admission last year,” She tells me, and I raise my eyebrows.
“What for?” I lean myself into her, wanting to know her well. I don’t know why. I have no idea why but she’s sweet. And she’s funny.
“Oh, I cheer. My parents had us on the field together despite the age difference. I was always on the older teams anyway because I can do all the tumbling, and I’m small so they can throw me in the air. I’m going to get a BFA in dance. I want to be an NFL Cheerleader one day,”
I laugh at her energy. She’s far more talkative than her brother, but I like that about her.
“Okay, enough talking her ear off B,” Bellamy pushes the door open, and my stomach sinks at the realization of what his talkative sister had said.
Bellamy lied. But she must not know what she’s talking about. At the same time she talks about how close they are, how would she not know? My mind is fighting itself as I look at him, but I manage a smile.
“She’s sweet. Don’t be mean,” I defend her, and his sister smiles next to me.
“Yeah, listen to your girlfriend.”
Bellamy sighs, “I didn’t tell her that.”
I nod, believing him, “I assumed that much.”
I smile awkwardly and he nods his head.
“We were just stopping in, but I’ll come back next week, and stay for a few days alright?”
I get up and walk with him. He guides me out of her bedroom, and his sister follows, jumping behind us.
“Bring Kamryn! Please! Kamryn, please come, I’m inviting you firsthand, right now.”
Bellamy hesitates. He looks at me. He’s not used to dancing around the truth with her from what I can tell. He probably hasn’t explained our arrangement to her.
“I’m going home to my parents in the next few days actually or else I would... I would love to… To meet everyone.”
I feel bad for not fully telling the truth. I probably wouldn’t come even if I was staying on campus. Because after our last date, there’s nothing left between us.
“Another time,” She nods her head, and I don’t say anything, I just nod.
Bellamy hugs his sister, and we both say our goodbyes before he ushers me out of the door, and back in the car. I stay quiet, my mind dancing with theories, and answers to the questions I continue to ask myself.
I don’t want to think that all of this was some giant ploy.
Something that he’s been plotting this entire time?
Since I started tutoring him. I never once gave in to his advances, but he never once made any in the sense of asking me on a date, or inviting me anywhere with him.
He never tried. I wouldn’t have said yes, but he never made his attraction apparent.
I just thought he flirted with me because it was his personality.
I thought he flirted with me because he’s a stupid boy.
“Are you okay?” I have no idea how much time has passed since I zoned out, but we aren’t anywhere I recognize anymore.
“Fine,” I force another smile, and he furrows his brows, a question on his face. “I’m fine, really,” I try again.
“Did it bother you that she called you my girlfriend? Bri is a lot sometimes, but she was joking.”
I shake my head.
“No. That wasn’t what bothered me,” My words leave a question hanging between us. He can sense it right away.
“Did she say something else?” His hand hangs loose on the steering wheel as he drives.