Chapter 28
Lily
Kyle: Have fun with your family today.
Lily: Have fun at the party today.
Don't forget to keep an eye on Jeremy.
Kyle: Don't worry, I've got everything under control.
Lily: This message doesn't make me feel any calmer.
"I'm sooo excited for everything we have planned today!" I said as I practically bounced into my seat at the table.
Mom had outdone herself with a special Valentine's Day breakfast, with a little bit of everything: French toast, pancakes, fresh fruit, bacon, scrambled eggs, and even a mini lemon tart that looked almost too pretty to eat. The dining room felt warm and festive, exactly what I needed today.
A few weeks ago, I'd convinced my family to go on an adventure today, a plan I'd created to keep Leo as far away from Oliver's party as possible.
If we spent the entire day at an amusement park on the outskirts of town, exhausting ourselves on roller coasters and walking miles between attractions, Leo would be too tired to even think about making other plans when we got home.
We never managed to get Jeremy to be honest about his feelings for Leo. Kyle’s even convinced that his new friend Jer doesn’t like my brother, so I decided the best way to have some peace of mind was to keep the two of them from seeing each other at all today.
"What time is Brandy arriving?" Mom asked Leo as she set a plate of pancakes in front of him. "I thought she was also having breakfast with us."
"She decided not to come with us in the end," Leo said with a neutral voice. "Her best friend Oliver is having a party, and she doesn't want to miss it."
My stomach dropped. This wasn't part of the plan.
He'd invited Brandy so she could keep Leo company, so he wouldn't feel the need to go to the party for anything at all.
But apparently, “her great friend Oliver" was more important than spending the day with her boyfriend.
I knew she was a bitch, but I didn't realize it was on that level.
"A party? It's weird that you two don't want to go," Dad observed, looking between Leo and me, trying to figure out why we prefer to go on a family trip instead of being with our friends.
In my past, I always forced myself to attend school events, go on outings with friends, and go to as many parties as possible.
Now I really didn't care much about these events.
Leo was unusually quiet this morning, distracted in a way that made me suspect he and Brandy had argued about today's plans. Had she tried to convince him to skip our family day for the party? That thought made me a little anxious.
"I'm not interested in going to that party," Leo lied to Dad. "I don't think there's anything there for me."
I felt relieved by what he'd just said, even though I didn't entirely believe him, but I decided to go along with it. "I totally agree," I added quickly. "Kyle and I will see each other tomorrow anyway, so that he can enjoy his party with his friends and we can enjoy our day as a family."
My parents exchanged one of those looks, as if they were surprised that their children actually wanted to spend time with them over a school party.
"Well, we're certainly not complaining," Mom said with a warm smile. "It's been too long since we've had a proper family adventure."
Everything was going to be perfect. Everything was under control. Leo would be safely with us all day, miles away from Oliver's house, and by the time we got home tonight, he'd be too exhausted to do anything but collapse into bed.
At least, that was the plan. But as I watched my brother push his food around his plate, lost in thought, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still not quite right.
I wish he'd trusted me more, that he'd realized I'm more than a sister in his life. But some relationships can't be forced, no matter how much one person wants to be in the other's life.