Chapter 19
Miss Kennedy had forgot to mention something.
The permission slip.
Only a parent or guardian could sign it.
Blake.
How on earth was I supposed to get Blake to sign a permission slip for a trip to Paris? There was no way he’d agree to that.
He hated me.
And I hated him.
* * *
After school, I asked Marina if she could stop by Blake’s house.
“Of course, dear.”
Arriving at the small, yellow house, a nauseating feeling crept up in my stomach. I couldn’t see this house as my home anymore. It was Blake’s home. I hoped this would be the last favor I would have to ask of him because I wanted nothing to do with him.
“I’m going with you,” Hero said firmly, not giving me an option to decline. Not that I wanted to decline, anyway. I didn’t want to face Blake alone.
The two of us walked to the front door while Marina stayed in the car.
Hero knocked loudly on the door. It took a while before Blake came to the door.
He sluggishly opened the door, then stared at us.
I stared back, almost not believing my eyes.
He was in his pajamas. He had never been asleep at this hour before.
“Oh, it’s you.” He yawned. “What do you want? Don’t tell me you want to move back in.”
As if that was even an option.
“She will never move back in,” Hero scowled.
“What’s with your bodyguard?” Blake asked me, cocking an eyebrow.
“He’s not my bodyguard,” I said sternly.
“Seems like it.” He had a smug look.
“You don’t even remember me, huh?” Hero asked flatly. “Am I not rich enough to be remembered by you?”
“I would never forget the person who took this burden away from me,” Blake shot back, tilting his head. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
Hero clenched his jaw. “Don’t you dare call her a burden.”
Blake smirked, then changed the subject. “So, what are you guys here for, anyway?”
“I need you to sign a permission slip,” I said, pulling out the folded permission slip from my back pocket.
“Need? I see you’re still as spoiled as ever.”
“Fine, I want you to sign a permission slip.”
“To where?”
I wasn’t sure if I should tell Blake the truth. I hesitated, looking at Hero for help.
“To the zoo,” Hero answered for me.
“To the zoo?” Blake repeated incredulously.
“Yeah, that’s right,” I said. “It’s a field trip to the zoo.”
“Do you seriously think I can’t tell when my own sister is lying to me?” He took a step closer.
I swallowed. “I’m… I’m not lying.”
Blake crossed his arms. “Tell the truth, otherwise there is a zero percent chance of me signing this.”
I sighed in defeat. “Paris,” I mumbled.
“Speak up.”
“Paris,” I repeated, louder this time.
Blake bursted out into laughter, but instantly stopped when he realized we were being serious. His facial expression was now blank. He brushed the hair out of his face, maintaining eye contact with me.
“Give it here,” he said, no emotion in his voice.
I hesitantly lifted the hand that held the folded permission slip. Blake snatched it from my hand and unfolded it. He scanned the paper, looking for the area he needed to sign. He went back inside to get a pen, then came back to the door.
“I’ll sign it.” He paused. “On one condition.”
I should’ve expected that. He would never do anything nice for me without something in return. I hated it. I hated him. He didn’t care about my feelings anymore. He didn’t care about me.
Did I even deserve to hate Blake? Didn’t I deserve the way he treated me?
“What’s the condition?” I asked.
“A thousand dollars.”
My eyes widened. “I thought you dropped the gold digger act.”
“You haven’t held your end of the deal.”
“You’re crazy if you think she would agree to that again,” Hero scoffed, grabbing my arm. “Let’s go.”
“I accept the condition,” I said.
I couldn’t lose the opportunity to go to Paris. I couldn’t lose the opportunity to make Hero and Ayden best friends again.
“What?” Hero eyes widened, letting go of my arm.
“Good.” Blake grinned. “You have two weeks. If you don’t get me my money, there will be consequences.”
I nodded stiffly.
“You do anything to her, and I’ll kill you.” Hero stepped in front of me, his voice low. I let out a breath.
Blake nervously laughed. “You’re a kid.”
“Don’t test me.”
“Pepper already agreed to the condition.” He used the hard surface of the exterior walls of the house to sign the permission slip, then handed it to Hero.
Hero snatched it and walked off towards the car.
“See you within the two weeks, sis.” Blake smirked.
“Look forward to it because that will be the last time you ever see me again,” I assured him. I spun around and jogged to catch up to Hero. “Hero, wait!”
He shoved the permission slip to my chest. “I can’t believe you agreed to that condition, again.”
I took the permission slip. “I’m not going to use Ayden,” I protested. “I’m just going to ask him. If he declines, then I’ll respect that.”
Hero stopped in his tracks and turned to me. “Sorry to break the news to you, but that is using him,” he said. “You’re taking advantage of his money.”
“Did you forget that he told me he would give me the money if I asked?”
“That doesn’t make it right.” He opened the car door for me.
I got in the car and scooted over, letting Hero get in. He shut the door.
“How did it go?” Marina asked.
“He signed it,” I told her.
Hero glared at me, knowing that wasn’t the whole story. Avoiding eye contact with him, I stared at the signed permission slip. As Marina drove away, I didn’t look back. Not even once.
Only one more time. I just had to endure seeing him one more time.
“It was the only way,” I muttered. “You want me to go to Paris, don’t you?”
“Of course, I do,” he whispered, “but you apologized for accepting his deal before, just to do it again. You’re not sorry.”
“Hero, I am,” I breathed. “I am sorry.”
He stayed silent, rolling down the window and resting his arms on the ledge.
He then laid his chin on his folded arms. The wind swiftly lifted his dark hair out of his face, making him appear even more attractive.
His forehead was rarely shown; he always hid it with his hair.
He noticed me staring and buried his face in his arms.
Once we arrived home, he went straight upstairs. Marina asked me what happened, but I didn’t tell her.
I couldn’t.
It was my fault.
Everything was my fault.