All Grown Up (Eden High)

“We’re gonna have to do something. I have to talk to Cassie, find out what’s going on with these notes. Valerie, you have to figure out how we’re going to get away from the guys once we land in Cali.”

“That might be tough since everything is closed.”

“We need to be out of the house because I’m pretty sure they spy on us.” We came to that realization when the guys were caught repeating things we said when we were alone, things they should have no way of knowing. Too many times when one or all of us were up to something we shouldn’t be, we were caught in the act. We’ve been looking for hidden cameras, but, so far, nothing has been found.

"If Track has a hand in it we’ll never find whatever it is they’re using; damn spook.” We all had a good laugh at yet another name for one of our men, but deep inside, we were worried, I could tell. It hasn’t been easy leaving Cassie behind after all that she’d been through, but I thought with Mandy behind bars, things would’ve been different. If I find out she’s been messing with our girl, I just might have to take action. How to evade Jace’s all-seeing eye?

Alex

Once dinner was over, I had a bit of a dilemma on my hands. I couldn’t very well stay with her at her parents’ place overnight, but I didn’t want to leave her either. The thing that made the decision easy for me was the fact that I had some work to do, things that I didn’t want her knowing about.

So I took her back home and spent a good ten minutes saying goodbye. Our parting kiss was vanilla as hell because I’m pacing myself. As much as I want to do more, I’m ever conscious that she’s not yet of age, and the last thing I want is to deal with Jace and his shit if I go too far.

“Don’t look at me like that, baby; it’ll be tomorrow before you know it.” I brushed a fallen lock of hair off her forehead before turning her towards the door and waited for her to go inside. How is it that I’m closer to her now than when I was away at school but feel much lonelier watching her walk away? I almost called her back, almost said to hell with it and took her home with me, but knew better than to push temptation.

I jogged back down the stairs to the waiting car and headed home where my parents were expecting me. They knew about Cassie and I and that I was coming home for her birthday and won’t be spending much time with them, so tonight might be it for our little family reunion. Not that it mattered much anyway since they were both hardly ever home. In fact, I think I talk to them more now that I’ve moved away than I did when we lived under the same damn roof.

I won’t say that they were bad parents, but they are nowhere near the Saunders when it comes to parenting. They are both way more into their careers than being parents, that’s for sure. Their idea of good parenting was to throw money and material things at me to make up for their absence.

Still, I love them all the same, and because Uncle Chad and Aunt Heather, Jace’s parents, were the best substitutes anyone could ask for, I don’t really feel like I missed out. I can honestly say that they did such a great job of including the rest of us that we never really felt like anything less than one of theirs. No doubt Jace had a lot to do with that.

That’s why I wasn’t too surprised when the phone rang, and it was Uncle Chad on the line checking in. “Let me know if you need anything. I didn’t know any of this was going on; you kids sure know how to keep things close to the vest.”

You can thank your son for that.

“Did you say something?”

What the fuck! Is he reading minds now? I hope not. “Uh, no, no, I didn’t.”

“Okay, you know where I am. Hey, how were the twins when you left?” That brought a chuckle and a smile from me. The man is a baby hound. I didn’t believe Jace at first when he complained to the rest of us until I saw it for myself once we left for Wharton halfway across the country from home. As much as Uncle Chad has been there for us, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him with kids that young.

But according to Jace, before we left for Wharton, he and Sian had barely got the chance to bond with their own kids because the grandparents swooped in every time either little Jace or baby Jayla cried, and apparently grandpa Saunders was the worst. “They’re fine, getting really big, and of course, your son and daughter in law spoil them rotten.”