Unlucky in Love

“I really appreciate you coming down here,” Ashton started saying, rather awkwardly might I add. He was standing in the doorway of my bedroom while I started going through my closet.

They were selling the house. I hadn’t believed him when he told me on the phone, but I had decided to come and get my stuff rather than him going through it or paying someone to haul it off.

My room was the only one that wasn’t packed up yet. Everything else in the house—with the exception of the guest room filled with my mother’s belongings—was already gone and in the mansion-like house Margeaux had insisted upon.

So Ashton was leaving me here to pack up my things and Andrea’s, and to find a place to take them. If it were up to my former father, they would be in the dump. But I couldn’t do that.

“Thanks for telling me,” I replied, setting a pile of clothes on my bed. “You can go ahead and go now—I’ve got it from here.”

Ashton nodded. “Goodbye, Ember.”

“Bye.” I said shortly. I waited till I heard the front door open and close before I sat down on the silky bedspread and looked around the room.

This room was the very definition of Ember Alice Devereux. And if that’s the case, then who the hell was I anymore?

I went over to my desktop computer and turned it on, not even sure if it was still working anymore. I hadn’t used it since I was forcibly kicked out.

To my surprise, it powered on. I typed in the password and it loaded almost instantaneously, like it had been waiting for me or something, for almost three years.

The screensaver was a picture of Autumn and I at the Jelly Belly Factory—our first trip after she got her license. We were posing in front of the Jelly Belly Beetle, holding our giant bags of Belly Flops. I was wearing shorts, pink flip-flops, and a long-sleeved Navy-Blue top, which was the typical Piss-Andrea-Off outfit.

If Andrea had had it her way, I would’ve never left the house in something low-cut or came to my upper thighs. The top in the picture was buttoned down enough to show what I thought was cleavage at the time.

But I was never as daring as Autumn. Autumn was in short-shorts and a halter-top without a bra. For years I admired that about Autumn; she used to just march to her own drum.

And now… Now I truly felt sorry for her. The only guy she ever cared about knocked her up and hung her out to dry. Her parents cut her off. She gave up a full ride to our dream school—she was lost, plain and simple.

Not that I wasn’t lost either, I just had things a little more together than she did. Back then, I was pretty much perfect. I rarely acted out. I always did what was expected of me. I made my parents look so much better than what they actually were.

A part of me wishes I could go back. Things were far less complicated before Dominic and I got together, before we were aware of our imminent engagement.

…September 2009…

“Morning!” I called when I walked into the kitchen. I knew something was wrong when my parents’ heads snapped to look at me, their faces startled.

My mother recovered quickly. “Morning, sweetheart.” She said with a warm smile. She stood and went into the kitchen to get me breakfast while I sat at the kitchen table across from my dad. “Isabel’s first day is today,” she commented, and I groaned inwardly.

I’d never gotten along with my six-year-old sister, Isabel. “That’s nice.” I said shortly. She’s already been gone a year, so I didn’t understand why they thought I’d care.

My mom set a bowl of fruit and granola in front of me, and I couldn’t think of anything I’d want less. What happened to bacon and French toast for breakfast?

“Thanks, Mom,” I said dryly, mixing in a little container of strawberry banana yogurt.

“So how’s school going? Still have straight A’s?” My dad asked.

“I’ve been in school for only two weeks—of course I have straight A’s.” I replied, taking a bite of my breakfast. I chewed slowly so as to not hurt my jaw. I recently just stopped wearing my retainer and my teeth were constantly hurting. “I’m not looking forward to today, though.” I announced in between bites.

“Why not?” my dad asked.

I sighed dramatically. “We find out what our debate topics are today. I hate that Mrs. Winters is making us do debates.”

“You love debating, though.” Mom interjected. “At least at home.”

I rubbed my eyes tiredly. “I guess I just don’t want to go up against Chase or someone I actually like. If I were to have Daveigh or Dominic Nightingale, no problem. But the chances of that are unlikely.”

“What do you have against the Nightingale’s?” my dad asked.

My phone buzzed and I read the text. Autumn was outside. “I have to get to school. Bye.” I got up and grabbed my bag.

* * *

“What’re you doing?” Autumn asked me when she walked into the library. “It’s lunch.”

I nodded. “I know, but I have to work on my debate.”

“You’re actually taking that seriously?” she asked incredulously. “Come on, put your notes away and come off campus with me.”

“The last time we went off campus during lunch, we ended up stranded in Vallejo.”

Autumn hung her head for a moment, reliving our failed expedition to Marine World. “I have a full tank of gas this time.” She said, lifting her chin up.

“No thanks, Autumn. I have to bring my grade back up to an A before my parents find out.” I admitted, my eyes going back to the book and notepad.

“Fine, just don’t give yourself an aneurysm, okay?” she replied snidely, and then she got up and walked out the way she came.

The more I read the text, the more I realized I so did not want to be doing schoolwork.

With a sigh, I got up and grabbed my stuff.

As I was putting my things back into my locker, I felt arms wrap around my waist and I smiled to myself. I turned to face Chase, and he bent down to kiss me.

“So…Friday…?” he asked leadingly after breaking the kiss.

My stomach tightened in a familiar knot. “Um…” I said eloquently. “I’m not sure yet.” I told him quietly.

Chase groaned in frustration. “Ember, we’ve been going out a really long time now—you’re going to have to put out sometime.”

I stepped back, making him lose his grip on me. “I will when I’m ready, okay? It’s a big deal for me, Chase.”

“It’s just sex, Ember. If it makes you more comfortable, I’ll be sure to use a condom.”

“If I do ever decide to sleep with you, then you’re goddamn right you’ll use a condom!” I hissed in a whisper. “I don’t think Friday will work.”

The bell rang, but I stayed at my locker while Chase left for class. As most people filed out, I closed my locker and leaned against it, rubbing my forehead tiredly. I didn’t think I could make it through the rest of the day, let alone having classes with both Chase and Autumn.

“Trouble in paradise?”

My eyes darted to the voice, and I noticed Dominic Nightingale at the other locker bay, grinning at me. I really hoped he hadn’t heard the conversation between Chase and I.

“Something like that,” I replied casually. “I don’t think you’d understand.”

“Try me,” he challenged.

My eyes narrowed and I walked over to him. “I don’t want to have sex, and Chase does.”

“Tell him that you don’t want to.” He said simply.

I scoffed. “I’ve tried. But, you know, it’s so hard for him dating the only virgin in our senior class.” I said sarcastically.

Dominic didn’t laugh like I thought he would. He just nodded, like he understood that. “Don’t do it just because he wants to.”

“I’m not planning on it.” I replied. “Why are you telling me this anyway? Aren’t you and Chase friends?”

Dominic shrugged. “Yeah, but he has a way of using people. And even though you and I have this hate-streak going, it doesn’t mean I want him to take advantage of you.”

“Well, that’s nice. I think I may even take you off my hit-list.”

“I’m on your hit-list? For what?”

My eyes narrowed again. “Fifth grade.”

“The aquarium?” he asked incredulously. “You’re still mad about that?”

“Yeah, most people don’t forget being pelted by a starfish.” I said cattily. “But you saying those oddly nice things gets you off the hook for that.”

“Dominic!”

Dominic and I groaned at the same time as Leah Ambrose came strolling down the hall, her heels clicking on the ground.

“Dominic, where were you? We were supposed to have lunch together!”

“Oh, that’s my fault. I practically begged him for help on my debate.” I lied smoothly. I wasn’t sure why I was covering for him. “Thanks, Dominic.” I said, smiling goodbye at him and Leah.

* * *

“How many times do you have to say no to Chase before he gets it?” Autumn asked.

We were almost to class, and I walked straight to Dominic’s sister Daveigh, bumping into her and causing her to drop everything.

“Watch it, Devereux!” Daveigh barked.

“Whoops! I’m so sorry!”

Autumn and I went to our table. A few seconds after the bell rang and Daveigh was chastised for being late, Dominic walked in. I avoided eye contact with him because I was sure Leah had pulled the Jealous-Girlfriend card.

“Mr. Nightingale, is tardiness a problem in your family?” Mrs. Winters asked, standing up and going to the white board at the front of the room.

Dominic gave a casual shrug. “Oh, I am very sorry, Mrs. Winters. I guess I’ll have to set my alarm thirty seconds earlier.” He replied, and then went around her to his table that he shared with his friend, Logan.

“All right, let’s start off the debates, shall we?” Mrs. Winters called, setting up the two podiums. “None of you should know who you are debating with, so I’ll just call you up by topics.” She said. She slipped on her glasses and looked at the list. “Whoever had the topic of privacy, please come up now.”

I sighed and stood up, noticing the chestnut-haired boy stand up as well. You’ve got to be kidding me I thought as Dominic gave me a little grin that was meant for me alone.

…Back to Present…

“Almost done?”

I turned and saw Dominic in the doorway. “Not even close.” I admitted. “I got a little distracted.”

“With what?” he asked, sitting down on my bed.

I grinned. “The aquarium.”

“You think I’m still banned from seeing the starfish?” he asked, and I went to lie down next to him.

“I think you’ll be banned from the San Francisco Aquarium for the rest of your life, Mr. Nightingale.” I told him, and he laughed. “I just want to know why you did it in the first place.”

“Because I liked you.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course he would say something like that. “So you thought that throwing a starfish at my face was a way to get my attention?”

“It worked, though. And you got the attention of everyone there with your screaming.”

“I was a ten-year-old with a sea-creature plastered to my face. Of course I screamed.”

Dominic chuckled and pulled me to him. He kissed down my face until he reached my lips. “I love you, Em.” He murmured against my lips.

I tightened my hold on him and rested my head in the crook of his neck. “I love you, too.”