fantasty kiss, raj say hello [bill gates best books .TXT] 📗

afterwards.
About half way through my run I experienced pain in my chest and throughout my legs and arms but it was nothing I couldn’t power through. It was just from the lack of oxygen they were getting since my body was probably dehydrated.
When I got home a few minutes before nine and found that Rebecca still wasn’t in, I knew my father wasn’t too happy about it. It wasn’t the latest she’d ever come in but at least before she’d call. When I’d gotten home from school he hadn’t said anything about her calling, and his reddened face said she still hadn’t informed him of her whereabouts. My father was a stickler on his rules and Rebecca was not above these rules. He only wanted to know where we were and about what time we’d be back so he wouldn’t have to worry. My mother agreed with that rule and never went against it. Rebecca on the other hand had been coming home later and later without warning or, from what I overheard, a valid excuse.
I waved to my father as I stuck my head in the living room to tell him I was back and okay, then went up to my room to prepare for a shower. Though my muscles ached, I didn’t think it was a good idea to let them sit and soak up water. They needed to be massaged by the hot water not gently caressed.
After my shower I got ready for bed, deciding I’d do something with my hair in the morning. It wasn’t that I was sleepy, my arms just still hurt. I noticed that my body was doing a lot of aching lately. I was certain my body wasn’t getting something it needed and knew I’d find out in about a week when Rebecca took me for my regular check up.
I checked my cell and realized there were quite a few missed text messages Jack and Devin. I apologized to the both of them and answered their questions about where I’d been or what I was up to. After a moment Jack texted me back and wanted to know what I was doing. I told him lying in bed and not two minutes later he sent a text back asking if I could send him a…dirty picture. When I refused he told me he’d just talk to me tomorrow if he found the time.
Devin wasn’t as immature. Well, most of the time. Tonight when he texted me he basically wanted to know the same thing as Jack: if I was okay and what I was doing. When I repeated what I’d told Jack, he wanted to know if he could call me. He knew it was getting late but he just wanted to hear the sound of my voice before he went to sleep for the night.
This made me smile and I complied. This was why Devin was getting all of my attention and well, sex and dirty pictures whenever he wanted. He wasn’t all about the intimacy. He actually had a brain in his head that told him asking for such things every time he saw a girl was unacceptable.
When Devin called I was bringing out my computer so I could work on an assignment, but it was also an excuse just in case my father came in and asked what I was doing and who I was talking to. I’d just say homework and Marina.
Devin and I talked for hours while I worked. However, I was doing more talking and quiet laughing than actually working. It was nearly two in the morning when Devin realized that maybe we should get off the phone. It wasn’t a school night or anything but he told me I needed my rest. I’d been looking tired lately.
I didn’t even acknowledge the last part, instead I told him I loved him and would call him tomorrow if I got the chance. After hanging up and closing down my computer my stomach growled and I knew it wouldn’t be long before the nausea started. It had been growling rather loudly and Devin could hear it over the phone, causing him to laugh. He said it sounded like a bear cub. I laughed it off but now I knew I needed to eat or else I’d make myself sick. It was late so I quietly made my way downstairs. I wasn’t expecting my father and Rebecca to be awake but when I heard them having a silent argument I stopped cold and strained my ears to hear what they were whispering so fiercely about.
“It’s bad enough you did it behind my back but now you are purposely broadcasting it in front of my face.” My father didn’t sound to happy with whatever Rebecca was doing. “You’re coming in at all hours of the night, going god knows where in the day time and I’m tired of it. You told me you’d stop seeing him.”
Seeing him?
“I have stopped seeing him. What I do with my spare time is my business.”
“Not when you’re married, Rebecca. Not when you’re in a committed relationship. You shouldn’t have slept with him in the first place.”
I placed both my hands over my mouth to cover my gasp then took a step back only to have the floor boards creak under my feet and give me away. The whispering stopped and before my father could stick his head out his bedroom door, I quietly rounded the corner and went to the kitchen.
I tried my best to make my actions seem normal. I didn’t want my father to know that I’d been eavesdropping so I grabbed a plate from the cupboard and opened the refrigerator door.
“Layla?” I heard him call from his room. The floor squeaked a bit with every step he took as he neared the kitchen.
“Yeah, I’m in the kitchen.”
He flipped on the light and smiled at me. “Got hungry, didn’t you?”
I nodded. “I’m going to eat my dinner then head to bed.”
He looked at me for a moment and it made me uncomfortable.
“So what are you still doing up?” I asked. I’d began warming up my food and had no other choice but to look at him.
He shrugged. “Can’t sleep.”
I chewed the inside of my lip and tried my best to sound concerned. “Rebecca still not home?”
Crossing his arms he said, “No, she’s…in bed. She’s out cold. I just couldn’t sleep.”
I nodded and turned to check my food. I wasn’t exactly sure why he was lying but I didn’t like it. This family was tuning out to be a bunch of lies. I was lying to him, he was lying to me, and Rebecca was apparently lying to him.
The microwaves timer went off and I removed my food then walked past him.
“See you in the morning, papa. Try and get some sleep.”
He nodded as I made my way up the stairs.
I suspected something was going on with them but now that I actually knew what it was, I couldn't believe it. I mean, to be honest I suspected but I never.... I never really thought she would actually step out on my father. I just....I realized now that that was why she didn’t care about leaving him. She didn’t want this move because she was already seeing someone else here. Just like me. She would risk losing my father just for this one mad that she had slept with. This was an all time low for Rebecca.
And why the hell was my father still with her if she had committed such an act? He was a smart and handsome man. He’d do just fine on his own.
I could only figure that he really, truly loved this woman. He loved her so much that he was willing to stay with her after she repeatedly lied and cheated on him.

Chapter Forty-Two
We sat at the dinner table, looking like one big happy family. My father was cutting the ham while Rebecca passed around the bread. Devin sat next to me, just like he had the first night we’d had dinner together, and I sat looking at all the food I’d helped my father prepare.
Rebecca had mentioned Devin had no plans for the Thanksgiving holiday and my father, out of courtesy for the both of us, offered to invite him over. He wasn’t too happy about the fact we both complied so quickly but it was his idea after all. I was very glad my father was making an effort not to hate Devin. There really wasn’t any reason for him to dislike him, he barely even knew him.
My father and Rebecca weren’t doing much talking besides bickering every once in a while causing Devin to look at me curiously. I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t even supposed to know what they were bickering about. But it was becoming hard to sit there and listen to them and not say anything.
“So how has your short vacation been, Layla?” Devin asked.
I looked his way and gave a small smile, knowing he was just trying to settle the tense atmosphere.
“It’s been…good actually. I have gotten some of my final report done for your class which is good.”
I didn’t need to tell him this, we had just talked last night about it and I had asked him then if he would help me on it. His answer, of course, was no. It wasn’t fair if he helped me and not the others. It was just small talk for the table. That and keeping up appearances with my family.
“And yours?” I asked holding back a smile.
“Fine really. Thank you. Rebecca’s been keeping me up to date with my paintings and you all are keeping me busy with grading paperwork.”
I shrugged. “The class is finally bringing their grades up I hope.”
Now he smiled. “Actually no. But your grades are fine as always.”
I watched my father through our entire conversation and not once did he look at me. But he kept glancing over at his wife who never once looked at him, only her plate.
“How are things going at work, papa?” I asked hoping to get a little something out of him.
“Hmm? Oh, nothing new.”
“Of course not.” Rebecca commented. “Why would we expect anything new?”
“I don’t know, why do I expect anything new from you?”
Devin’s eyes widened and I excused myself from the table for a moment, unable to take the snide comments anymore.
I just needed a break from the hostility. So I went to the bathroom for a minute and just leaned against the wall. When I came out a moment later Devin was leaning on the wall opposite of the door.
“What are you doing here?” I mouthed.
He shrugged then pulled me from the doorway and into a gentle kiss and hug.
“I’ve been wanting to do that since I got here.”
I glanced down the hallway to make sure we had a bit of privacy.
“What’s up with them?” He whispered into my ear.
I pulled away from him and shrugged.
He knew that wasn’t true as he raised an eyebrow at me.
I could tell by the look on his face he wasn’t too happy with me. He wanted to know what was going on and I couldn’t tell him yet. Not with my parents being in hearing distance. They were literally down the hall and I was certain if I told him Rebecca had cheated on my father he’d have an outburst. That or it would be far more uncomfortable than it already was.
There wasn’t much talking besides