“Okay,” she replied, her voice sounding a bit more upbeat. “I’ll stop nagging, and let you do your thing, Rylee.”
I laughed. “It’s okay, Mom,” I replied. “Just know that I’m not going to disappoint you or Dad. I’m seeing this through, and I’m going to make you guys proud.”
“Oh,Rylee, honey,” she rushed out. “We’re already proud of you. Don’t you worry about that. We just want you to have all the tools necessary to be happy, honey. That’s all.”
“I know, Mom.” And I really did. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay, honey.”
We hung up, but it wasn’t five seconds later that my phone pinged with an incoming text, and it took me a second to understand what I was reading.
Unknown:A car will pick u up at 7 tmrw nite
I looked at the message, and knew it had tobe the wrong number. A quick image of someone waiting on a ride flashed in my mind, and there was no way I wasn’t going to let this person know that they had the wrong number.
Me:Sorry. Wrong #
Unknown:No, it’s not, Rylee
My heart dropped.
Me:Who is this?
Unknown:Be ready at 7
“Whyare you looking at your phone like you’ve never seen one before?” Laney asked, and I let out a pathetic yelp as she startled me. While, we’d gotten past her bitchy moment in the library, I could admit my feelings were still a little raw where she was concerned. There was no doubt Stone Lexington was out of my league, but she hadn’t needed to point it out to everyone.
“Oh, God, Laney,”I rushed out. “Sneak around much?”
She laughed. “I wasn’t sneaking around,” she claimed. “You’re just very focused on your phone.” Laney came and sat down on the couch next to me.
Ishook my head, trying to clear this weirdness. “I…I just got a strange text,” I told her. “I thought it was the wrong number at first, but whoever it is typed my name.”
“What’s so weirdabout it?”
“It’s atext that’s telling me to be ready tomorrow at seven,” I said. “That a car will be waiting for me.”
“What?”The tone in her voice had my head snapping up and my eyes went from the screen on my phone to Laney’s pale face. Her entire body was still, and she looked…uneasy.
She lookedcagey.
Something was definitely going on with her.
My browsdrew downward. “Do you know something about this?” I asked. “Is there a surprise party or something going on?”
Laney didn’t answer. Instead, she said, “Let me see your phone.” I handed it over and said nothing as she read the brief exchange.
When she handed my phone back, I repeated my question. “Do you know something about this?” Her eyes started darting around, and that’s when I got nervous.
When shefinally looked at me, she said, “Type back that you’re not going.”
“Why?”
“Just doit,” she replied. “I…I might know something, depending on the answer.” I eyed her but did as she asked.
Me:I dnt know who this is, but Im not going anywhere tmrw nite
“Okay,” I told her. “I sent it. But I think-” My phone immediately pinged with an incoming text.