Page 31 of My Rules for Revenge (Twisted YA Mysteries #1)

Over the next few weeks, I simply wanted to forget about what happened, as my plan to blackmail my father failed spectacularly.

He wasn’t the only one who betrayed our family—my mother did as well.

I truly saw how things were when she simply said nothing to stand up for herself, which was disheartening, and the sad part was…

I fully expected her to behave that way—a part of me hoped that she wouldn’t—but that hope is long dead.

Eddy helped me clear my head.

I continued to hang out with him at our usual spot at the park near my house. Sometimes I helped him study chemistry, and sometimes we played basketball. We got very close and became good friends. On that day, however, I wished we had never met.

It all started when we sat on our usual bench and just talked about things.

“Do you like school, Indira?”

“Yeah, it’s alright. I don’t have a lot of friends, though. That kind of sucks. I only have you,” I explained.

“What about Heather? You seem to be friends with her,” Eddy mentioned.

“She’s pretty funny. I like her,” I expressed.

“I’ve always been a bit afraid of her, but I think she’s pretty,” Eddy remarked.

I shot him an offended look.

“You think she’s pretty?” I asked.

“Yeah, she’s a cute girl,” Eddy admitted.

“Oh!” I exclaimed.

“She’s, uh… cute like you.”

I blushed.

“Oh, well. Thank you,” I replied.

“Yeah, of course. Did I make you uncomfortable just now? I’m sorry if I did,” Eddy said apologetically.

“No, you didn’t. It’s okay,” I said.

“Okay.”

“Do you like school?” I asked.

“I do, for the most part, but I feel like an outsider on the basketball team sometimes. I guess we’re similar in that way,” Eddy pointed out.

“I guess we are.”

“I can promise you that I’ll never make you feel like you’re an outsider,” Eddy assured me.

“I believe you.”

I gazed across the shimmering lake in deep thought as the sun set.

“Something on your mind?” Eddy asked.

“This is going to sound a bit out of the blue, but my problems with my parents have taken a turn for the worse. I found out that my father is cheating on my mother,” I explained.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”

Eddy came around to me and gave me a tight hug. My heart warmed while my skin was brimming with cool electricity. When he let go, he looked deeply concerned. No one ever looked at me like that. I can tell that he cared.

“I’m sorry if that was a bit too personal. I don’t have anyone to talk to about these things. I hope it’s okay. I feel comfortable telling you,” I affirmed.

“You can tell me these things, Indira. I’m here for you. You can trust me,” Eddy assured me.

“I know.”

“Are you okay? I know that’s a dumb question, but...”

“To be honest, I feel hopeless. I have to live with a father who cheats and a mother who accepts it. It makes me want to throw up,” I said in disgust.

“Yeah, that’s tough.”

“This is exactly why I won’t miss home when I leave for college,” I said with certainty.

“I’m starting to feel the same way.”

“Oh? How come?” I asked.

“I think my parents are getting a divorce. One of them might be cheating, actually. I don’t fully understand what’s going on. It’s crazy, but we seem to be in the same boat,” Eddy admitted.

“I’m so sorry, Eddy. When I found out about my father, I was destroyed. I don’t want anyone else to have to feel this.”

“Unfortunately, this town seems to be filled with adults who lack the ability to be faithful,” Eddy said in frustration.

“It sucks!” I exclaimed.

“It does.”

“I promised myself I’d never be like either of them,” I asserted.

“That’s a good promise to make.”

“I don’t want a broken family. I don’t want to be broken, period,” I remarked.

“I don’t think you are.”

We stayed quiet and stared into each other’s eyes. I waited for him to make the first move, but after a few emotionally charged moments, he suddenly got up and walked forward. His head turned away from me. I felt a strong twinge of disappointment.

“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I like you. I like you a lot, but…it’s a weird time in my life.

I’m trying to focus on basketball. Frankie’s helping me.

He’s getting scouts to look at me and helping me sharpen my skills.

I may end up tagging along with him to the D1 college he ends up committing to, but I have a lot of work to do.

My situation with my family obviously isn’t helping either.

It gives me a lot of anxiety. It feels like a tornado is charging towards me, and I can’t get myself out of the way,” Eddy confessed.

I got up and approached him.

“I get it,” I said.

“I’m so sorry, Indira, but I don’t want a serious relationship right now. It wouldn’t be fair to you. My head wouldn’t be in it all the way.”

“It’s okay, Eddy.”

“But I have to be honest with you.”

“Yes?”

“I…I want to do things with a girl. I want to forget about my problems for a while,” Eddy added.

“I want to forget about my problems, too.”

“You do?” Eddy asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“So…we both want the same thing,” Eddy pointed out.

“I believe we do,” I replied.

This was a very sensitive time in my life. I was afraid I’d never find a guy like Eddy ever again, and I was willing to do whatever he wanted in order for him to remain interested in me. He was someone who liked me and cared about me. I thought I needed him.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Eddy asked.

I went up to him and softly kissed him on the lips. He smiled, and I reciprocated.

“I’m sure,” I said.

“Me too.”

Despite what happened afterwards, I still believe that deep down, Eddy is a sweet guy. He just lost himself somehow and became someone he wasn’t.