Fumbling Perfect (Raymere Grove Series Book 1) Read online

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  “You know mom isn’t out with girlfriends,” Rover bluntly announced as he flopped on the sofa after supper.

  Lilah swatted at his feet. “You know shoes aren’t allowed on the furniture.”

  “Who cares. It’s not like there’s an adult here to correct me,” he joked. Deep down, no matter how big and bad he acted, the truth was, he was only eleven, going on twelve. His sisters, particularly Lilah, scared the living daylights out of him. With that, he removed his feet from the couch.

  “How do you know,” Lilah asked, now curious. She had suspicions, but it was one of those things she’d rather not know.

  Very nonchalantly, “I went through her phone.”

  “Rover!”

  A fit of laughter ensued on his part. “Come on, I love mom and all, but face it, we got her looks, not her brains. Her password is 1-2-3-4.”

  “First of all, that comment was a little rude. Secondly…wow…I have so many questions. Why were you in her phone?”

  “She controls the parental locks on the television from there,” he answered.

  Lilah was a little stunned. She knew the damage that Rover could cause if he got his hands in the right places, but he was getting a little bold for an eleven-year-old.

  “Anyway,” he sang out, after realizing his sister was a little speechless. “I figured I’d look through her texts, considering she’s always on the phone tapping away.”

  Lilah felt sick. She didn’t want to know, but some part of her already did. The worst part was that her little brother had come across that, given, it was his own fault for snooping, but she couldn’t imagine the hurt and pain that realization must have been for him. “And,” she pressed on after Rover neglected to continue.

  “There’s this guy named Rob.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Well, no. I mean, it’s not like I found anything worse than what you can find online,” he began, growing a bit embarrassed.

  “Oh, god! Rover,” Lilah screeched. “No, just no. You cannot go through people’s personal stuff like that!”

  “So, you don’t care that mom is probably having an affair?”

  “Stop it,” Lilah hissed. She didn’t want to hear that, especially from her little brother; although, if it were true, he seemed to be taking it quite well.

  It was at that moment that a welcomed distraction eased the tension in the form of a text alert from Lilah’s phone. It was on the couch next to Rover as she had been getting the television set up for a movie.

  He picked it up and glanced at it, a coy and sinister grin creeping across his thin boyish lips.

  “How about you deal with this,” he said as he waved the phone around. “And we postpone the movie for another night.”

  Lilah glared at him. She was much better and had a greater deal of experience with what he was trying to do. “You just want to go play your video games.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m sure you’d hate to keep Kyler waiting.”

  Lilah’s eyes widened and a lump in her throat formed, preventing words from coming at that moment.

  Rover tossed the phone back on the couch. “I’ll be in my room if you should need me.”

  Lilah did not want to imagine what he’d be like as a teenager. She gave up on the movie they were supposed to watch together and went for her phone. She couldn’t hide the fact that it felt like she had eaten something bad not too long ago. Her stomach flipped once more when she opened her messages.

  Kyler: I forgot to ask. Do you have plans Saturday?

  A million questions bombarded Lilah’s thoughts. Why was he asking now, at seven on a Monday night? Did he want to meet to study? To get Friday’s notes? Was it a different reason entirely?

  Lilah nearly dropped the phone as she forced herself to stop thinking, a single question via text sending her into a near panic attack.

  Lilah: Why? Do you need Friday’s notes?

  Kyler: Haha, no, but thanks for thinking of me. Actually, I was going to see if you and your friends wanted to go to a party.

  Lilah stared at the screen and reread the message over and over. She was not the type of person that most people would invite to a party, especially one filled with a bunch of jocks, which she assumed it would be, as that was pretty much the entirety of Kyler’s circle. Another text soon came through.

  Kyler: Dawson told me to invite you and your friends.

  Lilah exhaled. That made much more sense. She had been invited to one of Dawson’s parties long ago, before she earned the reputation as the biggest snob in school. She never went to it of course, but she knew how his parties were. His parents were fairly wealthy and of good standing in the community. He didn’t have the sort of parties like she had seen in the teen movies, full of drugs and alcohol. For the most part, people went for his insane pool and game room. The general rule was that everyone leave by dusk. Supposedly it was on the mild side when it came to a high school party.

  Lilah: We’ll think about it.

  Kyler: Cool. It starts around 2pm.

  Kyler thought about leaving it at that, but it was the perfect way to feed his curiosity, and at least through text he didn’t have to be scrutinized under her skeptical gaze.

  Kyler: Feel free to bring Simon too.

  Lilah: What?

  When Kyler took longer than thirty seconds to clarify, Lilah shot off another message.

  Lilah: Why would I bring Simon?

  It was a bad idea mentioning that. He realized after it was too late. Thankfully, hidden behind a screen, it was far easier to come up with a response, even if it meant that his best friend was going to take the hit for it.

  Kyler: I don’t know. Miles mentioned that he thought you two were together or something. I just wanted to make sure that you knew you could bring him along as well.

  Lilah: Well, when you see Miles, be sure to correct him before he continues to spread any other rumors.

  He was pretty sure that she was livid, stomping around in a pair of dainty designer shoes. However, something about her text was strangely reassuring.

  Chapter 10

  Kyler removed his shirt and dusted off an old pair of stained up jeans before entering the house. The smell of bacon hit him instantly and he felt his stomach respond with an array of growls.

  “You’re up early for having such a late trip back,” Krista said without turning around. She had heard the mower turn off through the sizzling of bacon.

  “I wanted to get a few things done for mom before Dawson’s little party.”

  Knowing that breakfast would be ready soon, he ran upstairs and quickly put on a change of clothes. There was no point in showering; he still had a great deal of stuff he wanted to take care of outside and he’d only have to shower again before leaving the house.

  It was just Krista and himself on this particular Saturday morning. He had been awake when his mother left for the hospital, but it was still too dark to get outside and do anything, so he had remained in bed until the sunlight slowly began to creep through his blinds.

  Krista placed an overly full plate and glass of juice in front of Kyler. “I’m surprised that you’re not at the hospital today.”

  “Hal figured I’d be useless after the game and ride back. I think he’s just like mom, thinking I need to enjoy being a kid,” Kyler scoffed.

  “They aren’t wrong. Trust me. College was hard, but after college is the worst, especially when you realize your degree and all that time meant nothing,” Krista said, picking at scrambled eggs loaded with cheese.

  Kyler knew his sister was struggling as well. She had graduated from college roughly four months prior. Her hope was to get a job as a developer; however, all she had managed was sales for McCallister Industries. It was a good company and she had a lot of room for advancement, but her impatience was a whole different story.

  She didn’t make enough to warrant getting an apartment in the city, and living with roommates didn’t appeal to her; therefore,
she continued to live with Kyler and their mother, Helen, and just make the commute.

  “Mom has been through a lot. I wish I would have known everything earlier, but at least now I can help out, hopefully make things a little easier for her,” Kyler admitted, dismissing his sister’s thoughts that he should enjoy childhood.

  “You just turned eighteen, you don’t have to–”

  “Can you just drop it? I’m going to Dawson’s this afternoon; that’s enough for me right now,” Kyler interrupted, sparing himself a lecture.

  Krista left it alone. She watched her brother grow up a lot since their father’s death more than six years ago, but it wasn’t until recently, when he discovered the issues of finances that he really tried to step up and contribute more. Suddenly, friends and video games didn’t seem to be the center of his life.

  Krista didn’t see her brother anymore until around lunch time. There was no telling what he was doing. She thought she heard something on the roof and remembered that her mom had made the smallest comment about the gutters. It was insignificant at the time, but there was no doubt that Kyler had probably made a mental note.

  “I’ve got you a sandwich in the fridge if you want,” Krista pointed out, shutting off the vacuum once her brother entered.

  Kyler wiped sweat and dust from his forehead. “Thanks. I’m starving.”

  “Oh, you should probably check your phone,” she informed him.

  Kyler looked around, not remembering where he last placed it. Ultimately Krista had to point to an end table for him.

  “I wasn’t being nosey,” she felt the need to establish. “I just heard texts going off over an hour ago and figured…” She let her words drift off as she watched Kyler read through the phone, flashes of annoyance and frustration in his wild blue eyes.

  “It’s nothing. Just some of the guys,” he finally told her.

  When he looked up, Krista held a smirk on her face as she leaned on the handle of the vacuum.

  He groaned and made his way to the refrigerator. “You looked at it, didn’t you?”

  “I just saw the name Sarah pop up,” she calmly admitted.

  Kyler dismissed that text as soon as he saw it. Of course, Sarah had to know if he would be hanging out at Dawson’s house that afternoon.

  “She’s just a cheerleader.”

  Krista gagged a little. Obviously, her brother, star quarterback, would be into a cheerleader.

  “So, cupcake girl is a cheerleader. How cute,” Krista scoffed. She quickly regretted it. Just because cheerleaders were jerks to her back when they first moved to Raymere Grove didn’t mean they were all like that. Not to mention, she couldn’t remember the last time her brother talked about a girl; judging his choice was rude on her part. She was just about to apologize when Kyler turned toward her and pressed his backside into the kitchen island.

  “No,” was all he said through a mouthful of what appeared to be half his sandwich.

  “Wait, I’m confused.” Krista then began rolling up the cord to the vacuum. It was a constant chore with the four-legged creature who desperately seemed to need a haircut. Come to think of it, she should probably look for the dog…

  “Sarah is just a cheerleader. We all hang out together.”

  “Yeah, I’m not talking about Sarah anymore,” Krista teased.

  If Krista thought she was getting anything else out of her brother, she was sorely mistaken when he excused himself and rushed up the stairs. She’d be on her own until he and their mom came home for supper, which both assured they would. She realized that she should probably start her afternoon off with finding the dog.

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  “What time will you be home,” Steven asked before Lilah could get to the bottom of the staircase.

  “Honestly, she’s almost eighteen. She needs to get out and have some fun,” Jenna interjected, before Lilah could answer.

  Lilah saw the way her mother looked at her. She didn’t approve of her choice of outfit. She had tried to get Lilah to wear a skirt too short and a top too low. They were items that she had bought for Lilah during one of her binges; they were also items that would remain in the far corner of the closet with the tags still on.

  She had opted for a pair of low-rise skinny jeans and a snug Rolling Stones shirt with sleeves down to her elbows. It might have seemed boring to her mother, but she thought it was just the right amount of cute and sexy, if there was such a thing. It was that thought alone not even thirty minutes ago that made her want to change her mind about going. Parties were not her thing, and while she dressed in a pristine fashion for school, she had no idea why she was putting so much thought and effort into a party she didn’t want to go to in the first place. However, after she had told Alice about it, she knew without a doubt they’d all be going.

  “Don’t worry, dad,” Lilah reassured him. “Dawson’s parents want people off their property by nightfall.”

  “I’m well-aware of his parents. He and his family aren’t the problem. It’s everyone else who might be there.”

  Jenna tugged at her husband’s arm. “Don’t do this. Lilah doesn’t have many friends as it is.”

  Lilah didn’t know why her mother attempted to whisper that only feet from her. Perhaps she wanted Lilah to hear. If so, that was cold, even for her.

  “Look, I’m going with Alice and Jolee. Jolee just text me that her mom is parked on the street outside of our gate. I also talked to Antonio. Should I want to leave earlier, and they don’t, he said he’ll be on standby. Unless of course you have something come up,” Lilah sighed, suddenly feeling like a small child.

  Reluctantly her father stepped aside, and she was out the door before either parent could lecture her about anything else.

  Chapter 11

  Throughout the insanely large game room, which had garnered a pretty decent crowd by 2:30, Kyler could easily hear Sarah’s high-pitched shriek nearby.

  “Are you serious? This has to be a joke,” she squealed to Britt and Abby on either side of her.

  Sean, who was only a few feet from her, talking with Cash and Louis, looked up to what had sent Sarah into a fit. He then proceeded to hollering at Dawson, who was setting up for another FIFA match on one of the big screens.

  “Come on, man. Hot or not, did you really have to invite your nerd friends?”

  Sarah and her friends gathered in closer. “Uh, hot? I know you’re not talking about one of them!”

  Kyler’s attention immediately went to the entrance. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t scanned the room for her, but only once or twice. He couldn’t believe she came, and it was just her and the two girls he always saw her with. He shouldn’t have expected differently. Lilah had set him straight about any suspicions of Simon earlier in the week.

  As she walked farther into the room, hesitant at first, Kyler couldn’t help but watch her every move. She looked so different. He couldn’t recall ever seeing her in anything other than some business-like skirt. Something about the way her jeans clung to her frame caused his gut to clench. He hated how small her shirt looked; with even the slightest movement, he was sure that he could see skin between the hem of the shirt and the top of her jeans.

  He was jolted from his trance by another comment from Sean as well as the overly sweet stench that he recognized as Sarah’s perfume. She must have bathed in it on that particular day.

  “Next time you’re going to have a chess club meeting, tell us.”

  Kyler quickly interrupted, knowing he’d have a lot of explaining to do. “He didn’t invite them. I did.”

  The gasp from Sarah was so outrageous, and had he not been aggravated by Sean’s stupid remarks, he probably would have choked from laugher at her ridiculousness.

  “What,” Sean hissed, stepping closer in Kyler’s direction.

  “I said,” he began, enunciating every word as though Sean had a problem understanding. “Dawson didn’t invite them. I did,” he repeated.

  “Why in the world would you do th
at?”

  Kyler wasn’t sure what made him do it, and honestly, he was surprised the truth hadn’t come out in the locker room talk, but he decided to let everyone know. At least this way it was on his terms.

  “McCallister is my tutor for Hughes’ class.”

  There was a bit of silence at first, along with a couple gasps from Sarah and her friends. Kyler’s friends thought nothing of it as they had known from the first day.

  “So that’s why you get special treatment? That’s why you get to skip out on practices,” Sean began, a jealousy quickly growing.

  Dawson stepped in before Kyler could say something to further irk Sean. “Look, this is my house. She’s been helping Kyler, which in turn helps the team. I told him to invite them. If you have a problem, teammate or not, you know where the exit is.”

  Sean didn’t move at first. He locked eyes with Kyler. Searching.

  Kyler only felt uneasy once a satisfying smirk appeared on Sean’s lips. It was an expression that was far too calculating. Wheels were definitely spinning, and Kyler didn’t like it one bit.

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  “This place is awesome,” Alice quietly screamed.

  Lilah had to give it to Dawson’s parents, they definitely had a game room alright. Three big screens, with wrap around couches surrounding each of them separately, seemed to be the drawing card for most of the guys. There were some kind of video game sporting competitions going on. There were two pool tables, mildly in use, foosball, pinball machines, lit up squares embedded into the floor for dancing, and the list went on. Large double glass doors opened to a beautiful outdoor area with the pool as the focal point; however, the late September air had started to grow cool, and very few took the liberty of enjoying the pleasures of swimming.