Your friends will be in my prayers.

Several days had passed before Bruce and Jerome’s funeral. I replied to Janet’s text with a simple thank you before locking my necklace around my neck and stepping out of the bathroom in a black dress. Thoughts of Tyler came to mind as I walked downstairs, thankful that he had survived and didn’t hate me after I told him what happened in the hospital.

In the kitchen was my mom, who was scrubbing wet dishes in the sink with a sponge. “Mom, I’m about to leave. Lucas is picking me up.”

“Oh, is he?” she asked, turning the faucet off. “I was under the impression that me and your father were bringing you, since you’ve been ignoring all of Lucas’s calls to the house for the past four days. Actually, you’ve been avoiding everyone since the school incident.”

It was true. I had been keeping to myself for the past few days, but only because I needed a break from my daily life of chaos and misery. My mind needed to be cleared, free from constant worry and intrusive thoughts. You would think she’d understand—parents always complained about stressful stuff.

“Mom, you haven’t been the easiest person to talk to after what happened,” I told her, leaning against the fridge with my arms crossed. “Every time I come downstairs for dinner or whenever we walk past each other in the living room, there’s always tension in the air. I know you’ve been upset with me these past couple of days for not coming straight home that day and for sneaking out the house to save Janet, but—”

“No, I’m not upset about that. I’m glad you helped her. What I am upset about is that you took your father’s car and drove on your own instead of telling us what was going on. And yes, I’m very bothered that you disobeyed my orders and stayed after school instead of coming straight home like I told you to.”

“I’m sorry.”

She put away the plate she had been cleaning and approached me. “Aliyah, I expect this rebellious attitude from you, but I never thought you would worry me the way you have lately. It hasn’t even been three weeks since you’ve been home, and you’ve already gotten yourself into problematic situations. You’re setting a bad example for Mya.”

“What? A bad example for Mya? You can’t be serious. You and Dad treat her like some golden child. She’s flawless to you two, and nothing I do will change how she is. And the only problematic issue here is the fact that bullying still exists. I tried to stop the guy who killed my friends, okay? I wanted to do the right thing. I should’ve come home, you’re right, but it wasn’t my fault that I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and someone needed help. Noel would’ve done the same thing.”

My mother’s brow twitched at the sound of my brother’s name. Her forehead wrinkled in anger; her hand raised to point a finger at me in a scolding manner.

“Don’t you dare use your brother’s name to defend yourself. Since you think you’re so grown, put yourself in my shoes for a second. Try being a mother who already lost one child and is worried sick about losing another.”

Our eyes began to well up as the argument continued. Neither of us wanted to back down, but we both knew the conversation needed to end before someone got hurt.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I don’t wanna worry you. There’s just a lot happening right now that you can’t be involved in.”

“Like what, Aliyah? You need to stop whatever you’re doing and start reevaluating the people you spend your time with. Focus on school and graduating. You’re already a few credits behind what every senior should have at the start of the year. You need to prioritize your—”

“Prioritize what, Mom? My life? I don’t know what I want my life to be like to even try prioritizing it. Before Noel died, all I ever wanted to do was hang out with my friends and help people however I could, ‘cause that’s what I like to do: be a normal teenager and try making others feel happy. Why should I be reprimanded for that?”

The sound of the doorbell interrupted our debate. My mother walked past me without saying another word before stopping midway up the stairs.

“Make sure you’re on your way home the second the funeral is over. That’s all I have to say.”

After she walked up the stairs, I went over to the living room window and peeked outside to see Lucas standing at the front door wearing a black suit. A small smile tried to muster its way onto my face, but the thought of Robyn bearing his child wouldn’t allow it.

I opened the door and was greeted by his blue eyes that were filled with remorse.

“Aliyah, you look beautiful.”

“You look nice too,” I complimented back before looking away from him. “Yeah, so, let’s go.”

We walked toward his car, where he opened the door for me. “You don’t have to do that,” I muttered before sitting.

“Sorry, Ali.”

I didn’t want to give him a hard time, but I also didn’t want to make it easy for him either. He was not in my good graces, and I wasn’t sure why I was giving him another chance at a friendship.

He closed the passenger door and walked around the front of the vehicle to get in the driver’s seat. Being in his car was not the same. The feelings of joy, excitement, and comfort were replaced with an empty sadness, and that was before a disturbing thought shot to the forefront of my mind that wouldn’t go away until I voiced it.

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“How many times?” I asked, certain that the mascara underneath my eyes had been smudged from the tears running down my cheeks. “Tell me the truth.”

“Ali, what do you mean? Why are you crying?”

“How many times has she been in this car with you sitting exactly where I am? How many times did you two have sex right here in this damn car?”

He tried grabbing my hand, but I pulled my arm away. “Listen, I swear to you that I’ve never had sex with her,” he claimed. “I put that on my mother’s grave.”

“Then what the hell?” I shouted, slamming my fist on the armrest. “How is she pregnant? Tell me the truth. How can you sit there and deny you had sex with her but not deny the child she claims to be having with you? When I first questioned you about her, you protected her so much. Now that the truth is out, suddenly, something’s not right? You can’t be serious.”

“I didn’t want this to blow up like it has, I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me. I wanted to figure everything out myself.”

My nostrils were flaring at this point. “You know what? Start from the beginning. There’s still time until the funeral. I wanna know everything right now.”

He took a deep breath as I sat attentively, my eyes not leaving his. Our friendship, relationship, or whatever the hell it was at this time, was all on the line with this one confession.

“Alright, I’m gonna give it to you straight: Robyn and I dated in the past.”

Oh, what a surprise. I should’ve known.

“Wow, so you two have history. Unbelievable. How could you lie and keep this from me for so long?”

“I already told you, babe. I didn’t know how to come out and say all this. But you have to believe me when I say that I did not keep in touch with her at all. She showed up at the school a few days after the roof incident with you and Valeria. It was the first time I saw her since we broke up.”

Ugh. He can be such an idiot sometimes.

“Seriously? And you didn’t find that weird at all? That she just randomly showed up at the exact time I was out of the picture? What, did you two rekindle some old flame or something while I was in the hospital?”

“No. We had a casual conversation that led to me telling her about the band auditioning for a co-singer. She reminded me of her vocal talent, and I simply gave her directions to where we were holding the auditions. She showed up a day later, killed it, and joined the band soon after. Bruce and Jerome liked her a lot, so she started hanging around us more.”

I didn’t buy it. Everything sounded too convenient for Robyn, and now knowing that the two of them used to date, my suspicions were only raised.

“Why did you think it was okay to have your ex-girlfriend join your band? And you mean to tell me she showed no signs of liking you? At all?”

He slouched back in his seat and stared out of the front window. “Yeah, there were times when it seemed like she was flirting, but I promise you nothing happened. Most of the time it was her and Tyler taking shots at each other, like he hated her or something. If we’re being honest, I think the guy dislikes ninety-nine percent of the world’s population.”

He laughed, but I was in no mood to share his humor. He finally got the hint after turning his head and seeing the angry look on my face.

He cleared his throat before continuing. “So, after about two or three weeks, she confessed that she was still in love with me and kissed me out of nowhere. I pushed her back because I didn’t feel the same way at all, and I even told her about you. Honestly, the whole thing reminded me of why I broke up with her in the first place.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because she’s crazy,” he flat-out answered. “I thought she changed, but she was just waiting for an opportunity to come on to me and try having a baby again.”

My brows creased and my lips pursed. “Whoa, rewind that please. What do you mean, ‘having a baby again’?”

“By that I mean she’s obsessed with wanting a child. I was sixteen when I dated Robyn. Way too young to have a kid. But that’s all she wanted, Ali. She even threatened my family and stalked me after I dumped her. It’s the reason why I transferred from Navelwood High to Ravenvale High, and I was blessed to meet someone as amazing as you are.”

His complement made me smile, but it quickly vanished at the thought of my next question. “Is that why you didn’t wanna drive me to Navelwood High the morning I volunteered there?”

“Yeah. I did not want to take a chance on her seeing me again. She told me recently about her abusive ex-boyfriend that she dated after I left the school. Apparently, he left her just before she had a miscarriage. But anyway, I know I’m guilty of not pushing her away sooner, but believe me when I say that I have no feelings for her. I love you, Aliyah. I—“

“No,” I interrupted him, opening the car door. “Lucas, I’m sorry, but all of this just shows me how much of a liar you are and how easy it is for you to keep secrets from me.” Making my way out, I voiced, “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I—”

He leaned over and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Ali, please.”

“Let go of me,” I spat out, trying to force myself out of his clutches. His hold only made me angrier. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t. Please, Ali. Don’t fight me. I need you to help me. I’m trapped.”

The tension in my body lessened after hearing his plea. “What? What do you mean you’re trapped?”

“Just listen to me, alright? About a week ago, Robyn told me she was pregnant with my child. I denied it, obviously, because I never did anything sexual with her. But then she showed me a pregnancy test that confirmed she was pregnant, which was mind-blowing. I told her it still doesn’t mean I’m the father, but afterward, she… If I didn’t agree to being with her and raising the child, she would say I raped her and bring me to court.”

Speechless, we looked at one another in apprehension. Frustration masked his facial features as the silence went on.

“Would she really do that?” I asked, placing my hand on his arm in hopes of comforting him. Just when I was ready to leave him alone, he pulled me back in.

“I wouldn’t put it past her. And you know what else is insane? It takes about eight or so weeks to take a DNA test, and yet, somehow, the doctor confirmed that Robyn’s child is mine after only three weeks of knowing her again. It’s madness, Ali. I hate all of this.”

Nothing about the situation made sense. My thoughts wandered in hopes of finding a solution, but they came to a dead end every single time.

“Everything that comes out her mouth is a lie,” he claimed. “I need you to trust me and know that I never had sex with her. All she wants is my child. I mean, this could be her desire manifesting, right?”

“It’s possible,” I replied. “And I’m not sure using my light against her would be any help. She’d probably just wish for another baby by you instead of changing her psychotic ways. But we can’t be sure until we get some actual information about everything that’s happening. I simply don’t have the answers right now, Lucas. I’m sorry.”

I wasn’t ready to trust him again, but I could sense his confession was sincere and that he truly loved me. “It’s going to be hard,” I told him. “But I’ll try to believe you.”

“Thank you, Ali. Everything I said is the truth. I’m in love with you and only you. Never doubt that.”

I smiled before saying, “I know. Let’s go to the funeral now.”

“Alright. Together.”