Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel by Bella Emy (pdf to ebook reader .TXT) 📕

He looks up and meets my gaze. A sad smile pulls across his face as he waves at me. I slowly wave back, and as he gets into his car and drives away, there are three knocks at my door.

I walk over to my bed and take a seat. “Come in,” I say.

Turning the knob, my mother walks in and smiles warmly at me. “Hey, Lexi Bug.”

She hasn’t called me that in years. What is going on? Something is definitely up. “Hi, Mom.”

I observe her expression, but she doesn’t let on any indication of what has just happened. She and daddy must’ve had another fight the way he stormed out of here, slamming the door.

She takes a seat at the edge of my bed, and her eyes take me in from head to toe. Uh oh. Something is on her mind and she’s come here to talk to me. Maybe she’s getting ready to tell me dad’s going to be staying somewhere else for a while. Is that how it starts? They separate for some time before coming to terms and then divorce? She wouldn’t have come into my room this late at night if something hadn’t been on her mind.

I continue watching her take in my appearance, and as I’m about to ask her what’s up, she speaks.

She points at my head. “You know, you shouldn’t tie your hair so tightly on top of your head like that every night to go to sleep. It’s going to break your hair.”

I shrug. “I can’t sleep with it on my face; it gets in the way.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything more about the matter. I just wish she’d get to whatever it is she came to say. Besides wondering what the hell just happened, it’s getting late and I do need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is Saturday, and even though I don’t have to get up as early as I usually do, I still have to be up by eight in the morning. The football team is going to be taking on its biggest rival, and I can’t miss it. Kalen said he’s going to be there watching me and Erin cheer and watching Jason play… but mostly, he’s going for me. Of course I knew that but hearing him say sweet things like that every single time makes me feel so damn special.

After that, we’re going to his house and he’s going to introduce me to his dad. That’s where all my thoughts of introducing him to my parents came from. I’m a little nervous about meeting the man who raised my boyfriend, but at the same time, I’m so excited. It’s going to be the first time we meet, and I just hope I make a good impression on him. Kalen is sure that his father is going to love me, but what if he doesn’t? I’ve never met any parents of the guys I’ve dated in the past, but then again, I’ve never been serious with anyone else before Kalen.

My mother clears her throat, bringing me out of my head and demanding my full attention once more. “So,” she begins but then pauses for a few moments. I think she does this for emphasis, but she just makes me nervous as to what she wants to say. “You’ve been spending a lot of time at school and with your friends. Do you want to tell me what that’s all about?”

I bite the inside of my lip, considering her words. Do I tell her about Kalen now? This does seem like the perfect opportunity to say something.

She folds her hands on her lap. “Your father and I have been talking,” she pauses, considering her words. Maybe not so much talking but screaming at one another is more like it. “And we know there’s something else besides schoolwork and cheerleading occupying all your spare time,” she adds.

God, is that what they’re fighting about? Me? I’m starting to think their bickering is my fault.

“Are you and daddy getting a divorce? Is it me? Have I done something wrong?” I finally blurt out.

Her eyes widen, taking in my expression. “What? No, sweetheart. Of course, not. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

She stops talking, and even though she’s not saying it’s my fault, maybe they are getting divorced after all. I decide to ask while we’re on the topic. “So then are you two getting divorced?”

She bats her eyes twice and then pats my lap. “No, no. We’re not. Your father and I are just going through a rough patch. It’s perfectly normal when you’ve been married to someone as long as we’ve been married to one another.”

Maybe so. But married couples who are still in love don’t fight nearly as much as they do. Nor does the husband wander off into the middle of the night with a suitcase in hand while he waves wistfully at his daughter.

But what do I know? I’m just a teenage girl. I don’t know what it’s like to be married or what it’s like to be with someone for as long as they’ve been together. Maybe they are just going through a rough patch like my mother is claiming.

I shrug. “I don’t want you guys to separate.”

She smiles gently. “Oh, no, stop it, Alexa. You have nothing to worry about. Your father and I will work things out and everything will be back to normal soon.” She leans her head to one side and with a sideward glance says, “Now, enough about this nonsense. Tell me what’s going on with you. I was sixteen once, too, you know?”

I take a deep breath and fidget with my fingers on my lap. It’s now or never. “Well…”

The tiniest hint of a smile pulls on her lips. She leans in closer and patiently waits for me to continue. Patiently or impatiently. Whichever works.

I cross one leg over the other, but honestly, I don’t know how long I’ll be able to sit still. I’ve