CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Reagan did realize they were probably nauseating. She was never one to be considered affectionate, and she was never truly comfortable with public display of affection, but this was Jack.

Jack was the boy who spent nearly all hours she was awake by her side, the boy whose smile alone could kickstart her heartbeat, and the boy who she thought would never like her back.

So now that she's aware she was entirely wrong, it was hard to contain herself.

Throughout the entire ride home, every glance at him elicited the need for physical contact and Jack didn't seem to be any less eager.

The thought that she has kissed him, and the thought that she once again will, made her giddy and restless.

Jack wasn't any better. His teeth was gnawing on the corner of his lip to conceal his smile, shyly looking away anytime their eyes met by accident.

"Jesus you're gross," Corbyn deadpanned, "You're like two grade schoolers who just held hands for the first time."

"That's you when you met Christina so you're not really in the place to talk," Zach sighed, boredly tapping on his phone before adding, "But yeah you guys are kinda gross."

Reagan laughed out loud as Jack and Daniel simultaneously reached over to swat Zach upside the head.

By the time they reached her house, she was still buzzing from the night they just had. She still hasn't recovered from the high, especially when her thoughts would drift to Jack and how beautifully contrasting the calloused skin on his hands were from how gentle he held her, and she couldn't help smile at the open road without meaning to.

Any joy she had in her though drained straight out of her system when she saw the blue cooper parked outside of her house.

"Shit," She mumbled under her breath.

The only other car her family's ever owned was parked just in front of her front door, right beside the broken down school bus, and it only meant one thing: her mother was home.

And that didn't make sense because she wasn't due to visit in at least another week and she wasn't entirely happy about it.

When she parked, they all piled out of the car with simultaneous groans because despite having a great night, sleeping on soil and gravel wasn't a comfortable way to sleep.

Once their joints popped and their limbs were stretched, they all piled into the house with Reagan leading and it didn't need any extra effort of searching to find her mom there, sat in the living room with her father on the other side of the coffee table.

She was a spitting image of Reagan. Same curly brown hair except the length of hers reached her waist, same skin except hers were branded by wrinkles, and same toothy smile except her lips were painted a bright shade of red.

"Oh, Reagan, dear," Madison beamed, standing from her spot to hug Reagan as she entered.

"Hey, mom," She smiled back tightly, hanging the car keys behind the door.

"Oh my, your teeth look great!" She complimented, "Have you been using the whitener I gave--"

Madison was cut short when Logan entered, followed by five other boys, and she paused.

"G'mornin, Ma'am," Logan greeted, lopsided smile on his face, and Madison coughed.

"Hello," She greeted back, lips tight, "Uh, I don't believe we've met."

"Oh, because we haven't," He laughed, reaching out for a handshake, "I'm Logan Paul, from Los Angeles. Our car broke down in the highway a few days ago and we've been staying here since."

"Oh," Reagan's mother nodded, "You must be Greg's son."

"That I am," He grinned.

"Yes, yes, I've met him earlier," She smiled.

"He just left for a phone call actually," Ronald added.

"I'm Madison," She smiled, lips tight, tucking a strand of greying her behind her ear, "Reagan's mother."

Everyone waved her their hellos and Reagan moved to kiss her father on the cheek.

"You guys look so much alike," Jonah said, probably just to initiate small talk, and Madison laughed, crossing her knees gracefully as she sat down gingerly.

And Reagan plopped onto the couch beside her, placing an ankle on the other leg's knee, and that's probably when their difference was apparent.

Madison was perfectly manicured eyebrows and perfectly ironed clothes.

Reagan on the other hand, well.

It only took roughly five minutes of sitting in the living room with both her parents before she felt the awkwardness settle in and by the looks of everyone, it might've been palpable.

Thankfully, the door of the master's bedroom swung open and River came lazily dragging himself out, dog bowl between his teeth. From where Reagan sat, she could see River looking around for Ronald, undoubtedly, and when he caught sight of him, the dog made an affectionate noise and trotted towards the living room.

Except when River saw Madison, who looked at the dog with what was most likely loathing, River stopped in his tracks and seemingly dropped his bowl on accident.

Everyone jumped from the sound of it, even the dog, and it took one beat before River turned back and went inside the room again.

"Well," Reagan chuckled, "Looks like someone missed you."

And then Madison turned to look at her, lips pressed together tightly, jaw bit and eyes looking like it wished they burn holes through her.

Reagan wanted to laugh. The pleasantries and fake smiles didn't even last for an hour.

"Ray," Ronald started, his voice warning, and Reagan shrugged at him innocently.

"What?" Reagan said, laughing lightly, "I'm just saying that River looks awfully happy to see mom."

"Really," Madison said incredulously, "Really, you're doing this now?"

"What?" She asked again, flailing her arms helplessly with a laugh, "I'm just saying!"

"You sarcastic bitch," Madison then whispered so quietly behind clenched teeth it was almost inaudible, but Reagan heard it clear as day.

And when Reagan glanced at her father whose expression turned blank, it was obvious that he heard it too.

Reagan and her mother usually took a few hours before they became hostile whenever she visited, but this was a new record. They weren't even ten minutes in.

Just because she couldn't help herself, she looked at Madison squarely, "Why are you even here? You're not due to visit until about a week."

"Why?" She then said with a surprisingly calm voice, saving face from the visitors they had awkwardly sitting down on the other end of the living room, "I'm not allowed to visit my own home?"

Reagan couldn't help herself but laughed, letting all of her disdain for my mother show through it, "This hasn't been your home for years."

What followed after that was the most uncomfortable and simultaneously hostile silence she's had in a really long time.

Madison was looking at the center table, fists clenched and her overgrown nails obviously digging crescents onto her palm.

"Dad," Reagan sighed, biting the corner of her lips. When Ronald looked up, she shook her head and her heart ached for him, "Why'd you even welcome her back?"

When Ronald didn't answer, she stood up, biting hard on her lower lip and tried to exit the room without letting any tears fall through.

When she passed by where the others sat though, awkwardly sat and undoubtable shocked by what unexpectedly unfolded within seconds, she felt fingers gingerly wrap around her wrists.

She looked down to see Jack, looking up at her as a silent question of "You okay? Want me to come with?" and she answered with a sad smile as she untangled his fingers.

Jack's face fell by a fraction but he gave a small nod as she turned to leave, heading straight to her room and falling face first onto her bed to muffle a groan.

Outside, she can hear the soft and forced laughter, and she tried to drown out thoughts of Madison fooling her friends into seeing her as someone worth the respect.

Leaving her father for a wealthier man in the city meant she didn't deserve an ounce of it.

hello this update came post logan becoming an absolute asshole era and can i just tell you how uncomfortable it is to write his character??????? there was a reason i didn't include jake here and god i wish i could do the same with logan but ://///////// DISCLAIMER: i planned his character to be mature and caring and helpful (which is SO far from what he actually is imo) so i'm sorry that i'm portraying him wrong

i dont like him im sorry. i dont like greg paul either.

but im forced to continue developing the already heavily involved characters in this story. if i change now it's gonna mess up so many plot points): so im sorry

im also really sorry about my slow updates :( im mindblown that this upsets people bc THANK YOU FOR INVESTING FEELINGS FOR THIS STORY but im sorryyyyy i still cant promise consistent updates :((( thank you so much to those who do not give up on me and this story though it makes me so, so, so happy

there are still so many things i have planned for this story and i'll make sure to complete every single one of them i swear

again, thank you for your kindness! it means so, so much to meeee

Sorry for this shit chapter next one will be cuter i hope. I also dont know how to write anymore oh my god i havent updated anything in months

Thank you to the people who have reread this (omg i cant even do it myself i cringe too much) and to the people who loyally check back on this. You have a very special place in my heart friends. I'll make it up to you one day, I promise.