Chapter One: Dinner with the Silvers
Riley's POV
"Let's go," my mother said, ushering us into the car as we headed to yet another still-unknown destination.
We hadn't even been here for more than a week. We'd moved not long ago after Mom got transferred, and since it was a long-distance move from our old house, we had no choice but to follow. Besides, it's not like I had anything to lose. I wasn't exactly what you'd call a normal girl. I didn't have many friends—who am I kidding? I didn't have any at all.
"Cleo, Riley, we need you both to be on your best behavior," my mother warned, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"How are we supposed to be on our best behavior when we don't even know where we're going?" Cleo snapped.
"Watch your mouth, young lady," Mom reprimanded.
Cleo snorted but stayed quiet. The rest of the ride passed in silence as I stared out the window, the breeze brushing against my face while houses blurred past.
The car finally came to a stop in front of a massive white mansion, elegant and glowing with soft lights. Dad rang the doorbell, and moments later, a beautiful woman opened the door. She had long brownish-red hair and glistening gray eyes that carried a calm yet fierce shine—almost daring you to disobey.
"Tina, Natalie," Mom and the woman said at the same time before pulling each other into a hug.
"Hey, kids. I'm Natalie, but you can call me Nat—no need for formalities," she said, whispering the last part as Mom rolled her eyes fondly.
"Come in, come in, everyone," Nat urged.
The house was stunning—modern yet historical at the same time. Chandeliers and colorful lights hung above, casting a warm glow over the beautiful furniture.
As we entered the dining room, I noticed a full table and several unfamiliar faces staring back at us. They were around my age or older.
We sat down, and Mom began, "Riley, Cleo, this is Mr. and Mrs. Silver. They're our childhood friends, and these are their children."
Cleo and I muttered greetings.
"I'm James," the man started.
"These are our kids—Kai and Kayla, they're twins. And those are Xander, Jason, and Mason. Jason and Mason are twins as well."
"Lots of kids," Cleo muttered.
"Why do you care, loner?" Jason shot back, making Cleo sneer at him.
Most of them resembled Nat, sharing her features—except two. Kayla looked like Mr. James, with blue eyes and dark brown hair.
And then there was Xander. He had dark brown hair and striking grayish-blue eyes—that looked like a mixture of both his parent's which was beautiful.
He was handsome and look my age too.
I didn't realize I'd been staring until his eyes met mine. I quickly looked away, heat creeping up my face. I didn't want to look like a creep.
"So" Kai—who I assumed was the oldest—asked.
"Rudeee" Cleo sang under her breath making mom shoot her a glare.
"Jordan and Tina are our childhood friends," Nat replied. "Aren't they allowed over? Plus, they just moved to the city, so we thought you all should meet."
"Right. I see," Kai said, and with that, we began eating.
After a while, I felt the need to use the restroom. I stood up, the chair scraping slightly against the floor and drawing unwanted attention.
"Can someone please show me the restroom?" I asked softly, embarrassed. I hated being the center of attention.
Right on cue, Xander stood up.
"I'll be in my room."
His voice was pretty deep and smooth and a tad bit intimidating for his age.
"Please, dear, show her the washroom," Nat said.
He glanced at me briefly before walking off in the opposite direction. I followed, taking the chance to admire the house—until I didn't notice he had stopped.
I collided straight into him.
"Here. The damn washroom." he muttered under his breath.
I frowned as I looked up at him. His expression was blank, a scowl perfectly plastered on his face. He had a sharp jawline, and his grayish-blue eyes burned with a fierce fire—much like Nat's. A few loose strands of hair fell over his face, softening little to nothing about him.
He was really handsome, Like a Greek god molded by the gods themselves.
They had no right to make him look this unfairly perfect.
I felt my cheeks heating up at the thought but snapped out of it when I saw the look he was giving me.
Weird Riley.
He wore black jeans, a black T-shirt, and a gray jacket, paired with white sneakers. Around his neck hung a gold herringbone necklace—and possibly another one hidden beneath his shirt.
"Stop staring. It's weird."
His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Wh—why are you so snap?" I stuttered, trying to cover the fact that I'd been caught staring but then I suddenly realized what I said making me initially facepalm myself.
He didn't even bother responding Instead, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there—confused and embarrassed.
Great. He probably thinks I'm weird.
After washing my hands, I headed back to the dining room.
"Where's Xander, he didn't show you back?" Nat asked when she saw me.
"He probably went to his room and I'm fine thank you," I replied, sitting down.
She frowned. "I'm really sorry about his character. He doesn't like people much."
I could tell that much and it's a good thing not liking people is general for me.
Dinner continued quietly until Mr. James spoke up. "Kids, I forgot to mention earlier—you all will be attending the same high school so you can bond properly."
I get to see him almost every day. Great.
"Cleo, Kayla, and Kai will be going to the same college too" he added.
"And Riley, dear," Nat said kindly, "I heard you didn't fit in very well at your old school. But don't worry—this school is much more accepting, so I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Thanks," I said softly.
"Oh, it's no problem, dear."
I just hoped Nat was right