her in. ‘My parents and Dani are finishing dinner. Let’s go upstairs where we can talk.’
Sienna nodded. Jason grabbed her hand and led her up to his bedroom. ‘Sienna’s here, you guys. Somebody finish my dessert,’ he called down the stairs, realizing he’d forgotten to say who was at the door.
‘I’ll handle that,’ his dad called back.
‘I can only stay for a minute,’ Sienna told him once he’d shut the door behind them. ‘Belle and I got permission to leave the auction early. I’m supposed to be over at her house studying. Her dad’s home, and he will definitely report in to my parents if I show up later than he thinks I should. I told Belle not to go straight inside, to buy us a little time.’
Sienna started to pace back and forth across the room. ‘I should have just called. Or texted. But I wanted to see your face. I wanted to tell you in person how sorry I am I stood you up today.’ Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
‘It’s OK. I know you didn’t want to.’ Jason stepped in front of her to stop her agitated pacing. He put his hands on her shoulders. ‘It’s OK, Sienna.’
‘No, it’s not. My parents somehow found out I was planning on meeting you,’ Sienna burst out.
Brad?
Jason couldn’t help wondering.
‘That’s why my mom made me help her set up the auction,’ Sienna continued. ‘I don’t know how they found out, but they did. And they are so furious with me for going behind their backs.’ She gave a harsh laugh. ‘Or, at least, for
trying
to go behind their backs.’
Jason felt a tremor run through her body, and he tried to wrap his arms around her. Sienna pulled back, holding him away from her. ‘Jason . . .’ Her voice shook. ‘They told me since I can’t be trusted, they don’t want you and me to be alone together. At all. They realize that we have classes together, that we have the same friends and go to the same parties. They aren’t saying that we can’t be, like, in the same room. But if they hear that we’re alone together, anywhere, ever, then . . .’
‘Then?’ Jason prompted.
‘Then they’re sending me to boarding school. In France.’ Sienna’s lips tightened into a thin line. ‘I have an older cousin there. She and her husband will "keep an eye" on me apparently. And I’d stay at their place when school’s out.’
Jason was speechless. How had things gotten so insane so fast? Just a few days ago he’d been hanging at Sienna’s house, kissing her in her own room.
‘Say something,’ Sienna urged.
‘I – I can hardly believe this is happening. I keep trying to think of some way to fix it, but . . .’ Jason replied.
‘But there isn’t a way,’ Sienna sighed. ‘My parents aren’t kidding around. And they don’t give a lot of second chances. We get caught out one more time, and I’m going to France.’
‘No,’ Jason said firmly. ‘I couldn’t take that – not being able to see you at all. We just have to . . . we have to stay away from each other.’
Sienna shook her head. ‘No. I’m not letting them split us up. We’ll just be careful. Extra careful. I don’t know how they’re getting their info on us, so for now let’s just be as paranoid as we can possibly be.’ She glanced at the clock on his DVD player. ‘I’ve been here too long. I’ve got to get to Belle’s. We’ll talk tomorrow.’
‘In public,’ Jason reminded her.
‘In public,’ Sienna agreed. ‘We’ll figure this out.’
‘Definitely,’ Jason answered, although he had no clue how. They’d been pretty careful today, and Sienna’s parents had still found out about their plans.
He led her downstairs to the front door. ‘So, I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said. He wanted to kiss her, but the front door had a long window that ran alongside it. Could someone be watching them even now?
‘Tomorrow,’ Sienna agreed. She slipped out the door and vanished into the darkness.
Jason stared into the night for a long moment,
Sienna nodded. Jason grabbed her hand and led her up to his bedroom. ‘Sienna’s here, you guys. Somebody finish my dessert,’ he called down the stairs, realizing he’d forgotten to say who was at the door.
‘I’ll handle that,’ his dad called back.
‘I can only stay for a minute,’ Sienna told him once he’d shut the door behind them. ‘Belle and I got permission to leave the auction early. I’m supposed to be over at her house studying. Her dad’s home, and he will definitely report in to my parents if I show up later than he thinks I should. I told Belle not to go straight inside, to buy us a little time.’
Sienna started to pace back and forth across the room. ‘I should have just called. Or texted. But I wanted to see your face. I wanted to tell you in person how sorry I am I stood you up today.’ Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
‘It’s OK. I know you didn’t want to.’ Jason stepped in front of her to stop her agitated pacing. He put his hands on her shoulders. ‘It’s OK, Sienna.’
‘No, it’s not. My parents somehow found out I was planning on meeting you,’ Sienna burst out.
Brad?
Jason couldn’t help wondering.
‘That’s why my mom made me help her set up the auction,’ Sienna continued. ‘I don’t know how they found out, but they did. And they are so furious with me for going behind their backs.’ She gave a harsh laugh. ‘Or, at least, for
trying
to go behind their backs.’
Jason felt a tremor run through her body, and he tried to wrap his arms around her. Sienna pulled back, holding him away from her. ‘Jason . . .’ Her voice shook. ‘They told me since I can’t be trusted, they don’t want you and me to be alone together. At all. They realize that we have classes together, that we have the same friends and go to the same parties. They aren’t saying that we can’t be, like, in the same room. But if they hear that we’re alone together, anywhere, ever, then . . .’
‘Then?’ Jason prompted.
‘Then they’re sending me to boarding school. In France.’ Sienna’s lips tightened into a thin line. ‘I have an older cousin there. She and her husband will "keep an eye" on me apparently. And I’d stay at their place when school’s out.’
Jason was speechless. How had things gotten so insane so fast? Just a few days ago he’d been hanging at Sienna’s house, kissing her in her own room.
‘Say something,’ Sienna urged.
‘I – I can hardly believe this is happening. I keep trying to think of some way to fix it, but . . .’ Jason replied.
‘But there isn’t a way,’ Sienna sighed. ‘My parents aren’t kidding around. And they don’t give a lot of second chances. We get caught out one more time, and I’m going to France.’
‘No,’ Jason said firmly. ‘I couldn’t take that – not being able to see you at all. We just have to . . . we have to stay away from each other.’
Sienna shook her head. ‘No. I’m not letting them split us up. We’ll just be careful. Extra careful. I don’t know how they’re getting their info on us, so for now let’s just be as paranoid as we can possibly be.’ She glanced at the clock on his DVD player. ‘I’ve been here too long. I’ve got to get to Belle’s. We’ll talk tomorrow.’
‘In public,’ Jason reminded her.
‘In public,’ Sienna agreed. ‘We’ll figure this out.’
‘Definitely,’ Jason answered, although he had no clue how. They’d been pretty careful today, and Sienna’s parents had still found out about their plans.
He led her downstairs to the front door. ‘So, I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said. He wanted to kiss her, but the front door had a long window that ran alongside it. Could someone be watching them even now?
‘Tomorrow,’ Sienna agreed. She slipped out the door and vanished into the darkness.
Jason stared into the night for a long moment,
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