it with someone who was not directly involved, and as clever and caring as my dad.
‘So who’s this Callum that Tegan has gone off to see?’ my dad asked.
I must have sighed too loudly.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
‘It’s nothing,’ I mumbled.
‘Oh, I get it.’
I looked up at him sharply, wondering how he might know about my love triangle already.
‘Haven’t seen your old dad in ages so you have lost trust in him. Nah, it’s cool,’ he said, trying to act upset.
I couldn’t help but giggle. ‘Boy stuff, I guess, Daddy,’ I said, shrugging my shoulders, hoping he wouldn’t be interested, but the exact opposite was true.
‘Ooooh!’ he squealed like a teenage girl, turning his whole body round to face me.
Ah, that’s my dad. I scrunched my face up. ‘Well, I don’t know where to start.’
My dad rolled his eyes. ‘The beginning would be good.’
‘Ha ha. Well, you know, er, the boy band The Only Truth?’
He stopped for a moment to ponder whether he did, in fact, know them or not. ‘Yeah!’ he said, doing the band’s salute.
‘Well, I sort of bumped into them.’ I shrugged my shoulders innocently as he raised his eyebrow at me.
I told him the whole story: how I had met them, the beach, the little moments that made me unsure about everything … my feelings and everything else that went along with them. Then I choked out the last bit aboutRiley and Shaq, determined to tell the story through my tears. As I sobbed my way through the story’s bitter conclusion, my dad pulled me into his arms and began rocking back and forth soothingly and stroking my hair.
‘Well, it sounds like you have got yourself into a bit of a pickle, JJ,’ he said while stroking my hair. I nodded my head into his chest as I used his shirt to wipe away my last few tears.
‘I can’t tell you what to do, but I can give you advice. You’re obviously confused but that’s to be expected. And you’re also obviously very fond of these boys, and wires have been crossed along the way. But you’re just going to have to be honest about your feelings to them and honest about your feelings to yourself, Jess. Aren’t you?’
I shook my head, terrified at the thought.
‘Well, that’s what you have to do. Just don’t think about it too long. You have only known these guys for a week – you’re not getting married just yet.’ He pretended to be worried. ‘Please say you’re not!’
I raised my head from his chest and smiled at him. ‘No, Daddy. Thank you, that’s helped a lot.’
He nodded his head and smiled at me. ‘Just remember, you fall for people too easily, JJ, and I don’t like to see you hurt.’
I hugged him, murmuring, ‘I love you, Dad.’
He chuckled, ‘I love you too, silly. Now, what are you going to do?’
I took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled. ‘I have some serious apologizing to do.’
22
Time to Decide
‘So he’s coming round by himself?’
‘Yup. In fifteen minutes.’
‘So what actually happened with you and Riley, then? You still haven’t told me.’
‘I don’t really want to talk about it.’
‘Aw, come on!’ Tegan threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.
I sighed and hung my head shamefully. ‘I kissed Riley,’ I mumbled.
‘What? I couldn’t hear what you said, Jess.’
I steadied myself and raised my head to look Tegan in the eye. This was my best friend, after all.
‘I kissed Riley,’ I admitted.
‘Well, I kind of assumed that had happened.’
‘What? Aren’t you shocked?’
‘No, Jess. And I’m not quite sure why you’d expect me to be. Isn’t that a good thing, kissing Riley? You did say we were down here to have fun!’
‘Because, in this case, I don’t think it is a good thing. Ora fair thing, at least.’
‘You’re being very enigmatic, Jess, but I’m guessing this doesn’t just have to do with Riley.’
I nodded sadly. ‘I’m confused. I like Riley, I really do. And in any other circumstance I think we could
‘So who’s this Callum that Tegan has gone off to see?’ my dad asked.
I must have sighed too loudly.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
‘It’s nothing,’ I mumbled.
‘Oh, I get it.’
I looked up at him sharply, wondering how he might know about my love triangle already.
‘Haven’t seen your old dad in ages so you have lost trust in him. Nah, it’s cool,’ he said, trying to act upset.
I couldn’t help but giggle. ‘Boy stuff, I guess, Daddy,’ I said, shrugging my shoulders, hoping he wouldn’t be interested, but the exact opposite was true.
‘Ooooh!’ he squealed like a teenage girl, turning his whole body round to face me.
Ah, that’s my dad. I scrunched my face up. ‘Well, I don’t know where to start.’
My dad rolled his eyes. ‘The beginning would be good.’
‘Ha ha. Well, you know, er, the boy band The Only Truth?’
He stopped for a moment to ponder whether he did, in fact, know them or not. ‘Yeah!’ he said, doing the band’s salute.
‘Well, I sort of bumped into them.’ I shrugged my shoulders innocently as he raised his eyebrow at me.
I told him the whole story: how I had met them, the beach, the little moments that made me unsure about everything … my feelings and everything else that went along with them. Then I choked out the last bit aboutRiley and Shaq, determined to tell the story through my tears. As I sobbed my way through the story’s bitter conclusion, my dad pulled me into his arms and began rocking back and forth soothingly and stroking my hair.
‘Well, it sounds like you have got yourself into a bit of a pickle, JJ,’ he said while stroking my hair. I nodded my head into his chest as I used his shirt to wipe away my last few tears.
‘I can’t tell you what to do, but I can give you advice. You’re obviously confused but that’s to be expected. And you’re also obviously very fond of these boys, and wires have been crossed along the way. But you’re just going to have to be honest about your feelings to them and honest about your feelings to yourself, Jess. Aren’t you?’
I shook my head, terrified at the thought.
‘Well, that’s what you have to do. Just don’t think about it too long. You have only known these guys for a week – you’re not getting married just yet.’ He pretended to be worried. ‘Please say you’re not!’
I raised my head from his chest and smiled at him. ‘No, Daddy. Thank you, that’s helped a lot.’
He nodded his head and smiled at me. ‘Just remember, you fall for people too easily, JJ, and I don’t like to see you hurt.’
I hugged him, murmuring, ‘I love you, Dad.’
He chuckled, ‘I love you too, silly. Now, what are you going to do?’
I took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled. ‘I have some serious apologizing to do.’
22
Time to Decide
‘So he’s coming round by himself?’
‘Yup. In fifteen minutes.’
‘So what actually happened with you and Riley, then? You still haven’t told me.’
‘I don’t really want to talk about it.’
‘Aw, come on!’ Tegan threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.
I sighed and hung my head shamefully. ‘I kissed Riley,’ I mumbled.
‘What? I couldn’t hear what you said, Jess.’
I steadied myself and raised my head to look Tegan in the eye. This was my best friend, after all.
‘I kissed Riley,’ I admitted.
‘Well, I kind of assumed that had happened.’
‘What? Aren’t you shocked?’
‘No, Jess. And I’m not quite sure why you’d expect me to be. Isn’t that a good thing, kissing Riley? You did say we were down here to have fun!’
‘Because, in this case, I don’t think it is a good thing. Ora fair thing, at least.’
‘You’re being very enigmatic, Jess, but I’m guessing this doesn’t just have to do with Riley.’
I nodded sadly. ‘I’m confused. I like Riley, I really do. And in any other circumstance I think we could
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