The Reckless Collision

Sam.

~~~

The next morning, I woke early, my mind a jumbled mess. It wasn't just the events of the previous night weighing on me, but the thought of my book signing later that day. Breakfast with Rose didn't do much to settle my nerves, but at least Alyssa had promised to come along for support. I appreciated that more than I could say.

With a tray of food and drinks in my hands, I made my way to the guest room where Alyssa was staying. We hadn't talked much since I got back, and with Mom constantly lurking, any conversations we had were surface-level at best. I knocked on her door and waited for an answer.

"Please enter," Alyssa called from the other side.

I couldn't help but smile at her formal tone as I pushed the door open. "Please enter? Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow, stepping inside.

She shrugged, barely looking up from her phone as she lay sprawled on the bed. "I thought it might be Amber. You know I don't know how to act around her."

"Well, it's just me," I said, still lingering by the doorway.

"Are you going to come in, or are you just planning to hover?" she teased, arching an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes but stepped forward, setting the tray down in the middle of her bed. Alyssa sat up, propping herself against the pillows, while I took a seat at the edge and grabbed a cup of coffee.

"So," Alyssa began, picking at the raisins on a bun roll, "why did Tom leave the house soaking wet yesterday?"

I groaned, already dreading the retelling. "It's a long story."

"I've got time," she said with a shrug, biting into her roll and gesturing for me to spill.

"He kissed me," I admitted, my voice unsteady as I took a sip of my coffee.

Alyssa's eyes widened theatrically. "I'm shocked!" she deadpanned, rolling her hand in a circle to nudge me to explain.

I sighed. "So, I accidentally pushed him into the pool."

Alyssa choked out a laugh. "Right. Accidentally." She mimed quotation marks with her fingers. "So, the new guy wins?"

I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips as I thought of Ray. "The new guy wins."

Her curiosity piqued, and Alyssa leaned closer. "Tell me about him."

I hesitated for a moment, savoring the memory. "We met at the party. His name is Raymond."

"Mom already told me his name. Is he hot?" she asked bluntly, her tone gleeful.

I grinned. "Do you want to see him?"

"Obviously," she said, tilting her head expectantly.

Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through the photos Ray and I had taken in Paris until I found one of him sitting at a café, looking effortlessly cool. I turned the screen toward Alyssa, who squinted at it like she was examining a piece of fine art.

"That's the vocalist from Purple Rain," she said, smirking.

I laughed. "Yes."

"If you're faking a boyfriend, you should pick someone less famous," she teased.

"I'm not faking anything!" I protested, but she waved me off.

"Sam, even pop music fans know Purple Rain. They're blowing up, especially with teens like me. But Mom and Dad won't know, so you'll probably get away with the lie."