Chapter 16-Love Lies

Peter could not stop himself from going up to Gen and wanting to just shout and scream, and she stood there smiling brightly.

Peter stopped before going up to her and just looked at her, waiting for him. This is what she wanted. This is what would give her satisfaction. This was it. And he was not going to give it to her.

Peter decided that he would go home, let Lara Jean cool off. Try to call her and then maybe they could hang out.

She would forgive him.

It was Lara Jean.

She couldn't hold a grudge against him.

Could she?

Peter took his bag and walked to his Jeep and got in. All without looking at Gen. As he drove, he heard his phone buzz. When he got to the stop sign, he saw it was a missed call from Gen. When she phoned again…

Peter pressed end.

When Peter got home, he found his brother playing Fortnite and his mom in the kitchen with his aunt, Deniese sitting drinking wine.

"Peter!" Deniese exclaimed and got up to hug her nephew.

"Aunt Deniese?" Peter said frowning at his mom as Deniese hugged him, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you'd be more excited to see your favorite aunt." Deniese laughed feigning hurt.

Peter grinned, "No I am," Peter said, "I just thought mom said you'd be going to Europe or something for Christmas."

"I was," Deniese said going to sit back at the kitchen, "But then I am reminded that I hate spending Christmas alone."

"Good reminder." Peters mom said and then went up to Peter, "How was the trip?"

Peter then remembered all the wonderful moment that easily turned sour.

So he settled for, "Interesting."

Peter's mom frowned but did not pry any further.

"I'm glad you are here for Christmas Aunt D." Peter smiled then went upstairs to clean out his bag. Before reaching the stairs he hears his aunt say, "He gets more handsome every time I see him." Peter smiles a little.

"Yes," Peter's mom sighs, "The girls are just swooning."

"I freakin bet." Deniese laughs, "You said he has a new girlfriend though?"

"Yes But I don't know if it's serious."

"What do you mean?"

"He dates this other awful girl for almost two years," Peter's mom said, "You remember I told you about Genevieve. Then she dumbs him and not even a week later, he's dating this smart little girl who looks like Genevieve would eat her for brunch."

Well that sums it up pretty well, Peter thought for a moment.

"Dana you're working yourself up," Peter could hear in his aunts tone that she was rolling her eyes, "The point of high school relationships is not that they are perfect it's that they are meant to be learning curbs for the future."

"D, you don't get it." Peters mom sighs and tries to whisper, "The way he was able to just move on so quickly without even a thought of how Genevieve would feel."

"I thought you hated Genevieve?"

"I do," Dana says, "But I love my son. And she made him happy. Not all the time, but sometimes. And now with Lara Jean, she makes him happier, but all the time."

"I have no idea what point you are trying to make." Deniese sounds defeated.

"Men move on so quickly," Dana says, "I don't want that to be my son."

"Are you drunk," Deniese said, "I see what you are doing Dana...Peter is not Grant-"

"Keep your voice down." Dana hissed to her sister.

"Now you listen to me Dana," Deniese snapped, "You may hide it from Owen and Peter but you have never been able to hide it from me." Deniese sighs, "I know it hurt. I know it still still hurts."

"He got married three weeks after our divorce was finalized." Dana hissed.

"She was pregnant." Deniese says simply, "And she's young. And she was having twins and also she comes from money."

"I hate that you know all of this."

"We did a deep dive remember," Deniese laughs, "The moment that little twelve year old tramp walked in here and you texted me I used all the resources to find out who this Gayle women is."

"Gayle isn't even an attractive name." Dana scoffed.

"But let's not lie she is an attractive young woman." Deniese said.

She was right, Peter thought back to when Gayle game over. She had long dark black hair. She had long legs and she was young. If Peter remembered correctly, she was only 25 when he met her. Peter's dad was 41 at the time.

"She is." Dana sighed, "And really smart. I heard she's trying to finish her masters now."

"With two two year olds?" Deniese frowned and then said, "I suppose Grant could look after them."

"Oh please," Dana scoffed, "When Peter was born, he only changed the kids diaper after he turned two months old. Owen, four months. Besides Grant is working with Gayle father in the business."

It was silent until Deniese asked, "Peter and Owen haven't met their younger brothers have they?"

Dana sighs, "I stopped trying to encourage a relationship with Grant and Peter and Owen a long time ago. It made Owen more sullen and made Peter a jerk."

"No you can say it Dana."

"Say what?"

"It made him an asshole." Deniese said.

Dana laughed a little until she said, "They are a lot angrier than me. And that's why I couldn't anger in front of them. It would just fuel their rage."

"But you do deserve to be angry." Deniese said, "Even two years later. You can be angry. Fifteen years of marriage can thrown away for what? The young girl with a tighter pelvis."

Dana laughs.

"And just because Peter moves on Dana," Deniese says, "Does not mean he is Grant. He is just means he is resilient."

"This is true," Dana says, "Afterall, she was the one to dumb him."

Later that night, Peter came down stairs as Dana and Deniese were still chatting and laughing.

"Mom, I'm just going out quickly," Peter grabbed his car keys from the counter, "I'll be back."

"Wait where you going?" Peters mom said.

"Leave the boy alone." Deniese said, "It's winter break."

"Yeah I'm just going to Lara Jeans quickly," Peter announced. He had tried to call her but she was not picking up. He had tried to text Kitty, but she was not responding.

Peter then settled for physically going to her house and would force her to hear his side.

"Oh awesome," Deniese said, "Can you pick up a pizza on the way." Deniese grabs her bag to take money out.

"Wait why are you going there," Dana said, "You just saw her."

Dana could also see the anxious look on Peter's face.

"What's wrong Peter?" Dana asked.

"Nothing mom!" Peter said taking the money from his Aunt.

"No you're going to tell me what's wrong right now!" Dana said, "You know you can tell me anything."

"Dana let him go see his girlfriend." Deniese said gently as Peter snapped, "The same way you can tell me that you think me jumping from Gen to Lara Jean reminds you of dad!"

"I told you he could hear us!" Dana hissed at her sister who looks shocked. Dana walked around the counter and tried to take Peter's hand who just shrugged her off, "Peter you weren't supposed to hear that."

"I'm not going to ever pretend like I'm perfect mom," Peter said, "But I am not dad!"

"That's not what I was trying to-" Dana started but Peter stopped her, "Lara Jean broke up with me today by the way. But I'm not going out now looking to jump to something else. I'm going out to go and fight for her." Peter did not plan his next words they just came out like word vomit, "Something dad would've never bothered to do with you!"

Dana's hand goes flying right up to Peter's cheek. At first it stings but then Peter's anger rises even more.

"Peter," Dana whispers with her hand over her mouth and tears forming in her eyes. Peter can see she immediately regrets her actions, "Peter I am so sorry."

Peter walks out the door and slams it behind him making his mom and Aunt jump.

"You definitely didn't say he could hear you." Deniese glares at Dana who just stands there dumbstruck.

Peter turns the engine off and looks at the house in awe. It had so many beautiful lights around it.

He got out the car and walked slowly to the door. As he walked to the door he tried to sum up what he was going to say.

"Lara Jean Nothing happened," he whispered to himself, "Gen and I loved each other but I don't feel like that anymore...no...I felt like I owed it to her to tell her how I feel...no...I…" Peter sighed and looked at the door, "This will either go very well or very bad." Peter knocked on the door.

To his delight Lara Jean answered but did not look pleased to see him. In fact she looked uncomfortable.

"Hey. We need to talk." Peter said.

Lara Jean looked inside and then said, "Not here." She came outside and closed the door behind her. Peter thought that if they were inside in the comfort of her space at least she'd be willing to listen. Now outside already cuts the conversation short.

Lara Jean went to go stand by the foot of the port he steps and Peter followed.

"Just so you know," Peter said standing directly in front of Lara Jean, "nothing happened between me and Gen last night."

"No what happened was is you went to her room in the first place." Lara Jean interjected. Peter did not like nor know this time of voice. It was like a mix between angry and hurt. Peter did not want her to be either.

"Look, Gen and I dated for a long time." Peter tried again, "Those feelings aren't just going to go away, we have history."

Peter thought about what he just said and wished he could take it back.

Just tell her how you feel Peter.

"I'm tired of being second best or fake best, I don't know-" Lara Jean said But Peter stopped her by saying, "No, No,No, you do not get it. Last night was-"

"Last night was a mistake." Lara Jean interjects as he is about to tell her the truth, "Physical stuff might not be a big deal to you, but to me, it is."

Peter was tired of this reputation. He was tired of the assumptions that people made. He was tired of this bias.

"Who says it's not a big deal to me?" He snaps at Lara Jean.

Who in turn snaps back, "Says every single guy in the bus! Clapping and praising you like a god, and you eat it up."

Peter then looks at him and sighs. She did have a point. He never meant for the bus thing to be a thing and for it to hurt her either. He had just wanted to sit with her on the bus.

"Okay. Look, I…" Peter said as she said defeated, "Peter, just leave." Peters stomach dropped when she said this. Peter would fight for her even if it meant denying her request for him to leave.

"Can we go inside and talk?" Peter begged.

He did not think it was possible for him to get more angry or for his stomach to drop even more that it already had. But Sanderson had made it possible by popping out of the blue and saying aggressively, "She asked you to leave, buddy!"

"I'm fine. Go back inside." Lara Jean said quickly. Peter frowned. Is this why she didn't allow him in the house because this guy was here.

"No, it's alright." Josh said in way that sounded cocky and arrogant.

"No, no. Are you serious now?" Peter said in disbelief and anger. Lara Jean looked between him and Josh and started to become withdrawn, "This isn't about Gen and me, it's about you and Josh!" She said nothing because Peter knew it was true, "Are you kidding me? This is the reason you broke up with me?You're still in love with this Bon Iver wannabe?"

"If Lara Jean broke up with you," Josh snapped at Peter, "it's because she's coming to the life-altering revelation that she's too good for you."

He was not wrong. Peter knew that Lara Jean is way too good for him. But more than that she was perfect, she was smart, she was understanding, she was compassionate, she was beautiful and she never made him feel less than.

"You're in love with Josh?" A tiny voice said from the doorway. Peter immediately recognizes the small girl from the times he had seen her walking in the hallway with Sanderson.

Margot Covey stood with Kitty looking completely taken aback and betrayed.

"Margot, no…" Lara Jean says and the tears begin to stream down her face. She runs up the porch steps as Margot walks back into the house and slams the door. Lara Jean turns to look at Peter and shouts, "Peter, go home!"

Who is Peter to argue with her. With a girl he ultimately believes means more to him than anyone ever has. A girl who he believes loves someone else.

"God. You were never second best." Peter states and then walks away to his car.

Authors note

In the book there is a lot of emphasis on how close Peter is to his mom and I think it has a lot to do with the absent-ness of Mr Kavinsky. No their relationship is not about to become strained, I will be repairing it in Chapter 17. But I wanted to work on finding ways to include her more.

Let me know what you think.