Page 8 of Riley

She turns off the stove and comes to sit at the table.

“It was fantastic! Actually, I have some news.” She bites her lips, but her grin still peaks through.

“Do tell, sis.”

“Jake and I found a house! And, well, I was kind of hoping you’d want to rent this place, so I don’t have to sell.” I’m surprised, but this is pretty perfect. It’s walking distance to the shop and the art store, which means I could hold off on buying a car.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’d love that. Congratulations, Abs!”

6

Adam

I

’ve tried to reach Riley for nearly a week now, and I’ve had just about enough of her dodging my calls. I wanted to give her a little space to get settled, but enough is enough. I wait until late afternoon before I head over to Paws and Claws, and they are just closing up. It’s just my luck that Shay, Abby, and Lily are there too. They all turn when the door chimes, announcing my arrival, and Riley gets a bit of a sour look on her face.

“What are you doing here?” she questions in an irritated tone that puts me on edge.

“I came to see you. You haven’t returned any of my calls.”

“Yeah,” Riley spits out. “Why would I? Did you honestly expect something more to come from that bit of fun the other night? Come on, Adam, it didn’t mean anything.” I feel my face grow hot in mortification. Her sister’s watch in stunned silence.

“You know what, I thought you changed, but you’re still just a ridiculous party girl that couldn’t take anything serious to save her life! You’re pathetic.”

“I’mpathetic? You’re the one that came in here hoping for my attention. Take a hint, Adam. I didn’t call you back. Obviously, I didn’t want to see you.”

I’m angrier than I ever remember being, and I can tell she is too. She stands across from me, flushed with her chest heaving. Even though I kind of hate her right now, I feel a spark of lust grow in my loins. I feel my face twist with disgust – both at Riley and my entirely inappropriate reaction to this argument.

“Fuck it.” Fed up, I spin on my heel and storm out. I get in my car and speed home, thankful for the relatively empty streets.

Once I get into my apartment, I slump onto the couch with a heavy sigh. That was decidedly not how I expected that to go. After months of thinking about her and then our date, I honestly thought we could take this somewhere. I feel like such an idiot.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, and for a moment, I consider calling Betty, but in the end, I can’t bring myself to do it. Even though Riley practically ripped my heart out of my chest in front of her family, I’m still attracted to her. I just need to figure out how to win her over for more than a one night stand.

7

Riley

After Adam storms out, my sisters turn on me.

“What the hell was that all about, Riley? I thought you were going to talk to him,” Shay says, and the disappointment in her voice makes me flinch.

“Seriously, Ri. That was really harsh,” Abby pipes in.

“Look,” I say. “It wasn’t going to work out. I was trying to save both of us fromthis. I didn’t want to have the awkward post-sex conversation about some non-existent relationship, okay.”

“He looked really upset,” Lily says quietly. “I think you hurt his feelings, Ri. That wasn’t fair to him at all.”

“Okay, you know what, I don’t have to listen to this.” I stomp out of the shop, frustrated and embarrassed, and make my way to the park to be alone and brood. I sit on a bench and look up, watching the stars pass lazily in the clear night sky. My breath leaves me in clouds that flow like smoke from my lips. I’m not sure how much time passes, but eventually, I feel someone sit down next to me. It’s Lily. I glance at her from the corner of my eye as she tilts her head back to join me in looking at the stars.

“You know,” she begins quietly. “I took your advice, and I’ve been getting to know Devin better. He’s sweet and kind, and everything about my feelings for him and our relationship so far seems to reflect that. But, you’ve never been like that, Ri. You’ve always been drawn to adventure and adrenaline and fireworks. So maybe for you, these explosive feelings are your version of being in love.”

I feel my stomach drop at her words. I frown, but I can’t snap at my sweet little sister. I stay quiet and consider the wisdom of a 19-year-old college student with exactly zero relationships under her belt. Despite that, I understand what Lily means. Ihavealways been drawn to explosive energy – whether in my career or relationships. I sigh and stand up.

“Come on, Lils. I’ll walk you back to the shop. I have a lot to think about.” Lily nods and stands, and we walk back in silence. Apparently, I have some soul searching to do.

8

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