Chapter Twenty-Eight
Riley
Silas had been gone for two months. I’d told myself that it was only going to be a month, but as the weeks rolled by, I started to realize that it was going to take a lot longer than I had anticipated. With him out on tour now, there seemed to be no end in sight. And the longer he was away, the more I worried that he wouldn’t want to come back to his normal life. I worried that I would no longer be good enough for him. I tried not to think about the millions of girls that were now screaming his name every day. Was he getting used to it? Had he changed?
We still messaged each other all the time, and we spoke on the phone at least twice a week. Things between us didn’t feel the same as they had before, but the moment we talked, all that fell away and the same closeness seemed to return. I still loved talking to him, and I loved hearing all about what he was up to. It was a life that I couldn’t completely comprehend, but I was excited for him.
There was a knock on my door, and for a brief moment, I thought it was going to be Silas, but of course, it wasn’t. It was Paisley, holding two boxes of pizza and a bottle of wine.
I grinned at her. “This is a nice surprise.”
“I thought it would be nice to spend some time together. I know I’ve been quiet. Pizza and wine?”
“Pizza and wine sound amazing. Come in. I’ll get some glasses.”
Paisley had started dating Ruben, the guy from the restaurant. He’d come to see her that night at work just as expected, and had asked her out on a date. After that, they had been inseparable almost instantly. I hadn’t seen her like that with a guy before. As it turned out, Ruben was actually a very nice guy, and the two of us got along well. We laughed now about how he had treated me that day in the café when he only had eyes for Paisley. I didn’t mind though. She was my best friend, and I wanted her to have someone that couldn’t stop looking at her. I grabbed two glasses and took them over to the living room where Paisley was sitting. I poured the wine, and the two of us sat back and grinned at one another.
“This is great,” I said. “I had a very boring evening planned that consisted mostly of cleaning this place.”
She laughed. “Cleaning? This place must be a nightmare to keep clean. Have you thought about hiring someone?”
“I think about it all the time but still can’t bring myself to do it. I mean, it’s only me here. It’s crazy, even though I only really use my bedroom, the kitchen, and the living room, I still have to clean the other rooms. The dust settles everywhere. You’re right though; I really should get someone in. I will eventually.”
“And how are you doing? Living here alone. Doesn’t it get lonely?”
“You live alone too,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but I don’t live in a mansion.”
I chuckled. “True. Maybe I should get a pet. But yeah, I’m doing okay. I miss Silas.”
“Maybe you should think about getting another roommate. Doesn’t have to be a guy if that makes you feel uncomfortable.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m good with living alone. Before Silas, I lived alone for years anyway. Anyway, he sends me so much money, so I don’t have to really worry about it. He sends me more than what he did when he actually stayed here!”
“That’s good then. At least you don’t have to worry about money.”
“Yeah. Anyway, enough about me, what’s happening with you? I still can’t believe you’ve got a boyfriend now. You were so against settling down.”
She chuckled. “Never say never, I guess. Ruben is amazing. I hate to say this, but I actually really like having a boyfriend.”
“Of course you do, the guy dotes on you.”
“You think?”
“Are you kidding me? The guy is infatuated with you. So you like him that much, hey? I’m glad to hear it. He gets my stamp of approval, and I don’t give those out to just anybody.”
She giggled. “I’m glad. I’d hate to go out with a guy that you didn’t like. Ruben is nothing like the sort of guy I expected to go for. He’s so nice. I never thought I’d be into a guy that was just so nice and genuine. It makes for a welcome change. I’ve obviously been going out with the wrong guys all this time.”
“Remember Dean?” I said.
She groaned. “Don’t remind me. The guy who wanted me to eat salads for the rest of my life and to maintain my figure so that I looked good standing next to him. Don’t remind me. I ate so many cupcakes after breaking up with him.”
“What about Shaun?”
She laughed. “Ah, Shaun. What a bastard. Cheated on me with a girl from work.”
“Barry.”
“Barry, the man who thought it would be a good idea to break up with me over a text message, and then wonder why I got upset with him.”
“We could do this all day,” I said and chuckled. “But you know, at least it’s funny now. Those horrible guys were all leading up to the wonderful Ruben.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure. I wasn’t laughing at the time, but now I don’t care at all. Ruben makes it worth it. I know it’s still early days, but I really feel like this might be the one.”
I stared at her. In all the time that Paisley and I had been friends, she had never once said that about the guys she had dated. She’d always rolled her eyes whenever someone had said something like this to her. She laughed when she saw my reaction.
“I know. I know. I always complain when other people say this.”
“I’m shocked. And very happy. You deserve this Paisley.”
We drank some more wine and laughed about all our old relationships. I was happy for her, and it was good to have her there.
“Okay, I’m getting more wine!” she said and went to get another bottle from the kitchen. I couldn’t believe how much we’d polished off together in such a short space of time. I wasn’t a huge drinker, but every now and again it was fun to just let loose with her. Paisley was always a lot of fun to be around. It was why I got along with her so well. She was always making me laugh. When she came back, the glasses had been topped off, and she had a stack of envelopes under her arm.
“What’s all this?” she said. “So much unopened mail.”
I chuckled as I took the envelopes from her. “I know. I keep meaning to go through them. Probably bills or something. You never get nice mail when you’re an adult.”
“There was one that didn’t look like a bill though.”
“Which one?” I said as I looked through the pile.
“That one,” she said.
I looked down and frowned. I hadn’t noticed this envelope amongst all the others. She was right; it didn’t look like a bill. It was handwritten and the writing looked a little familiar to me, although I couldn’t quite place why.
“Maybe you have an admirer,” she said. “Open it.”
I chuckled. When I was younger, I used to have a few pen pals from across the world, and we would write to each other every month without fail. When we got older, and life got in the way the letters started to fall by the wayside. I wondered what ever happened to those girls and I was sad now that we hadn’t continued with our correspondence. There was something very exciting about opening a letter. I tore it open, and the first thing I saw was a check for half a million dollars.
“What the hell?” I said as I stared at it.
“What is it?”
I showed it to Paisley and she almost choked on her wine. “Is that real? Who is it from? Read the letter.”
With shaking hands, I read the letter out loud.
“Riley, I want you to know that I believe in you and I want to see your dreams come true. I want you to use this money to help with your dream of starting up a school for troubled teenagers. I miss you so much, and I can’t wait to see you again. I know you’re going to say no, but I want you to know that I’m just as stubborn as you are and I won’t take the money back. This is yours. Do something great with it and make yourself and your grandmother proud. Silas.”
“Oh my god! Silas? A half a million check from Silas? That’s incredible. What a great thing to do for you!”
“I can’t believe this. I can’t accept this. It’s too much.”
“Of course you can accept it. You can and you will. From the moment you told me that idea to use your drawing and writing skills toward troubled teens, I knew you were going to do it. This is what you’re meant to do with your life. You should do it. Not everyone gets an opportunity like this. Silas is right; you need to do this, Riley.”
“But . . .”
“No buts. This is amazing.”
“I’m in shock.”
“I’m sure you are. Wow, first someone gives you a house, then someone gives you half a million dollars. How crazy is your life?”
I laughed. “That does actually sound a little insane. Do you think this is a dream that I’m going to wake up from?”
“No, this is reality. And you’re going to do something amazing with all of this. I just know it.”
“Thanks, Paisley. I feel so bad for just leaving that mail there now. I got this yesterday, and I didn’t even look at it.”
“I don’t think you’re ever going to leave your mail unopened ever again now. Hell, neither am I. Oh, speaking of Silas, by the way, I saw that he has a concert in Kansas City in two weeks’ time. Did you know that?”
I shook my head. “No, I had no idea. Silas said he was going to send me a schedule when he has it. He says it keeps changing though. Where did you see it?”
“I was looking online today and I saw it just got announced. He’s probably waiting to tell you over the phone. Actually, he’s probably waiting to hear that you got that envelope.”
I laughed. “I better phone him.”
“You better. Hey, why don’t you tell him closer to the time that you have to work that night or something. Then we can go and surprise him at the concert.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“Two weeks, Riley. You’re seeing him in two weeks. That must make you feel better about everything. Maybe the two of you can finally talk about what’s going on between you. It will be interesting to see how you feel about each other after being away for so long.”
“Is it weird that I’m so nervous?”
“It would be weird if you weren’t nervous. But don’t worry, Riley. The guy obviously cares for you. You have a half a million-dollar check in your hand to prove that to you.”
I giggled. The wine was starting to take effect now and the thought of starting my own business as well as seeing Silas in a few weeks was making me feel giddy. “I’m nervous, but I’m very excited.”
“And horny I’m guessing,” she said and chuckled.
My eyes widened. “Paisley!” I exclaimed.
“Well, you’re not exactly denying it.”
I laughed. “No, I’m definitely not denying it.”