Riley
Done. I was finally done with school. No more tests or quizzes. No more getting up at the ass crack of dawn to rehearse for a play that no one attended. Well, not unless it was the last one when Ethan showed up and packed the house. He still harped on the fact that it was packed because of me, but we all knew the truth. He was the biggest playboy in Hollywood. It was definitely him.
"So? You glad to be done?" Charlotte looped her arm into mine as we walked down the mall.
"Yes. I'm looking forward to watching Liam and Ethan squirm tonight at their mom's house too. Is that horrible?" I smiled.
"Not at all." She pointed to a dress store. "Let's go look in there to see if anything good is on sale. I want something cute to wear tonight."
"You trying to impress someone?" I walked with her to the store and pulled my arm out of her hold so I could check out a few of the dresses myself.
"Liam is insanely hot." She fanned herself.
"And a complete player, Charlotte. It would be sex for a night and that's it. Then you would be weirded out around him every time we all got together."
"So he's for sure part of our future?" She frowned a little.
"I hope so. I'm praying that this thing between me and Ethan actually turns into something." I picked up a black dress that felt good to the touch. Slinky. "What do you think of this?" I held it up to my chest and tugged at the material.
"Love it. Go try it on and make sure it's not too fitted. You know that never looks good when you're first meeting your future in-laws." She wagged her eyebrows.
"Don't make those comments tonight. Ethan and I are just friends. All right?"
"I thought you guys were playing like you're engaged." She tilted her head to the side, giving me a knowing look.
"Shit. You're right. Forget that I said anything. Bring up babies too, okay?" I chuckled as I walked to the dressing room. It might be more fun than I thought pretending to be Ethan's fiancé. I could ask him a million questions about what he wanted in the future under the guise of the part I'd been selected to play. He'd never guess in a million years that I actually wanted to know what he hoped for past stardom and being a bachelor. Surely he wasn't after just that for the rest of his life.
I tried on the dress and opened the door. "Charlotte. Come tell me what you think."
"Yeah, sure." She walked toward me with a royal blue dress in her hands. "Ohhh... I love it. You look so good. Like businessy, but totally smoking hot. Makes your boobs look big!"
"They are big." I glanced down and bounced for good measure.
"What do you think of this? Too much? Too casual or boring?"
"Try it on. You just told me to try it on. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Jeez." I closed the door.
"You talk like an old woman. You know that." She got into the dressing room next to mine.
"I like those old sayings. My mom used to say them when I was little and family still meant something to me."
"Speaking of family," she paused to grunt, "what’s the story with Ethan and Liam's family? They're not close?"
"I don't think so, but why do you ask?"
"Seems kind of weird that we're going as their girlfriends, or really you as Ethan's fiancé. His mom and dad don't know who he's dating? They haven't met the woman before Ethan proposed? That's just jacked up."
"True." I finished getting dressed and dropped down to tie my tennis shoes.
"Did you guys get it on in San Diego?"
"Yeah. A few times."
"I want deets."
"All right. I'll tell you on the way home." I stood up and fixed my hair before reaching for the handle.
"All missionary or did you guys try anal or oral or…?"
I opened the door to find two older women standing there, mouths agape. "Um. Sorry?"
"Sorry for what?" Charlotte called over the top of the dressing room.
"Dude, get dressed and let’s go. There are tons of people out here." I couldn't remember the last time I felt so freaking embarrassed. I walked to the counter and paid for my dress before hauling ass out of the store to wait for Charlotte.
She walked out a few minutes later, her face contorted in angst. "Some people are so damn rude."
"What do you mean?" I let out a long sigh, still trying to discard the feeling I had when I opened the door to see the two women shocked by my candor.
"There were several older women in there and they kept giving me the evil eye."
"Right. I think they overheard our conversation on anal sex." I blushed again and nodded for her to walk with me down the mall.
"Oh shit. Really?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I thought maybe I'd dated one of their sons in the past. I might have made that comment."
I laughed loud and clamped my hand over my mouth. "Oh my God. That's so good. Tell me what you said exactly."
"I just asked the witch if she had a son who might be free for the night, and I might have mentioned that I was sure we'd met before because of him."
"Oh man. You're going to hell."
"Yep. I'll hold the door for you." She gave me a sweet smile and moved toward the candy store. "Let's get some sugar."
"You can. I've gotta watch what I eat. This new part is supposed to be played by a 'very fit' woman."
"Nice." She stopped at the opening to the candy store and I ran into the back of her.
"What the hell."
She turned, her eyes wide. "You know what, on second thought, I'm good. I don't need no stinkin' sugar. Come on. We can grab something at the gas station on the way home."
"Charlotte. What's going on?" And then I heard it. Jace. I moved around my best friend to see Jace over in the corner with a sexy little brunette, both of them laughing and feeding gummy worms to each other.
Although it wasn't at all fair, I felt cheated.
He glanced toward us and the look on his face changed from happy to surprise. "Ri. Char. Hey... I haven't seen you girls in at least a week. Come over here and meet Gina."
"Quick hello and we're out," Charlotte mumbled under her breath.
"Why do I want to throw a box of chocolate at her and run from the store screaming?" I mumbled back and took several very stiff steps toward them.
The look on the girl's face said she was less than thrilled to be talking with us as well. Good. Nice to know it was mutual.
"So you're Riley." She extended her hand. "Jace talks about you all the time."
"I do not." He put his arm around Gina - the midget. The perfectly sexy, big-boobed midget.
Charlotte reached around me and extended her hand. "Well, I'm just an innocent bystander, so... nice to meet you?"
"Riley and I are just old friends, baby. We've been friends since high school." He smiled at me, but the sadness that crept into his gaze wasn't lost on me.
"Yeah. How are you?" I ignored Charlotte and the girl and focused on Jace.
"I'm doing all right." He moved to the side and I turned to face him. "How about you? You look good. Really good."
The girl snorted behind us, but we both ignored her. I was in love with Ethan. Everything was great. Even if I wasn't sure if he could love me back. It was still good.
"I'm great." I forced a facade on my face and smiled. "Couldn't be better."
"Yeah. Awesome." He glanced around as my heart broke in my chest. He was such a part of my past. Why wasn't there something more between us? Why didn't I love him the way he loved me? Or used to.
"Well, good to see you, Jace. Don't be a stranger." I turned to go and paused as he reached out and grabbed my wrist.
"Ri."
So much familiarity. So much protection and strength between us.
"Yeah?" I glanced back as tears swam in my eyes.
"I'm right here, baby. I'm..." He glanced down and took a shallow breath before closing his eyes and lifting his chin. He was beautiful in his own way too. "I'm right here."
"I know, Jace. I'm sorry that I can't be right there with you." I squeezed his hand and turned, walking out of the shop before I lost my shit.
"Well... that was fucking awkward. I thought the situation with the old ladies was bad."
"That was way worse." I pressed my fingers to my eyes as tears dripped down my hands. "I'm ready to go."
Charlotte wrapped her arm around me and kissed my shoulder. "No problem at all. It's going to be okay. Jace will move on, Riley. He's not going to stay upset and broken forever. You know him. He's resilient among other things, right?"
How many times had Jace Dillon taken care of me? Picked me up out of the dirt, dusted me off and set me back on my feet? Too many to count.
And how did I repay him?
By kicking him in the balls with all my might and the minute he hit the dirt? Spitting on him and walking away because of lust.
Lust, right? Or love?
I wasn't so sure after seeing my high school sweetheart in pain.
And it was all my fault.