“No big deal?” He started pacing and opening and closing his fists. “It’s no big deal?”
I glanced over at the girls. They were in awe of the spectacle. I then noticed that Gramps was peeking his head through the door.
“Good grief, Riley, you don’t get to be mad. It’s not like you and I are dating or anything.” I immediately regretted saying the words.
He spun around to face me. He looked devastated but angry. “You’re right, Attie.”
I gulped. It stung to hear him call me Attie.
“You’re right; we aren’t dating.” He shook his head as he continued to glare at me. “You can do whatever the heck you want with whoever you wanna do it with, and I can’t say a thing.”
“Riley—”
He cut me off. “I’m so glad you spelled things out for me. I guess I’m fortunate to know where I stand.”
The girls loudly inhaled.
“That’s not what I meant! You’re misunderstanding my words.”
“I’m not misunderstanding anything.” His voice was cold. We stared at each other for a moment before he spoke again. “Let’s go.” He turned and walked toward the door.
The girls stood up.
“No,” I said softly.
He spun back around and walked toward me.
The girls sat back down.
His eyes were dark. “What do you mean ‘no’?”
“I don’t want to go with you if you’re angry like this.”
“Come get in the car, Attie,” he ordered.
“No,” I shouted back.
“How are you gonna get home?”
Tammy quickly stood up. “I’ll take her.” Riley glared over at her, and she sat back down.
“Yes. Tammy will take me.”
He stood glaring at me for several more seconds before he spun around and stomped out of the clinic. The girls finally let out the breath they inhaled earlier.
“Okay, I’d say that went well,” Tammy said sarcastically.
“Well, we said we wanted a show.” Tess looked incredibly sad. “I guess we got one.”
“Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen him that angry,” Anne said, shaking her head slowly.
I immediately started crying. “He had no right to talk to me like that.”
“No,” Jen agreed. “No, he didn’t. Jerk.”
“He’s hurt, Jen,” I said. “I’ve hurt him.”
The girls tried to comfort me, but it was useless. I was inconsolable. Nobody had ever talked to me that way, and the fact that Riley was the first to do it was beyond painful. They accompanied me to the car, and Tammy drove me home. Riley hadn’t made it home yet when she dropped me off, so I went straight up to my room and shut the door. I surmised that there would be no Tom Cruise-a-pa-looza tonight.
Three hours passed before I heard him pull into the driveway. It took several minutes, but I heard him make his way up the stairs. I could hear the crackling of grocery bags as he walked.
Sitting on my bed, I waited.
“Here.” I looked over and saw him holding Baby out to me. “You forgot her.” His voice was as cold and detached as it was earlier in the day.
“How did you know?” I got up and gently took her from him.
“I went by the clinic to apologize to your Gramps and saw her there.” He wouldn’t look at me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He set the bags down. “I got her some food, bowls, toys, ‘n’ stuff.” He turned to go. “Oh, and a collar with a name tag on it.”
“Riley?”
He walked into his room and slammed the door.
My heart sank. I wasn’t sure what to do; I’d never been in a fight with someone like this before. For several minutes I debated charging into Riley’s room and demanding that he speak to me but decided it probably wasn’t a good idea. I put my ear buds in and listened to some music in an effort to take my mind off of the look that was plastered on Riley’s face when I reminded him that we weren’t dating. I badly hurt him.
After playing with Baby for about an hour, I headed down the stairs and outside so that Baby could go to the bathroom.
“Go potty, Baby. You go potty for Mommy,” I encouraged.
I stood and watched for her to do her deed as Third Day played on my iPod. It was very warm outside and smelled like fresh cut grass. Riley must have mown the lawn while I was at work.
“Look at that big girl! Good girl, Baby, you went potty like a big girl!” Baby shook her tail as she limped toward me. “You’re a rock star.” I picked her up and kissed her on the head. Turning to go back inside, I spotted Riley sitting motionless on the porch swing.
I yanked out my ear buds and turned off the iPod before starting up the porch steps. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were out here.”
He shrugged. His eyes were dark and sad.
I stood looking at him and hoped that he would talk to me so that I could explain, but when I realized he wasn’t going to say anything, I started to go inside.
“Do you like him, Charlie?”
“No.”
I turned toward him as he jumped out of the swing and walked toward me.
Planting my feet on the ground, I stood and waited for his anger to pour out over me.
“You’re going out with him twice in one week for cryin’ out loud.” His jaw clinched and he sounded angry, but he didn’t raise his voice.
“I’m not, Riley. I’m not going ‘out’ with him.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head as he stood within inches of me. His face wore a pained grimace. “I bet he thinks you are,” he said quietly.
“Why would he think that?”
Opening his eyes, he looked back at me. “Because he asked you out twice and you said yes twice, that’s why.” He rolled his eyes as if he couldn’t believe my complete lack in understanding the male mind.
“Oh,” I whispered.
“My gosh, Charlie, you and I haven’t even gone out on a date yet.” He practically whimpered as he stared blankly in my direction. “I’m trying to do the right thing by waiting, and this other guy swoops in and asks you out. Twice. And you said yes. Twice.” He put his hands over his stomach and closed his eyes. “The thought of it makes me sick.”
“Riley, I … ”
What could I say? He was upset, sick even, at the thought of me going out with another boy. Part of me was elated at the idea that he could be so jealous, but the other part of me felt guilty. I hadn’t given his feelings any consideration at all.
He turned and walked away from me making his way down the porch steps and into the grass as I stood watching him.
He turned and looked at me. “What if he tries to kiss you?”
The thought disturbed me. “He won’t.” I hoped he wouldn’t.
Riley threw his hands on his hips and tilted his head as he looked at me like I didn’t have a clue what I was saying. He spoke slowly. “What if he does?”
My mind raced around the idea of Cooper trying to kiss me, and I immediately felt nauseated.
He threw his hands up in the air and started pacing. “Seriously,” he said with what sounded like a growl. “You want your first kiss to be with Cooper Truman?”
“No!” I ran down the porch steps and onto the lawn.
“Well, it could happen, you know!” His pacing became hurried. “He could help you off a horse and then kiss you. Or he could have his cook make some picnic lunch, take you to some romantic spot on his ranch, and then try to kiss you.” The words were flying out of his mouth, and his pace quickened. His hands were tucked tightly into fists. “There are tons of different scenarios, and I’m sure he’s thinking of all of them. I know I sure as heck
am.”
He turned and started walking toward the side of the house.
I set Baby down and started chasing after him. “Riley?”
He spun around, grabbed my hand in his, and then turned and continued walking.
“Riley!”
He pulled me along behind him. “Shhh!”
He walked so fast that I had a difficult time keeping up. “Riley, slow down, I’m—”
He dropped my hand and swung around. Wrapping his right arm around my waist, he pulled me close to him.
“I’d planned on giving you your first kiss.” He spoke in a whisper as his left hand tenderly wrapped around the back of my neck.
“Oh?” I muttered.
He brought his face to mine, and when our lips made contact, I thought my heart might explode. His lips were sweet and his touch was gentle. After only a few moments, he pulled his face away from mine but kept his hands firmly in place.
I practically whimpered as he pulled away. I wanted him to stay just where he was.
Opening my eyes I could see him in the light of the patio, gazing at me with a large grin on his face. I weakly smiled back at him, and before I knew it, both of my cheeks were in his hands and he pulled me to him once more. Our lips met over and over again. Although he was sweet, the kiss was forceful. When our lips parted, he hugged me tightly to him.
After several moments, I stepped back a bit. My body felt weak.
“Riley—”
Before I could get another word out, he pulled me to him and kissed me again. When he let me go, my knees were wobbling, and I stumbled.
“See if Truman can get that reaction out of you.” He grinned and then made his way toward the house. “Come on, Baby.”
chapter 21
Once Riley made it inside, I allowed myself to fall to the ground. I lay there thinking about what had just happened. My heart was thudding with excitement.
Giggles overcame my body. I was beyond thrilled to have finally been kissed, and the fact that it happened before my seventeenth birthday and with Riley Bennett made it even better. I would have been more than willing to wait until the end of the summer, but I was glad that he hadn’t held out any longer. He certainly knew what he was doing; evidently, he’d had a lot of practice. I, on the other hand, hadn’t had any practice, and since he didn’t comment in any way, I didn’t know what he thought about the experience. Walking off like that was plain cruel.
“Attiline!” I heard Pops’s voice. “Movie’s about to start.”
“All right, I’ll be right in!”
Evidently, Cruise-a-pa-looza was back on.
The closer I got to the house, the more my heart raced. I didn’t have any idea how to act around Riley. I could feel my cheeks begin to warm, and I assumed that I was blushing. Luckily, the lights were already off. Unluckily, the only available seat was next to Riley on the couch. He didn’t look up at me, but a large grin was plastered on his face. Baby looked very content curled up in a ball on his lap.
I quickly took my spot and looked toward the television hoping that the movie would start immediately.
“Attiline, we decided to watch Top Gun first. Since it’s so late, we need to save Rainman for another night.”
“Maybe we can watch it with Cocktail some night,” Riley suggested.
“Ooh, that’s a good one!” his mom replied. “I love Cocktail. I need to add that ‘Kokomo’ song to my iTunes. Riley, remember to add that one.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
For the first time the couch felt very, very cramped. We both tucked our legs up onto the couch, and our feet were practically touching. I contemplated placing my feet back onto the floor but decided it would make me look like a wimp, so I left them right where they were.
As the movie started I settled in and tried to ignore Riley, but it was impossible. I tried to think of a way to look in his direction without it being obvious that I was trying to look at him.
“Baby,” I whispered, looking over at her. “Come here, Baby.” I patted my leg in an attempt to have her join me, but she refused. She was content on Riley’s lap.
Glancing up at Riley, our eyes met. His face was blank.
“What?” I whispered.
A small, sly grin formed on his face. “Thinking.”
“About what?”
He looked downright spectacular sitting there, but his self-confidence was becoming annoying.
“What do you think?” His grin grew slightly, and my face felt hot. “You’re blushing.”
“How do you know? It’s dark.”
“It’s not that dark.”
“You’re downright cruel.”
“Why?”
“Leaving me out there like that.”
His face turned serious, and he looked down at Baby. “I had to.”
“Why?”
I could see a mischievous grin creep back onto his face, and my cheeks grew hotter. “Why do you think?”
“You’re killing me.”
He took delight in my misery. “Welcome to my world.”
“Shhh!” Pops scolded us without looking back in our direction.
I leaned toward Riley so I could speak more quietly. “And what world is that?”
He leaned to within inches of my face and gazed at me. Parents or no parents, I wanted him to kiss me right then and there, and he looked like he wanted to kiss me as well.
“The world of wanting something you can’t have.”
His eyes remained locked on mine as I felt his hand slowly place itself on my thigh. Although it sent a rush up my spine, I tried not to react. He held my stare for a moment longer and then removed his hand.
“Butthead,” I whispered back.
With a large grin on his face and looking very content with himself, he turned and watched the movie.
I was not content. He had me right where he wanted me, and I wasn’t interested in having him think he had me figured out so quickly. He still hadn’t apologized for the way he behaved, and until he did he wouldn’t get any more affection shown in his direction—physical or not. I pulled my legs closer to my body, set my jaw, and watched the movie. I wasn’t going to let Riley Bennett torture me. This was war.
When the movie ended, I gave an excuse to leave and quickly made my way up the stairs. As I threw myself onto the bed, I heard Riley’s voice outside in the front yard. I moved the curtain back slightly and watched as he encouraged Baby to do her business.
Anne was right; he was adorable. Gorgeous actually.
I liked being able to study the way he looked and the way he moved. He carried himself in a very self-confident way, but there wasn’t arrogance about him at all. It was as if he wasn’t aware or concerned at all about what other people thought of him.
I forced myself to get ready for bed. As I brushed my teeth, I wondered if he would still sleep next to me or go back to his room. I figured that it would depend on his reaction to the kiss. If it hadn’t had any effect on him, he should be able to sleep next to me without any problem. If the kiss had affected him the way it had me, there would be no way he would be able to trust himself lying next to me on the floor every night. I didn’t know which sounded better, for him to remain sleeping next to me or to have had him enjoy the kiss enough that he now needed to keep his distance.
When I walked out of the bathroom, I got my answer. Two sleeping bags were unrolled on my floor, and Riley sat on my bed with Baby. They were waiting for me, and I was disappointed. Evidently the kiss didn’t have any effect on him at all.
“I wondered where you would be sleeping tonight.”
He frowned. “What? You don’t want me to sleep next to you anymore?”
“I didn’t say that. I j
ust didn’t know what you would be thinking, what you were feeling about today. Maybe your feelings have changed.”
“You’re not gonna run me off that easy.”
I sat down on top of my sleeping bag and clasped my hands to ensure that I wouldn’t fidget. Looking up at him, I realized I needed to stand my ground and not let him win the battle by giving in too soon. Regardless of how great he looked, the fact still remained that he needed to apologize for his behavior.
His soft eyes looked down at me for several seconds. “We need to talk,” he said.
“We do?”
“Yes.” He stood up and placed Baby in her crate before joining me on the floor. “It’s about what happened outside.”
“I figured as much.”
“You know that can’t happen again—”
“I understand that it didn’t mean anything to you; it’s okay.”
“—I mean not for a while anyway.”
“What?” we asked each other simultaneously.
“I said we couldn’t kiss like that again,” he answered.
“Okay.” I shrugged in an attempt to act like it wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t want him to know that I was disappointed by his news.
“So you’re okay with that?” he asked bitterly.
“Yes. Aren’t you?”
“No.” He ran his fingers through his tousled hair. “No, I’m not okay with that.”
“Oh.” I was relieved. Truth was, he was just as tortured as I was.
“What? Why did you say that like that?”
“Say what like what?”
We weren’t making any sense.
“Oh.” He repeated the word I’d used. “Like you’re confused or something.”
“I am confused.” I owned up to my own stupidity.
His forehead heavily creased. “About what exactly?”
“Why isn’t it okay that you can’t kiss me? It isn’t as if you’ve never kissed a girl before. Obviously you have.” He rolled his eyes and messed with his hair again. “There are plenty of other girls out there that would kiss you if they got the chance. I won’t be moving out for over two months. You could go out with sixty-five girls between now and then. You could kiss a different girl every night if you wanted to. Heck, if you threw in lunch dates, you could kiss over a hundred and twenty girls between now and then.”
Salvaged: A Love Story Page 20