“Chelle.” There was that warning tone again. She was actually starting to think it was really cute the way he kept saying her name like that.
She smiled and his eyes grew even more intense, she chuckled and shook her head “I wasn’t talking about that.” She wished she was though. “I’m really gonna help.”
One of his eyebrows shot up, “How?”
“My brother called yesterday. He wants you to call him.” Riley groaned and his head fell back.
She looked down at his lap. Sure enough, mentioning her brother had done the trick.
“See? Told ya.” She patted his arm, laughing, as she got up and they made their way down to the lower deck.
Chapter Twelve
People were packed into the small glass-encased room like sardines. Chelle normally didn’t like small, confined places but this time it wasn’t so bad. The difference? In this case, the overcrowding caused her to be pressed tightly to Riley, so she liked it just fine.
Riley ran his hands up and down her arms. His touch caused shivers to run through her body like a wild river. He must have mistaken this response as her being cold, because he said he was going to go and get her a cup of hot cocoa.
She smiled and nodded, mostly because she didn’t trust herself not to burst out in tears. He was just so thoughtful, always noticing things about her, and constantly trying to take care of her.
No one had ever done that for her. Well, no guy anyway. Katie had always been like that, but it felt a lot different coming from a man – and, hell, this was not just any man. This was Riley Sloan!
As he moved away she saw that there was room on a bench in the far corner of the room and she went to go snag it. Now that Riley wasn’t standing behind her for support, her legs did feel a little wobbly as the ship made its way through the choppy waters.
She asked the woman who was sitting at the end of the bench with a child asleep across her lap if the spaces were taken. She shook her head no and Chelle quickly sat down.
The dark-haired woman turned and nodded as she smiled at her, “You’re quite a lucky gal.”
Chelle eyes followed where the woman tipped her head to and saw Riley standing in line at the small beverage bar.
When he caught her looking his way he smiled and Chelle felt it down to her soul, breaking open just a little bit more of her heart.
Good lord, she was in trouble!
“When’s the wedding?” The woman asked.
Chelle returned her attention to the woman, “Excuse me?”
The woman looked down at Chelle’s left finger and Chelle realized that she was still wearing David’s ring. She had just gotten so used to having it on her finger. She hadn’t even noticed it she still had it on.
What did that say about her?
Wouldn’t the normal reaction when an engagement was broken be to take the ring off of your finger? Immediately? In a rage? And then fling it into a lake...or...sell it on eBay? Something?
Why hadn’t she done that?
Maybe it was because she wasn’t one of those girls that had always dreamt of a big diamond ring. She had never really given the ring itself much thought after she and David had gotten engaged.
But, still. How had she literally not noticed it on her hand these last couple of weeks?
“Is something wrong?” The woman asked, concern lacing her voice.
Chelle nodded her head up and down. She remained silent, lacking both the will and the ability to find the words which would explain her odd behavior.
“What’s wrong?” Riley was there, standing next to her.
She glanced back at the woman who had asked about the ring and she was looking out the window watching the water, obviously not wanting to intrude.
“Chelle?” He sat down and his concerned tone made her feel the way only Riley had ever made her feel…special. She thought it was really sweet but she really didn’t want to make a big deal out of this.
“Nothing, thanks for the hot cocoa.” She smiled up at him as she took the cup from his hand.
He looked into her eyes, searching for some clue that she was not, in fact, okay. She did her best to mask any internal turmoil by leaning down and blowing on the surface of the hot drink before bringing it to her lips and sipping it.
She decided it was probably best to change the subject. She smiled brightly, “Did you want to grab a bite when we get back to the pier?”
He shook his head. “Actually, I need to go see my buddy Tommy. He and his wife just had a baby. I was originally supposed to meet up with them the night before I was scheduled to fly home, that’s why I was headed to San Francisco.”
Chelle felt her stomach drop to the ground. A wave of utter disappointment washed over her. She knew her reaction was completely ridiculous, and she did her best to get it in check before it had the chance to show in her facial expression.
He had a life. He had friends. He didn’t need to babysit her.
She also knew that if she felt this upset just because she wasn’t going to be with him for a few hours, then she really wasn’t doing a good enough job maintaining her grasp on the fact that this time they were sharing was extremely temporary.
This little development was like a blinking neon sign warning her that she was getting WAY too attached to having him around. She was forming an addiction to his presence, and if she let it go on much longer, then detoxing was going to be a real bitch! It was probably a good thing that this dinner came up when it did. It was like reality was giving her a slap in the face.
This isn’t a real thing, you and Riley, she told herself. You need to remember that THIS ISN'T REAL!
Riley was only here because Katie was worried about Chelle, and Jason wanted to stay on his honeymoon. He was doing everyone a favor.
That thought made her feel really bad about kissing him...let's be honest, practically seducing him...on the upper deck.
She pasted on her best smile, “Oh, that’s great!”
She hoped she sounded convincing.
“Have you ever eaten Indonesian food?” He asked.
She shook her head, “Nope, I don’t think so.”
Don’t look sad. Don’t look sad. She repeated these words over and over again in her head. She was trying as hard as she could to keep her countenance upbeat, positive. She would have time to process this completely disproportionate reaction to him being gone for a couple of hours when he left to go meet his friend. Now was not the time!
“Well I know Mindy, Tommy’s wife, was planning on making Indonesian food. They asked if that was okay with us?”
“Huh?” She thought she must have heard him incorrectly due to the internal dialogue running through her head like a ticker tape. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself and assume that she was invited. Although...that was what it sounded like.
“I asked if Indonesian would be alright.” He gave her a strange, somewhat concerned, look. Kind of like the one her mom would give her before touching the back of her hand to Chelle's head to check for a temperature.
She still was not 100% convinced that his question meant that she was invited, so she decided to clarify, “Did you want me to go?”
He tilted his head to the side a little, his puzzled look intensifying, “Yeah, of course I do.”
Woo Hoo (happy dance in full effect!), he wanted her to go with him!
Wait...but what if he was just asking out of obligation? What if he felt like it would be rude not to include her?
She definitely didn’t want to be some kind of pity case. She didn’t want him to feel like he had to invite his best friend’s little sister, who had just gotten dumped practically at the altar.
Okay, maybe she was being slightly dramatic. But still, she didn’t want to impose. She should let him off the hook.
“Oh no, don’t worry about me! You should go, have fun, catch up. I’ll be fine.”
He smiled a smile that she had never seen before and she thought that her panties might spontaneously c
ombust - burst into flames right there on the Blue and Gold boat. WOW! So that is what a panty-melting smile was!
“I want you to come with me. Tommy’s wife Mindy is a sweetheart. I think you two would really get along. They just had a baby, who I'm sure they want to show off to as many admirers as possible. Plus...you don’t want me to feel like the odd man out, do you?”
“No,” she rushed to explain, “I just thought...well...I don’t want you to feel like you have to invite me.”
Chelle felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
Riley brushed aside a hair that had fallen in her face and tucked it behind her ear. His fingertips lingered below her ear, his thumb slowly traced her jawline. “I want you to go,” he said simply.
Well, damn. How could she possibly say no to that?
“Okay.” She smiled.
She heard him let out an audible breath. She saw his hazel eyes trained on her mouth, “God, I love it when you do that.”
“What?” she asked with a nervous little laugh, “Agree with you?” She didn't know where this was going but she was really enjoying the way his gaze was laser-focused on her.
“Smile. I love it when you smile.” His tone sounded rough, like he was on the ragged edge.
She smiled even wider and he groaned and leaned back in his chair.
Hmm, interesting, she thought. SO...maybe he doesn't just look at me as Eddie’s little sister. That discovery made her feel as giddy as a schoolgirl whose crush just asked her to prom.
She didn’t know if anything was ever going to happen between them. She didn’t know if he would get on a plane tomorrow and this little fantasy bubble they had been living in would burst. But for tonight, she was just going to enjoy the time she did have with Riley. And oh, yeah...she was definitely going to keep smiling.
Chapter Thirteen
Chelle had wanted to take a shower before they headed over to Tommy’s for dinner and Riley had thought that would be a good time to get himself under control - to get his mind right so he would stop drooling over Chelle.
That had been the plan, at any rate. But all that he had done since he heard the water come on through the paper thin walls was imagine Chelle, naked under the spray. The way her body would look with drops of water sliding down her curves. He shook his head, trying to erase the images that were flashing one after another like a peep show in his mind.
Wait! Chelle had mentioned that Eddie wanted to talk to him. He should call Eddie. That would put things into perspective real quick.
He scrolled through his phone and found Eddie's name in his contact list. He pressed call.
Eddie answered before it had even gotten to the second ring. “Are you still with my sister?”
Okay, so, apparently no pleasantries then.
“Yeah, I’m still in San Francisco.” That sounded better than ‘yes I’m still with your sister’.
“Is she okay?” Eddie did not sound happy, and Riley couldn’t blame him.
“She seems okay,” Riley answered.
“Then why are you still there?” Eddie’s tone left no room for misinterpretation. This wasn’t a question, it was an accusation.
“I don’t want to leave her alone. She’s been through a lot.”
Riley would not normally put up with this kind of questioning from anyone. He was a grown man and what he did in his private life was his own God damn business. But this wasn't 'anyone' - this was Eddie. His best friend.
He and Eddie had been pretty wild in their teens. Riley knew for damn sure that if Eddie had tried to mess around with one of his cousins, he would have lost his shit. And Chelle wasn’t Eddie’s cousin - she was his sister. His only sister. His baby sister.
Guy code clearly states that you don’t mess around with your friend’s little sister. Riley knew that.
But, the truth was...Riley hadn’t done anything. Sure, he had thought about it…a lot. And today on the boat he was one second away from losing control and taking her on the upper deck. He knew it would have happened if that damn kid hadn’t interrupted them.
But the point was...he hadn’t!
And, as for tonight, he had made sure that they weren’t going to have an intimate dinner alone. Nope. They were going to have chaperones!
“What have you guys been doing?”
Eddie obviously was not going to drop this. Riley didn’t blame him.
“Hanging out, seeing the city.”
“Where have you been sleeping?”
“On the couch.” That was the truth. There was no denying it.
Riley just prayed Eddie wouldn't ask him where Chelle had been sleeping...
“Look, I’m not stupid. I know she’s always had some kind of a thing for you. A crush. She always asks about you and brings up your name pseudo-casually.”
For some reason that new piece of information made Riley feel good. Really good.
“But this is Chelle we’re talking about. You’re not what she needs. I know you man. I love you like a brother, but…”
Eddie paused. Riley said nothing. He wasn't sure what Eddie was about to say, but he was pretty damn sure that he wasn't going to like it.
“She deserves better.”
Nice.
“Like David the douchebag?” Riley snapped back.
He really hadn’t meant to. He knew exactly what Eddie was talking about, and he knew it was true. Chelle deserved a hell of a lot better than him. He knew that in his head. He just needed to make sure that his heart (and dick) were on the same page.
“Look, I never liked that guy, alright? But she seemed happy and I honestly didn’t know him that well. But I know you.”
Ouch.
“I’m just staying to make sure that she's doing okay.” Riley didn’t want Eddie stressing about the situation. Riley was handling it and he was done discussing it. He was moving on to the next topic whether Eddie felt like coming along or not. “How’s Emily feeling?”
Riley didn’t know if his not-so-subtle attempt to change the subject would work, but he thought he would at least give it a try.
There was a long pause, but Riley remained silent. He would give Eddie the space to figure out how he wanted to proceed.
He heard a sigh on the other end of the line.
“She’s doing better. She won’t go back to school till next week so she is going a little stir crazy. But she is getting all caught up on Pretty Little Liars so that’s keeping her mind off of how bored she is.” Eddie’s voice filled with love as he spoke of his daughter.
“I don’t even know what Pretty Little Liars is.” Riley said flatly.
“Man, I wish I didn’t.” Eddie sighed.
They laughed and Riley promised to get Chelle back to Harper’s Crossing safe and sound.
He hung up and felt a knot forming in his gut. He hadn’t realized it until right now, but the fact that Eddie was still clearly not okay with anything happening between him and Chelle made him feel like a low life for where his mind had gone since seeing her again. Riley knew that Eddie wasn’t just being an ass. He had seen a lot of Riley at his worst, and Eddie knew Riley’s views on commitment. Riley was the very last person that a loving big brother should want his baby sister to get involved with!
But, damn. Even with this new knot that had taken residence in his stomach, he still wanted Chelle…bad. He wasn’t even sure how he had actually managed to keep his hands off of her up until this point. But with every smile, every ‘innocent’ brush, every look that told him she wanted him as much as he wanted her...God. It was getting harder and harder- both figuratively and literally.
Realistically, he only had a few more days - a week, tops - with her in San Francisco. Once they were home, keeping his distance would be easier.
That realization should have made him feel relieved. Instead, the thought of not spending his days with her just made him feel sad and empty.
Oh, well. It wasn’t like sad or empty were new feelings for him. He had felt a hole in his life since his mom
left when he was eight, and it only got bigger when she had died when he was twelve.
But his issues were not Chelle’s problem. She had enough to deal with without him coming into her life and creating drama and problems.
He needed to keep his hands, his mouth, and every other body part to himself. Not just because of Eddie, and how much Riley owed him. But also for Chelle. Because no matter how strong and significant their connection felt to him, he knew that Eddie was right. She deserved better. So much better.
She deserved forever.
--- ~ ---
Chelle was trying really hard not to feel self-conscious as they made their way up the short path to Riley’s friend’s townhouse, but if she were honest, she knew that she wasn’t doing a great job in that department. As soon as Chelle had come out of the room, excited and ready to go, she sensed something had changed between her and Riley.
It wasn’t anything too obvious. It’s not like he was being mean to her. He was being as nice as he always was. Thoughtful, even. He had reminded her to bring her keys (which she probably would have remembered). He had made sure that she brought a jacket (which she absolutely would have forgotten). He had complimented her on her dress.
But, still. It wasn’t the same. He just said, “You look really nice,” in a tone that was almost without inflection. He hadn’t even met her eyes when he said it.
She briefly wondered if he were acting that way because he had noticed that she had taken off her engagement ring, since (as far as she could tell) that was the only thing that had changed. But no...that would be silly. Why would he care?
She felt like a complete and total idiot for having it on as long as she had, but he probably hadn’t even noticed it.
Unless...could he sense her growing attachment to him, and the absence of the ring symbolized that? Shit. That would be embarrassing.
Regardless of the cause, there was definitely a distance between them. It was like he had put up a wall that she was not allowed to pass. He also seemed…sad. She was trying not to read too much into it, but she just couldn’t help it. It was as if he were an entirely different person.
My Last - Riley & Chelle Page 12