Riley laughs as he turns in her direction. He walks over and wraps his arms around her thin frame, hugging her tight. “I missed you, Jen,” he says barely loud enough that I can hear.
Jen hugs him back and whispers something in his ear. He pulls back, nodding at whatever she said and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. I wasn’t the only one who lost Riley. The three months we were separated, Jen did, too.
Picking my clutch up off the bar, I make my way towards them. “Okay, okay. You two can get your hands off each other now,” I say in jest as I laugh.
“Ew…” Jen draws out in disgust as she pushes Riley away from her. Riley and I laugh at her drama. “That’s fucking gross, Kels. You know he’s like a brother to me. And even if he wasn’t, he’s not even my type.” Jen rolls her eyes and smirks.
“Why, because my dick’s too big?” Riley jokes. I grab his arm, pulling him away from my best friend and towards the door. “Kelsey’s never had any complaints.”
“She’s never had any compliments, either.” Jen laughs out as I shut the door behind Riley and me.
“Really? No compliments?” Riley asks bewildered as we make our way to his car.
“I don’t kiss and tell.” I smirk at him.
As soon as I’m seated in the car, Riley makes his way around the front of the car and hops in. He turns in his seat and with a wicked smile, says, “Now that I think about it, you never said no to her suggestion of using her camcorder.” His eyebrows bounce up and down.
“Shut up and drive.” I chuckle and playfully slap his arm.
“This is beautiful,” I whisper in awe as I glance around the beautiful terrace that Riley rented out for us at Posh, the upscale restaurant in the Avery Hotel in downtown Savannah. Our view is the moon casting a soft glow on the placid Savannah River. Beneath us, patrons and tourists crowd the famous River Street. White linen covers our candle lit table for two. Behind our table is a lounge set with an outdoor, circular, gas fire pit encased in white limestone. Wrought iron lanterns hang mounted onto the wall and the lights shine dimly yet elegantly behind frosted glass, giving off a romantic glow.
After we arrived at the restaurant, Riley and I were seated, our orders were taken, and now here I sit, sipping my wine as I look at Riley. “Why?” I ask, shaking my head. “Why did you already have someone else after one week?”
Riley looks at me for a minute and a multitude of emotions cross his face before he finally answers me. “When you left my parents’ estate, I was a fucking mess. I thought we were through.” He reaches out his hand to take mine. “When I got home the next day, memories of us, you, were all over my house. I couldn’t escape you. I’d walk into my bathroom and see your toothbrush next to mine, your razor in the shower. I think the worst of it was when I’d go to bed. Your scent still lingered on my sheets, on my pillows. I’d go to work and have to pass by the diner. You were everywhere and nowhere at the same time.” He looks away from me to the river. “I couldn’t take it any more. I just wanted the pain to go away, even if it was for just one night, so I drank, a lot.” The pain in his soft tone makes my heart ache for him.
Riley and I both go silent as the waiter returns to our table, plates in hand. He asks if everything is to our liking while replenishing our wine.
“Were there others?” I ask as soon as waiter turns the corner, leaving us to ourselves. I don’t want to know the answer to my question but, at the same time, I need to know.
Riley pulls his hand back to pick up his utensils and nods solemnly, his head held down in shame.
“Did you?” he asks, turning to look at me after a second and I can tell by the strain in his voice that this isn’t something he wants to ask.
No more secrets. No more half-truths. Only honesty, no matter how much it hurts. My gaze holds his as I whisper, “Yes.” And it’s the first time since I started sleeping around a little over two months ago that I’m actually ashamed of what I have done.
He nods once and puts down his fork and knife before leaning back in his seat. Riley blows out a deep breath and runs his hands over his face. “Lyle?” he asks, pinning me with his stare. His normally warm eyes are now hard and bitter.
“No,” I answer with a shake of my head. “I told you we are just friends.”
“Yeah,” he scoffs, “two friends who went out on a date.”
“One date, Riley. Nothing else has ever happened between us,” I reply, trying not to get defensive.
“He’s in love with you and either you don’t know it or you don’t want to admit it.”
“No, he’s not,” I answer with more bite in my tone than I intended. I keep silent for a moment, taking a couple of deep breaths and look out over the river while I attempt to rein in my temper. “When we broke up, I went through a really hard time. I stayed in bed when I wasn’t working, cried all the time, locked myself in my room away from the world. I quit my job. Candace and Jen did an intervention on me and told me to get my shit straight. Then I called you to see if we could talk and when I heard that woman over the phone and you were drunk, I went from hurt to pissed in a nanosecond.” I look back at him, our gazes connecting. “I figured if you weren’t home wallowing in your own pity, then I wasn’t going to either.”
Riley’s eyes narrow into slits, his lips press into a hard line, and a tint of red highlights his cheeks. I know he doesn’t like what I’ve just told him. “What was he doing at the club with you?” he asks angrily.
“He was there with some of his buddies. He told me he was on his way to the bar when he saw me. I was kissing someone I didn’t even know. That’s when he interrupted me.”
I wait a beat for what I’ve just said to sink in and I can tell it has when his pupils dilate, his face turns an even deeper shade of red, and his breathing kicks up a notch. Now he knows what it felt like for me to know some other woman had her hands and whatever else on him.
“Lyle and I were dancing and having fun when I tripped and then you came in, scooping me up before dragging me outside. Which brings me to another thing. Why were you at the club that night?” I ask with a raised brow as I take another bite of my food.
“I had been in Louisiana training for a month, preparing for my upcoming deployment. So when I got back, some of my buddies wanted to go out. It just so happened to be at the same club you were at,” he growls. “I saw you with him, with Lyle.” He shakes his head and takes in a deep breath. “You have no idea how much that gutted me and pissed me off.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I had to see that woman come out of your house. You were covered in her lipstick, your shirt was off, and your pants unbuttoned. That image is ingrained in my memory, in my heart. So don’t tell me that I don’t know how much it ‘gutted’,” I mock his words using my fingers, “you to see me dancing with Lyle because you have no idea how much what you did with her gutted me,” I snap.
Setting my fork and knife down, I push my chair back, stand, and walk away from the table over to the lounge set to sit in one of the rattan chairs. I lean forward, propping my elbows on my knees and rest my head in my hands. This is not how tonight was supposed to turn out. Was I delusional to think that we could work things out between us? I know we have issues to hash out, issues that we both created, issues that need to be solved in order for us to move forward, in order to make us stronger. As I stare at the concrete slab, Riley’s bended knees come into view.
“Baby?” Riley’s voice is soft. He captures my wrists, and gingerly, he pulls my hands away from my face, forcing me to look up at him. His eyes search my face for a second before he says, “I’m sorry. I never thought about it from your side of things.”
I nod. “I know you have issues with Lyle, but he’s my friend. He’s the one who’s convinced to me to get my nursing license. He’s the one who’s been helping me study. Next to Jen, he was the one who made sure I was okay after our,” I ghost my hand back and forth between us, “fall out in the alley. Lyle has been the one picking up every s
hattered piece of me that you left in your wake. I’m sorry that you don’t understand why I want to remain friends with him, but I wish you would.” I hold my hand up, stopping him as he goes to speak. “I know it may take time but just remember I’ve never cheated on you, Riley. I have only ever loved you with my whole heart, something I couldn’t give to him because it still belongs to you,” I whisper the last part as tears well up in my eyes. I blink them back in hopes that they won’t fall over.
Riley reaches up, brushing the backs of his knuckles against my cheek, his eyes soft and tender as he stares at me. “I’ll work on being okay with you and Lyle being friends, but I swear if he steps out of line, all bets are off. I love you. You are mine and I take care of what’s mine, Kelsey. You have a problem, you run to me. You need a friend, you run to me. If you need anything, you run. To. Me… not him. You have feelings for him,” he states matter of fact and places a finger over my lips when I go to negate his statement. Riley leans in an inch from my face. “Don’t deny it. He was there for you when your world fell apart. I wasn’t. Instead of running back to you, I ran away from you. But from this moment on, I’m not running and I will not settle for being anything other than the first person you want to run to, not the last. I will not compete with him,” he whispers against my lips before crushing his mouth down on mine.
A couple of days ago, Riley asked if I’d go with him to Talladega for Thanksgiving at his parents’ house. As soon as the words left his mouth, I cringed internally. It had nothing to do with his parents and everything to do with them.
When we’d first met, it felt as if I was in a dream, cooking with his mom, shopping, getting our hair and makeup done together, talking. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. Riley’s dad didn’t say much, but he was just as nice to me. They accepted me for who I was on the inside because their son loved me.
But even now, I’m still a little hesitant to be here. Although Lana showed up at my place, asking me to talk to Riley and to try to work things out with him, that doesn’t mean that Ron will feel the same way. And I’m certain he hasn’t forgotten the benefit.
Jen wanted me to go home to Virginia with her for Thanksgiving, but when I told her about Riley’s invitation, she was thrilled at the idea and encouraged me to go. She thought it would be good for Riley and my relationship if I had a chance to show his family that drama doesn’t always follow me. It would be a chance for redemption. And as much as I hated to admit it, she was right.
When we step out of the car, my legs ache from the seven hour drive. I’m wearing a pair of skinny jeans, brown ballet flats, and a brown long sleeved T-shirt and I brush my hands over my clothes to try to smooth out the travel wrinkles. I look at Riley from across the hood as he steps out of the car. With his arms raised above his head, his back arches when he stretches. His black thermal shirt strains against his muscles and expand the cotton material. With the weather cooler in Alabama than in Savannah, we did our best to dress appropriately.
“You sure there’s no benefit this weekend?” Even though I smirk at him in jest, we both know it isn’t a funny joke. Thankfully, he knows I’m edgy and unsure of what else to say.
Riley shakes his head at me as he walks to the back of the car and pops the trunk. “Not this time, babe,” he states.
“Sorry. I’m just a little nervous.” I sigh and walk over to help get our luggage out of the car.
As he hands me my cosmetic bag, he looks in my eyes. “It’s going to be fine, okay? I wouldn’t have brought you out here if you weren’t welcome.” The softness of his tone helps to settle my nerves a bit.
I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and answer with a nod as he shuts the trunk.
“Plus, this weekend is all about getting to know each other better and I think it’s only fair to start with that over there.” He points to an old oak tree with branches spanning far and wide, growing to the right side of the house. “When I was seven, I tried climbing that tree, made it half way up, and fell.”
My eyes widen in shock when he pulls down the collar of his shirt and points to a bump in his collarbone. “Broke my collarbone clean in half,” he states proudly while a boyish grin crosses his face.
“I bet your mom was pissed,” I chuckle.
“She was more concerned than anything when I walked into the house with this huge lump under my skin.” He shrugs as we make our way up the stairs leading to the wraparound porch. “But after she’d taken me to the hospital and had me all fixed up, yeah,” he nods, “she was pissed.”
“What made you think it was a good idea to try and climb that huge tree?” I ask, shaking my head at him as I chuckle.
“Remember, I was seven and I’m a guy. We all still think that shit is cool, by the way,” he laughs as he grabs my hand in his, “and I was an only child with nothing better to do. I was bored.”
“At least you’re still sticking to the same story,” Lana interrupts from just inside the doorway.
“Hey, mom,” Riley says with a smile as he leans down, hugging his mother warmly. “How did you know we were here already?”
“Son, if you have to ask that question, then I will admit I may be a little concerned about you,” she quips with a grin.
My hand flies to my mouth as a laugh escapes. I look between Riley and Lana with wide eyes.
“You think that’s funny?” Riley asks, his tone light and jovial.
I drop my hand from my mouth and point towards all the windows peppering the front of the beautiful, plantation style home. “I mean, there’s no way she saw us through all these windows or anything, babe.” My sarcastic jab earns me a raised eyebrow from him.
Lana laughs out loud as she steps out onto the porch. “It’s so good to see you again, my dear.” She pulls me into a hug. Her genuine tone has me returning her affection. “Thank you for coming,” she whispers in my ear.
As Lana pulls back, I nod and smile. “Thank you for having me.”
“All right then, let’s get inside,” she says, turning back and walking into the house. Riley and I follow after her and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. The scents of pumpkin and burning wood invade my senses. The house still has that old, warm, inviting feel to it which causes an ease to settle over me.
“I’m going to take our bags upstairs,” Riley says to Lana and me as he grabs one of the bags from my hand. “Then I’ll be back down.”
Lana waves her hand in dismissal. “Why don’t you go hang out with your father? He’s in the living room watching some football.” She sidles up next to me and loops her arm through mine. “Kelsey and I are going to get started on some of the desserts for tomorrow,” she calls out over her shoulder as she pulls me away from Riley and towards the kitchen.
Hope begins to surge within me. All my life, I’ve wished for moments like these with my own mother yet they never came. But here stands this woman who hardly knows me, yet invites me into her home and even with everything that happened with the benefit, she still accepts me.
On the counters sits mixing bowls, whisks, rubber spatulas, measuring cups, ingredients, and a large mixer. “So, I already have one pumpkin pie going in the oven right now, but we’ll need another one since the men in this home refuse to leave any for anyone else.” She throws her head back and laughs.
I walk over to the sink to begin washing my hands and look at Lana pouring sugar into one of the mixing bowls. “What all do you normally make for Thanksgiving?” I ask genuinely interested.
My Thanksgivings always consisted of a mind-numbingly mundane catered dinner. No one ever fought over who got to take a shot at breaking the wishbone. My mother and I never woke up early in the morning to prep the turkey and throw it in the oven. My father never sat around watching football. It was just another day in our household. The only good thing about it was my parents actually requested my presence so I got to come home from school.
“Well, I’ll wake up early to get the turkey dressed and in the oven. Then, I ma
ke homemade mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn, homemade dressing, giblet gravy, and rolls,” Lana looks up at me and smiles, “but I just threw those in the oven too.”
I make my way over to the counter to stand on the opposite side of her. Opening the carton of eggs, I ask, “How many should I put in there?” I nod towards the pumpkin mixture in the bowl in front of us.
“Two.”
As I crack my first egg, Lana states. “I bet you and your mother did stuff like this all the time.”
I don’t look up as I answer with a shrug. “I’ve never done this before.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lana look at me and I hate the sympathy etched on her features. “I’ve never been close to my family,” I explain. “As you may already know, my father is Congressman Thomas Connor and my mother, well, let’s just say that neither of them has ever been real welcoming to me unless it was to boost votes or show some façade that worked in their favor.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she replies softly.
I throw the broken eggshell in the trashcan next to us and pick a second egg to crack. “For a long time it was the norm for me. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t hurt, but,” I shrug as I turn to look at her. When she looks at me, I hold her gaze and add, “I’ve never known anything different. It’s hard to have expectations of this amazing family life when you have no idea what that’s like.”
Lana reaches out and places her hand on top of my shoulder. “Then your parents are the ones who have missed out. You are an exceptional, courageous woman that my son is lucky to have.” She smiles proudly.
The sincerity behind her words causes tears to well up in my eyes. I smile a sad smile at her. “Thank you, but I am the one lucky to have your son.”
“You’re both lucky to have each other.” She hands me the whisk and says, “Go ahead and mix this while I start on the crust for the apple pie.”
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