Light Unshaken (Unveiled #2)

by Crystal Walton

  Not enough activities? Seriously? We weren’t the YMCA. Tutoring should be more than enough to warrant financial assistance. And it wasn’t as if we weren’t trying to get a sports program going. If they’d make an investment in us, maybe we could actually hire the kind of staff they seemed to expect us to have.

  I shoved the letter into my side drawer with the others and slumped in my chair.

  There had to be somebody out there willing to help. I pinned my bangs back with a paperclip, unburied my grant notes, and Googled the second to last organization left on my list. I transferred their information into my letter template and breathed a prayer while the decrepit printer spit out the page a row at a time.

  Give us a chance. Please. The kids needed the center. And so did I.

  Movement flickered outside the window. The guys from the corner slinked around the building opposite ours, but not before the apparent ringleader flaunted a dark look my way.

  A tinge of apprehension stirred up memories of my internship supervisor almost forcing himself on me last year in Xander’s parking lot. Maybe it was a good thing A. J. drove me in today instead of Riley. With his leaving, he didn’t need any reason to worry about me.

  Drawing my shoulders back, I returned to my post and tackled the pile of paperwork closest to me. One thing at a time.

  Daylight made a steady descent down the side of the building as the afternoon crept toward the end of my shift. The closer it neared, the more intently I kept any eye out for Riley’s arrival, only breaking my stare from the window every few minutes to check the clock.

  “If you keep tapping that pen on your desk, you’re gonna drill a hole through it,” Trey said from the doorway to the classroom. He had one of those husky voices that would be perfect for an audio book or maybe a radio host. The kind that could ease the tension in almost any circumstance.

  I dropped the pen. “Sorry.”

  Trey crossed the room and reclined in his chair. “Got a hot date tonight or something?”

  I threw him a sassy look. “Always.”

  “Mm hmm. I don’t think staring out that window is gonna make him get here any faster.”

  “Tell me about it.” I spun the pen in half turns. “Sorry to be so distracted today. Riley’s leaving on Friday, and to be honest, it’s sort of torturous to be at work right now. Not that you’re not great company, but, you know.”

  Trey’s gray-peppered eyebrows reached above the top of his square glasses. “Mm hmm,” he grunted again. “Is he going home for a week or something?”

  Trey could give Trevor a run for his money in the patronizing department.

  “I wish. No, he’s moving to Nashville.” My voice fell. It was one thing to know he was leaving. It was another thing to say it out loud.

  “Nashville?” His chair sprang forward. “The record deal finally came through? Aw, man, this is the break he’s been waiting for, right?”

  The tangled mess of computer cords kept my gaze locked beneath my desk, unspoken questions coiling into a knot in my throat. “Yeah.”

  “Don’t sound too enthused or anything.”

  “No, no, I’m excited for him,” I backpedaled. “Just not looking forward to saying goodbye.” How was I supposed to go from spending every part of the day with my best friend to not seeing him for months?

  A hoarse chuckle followed Trey’s intuitive stare. “Don’t worry, dear. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  Don’t tell me he subscribed to the same maxim calendar Austin did. “Thanks for the pep talk. My heart’s plenty fond already.”

  The corners of his mouth curved under his scruffy mustache and barely held back whatever he was thinking.

  Did I dare ask? Caving, I tossed my pen in my drawer and faced him head on. “Okay, fine. What is it?”

  Shifting positions, he switched over to counselor-mode. “Long distance has a way of testing relationships. It can make the bond that much stronger or—”

  I flung my hand up. “Let’s leave it at the first part.”

  His laughter mushroomed. “You worry too much, kid.”

  “I’m not worried.” I patted some papers into a neat stack, dodged his stare. “I’m just gonna miss him. That’s all.”

  “Maybe I should have a little guy-to-guy chat with him.”

  My head shot up. “You wouldn’t.” The last thing Riley needed was to think I was wavering. It was bad enough I panicked when he first told me.

  Trey’s burly laugh vibrated across the compact room. “You sure?” He pointed past me to the window overlooking the main street. “’Cause now might be the perfect time.”

  One glance out the window, and I flew through the door to meet Riley before Trey could corner him inside.

  chapter Five

  One Condition

  Riley strolled up the narrow walkway. It wasn’t right for someone to make a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a rust-colored button-down look that attractive.

  His grin toppled sideways. “You guys have surveillance cameras out front?”

  After as long as we’d been together, he shouldn’t still be able to make me blush.

  I stashed my hands in my pockets and dragged my sneaker over a dandelion poking through the sidewalk divider. “I’ve sort of been on the lookout for you for the last half hour.”

  “Guess I better make sure the wait was worth it.”

  His eyes found my lips. Even a foot away, my pulse accelerated, already sensing his touch. He kissed me as though he’d been staring out his own window all day too.

  He leaned back. “Did I pass?”

  I clenched his forearm to keep from melting into the crack alongside the weed. “My Jell-O legs aren’t answer enough for you?”

  “Just checking.” His smile might as well have been another kiss.

  And I was supposed to go without seeing that same smile for four months?

  He reached for the doorknob. “Let me stop in to see Trey before we go.”

  Teetering on my heels, I tried to tow him in the opposite direction. “Trey’s busy, and we want to beat rush hour traffic.”

  “At seven o’clock?”

  Okay, bad excuse.

  He opened the door. “It’ll just take a sec.”

  Head hanging, I shuffled behind him into the office and shot Trey a look of warning.

  “Riley, my man.” Trey winked at me while giving Riley one of those half-hug-half-handshake guy hellos. “Congratulations. Heard you got a sweet deal in Nashville.” Trey boxed the air and nudged him in the shoulder. “Big dog now, eh?”

  Riley rubbed his jaw line. “Yeah, guess I got pretty lucky.”

  It had nothing to do with luck. Would he ever recognize his own talent? Beside him, I threaded my fingers through his.

  He looked from me to Trey. “Listen, I wanted to ask if you’d mind keeping an eye out for Emma while I’m gone. I’ll be away for a few months. Might be gone until January.”

  So, that’s what this is about.

  Trey sat on the edge of his desk and crossed his ankles. “Don’t worry, bro. I got your back.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “But I gotta be honest. Your girl’s kinda stubborn.”

  Riley laughed. “So I’ve noticed. Which is why it’ll give me some peace of mind if you could see her in and out when she’s here.”

  I butted between them, arms pinned over my shirt. “I hate to break up the little bromance you’ve got going on, but you guys realize it’s rude to refer to me in the third person when I’m standing in the same room as you, right?”

  The desk shook with Trey’s laughter. “Like I said.”

  Riley curved his hand around my shoulder and pressed me into his side. “I really appreciate it. Means the world.”

  “You got it.” He fake-punched Riley’s arm again. “Hey, live it up in Nashville for me, huh?”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  The skin on my arm burned against Riley’s cool fingers once we stepped back outside.

  “I�
�m glad he’s around to keep an eye on you.”

  “I can take care of myself.” I spun to face him head on, but he caught my lips before I got another word out. Cheater.

  It took the entire walk to his Civic to remember what I was going to say.

  “I’m not a child, Riley.”

  “Exactly. You’re a very attractive young woman.”

  My lashes fluttered away his exaggeration.

  He angled his head. “Are you forgetting Jack Peters?”

  Wished I could. His slimy hands had burned flesh memories into the tops of my thighs that day in the parking lot.

  Riley took my hand, voice softening. “I’m not saying you need a babysitter. I just need you to promise me you’ll be careful while I’m gone.” He lowered his face beneath mine. “Please.”

  I swallowed the response I wanted to give. It wasn’t worth fighting over. Not when we were nearing the end of another day.

  He lifted my chin. “Would a peace offering help?”

  With one look, his eyes drained every bit of fight from me.

  He set an MP3 player in my hand and folded his fingers over mine. “A little music to listen to while I’m away.”

  I flaunted a replica of his usual grin. “You mean I won’t have to wait to buy the album online?”

  He scratched his cheek with his key. “That sounds weird, doesn’t it?”

  “Not to me. I always knew you would do it.”

  His brow furrowed.

  Did he still doubt himself? “What?”

  “It doesn’t seem right. You not being there with me. None of this would be happening if it weren’t for you.”

  “There you go, giving me too much credit again.” I inched closer. “You’ll just have to relay every detail, play-by-play, over the phone.”

  He grinned, already two steps ahead of me. “As long as you get on Instagram every day.”

  I brandished the lawyer-look we always teased each other with. “On one condition.”

  He dished it right back. “Which is?”

  “You have to promise to test out your new music with me before you record it.”

  Leaning against the car, Riley cocked his head to the side and squinted. “Deal. But only if you promise to give me an honest critique.”

  “Always.” Would listening to his music over the phone change the way it sounded?

  He toyed with his keys, sobering. “I’m gonna leave my car for you to drive.”

  I scooted backward. “Riley, I—”

  “I’m not taking it all the way out to Nashville.” He pushed off the fender and straightened out his shorts. “If you have a car, I won’t feel like I’m abandoning you as much. And at least you’ll be able to get around without needing A. J.’s eager assistance.”

  Seriously? “Okay, first of all, you’re not abandoning me. And second of all, I doubt you need to worry about A. J. Trust me. He isn’t eager to give me a ride.” Or to be near me at all. His guarded eyes from the morning had made that clear enough. “It’s like it pains him to look at me or something.”

  Riley drew me to him, my face inches below his. “Because he’s trying not to feel anything for you. I’ve been there, remember? Not an easy task. It’d pain me to look at you too if I knew you’d given your heart to someone else.”

  A. J. was probably doing what he felt he needed to. I just hated that it had to be this way.

  Riley shook his head. “I should probably cut the guy some slack for hanging out with us still. I wouldn’t have been nearly as noble.”

  I lifted my hand to his neck. “Good thing you’ll never have to find out.”

  “Promise?”

  I let my eyes eliminate any doubt. Riley was, and always would be, the sole possessor of my heart. Did he honestly question that? Is that why he’d kissed me the way he had when he picked me up today?

  Tucking my shoulder under his, I faced the sky and clung to the only thing I wanted to think about. “Can we stay right here?”

  He clicked his key fob. “I have a better idea.”

  chapter six

  Unraveled

  I don’t know what time Riley walked me home from the sports field last night. Only that it was too soon. I wasn’t ready for today.

  Even my muscles seemed to be hunkered down in some kind of defense mode. Thirty minutes on the elliptical hadn’t broken through the stiffness I woke up with this morning.

  I shook out my arms, turned up the volume on my MP3 player, and kept pushing. My legs circled in a fury, but my mind was somewhere else. Somewhere that, for the moment, belonged only to me. With my eyes closed and headphones on, I drifted into Riley’s songs and the reminder that his music was worth any sacrifice.

  “Excuse me. May I ask what you’re listening to?”

  I looked up to find a witty version of my favorite half-smile.

  Riley leaned against the front of the machine. “I couldn’t help noticing you seem like you’re enjoying your music.”

  I tugged my ear buds free. “Oh, it’s this great new artist. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Riley Preston?”

  He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. “He’s pretty good, huh?”

  “Mm.” I slanted a brow. “Not bad on the eyes either.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Mm hmm. But . . .” I scanned from side to side and lowered my voice to a whisper. “I hear he’s engaged.” I clicked my tongue. “Lucky girl. Looks like I’ll just have to settle for listening to his CDs. You know, not many people are fortunate enough to have his pre-debut record.”

  “Well, then, you must be pretty special.” He tucked his hands in his jean pockets and raised his shoulders. “Listen, I know I might be way out of my league, but, um, maybe we can go out on a date some time.”

  I hopped off the elliptical and advanced until I was only an inch away from him. “How about tonight?”

  He returned my sassy grin. “You read my mind.”

  With his arm around my back, he led me toward the exit. “I was thinking I could make you dinner after we finish the last of the packing.” A slow smile tugged at his lips. “Not that I’d want to deprive you of your usual frozen-meal-in-a-bag or anything, but it might be a nice change of pace.”

  “Hey, don’t knock my stash of frozen dinners. Living off them and ramen noodles is like a college student rite of passage.”

  “You must be head of the tribe.”

  I swatted him with my sweatshirt and tied the sleeves at my waist.

  His laughter faded behind a look of sobriety as he tucked a loose strand of hair back into my ponytail.

  A prominent drop in my stomach followed his touch. I didn’t think I’d ever taken my time with him for granted. But now that it was our last night together, I wasn’t so sure. I studied his face, trying to capture a pristine copy in my memory.

  My stomach sank a second time. What if he was capturing memories of his own? I looked down at my sweat-dampened shirt. “Do you mind if I shower first?”

  “I actually have to drop something off in the mail, so I’ll meet you back at your place.” He kissed my cheek and headed in the opposite direction toward the campus center.

  I jogged to my apartment and got ready in a whirlwind. Too bad a shower couldn’t remove my tension as easily as it had the residue from my workout. How was I supposed to find courage to begin an evening I’d give anything to keep from ending?

  Hold it together. For him. You can do this.

  My internal pep talk held up on the drive to his apartment and kept me from caving when Riley’s chocolate Lab let out a series of welcome-home barks from the window.

  It even carried me through an hour of packing what could’ve been the aftermath of a detonated landmine. Not that packing made the night easier, but at least it was movement. If I sat still for too long, I started to come undone.

  In the living room, I scooched to the nearest stack of what looked like sheet music, and fanned through the pages. Some had so many eraser marks, the paper had
almost worn through. Others had lyrics crossed out and new lines written above them. All his songs. All a part of him. I held them to my stomach, arms around pages from a chapter in my life I wasn’t ready to close.

  Jake belly-crawled his way out of a hiding spot between the couch and a pile of clutter beside the coffee table. He set his chin over the box and looked up at me with his empathetic puppy eyes. I scratched him behind the ears. “I know the feeling.”

  Across the room, Riley sat back on his heels and lifted up a flap on another box. “I’m gonna move all these into the study so they’re out of Jackson’s way. I want him to be able to put out his own things. Make the place his own while he’s subleasing for me.”

  “That’s great.” Everything was coming together, as it should have. This was the right choice. Why couldn’t I shake the uneasiness spiraling in my stomach?

  A timer beeped from the kitchen. Riley’s grin led him up off the floor. “Pot roast time.”

  Somehow, we’d made it through the last half hour evading the savory scents filling the apartment. Distraction at its best. But once at the kitchen table across from Riley, time stilled again. No more outlet. The unrest churning inside me had no escape except through my lips. Riley’s amused grin hung on to every nonstop word spewing out.

  “I gotta hand it to Trev,” I mumbled between bites. “The boy’s earning some serious pre-wedding bonus points for whisking Jae away to work on their vows.”

  I swirled a carrot in the juices left on my empty plate and rubbed my feet on Jake’s back beneath my chair. My talented cook studied my every move as though savoring me more than the home-cooked meal we shared. What was he thinking about? I pulled my hair over my shoulder and twisted it into a tight swirl that unraveled the second I let go.

  He walked around the table, his gaze never leaving mine, and extended his hand in front of my seat. “Dance with me.”

  I bumped my fork off the table. “What? Here?” A glance at my shoeless feet and dusty jeans trailed over to the collection of boxes around the perimeter of the living room.

  Riley’s smile left no room for resistance. Despite my lack of confidence in dancing, I slipped my hand into his and followed him onto our imaginary dance floor.