15 Last night doesn’t change anything
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Last night doesn’t change anything
WILL
I’d been awake for hours. In fact, I don’t think I’d really slept. Riley had though. She hadn’t moved an inch since we finally found comfortable ground.
Despite what I knew was likely to be a near freezing morning outside of my swag, I was burning up, but I didn’t want to move. Because once I so much as blinked, Riley would be out of here and this short moment of, well, whatever the hell this was, would be over.
If someone had told me I’d either win the lottery or sleep with Riley Dover again, I’d have put a down payment on a Ferrari. I’m sure this wasn’t what Levi had in mind when he told me to loosen the reins. If anything, this had tightened them back up. It’s like I was back in the days before Riley and I broke up, holding her knowing full well we were a ticking time bomb.
Deep voices sounded in the distance, slowly getting closer and closer until it felt like they were in my swag too.
“My head is fucking pounding,” came Ryan’s voice.
“My back is,” Tripp returned. “Maxwell drunkenly took a leak on my tent, so I slept in the back of Will’s car.”
That was news to me. Though if he’d slept there, did that mean–
“It was dark last night, so I couldn’t be sure, but I think Will might’ve had a girl with him.”
Ryan chuckled. “No fucking way. Think he re-lost his virginity?”
My friends were unreal. They didn’t realise that tightening my belt had been a conscious choice. If I’d wanted non-committal sex, I could’ve had it .
Footsteps approached until I could feel Tripp and Ryan hovering above my head. I braced, expecting them to forgo all privacy and zip open my swag. Thankfully Levi came to my rescue.
“What are you two idiots doing?” he asked.
Someone shuffled, the dirt crunching beneath their shoes. That caused Riley to stir. She rolled onto her back, her brown hair flailing across the pillow we shared. Her groggy eyes blinked to find mine. I didn’t allow her a moment for the reality of last night to seep in. I pressed one finger to her lips, shaking my head slowly.
“Will is with a girl,” Tripp said.
Levi cleared his throat. “How do you know?”
“Two pairs of shoes.”
Riley’s eyes widened. If she wasn’t regretting sharing my swag last night, she sure as hell was now.
“So what?” Levi checked. “You creeps planning to hang around here waiting for them to get up?”
Ryan chuckled. “Well, yeah.”
“Hell fucking no,” Levi snapped. “Start on clean up duty. Both of you. Hughesy is hungry and she’ll have all our balls if we don’t hit the road soon.”
“But–”
“Now,” Levi barked.
The captain command did the trick. Both Tripp and Ryan shuffled off, but not without mumbling complaints under their breath.
Once I was confident they were gone, I slowly removed my hand from Riley’s mouth. She kept her focus on me, her lips parted. Even beneath her many layers of clothes, her chest rose and fell heavily. That’d been closer than either of us were prepared for.
When things became silent once more, Levi crouched closer. “Will. You awake?”
“Yeah.”
My voice was gravelly.
“The coast is clear, but I don’t know for how long. If you and your – ugh – friend don’t want an audience, then I suggest you clear out quickly.”
He didn’t need to tell Riley twice. The moment Levi’s footsteps retreated, she was zipping open the swag and slipping out. Albeit more reluctantly, I got up too, pulling on my hoodie as I did.
A low fog was trickling over the campsite, and there was a thin layer of ice on the windshield of my car. When Tripp said he’d slept in the back, I wasn’t sure whether he meant the backseat or tray. Either or, I was hoping he’d slept alone. My truck was barely a year old. I hadn’t even had sex in it yet. If Tripp had beaten me to it, it was sad as hell .
Riley put enough distance between us that I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them we’d cuddled last night. After slipping on her Uggs, she combed her fingers through her long hair then settled her beanie back in place.
I tried buying time by slowly pulling my shoes on, though even once they were in place I still didn’t know what to say. Turns out Riley didn’t either. She rubbed at her arms. I shifted from foot to foot. She lowered her gaze to the ground. I scuffed the gravel with my sneaker.
After an uncomfortable amount of silence, she finally cleared her throat. “Last night doesn’t change anything.”
“I didn’t expect it to.”
She nodded curtly before stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets and walking away.