Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Riley
Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge before heading upstairs, I decide to call Ashley to tell her about the eye candy I saw this morning.
The phone rings, and I think it might go to voicemail. Until I hear Ashley catching her breath before yelling, “I miss you so much already.”
“Where were you?” sounds like she was running a marathon.
“Just getting out of the shower. Mom and I are going shopping in a bit; hold on while I put my clothes on.” I hear her giggle. “How are things going with your dad?” she asks.
“Oh, Ash, we finally talked last night, and it was my mom’s fault, not mine. He told me she had cheated on him, and that’s why he left. All these years, he never knew that she blamed me, and he feels terrible about it.”
“He should feel bad; this went on for twelve years! You were just a kid and had to deal with this shit all by yourself.” Ashley sounds pissed.
“I’ll always be grateful that you and your mom have always been there for me. But it would have been nice to experience a parent's love. Now that I know the truth, I need to give my dad a chance.”
“Riley, I’m really sorry. You deserve to be happy more than anyone else I know.”
“Thanks, Ash; I have to shower and get my shit together before Dad gets home, so I’m going to let you go.”
When she ends the call, I feel lonelier than I did before I called her.
I feel so lost that I decide to go for a run. Changing into shorts, a tank top, and running shoes, I tie my hair into a ponytail as I head downstairs. Since I’ve never run on the beach before, I skip taking my AirPods, hoping the sounds of the ocean will calm me down.
Standing by the back gate, I do a few stretches before heading out to run along the beach. The salty air brushes against my face as my feet find a rhythm with the crashing surf. My lungs fill with air with each breath, and it feels exhilarating.
As I slow down, I see the lifeguard tower up ahead, signaling that I’ve gone too far. When I bend over to catch my breath, I realize I forgot to bring a water bottle with me. I’m sure I must be well past the private beach, so I decide to head home anyway. I’m dying of thirst.
But by the time I get home, my tank top is soaked with sweat, so I take off my socks and shoes and dive into the cool ocean.
As I ride the waves, a feeling of déjà vu makes me giggle one minute and burst into tears the next.
A sense of such loneliness consumes me that I can’t catch my breath, so I start to hyperventilate as a wave crashes over me.
Suddenly, I feel strong arms wrap around my waist as I look up to see Hunter staring down at me.
He scoops me up, holding me tightly against his chest while my arms circle around his neck.
When he’s back onshore, he sits down, cradling me in his lap.
I can feel him trembling as he lifts my chin with his fingertips.
“I gotcha; you’re okay now.” He uses the pad of his thumb to wipe away my tears.
“I thought you were drowning,” he whispers.
“I was crying so much I couldn’t catch my breath, and I started hyperventilating.” It feels so good with his arms wrapped around me that I don’t want to move. Then I realize no one has ever held me or comforted me the way Hunter is right now. I feel safe in his lap with his arms secured around me.
“There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” my dad says as he makes his way toward us.
Hunter tenses up at the sound of my father’s voice. When he stands, he helps me to my feet, making sure I’m steady. “Are you all right now?” I nod as he bends down, leaving a kiss on the corner of my mouth.
* * *
Hunter
All I wanted was to go for a swim and then relax in the Jacuzzi with a bottle of beer. I’m fucking twenty-one years old and alone on a Saturday night.
That’s when I see Riley laughing hysterically in the water, and then, in the same moment, this beautiful woman is sobbing uncontrollably.
Without hesitation, I dive in, reaching her just as a wave crashes over her, threatening to drag her under.
When I grab her around the waist and our eyes meet for a brief second, my heart shatters.
I recognize that look well because it’s the same one I see every time I look in the mirror—forsaken.
Suddenly, I feel so furious I want to punch the wall or scream until I lose my voice. I sense my demons closing in again. I need to get out of here immediately. Grabbing the keys to my Jeep, I hurry out the door.
I’m driving without any idea of where I’m going — destination unknown. A bar or any place that requires a shirt and shoes is out of the question because I only have shorts on. Before this, I was heading for a swim, and now I can’t call anyone because I left my damn phone at home.
After driving around aimlessly for about an hour, I decide to go home. I’m thinking the only thing that’s going to help me recover from this night is to get drunk. My only dilemma is whether I should do that before or after the Jacuzzi.
First, I sprint upstairs to grab a six-pack, then head back down to remove the cover and start it up.
As I slip in, I let the heat from the bubbles envelop me before twisting off a cap and tipping it back.
When I feel my body relaxing, I close my eyes, but all I see is Riley’s sad face looking back at me.
Hearing a shuffling noise behind me, I tighten my grip on my bottle as I whirl around. Riley’s standing there, wide-eyed, clutching a towel to her chest. She turns to walk away.
“Hey, there’s plenty of room in here for both of us. I don’t bite.” It sounds more desperate than teasing.
“I couldn’t sleep, and I don’t want to intrude,” she smiles, walking over.
“You’re not intruding; in fact, if you’d like to be alone, I can leave,” I say as I stand up. She places her hand on my arm.
“Please stay; I’ve been alone long enough to last me a lifetime.
” Riley leans back as a sigh escapes her perfect lips before she says, “I wanted to thank you for today, but my dad interrupted us. I was so hot after my run that I jumped in to cool off, but it must have been a shock to my body.” She laughs nervously.
She’s staring straight into my eyes; there’s so much I want to say, but I don’t know her well enough.
She’s only been here for twenty-four hours, and she’s already gotten under my skin.
Her eyes are the darkest blue, like storm clouds rolling in over the ocean.
Her hair is the color of melted chocolate, and she has the face of an angel.
She’s smoking hot, and I’m imagining her body trembling beneath me, screaming my name.
“You’re more than welcome, but let’s not have an encore performance anytime soon.” When I wink, her whole face lights up.
Riley moves closer, her eyes fixed on my chest. “I don’t remember seeing that tattoo earlier; it’s beautiful.” I quickly try to cover it, but she pulls my hand away. “Whoever did this is a true artist. The details are incredible. Who’s Brady, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“When I’m working, I can’t have any tattoos showing, so I use makeup to cover them up.” I’m stalling because I’m not ready to answer her question.
She looks up at me, confused. “Earlier today, your tattoo wasn’t covered?” When I shake my head no, she says, “I must have been really out of it because I never noticed it.”
This is a good time for me to leave. When I stand up, Riley reaches out to grab my arm, trying to stop me. “So you never told me who Brady is.”
“It’s late; I should head out. Do you want me to put the cover back on?” I notice the hurt in her eyes as she looks up at me.
“You can put it on; I’m suddenly tired now.” She stands up abruptly, ready to leave.
Reaching out, I take her hand and gently run my thumb over the inside of her wrist. It feels like silk. “Riley, please don’t be angry. I promise I’ll answer your question, but not tonight. It’s too complicated to discuss right now.”
“I hope you’re not the kind of guy who makes promises he doesn’t keep,” she says, placing her hand on my chest over my tattoo.
I put my hand on top of hers and lean in so that our foreheads touch.
“I never make promises I can't keep; I’m not like other guys.” Why did I say that?
Because I am one of those guys! I bend down and gently brush my lips against hers. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”
When I watch her walk away, I breathe a sigh of relief; it’s only a matter of time before I have to answer all her questions, and I’m already dreading it.
The last thing I want is for her to feel sorry for me; I’ve been on my own for three years.
But there’s a difference between need and want. I want Riley Hamilton.