Chapter 48 Riley
Riley
“Honey, what’s going on?” My mom peeked out one of the windows before making her way back over to the couch. Even when she sat back down, she looked over her shoulder again.
“Mom, it’s, uhm, fine. Please focus.” I ran my hands down my braids, feeling anxious myself.
“Fine doesn’t cut it Riley. You go from letting me in on things to having your friends try to explain different vital pieces of information. I know you don’t have to tell me things, you can do what you want, but I thought after everything we had a better understanding.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “We do, Mom.”
“And you’re pulling up to this house in a car I’ve never seen. Riley, if you sit here and confirm what Grayson told me...”
My mouth formed into an O and my mom let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh god, it’s true isn’t it?”
I fiddled with a string on my jeans. “Um, that car out there belongs to Chancellor Fowler.”
She nearly choked on air, clutching at the fabric of the couch. “Riley!”
I held up my hands in defense. “He didn’t kidnap me, okay? I’m trying to fix things, Mom. I’m staying with him to make things smoother for when this all ends.”
“All ends? That’s very ominous and I don’t like it. You spend all this time trying to separate yourself from the man and then this happens.”
I sighed. “I’m not spending the rest of my college career tiptoeing around him. He started this whole thing with dad and it will end with me. That’s that.”
She touched the end of one of my braids, letting the hair fall through her fingers. “Always so determined. Just like your dad. That man was obsessed with making things better, but unlike you, he wasn’t giving me heart attacks while doing it.”
I winced. “Sorry. I would have preferred not to have such a colorful family history.”
She huffed, leaning back on the couch. “I do too. I would have preferred that you had not seen so much blood and death in such a short amount of time. You don’t belong in a bubble, but no one deserves to go through the things you did.”
I pressed my lips together. “Even though you said it a million times on the phone, you don’t think I’m like him, right? What I did to Teresa, to Geena, and how easy it was. How there are things I regret, but there are also things I don’t.”
She grabbed my body and pulled me in closer to her, so that I could snuggle against her chest. “Honey, I think you are nothing like him. I can tell you how much of a good person you are, your friends can say it to your face a million times but unless you believe it yourself, nothing will change. How I see you might matter, but how you see yourself is something I can’t help you with.
” She kissed the top of my head. “Erik always let other people try to tell him who he was and I don’t think he ever got over it, so he embraced it.
You are stronger than him because I think you know exactly who you are, Riley. ”
“I love you, Mom. And in all honesty, I’m scared.”
“It’s not too late to change your mind and just move back in here.”
I laughed a little. “Pretty sure it is, but keep the offer open just in case things don’t work out with the guys.”
She planted more kisses on the top of my head. “How’s River?”
I pressed my head further into her chest. “I’m waiting for Asher’s message with an update. He was stable with a lot of broken things when I last saw him.”
My mom rocked me back and forth. “Well maybe you can go and see—”
“I already asked. Apparently, I should have asked to see River and not you. It was one or the other. I wasn’t aware that was how it worked, but apparently, he makes the rules up as he goes.”
She hummed. “I’ll go to the hospital and see him. I know Asher still has a job and whatever is going on with their father…” She squinted at me. “Don’t tell me about because I’m already full on information for now.”
“Okay, okay. Thanks, Mom.”
“Well, you can tell me if there is something I should be made aware of when it comes to Professor St. James.” She leaned back, letting me lift my head up.
I dropped my eyes down to the couch when I pulled away from her.
“I think that’s a conversation for a different time.
” I was happy for the reprieve from Chancellor Fowler talk, but I really wasn’t interested in getting into this.
Talking about my relationship with Asher would cause me to, more than likely, dive into my relationship with Grayson.
My mom was cool enough, but I wasn’t sure she was that cool.
“How about I get some food in you then?” She eyed me suspiciously, kissing my cheek and getting off the couch.
I got up and went over to the window, seeing the car that had brought me here still settled in its parking spot outside the house. My phone buzzed and I checked the screen. It was a text from Asher.
ASHER
He’s awake. Grayson’s heading here now.
Surprisingly attached to the text was a picture. It was of Asher and River.
We would be okay. Just a little longer.