Chapter 2 #2
A group of people enter and I feel the shift in the air.
Conversations die down, almost to a whisper.
Heads turn down, and nobody dares to look at those who walk through the door.
It’s a man, a woman, and what appears to be their son and daughter.
The girl is quiet, but has a smile plastered to her face as she slides into the booth, her dark brown curls bouncing with the motion, and places the paper napkin on her lap.
Their son, who appears older, motions for her to slide further into the booth.
He sports dark brown hair, in a messy, yet perfectly style quaff, and a blank expression.
A chill runs down my spine as my gaze connects with his before he sits down, facing me.
I look away, his gaze too intense to keep looking at him.
This diner is too casual for their outfits.
The dad is wearing a nice pair of chinos, a button down, and an expensive-looking pair of slip-ons, while the mom is wearing a floral a-line dress with flats and pearls.
It’s almost comical to see them sitting on the red plastic bench, with the smell of fried food hanging in the air.
The girl is in a pair of chino shorts with a button down top.
It’s chic as hell, and I’m woman enough to admit I’m jealous of her style, even though I know I don similar looks often.
And then him. He’s wearing dark wash jeans and a black button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows showing off a slew of tattoos.
I’ve never seen so many decorating someone’s skin before, and I hate to admit that heat spreads through me as I squirm in my seat.
Averting my gaze, I look down at my plate and pretend I haven’t seen a thing.
I hear the waitresses talking in hushed tones off to the side until finally one of them says, “fine” and walks to the table.
I watch out of the corner of my eyes at the interaction. They are pleasant and don’t give her a hard time; but she’s not comfortable serving them. Which means the kids probably attend Pointebreak.
“Leah, I think those two might be students.” I keep my voice down so I’m not overheard, and Leah turns to get a better view. Never one to be subtle, she stares head on and I know he’s watching our table with interest.
“Well shit, sign me up,” she says, drinking the guy in. “I’m gonna be jealous as hell if all the men there are that sexy. You’d better get laid, girl.” She takes another bite of a fry and then adds, “heaven knows you need it.”
I scoff, only slightly offended, and shake my head as a smile creeps across my face.
My sex life is nonexistent. And the thought of having it with anyone else seems…
wrong. I gave my V-card to a special boy who I spent a few summers with.
Well, someone I thought was special. Even now, the memories of those two summers are my favorite.
I was thirteen, and he was fifteen when we met.
It was a fluke, but we were fast friends and we spent as much time as we could together.
He is James’s nephew, Rhys. Rhys told me his parents died and James was his guardian, and my dad let him come over to hang out.
That summer, we laughed, snuck sweet treats, and found random hiding spots all over the property.
Days when I couldn’t spend them with Leah, it was a treat for Rhys to be there to hang out with.
But then the school year started again, and Rhys was nowhere to be found.
Which makes sense because James doesn’t live in town, but I remember wishing he would show up again so we could hang out.
Then the following summer, he didn’t show up with James.
He was enrolled in a summer camp. I was heartbroken that year.
I’d sent letters back with James, but they always went unanswered.
So, I gave up, and moved on after a while.
No need to force something that clearly wasn’t supposed to be. Square peg, round hole.
Rhys found his way back, though. I was sixteen, and he was still seventeen, nearly eighteen.
And it’s like he had never left. The simple crush that started when I was thirteen had blossomed into more.
He had filled out in the two years since I had seen him.
No longer a lanky kid, and boy did he fill out a suit nicely.
He came to one of dad’s yearly events—a masquerade.
It’s my favorite party of the year. Everyone shows up in elegant dresses and suits, along with intricately designed masks to shield their identities.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off him that night.
He was my knight, and I felt like a princess.
We danced and laughed like he had never left.
We couldn’t keep our hands off one another.
A stolen kiss in an empty hallway made butterflies erupt in my belly and when he took my hand, leading me away from prying eyes, I went willingly.
I would follow him anywhere. I had dreams he would come back and ask me to be his girlfriend, and that we would be together forever.
A stupid teenage fantasy, but one I clung to when I felt lonely.
That’s how we ended up finding our way into the pool house.
God, I was so inexperienced, but he put me at ease and made me feel so beautiful as he took the last part of my innocence.
It hurt all the more when he disappeared again without a trace.
We had fallen asleep; me sated in his muscular arms, and when I woke from a frantic call from my dad, Rhys was nowhere to be found.
When I asked James how to reach him, he told me to forget about Rhys because he was going to a boarding school.
“Earth to Riley.” Leah waves her hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I hadn’t thought about Rhys in almost a year and now the memories have rolled through my mind like waves in the ocean, never ending.
Some memories hit harder than others, but they always recede back with the change of the subject.
“Yeah, sorry. What were you saying?”
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, but smiles nonetheless, so I know she’s not annoyed. “I’m going to talk to the waitstaff, and then do you want to get out of here?”
“Sounds good.” I take a sip of my coke and feel my face flame when I see Mr. Sexy is looking my way again.
If I get to see him again, maybe the school year won’t be so bad after all.