Chapter 6
One of the reasons Riley had been leaving right after dinner each night was to try to keep herself from falling so hard and fast for Porter.
But it was obvious that hadn’t helped. The man was lethal.
Good-looking, considerate, and an amazingly good father, even if he’d been thrown into it unexpectedly.
She’d intended to entertain Logan for an hour or so until his uncle came home, then leave them to their frozen-food dinner.
Of course, that’s not how things turned out.
Her face was still throbbing and the memory of the immediate pain that had bloomed in her cheek as the baseball hit her was still very fresh in her mind.
She’d been appalled that Logan had been so scared of being disciplined for something that had been an accident.
But she had to admit that Porter had done an amazing job of soothing his nephew, of reassuring him that he’d never hit him.
Then when he’d told her the same thing, Riley was a goner. She knew he was partially referring to Miles with his declaration, and while that embarrassed her, she decided to focus on the meaning behind his words rather than shame for her past decisions.
Riley always seemed to fall hard and fast for men. She tried to curb her enthusiasm when she began dating someone, but she tended to want to see the good in people. And she was lonely. But after Miles, easily her worst boyfriend yet, she’d been determined to be on her own for a while.
Of course, that was before Porter stormed into her life with his adorable nephew.
Now he wanted to take her out. She hadn’t even hesitated to agree. He was unlike anyone she’d ever dated, in all the good ways.
And spending time with Logan was fun too.
The boy was smart, and every day she learned something new about him.
As she sat on the couch and listened to Porter and Logan talk about the best way to make an ice pack and what would be the most comfortable for her, she smiled, only wincing slightly at the pain it caused.
Her phone buzzed with a text, and Riley frowned as she read it.
Miles had been a pain in her ass ever since she’d kicked him out.
At first he was full of apologies and saying he was sorry, but that had morphed into him calling her all sorts of names for ignoring him and cussing her out over text.
She’d hoped he’d get the message that they were well and truly done, but he wouldn’t stop harassing her.
Riley had searched her apartment from top to bottom and put everything she’d thought was his in a box and placed it in the mail room.
She’d told Miles what she’d done and told him to come and get it before someone stole it.
She’d noticed the next day that the box was gone, but Miles hadn’t stopped texting and calling.
Now he was saying that she hadn’t given him back everything, that he wanted to come over and find his shit himself. Which wasn’t happening. Riley wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t going to let him back into her apartment. He’d try to claim stuff that wasn’t his and probably rob her blind.
She knew Porter would help her if she asked, but she was too embarrassed to involve him. Miles would definitely say lots of horrible shit if he saw Porter helping her, and she’d die of mortification, even if Porter didn’t believe anything Miles said.
She could handle Miles on her own. He’d get tired of harassing her sooner or later, she just had to wait him out.
She ignored the text, just as she had most of his others.
The differences between her ex and Porter were night and day. She tried to imagine what Miles would’ve done if he’d seen her get hit in the face by a baseball, and decided he’d probably laugh and tell her she should’ve ducked.
Remembering the fear and concern in Porter’s tone and touch as he’d knelt next to her on the ground made Riley close her eyes briefly to stem her emotions.
It had been a very long time since someone had been so concerned about her well-being.
Her parents had loved her in their own way, but they’d never been very touchy-feely.
They were too busy getting drunk or trying to defend their parenting skills to the authorities to bother doing something as common as hug her.
“Here’s some water, Riley,” Logan said as he very carefully handed her a glass.
“Thanks, Logan. I appreciate it.”
He stood there staring at her.
“What?”
“Oz told me to make sure you took the pills and didn’t try to pretend you were all good.”
Riley chuckled. It seemed Porter knew her pretty well already.
She didn’t like taking any kind of drug, even if it was just Aleve.
But she didn’t want to worry Logan more than he already was, so she opened the bottle and shook out two pills.
She put them in her mouth and washed them down with the water.
“Good girl,” Porter said from her right.
God, that sounded amazing.
Riley needed to get herself together.
“We put ice in a bag, then wrapped it up with a pillowcase. A towel is too thick so you won’t feel the cold so well, and paper towels get wet and soggy.
Oz suggested the pillowcase. If it gets too wet, just let me know and I’ll get a new one.
” Logan’s tone was full of both concern and excitement.
It was obvious he was worried about her, and still remorseful.
Riley reached for the ice pack. “Thank you for taking such good care of me,” she told the boy.
“We’re making chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, and cheese sticks for dinner,” he informed her.
Riley already knew that, but nodded anyway. “Sounds good.”
“I’ve never had pizza rolls before,” Logan admitted.
“You’re gonna like them,” Riley assured him.
She had no idea if he would or not, but she wasn’t going to say anything to discourage him.
She’d found out over the last week and a half that Logan was pretty guarded, but when he tried something new, especially food, he was usually pleasantly surprised.
Porter lifted his hand to scratch his face, and Riley noticed that Logan visibly startled, scooting out of the way of his uncle’s arm.
Porter saw his reaction too, but he didn’t say anything.
It was still going to take some time for Logan to trust that when his uncle said he wouldn’t hit him, he was telling the truth.
Riley wasn’t surprised. She’d had a very hard time trusting people for a long while after she’d moved away from home.
She’d believed her parents when they said they were going to try harder.
That she wouldn’t be taken away again. And time and time again, they’d lied, fallen back into their old behaviors of drinking too much and neglecting her.
She’d trusted the wrong people in her early twenties, and even now that she was twenty-eight, she’d still trusted Miles when he said he was going to get a job.
But somehow, she knew Porter was telling the truth when he’d told her and Logan he wouldn’t hurt them. He oozed goodness from every pore, and it was refreshing.
It would take a few rounds in the air fryer for all the food to be cooked, and after asking permission, Logan wandered off to his room to wait. That left Riley and Porter alone in the living room.
“Does it still hurt?” Porter asked as he perched on the edge of the couch next to her.
“Just a little,” Riley said.
“I know the ice is probably uncomfortable, but keep it on your face as long as possible. It’ll help with the swelling, and hopefully it’ll make the black eye you’ll probably have not as dark.”
“Okay.”
Porter looked down at his lap then. “He was so scared.”
Riley knew exactly who Porter was talking about. “He was,” she agreed.
“He thought I was going to beat him,” Porter whispered.
Riley nodded.
“I mean, I’m not an idiot, I know that happens all over the world.
But I hate that he learned that in my sister’s home.
Becky tried to protect me from our dad, but it never worked, he’d just smack her around, then start on me.
I begged her to stay out of his way when he got into one of his moods.
We had some long talks about how when we grew up, we’d never let anyone treat us like that again.
I can’t believe she hooked up with men who were just like our dad.
And to let them hit her kid?” Porter shook his head. “It makes me so sad.”
Riley reached out with her free hand and put it on Porter’s thigh.
It wasn’t a sexual touch; she wanted to comfort him.
“You can’t blame your sister. Drugs are horrible, but once someone is hooked, it’s so hard to get off them.
And nothing matters, not eating, not doing what they need to be safe, and, unfortunately, not any children they might have.
And a lot of people are dishonest. Becky could’ve started dating a man who she thought would help her kick her habit, or who would treat her and her son kindly, but then found out he wasn’t anything like she’d thought.
And once in an abusive relationship, especially if someone is hooked on drugs, it’s not that easy to get out. Cut her some slack, Porter.”
He took a deep breath and covered her hand with his own. “I’m guessing you’re talking from experience, which I also hate.”
“Things with Miles didn’t get that far. And you’re right, I’ve been in an abusive relationship in my past, and one of the hardest things I’ve ever done was finally ending it and getting away. I swore I’d never date anyone like that again…then I met Miles, and we both know how that turned out.”
“But you kicked him out before things went too far,” Porter said.
“Yeah. But I don’t have a kid. And if I did, and if I’d lived with Miles, it wouldn’t have been as easy to simply leave,” Riley argued, still wanting to make her point.