CH 15 - #rollercoaster
Riley
“CHAD ISN’T GOING to let up, so don’t be surprised when he sends you something else,” Macie said.
“I don’t want anything else from him.”
“It’s coming anyway.”
“I hate this.”
“I hate it for you, BFF.”
“I don’t know which pisses me off the most—Chad’s sappy Hallmark card or the two-hundred dollar Starbucks gift card that he stuck inside it. They’re both over the top.”
“What pisses me off the most is him throwing his money at you through that Starbucks gift card. As if he could buy his way back into your good graces.”
“He’s all about his money and flashing it. I just overlooked him being that way because I know how he was raised. It was with very little,” I explained.
“Plenty of folks grow up like that and don’t turn into gigantic assholes.”
“You’re right.”
“Are you going to let the one in Fort Worth know that you received his gifts?”
“Nope. There’s no point.”
“Actually, you could make a very loud and clear point to him.”
“How?”
“Burn his Hallmark card, and I’ll video you while you’re doing it. Afterward, we’ll go to Starbucks and buy every person in the place whichever caffeinated beverage they want. If credit is left on the gift card, give it to someone. Of course, I’ll have to video all that, too, and then I’ll text you both videos so you can forward them to ol’ Chaddy-poo.”
I chuckled. “As tempting as your plan is—um, no. I don’t want to open the door to communication with him.”
“Okie dokie. But if you change your mind, let me know.”
“Not likely to happen.”
“What are you going to do with the two cards?”
“I gave my momma the Starbucks one and told her to treat herself and her favorite school faculty members. Chad’s Hallmark card is in about fifty pieces in the kitchen trashcan.”
“Most excellent.”
“Shifting gears on you… I need to tell you about something else that happened today.”
“Jesus, what now?”
“No, no. It’s a positive thing.”
“Then it must have to do with Rhys.”
“It does,” I said, smiling. “After we ate lunch at Gallagher’s, we kissed in his truck.”
“Not surprised.”
“Well, that wasn’t the only thing we did. We came back to my momma and daddy’s and had sex in my bed.”
“That doesn’t surprise me, either.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I go back to what I told you last Friday about the fire that’s never stopped burning between you and Rhys.”
I sighed. “Well, it became an inferno earlier and consumed both of us.”
“What was it like for you, being with Rhys again?”
“Amazing. I thought we were going to break my bed.”
Macie busted out laughing. “You’re sore, aren’t you?”
“Oh yeah. I’m definitely going to feel Rhys between my legs for a while.”
“You should. He’s hung like a horse, according to you.”
“It’s a delicious fact.”
“So I’m going to ask you a question I asked you the other night. You wouldn’t answer me then, but you should have no problem with doing it now.”
“It’s Rhys. He’s hands down better in bed than Chad,” I admitted.
“What’s lacking in your douchebag ex-fiancé?’
“Besides cock-length and thickness? He lacked stamina. Most of the time, I finished off myself in the bathroom alone.”
“Why didn’t Chad use his hand to do that for you while y’all were in bed?”
“I never asked him.”
“He shouldn’t have to be asked. He should already know what to do to a woman when his cock fails to satisfy her.”
“He wasn’t worried about it, Macie. He was all about getting what he needed. I was an occasional afterthought.
“That is fucking pathetic.”
“I know.”
“How did you put up with that for all those months?”
“I just told myself that there was more to a relationship than sex.”
“Do you still feel that way?”
“No. Being with Rhys again reminded me of how huge a role it plays. But it’s not only the physical aspect of it. It’s the emotional and spiritual connection that you experience, too. I don’t mind telling you that Rhys and I both cried while we were having sex and even afterward. Our reconnection was that powerful and moving.”
“I knew it would be, but hearing you confirm it is…” Macie sighed. “I’m just happy for both of you.”
“Thanks.”
“Are y’all back together now?”
“No, we’re just lovers.”
“ Lovers ?”
“Yes.”
“That reminds me of Romeo and Juliet. For you and Rhys, though, your families want you together.”
“You did not just make that comparison.”
“I kinda did.”
I shook my head. “Good grief.”
“What?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It is not! What you and Rhys have always had together is what the best romance books and movies are made of. You just got sidetracked for a while. I give it a month, and you’ll officially be Rhys’s ‘Juliet’ again.”
“Don’t start with that.”
“Bet me. One month.”
“No.”
“Oh, come on!”
“You’re such a heifer. Do you know that?”
Macie giggled. “I’m your heifer, BFF.”
“Yeah, you are. And moving on… I have one more thing to tell you that’s going to make you scream; then I need to go help my momma with supper.”
“My mind is running wild, imagining what you’re about to say.”
“Rhys and I fell asleep in my bed after we had sex and woke up minutes before my parents were supposed to be home from work. We were like two tornadoes spinning around my bedroom, hurrying to get dressed and get everything straightened back up. We made it to the kitchen table seconds before my momma walked into the house. My daddy had to stay at school for a meeting.”
“That was supposed to make me scream?”
“No. This part. I thought Rhys and I were in the clear, but my momma pulled three feathers out of my hair after he left. They came from my bed pillows.”
“Holy shit! Your sweet momma knows you and Rhys fucked under her roof!”
“Yep,” I chuckled.
“Was she upset?”
“Not in the slightest. She talked to me as a friend would’ve done. I needed her understanding and was relieved to receive it.”
“You have had one heck of a day.”
“You’re telling me. Gotta go. I love you… heifer. ”
“Love you too… Juliet .”
I hung up and thought about Macie comparing Rhys and me to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s ill-fated lovers. How they died was so tragic. How Rhys and I ended was tragic, too. I brought the poison and the dagger to our relationship. Thankfully, they hadn’t completely killed it. I was sure they had, but fate had something else in mind for my high school sweetheart and me.
Wanting to let him know how it went with my momma after he left the house, I pulled up my text thread with him.
Me:I’m going to call you after I eat supper, but I wanted to go ahead and let you know my momma knows we had sex earlier.
Rhys replied by adding exclamation marks to my message.
Me:Don’t worry. She’s fine with it.
Rhys:How did she find out?
Me:Three feathers from my bed pillows were stuck in the back of my hair.
Rhys:I’m sorry I didn’t notice them.
Me:It’s okay. Relax.
Rhys:I won’t be able to look your momma in the eye again.
Me:She and I talked as two women friends would’ve done. She understands.
Rhys:Thank God. Do you think she’s going to tell your daddy about us?
Me:No. She won’t say anything to him.
Rhys:Bury me now.
Me:laughing face emoji
Me:BTW, I picked up my jewelry box on my dresser earlier. Guess what I found when the bottom drawer fell out?
Rhys:???
Me:The two linked hearts silver necklace you gave me.
Rhys:So a ghost didn’t snatch it after all.
Me:Nope. I’m wearing it now. Talk to you later.
“I feel like I’ve gained ten pounds since I came home,” I said, rubbing my stomach.
My momma grinned at me. “You need to put on a little weight, Riley Dawn. You’re too thin.”
“I’ll second that,” my sister added.
I rolled my eyes at them and sighed.
They, my daddy, grandpa, Jackson, and I had just finished eating and were still sitting at the dining room table.
“That was a delicious supper, Katherine. Thank you. No one can fry chicken like you do,” my grandpa told my momma.
“I’ve had a lot of practice. Does anyone have room for dessert? It’s my cherry cheesecake.”
Everyone at the table raised a hand, including me. I couldn’t resist.
My grandpa needed to leave before it got too late to stop by the nursing home to see my grandma. After he told everyone goodbye, I walked him out to his car.
“I’ve missed you,” I said, smiling at him.
“I’ve missed you, too, Riley. I know we spoke on the phone about what happened with Chad, but are you really doing as well as you said? Or were you trying to make your grandpa feel better?”
“I really am doing well. I don’t know if Momma or Daddy told you, but Rhys and I have been spending time together as friends. He’s helping me work through everything I’m feeling about the mess with Chad.”
“Your daddy did tell me about that. I’ll bet Rhys is happy to be spending time with you.”
“I’m certainly happy about it.”
My grandpa tapped my nose with his fingertip. “If you aren’t careful, that friendly situation with him could become more. Unless that’s what you want.”
“I like how things are now. There’s no pressure, drama, or anything. Rhys and I are just having fun.”
My grandpa wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “So you’re leaving on Sunday, right?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being here, though.”
“Cypress Hills is your hometown, and it’s always loved you. Come on back anytime. You might even think about moving back. Your family would be thrilled.”
I chuckled. “My life is in Fort Worth, but I will start paying y’all more visits. I haven’t come home like I should have in the past year because I didn’t want to run into Rhys. I knew it would be hard for both of us if we saw each other—and it was hard when I ran into him outside the grocery store last Friday. But then everything ended up working out.”
“What a blessing.”
“It really is.”
“About you and Chad… Again, I am so sorry. He proved that he wasn’t who we all thought he was.”
“Did you know he sent me flowers?”
My grandpa’s eyebrows pulled together. “No.”
“He also mailed a card to me.”
“How does he know you’re here and not in Fort Worth? You haven’t had any contact with him.”
“My whereabouts weren’t hard for him to figure out. He only needed to drive by my duplex a few times at night or drive by the dental office during the day and not see my car.”
“I didn’t think about that. What will you do when Chad realizes you’re back in the big city and knocks on your front door or comes to where you work? Because he probably will.”
“I’m not sure. I’ll just cross that bridge when I get to it and handle matters accordingly.”
“You still love Chad, don’t you?”
I slowly nodded. “Yes, sir, I do. But I wish I didn’t.”
“Just because someone hurts you, emotionally and physically, doesn’t mean you instantly stop loving them. We fall in love so quickly, but it can take years to fall out. Sometimes, we never do.”