A Tattered Love (16 page)

I looked at my cell phone as it lit up—and I had an incoming call. It was Dustin.

I debated whether to answer it, but since it was so late at night, I thought something might be wrong.

I answered, “Hello?”

“Riley, I need to talk to you.” He sounded exasperated and anxious.

I looked at the clock once more—one in the morning. I really didn’t understand what would be so urgent that he needed to talk to me at that very minute.

“Dustin, it’s one in the morning,” I reminded him, hoping that maybe he hadn’t realized the time.

“I know. It's important. Can I come over?”

“Are you ok?” I questioned the concern etched in his voice.

“I’m making things right, Riley. Please, just let me come over.”

“Ok.” I surrendered.

“Be there in fifteen minutes.”

I looked at the clock and hoped I wouldn’t fall back to sleep before he got there. He was making things right? I told him there was nothing he could do to make things right. What was done was done. Nothing could change our pasts.

I rested my head on my pillow and before I knew it, there was a knocking at my door, which made Cooper bark.

I got up and headed over to the door wearing nothing but a blue tank top and blue plaid short shorts. Cooper walked by my side in protective mode making sure the visitor was welcomed.

I looked through the peephole and let Dustin in. He immediately swept me up in his arms and squeezed me tight.

“Dustin, I can’t breathe, hon.”

“Sorry.” He pulled away from me and looked deep in my eyes. “I made things right, Riley.”

I looked at him confused and backed my way into the apartment heading into the living room area as I took a seat on the sofa.

“What do you mean?” I asked looking at the rough expression on his face.

“I spoke to my parents. They aren’t going to fire you. You can stay at the pub.”

“I can’t do that, Dustin.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t trust your mother’s words. I just can’t. I respect the fact you tried for me, but I need to move on.”

He looked at me disappointed and confused. I knew that what I was doing was the right thing. I didn’t need anybody to fix my mistakes. I should have known better than to sleep with the boss’s son.

“Riley, I did this so you would have a job. I don’t want you jobless because of my stupid pathetic family.”

I looked at him and took his hands into mine pressing firmly together. “I love that you’re trying, but I need to do this. Your family may have caused me to make the decision, but my family is what caused the situation. It’s not just your mess, but it’s mine too. I need to do this for myself. As I said, I’m not making any money anymore. I can’t depend on my customers to change their mind about me just because you spoke to your mom.”

He looked speechless. I’m sure he didn’t expect me to tell him that I wasn’t going to stay at Eddie’s Seaside Pub. Nothing was going to change my mind, though. I couldn’t work there anymore. I needed to be on my own, low key, away from that mess. I was even thinking I might move away from this town, but I wasn’t sure I needed to be that drastic.

“I miss you. Can we please put this stupid gala behind us?” He looked miserable. He really looked like he was about to cry. I had never seen Dustin in this shape before. Not only did he look rough wearing sweats and a t-shirt with his hair a mess, he looked depressed.

I didn’t know what to say to him. I stood there staring at him, and every time I started to say something, I stopped myself before I did. I couldn’t come up with the right answer. Maybe there was no right answer.

“I miss you, too. It’s more than the gala, Dustin. Everyone’s got skeletons in their closet, and we’ve got a ton of issues to work through that we’ll have to learn to accept.” I was honest.

It was true that it wasn’t the gala that bothered us the most. It was the fact that we both had learned something about each other that we expected we would only hear from one another, and not a third party. I didn’t want Dustin to find out that way, and I know he didn’t want me to find out about his daughter that way. We both had a feeling that if we told our secret, the other one would have bolted out the door running. Now we were both in the same room trying to win each other back. We both missed each other, and we both wanted to move past what had happened. Obviously, the ugly truth we learned wasn’t too ugly if we’re both still interested in each other. Maybe it was truly meant to be. I think I could get used to having a little girl running around. Never thought of myself as a stepmom, but who knows. I was already thinking ahead that I was going to marry this man. That should have been telling me something.

“I don’t care that you had a rough past, I care about our future, and what that holds. If I cared about your past, baby, I wouldn’t have run after you at the gala when you left in the first place. I didn’t care what my mother had to say, I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”

Dustin

I had been giving Riley some space again. We had decided we would put the night of the gala behind us, and take things slow. She had made it clear that she wanted time to herself before we would make any official moves. I agreed that maybe we both needed it. Unfortunately, though, things never had moved slowly with us. We were just fast paced. The slowness ended in one day, and then from there on out, Riley and I were together every night, although we had decided not to be intimate for now.

I haven’t spoken with my parents since I pleaded with them not to fire Riley. I’m sure they were shocked when she actually quit after how much I made them promise me they wouldn’t fire her. Good for Riley, though, I guess. Evan hasn’t really spoken to me either, but I haven’t really made an attempt to talk to him.

I’m stoked because Molly will be coming in town in a couple weeks, and Sabrina agreed to let me see her for a day or so. They had some family function that she was flying in to attend. I couldn’t wait to see my sweet baby girl. I really hope that Sabrina and I could keep our cool, though. I didn’t want to risk losing my time with Molly.

I took Riley out on three more dates. We enjoyed getting to know each other now that we both knew our skeletons were out. There was just one person that I needed to clear things up with so I decided to give in, and give Evan a call. I missed hanging out with the guys

“Yo,” Evan answered on the first ring.

“Hey man, what you up to?” I asked him.

I flicked my pen across the room fidgeting with the things around me.

“Not much man. Abby and I are grilling some dinner.” He covered the phone and asked Abby something. “Want to come by?”

Before I could even spit anything else out, I agreed. I needed my friends, and I needed to get out of the damn apartment.

“Yeah, I’ll be right over.” I agreed.

“All right, dude, see you soon.” Evan ended the call.

I wandered into my bedroom, and put on a pair of black basketball shorts and a red sleeveless t-shirt. I hopped in the Mustang and tore off to Evan’s. I half hoped that Riley would be there, but I figured if she was, that Evan would have told me.

I knocked on the door and stood there waiting for an answer. The door unlocked and opened, and there stood Abby.

“Come on in,” she said as she smiled.

I half hugged her and walked inside the apartment. “Nice to see you, Abby.”

“Hey, man, want a brewski?” Evan looked at me from over by the fridge.

“Sure, I could use one.” I plopped down on the couch and kicked off my shoes.

“So, how you been Dustin?” Abby sat across from me on the other couch tossing a beer back.

“I’m all right. Just working and sleeping mostly. How about you guys?”

Abby looked at me and I could tell it was coming. Evan handed me a beer then headed back in the kitchen preparing dinner. “Have you talked to Riley?”

I’ve practically seen her every day. What are they getting at?

“I have.”

She looked surprised, “You guys are ok now?” She dug for more.

“I’m giving her space. We see each other often, but we haven’t slept with one another. Why, is there something I don’t know?” I showed the concern in my expression.

“Miserable.” Evan chipped in. “Want to help me check the grill, man?” Evan asked and cocked his head to the left to signal he wanted me to follow him.

“Yeah, sure.” I got up off the couch and followed him outside as we stood around the grill with our beers in hand.

“Dude, Riley is miserable. She’s tore up about not having a job. She certainly has fallen for you, though. I’m glad things are working out for the both of you”

I looked at him being as honest as I could be. “I tried to help her in that department, but I understand why she left. I’ve been looking for jobs for her, as well. It’s just a shitty economy right now.” I swigged on my beer.

“Maybe you should go up there after dinner, surprise her, and show her how much you care,” Evan suggested as he flipped the steaks on the grill.

“Maybe I will.”

Abby poked her head out of the patio door. “So, Riley just called wanting to come by, is that cool with you, Dustin?”

I looked at Abby and downed the rest of my beer. “Does she know I’m here?”

“Yeah, I told her you were staying for dinner.”

I nodded and agreed it was ok as long as she knew I was there. I didn’t want to shock her if she truly didn’t want to see me. It actually made me  happy knowing she still wanted to come over knowing that I was there. Maybe she did miss me. Even though it’s only been a few days since I had seen her last.

I saw Riley walk in wearing a pair of black yoga pants and a green John Deere t-shirt that was skintight. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and propped up on top of her head. She didn’t have any make up on and she looked sexier than ever. I just wanted to go over to her and claim her lips, but didn’t think it would be appropriate in front of Evan and Abby.

She cracked a smile at me and a small wave then hurried next to Abby as if she were nervous to see me.

“Someone has got it bad.” Evan chuckled as he sipped his beer. “Go get me another beer, and talk to her since its obvious you can’t keep your eyes off her.”

I rolled my eyes at him, and headed inside. I walked past the girls, and grabbed two beers out of the fridge. I placed them on the counter and walked up to Riley with my arms wide open. I knew I wanted a hug from her, and I was hoping she wanted one in return. She walked right into my arms, and wrapped her arms around my waist. It felt so good to have her hands on me. I was practically sporting wood already.

I whispered in her ear, “Are you ok, sweetheart?”

She pulled me closer and held me tighter. “I’m ok.” She softly spoke.

I placed my hand behind her head and rubbed at her neck trying to keep her in my arms a little longer as I knew she wanted to be there as much as I did.

“I’ll give you guys some space.” Abby beamed at me then Riley, and turned to walk outside to join Evan with the beer I took out from the fridge.

“I miss being with you, Riley.”

She looked up at me and tugged on my shirt as she leaned up and planted her lips to mine. The feeling was surreal, and she held her stance for a few seconds, which felt like minutes. I kissed her back softly parting her lips as I entered my tongue in her mouth, exploring sweet taste. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and grabbed her by the hips and pulled her up to me as she deepened the kiss. She wrapped her legs around me and her hands around the back of my head and kissed me wildly.

I didn’t know whether to take this as a good thing or bad, but I knew I wanted her, and I knew she wanted me, at that point. The sexual tension between us was visible. I loved having her in my arms, and I would do anything to keep her there.

She breathed heavily and continued to kiss me massaging her tongue with mine as I backed against the kitchen wall. We made out like vultures. I wasn’t expecting this right then, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to pass it up.

Just at the absolute wrong moment, my cell phone started going off with a familiar tone that I didn’t really want to hear right then. It was Sabrina.

“Riley, I have to answer this call.” I placed Riley down in front of me and I pulled my cell out of my pocket.

“Hello?”

Riley didn’t look too pleased that I had just answered my cell phone in the midst of what she had been doing to me.

“Riley Miller, who is she?” Sabrina spat in my ear.

I closed my eyes then opened them. I looked at Riley and her innocence, and back at the wall trying to come up with something to say.

“Answer me, Dustin!” She screamed in my ear.