Three's a crowd

9

"So first of all let's start by you telling me what you guys have actually done, not what the rest of this crazy family thinks you've done." She smiled.

"So you caught that they think we've already, you know.." I began "had sex" I whispered as if everyone could hear me.

"Yeah I did, but I also noticed how you blush whenever it gets brought up so I know that it's far from the truth. So spill." She smiled.

It was oddly comforting telling her about last night and how that was the first time we had ever been together semi clothed in an intimate way.

I could tell by her face that she wasn't judging me, just listening contently as I explained how I was worried about things changing between us when we did do it for the first time, and how I was scared that college would break us apart.

"Can I ask you something?" She said when I finished speaking.
"Yeah."
"Why are you putting so much pressure on yourself to have the perfect relationship right now? I mean I can see how much you both really love each other, but high school has enough pressure without you adding more to it."

I thought about it for a second and answered her as honestly as I could.

"I guess it's not that I want the perfect relationship, I mean I do want that. My parents both met in high school and look at them. They are still very happy and they have all these cool stories about stuff they did when they were younger. I just, well I guess I want to have that with Riley." I admitted.

"It's just I've also watched all my friends get dumped after they gave up their virginity, and even Averleigh said that most high school relationships don't last through college, especially when you go to different schools."

"Okay?" She smiled motioning for me to continue.

"I guess I just figured that if we waited it wouldn't be so hard if he ends things, or that if we didn't do it he would have a reason to stay." I sighed, even as I said the words I realized how silly they sounded.

"I see, can I offer you some advice?" She spoke softly.
"Yeah." I replied.

"It's clear that you love Riley and if last night is anything to go by I would say that he loves you too. I don't think Riley is suddenly going to stop loving you because you give him a special part of you." She said as I listened intently.

"I'm not saying that you shouldn't be careful who you give yourself too, because sex, especially the first time is a big deal. What I am saying is that you shouldn't be afraid to do it if it feels right to you. No one can tell you when the right time for you is, that comes from you and your trust in another person. Sometimes we trust the wrong people, like me or your friends and we have to keep looking for the right person, and sometimes we trust the right person like your parents. There is no right or wrong, it's all about your feelings."

I mulled over her words for a second before she spoke again.

"Let me ask you this, do you trust Riley?" She asked.
"Yeah, of course."
"Do you think he would ever hurt you?"
"No, at least not on purpose." I smiled, knowing that she had made me understand my own feelings. "Thanks Allie!" I smiled

We spent the next few hours talking about different things. She explained her first time was with a teacher, how he was married and subsequently left once dad found out about it.

We talked about how secrets can break a relationship apart quicker than any truth could, how Luke almost left Allie when he found out about her high school dating life.

Then just as the conversation was getting steamier in its details, the front door clicked and the voices of the rest of the grown ups echoed through the house.

"Shh I've been asleep this whole time!" Allie winked at me before closing her eyes.

That was the moment Luke popped his head in and asked how she was.

"Erm she's okay, just sleeping." I said.
"Oh okay, thanks for keeping an eye on her Britt." Luke smiled hugging me as I went to leave. "You're a great person and Riley is lucky to have you."

"Thanks uncle Luke." I hugged him back before going back to my room to nap.

I climbed into the oversized bed, not bothering to change out of my clothes and pulled the covers over my shoulders.

As I laid there I found myself clinging to Riley's pillow, his scent filling my senses with nothing but fond memories.

Of course we had endured our fair share of arguments, but it was never over anything too serious and we always worked it out in the end.

Looking back I think one of the biggest arguments we ever had was over him forgetting one of our private date nights, where we ended up having to hangout with a group of his football friends.

It wasn't that I disliked his friends, but talking about sports was all they did aside from shamelessly flirt with girls and I personally found it awkward, especially since I was his girlfriend and he would often agree with his friends on which girls were cute.

What really set me off that night was when the under dressed waitress leaned over the table, flashing her oversized breasts so there was nothing left to the imagination and then proceeded to flirt with Riley.

Of course I was used to girls flirting with him, but usually he would brush them off. This night it was like his brain forgot to function as his eyes wandered down from her face.

I promptly got up from the table and left, walking halfway home before he finally caught up to me. I kept walking in silence as he apologized over and over again.

When we eventually got to my driveway I finally let him have it as the tears fell from my face. It happened to be that time of the month which only made me more sensitive.

He had reached out to grab my hand when I jerked it back and screamed at him.

"Do you even care Riley? Of course not. All you cared about was the giant boobs in front of your face. If I'm not enough for you just tell me!"

"Britt don't be stupid, of course you're enough." He said pulling me into his arms as I cried. "You're all I'll ever need. I'm sorry. I was wrong and it was stupid but you're all I want, the only one I want." He soothed me.

When I finally lifted my face he wiped the tears from my cheeks and kissed my forehead.
"You're the only girl for me Britt and no amount of big boob betty's will ever change that."

"Big boob betty's" I sniffled a laugh raising my eyebrows at him.

"Yeah, that was her name. I know it looked like I was staring at her boobs, but I was honestly just trying to get her name tag so I could complain about her pushing those things in my face. It put me off my food." He smiled.

He reached down to brush a loose strand of hair from my face as I leaned into his hand.

"I'm sorry if it looked like I was staring at her." He apologized.
"I'm sorry for overreacting." I smiled up at him before leaning up to kiss him briefly. "Well I should get inside, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow, goodnight Britt." He smiled.
"Night Riles." I smiled before walking inside.

Of course he called me when he got home and we sat on the phone as if the whole thing had never happened.

In some ways we were more mature in the way we handled our arguments than a lot of our friends, but in others like the more intimate parts, we were behind.

At the time we didn't care though, we had each other and that's all that mattered. Now? Now it was like the elephant in the room that neither of us knew how to approach, so we settled with waiting for the right time.

The funny thing with time is that it keeps moving, ticking forward steadily. It doesn't wait for you to keep up, it just moves forward constantly as days turn to months and months turn to years.

This summer would continue to pass by, then senior year, and college until we were adults with jobs and lives.

I had decided that I would soak up as much of this time with Riley as I could. I knew what I wanted for our future, but until then I would take what I could.

For me Riley was my future. I just hoped that I was his too.