Three's a crowd

53

Two weeks, a whole two weeks had passed since Riley's grandfather reappeared. Ever since the talk with his parents, the day his grandfather approached me at the park, Riley has been acting weird and avoiding real conversations.

I want to ask him about it, help him with his feelings, but I also know he will talk when he's ready and I shouldn't push him. Still I can tell something is going on and the tension between us is getting too much to handle.

"Riles? Do you think we could go out later?" I asked.

"Why?" He grumbled.

"Why not? We haven't been out in a while and I want to spend time with you," I said.

"I don't really feel like it. Just take Ava." He answered before trying to walk away.

I caught his arm before he passed me and kissed his cheek. "You know I'm here for you right?"

"Britt just stop! I don't want to talk about it, especially to you. I just want you to leave me alone for one fucking day!" He snatched his arm back and walked away.

I took a moment to process his words before grabbing my purse and walking out the house slamming the door behind me. Then I started to run in no particular direction.

He has never acted like this before and I didn't want to say something I would regret, still his words were on a continuous loop in my head. Was I really that bad that he didn't want me to speak to him all day?

I tried to tell myself he was just upset but the more I thought about it the more those words cut deeper, opening a void that I remembered feeling the time I almost lost him for good.

Eventually I found myself running around the park. It was a little after lunch time and we were out of school for the next week until graduation, still I hadn't eaten yet today and my stomach grumbled.

I ran into a nearby cafe and sat down looking at the menu for a few moments before I realized I didn't have my wallet.

"Can I get you anything?" The waiter asked. He was maybe a few years older than me, skinny and was dark skinned with deep brown eyes.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled "I actually forgot my wallet! Can I just get some water please?" I asked.

"Sure!" He smiled kindly.

"Britt?" Kyle said as I turned to see him walking towards me.

"Hey!" I smiled.

"How have you been?" He asked taking in my appearance.

"Fine. I was going to grab food but I left my wallet at the house." I sighed as the waiter brought my water to the table.

"Let me get a burger and whatever she's having." Kyle smiled as I ordered a small salad.

When the waiter disappeared again Kyle reached over to touch my hand before hastily pulling it back.

"I'm sorry. It's just I can tell there's more going on than just forgetting your wallet." He said. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it, but I'm always here to listen."

"Right now all I want is a distraction from my problems, not to talk about them!" I grumbled slouching into the booth.

"I can help with that!" He grinned.

He wasn't lying either, we laughed and talked settling into a familiar comfortable friendzone. It was hard to stay upset around him. He had an aura that just illuminated everything around him, lightened the mood until the problems of the world melted away.