Finding Paris - (gxg)

Chapter 14

To some extent the glare on both Alessia and Riley's faces deeply frightened Paris. They had been caught in a position that anyone could misinterpret and Alessia being aware that her best friend and her sister had not so long ago slept together made it worse.

So she had to be careful with her next words.

"I know this looks bad but-" she didn't get to finish her sentence as Alessia started going off on her older sister.

"I can't believe you Cassidy! Again? I told you to stay away from Paris." Alessia pulled Cassie from her.

"Excuse me, again?" Riley interjected.

"It's nothing darling, my little sister tends to over exaggerate just like right now," Cassidy addressed the scowling American girl.

"Who are you?" Riley asked to the blonde.

"My sister," Alessia answered for Cassidy.

"Like I remember or care about who you are." Was Riley's rude answer and that was Paris cue to get her out of there before she offended Alessia more - because lord knows if she does she wouldn't find it in herself to defend her.

Paris grabbed her ex by the arm and dragged her away. "Time to go, talk to you later Al!" She didn't stay to hear Alessia's reply or what she could be saying to her older sister but she can imagine that is nothing nice.

Neither Paris or Riley spoke until she had dragged her all the way to the closest park and sat them both in a bench. Well they didn't speak because Paris didn't let the shorter girl, she was pissed at Riley's attitude and she didn't want to go off on her in front of strangers - so seeing the snow covered park was lonely in this moment she thought it was the perfect place for them to talk.

"You didn't have to be bitch to Alessia." Paris spoke up first making Riley open her mouth to say something back but she couldn't as the french girl continued. "You came to me and gave me a long speach on how you were trying to be better and yet all I saw was the same bitterness in you that when we broke up."

"Are you really going to make such a big deal out of that? I can go and apologize if that's what you want."

"That's exactly the problem! You shouldn't apologize because it makes me upset," Paris sighed and rubbed her temple in aggravation. "Riley I know I'm not one to call you out on that because God knows I wasn't that much different from you. But that's not someone I want to keep being and to be with you again it means I will eventually fall into that toxic cycle - me as well as you. We are toxic to each other Riles and that's why we can never be together again. We bring out the worst in the other."

There was a tense silence in between the two girls for a while, you could only hear the distant sound of the cars that passed by. Riley wasn't looking at her, her gaze focused on the now snow covered grass.

"This is about what happened with Megan as well, isn't it?" Riley's voice was almost a whisper

Paris shook her head. She hasn't thought about the redheaded girl her ex-girlfriend had been after during the last of their relationship in a while; maybe since the day she left Los Angeles - she couldn't remember exactly when. "When I found out you did that, you broke my heart and trust Riley... but I should've seen it coming as well, maybe I did and that's why it didn't shock me so much."

"No, no you shouldn't have seen it coming Paris. I was your girlfriend you shouldn't have had to expect me to cheat at some point, that was my fault not yours and not even Megan's - she wanted me to leave her alone from the start." When Riley saw the girl she used to think as her whole world cry again because of her it cracked her heart even more than it already had.

Paris hadn't notice she had started crying until Riley tenderly wiped the tears off her cheek. She couldn't help but let herself melt in the warm familiar touch of her ex-lover. "I love you Riley, I do. But I can't be with you again. I'm sorry."

Riley just brought her into a hug and let her cry on her chest as she let out tears of her own. "I know, I love you Paris, I always will but I understand now and I'm sorry too."

In that moment Paris felt as if a weight that she has being carrying for some time had finally been lifted off her. It was closure, the closure she knew needed all along but was too scared of because she didn't want to confront her ex-girlfriend or the fact that her relationship had terribly failed.

Now she had come to the realization of what she has to do next and that is stop running from her problems - problems she created. To be able to move on Paris needed to confront the people she had wronged.

"I'll get out of your hair and go back to LA tomorrow." Riley mumbled after a while - they remained in the same position.

Paris looked up to the beautiful asian girl that held her, "Tomorrow is Christmas," she said matter-of-fact. Paris knew Riley, they always spent the holidays in Bordeaux with her family because Riley's was always occupied or didn't care enough to celebrate with their daughter. She knew Riley would be alone and she didn't want her to - she probably had been the prior year.

"It's fine."

The model shook her head and moved to look at the other girl face to face. "Stay please, I want you here, I don't want you alone."

"Are you sure?" Riley asked hesitantly - this past year she has accustomed to be unwanted everywhere she went. Even with Summer and Tyler.

"If I wasn't I wouldn't be asking you, you know me Riles." Paris said softly, all resentment that she had towards her ex was finally gone. She had taken the last step to move on and now she only wanted to be there for Riley as a friend because Paris knew well the other girl needed one right now.

"Okay," Riley said quietly - almost shyly.

"After new year I'll go back to Los Angeles," the statement seemed to have shocked Riley as she looked at her with her brown eyes widen.

"You will?" She questioned the frenchwoman.

"Yes, I have to face her again." By the understanding look on Riley's face she knew exactly who she was talking about. "So would you wait and come back with me?"

"You know I will," Riley smiled and got one in return. "I have to go back to the hotel to change my clothes," she blurted out.

"Then let's go pick your things up because you're staying with me." Paris announced and pulled the other girl up from the bench with her.

"I am?"

"Yes so let's go," Paris then stopped midway and turned back to the shorter girl. "However, I do need you not to be rude to Alessia. I won't tolerate that, she's my friend."

Riley pursed her lips and studied her for a second until she ultimately nodded, "I won't be, sorry," she apologized. Paris squeezed her hand and they walked out of the park together.

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