Girl in a Hoodie: Where the Future Lies

Chapter 70

A/N: I'm procrastinating by not doing revision and spam-writing chapters for this story instead. Help!😭

James's POV:

Back at Mum's house, a celebration party was being held there, considering her house was much larger than Aunt Karla's and Mum would be doing the cooking anyway. It was relatively loud with music playing from the speakers, over the top of everyone's voices and children running about. Almost every room downstairs was occupied, including the garden. Riley smiled and spoke up each time one of my family members walked over to talk to us (or mainly just her) but she still looked a bit misplaced and uncomfortable. I don't blame her.

"Do you want to get some space?" I ask her, placing my hand on her back as she held Ellie attentively in her arms. "We can go for a short walk to the shops if you'd like? Or upstairs to my old bedroom?" I suggest. 

"We can go to the shop. We need to get some more toiletries from there anyway. Your mum said that we can leave here by six, though," she tells me. 

"Okay, let's go for a brief walk, then we can come back and eat, hang around for a bit and then go back home. If you're tired though, we don't have to wait around, you know." She nods and stands up off the sofa before I wrap my arm around her waist and she grabs her handbag from off the floor whilst we walk towards the door. 

Aunt Kathy stops us before we leave, asking where we were going and why but Riley answers her politely, telling her a little lie by saying she needed to feed Ellie but didn't want to do it around everyone. My aunt believes it, though, and lets us go without another complaint. As soon as I close the front door behind me, the sound of the upbeat music could still be heard through the door and windows. Ri seemed a tad bit annoyed by it and I'm guessing it's because she's not used to such big occasions but she doesn't comment on it, just stays close to me.

"Can we get El's pushchair from out of the car, please? My arms ache," she says.

"Yeah, course." I reach into the back pocket of my trousers before bringing out the car keys and I unlock it, walking over to the back whilst Riley stood on the side of the pavement. I take the folded pushchair out and then set it on the ground before unfolding it and then Riley adjusts it, smoothing down all the creases to slowly put Ellie in afterwards. 

"Thanks," she tells me. I smile and push the buggy for her after locking the car, knowing she clearly couldn't be bothered to right now. She seemed groggier than usual, more tired and lousy. 

"You okay?" I ask, linking one hand with hers.

"Exhausted," she says, rolling her eyes playfully. "I couldn't really sleep last night either. I spent most of it thinking about... you know," she mumbles. I sigh, nodding to her response. 

"I could tell. You were fidgeting and I think you even had a nightmare because of it. You were breathing heavily and were gripping onto me rather tightly. You wouldn't wake up either though, so I just cuddled you instead," I say.

"Do you find it annoying?" she asks, looking at me as we walked. "How I'm always stressed or worried or upset about something? I hate to think I'm bothering you and I want to stop being so angry and anxious all the time but I don't know how." She seemed sad and disheartened. And her words dragged on slightly, like it was something she had been contemplating for a long time now.

"I don't, Ri," I tell her.

"Not even a little bit?" she persists. "You must do. I'd find it annoying if someone was constantly whining in my ear all the time about their life. How could you not find that irritating? Sometimes, I even get bothered by it myself and I'm the one who can't seem to stop."