Jiley Oneshots

Cards on the Table [f]

Requested by jileyswriting
Season 2 ~ after the breakup

"Is this a good spot to dump our stuff?" Amanda suggested, looking around the crowded beach through squinted eyes. She pulled out her sunglasses and pushed them up her nose. A murmur of voices said yes and the large group set their bags down on the hot sand. The girls lay their towels down in a cluster and all began stripping to their bikinis which were under their outfits. A couple metres away the boys did the same, removing their street clothing to reveal their muscular torsos and swimming trunks.

"Hey Riley, James is staring at you" Giselle observed, subtly watching as the breakdancer eyed his ex-girlfriend longingly. Her short, brown hair was blowing in the wind as it was too short to be tied back and she kept tucking it behind her ears. She wore a baby pink bikini that left little to the imagination, especially for James who had seen her naked in the past so knew exactly what was being hidden beneath the fabric. He let out a heavy breath and dragged his eyes away from her perfect body.

Seeing your ex after a breakup was never easy, especially when you were still infatuated with them. It definitely didn't help that they shared a group of friends and were forced to spend time together. Part of him hoped she was watching him as longingly as he'd been looking at her. It had been a while since she'd seen him shirtless, did she still think he was hot? She used to tell him he was irresistible but it'd been a while since he'd heard that come out of her mouth.

He heard the gaggle of girls giggling and whispering about something but brushed it off, only praying that Riley was confessing her lingering feelings for him. What if seeing him topless was all it took for her to scrap the list and take him back? He knew it was wishful thinking. Riley was stubborn. Or rather, she had standards and self-respect. He respected that.

"No he's not" Riley dismissed in denial, refusing to look behind her and check if her ex-boyfriend really was staring at her. Her friends giggled.
"Seriously girl, his tongue might hit the floor if he's not careful" Thalia convinced her. "He's practically drooling over you"
"Look at him like a little lost puppy" Emily commented, somewhat comically.
"Would you keep your voice down?" The short brunette begged the group, "I don't want the guys to hear us"

"How far is he into that list of yours?" Amanda asked with intrigue. "He seems to be taking it seriously"
"Uh, he's done a couple. He's got a while to go though and he's running out of time to do number 7 before nationals. He's at least got as far as applying for a passport and signing up for scuba diving lessons but he hasn't even been to the doctors about getting malaria pills yet" she shrugged, pulling a sun hat over her head.

"I honestly can't believe you've got him to do all that" Chloe laughed. "He must really like you girl"
Riley gave a sad smile, thinking of the day James told her he loved her. He'd only ever said it once and she hadn't said it back.

"Riley please, you have to understand that with Beth there was never anything, it's always been you. I love you" he begged on his knees, looking up at her with pleading hers. Her own eyes glistened with tears and she tried to hide the fact that her heart was racing inside her ribs. She replayed his words in her head. 'I love you'. That was certainly knew.

"Hypothetically if he finishes the list, would you actually get back with him?" Emily asked.
Her sister nodded, "yeah, I would. I made a promise and I keep them. Plus this list gives him every chance to back out so if he completes it then I know he's genuine. I haven't made it easy for him"

She lay back on her towel and closed her eyes, resting one ankle over the other on her outstretched legs. It was true, she felt her ex's eyes watching her but chose to ignore him for the moment. Let him stare and realise what he lost.