The Night We Met

Chapter 14

James's POV:

"I've been wanting to do this with you since our first date," I say to my girlfriend as we sit down on the blanket I had laid out on the fields of Riley's university, outside. A few people were out and about, studying in herds on the grass and having study dates, but Riley and I were having our own little, private occasion. As Ri sits opposite me, she crosses her legs one over the other and smiles at me softly.

"What are these, exactly?" she asks me when I pass her the food I had bought and wrapped in cling-film. 

"It's shawarma," I grin. She stares at me blankly.

"Shawarma?"

"Yeah. You heard of it?"

"Heard of it, yes. Have I ever eaten it? No," she laughs. As she does, it only makes me smile when I watch both corners of he lips rise upwards and she smiles back at me softly. Taking a bite into the wrap, I watch as some of the sauce finds its way onto the skin above her upper lip and so reaching over, I brush my thumb over it to get it off.

"You just had some food there, sorry," I chuckle, taking in the surprised look on her face.

"Oh, it's okay. Is it gone?"

"Yeah, it's gone." I look at her for a moment and smile before reaching over to kiss her. I've known this girl for only under two weeks but each minute I spend with her, the more I enjoy getting to know her and the longer it feels like we've known one another. I know there are things she's keeping from me - all it means is that I have to gain her trust and once she has that, I see no future problems for us at all.

"When do you have to get back?" she asks, placing the shawarma aside and looking at me. She places her hand on my knee and allows her eyes to travel down to mine.

"Soon. In about an hour, actually," I respond and she sighs. She keeps her hand placed on my knee and bites her lip.

"Is this going to be a problem for us?" she asks and I raise an eyebrow in confusion. Before I can ask anything, she elaborates. "I mean, us being in different universities, studying different things . . . Don't get me wrong, James, I'm really into you and I want us to work but-"

"-Hey," I cut her off. I place my hand on top of hers for the warmth of her hand to flood into my fingers. "We'll be okay, Ri. We'll see each other as much as possible, just like we are now and we can text and call all the time. Plus, it's only a twenty minute drive from my uni to yours, okay?"

She looks around her in contemplation until her eyes peel back to my own and she nods. "Okay," she says. Then shuffling over to me, she rests her head on my lap and lies on her side for me to comb my fingers through her hair gently. Using my other hand, I massage her waist softly, lightly rubbing my fingers over her hip but it causes her to stir. She places her hand on top of mine and moves it down her body. "Please don't do that," she tells me, sounding alarmed.

"What?"

"Just . . . Just don't touch me like that, okay. Please." Her sentence had a slight beg to it, giving me no choice but to listen. I sigh to myself and move my hand to her arm instead. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," I tell her. She looks up at me and cups my cheek in her hand.

"It's okay. I'm just a bit sensitive there, that's all," she tells me, stroking her thumb over my skin before reaching up to kiss my cheek.

. . .

Riley's POV:

Making my way towards the dorms whilst carrying my books, I feel a tap on my shoulder, causing me to turn around, smiling and thinking it was either James or one of the girls. But instead, I come across Aiden and my eyes narrow. It feels as if I start shaking when I come face to face with him. Everyone else was either in the dorm rooms already, eating in the cafeteria, or studying in the hall. It was only us two here right now and that wasn't good.

"I see you've got yourself a new boyfriend," he says, smirking. I roll my eyes and do what I know is best for myself and for James.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh really? Then why were you on a date with him?"

"We were eating outside in the middle of a school field where a bunch of people were shouting at each other whilst it spat with rain. If that's your idea of a date then I'm beginning to wonder how and why I ever dated you." I turn around, about to walk away but he immediately pulls me back by the shoulder, and a bit too harshly. "What the fuck, Aiden? What do you want?"

"You know what date I'm really talking about, Riley. You know I saw you and that's why you walked out of the building a different way. It was last week. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Look, Aiden. It wasn't a date. He's not my boyfriend and we're not dating. End of," I state firmly. Without another word, I quickly leave his presence and as soon as I get up to the dorms, I find none of the girls were up here so I quickly call James.

"Ri?" his comforting voice answers.

"James. Aiden's onto me. If he ever goes up to you and says something just tell him you and I aren't a thing."

"Whoa, what? Babe, is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything's fine but when we're around Aiden, we can't let him know we're together, okay."

"Why?"

"Please, James. You have to listen to me," I plead with him until I hear a sigh leave his lips.

"Okay," he gives in. "But you need to tell me what in the world is going on the next time I see you, Riles," he tells me. Exhaling, I nod. It was something I was going to have to do if I wanted to keep mine and James's relationship going.

"I will. I promise."

I just hope James goes through with this plan, because if not, God knows what Aiden would do to him, let alone me.

"See you tomorrow?" I ask him through the phone just as the door of the room opens.

"Tomorrow evening, 6 p.m.," he says and I smile.

"Sounds good." He declines the call and I turn around for my eyes to meet Michelle's.

"Hey girl," she says with that wide, contagious grin of hers but little does she know how much pain I'm going through both physically and mentally. I have so many people around me, yet somehow I still feel so fucking isolated. Maybe talking to James about Aiden would be for the better. Even if I don't know James at all that well.