The Night We Met

Chapter 30

Riley's POV:

"Someone's looking different . . . !" Giselle exclaims as she enters the dorm room. I was sat on my bed in James's arms, his legs either side of my body whilst his arms were wrapped around me. He kisses the top of my head as I shuffle around and sit up properly before he pulls me onto his lap and I smile at him, making myself comfortable by cuddling up against his chest. 

"Yeah, girl. New look? Who's this?" Thalia smirks. They take a seat on the edge of Michelle's bed. She was currently working on her project with Maya and Devon and I was yet to hear how she was getting on - though my guess would be not very well. But she's Michelle so I have faith in her. She always has a comeback for everything.

"I just wanted a change," I chuckle.

"Well, I like it," Giselle tells me, making me smile. She turns to look at James and they both smile at each other. At least now I have a boyfriend who my friends can actually get along with. It wasn't at all like that a couple of months ago.

"Are you hungry?" James asks, rubbing my arm softly. I turn to look up at him and then check the time on the digital clock which was positioned my bedside drawer.

"Uh, yeah. I could eat."

"Alright. I'll head down and go and get something for all of us."

"Okay. There's a Thai place across the road if you want?" I suggest and he nods his head. "Giselle? Thalia? Do you want something to eat?"

"Actually . . . we've sort of booked ourselves a double date," Thalia says, making me widen my eyes. I move around in James's arms, sitting myself up properly.

"Excuse me? When did this happen?" I say, causing James to smirk.

"I think that's my cue to leave," he says. "I'll be back in a minute, babe," he tells me. 

"Okay." Leaning down to plant a quick kiss on my lips, I kiss him back for a second or so before pulling apart. He puts his trainers back on his feet and grabs his wallet before leaving the room, leaving me to face the girls once again. "Come on then. I'm waiting."

"We met them both last week while you were away," Giselle says, grinning with a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"And their names?"

"Eldon," Thalia answers before Giselle says,

"West."

"Are they cute?"

"Don't you have a boyfriend already?" Thalia teases, making me get up. I throw a pillow at her and she clicks her tongue, gasping, then throws the pillow back at me. 

"What is going on?" a voice says at the door. All three of us crane our necks to find Michelle entering, the expression on her face perplexed. However, as soon as she steps foot inside the room, Giselle shoots a pillow in her direction, instantly messing up her hair. "Oh, it is on!" she exclaims, throwing the pillow back at Giselle and closing the door shut behind her. She runs over and then pretty much jumps onto the large double bed in the room, making me giggle as Giselle and Thalia scream. Soon enough, the four of us are in hysterics, in the middle of a pillow fight, whilst teasing each other about our significant others. I haven't had this much fun with them in a long time.

James's POV:

Walking through the cafeteria after making my way downstairs, I found Aiden sat in a corner all on his own just like I had expected. He was sat on his own little booth, scrolling through his phone but there was a distinctive smirk upon his face. I don't even want to think about what he could be looking at on that phone of his right now. I make my way towards him, changing direction from walking in the direction of the exit doors and as soon as I reach him, I snatch his device from out of his hands. Let's just say that what I had thought would be on his screen was correct. It was wrong on so many levels.

"Hey man, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" he exclaims, looking me over, but as soon as he says those words, I wrinkle my nose and frown.

"Don't 'hey man' me alright. You need to stay away from Riley."

"Why? Do you think I'm going to listen to some wee little mouse like you? You don't scare me, James," he scoffs in my face, about to get up and leave but to stop him from going anywhere, I take a step left to block him. When he attempts walking around me, I then take a step to the right. My face was pretty much right up close to his now but I needed him to get the message. "Dude, let me go, man," he whines.

"No. Not until you understand that Riley doesn't need you bothering her. She's her own person, okay. You need to leave her alone."

"And what if I don't? She's not going to have you around to protect her forever. She can't hide for too long."

"And neither can you. Did you know your acts count as rape? Coercion? Sexual abuse? Violence? You abused her, Aiden. Mentally, physically, verbally - the lot. You need to stay away before I report you to the cops."

"You wouldn't do that-"

"I would."

"No, you wouldn't," he says, shaking his head and laughing. "You wouldn't do it without Riley's permission and you know damn well she's too weak to actually bring the police into this."

"She's not weak," I tell him. "She just has a heart bigger than yours, so big that she doesn't want to hurt anyone even if that person is deranged as hell."

"Either way," he says, smirking, "you're not getting the police involved. Get over yourself, bud," he tells me. He grabs my cheek and then squeezes it in his hand, his smirk still apparent on his face, then once he lets go, he kicks me in the shin and walks around me, leaving the side of my face red and stinging. I wasn't about to let him get to me. I can't.