The Night We Met

Chapter 44

James's POV:

Riley was discharged from the hospital the following morning after the doctors had prescribed her some tablets and vitamins. I made sure the nurses knew I was her boyfriend and that I'd take care of her, making sure she ate, drank enough water and didn't overwork her body as much and once they knew she was safe, they let her go. 

Currently, we were walking out of the hospital, her hand linked with mine as we made our way to my dad's car. I'd got the train back from Montreal last night, only to get a call from Giselle telling me about how Ri was in the hospital, then I got a taxi from campus straight to A&E. I'd called my step-dad this morning and though I hadn't told him exactly what had happened, he'd offered to come and pick us up.

Riley and I chose to sit in the backseats while Piper sat in the front next to John. My sister was extremely inquisitive, asking all sorts of questions aimed at the two of us, such as: "What happened?", "Are you okay?", "Why's James back?", "Why's there a plaster on your face?", "Did James do something?"

But we didn't feel like answering even one of those things. Riley looked up at me after the very last question was asked and she shakes her head before shuffling over to the middle seat and wrapping her arms around me tightly, burying the side of her head in my chest. Smiling down at her, I place my hand on her back and rub it up and down subtly, kissing the top of her head.

"Why don't you leave Riley to breathe for a moment, Pipes. We'll answer all your questions later," I say, pausing my hand gestures on Riley's waist, knowing not to irritate it by stroking that area. She smiles at me and then lifts her head up to place a light kiss on my lips and I kiss her back for a second before her head retreats to its original position.

"As long as she's okay now," John says, smiling at us through the rear-view mirror. Though I nod my head, it doesn't change the feeling in my stomach telling me she's not. She told me with her own mouth that she wasn't okay and for the first time in my life, I just don't know how to make things better.

. . .

Riley's POV:

Later in the day, James and I went back to his apartment where we both decided it would be best to stay the night without the disruption of roommates and schoolwork or friends and family.

I was lying down on my side on the bed texting on the groupchat formed consisting of Giselle, Thalia, Michelle and I while James sat on the bottom end of the bed with his head in his hands. He was shirtless since he sat down midway through changing clothes but something tells me there was something on his mind. He was only dressed from the hips downwards, wearing grey joggers.

After reading Thalia's message, I put my phone down to the side. Biting my lip, I begin to crawl closer to James on my hands and knees as his head hung in his hands.

Once I reach him, I wrap my arms around his neck from behind so that they draped down past the front of his shoulders and as I did, I looked down at him and sighed.

"What are you beating yourself up about?" I whisper into his ear. He raises his head and drops his hands before looking up at me and sighing. I drop my hands and take them off his shoulders before sitting down on the bed cross-legged. He copies my actions and turns around, lifting himself up further into the bed so he was sat properly, opposite me, and then he takes my hands in his.

"I should have been here," he tells me in a whisper. I shake my head.

"It's not your fault this happened, okay."

"But if I was here it could have been prevented."

"James, it's fine," I persist, shaking my head and smiling softly. "I was the one who stood up to him. If I had just gotten backup instead then I wouldn't have aggravated him into feeling the need to hurt me. But you're not the one to blame, Jay. Trust me."

"I just hate seeing you hurt, Ri," he says. I shake my head and lean forward, kissing his cheek. "Aiden doesn't know what's coming for him-"

"James please . . ."

"Riley. You can't really expect me to just sit around allowing him to hurt my girl, can you?" he questions, causing me to sigh. He sighs too and looks down, giving my hands a squeeze. "I'm due back at Montreal in two days. I just wanted to come back and see how you are but now . . .-"

"James, go, okay. Don't leave your life in my hands," I tell him but he stares at me for a moment and shakes his head. Bringing my hands up to his lips, he kisses my knuckles before giving them an extra squeeze. I look at him with my left eyebrow cocked upwards, there was something he wanted to say, I know it.

"Come with me," he says. It wasn't a question, it was a command.

"What?"

He nods his head. "Come with me, Ri. The band had to postpone tonight and tomorrow's performances, conventions and workshops for later so we have another six days to go through. I want you there with me."

"James, I have schoolwork-"

"You've done your exam. All that's left is your project and I'm sure you can still work on it in the period of time we're away. Please come with me?" he asks, now working his hand away from my wrist and up along the traces of my arm.

I stop and look at him, into this deep dark brown eyes of his which pull me in with just a simple glance. I look at our linked hands and I stare at the rings on my fingers. There's a burning desire inside of me that wants me to twiddle my thumbs but James catches onto it straight away and so lets my thumbs go and holds only my four fingers. My eyes meet his own again and I smile a little as he has a similar tender grin on his lips.

"Okay," I say.

"Okay?"

"Yeah, I'll go," I say. He shoots his smile in my direction once again, this time even wider before joining our lips together and I smile into the kiss.

"That doesn't hurt, does it?" he mumbles, making me chuckle lightly.

"Not at all."

"And it still doesn't hurt when I do this?" he questions, moving his hands down to my waist. I flinch a little, making him pull back but when I smile in his direction, his tense demeanour softens.

"Kiss me, James. That's all I want and need you to do," I whisper to give him the hint. Once he receives it, he smiles and kisses me again but for much longer.