Scandalous Love

9. | James

"How do I look?" I ask Riley, stepping out of her en suite bathroom to enter her bedroom where she was sat on the bed, scrolling through her phone.

It was hard but after a short while of looking, she had managed to find me the perfect suit from out of her Dad's old chest of clothes. There were a lot of questionable outfits in there but amongst all of them, this had to be the best fit there was.

She looks up at me and instantly her lips curve upwards at the sight. "Perfect," she sings, setting her phone down on the bed beside her.

I chuckle, looking at myself in the mirror opposite as I fixed my bow tie so it wasn't as crooked and Riley laughs a little, standing up before crossing her arms over her chest. "You really like the suit, huh?"

"Yeah, we don't really wear fancy stuff like this back home," I admit to her, making her sigh, looking down as she shakes her head.

It was clear there was a division not only between the two towns but between each generation too. Not everyone our age were influenced by our parents. We wanted things to change, we wanted to see a difference. But I doubt that'll be happening anytime soon.

"You know, if I was Emily and I was next to take over from my Dad, things wouldn't be like this at all," she mumbles, looking straight at me through our reflections instilled in the mirror. My eyes were fixed purely on hers while her own looked over me and how I was adjusting to wearing a suit.

It was pathetic. It was only a suit; nothing more. Yet, somehow, it felt like I was wearing gold.

"It shouldn't be this way," she whispers, tucking her hair behind her ear before shrugging everything she had to say out of her mind, like she hadn't uttered a word.

She looks up at the rose gold clock on her wall to see it had just gone eight o'clock and she swallows, nodding. From what she had told me, I already knew everything was supposed to start at nine, meaning she had an hour from now to get ready.

She was still in the same clothes she had worn when meeting me by the gates this morning. I knew she wasn't particularly looking forward to Cotillion but I didn't peg her as the type to have poor punctuality either.

Her dress was on the stand in the corner: light pink and floral with a puff. I could only imagine what she would look like wearing it.

"You need to try that dress on, Ri," I say to her, turning myself around to face her. "You'd look pretty in it."

"Why? Because I'm a pretty princess?" she inquires with an eyeroll, making me chuckle, nodding.

"Your words, not mine," I tease before our ears are met with the sound of a rush of footsteps and instantly, her eyes widen at the sound.

"Quick," she ushers me, grabbing me by the arm and then pushing me towards her closet. "Stay in there and stay hushed, okay?" she tells me before shoving me inside and slamming the door shut at the same time as I hear the door of her room open for a small, bubbly voice to fill my ears.

"What are you doing, pea?" they say in a high-pitched voice, making me chuckle under my breath lowly. "You only have an hour left. You're still not ready. Where's your dress? Where's your make-up? Where's your shoes?"

"I-" Riley begins before she's cut off by the other person.

"Pea!" I hear them gasp suddenly, making me raise an eyebrow, unsure of what was going on or who Riley was talking to. "Whose clothes are they?" she asks, making me instantly widen my eyes.

Right. My clothes. Shoot.

"They're only Dad's," Riley lies quickly on the spot. "He gave them to me to sort out. Some of Mum's stuff are mixed up in there too. I'm about to get ready now, Nana. I promise."