Scandalous Love

20. | James

"You went horse riding with Riley for a date?" Hunter smirks as we were all huddled around the park.

I had filled them all in on what was going on between Riley and I and they'd all agreed to keep it a secret. We couldn't risk anyone else on A-Troupe finding out about Riley being from North Side. Enough of us already knew as it is, it needed to stay the way it is now.

I roll my eyes at Hunter when he continues to make fun of the supposed date Riley and I had been on last week. That date had been perfect in more ways than one but with everything I walked into the other day, I have no idea how to feel about it.

"You really like her, don't you?" Michelle asks me softly, moving her hand to brush my arm. It wasn't often that these guys tended to get all sappy but talking about Riley seemed to bring out that side in all of us - just clearly not Hunter.

"He does," West says with a smile when I don't say anything in response.

I nod my head slowly, looking down to avoid any more teasing comments building up inside Hunter's head.

I liked her a lot, I would admit that, but whether we would ever truly be able to become a thing was debatable.

I'm mad at her - or at least I should be, but tell me why deep down all I feel like doing is going back over there to talk to her and apologise for flying off the handle... Maybe I had overreacted; it definitely felt like I had at least.

"Okay, I think I'm gonna turn in early tonight," I speak up, causing all of their gazes to fall upon me, ending their teases.

It was nine o'clock so I knew for a fact Riley would be awake right now, lying down in a place where the moon was visible. I knew I shouldn't bother trying but part of me felt the undying need to be with her right now.

As risky as it was, I couldn't say no to what my heart was telling me to do either.

"You alright, man?" Eldon asks, moving his hand to my shoulder just as I was about to stand up.

I shrug him off, chewing the inner part of my lip. "I'm alright," I mutter.

I don't stay for any extra seconds, not giving them the chance to ask any further questions and I make my way around the back of the flats to begin heading towards the one place I now knew like the back of my hand.

The walk was short. It was a simple stroll through the market but those three minutes I spent on my own were enough to open my eyes to a lot of things.

I knew the two towns were separated before but now it seems even more segregated.

I don't know what to think of Riley anymore. I know she's a good person. I know she wants things to be different the same way I do and I know it's not as easy as it seems.

But I wish she had the confidence to stand up to it in order to bring change quicker. She has the power to do so - it's just a matter of helping her find her voice in all this.

I get nearer to the hill but the closer I get, the sooner I realise Riley wasn't sat here like I wished she was.

I sigh to myself and sit myself down on top of the hill, beginning to think silently to myself.

Her bedroom lights were still on and it's when I look up that I find her sat on the ledge of her bedroom window where I had been with her only a couple of nights ago.

I could see her, watching as she rested her elbow on top of her arm, leaning out of the window. She was focused on the moon and the stars which lit up the sky but it didn't take long before she looked down towards the hill I was sat on.

Our eyes lock and I slowly raise my hand to wave at her. I knew I shouldn't have but I do anyway.

I was expecting her to have the decency to at least wave back at me but she doesn't. Instead, she gasps and immediately shakes her head at me.

A look of worry flashes upon her face and I raise an eyebrow in confusion, not understanding what the problem was. I knew I wasn't allowed over but did that really mean I wasn't allowed to communicate with her from my side of town?

Before I had the chance to make any sudden moves, my phone buzzes with a text and when I glance down, I find it was from Riley.

She was still stood by her window but this time she wasn't sitting down. She was looking down at me with concern but her eyes were also gliding back and forth around the gardens, like she was in search of something, or more so someone.

Riley: James, you really shouldn't be here. There are people out there looking. You need to go, okay?

Riley: Please...

Riley: I don't want you to get hurt or in trouble

Just as I begin to text her back, the bright white light of a torchlight flashes on me and when I look up, I find two sets of eyes looking straight at me. They were in some sort of security uniform but as soon as I set eyes on them, I can tell I'm done for.

"Put your hands where I can see them!" one of the two guards yell, making me instantly do as he says, my breath hitching as my heartbeat begins to race.

I close my eyes, unable to even look up to see if Riley was still in her bedroom because of how bright the light shining in my face was. I look back down again, keeping my phone held in my hand while the other one of the two begins to unlock the gate.

I had no idea what was happening, whether they were arresting me or what but they were definitely taking to the extremes right now.

"You are under arrest. Do not speak unless spoken to otherwise you will be asked to face severe consequences," the taller one tells me strictly, heading over to me and flinging my arms behind my back to lock my wrists together inside the handcuffs.

I swallow, allowing the other one to grab my phone off of me but I don't say a single word.

"James," I hear Riley whisper from in front of me. It causes me to open my eyes, finally taking a look around me before I shake my head at her.

I mouth for her to go back inside but she doesn't listen. She was crying and she was only making this a whole lot more worse for herself.

"Don't do this to him!"

She goes over to one of the guards, tugging at his arm. "Please, Uncle Jenson. Please, just let him go-" she begins to say before the other one, who I'm assuming wasn't her Uncle Jenson, pushes her away so that she falls with her back against the twisted metal of the gate, making her cry shortly turn into a howl.

"Ri," I whisper, trying my best to reach out for her when she touches her back with her fingers lightly to find blood dotted along her fingertips. All it does is end in my arms getting pulled once again, dragging me away from her.

"We'll deal with him, Riley. You should be in bed, it's late," her uncle tells her but she could barely move. Instead, she just sits there, crying and watching as I was pulled away from her.

No matter how hard I tried to resist, all it did was more damage than good and I wasn't going to risk Riley putting herself in more danger.