Her Heart

Chapter 8

Riley's POV

Do people ever actually forget something? Or do they just push it back to the deepest darkest places in their mind?

Her eyes. Her hair. Her body. Her smell. Her smile. Her laugh.

I remember it all. I remember her and the night we had together. One night that felt different than the rest.

I know she remembers too. The way she looks at me begging me with her eyes to admit to knowing her. I don't think she remembers specific details from that night though she just remembers me.

"So what's so bad about having slept with her? Is it because she's your student." My best friend Nadia asks and my other best friend Emily is grinning at me.

"No I don't care that she's my student. We're in college no one cares." I reply and throw my legs over her lap.

We're in my house watching tv and talking since Maya is spending time with my parents but the conversation took a different turn when they decided to bring up a certain girl.

"Is it her age then?" Emily asks.

"She is a little young but no I don't mind her age."

She groans, "Then what is it?"

I close my eyes for a brief second, "It's obvious that her family has money. I don't want to be pulled into the spoiled child situation that she might have going on."

Nadia laughs out loud and I open my eyes frowning, "Don't even. You're lying, you yourself know to never judge a book by its cover. Plus you know that she's not spoiled."

Emily nods her head, "Come on spit out the actual reason."

I sigh, "She has a familiarity to her."

"Well that's because you slept with her." Nadia says and I shake my head.

"No beside that. There's just something about her that's familiar and I can't put my finger on it."

I move my legs off of Nadia's leg and sit up on the couch. Both of them are quiet for a few seconds.

"You think-"

"I don't know." I quickly reply, "Maybe the familiarity is because we slept together. Maybe I'm thinking too much into it."

Nadia smiles, "We saw the way you looked at her at the club. Just go for it you never know what could happen."

She's right. There's so much tension when she's around me and we both can feel it. I don't know how far I can go though. There's just something about her that bothers me. Not in a bad way of course. She just seems really sad.

She smiles and laughs but they never reach her eyes. She seems to be going through something and I don't know if it's right for me to try and get involved. Especially since I've been pretending that I don't know her.

"Is she good with Maya?" Nadia asks and snaps me out of my thoughts.

I smile, "She offered to babysit."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

"I don't know. Maya seems to have taken a liking to her."

They both smirk but don't say anything. Maya usually isn't like this so I don't know how I'm supposed to handle this situation.

"Well okay then we're gonna go and leave you with your thoughts." Emily says.

We all get up from the couch and I walk them to the door. They both give me a hug but Nadia holds on a little longer, "Follow your heart Riley. Everything else will fall into place."

I squeeze her and we let go after a few seconds. They wave bye and I close the door sighing. I walk back to the living room and drop down on the couch, closing my eyes.

I wish I was drunk that night. Maybe then I wouldn't remember everything.

Flashback

"Don't leave." She whispers.

I turn my body and look at her. Her naked body is now covered with a blanket. She's also on her side and she's staring at me. Her gray eyes are shining and for some reason it's pulling at my heart.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Don't leave in the morning."

I smile. Carter woods wants someone to stay. Well that's a first. I've heard about the reputation she has in this town and I've also heard about how she leaves the girls she sleeps without thinking twice about it. I'm not judging though there seems to more about her than meets the eye.

I allow myself to reach my hand out and run my thumb over her cheek, "Why don't you want me to leave?"

She slightly smiles, "I don't know. I just....this felt different. I'm drunk and I'm afraid I won't remember you."

"I won't leave." I lie.

Carter closes her eyes, "Good. I might die if I don't see you again."

I try not to frown. This should have been a one night stand. I don't know what's happening. She's not the type of person to be able to handle what my life has to offer.

There's some dark skeletons in my closet that I can't ever show anyone.

"Can I get your name?" She asks half asleep.

I hesitate but tell her anyway, "Riley."

"That's beautiful." She mumbles.

I wait until she's asleep and then slowly get out of bed. I look at her figure and something in me is yelling at me not to go but this is for the best.

End of flashback

I couldn't stay. Not when I slept with her for all the wrong reasons. That familiarity was the only reason I slept with her. I wanted to know why she seemed so familiar.

Sleeping with her did not help at all though it just made me more confused. I tried running a background check but something was blocking it.

Now that we've met again all the emotions of that night have returned. She's right the night did feel different.

I love her eyes more than anything. She makes me think of a wedding ring and I don't even know her.

I slept with her for all the wrong reasons but I wish it was the right ones.