There's Always A Plot Twist | Wattys 2023 ✓

25| The Cocoon

In the afternoon, Riley makes a quick trip to the nearest convenience store on campus in order to prep for supposedly the hottest September day since nineteen seventy something.

The details don't really matter, but what is important is that this gives them an excuse to have a picnic in the grassland fields just west of Preston, barely ten miles out.

There's a bunch of shuffling happening today, with more seminars running alongside the rest of the gang scrambling to get their ducks in order, so the actual picnic is planned for the following day.

Fortunately for Riley, she'll be free of all that for at least this week, but then after that her social life will be virtually no-existent outside of her fellow interns and the defence lawyers she'll be working with.

That gives her more than enough time to-

"Morning neighbour."

Riley lowers her tinted shades, holding them on the bridge of her nose as she peers up at Lain Adler.

He's dressed as casually as she is, wearing one of those long shirts that have the sides cut out and a pair of grey shorts.

Riley had spent the morning gaslighting her own mind, telling herself that the fight must not have been as dramatic as she imagined it once she saw Arlo's cuts and scratches in the light, but clearly the fight was entirely one sided because the six foot giant standing before her looks more beat down than an oak tree.

Don't mistake my meaning, Lain Adler is still handsome underneath the bruised left eye, the gash on his bottom lip and the cut on his strong jawline, but his face has seen better days and looked a lot less swollen.

"That must have been a pretty big door you walked into last night."

Lain smirks, thinking up his reply at the drop of a hat. "You should see the door."

"I did actually, and he had a lot to say about you."

Riley swallows the stone in her throat after seeing the warm and fuzzy spark in Lain's eyes fizzle out. She hadn't meant to hurt him, just shock his system a little but clearly Arlo isn't the only one still holding onto old memories.

Riley would have thought that Lain wouldn't have cared much, given the needless cruelty of his past actions, but that kind of thinking doesn't match the saddened expression of the man before her.

Lain cast his eyes down to the basket of giant watermelons, spinning the largest one around in his hands, clearly judging whether or not to buy it. "Is that so?"

"When I told you I was a bad person, why didn't you tell me you were a bad guy too?"

Lain kneels down to place the watermelon in the basket laying on the ground in-between his feet. "Does that change things?"

"No...but it makes me look at you differently, obviously." Riley picks up a lemon, feeling like a claw machine with her sharp nails. "Why, did you think it would change things?"

"Well you know what I did right." he asks, returning to full height whilst training his eyes solely onto her.

She initiates the first move, taking gradual steps for him to match her pace as they walk idly through the stores isles. "I know enough."

"I just thought, with a girl like you, you'd want better."

"Better?" Riley repeats, catching her passive aggressive head tilt a beat too late to stop herself.

The pair slow down to a halt, meeting each other's eyes for the first time. "I haven't know you for long but I like your vibe, you're beautiful, and you deserve to be with someone who can match you...who doesn't have all the baggage that I do."

"Thanks, but no thanks." she replies, ever so slightly shaking her head. "Only me, my mother and god get to decide what is and isn't best for me."

He tries to suppress his smile but its too late, she's already seen it, and it sends shivers along her arms and neck. "You're the boss."

Riley likes the sound of that but doesn't let it show, instead choosing to throw a curveball to defuse some of the lingering nerves she sill has left. "Do they sell donuts in here or what."

"I think they're at the back."

Riley continues to walk in the general direction of the sweet goods, stopping every so often to swipe something off the shelf and place it in the basket swinging loosely on her arm. "Amara's going to kill me if I don't grab some sweet and salted popcorn too."

"Did you say sweet and salted."

"Eh...yeah, I did." Riley replies, catching a glimpse of the scowl that appear on his face as she picks up two large bags of popcorn that is barley filled half way. "What was that?"

When Lain replies he raises his eyebrows and closes his eyes, not even trying to commit to his own lie. "Nothing, really."

"Cause it feels like I'm being judged right now." she adds, placing her free hand onto her hip with a smile. "Am I being judged about my immaculate snack choice?"

"I wouldn't say immaculate."

Riley giggles, finding his opinion to be both delusional and amusing. "Oh really?"

"Listen, all I'm saying is...Caramel popcorn is superior."

"Oh you're one of those people."

Lain shakes his head with a smirk. "Now look whose judging."

"Well you started it, I'm just taking advantage." she tells him, taking a tiny peek into his basket. "A watermelon, clippers, a bleaching kit and a bag of skittles and makeup...do I even want to know?"

"I've been thinking I'd cut my hair for a while now...just never got around to doing it." he informs her, softly running his fingers through his draped hair.

Riley notices the change in him again, like shifting sands his mood slips and slides in-between happy and melancholy.

Whatever the reason behind his sudden need to cut his lusciously silky hair could have been triggered by the recent death of his mother or the memories his fight with Arlo brought up, but either way Riley understands that this is not the time to give him space or to let him wallow in a gravy of his own despair.

"Plus the makeup is to cover all of this." he adds, referring to his bruises and cuts.

"Do you have a style in mind or are going to shave it all off? Like a cute little buzz cut?"

"I'm taking it all off."

Whilst not entirely a red flag, it is enough to raise some alarms. "I could do it for you, if you want."

"Shave my head?"

"Yeah, I think you'll look good with it all gone." she replies, fetching Kaizen's favourite beers, muffins for Lance and Farah and donuts for the trouble trio, intending to appear busy to come off as carefree when offering her services.

"Alright, sure. Are you free now or...?"

"That's the wrong question Mr. Adler."

"Just Lain is fine, or Lainy, or babe if you're feeling cute."

Riley grins wickedly, smiling at how flustered he gets over something so mundane. "Okay, Lain...your place or mine?"