wish list | daerin

❛ Between Us ❜

⌗ 29
mason ✎ᝰ
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The dinner tonight went better than I expected. It was a success. Mika and Renz love Riley. Part of me wishes to be surprised—but I'm not. If there's one thing I'm certainly sure about on this Earth, it's the fact that Riley is so likeable. Loveable even. There's a smile on my face as I continue to fold up the mess that Renz had left behind before dinner. There's still clothes all over my bed.

I fold them neatly into a pile. Her suitcase is propped into the corner of my room by my desk. I can hear Mika and Renz argue from down the hall. If anything, the brunette had one too many sips of wine and is now battling for her life.

"Renz you are literally disgusting!"

I always wondered how those two managed to last this long without breaking each other's necks. If anything, I'm glad nothing of the sort has happened. For now—Renz is glued to the toilet bowl with Mika right behind her to 'comfort' her. The thought alone makes me laugh.

Meanwhile, I feel a pair of arms snake around my waist as I place the last oversized shirt onto the pile on the bed. "Do you need help?"

I feel my cheeks burn at the feeling of Riley's lips against my shoulder. "I'm all finished, love."

Riley smiles in between her kisses. "I told you that I could've helped you know." She places her chin to rest on my shoulder. "I feel like I haven't done much to help you three out."

I wrap my arm around the back of her head as I turn around to face her properly. "Baby, there's nothing for you to do." I smile. "We invited you over for dinner and to get to know them. I know you hate sitting around and doing nothing but tonight you're a guest. Please. Don't worry about it too much. Everything is sorted downstairs and all the clothes are sorted. It's okay, really."

A smile forms across her face as she closes the little gap that stands in between us. "I'm sorry, I hate not being close to you." She giggled.

I roll my eyes. "How much closer could you possibly get, Marsh?" Riley tilts her head and shows a devilish grin across her face.

"That's a look I haven't seen before." I add.

Riley leaves her left hand around the back of my neck and the other on my waist. I feel my heart rate rise as she inches forward and closes the gap between us—her lips meet mine and we collide like the waves against the shore in the middle of the storm. What starts off as something slow and soft turns into something a lot more passionate.

I feel my breath hitch at the feeling of her lips against the side of my jaw. "Baby."

Riley moves her hands towards my hips. Her face is flushed. "Is that close enough?" The sound of her voice makes me dizzy as I push the side of my cheek with my tongue. That was...

"Yeah." I feel the warmth blanket over me as she presses her forehead against mine. The room feels hotter than a wood-fire pizza oven.

"I can't believe we just did that." I chuckle lightly.

Riley hides her face behind her palms. "I know. I didn't think I could do it but...I even surprised myself." She laughed. "Another um..."

I quirk a brow. "Mm, another what?"

My mind instantly hovers over the wish list that's inked in the pages of her diary. There's a lot of things on there that she's added within the last few days. I'm not sure about what the new ones are but I figured that this was one of them.

One that she can successfully tick off too.

I take a step back and bring myself to the edge of the bed. "Do you have to go home tonight?" Riley tilts her head as I sit myself on the bed.

She turns her back on me and takes a seat on my lap. "I'll have to ask Mommy but I think she'd be ok with it. She never has a problem when I'm here. Mommy really trusts you, Maisie."

I feel my heart flutter at the mention of my name. There's something about it that makes me feel absolutely giddy. It's like her very own superpower that has an incredible effect on me. Anyone who dares to attempt would be deemed useless. There's no song better than the sound of my name against her lips. I love it more than anything. That itself is quite telling.

Riley looks at the time. It's almost nine in the evening. Whatever plans that Mika had in mind are now scrapped. I'm sure there are parts of her that were well aware that this was more than likely to happen. It's Renz after all. But who could blame the girl? Rejected not once, but twice, and is still chasing the girl she likes.

She might even lover her. I can kinda feel it. Renz isn't the type to linger around long when situations aren't meant for her. Had this been applied to her situation, she would've left ages ago. 'Moving on is never necessary' she once told me, also quite buzzed. I wasn't sure about what she meant back then—but maybe now I do.

I assume that it's just the way it is when you're so in love—to the point of no return.  To never giving in to the idea of moving forward with somebody else. I can't remember the last time that Renz had liked anyone else. In fact, that girl, is the only person I've ever heard Renz talk about. Florence is the type to talk about anything and everything and enjoy it wholeheartedly. But when it comes to love—no one could possibly take the crown away from Renz. She's been so smitten with Sofia ever since I could comprehend anything in regards to feelings and crushes.

I can't say the same for Mika though. She too is the type to have her head in the books and nothing less. I can't blame her though. First year residency is no joke. She's never once opened up about her relationships or people she's liked. I'm not even sure if she's ever liked anyone. It takes up my thoughts now that I think about. Would a resident even have the time to fall in love?

I hear Renz groan from down the hall. Mika trods loudly behind the brunette and sighs deeply. "Renz, I want to go to bed. Hurry up!"

The sound of the two of them bantering make Riley and I laugh. "You have a great family."

The smile never leaves my face—it just grows. "I'm glad you think that." I smile. "I was really nervous tonight before you got here. Renz and Mika can be a handful." I point out my bedroom door and down the hall. The two are on the floor staring at the ceiling now—seconds away from passing out altogether. "But they're great."

Riley kisses my cheek and smiles widely. "Every little thing about tonight was perfect." She replied. "From the dinner, the music, the banter and endless jokes, even watching you fold Renz' clothes and hearing them go through the five stages of grief down the hall. Everything lived up to my expectations. It was greater, even. But.."

I hold my breath. "But?"

Riley runs her thumb against my chin and tilts my head upward. "Nothing could ever beat the feeling of being around you, Maisie."

I lean forward and kiss her quickly. "Stop, if you say things like that I'm gonna combust."

Riley shakes her head. "Combust?" She laughed.

I nod. "Mm. When you say those kind of things I feel like I'm on fire." I confess. "I feel like I'd melt and disintegrate into nothingness and be one with the sky as I fly away into oblivion."

She kisses me over and over and over. There's still that smile on my face that doesn't falter—like it has no plans of leaving. Riley holds me tighter and kisses me once more before we fall back onto the bed and cuddle close. I really am home.