Off the Tracks

Chapter 73- Nothing but a kiss

Riley helped show everyone their rooms in Mrs Josie's large old victorian style home. Everyone discussed who they were bunking up with for the weekend while Riley and Susan went to her usual room before anyone tried to take it. Mrs Josie had told them once they were done, to come downstairs and finish painting the music room. Riley and Susan finished unpacking quickly, trying not to make Mrs Josie wait long for them.

Soon enough, Riley was walking into the music room after passing through the living space. Joshua had already done half of it earlier that day, so the plastic tarp was already laid out on the floor around the entire room.

Riley's eyes lingered on the grand piano that was in the centre of the room. Getting flashbacks from her childhood, when Mrs Josie first taught her how to play in that very spot, how Riley first attempted to teach Jonah how to play. She silently sighed to herself, bottling her thoughts up inside as she grabbed a clean paint brush.

Daniel was the first person to join Riley. He took the spot directly next to her, and started to roll the paint onto the wall. The walls that were originally a off white, where being turned into a pastel baby blue, which brought a small amount of sadness to Riley watching the walls she's known since she was quite literally born, change.

"Danny I need to tell you something" Riley said while she could still hear heavy footsteps above her. "It's about Julia"

"What about her?" Daniel asked, and right as Riley was going to tell him. Arthur and Charles walked in, arguing about something in french.

"I'll tell you later" She whispered, only raising his curiosity.

Arthur stood next to Riley with a paint brush in hand. He tried to think to himself, figure out if he should say anything, or what he could say. He kept his eyes off her, continuing to paint the wall in front of him in silence while everyone else joined them, spreading out across the room.

"Riley you should play" Julia said, pointing to the piano in the room. Riley looked over her shoulder, and anxiety hit her.

"She hasn't played piano in forever" Mrs Josie said from her rocking chair in the living room.

"Actually" Tristen spoke up, "She played when she got back from Monaco" he told her. Riley's cheeks started to heat up, feeling Arthur start glancing to her. She walked a little more to the side creating more distance between them.

"And I missed it" Mrs Josie said gasping, walking into the room slowly. "Riley Matilda Stowan you know how much I love to hear you play" She scolds her. Arthur muffles his laugh hearing Riley's full name being used, while Riley's nose scrunches up in disgust hearing it.

"I'll play it before I leave" Riley tells her, which would only be true if no one else was in the room.

"Okay" Mrs Josie says, unsure if that's true. She starts walking out of the room and heading towards the kitchen, calling for Susan to follow after her.

"Your middle name is Matilda?" Arthur asked Riley quietly with a small laugh.

"It was that or my first name " She said, "I'm just glad it's hidden" Riley told him, hiding her laugh because she hated the name.

"I always thought it would be like Anne or something, maybe Ana" He told her, and Riley stopped everything she was doing to look at him, "What?"

"Nothing" She said shrugging, turning back to the wall in-front of her. "What's yours"

"I'm not sharing that" Arthur said, moving when Riley nudged his side.

"You have to" She said, "It's only fair"

"I will think about it" He told her, which was a lie. He wasn't going to tell a single soul that information. And Riley wasn't going pry even if she grew somewhat curious.