Mismatched

Ch. 16

I knew that if I wanted to start rebuilding Riley's trust, I had to think big.

I now had just a week and half until Judy would be back, so I had to lay the best foundation I could until that. The more Riley liked me and saw the real me, the more willing he might be to forgive me and move past it.

And maybe I was crazy for thinking that I could even have a shot with Riley. But I had to try. Lesley was right, I had to trust that whatever was meant to happen would happen. Until then, I would do everything in my power to make things work between us.

Lesley played relationship counsellor for a few more clients, but the rest of the day was spent in silence. Despite her lack of words, the message was clear. I had officially lost her support.

She felt that I should come clean as soon as possible, but I didn't know how she couldn't see that that simply was not an option. I'd rather light myself on fire then stand by and watch as Riley was swept off his feet by Jack McKee.

After I finished up at the store, I took off to the local bakery and butcher. I couldn't cook to save my life, but I'd had enough girlfriends to have seen one or two of those fancy looking bread and cheese boards, and it seemed within my skill level. I then hit up the florist and picked up a bouquet of sunflowers. My last stop was for much needed alcohol.

Once I had everything set, I sent Riley a text that I was on my way over to him. From this point on, I was going to be the perfect boyfriend, if he would let me. He was at least willing to see me, which was a good start.

I arrived at Riley's place with a paper bag full of food in one hand and sunflowers in the other. The sun was already fleeting quickly from the sky, turning to shades of dark orange and pink. I sucked in a nervous breath as I rang the doorbell.

Riley's footsteps approached from the other side. He pulled the door open, his eyes widening at the sight of me with my hands full of stuff. A small smile tugged at his lips.

"What's all this?" Riley asked, opening the screen door to let me in.

"Hey," I greeted him softly, extending out the sunflowers. "These are for you."

Riley's eyes lit up. He was wearing brown cargo pants and his green sweater, and he matched the sunflowers perfectly. As he stood there, holding the sunflowers in his arms, he looked like he belonged on a poster. He was perfect.

"I also got some snacks," I said, holding up the paper bag. "And reinforcements," I joked, showing him the red wine in the bag.

Riley chuckled, and it sounded so warm and genuine.

"Am I being wooed?" he teased, and I dropped the bag and pulled him into a close hug, nearly squishing the sunflowers between us.

"You are indeed being wooed," I replied, my lips nearly brushing his ear as I spoke. The scent of his cologne filled my senses. And for just a moment, everything else faded away. It was just the two of us here, in this embrace.

Riley pulled away first, smiling. He brought his hand up to caress the side of my face before he turned away, headed for the kitchen. I grabbed the bag and followed behind him.

"What's the plan?" Riley asked as I set down the bag on the counter.

"The plan is that you go plant your cute butt on the couch and relax," I said with a playful wink. "Put on some music, watch a show. I will get everything together and bring it out, and then we can talk."

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Riley asked.

"I'm positive. Go relax," I said, leaning to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. He blushed, and I didn't think I'd ever get sick of seeing him blush.