Sitting In Traffic

Chapter 33- Old ties

Arthur broke the no contact rule. He tried calling Riley, he was drunk, begging for her back. Riley didn't answer the phone, it was a voicemail that she deleted. She found it infuriating that he showed no need for her when they were dating but the moment she was gone, Riley was the only person he wanted around. Typical.

Riley was making her very first rounds to JC's since being back. It was Wednesday and the Grid's dinner was the next day. She needed to talk to Kevin to get everything in order. Lewis reached out to her earlier that morning making sure that they were still on to have dinner there. Which, only made Riley feel more confident in her decision, having this PR relationship with Arthur.

Riley canceled on one event, just one, and Lewis didn't know if she needed to cancel on this as well. As suspected, Riley couldn't afford to make any more cancelations. Riley walked into JC's, seeing none other than Tristen behind the bar again. Apparently Susan managed to convince him to come back to work. Riley wasn't notified of this. Kevin didn't know Riley found out Tristen had left, so he didn't think he had to tell her when he came back.

"Welcome back" Riley told Tristen, feeling suffocated by Arthur's necklace she was still wearing. "I thought you quit"

"I needed the money" Tristen told her when Riley walked behind the bar. There was a strong awkward tension between the two of them. It was odd talking to each other after Tristen very purposely ghosted Riley.

"Why'd you quit in the first place" She asked, she wasn't going to take this conversation slow, her mind had been rushing 100 miles an hour lately, trying to figure out bits and pieces of her life that continued to fall apart.

"I just needed a break"

"Great" Riley said, she literally never wanted to hear that phrase again. Riley almost wanted to fire Tristen and have him work somewhere else. He did all of this without talking to her first, she didn't love that he was back.

"Hey Rye!" Susan said, walking back inside from the balcony with a tray in her hands. "I was about to call you for something"

"Oh what's up"

"Do you have dinner plans"

'Well I haven't heard from Max yet so no' She thought to herself. Max told Riley when he landed a few hours ago, they were going to try and make plans, but she hasn't heard a word from him. Riley didn't blame him though, she knew he was busy. He'd get around to it.

"Not yet no," Riley told her.

"Did you want to come over?" Susan asked, instantly seeing Riley shake her head. Riley having dinner with Rachel? Unspeakable. Riley going over to Susan's house after Jonah? Hasn't happened.

"Not at all." Riley said shaking her head, Riley wanted to stay far far away from Rachel.

"My grandparents are in town" Susan told Riley, "They wanted to see you again"

"They remember me?"

"When did you meet Susan's Grandparents" Tristen chimed into the conversation.

Tristen didn't meet them. Riley and Jonah tried getting Tristen to join them for easter dinner in 2019 but he didn't want to go. He felt like he was intruding on a family event, which is what Jonah wanted him to say. Jonah didn't need Tristen to come he just didn't want Tristen hanging around at Riley's house with her family alone.

"I've met them a couple times" Riley told Tristen, "A wedding, easter, I saw them at the funeral"

"I didn't realize you were close to them though"

'Somethings are for just us' Rang through Riley's head in Jonah's voice. That's what Jonah would tell Riley whenever he didn't want Tristen to tag along to something. Family events were one of them. Riley never asked for Tristen to come to those things, family dinners and such. But Tristen would ask sometimes. Riley understood why, Tristen didn't have a family. Hank was never in town. But Jonah needed time and space from Tristen, there were boundaries that Tristen never grasped.