Sitting In Traffic

Chapter 100- Switching places

Riley was sitting in her bathtub that was filled with bubbles and warm water with a glass of red wine in her hand. She had a movie playing on her computer that she had set on a window sill next to her. The window was letting in moonlight at roughly 3 in the morning, laying across Riley's large and spacious bathroom, lighting up the marbled floors that stretched across the room to the door that Max was opening.

Neither of them could sleep. Max was worried for Riley which only kept him wide awake, and Riley felt sick to her stomach. She was trying to relax, hence the bath and wine.

"Keep the lights off" Riley whispered, watching her computer screen that was showing her favorite movie.

"Can I come in though?" He asked her, staying stood in the doorway.

"Like in the room or in?" She sat up in the water, making sure she didn't spill any of her wine.

"Both"

"I don't mind either" She told him quietly, Max walked into the bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind him because Daniel wasn't home. He has spending his break in Australia until the 15th.

"I'm just making sure you're comfortable" He said tiredly sliding his shirt off over head.

"I am" She said, leaning over the edge to look at Max while he was sliding his shorts off. "Are you stressed?"

"Is that not obvious" Max laughed, while Riley moved so he could get in behind her.

"I can burn more lavender" She told him, "It helps relax you"

"Where did you learn that bullshit" He said, taking the glass Riley was passing him as he sat down behind her.

"It's not bullshit" She chuckled, reaching for her box of matches to relight the lavender on the windowsill. "Google it, it's real"

"I'll choose to believe you instead" He watched Riley as she carefully lit a match and started burning the lavender again.

"It smells amazing too" She whispered, blowing out the match and setting it down.

"What are we watching?"

"10 things I hate about you" Riley told him, hearing some water spill over the tub when she moved too quickly, "I've tried watching it with you before but you always fall asleep in the middle"

"Then it's probably not good" He heard Riley gasp when those words left his mouth, "Don't be dramatic"

"Give me my wine back" She said while he was lifting to for a sip, "You should've brought a glass with you"

"The whole bottle is right there" He reminded her of the wine bottle she brought into the bathroom before she ran the water.

"Well you could've made yourself a gin tonic before coming in"

"One sip" He promised, taking just that before passing the glass back to her.

Riley went quiet again after she had her glass in hand. She felt the small circles and stars that Max was tracing on her shoulder blade. He was watching her instead of the film, it was just white noise to him right now. Riley moved her hair over one shoulder, feeling Max's finger slowly move to her back, taking in the different details, the few beauty marks she had that he hadn't noticed until now, a small birth mark that was barely visible that he never took note to before.

"Do you think they'll actually do anything" Riley asked Max in a broken whisper.

"If they don't I'm suing them" He told her quietly, feeling entirely helpless to Riley in this situation. "And we're moving"