Arranged marriage: Skeletons(sequel)

Chapter 36

Wavy black hair flowing with a warm breeze. Riley watched as Jennie and Mia chased each other in the warm beach sand. She sat on a soft deck chair next to Thomas, Mia's boyfriend. The gathering was the ladies' idea. A double date for them all.

"It seems we chose well," Thomas says. Riley doesn't respond to this, her eyes glued to a particular dark-haired girl who was laughing uncontrollably at a Mia who was ass flat on the beach sand, seeming to have fallen in the mist of the chase.

"How long have you guys been dating?" Thomas speaks again, like a stubborn fly, Riley thinks, because he refuses to take the hint. But she answers him anyways.

"We're not dating," she says, simple and straightforward. The man, inquisitive and curious, asks another question.

"Really? How come?" Riley doesn't respond to this question. Instead, she stands and walks to the parking where her car is. She regrets not inviting Melody and Max, so she calls her friend who answers after one ring.

"Miss Brown," Max greets mockingly, wanting to annoy his friend. Riley smirks instead.

"Maxwell," she simply says, which is enough to make the latter whine like a child.

"Why do you always know how to annoy me?" he asks.

"Listen, do you think you and Melody can drive here right now?"

"Well, were not doing anything serious so I guess so. Where you at?"

Riley doesn't respond, instead she types on her phone, sending Max the address.

"The beach? what re you doing there without me?"

Riley runs her finger into her hair and sighs.

"Ask me. Ask me why I chose to do something so foolish. Now I'm stuck with a man who keeps asking me annoying questions about me and Jennie."

"You're not saying anything man," Max responds, confused. Riley sighs again.

"Just get here as fast as you can," she says, hanging up. She turns around to find Jennie walking towards her. She looked sexy in her swimwear. So sexy, Riley thinks.

"Leaving already?" Jennie asks as she stands in front of the latter.

"Your friend's boyfriend is boring so I invited Max," Riley says, feeling proud of herself. Jennie shakes her head.

"That's not a nice thing to say about someone's boyfriend."

"Should I apologise?" Riley asks, faking regret. 

"Do you want to apologise?"Jennie asks, not buying Riley's act. Riley smirks then.

"What do you think?" she asks, which makes Jennie shake her head at her.

"Come on, I wanna show you all the pretty rocks I found," she says instead, taking Riley's hand and leading her away from her car.

#######

Melissa looked at her daughter who sat staring at her phone, texting away her time. Her beautiful face wore a small frown like it usually did when she was not pleased. Like usual, she had her hair tied in a neat ponytail and wore formal clothes. Her leg crossed over the other. She looked like the business woman her mother was, just younger.

"Darling, are you still mad at your mother?" Melissa asked, the question going unanswered. She sighed and stood up from the couch to sit next to her daughter who remained unbothered.

"Darling, surely you know you cannot avoid me forever," she tried again, this time she got an eye roll.

"Okay, tell me how I can fix this. Tell me how I can make you better?" This time the latter tuned to look at her.

"I need a new car," she said, her face serious.

"Done." Melissa confirmed, smiling because she was finally getting a response.

#######

Max sat down next to Riley, Melody going away to join Jennie and Mia in the water.

"Can't believe you chose to come here on a weekday," Max says, laughing slightly as he watched the ladies laugh about something Melody says.

"Blame it the girls," Thomas says, then excuses himself saying that he has to fetch his sunscrean.

"Who the hell is that?" Max asks, eyes wide open in shock. Riley scoffs.

"Mia's boyfriend. He's pretty much a bore. Keeps asking unnecessary questions."

"I'm sure he's not that bad," Max says, laughing.

"He's not," Riley says, ending the discussion. They sit in silence until Thomas comes back.