ANOTHER LONELY DECEMBER, Riley Johnson

Right Around the Corner

🎧: Drove to the Ocean - Paget Brewster

I liked Pittsburgh in winter. Especially when it got cold enough so the snow would stick to the ground and the top of the water would slightly freeze overnight. I liked how peaceful it felt to watch the landscape switch from those bright orange tones to these comforting shades of white. The streets were slowly being filled with fairy lights and red decorations, signalling that Christmas was right around the corner.

I had willingly accepted to tag along with Harper and Abby and go back to Harper's parents place for the holiday. I was aware that I might run into her but I didn't mind, or at least I tried to persuade myself into thinking that I didn't mind. The chances of us running into each other were pretty thin, except for the white elephant party but I would manage. If I knew beforehand then I would be able to take it upon myself, as long as her girlfriend wasn't there.

After my birthday I was truly determined to move on, meet new people and just live my life. I tried dating. I mean, I dated for a while but I didn't meet anyone worth holding on to. These woman were nice, some more than others, but even the finest ones they just weren't... They weren't Riley. After overthinking it for the thousandth time, I came to the conclusion that not getting proper closure was the issue. Not knowing what she thought, what she felt... I thought I could live with that but I couldn't. I thought I just needed time but what I really needed was answers.

"What's wrong? Did you forget something?" Abby asked looking at me through the rearview mirror. She was seating in the passenger seat next to her fiancé who was driving. She proposed months ago in the most cliché way possible but it suited them for some reason.

"Nothing, I was just lost in my thoughts" I smiled. I had a lot on my mind. Riley was one of the obvious reason, the fact that I was going to move away from my sister and friends was the other. After that trip to New-York, I knew that was where I wanted to be. I had equal chances of finding a job there, I had been looking at apartments and had a few solid leads. Plus, I figure that a fresh start would be a good idea.

"Have you been looking at apartments lately?" Harper asked as if she'd been reading my mind.

"Yeah, I found a few nice one. I booked visits for January" I explained observing Abby's reaction. She was thrilled about the idea of me moving away but she wasn't against it either. We'd never been away from each other without knowing when we'd get to meet again. New-York wasn't that far from Pittsburgh, but with our works and our lives we knew it would be complicated to adjust.

"That's great" Harper smiled before bringing her attention back to the road. For some reason the drive didn't seem as long as it did last year. Probably because the mood in the car was light, joyful almost. When we arrived, Tipper seemed genuinely happy to see us.

"Amelia, honey, you can take the room downstairs and the two love birds will stay in Harper's old room" the lady explained as we walked in. "Sloane should arrive later this afternoon and Jane-"

"Amelia!" Jane's voice came from upstairs. She rushed towards us and wrapped her arms around each of us so fast that we almost fell. "So, have you finished it?" she asked with desperate puppy eyes. As much as I wanted to read her book as soon as she gave it to me, I didn't really have time until recently.

"It was brilliant, honestly. I loved every second of it" I meant every word I said, I truly enjoyed her book even though I would have never bought it myself. It wasn't a universe that appealed to me yet I really enjoyed it.

"I knew you would love it!" she jumped around, hugging me again. I knew she was having some sort of reading session at a local library during the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve. I wasn't sure I'd still be there but I was willing to try my best.