Torn

Chapter 23- hope

Riley's POV

The kiss was blissful. Soft but meaningful. He pulled away slowly, smiling slightly as his eyes lock with mine. "What now?" I whisper to him quietly.
"We forget what's happed. We forget this past 6 months. We carry on from where we left off?"
"I think I could manage that." I reply softly. He pulls me into a tight embrace. My head nestled gently in his neck. "I love you" I whisper
"I love you too babe"

We spend the next hour or so talking, kissing and crying in my case. I love having him back.

The door handle turns as James mom Debra walked in. She smiles softly at us and says "James I need you to go to bed now, its been a long day for us all. Riley dear I need a word."
"Ok" I reply timidly as James kisses my head softly and, slinging his jacket over his shoulder, he leave the room. Debra comes over and sits on the end of my bed. "Listen to me, after what happed earlier at court it isn't safe for any of us until we are free from him. Your father, and Alex will both be expecting you to return to school so you have to stay her away from school until we can enroll you in a new one. You James and Charlie must not leave the house alone. Is that understood?"
"Yes of course" I reply. Greatful for the excuse not to go back to school.

"So are you and James back together" she asks tentatively.
"Um.... Yeah...."
"About ruddy time" she says loudly "I really missed you Riley. Your like family"
"Thanks Debra"

I wake up the next morning to Charlie blasting his music on full volume. God I've missed this. I hear Debra yell at him from downstairs lecturing him about waking the whole house up despite herself being just as loud. Another voice pipes up from the room next door.
"Charlie you woke me up."
It's James little sister jess. I haven't seen her in ages. I creep out of the spare room and onto the landing. I sneak up behind her and grab her round the waist swinging her up in the air. She is only 7 so she is relatively light.
"RILEY" she screams out of excitement.
"Hello beautiful" I say back. She sits on my hip and cuddles into me as James walks out of his room. He is wearing a blue tank top and cargo shorts. He comes over to me and kisses me lightly as jess yells
"EWW RILEY AND JAMES KISSED"
"Shut up you" James hisses at her coldly.
I put jess down on the floor and she scurrys down stairs. "How are you?" James asks cautiously.
"Okay, I'm just in shock I guess. How on earth did he get off. After fucking video proof surely that was enough."
"You'd think so wouldn't you."
"James I think something else is going on. Something just doesn't feel right. "
"Then we better find out what happened"
He kissed me almost in a reasuring way and we head down stairs.