Believable (r.a.l.)

Chapter Fifty One

Riker's POV
As I step up to the door of Liane's house, the racket of little children becomes louder. Screaming and the loud footsteps of the kids is heard clearly through the big door standing before me. It's as if it's only a screen door, and not one to block out the weather. I knock firmly three or four times and my knocks triggered even more screaming: "MOMMY!! SOMEONE'S AT THE DOOR!" A little girl's voice yells out. "NOBODY'S HOME. GO AWAY YOU DORK!" A boy screams. "MATTHEW! DON'T BE RUDE! Tasha, get the door would you," I hear a woman yell, I'm assuming she's Liane's mother.

A few moments later, a teenage girl opens the door in the middle of calling one of her little brothers an annoying rat. She glances up at me and I see that she appears to be close to Liane's age and has her looks too. I think I've seen her before at school events but I can't be sure. She looks me up and down with a slight look of disgust on her face. I wonder what I did wrong.

"Riker," Tasha says.

I nod, "Is Liane there? She asked me to come over," I clarify.

Liane's sister nods and steps aside to let me in. I walk inside to the living room. It looks practically how it did in November when I picked Liane up for Homecoming. A little girl runs up to me and holds up a rag doll. I take it and thank her and she runs away. Tasha rips the doll from my hand, mumbling something along the lines of stupid girl and takes my arm. She pulls me across the room over to and up the stairs.

"Liane's in her room. Second door on the left," Tasha informs me, pointing at the door down the hallway. Then she runs back down the staircase without another word.

I walk down the dark hall slowly, feeling like I'm intruding. I've never been up here. I've only been in Liane's house once and I only stood at the door. Walking around alone when it's only my second time here feels weird. But soon enough I arrive at my friends bedroom door. It's slightly cracked with a dim light shining through. I can hear Liane's faint little cries through the door. I knock lightly.

"Come in," she calls, her voice a little shaky. I step in and see her straighten up, wiping her nose with her sleeve. She gives me a weak smile. "Thanks for coming."

"Any time," I reply, sitting down next to her on her bed. I look at her straight in the eyes. Tears pool up at the ridges and the iris shines from the light on the dampness. Her nose is red and stuffy from the crying and there's a frown in the place of her beautiful smile that's there every day. "You wanna explain why Cameron is such a jerk and dumped you?"

"Like I said before, he thinks I wasn't into him or the relationship." Her vice is more steady than it was on the phone but she's still sniffling and excess tears still fall down her cheeks.

"I don't understand. Why would he say that? What reason is there to think that?"

"Somehow he thinks I have feelings for you still! And that I only asked him to the dance just to make you jealous."

She looks away, obviously not being able to look at me. The crying starts up again while I search for what to say. Cameron's reasonings are completely ridiculous. Liane isn't the kind of person to date one person to make another jealous.

"Liane," I say softly. I place my hand on her shoulder and she glances back at me. She sighs realizing I am asking for her side of the story.

"I... Yes. Yes at first, I admit, I did ask him to make you jealous," her voice gets quieter.

She doesn't look at me, embarrassed. I know I would be if I was in her shoes. But I myself was not expecting her to say that. Yes, I had the thought that she was doing it to make me jealous the entire time, but that was just my mind being stupid. Deep down I truly thought she wouldn't do that. Though she did. And it worked. A little more than I'd like to admit. But then I got back together with Justine. It didn't matter to me anymore.