Dangerous (Riley McDonough)

Chapter Seven

He was concentrating as he drew and I was scanning my eyes over his wall of many drawings before my eyes landed on that same picture. The picture of him with the girl. The one where they were having sex.

"Riley?" I said before he turned around in his chair and looked at me, his pencil in his hand. "Who is this with you?" I ran my fingers over the picture and realized how young Riley looked.

He shook his head and turned back around. "Nobody."

"Riley-"

"Drop it, Avery." I shook my head and then walked over to him before standing in front of him, which caused one of his eyebrows to raise.

"No, Riley. I will not just drop it. I want to know." He licked his bottom lip before standing up and taking in a deep breath, his eyes filling with pain.

"Her name is Lindsey." He let out his breath and sat down on his futon before I sat down next to him. "We met whenever we were in the eigth grade, and she was my best friend for a really, really long time. And senior year of high school, we decided to date. She was my first love, and she would always say that I was hers." He glanced at me and then slid his arm around my waist before continuing. "We got drunk at a party after graduation, and she told me all of these things." He let out a shaky breath before clutching my waist tightly. "One of those things being that she used me, and that she has cheated on me so many times."

"Oh my god." I mumbled before he stood up and paced the room, his eyes glued on the drawing.

"I drew that whenever we were dating, and I haven't had the guts to tear it down."

"Do you still love her?" I blurted, causing his eyes to go wide.

He shook his head quickly and then stopped before looking at me and sitting down next to me. "No, of course not." He then kissed my lips lightly before staring right into my eyes. "I love you."

Riley was looking around at the different samples around the store as I was looking at different foods so I could make dinner.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I heard someone mumble from behind me. I turned around and saw my dad speaking to Riley, my eyes going wide.

"I thought this was a public place." Riley replied, his hand instantly finding mine. My dad glanced from our hands to him and then looked straight at me.

"Why are you still with him?" He growled before taking a step forward which caused Riley to squeeze my hand tighter.

I then took a step forward so I was standing in front of Riley and narrowed my eyes. "Leave him alone, dad."

"And why should I?"

Riley rested his hand on my shoulder and said, "Avery, move out of the way."

"No." I replied, turning around to look at Riley. "I won't let him come between us, Riley." My dad then rolled his eyes and I turned around, looking at him straight in the eyes. "I love him."

"You love him?" I nodded and then he started laughing, his fists lutching at his sides. "You don't know the meaning of love."

"Oh and like you do!?" Riley slid his arm around my waist but I didn't step back. "You and mom are always fighting and telling each other how much you hate each other and you are trying to tell me that I don't know what love is?" He shook his head and I took a step forward so that I was only a couple inches from his face. "You feel stupid now, don't you?"

His eyes then narrowed and he lifted up his hand and before I knew it, his hand smacked me across the face. My jaw dropped and tears welled up in my eyes before I turned around and ran into Riley's arms, Riley instantly embracing me.