How We Found Us | ✔️

Part Four: Senior Year

Chapter Thirty-Five

I peeked outside my room. The house was silent aside from the sounds of Pickles playing with a toy. She bounced around the living room, occasionally popping into view, shaking the soon-to-be-dead toy violently. Taking a deep breath, I slipped out of my room and carefully closed the door so it wouldn't make a sound. My heart skipped when I passed Riley's room, his door was closed. As soon as I was by his door, I hurried my pace.

"Chloe."

My heart skipped at the sound of Riley's voice behind me. I closed my eyes before releasing a breath and looking behind me. He stood outside the bathroom door, towel hanging around his bare shoulders. Water dripped along his smooth chest. Heat circled my cheeks, my stomach twisted in knots as I stared at his chest. So smooth. And his abs, while not ripped with a glorious six-pack . . . I shook my head and turned around.

"Sorry," I said, "late for class."

"Chloe come on! We have to talk."

"Later, okay! I'm late." I quickened my pace and hurried out the door, Riley continued to call after me.

For months I'd avoided him at all costs, even if it meant climbing out my window to leave for class. The last conversation I had with him was before I practically jumped his bones. When I woke up the next morning, lying next to Riley naked and vulnerable, I panicked. He didn't stir when I wiggled out from underneath him and collected my discarded clothes. I had barely laid eyes on him since. It was no easy task, avoiding him for months, at least when he left for summer vacation it made things a little easier. Now he was back.

Already two weeks into school and finding ways to avoid him was becoming increasingly harder. I cursed not having a bigger friend base. At least if I had friends who consisted of people I didn't live with, I could've hid out with them.

As I drove to class, I glanced at the clock. I'd be early. Again. Every day I'd been at school far earlier than I needed to be, all in an effort to avoid Riley. It was stupid. We'd slept together, crossed the line of friendship and there was no coming back from that. Not for me. Did I intend to give him my everything when I went to his room that night? Doesn't matter what my intention was. I'd done it. And now I couldn't take it back.

I wiped my eyes and parked my car in one of the student lots. Kids scurried by without a care in the world. At least in my eyes they didn't have a care. Thousands of them slept with each other every day. Why did I have such a problem having sex with Riley? Shouldn't I have been happy? He was a great guy and cared for me a lot. The entire time I avoided him, I tried to figure out why I avoided him. But I had no answer.

The fall chill hit my face when I stepped out of the car. I slipped my arms through the straps of my backpack and headed toward the same place I always went when I arrived that early. The food court.

One downside to avoiding Riley was that I hadn't eaten at home in months. Take-out and the campus food court became my holy grail, except the days when I saw Riley at one of the tables. Avoiding Riley also meant I often had to avoid Georgie and Cassie, a side effect I loathed. Today I knew Cassie would be at campus already and I had texted her to meet me at the food court. I needed to talk to someone. To finally tell someone what Riley and I had done, I hadn't even told Doctor Daniels.

"Hey Chloe," Cassie said when I slipped into a chair beside her. "Isn't your first class like two hours from now?"

I nodded and laid my head on the table. A simple, plain, red headband held her curly hair at bay. Both her earrings and engagement ring glinted in the florescent lights. I both loved and hated that ring filling the final empty place on her decorated hands. Loved it because of what it represented between my two closest friends, but hated because of the envy it stirred within me. Cassie sighed and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair.