Bound to You

Chapter 22: Cold

 “You know you can kiss me if you want.” The scene from the afternoon before played over and over in Darcy’s mind as she pushed her eggs around on her plate. So close… They had been so close. She’d ended up texting Ross and having him pick her up from the studio since Riker had stayed late to help Jase with different classes. She longed for another moment alone with him. She’d gotten up earlier than usual and fixed herself breakfast in the hopes of Riker coming downstairs before the rest of the family did. Maybe if they had just a few minutes by themselves again… She still wasn’t sure what they would be able to do about their budding feelings as far as a relationship, but she knew they couldn’t just ignore them and simply pretend they didn’t exist any longer. They’d passed that point weeks ago. There was no going back. Her mind wandered briefly to hers and Ross’s schedule as she tried to finish what was left of her scrambled eggs. The entire family was to accompany them on a bowling date, along with the other girlfriends. It was another one of Sean’s outings intended to show Darcy’s closeness to the entire Lynch clan. They’d decided on that afternoon since Ross wasn’t busy with Austin & Ally and the band had a day off from rehearsals. Her stomach fluttered when she heard footsteps echoing down the staircase. Riker stepped into the kitchen a few moments later, dressed in only his plaid pajama pants and dark framed glasses. He kept his back turned to her as he pulled a drink out of the fridge. “Good morning.” She said happily. Her heart was racing; they were alone. Would he try to kiss her again? He glanced briefly at her and mumbled a barely audible “Morning.” before walking back towards the staircase. She frowned as she heard him thump slowly back up to his room. That hadn’t been the greeting she was expecting. Far from it. Riker’s unemotional response left a knot in her stomach; he hadn’t acted that way since the night of her 20th birthday party. Something wasn’t right.

**

“STRIKE! Oh yeah!” Ross busted into a quick victory dance before skipping back over to where Darcy sat with the other girlfriends. “I believe you owe me.” He said suggestively as he leaned down to her level. She grinned in return as his lips met hers. Earlier, within earshot of the other girls, she’d bet Ross that he wouldn’t get even one strike during the game. He’d accepted her bet on the condition that for every strike he did get she had to give him a kiss. She’d made the bet on purpose; Ross was an excellent bowler. It was an attempt on her part to up the ‘cuteness’ factor around Breanne and Mackenzie. So far, it was working. “Darcy, so far you’re 0-4 against Ross. Should we just rent you two a room?” Breanne teased. Darcy giggled and glanced inconspicuously over to where Riker sat with Ellington and Rydel. He had his gaze fixed straight ahead. She knew he’d heard Breanne’s comment. He hadn’t been paying her even the slightest bit of attention ever since they arrived. It both frustrated and confused her. She knew she hadn’t been misreading what had been going on between them; after all, they’d been less than a half a second away from a kiss barely twenty four hours before. She didn’t know what his problem was. It was unlike him not to talk to her about it, whatever ‘it’ may be. He came to her about everything, every tiny little thing. He was completely shutting her out and she didn’t like it. She watched as he stood and made his way over to the long, polished wooden aisle that stretched towards the pins. Oddly enough, none of the others had noticed Riker’s coldness towards her. They probably assumed he was trying to give ‘Rarcy’ some space while Breanne and Mack were around. Even stranger, they hadn’t noticed the budding feelings between the two of them either. Not even Rydel. She was grateful. Her life was complicated enough without adding the pressure of his family’s curiosity. She felt Ross gently nudge her arm. “Stand up.” He instructed. She promptly stood and flashed him a confused glance as he flopped down into the seat she’d been in moments before. He patted his lap and grinned cheekily. She rolled her eyes as she repositioned herself on top of his legs. His arms wrapped themselves tightly around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She inconspicuously glanced at Riker. He still had his eyes focused straight ahead. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d caught him giving her and Ross those wistful stares as of late. And now…nothing. It had only been about twelve hours since they last spoke, but it was driving her insane. She couldn’t stand the silence. She couldn’t stand not talking to him, not being around him. It felt wrong.

**

Darcy sat perched atop the kitchen counter later that evening. She knew Riker always came down for a late-night snack around 11:00. Frustration didn’t even begin to cover the trip to the bowling alley and the family dinner that had followed. Riker had blown her off multiple times that afternoon. It was unlike him. Even on days in the past when he hadn’t been feeling his best he’d never taken it out on her. If anything he would talk to her about it. Minus the pointless hatred and seething glares, it almost felt as if they were back to the way things were before. She didn’t understand. She was more hurt than angry. Riker was her best friend. All romantic feelings aside, she was more afraid of losing him as a friend than anything. Her thoughts were interrupted when Riker stepped into the kitchen and made his way towards the fridge. She waited for a few moments. Nothing. Not a word. “Hey.” She said quietly in an attempt to break the silence. She heard him mumble something inaudible from the other side of the refrigerator door. He pulled out a container of leftover spaghetti from the evening before and placed it in the microwave. They stayed silent for a few agonizing moments. Darcy gritted her teeth. She felt the overwhelming urge to either jump down and kiss him or punch him. At the moment, probably the latter. She took a deep, steadying breath and tried again. “Riker, are you okay?” she questioned concernedly. He nodded, keeping his eyes on the countertop rather than on her. “I’m fine.” He mumbled. She gave him a disbelieving glance before hopping down onto the tile floor. “Riker…” she started. He quickly whirled around to face her. He looked mildly annoyed. She took a hesitant step backwards, startled by his reaction. He was scowling bitterly. “Darcy, just leave me alone. Okay?” He snapped before turning around and leaving the room abruptly.