in your arms

s e v e n

james's pov

"riley— riley, wait?" i grab her arm to stop her avoiding me again. "please just listen."

"james..." she sighs.

"no! riley, you kiss me and then you avoid me for days? do you have any respect for my feelings at this point—?"

she looks so sad, i feel bad for her.

i sigh and lower my voice to a gentler tone. "look, it's just, if you really need somewhere to live, i'm moving into my apartment today. you're always welcome, okay?"

she swallows hard and nods. "if you don't mind," she admits, embarrassed.

"it's fine," i say quickly. "perfectly fine."

were interrupted by my moms voice telling me to start grabbing the boxes from my room, and load them into the car, which i do, riley helping me. Piper only helps becuase once i leave she gets our room all to herself and that's always been her dream, well— ever since she had to move in with me.

me and piper only get along when we want to. i mean, if she needs me, i'll be there, i can't really say the same for vice versa but still— i'm sure that deep down she loves me. deep, deep down. at least a little bit.

"thanks," i mutter, as riley loads the last of the boxes into the boot of my car, and then Mom shows up once again to interrupt — as usual.

"and you're sure you have everything—?"

"yes, Mom," i try to refrain form rolling my eyes.

"and you will visit, right? you won't forget about your poor old mother?

"Mom," i groan. "no, i won't forget."

"good," she notices rileys gone off to talk to Piper, so then she brings up what she really wanted to ask me. "so... rileys going to live with you, then?"

"yes..."

"and you're sure that's a good idea?"

"Mom, it'll be fine," i say. "this is my baby, i need to step up and be there, you know?"

"i know, baby," she says, sighing. "and i'm proud of you for stepping up like this. most boys wouldn't."

i smile sadly. "thanks, i guess. and i'll be fine, momma. you don't need to worry," i say, kissing her forehead.

then Piper and caitlin walk out of the house and caitlin shoves me slightly. "well. looks like the little dweeb is finally growing up," she smiles.

this is her being nice. if you couldn't notice.

caitlins the eldest. she's 25 (making her 6 years older than me, which kinda sucks) and she lives in the city somewhere that's close to the dance company she owns.

to be honest she's the reason i started dancing when i was younger, becuase she was really talented at every style (in my eyes) and i wanted to be just like that — but i wouldn't tell her that to her face. she'd be wayyy too cocky about it.

"yeah, i guess so," i say, smiling.

"im not gonna miss you," Piper says, hugging me. i laugh. she's so weird sometimes. i hug her back as long as i can, to savour it before she goes back to being rude to me all the time.

but as soon as she lets go brooklyn jumps up on me. "woah," i laugh, as she rests her head in the crook of my neck, holding on to me so tight i'll probably suffocate, but i don't care. "i think we'll know who's gonna miss me the most," i say.

she nods. "Piper, obviously," she mumbles, and i can feel her smiling. i laugh. "do you have to move out?"

"well, i can't live here forever," i tell her. "and you can come over anytime you want, okay?"

"okay," she says, and i let her down to the ground, the at last, they let me leave, after Mom

riley gets in the front seat beside me, and i try to make small talk but it's so awkward i shut up pretty quickly.

"we can't go on like this forever, you know," i blurt out.

"like what?"

"like... you act like you love me, then you avoid me, you kiss me, then you avoid me again..." i tell her. "i can't take it anymore. can't you just be straightforward with me?"

"im sorry. look, i love you, james, but i don't want to date you right now," she says, she sounds like she's getting angry. "i'm not ready."

i groan. "but, why—"

"becuase. in case you aren't aware, i'm pregnant. with a real life human being that i have to be responsible for, and dating you would be too much. it'll be like i'm settling down for the rest of my life and i don't know how to handle that—"

i cut her off. "i understand that. god. i'm going through nearly the exact same thing if you didn't realise. but i want to help. this is my baby as much mine as it's yours."

"i know. and i so need you," she sighs. "i know i do. i just..."

i pull the car up outside the apartment block. but no one moves. no one gets out of the car. we just sit here.

"riley, i love you. more than a friend, way, way more," i admit. "and this thing you're doing that's playing with my feelings is honestly a really shitty thing to do." and with that i get out of the car.

~~

IT WILL BE RESOLVED SOON I PROMISE