Exquisite

Chapter 9 / Closed Door

" The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it does."

A/N don't play the song yet

RILEY'S POV
Its been two weeks since basketball tournament ended. Two weeks since me and Andrew last spoke. We haven't been communicating in any way. Unless you count the icy cold looks he gives me every time we pass in the corridor. And that draws the line.

No texts. No phone calls. No smiles. Or anything that might suggest that we had any sort of good connection not too long ago. He still haven't unblocked me on social media.

I'm not even close to figuring out the answer to the question I've been asking my self for literally 14 whole fcking days. What happened with us? What made everything flip? Is it my fault? Once or twice the possibility that it could have been Adam who messed things up did cross my mind.

But why would he do that? What would he get from that? And if he does take our deal seriously, if I don't get Andrew, it's his loss because then I won't help him out with Emma. But the deal was just for fun.

Even though it did cross my mind, I don't think it had anything to do with Adam. Since nothing has changed between me and him.

Since things ended with me and Andrew, my life has been a total teen fiction book. I haven't been able to concentrate on literally anything, including basketball. I could just be sitting in class and my mind would just slip elsewhere.

It's been pretty hard. Everytime I see him I feel like something is digging into my flesh. I know all this is really cliché. And you'd think, oh my god get a grip girl, you only knew him for a few months.

But here's the thing. Even if it was for just a few months, he means so much to me. So fcking much. I mean I might not love him, but it's something close to that. I don't know why I do this to myself.

Why I let myself fall for people out of my league over and over again. Why I trust and make a special place inside me for these people who'd just walk out without a second thought. And no matter how hard I try to convince myself that they aren't any good, or count all the terrible things about them, it just doesn't work.

Only if things were simpler.

***

I was at basketball practice once again. Since I couldn't focus at all, non of the balls went through the hoop. As a punishment coach made me stay after practice and take all the equipment to the equipment shed.

I was just putting the last cones into the equipment bag when I heard footsteps behind me. I just ignored assuming it was probably someone who came back to get there water bottle or something.

But turns out it wasn't. It was Daniel.

The second I saw him, my heart started hammering against my chest. He gave me a smile and said hi. For some obvious reason this made me feel slightly better.

I tried my best not to show my nervousness when I said hi back to him.

"So what are you up to, Riley?"

"Just taking everything back to the shed."

"Need some help?" He asked with that irresistible dimpled smile.

"Yes thanks"

We each took one bag and walked to the shed. It wasn't too far away so there wasn't much time for conversation.