Tough Love

Chapter 28

Riley's POV

I check my watch again for about the hundredth time since I sat down in Culture Shock. James told me he would come down when he was finished practice. Which was only twenty minutes ago.

"Hi Riley."

I look up, expecting to see James, but instead Charlie stands infront of me.

"Oh, hey Charlie." I respond. We had become really good friends between that time after my break up with James and before me and Josh got together.

"Mind if I sit?" He asks, gesturing to the empty seat next to me.

"Yeah, of course."

He sits down, and we start talking.

James POV

"I think that's good for today Beth."

We have been practicing for about a half hour, and quite frankly, that's long enough in a room alone with Beth.

"Alright." She sighs sadly. She goes to hug me, but I dodge her and leave the room.

I head down to Culture Shock, and see Charlie at a table, talking, laughing. With my Riley. I'm pretty sure he had a thing for her when me and Riley were broken up.

I stand in the doorway where they can't see me, and carefully watch him. He says something to her, and than slowly reaches out and touches her hand.

Riley's POV

"So, it's been awhile since we hung out. How've you been?" Charlie asks me, touching my hand.

"Um, fine." I respond, slightly creeped out as he touched me.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to you? Your face, I mean. It's all cut up and bruised." He says, as if I didn't already know. Me and Charlie were really good friends, and was there for me when me and James broke up, but I didn't want to tell him the events of the last few months.

"Um...well-"

"Hey Riles!" James says, sitting in the seat between me and Charlie. He leans over and kisses me roughly on the lips. He pulls away and grins at me. I look at Charlie, his eyes wide as he slowly takes his hand off of mine.

"Um, y-you two are back t-together?" Charlie stutters.

"We sure are." James smiles lovingly at me and takes my hand. I smile weakly at Charlie. Charlie's jaw tightens and speaks up.

"Well, that's great. I hope your happy together." He says. James stands up and tugs at my arm to stand up too.

"Well, me and Riley have to go now, so bye." James says, trying to drag me out of Culture Shock, but I stop and turn to Charlie.

"It was nice talking to you again." I say to him. He nods and stands up.

"Yeah, it was. I'll text you." He replies. He leans closer to me, about to hug me, but James quickly hauled me closer to him, putting an arm around my shoulder and walked me out of Culture Shock.

"What was that about?" James seethes. I stop walking. I push his arm away from me and cross my arms.

"I can ask you the same thing." I say, staring him down.

"What do you mean?" He questions. I let out a pathetic laugh.

"Seriously James? You jump on me for being a bit jealous of Beth, but it's okay for you to be jealous of Charlie? You know that we're just friends." I snap.

"I'm not sure if you realize this, but I think it was pretty obvious that Charlie had a thing for you, and I'm pretty sure that he still does, so I think I have a right to be jealous of a guy hitting on my girlfriend!" He lashes at me.

"It's the same thing with Beth! Only I didn't kiss Charlie when I was clearly dating someone else, unlike you!" I shoot back. He stands there speechless, and I'm sure that I've won. I turn in the direction of the exit and saunter off.

"Where are you going?" I hear him call out to me.

"I'm walking!" I call back to him.

"Riley!" I hear him yell, and I break out into a run. I hear him running behind me, but hear him stop halfway.

I reach my house, and quickly run inside, slamming the door behind me.

I can perfectly understand why he would be jealous. But get mad about my jealousy and defend Beth? Like really James? Sometimes, I really can't believe him!