boundaries | e.d

F i f t e e n

Ethan

Being alone with Riley yesterday was a huge mistake on my part. The constant fluctuation between pretending to not care and actually caring so much that it hurts - is giving me whiplash.

Ever since her hazel eyes looked into mine, my mind has been consumed by her, and her alone. So much so, that I've lost sight of why I joined the gang in the first place; to be with my brother.

I'm so close to that goal, too. I know where he is, as well as the gang he associates with. The only problem is, I can't get myself in the same vicinity as him without any help.

The bottom line is, Grayson is growing further out of my reach the longer I focus on Riley and the sudden emotions that come along her.

I need to let her go for both of our sakes.

I knocked on their apartment door, hoping deep down she wouldn't be the one to invite me in. Seeing her will only make things worse, and the constant avoidance she puts towards me should make it easy.

"Oh?" Jake tilts his head in confusion, before stepping aside to let me in. I let out a breath of relief from his greeting, taking his invitation into the foyer.

"How's it going?" I start up casual conversation as the two of us head into the kitchen. My feet stumble as her beauty comes into view, chewing on her lunch till her movements slow down from my presence.

"We're good." I hear Jake answer me as he sits down to eat his sandwich. "Do you want something to eat?"

I almost don't answer the man as my eyes remain on Riley nervously from her not looking away - it confused me the longer she stared at me.

"What are you even doing here?" Her attitude returns after the moment we shared doesn't get through to her. I should've expected it. "I told you I don't wanna see you."

"Riley." Jake interferes, but I remain unaffected by the stick up her damn ass.

"I'm not here for you, Riley." I roll my eyes at her, grabbing a beer from the fridge as I hear the person I'm waiting to speak to walk through the door. "I'm here for Natasha." I make sure to tell her with eye contact. Her confidence shatters as a wave of insecurity takes over her features.

Yeah, I hope you felt that.

Jake huffs as Riley throws a silent tantrum on her escape from the kitchen. She throws her plate in the garbage as she makes it a motion to shove me out of the way. She then ignores her brother, again, and heads up to her bedroom with a slam to her door.

"Did I offend her?" I toss my hands up sarcastically while Jake shrugs.

"You tell me." Natasha snarls as she comes into the kitchen with her hand on her hip. I swear, she's the mother of this gang.

"All I did was tell her I wasn't here for her." I honestly fight back while Ryder sits next to his best friend.

"Who cares at this point." Ryder surprisingly says, "Riley gets mad at everyone lately."

"Aw, is someone butthurt?" Jake puts out his bottom lip while Natasha and I start chuckling.

"Is Riley you're friend or some shit?" Ryder throws off Jakes "supporting" hand with frustration clear in his voice.

"I don't piss off Riley." Jake sits back in his chair with a smirk that drives me furious, "Unlike you two idiots."

Stick to the plan. You don't care.

"It doesn't matter." I finally talk, grabbing everyones attention. "I came here to talk to Nat, actually."

"Not without me." Ryder's quick to say as Nat leans off the counter in curiosity. The air gets thick as I nod to him, looking over to Jake as a request for him to leave.