I LOVE YOU

Chapter 8

STEFI'S P.O.V

"Jeez, we're in the freaking Orlando, why it has to be rain?"  Toby pouted.

"Climate change?"  Connor chuckled.  They were walking out of that private meeting room, finally.

"Hey..."  Riley kissed my cheek.  "You're okay?"

"Hmm."  I nodded.

"What about Starbucks?"  He winked.

"Heck sure!"  I weakly shouted.  We burst out laughed.

"Alright let's get out of here."  Riley wrapped my waist again.  Told you, he's been doing it for the whole time ever since I came back to Orlando.  But I didn't that care to ask.  He'd tell me if he wanted to.

"The usual?"  Riley grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers once we stepped out of the car.

"Sure, thank you."

"Alright just sit here and wait, I got it."

I mouthed thank you to these boys.  Well there's pretty many people in this store so it should take some time in that queue line for them to order.  I repositioned my chair to the view outside, stared at the distance, tried to think what my life would be if my parents were still alive.  Somehow deep inside me, I regret this moving back stuff.  I would have never been losing Dad if he was taking the same plane with me to Orlando last week.  Not saying that I wasn't all happy.  But honestly, yeah, I wasn't that happy.

"Stef?  Stef?  Hey..."  Riley pinched my cheek which made me shock.

"Whoa.  Sorry."  I took the coffee that Riley gave me.

"You spaced out too much, Stef.  What happened?" 

"Nothing, I'm good."  I smiled.  "Uh, are you guys okay if I need some time of myself?  Home is just like 10 feet away, I'll be back at 5."  

"Where are you going?"  Riley stood up, ran after me.

"Dude, give her a space.  It's been the hardest time for her."  Connor stopped his brother.

"It's okay Ri.  I'll be home.  Promise."  I walked outside the store, headed nowhere.  

Oh, I just remember that I knew this one place, it's full of flowers, inside the city park, not far from here.  I guess I'm just going there then.  That's a good place to calm my mind.  It's nothing new.  Just having Dad's face all day long in my mind and how he kissed and hugged me goodbye at the airport.  To be by Riley's side all the time was amazing.  He did give me everything I wanted, understand my condition, but it's hard because he kept reminding me of what I've lost.  Also with the fact, that I gained nothing.

I walked further inside the park, way further, until I found the flower garden.  It's the place that I used to go with my parents when I was younger.  They said some locals liked to grow some flowers on this place.  But it's too far inside the garden, so people barely discovered it.

"Are you the girl in my office today?"  A voice distracted my mind so I looked up.

"Richard?  Hi.  Yeah, I'm Stefi.  Can I help you?"

"What are you doing here?  Where's the boys?"  He sit across me.  "May I?"

Not feeling really into it but I can't say it out loud.  "Sure. The boys are back home, I guess.  I'm alone."

"Good."  He bowed his head.

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to leave them."  He said in short.

"What?"

"You hear me and I'm not gonna say it twice."

"Are you kidding me?  Who are you to control me?"  I kinda pissed off.

"You're just gonna ruin their career.  There'll be tours ahead.  So stay away.  Fans don't like girls around them."

"Richard, you're so...rude!"  I shouted.

"You stay away from them.  You hear me bright and clear, Stefi.  Do it, or you'll see."

He left me with this thousands of questions in my mind.  Can you people just stop?