On Purpose

Chapter 8:

My eyes opened to an unfamiliar room, and an unfamiliar bed. I sat up quickly, too quickly, and pain rushed to my head, along with yesterday's events.

I frowned, then smiled.

My nose adjusted to the air and caught Riley's scent, and something else I liked a lot.

Before I could get out of the bed to go investigate the mouth watering smell, Riley walked in with a plate full of eggs.

His eyes met mine and he smiled instantly, sitting on the side of the bed.

"Good morning."

I smiled weakly, my stomach rumbling for the plate in his hands. Riley must have read my mind because he handed me the plate with a gentle smirk,

"Just like the first meal I made you."

We both laughed but that didn't stop me from shoveling my face full of scrambled eggs. When the plate was empty, I inched it towards him and his eyes got big,

"Finished already? Dang you can eat."

We laughed again and I smiled at how simple things were. I fell back into the bed and Riley laid on top of my legs, he spoke and I could feel the vibrations on my knees.

"What should we do today?"

I shrugged, though I know he couldn't see it.

"Uh, the museum?"

Riley laughed sarcastically,

"So you can meet another boy? No thanks."

I smiled softly at the jealousy in his voice,

"Have you got any ideas?"

"Yeah, how about we go fishing."

I sighed, I was terrible at fishing and the last time I had gone, it was with my dad.

My dad was a touchy subject between Riley and I, I never brought it up, but when he did I quickly shot him down.

The truth is my dad left. He left us, and only I knew why.

Fishing used to be our thing and I have yet to be able to go fishing without tears pouring out.. But maybe things have changed.

I sat up and pulled my legs out from under him so I could sit criss-cross.

"Okay."

He sat up so that his face was close to mine,

"I'm gonna kiss you now."

I nodded numbly as my lips waited for his to fill the gap, and when they did, it was as sweet and as blissful as I had remembered from the night before. I felt his hands on my hips, as mine hung loosely around his neck. The kiss was slow and sweet, but had just enough passion to make my heart beat like crazy. He pulled away slowly and rested his forehead on mine,

"I'm never going to get tired of that."

I smiled gently as I nodded, still breathless.

Riley kept his eyes locked on mine for a few more seconds before he sat up straight and got off the bed.

"I showered earlier but it's down the hall if you need to. I'll be across in the living room when you're done."

I nodded again, as I stood up and off the bed as well. Riley left but I could easily hear his footsteps across the hard wood floored one story house.

Walking over to what looked like his dresser, I pulled open the top drawer slowly, careful not to make noise. I fished out a pair of small basketball shorts and looked deeper for a shirt that would fit me.

I reached my hand further into the deep drawer but instead of more fabric, my hand hit metal.

My eyebrows furrowed together as I pulled out the object. My eyes met the dark metal, a medium sized box. I didn't want to invade his privacy but the curiosity bit at my insides. I lifted the lid slowly, cautious to what was inside. But instead of a poison dart shooting into my neck, I instead found a stack of pictures and a pocket knife.

I sifted through the pictures quickly, and they all seemed to be of Riley, but something was different about him in the pictures. A few were pictures with a lady that must have been his mother. But my confusion only grew when I saw the last picture in the stack, it was an old picture of two little kids, one girl and one boy. They looked to be about the same age, and they seemed to be related. Turning it over, I read the description on the back,

Riley and Ray 2001.

I took a deep breath as my eyes drifted to the pocket knife, it was initialed RR. I figured it must be Riley's too.

Completely confused, I placed everything in the box like I had found it and closed the lid gently.

Just then I heard Riley's loud footsteps in the hallway. My heart stopped and I quickly shoved the box back into the drawer, careful to be quiet and as unsuspicious as possible as Riley waked into his room.

"What's taking so long?"

I smiled,

"Oh I was just looking for a change of clothes, I didn't think a dress was suitable for fishing."

Riley laughed softly,

"Well you should have asked."

He walked towards the dresser and closed the top drawer as quietly as I had opened it, then continued to open the one under it. He pulled out a maroon colored shirt and turned towards me, handing it to me.

"How's this?"

"Nice."

He smiled softly before turning around to leave again,

"Hurry up or else all the fish will be gone."

I laughed but quickly got ready. When I walked out of the room to find Riley, I found myself stopping in the hallway to look at pictures on the wall. I saw the same two little kids as I had in Riley's mysterious box. I bit my lip softly, trying to put the pieces together, but I didn't have enough information.

I suppose it wasn't my business anyway.

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I let my eyes study the large lake to my right as Riley pulled his truck closer to the shore. When the car eventually stopped, I sat silently, observing my surroundings.

I had been here before.

I fiddled with the door handle but swallowed my irrelevant problems and got out of the car to meet Riley at the shore. He was already setting up a pole when I sat beside him in the dew damp sand.

There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but I stayed silent. The opposite side of the lake was bordered with a variety of Florida's trees. Two infinite skies graced my eyes as clouds reflected in the still water like a mirror. A small smile formed on my lips as the scenery imprinted it's natural beauty in my mind, replacing all other thoughts. I had forgotten how peaceful it was, not exactly fishing, but the environment you fish in.

I guess I had warded off all ideas concerning fishing even slightly, for fear of unwanted memories. But sitting here now, all memories fading away, I realized that I needed this more than anything.

"Thank you."

I whispered to no one in particular, but to Riley more than anyone else.

He looked at me for a second before returning his gaze to the hook he was baiting.

"For what?"

I couldn't think of anything specific, but I knew there was a long list of things I had yet to thank him for.

"For everything."

A smile spread across his lips and he nodded in response.

My eyelids fell shut unconsciously and I took a deep breath of the fresh air around me, and then exhaled steadily for the first time in a long time.

That's when it hit me.