The Bet

Chapter 13

James's POV

"Wow, I never thought of you to be the jealous type." Riley comments.

"I was not jealous." I say defensively, stopping in my tracks. "Lucas is trouble, and I got to make sure that you don't fall in with the wrong crowd."

I tell her jokingly in a tone that a parent would use towards a child as I tuck a stray hair behind her ear. She grabs my wrist and pushes my hand away from her.

"I don't need you. I can take care of myself." She snaps.

"Well in that case, you can find your own ride home." I say and walk away. I keep walking, expecting to hear her calling me to come back any minute. I keep walking and still nothing. Keep walking...

"James wait." I hear Riley say. I smile to myself as I run back to where she was still standing.

"See, you do need me." I say with a smirk as I wrap my arm back around her waist. She doesn't comment.

I knew she's not comfortable with this party scene. She feels out of place.

"C'mon." I say as I begin dragging her out the back door of the house.

"Where are we going?" She asks.

~~~~~

Riley's POV

James drags me out of the back of the house. Turns out that the house overlooks a lake, and now we're walking along it in the moonlight. I can still hear the thumping bass of the music and people squealing and screaming, but it's more distant.

We walk in total silence, with our fingers intertwined with each others. I avoid any eye contact with James whatsoever.

"It's nice, isn't it?" James comments, referring to the lake.

"Yeah, it is." I agree. That's when I look at him. He was smiling at me dreamily. Then he starts to lean in, and I just stand there, like playing spin the bottle. His lips come into contact with mine, and I lightly kiss back, but then break the kiss.

"James, I-I can't...I mean...Just...Stop." I stammer.

"Why, what's wrong?" He asks. I stare into his eyes.

"What are we?" I ask. I felt stupid asking that, but I wanted to know.

"What do you mean?" He asks. I sigh.

"You keep kissing me, and calling me babe, and comforting me and...I just want to know what we are." I say awkwardly.

"Riley you know what I want us to be." He says with a slight smile and leans in again. I back up.

"James, stop it." I say sternly. But then soften. "Look James. I barely even know you. But I do know that you're a player and I don't want to be involved with someone like that."

He looks hurt by my words.

"I just want you to be mine." He says innocently.

"James I'm sorry, but I just can't." I say, barely a whisper. He keeps his head down sadly.

"Okay." He says. We begin to walk back to the house, but this time without his arm around me.