Your Guardian Angel (GirlXGirl)

Chp. 16

-JENSON’S POV-

So Riley was finally allowing me to spend the night at her place, I was excited, but I was still upset over Jake. Riley was right, he was playing me, just like she had warned me about but I was to stupid to see it, but it didn’t make me live him any less.

He was still sweet, still gorgeous, and still a player.

I pulled up in her driveway, and stared at the house. Her front door opened and she smiled, but she looked worn out as ever.

But tonight I was going to get to the bottom of her problems, no doubt about that.

I locked my car and walked up to her, her arms wrapping around my neck, and mine around her torso. Her hugs amazed me, they felt so right, like we fit together to perfect. I felt so safe in her arms, and I loved it.

I looked around, “Parent’s home?”

She shook her head, not even verbally replying to my question. She always acted so strange when I brought up her parents, but I was curious. The entire time I had been friends with her I hadn’t met her parents once, and it seemed sad almost.

Did she live alone? While her parents worked their lives away? One child couldn’t be that expensive, could it?

We walked in and headed to her room, I had only been in Riley’s house a handful of times, and that was either to get some things or to drop her off. Her room though, it was nice, her large bed, her light blue walls, I loved it actually, it felt so homey.

She sat, putting her hand on my thigh, making me look up at her, “You okay?”

I nodded, feeling better already, “Yes, you were right… it sucks Riley… because it doesn’t make me like him any less.”

She leaned back into her soft pillows, and she gave me a hard look, as if she was trying to figure something out. “Jenson I don’t know what to tell you, I’ve known Jake for almost a year… I just don’t wanna see you get hurt…”

Why was she always so worried about me? When I was actually worried about her, because she seemed sad 24 hours of the day.

I shrugged, “I’m fine… I’m actually worried about you.”

“Why?”

“Because, your moods… they change so fast, sad to happy, depressed to angry… it’s just hard to keep up with you… and I’m scared you’re actually hurting in the moment…”

She shrugged, “I’m fine.”

Wow, what a convincing answer, I leaned closer to her, “If you’re gonna lie, lie better honey.”

She smiled at that word, and it caught me off guard. Her smile always did that to me, maybe because I never saw it, or maybe because it was dazzling. It actually made me smile back at her. She sat up, then standing she walked over to her drawers, “I need to shower, do you?”

I nodded, and then she disappeared into her bathroom, leaving me alone to look around her room. I had to admit, I was curious, I wanted to see something that would let me know something about her life… her past particularly.

I stood, walking over to a picture frame that held a picture of a man, he was in uniform, and then a woman that was almost mistaken for Riley, but in the middle was a young girl. She was about 12, smiling big up at the camera, squished between the two unfamiliar people.

But these were her parents.

So they did exist, but the more I looked around, the more I realized there were no recent photos of her parents….

As I was walking around her bed I felt my foot catch something, and I looked down, seeing a box barely sticking out from under her bed. I kneeled, pulling it out and removing the top, revealing papers which looked like notes, a tiny book of pictures, and a stuffed animal, along with a necklace.

I opened the miniature scrap book, seeing a rather recent photo of Riley, she was probably 15 or 16, her arm was slung around yet another unfamiliar person. The girl was pretty, her reddish blonde hair, her crystal blue eyes, slim face, cute complexion…

Maybe this was her old best friend…

They had pictures of them at parties, looking as if they were having a blast, but something was hidden in Riley’s eyes, behind the picture…

It looked like… pain.

Jake was in some pictures, and my heart ached, he looked so young and innocent, nothing like now…

I heard Riley cleaning up in the bathroom, and I shoved the box under her bed and regretting not reading what was written on the notes. I flicked on her TV and laid down, Riley exited the bathroom and smiled, “You can go.”

I was in the bathroom stripping, stepping into the shower and thinking about what I had just taken in. Riley had parents, but why were there no recent pictures of them? And why didn’t she tell me she used to party like an animal? She was so introverted and conservative now…

Why did she look as if she had a mask on in all of those pictures? As if she was hiding the pain with a smile? Maybe she was… and maybe she wasn’t telling me the truth about… anything.

I dressed and stepped out the shower, Riley was closing her curtains, looking so casual in her sweats and loose green muscle shirt. Her slim body, her curves… she looked… sexy.

Stop Jenson, this is ridiculous, you’re her best friend…

I wanted to question her about the box… about all those pictures, but she would know I was snooping, so I decided to bring up her parents again. “Riley… why are there no recent pictures of your parents?”

She looked at me, I could see worry flash across her features, she scratched the back of her head and shrugged. “Never took any…”

She was lying, I could see it, and it was hurting me. Why would she feel the need to lie to me? Why wouldn’t she let me in? Why did she constantly leave me guessing? I pressured her more, “Riley… please tell me the truth.”

She was playing with her thumbs, she was debating on if she should tell me the truth or not. Why was everyone feeling the need to lie to me? It pissed me off, and I didn’t understand why I didn’t deserve the truth. Not even from my best friend? Guess she wasn’t really my best friend…

Riley looked up at me, seeming hurt and torn, and then she spoke, “The reason I don’t have any recent pictures of my parents, and why you never see them is because… my dad is deployed in Iran until June… and my mom… passed away.”

I swallowed hard, seeing the unbearable plain cross Riley’s features made me wish I never would’ve asked.