TouchDown- book one The Bradford Series

Chapter 17

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Chapter 17
Aiden

We did it. Ben and I came to what I can only see as a simple agreement to never have to speak about the subject of Riley and her sex life again. He wanted to know what I planned with her and I tried to be honest with him. I hadn't really planned anything beyond wanting her. I want her in my life and yeah, I want sex but I wasn't telling him that. I think that much was already obvious to him. Riley seems hesitant about anything with me and I told him I'd wait for her. I was really taking this whole thing one day at a time. The only thing I could say was that I care about Riley and would do what I could to not hurt her.

It wasn't enough and as soon as I said it, I knew it. So the embarrassing rambling began. I had to explain my screw ups and what I was doing to fix it. I spilled my guts about Leighton and how I've behaved, about meeting Riley and the whole mix up we had with her thinking I was dating Hunter. It was a fricking long one sided conversation and it wasn't until I stopped for air that I noticed Riley had been gone way too long and we were already in mid flight.

I should have known she had listened to part of the conversation and fallen asleep for the rest. Riley found the bed in the back of the plane and laid there listening to me rambling her into sleep. Eventually I shut up, because let's face it, even I can only do so much damage on my own.

I guess she noticed the silence between us and decided to take some pity on me. Coming back into the main cabin looking a bit guilty but not admitting to a thing, Riley took over the conversation with her dad and I was left to quietly contemplate my admission to Ben. I really like his daughter but I don't know how to have this kind of relationship that I know she wants from me.

After my embarrassing and uncomfortable talk with Ben, I kept to myself. I had a lot on my mind now. Riley was a good sport and had to deal with moving any conversations with him along for the flight. I think he felt as awkward over it as I did. I noticed he was pretty quiet too.

Once it was just Riley and I driving home, I relaxed some although I wasn't sure just how much she heard or if I'd said anything stupid. It didn't matter after about an hour into our drive back because we were focused on more important things, like transportation. Her car, being older and not that reliable of a car proved a problem. The radiator blew just as we reached the middle of nowhere between Arizona and the California border, right in the middle of the desert and the highway. It was a good thing I was with her and she didn't try the drive alone, I know Ben was grateful too when Riley gave him a call AFTER we got back to school.

It added time to our trip back but I didn't mind. It gave us the chance for us to just sit on the side of the road and talk. I told her about some of the funnier stories about the Bradford's that most people outside of the family don't know and even told her a little bit about Grandma.

Georgia Bradford the matriarch of the family and my personal favorite person is a wonder. She has never actually told us her age nor are we allowed to ask her. It's been made clear by our parents that Grandma does not age. She is exactly the way she was in her youth and no one would ever tell us differently. Grandma likes to remind us that she was our age once and remembers what it's like to feel invincible and all knowing. But then she makes the point immediately that she knows everything about each of us.

Riley was confused about who was related to who and how they were family... My family tree is confusing to say the least. And when it got to Breyden and Jim and how they were apart of us now, we'll that just stirred it up even more.

"So Grandma was pissed that her dad refused to let her see Jim. Even back then Grandma didn't take no for an answer from anyone. So she waited until Grandpa Mike left for the night, her dad was busy in his office and her mama had gone to bed before she snuck out, stole her dad's Mercedes Benz and drove two hundred miles to see the man she loves." I told Riley with a smile on my face. "Grandma told her dad that she was only verifying that Jim was indeed not interested in loving her before she decided to ruin her life with Grandpa Mike. It wasn't her fault that he bought a piece of shit Mercedes that broke down in the middle of nowhere."