The Night We Met

Chapter 5

Riley's POV:

I walk into my dorm room to find the girls huddled between the two beds, Thalia sat on one whilst Giselle sat on the other. I bite my lip when I walk in and don't say anything. I just walk over to the bed Giselle was on and sit down, using my feet to battle each other in order to take my shoes off before I sat cross-legged on the bed.

I instinctively check my phone, not that I had any notifications anyway. Just a voice message from last night. I haven't clicked on it. I don't want to click on it. Not if it's from Aiden.

"Ri . . . I heard what happened," Giselle says softly, looking at me. I keep quiet. "I can't believe it," she whispers with melancholy. "Have you spoken to him?"

"No," I murmur. "Why should I? It's not like he cares about me." I pause and look around the room, noticing the emptiness and how quiet it was. "Where's M?" I ask. The girls exchange looks, Thalia rolling her eyes.

"She's gone to find Aiden. Apparently she's going to 'give him a piece of her mind'," she says, making quotation marks. "We tried to snap her out of it but she was relentless. I'm sure Eldon will stop her, though." I chuckle lightly, imagining my best friend beating up my ex. I wouldn't be surprised if he got more hurt than she did because of it.

"Seriously, though, Ri," Giselle says. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I mean, I should have expected it. Steph's like a guy-whisperer, she can get them to do whatever she likes and she's had it for me ever since I passed her in that exam by two percent. Plus, Aiden was acting really weird the past two weeks anyway," I say. I notice the two girls exchange looks with each other once again. "What?" I ask. "Why are you two looking at each other like that?"

"Ri . . . it wasn't Steph that Aiden cheated on you with," Thalia tells me slowly. I raise an eyebrow.

"According to West," Giselle begins, citing her boyfriend, "Aiden had been seeing another girl from outside campus. He never said who, though."

"Oh. Anyway, can we please stop talking about my cheating-ex now. I've still got a migraine from last night," I moan, laying down over the top of the duvet on my back so that I'm looking up to the ceiling. Giselle laughs a little.

"You should have seen what you put on your Snapchat story, hon. It was hilarious," she laughs.

"Yeah, it was deleted after about an hour though. I think you put it on private."

"I don't remember setting anything on private," I mumble. Thalia raises an eyebrow.

"Where were you, though? Like did you sleep on the streets or something?"

"No," I answer. "I stayed at a friend's, that's all."

"Really, who?" I roll my eyes.

"Will you two stop being so inquisitive about my life and get your own one," I smirk. Giselle fake-gasps and then grabs the nearest pillow before throwing it at me. "Oh," I say, holding the cushion close my chest. "It's on!"

~

The next morning, once the 6:30 a.m. alarm goes off, I get up and take my phone with me to the bathroom when I brush my teeth. I had a text message from James from a few minutes ago, and I hesitantly open it before allowing my eyes to read over his words.

J: Hey, Ri. I didn't mean to push you like that earlier. I just got caught up in the moment. I was hoping I could make it up to you by taking you to a restaurant tonight? I understand if not. And I understand if you're not comfortable with the whole being a couple thing, either. Hope you're okay though.

I sigh, looking at myself in the mirror as my electric toothbrush whirs around my teeth. I press the power button to stop it before spitting out the excess and I lift up my vest top, revealing the red bump on one side of my stomach from where Aiden had punched it a couple of weeks back. It still hurt when I press my finger against it, but I've been too-scared to get an appointment for it.

I look back at my phone screen and bite my lip as I text James back.

R: It's okay. I was just a bit startled last night, that's all. A restaurant sounds nice. Does 6 sound good? x

He replies only moments later.

J: I'll be there @ 5:45😉

I smile to myself and laugh a little, pulling my vest down. I need to stop thinking about Aiden. He doesn't love me. Maybe I should just take a leap of faith.