The Night We Met

Chapter 17

James's POV:

"So, Riley, huh?" Luke asks as were walking towards Lost and Found, only a couple of blocks away from campus. We formed a recreational band, separate to the university, and we go there whenever we've got a free study period. "Where'd you find her?"

"A club," I say, trying not to smirk. John scoffs, rolling his eyes and Theo laughs.

"What, did you just set eyes on her and take it as the perfect opportunity to take her home and get into bed with her or something?" Luke questions and I smile to myself, thinking back to that night. 

"Literally - no sex related," I said and all three of the guys raised their eyebrows in shock. Before Madelyn, I had been known as a player. Then Madelyn and I dated for a year. Then, of course, we broke up. I met Riley. And I took her home. I did get in bed with her, but not in the same way Luke must have been thinking.

I remember how I sat on a stool by the bar and Riley threw herself down on the stool next to mine two weeks ago. She wasn't drunk at that time. She knew exactly what she was doing. She looked gorgeous, make-up done, wearing a silver satin jacket over the top of her black tube top and tight leather jeans which hugged her hips. 

She had looked at me, raised her eyebrows and smiled and then she faced the bartender serving us and she licked her lower lip lightly. She told him she wanted a glass of Vodka and I asked her why a pretty girl like her wouldn't have just ordered a cocktail or something, and she replied with the words, "You think I'm pretty now but when you really get to know me, you'll think otherwise." 

There was no tease in her comment, no sexual intention, just fact. After she had said that, I raised my hands up by either side of my head in surrender and she laughed at me a little. 

That night, I watched her drink until her muscles ached and she couldn't walk anywhere. In only under an hour she had got herself into several cat fights with other girls, kissed me hungrily on the lips despite me not even knowing her, and eventually she got herself kicked out. It was the moment when I saw her hobbling by the sidewalk, struggling to take off her heels, that I decided to take her back to mine.

"She's hot, though," Luke mumbled to himself, lighting a cigarette. I rolled my eyes and nudged his arm, making him chuckle. 

As we walk down the street in the direction of Lost and Found's building, attached to Piper's dance studio, my phone begins to ring in my back pocket. When I take it out, I find it was Riley calling so I quickly answer it. 

"Hey, Ri," I say and her sweet voice responds,

"Hey. Where are you guys? I'm getting a little bored."

"Oh, we're going to rehearsals now at Lost and Found. Didn't I tell you?"

"Maybe you did. I don't know anymore. My mind's been so unfocused lately," she laughs softly, causing me to reciprocate. "How long will you be?"

"Well, I have Music Theory at four-thirty. I might spend a couple of hours here," I tell her before hearing her sigh, clearly uncertain about being back on campus by herself. I stop walking but gesture for the guys to continue so I could FaceTime Ri instead. When she accepts, I'm met with her beautiful self and smirk once I notice she was wearing my grey hoody. It looked pretty much like a dress on her but it looked much better on her than it did on me. "Someone's stealing my things again," I tease. She rolls her eyes playfully.

"What do you mean again? I never stole anything else."

"Yeah, you did, Ri. You sleep like a frickin' new-born puppy. You stole the covers from me like five times last night."

"That's not my fault. It was cold, okay," she laughs. I laugh for a brief moment too. 

"Okay. Now, do you want me to come back and get you so you can come to the Music Studios with me? I don't want you to stay at my campus on your own for too long."

"Jay, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Ri, I don't think you should. Anyone can just walk in. Like, what if my roommate shows up. What are you going to do then?"

"Talk to him? Maybe socialise like a normal human being?" she says sarcastically and for some reason I can't help but smirk. After a short moment of the two of us just plainly staring at each other lovingly, she sighs and gives in to my idea. "Okay, fine. You're right. I want you to come and get me," she says with a pout, making me smile.

"All you had to do was ask, babe."

"You love calling me that, huh?" she says and I chuckle.

"You're my girlfriend. Of course I love calling you that. Sound familiar?" I tease, mimicking what she had said to me earlier this morning. She sticks her tongue out at me and laughs a little bit before I tell her I'd be there in a few minutes. She nods and ends the call and then I text John to let him and the guys know about the change of plans.

. . . 

Riley's POV:

"And a 5, 6, 7, 8," I count the guys into their song as we stood in the recording studio. I was on one side of the glass whilst the band were in the recording booth by the mics. They were singing a song John had written and wanted to see what I thought of it. So here I was, listening to them. 

The song was beautiful. It was clearly a ballad and John was the main singer for it whilst John and Theo did the back-up vocals. James had his own mini rap in the centre of the song and when it's his turn, he makes a brief eye-contact with me before smiling. 

It was John who had written the rap and still had the same sentimental lyrics as the rest of the song but as James performed, I couldn't help but feel like that specific part of the song was dedicated to me. Just the way he looked at me as he sung it and he put no thought into trying to remember the words, it just flowed from out of his mouth . . . it made it feel like he was singing to me, even though John would never have written a song about me but perhaps another girl.

At the very end of the song where John sings the final note, I smile at all four of them before they join me on the other side of the glass.

"That was amazing, guys. Seriously, I didn't know you were that talented," I laugh. James smirks and makes his way over to stand beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and kissing the top of my head. It was true when only about ten minutes ago Luke had said James couldn't keep his hands off me. He seriously couldn't but it only made me fall for him more. "John, I can't believe you wrote that," I say and Luke scoffs.

"You should see his Lyric Diary. It's filled with fluff about Michelle."

"Hey, you can't just go around saying that!" John freaks out, nudging his friend in the ribcage. Only then did it finally click.

"Wait, Michelle? As in my best friend, Michelle?" I inquire. John looks between the three guys sheepishly before scratching the back of his neck and nodding at me. "John . . . that's so sweet," I tell him with a smile. 

"Maybe James should start writing songs for you too," Theo pipes up from where he was leaning against the wall. I look up at my boyfriend as he looks down at me with a confident, knowing smile on his face.

"We'll see about that," he responds, suppressing a smirk, before leaning down to peck my lips softly and I passionately do the same back. 

When we pull away, I keep my head rested in the nape of his neck, my mind focusing on him and him only in this very moment. I wasn't thinking about exams. I wasn't thinking about my parents. I wasn't thinking about Aiden or Stephanie. Just him and how, despite how much of a stranger he still is to me, we connect so vividly. I'm just lucky I get to call him mine after everything that's happened in my past relationship.

"You okay?" he whispers, leaning down slightly and resting his forehead against mine as the guys head out to go and get juices. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just everything," I answer. He raises an eyebrow as I wrap my arms around his neck and his hands find their way to my hips.

"Everything?" he questions. I smile and kiss his lips again.

"Us," I answer. In realisation, a grin forms upon his face and he kisses me one more time.