The Night We Met

Chapter 20

James's POV:

It was around six o'clock in the evening when Riley told me she wanted us to go out for a little walk after I had spent about an hour or so comforting her in her room. Michelle had left us alone quite a while ago but though she had gone, Riley still refused to talk to me. She just kept her tight hold on me as I caressed her in my arms in a soothing silence. I saw the bruises on her and the tattoo and I couldn't believe it. No guy should treat a girl the way Aiden's treated Riley. Him forcing her to get a tattoo claiming she's his property isn't even the worst part. I'm only just beginning to find out what he's done to her, there's probably a whole lot more.

We walked through the park hand-in-hand, Riley staying as close to me as possible. I'd never seen her freak out the way she did this afternoon and as scary as it was, I'm willing to be here for her. If this is what caring about her means then I'm all in. 

We reach a little corner café and Riley looks up at me. She doesn't say anything but by looking into her eyes, I take it that she wanted to go in there for a few minutes so I agree. Rubbing her back lightly, I lead her inside the well-heated building. A fireplace had been lit and there were a couple of sofas. It was only September, nowhere near Christmas yet, but fairy lights had been twirled and fitted all around the room. It was unbelievably warm in here and partly romantic too.

When we reach a rounded-off booth in the corner, I let Riley slide into her seat on the sofa and then I do the same opposite her before reaching my hands across the table to hold hers. She looks up and smiles at me softly but it was clear she was still hurting. 

"Are you okay?" I ask quietly and gently. She nods.

"I'm okay, James."

"You sure?" I probe and she nods again. Smiling at her, I bring her hand to my lips and kiss the back of her palms softly until a short, brunette waitress walks over to join us.

"Hey, what can I get you tod-ay . . . ?" she says, drifting off. I look up in confusion at the same time as Riley before I realise why. There was no way. 

"Madelyn?"

"James?" she says. I stare at her in complete shock and Riley does the same. "What are you doing here?"

"More like what are you doing here?" I retort. "I thought you were supposed to be in London studying fashion?"

"I thought you were supposed to be in New York with the band?" she asks, making Riley glare at me. I look at my current girlfriend and shake my head, mouthing a few words to her to tell her not to worry about it but she still seems hesitant. Truth be told, Madelyn was right. I was supposed to be going on tour with the band during this gap year but our plans delayed after John's grandmother fell sick with cancer.

"So what's the deal?" I ask, looking at her scornfully with major distaste. This was the same girl who decided to break up with me to follow her dreams and now I find her working at a small bar café in the middle of a park? "How comes you're here in Toronto?"

"My plans delayed. I won't go into full details but my dad lost his job so we couldn't make up enough money for me to go."

"I thought you had a scholarship?"

"I was vying for one but it got given to some other girl of a higher experience," she says. Meanwhile, I could feel Riley tensing up, probably wondering why Madelyn and I were having such a general conversation as if we were the best of mates. To prove that we weren't, I squeeze Ri's hands tighter and smile at her softly before my gaze meets my ex's again. "What about you? Why aren't you in New York?"

"It's been postponed," I tell her. She stares at me, waiting for more input but I don't give it to her. She was the one who told me that she couldn't handle our relationship because she hated how I was always travelling around. Why would I now give her a recap about how my life has been these past two months? It's none of her business anymore. 

"So, who's this? Your little travel girl?" she teases. I roll my eyes.

"No, actually. This is Riley. My girlfriend," I say. Riley looks at me again and I watch as her cheeks turn pink a little bit and she bites her lip. Madelyn looks at her and smiles softly before putting out her hand to her. I raise an eyebrow slightly but allow Riley to shake it.

"Nice to meet you," Madelyn says. "I'm glad to know James has found someone else. Didn't want him endlessly sulking now, did we?" she states.

"Uhm, yeah," Riley mumbles. She pulls her hand out of Madelyn's who then gets her notepad out of the pocket in her apron, as well as a pen.

"So, what could I order for the lovely couple?" she asks, batting her eyes. I look at Ri as she looks at me and sighs.

As if all this Aiden drama wasn't enough already.

. . .

Riley's POV:

Later that night, James drove me back to his apartment away from campus for us to spend the night. I was in the bathroom getting changed as James spoke to his mother on the phone in the room. The door linking the en suite to the bedroom was kept open so that if I was to have another panic attack like earlier he would know.

As I stood in front of the mirror, changing into one of James's over-sized t-shirts, I reciprocated my actions from earlier. The colour of my skin only seemed to be growing all the more vibrant than dull and just pressing lightly down on it was enough to make me cry. One of the worst things was that no matter how James tried to show his affection for me, it wouldn't take away this deep feeling of pain within me. James may be able to replace Aiden but it doesn't take back everything the boy did to me. I'm beginning to think I'll never be the same Riley I was a year ago ever again. All because of Aiden.

"I know, Mom. I love you too. I gotta go now, okay. Talk to you later, bye," I hear James tell Deborah on the phone. I turn my head around to face him and once his eyes meet mine, he smiles softly and makes his way over before gently relaxing his hands on my exposed waist, avoiding the blue on me. 

"What was that about?" I ask him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"She's trying to organise a dinner night for us. She wants my step-dad, John, her, Piper and us two to go for an evening meal on Saturday if you're up for it?" he asks me and I smile.

"I'd love to." He chuckles softly and leans down, kissing me tenderly on the lips before pulling back. When he does, he looks into my eyes and bites his lower lip as his hands remain placed on my skin. 

"Can I see it properly?" he asks me in a whisper. "I promise not to hurt you. I just want to have a little look," he says. I know what he was asking to look at. And I trust him enough which is why I remove my arms from being wrapped around his neck and I turn around for my eyes to meet my reflection in the mirror again as I show him the side of my body. He slowly and softly runs his hand down my side before stopping just above the bruise. "Does that hurt?" he asks, pressing against it softly. I wince and nod.

"So much," I whisper. Sighing, he moves to stand in front of me and then wraps his arms tight around me, allowing me to rest my head by his neck as I cry, my tears making his soft skin dampened. "James," I whisper.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Tell me you and Madelyn are completely over? Because I can't go through more pain than I am already."

"We're completely over, babe," he whispers into my ear. "We're as done as a car that's fallen down a cliff," he tells me and I nod my head. "Like I told you, it's just me and you now."