The Night We Met

Chapter 39

Riley's POV:

As the girls were out having their own kind of fun, I continued to study. At around two in the afternoon, I'd decided to take a break and so made my way down to the cafeteria but thanks to my poor luck, I met Aiden down there too.

Ignoring him and looking down at the marble tiles while I made my way to the front of the counter to order something to eat, I attempted to make no contact with him whatsoever. Except it wasn't so simple.

"Hey, Ri," he chants, heading over towards me just as I was about to order. He places his hand on the small of my back and so I shrug him off. "Come on, don't be like that."

"Shut up, Aiden. I didn't leave my dorm room to come and have a chat with you," I retort with an added eye roll, but it seems me talking back to him is only giving him the extra ammo he needs to get on my nerves, citing the half-smirk playing with his lips. "Besides shouldn't you be with your girlfriend? You did cheat on me with her after all. Is she not enough for you?"

"Yeah, we'll you're more than she is," he tells me. I lift my head up for my eyes to meet his and as they do, I take in the evil glint simmering in his pupils. His irises are like bullseye targets - large, vengeful and provoking. There's more meaning behind the words that leave his mouth. I'm not more than Stephanie is. It just entertains him more to get me in bed with him than Steph since she's experienced and confident when it comes to the nasty. I'm not.

"Are you going to order or what?" I ask, shaking my head and pulling myself out of my thoughts. I take a step further away from him but his eyes only watch me much more closely. I know where he's looking and it only makes me feel that much more uncomfortable as I swallow, biting the inside of my cheek.

He clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "Besides," he mumbles, forgetting my previous question. "Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend?" he asks. I knew he was going to start asking questions at some point but I never actually thought of an answer I could tell him.

"I don't see why that's your business."

"Exactly. And I don't see why Steph and I is any of your business either," he bites back, causing me to chew my lip. He looks up at the server and smiles in her direction. "I'll take two blue raspberry juices please. One for her, I'll pay," he says, making me roll my eyes once again.

I place my hand down on the counter and then shake my head at the waitress. "Don't bother," I say to Aiden as I look at him scornfully. "There are so many things you need to pay for but buying me a drink is definitely not one of them," I tell him before leaving.

So basically, James isn't here; the girls have gone out for the day; I've been left by myself to study locked away in the dorm room; my abusive ex is trying to worm his way into my brain, and he's so obsessed with me that he can't even leave me to buy food and drink without his hands touching them. What a life.

. . .

James's POV:

"Uh, James, you've got a solo part in the song, right?" Madelyn asks, entering my dressing room without even knocking. I turn around to face her and bite my lip as I nod. She nods her head in response, not bothering to look up at me as she scribbles something down on the clipboard she held in her hands. "Right, well when you're doing it, you've got to move from stage left to front and centre, then you've got a series of harmonies together with Luke to sing and then-"

She's cut off by my phone ringing and when I look to check it, I see it was from Riley. Turning to face Madelyn again, she rolls her eyes in exasperation. "James, you can't answer that. You're due on in ten minutes."

"Exactly," I spit. "Ten minutes. Give me the chance to talk to my girlfriend and then I'll be ready," I say. She rolls her eyes at me again and tuts her teeth before muttering something under her breath but I wasn't able to detect what. Reaching for the curtain, I close it shut and then answer Ri's call before it went to voicemail. 

"Hey, babe," I say but with little enthusiasm. She smiles at me softly but there was that look in her eye which told me something wasn't right. It looks like both of us were missing each other right now and honestly, all I want is a long, eternal cuddle with her. "What's up?" I ask softly, holding my phone in front of me.

"Not much," she answers, using her fingers to swat a few strands of hair out of the way of her face. She was sat on her bed, cross legged and I could see a bunch of books spread around her. Trust her to still be studying at eight in the evening. "You look pretty handsome in that outfit," she grins with a small chuckle, looking over my leather jacket and jeans. I chuckle and shake my head.

"It's not me, Ri," I tell her. "This? This is all Madelyn. It's Luke's style, not mine. You see, I've always wanted to be a singer in the music business with my own songs and personality but it feels like so far, the music business is granting me with everything but. This isn't what I want to be, Riley," I say. She sighs and nods her head in understanding.

"Make the most of it, James. And if you want my honest opinion then you have to be yourself. If you don't like the outfits or the songs or the way you're being presented then who's to say you have to stick to it? I love you, James. Not Madelyn. Not Luke. Not Mr. T. Only you. So be you, okay. Be original," she says with a cute smile. I smile back at her and nod my head. "I'll leave you to it though. You probably need to get going, right?"

"Yeah . . ." I sigh as she bites her lip. "I miss you, Riley," I whisper. She sighs and closes her eyes as she breathes in. "I really wish you were here." Eventually, she reopens her eyes again and I watch as a tear rolls down her cheek, making my heart break instantly.

"I miss you too, James," she tells me. 

"Riley, is there something you need to tell me?"

"No," she says, quickly dabbing at the tear which had fallen with the cuff of her sleeve. "I'm fine."

"You're crying-"

"James," Madelyn's voice echoes through the curtains. "You've still got to do your make-up and your on in eight minutes."

"Give me two minutes, Madelyn."

"I'll give you one more like," she scoffs, causing me to roll my eyes. I look down at the screen where Riley only seemed to be crying more.

"Riley," I say. 

"Go, James. Just go, okay. I'll be okay."

"But-"

"James," she says sternly. "You need to go. Text me after your show." Her voice was firm but croaky and I knew for a fact she was far from okay. I was torn between what to do right now and between Riley crying and Madelyn shouting my name constantly, I just couldn't think straight. "I love you," Ri whispers to me before ending the phone call hurriedly, leaving me to close my eyes and lean my head against the wall in regret. I shouldn't be here. I need to be with her but I'm stuck here. I'm having to choose between my relationship and all chances of achieving a career at the moment.

For the first time in my life, I really don't think all's fair in love and war and I really don't know what to do.

"James," Madelyn pushes, drawing my curtains open. "You're on in five," she tells me as I continued to rest my head against the wall. Thinking for one more moment, I click my tongue and sigh, pulling my head away from the surface.

"I'm coming," I murmur under my breath.