With or without you

Chapter 20

"What happened? What'd she say?" Riley asked as I sat down on the bed next to her, by now she had put all her clothes on.

"I don't think she'll tell anyone. She won't tell my parents at least. But I get the feeling that her terms are conditional."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that now she has something over me." She looked down at the floor and just shook her head.

"Riley its fine. She won't tell anyone, and anyways it's not like she's friends with anyone we are. No one will find out." When she turned to look up at me I could see it in her eyes she'd gone hollow again. She wasn't here, and all she could focus on was worrying about my stupid sister and her big mouth. I pushed the thoughts out of my head. I'll deal with Lauren when the time comes.

"Come on. Let's go to your house so you can change." She didn't look at me. She only nodded her head and then stood up and started getting her things together. I watched her walk down the hall way, the whole time I worried about her. She gets so in her head about everything, and she blames herself for absolutely everything. I'm sure right now she's thinking that Lauren walking in was her fault. I didn't say anything though. I knew there was nothing I could say, and that she would stop worrying in her own time.

The ride to her house wasn't long, and by the time we got there she had already snapped out of whatever mood she might have been falling into. Things were back to normal, well as normal as whatever it is this is could be. I waited for her in the car, per her orders. She never took long to change, and to her wasting time was exactly that, a waste of time and if she could cut out unnecessary tasks she would, so I'm in the car.

As I waited my mind started reeling. I couldn't help it. My mind flashed back to last summer. I had just gotten off my shift at the movie theaters and I reeked of popcorn. I felt like I had nacho cheese in my hair and if I looked hard enough I could probably find a pickle or something in my pocket. Gray was working the night shift whereas I had just gotten off of the morning shift. It was only around three in the afternoon when I was driving home. I was already going to turn on my street when my phone started ringing and her profile picture popped up.

"Hey what's up?"

"Nothing. Just missing you. You're out of work already right?"

"Yeah I'm just getting home." I had just pulled into the driveway. Instead of getting down though I decided to sit and talk to her for a while.

"Come over then."

"I just got out of work. I need to shower. I smell like popcorn."

"Just shower over here." She said. The suggestion caught me off guard. Me and her had barely began to start having sex at this point, and while I let her do things to me, I wasn't completely comfortable being naked in front of her just yet or even being alone in her house, let alone showering in it naked. Would she see me completely naked if I showered there? Or would it just be a normal thing like I go into the bathroom and shower and nothing happen?

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I just meant because I want you here already."

"I can. Let me just get a change of clothes first."

"Okay."

"Okay bye."

"Bye." There was something in her voice. I don't know what it was but it made me happy. I got off the car and went inside to grab some clothes. My parents weren't home because they were working, and my sister was who knows where, so I did what I said and just grabbed some clothes then drove the 10 minutes back to Riley's. I knew that no one would be at her house so that single thought eased my mind just a little.

"Hi." She smiled once she'd opened the door and let me in. I just smiled and then kissed her lips. I loved it when she smiled because her eyes would do this little squinty thing, I can't explain it but I loved it.

"So, what are we going to do today?" she asked as we walked to her room. Something about this shower was making me nervous.

"I don't know. We can do whatever you want." Once we got to her room I set my bag down on the floor and then sat on her bed. She sat down next to me and placed her hand on my cheek then leaned in and kissed me. When she pulled back she started laughing and said

"You really do smell like popcorn." I just started laughing. Perks of working at a movie theater I guess. She kissed my neck and then bit down a little and said

"I like popcorn." I pushed her off of me embarrassed

"Shut up." I laughed jokingly.

"Go shower then." I just nodded, grabbed my bag and started for the bathroom. I felt almost a little disappointed that I was going to the shower alone.

"You know..." She paused. I looked back at her from the doorway holding my breath.

"I could shower with you." She bit her lip and then walked up to me.

"Would that be okay?" I couldn't speak. I just nodded yes. We walked into the bathroom and she turned the water on and got it to a temperature that she liked and that would probably scald me, she hates being cold. Once it was on she turned back to me and kissed me on my cheek, then moved to my lips. As we kissed she started taking off my shirt. Then she took off hers. Taking each other's clothes off is normally a really sexy thing, but what's really sexy is when we got into the shower and she...

"You ready?" I was pulled out of my daydream by the sound of her opening the door and scaring the hell out of me.

"God don't do that." She just laughed.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I just opened the door."

"Let's go." I whined. She just laughed that cute little laugh again and said

"Okay."