One String Attached

9.

.James.

Those text messages which had been sent to Riley wouldn't leave my mind at all. I had no clue who the person she was texting was but even the texts Ri had sent to them gave me no ideas whatsoever. It was merely just random 'meet me at this place' texts and 'I'll get back to you' messages. I hadn't had the time to snoop any further, and even if I did, I would have felt guilty anyway.
I was hoping she was probably just texting one of her friends or colleagues or doctors, but deep down I knew there was a bigger picture.

She enters our bedroom after tucking the kids in bed that night as I was sat on the comforter with my legs spread out in front of me, phone in hand while I continued to decipher over those texts. I had forwarded them from Ri's phone to mine but then deleted the messages between her and I so that she wouldn't have known.
I hated when there were secrets between us, but if she wasn't going to let me in then I had to start investigating myself. I knew the girl like the back of my hand and could tell she was hiding something. Why else would she suddenly be needing to go and meet people every few days? Why else would this anonymous person be sending documents? 

Riley had already changed into her usual nightwear which was a vest top with loose shorts tightened by a waistband.
After smiling at me softly as she uses the hairbrush to detangle her hair while she stood in front of the mirror, she closes the bedroom door and then makes her way over to sit herself down on her side of the bed, legs curled up by her side.

I sigh, putting my phone down on the bedside drawer before placing my palm down on top of hers. I knew I couldn't pressurise her by bringing this up again, but now I knew the littlest bit more. I had to do something, instead of just sitting there like some lousy coward who doesn't care about his own family. I care about Riley and the kids more than anyone.
"Babe, can we talk?" I ask her, gaining her attention as she turns her head to look at me and raises an eyebrow.
"What about?"

We had been in this position at least two weeks ago, but back then she denied everything and claimed there was nothing I needed to know about. How was I supposed to get through to her now when she can't even look at my face and tell me the truth?
I didn't have any idea about what was going on and by telling her I had snooped through her phone, it would only make her all the more angrier and would cause her to keep even more things from me. 

It had happened before when she found out she was pregnant with Asher. She wouldn't tell me until she was at least twelve weeks along and she found out when she was six weeks pregnant. But as soon as she told me and got all the fears and doubts off her chest, I could understand her straight away.
It's always been like that but she never seems to learn from it. It's like she's scared of telling me things because she's afraid of being a burden to me. What she doesn't understand is that I decided to commit the moment I got down on one knee. Even before then, back when I told her I would help her to bring Aaliyah up, I was committing myself to her. She just needs to realise that I do love her and I won't be leaving her and the kids anytime soon. I'm tied down to them and to her.

As I look at her worried face, I sigh and take her hand in mine, thinking over what to say to her. Maybe I should just leave it for now and let life control itself? When she's ready to tell me, she will, right?
"I, um, was wondering how you would feel about us going to visit my parents with the kids for a couple of days?" I ask her, only making her furrow her brows more as her eyes narrow slightly. Just like I could tell when she was lying or I was doubting her, she could do the same.

She shuffles closer to me and then massages my knuckles with her palm. "You sure about that?" she asks me, knowing that my relationship with my dad was slightly rocky.
Mum was okay when she found out about Ri's pregnancy and she could understand why I had chosen to stay with her and help her bring up Aaliyah. Riley was in a bad place, no one could blame her.
With Dad, however, it was a different story. He still supports and loves Ri like she's his daughter (because in reality, she is, being his daughter-in-law) but with me, he acts a bit shady and I could never truly understand why. I guess he just wasn't expecting me to become a parent so soon, but in my heart, going back to Ri was definitely the best decision I had ever made.

"I'm sure," I tell her, which causes her to smile at me softly as she nods her head. 
"Okay then," she says. "We can plan it with your mum tomorrow," she tells me.
I nod my head at her and then smile when she leans in to press her lips against mine before pulling away after a short few moments. "Goodnight, okay. I love you," she says to me.

I take in her words for a moment and then watch as she rolls over to lay on her side, then she flicks off the switch of her lamp which was on her side of the headrest. She rests her arms beneath her head and then I lick my lower lip before reciprocating my actions.

"I love you too," I whisper to her, my lips meeting her bare shoulder for a moment as I kiss her skin softly.
Moving my body closer towards hers so that I was spooning her from behind, I wrap my arms around her waist and then feel her place her hands on top of mine, making me smile in the darkness.
No matter what, secrets or no secrets, she was mine. There was no changing that.

. . .

In the middle of the night, I hear several footsteps moving around the room, alarming my body as I squint my eyes slightly. Riley and I remained in the same positions we had fallen asleep in, myself wrapping my arms around her from behind, but then I feel a tap on my leg, and it wasn't Ri.
I hum in the darkness, not wanting to move or to disrupt Riley but then I hear a loud bang coming from downstairs, making me groan slightly.

"Daddy," I hear Aaliyah's voice whisper into my ear, her voice tickling the inside of my earlobe. Blinking several times as I open my eyes, I unwrap my arms from around my wife's waist to turn myself around and look at the digital clock on my bedside table, which read the time 4:14. 
Aaliyah was stood against the bed, constantly tapping my arm. "Daddy," she whispers again, making me sit up slightly as I open my eyes properly, looking right at her.
"What's wrong, Liyah? You should be sleeping, honey."
Then there was that banging noise again.

"There's someone at the door," she whispers rather loudly, moving her hand down to my wrist before linking her hand with mine. "He won't go, Daddy."
"James," I hear Riley mumble, turning her body around too. She places her hand on my arm so that both of my girls were pulling me each way, making me turn around to face Riley. "What's going on? What's wrong with her?" she whispers tiredly. 

I shake my head and move my hand down to her thigh, patting it gently to calm her down.
"Don't worry. There's someone at the door."
"At this time of the night?"
"I know. I'm going to check, okay. Stay here," I tell her before kissing her forehead. She hums slightly, then rolls herself over once again to drift off back to sleep.

The banging noise shortly comes to a stop but I get up anyway, standing up from the bed in my t-shirt and shorts and then I walk over to the curtain before looking out, to see the guy walking away. He wore a black hoody and joggers so I couldn't see his face, but he was gone now and that was all that mattered.

"Come on, little miss," I whisper, leaning down to pick up my daughter and hold her on my side. "He's gone now, okay."
"But he was knocking for about ten minutes," she complains, only causing me to shake my head and soothe her by pecking her cheek softly.
"He's gone now," I repeat, then carry her out of the bedroom and towards her room.