Falling Up

38. The Wisteria Tree

"Thanks for the lift," said Riley as she hung her head back through the open window of the car to say goodbye to Jason.

"I'll pick you up after class," called back Jason, and she waved casually over her shoulder on her way across the grounds and towards the coffee shop.

She was excited. And nervous. And flustered. And so many other emotions were whirling around in her head that she didn't know what to think. She was on the way to her morning shift at the coffee shop, knowing full well that Kain would be there, in his usual seat, reading his usual newspaper.

But this was different from usual. The last time they saw each other, they were about to kiss. They were so close to kissing before the elevator doors were roughly pried open and they were interrupted.

There were so many questions simmering in her mind. Did Kain want to kiss her? Was it simply the situation that they were in? Did he even feel anything for her? In a way, she was eager to find out. In another way, she wanted to avoid the situation for as long as she could.

But she couldn't help denying that there was something there. The way he looked at her. The way he comforted her when she had a panic attack in the elevator. Her feelings for him had been changing ever so slowly, but she wanted to find out more. More about him and more about whether the feelings went both ways.

Soon enough, she found herself pushing open the door to the coffee shop as the tiny bell jingled to signal to all those who were there that she had entered. Her eyes automatically glanced to the right to find Kain in his usual seat, with his newspaper propped up on the table.

At the sound of someone entering the coffee shop, his eyes glanced upward and landed on hers. Kain smiled, nodded, then his eyes darted back down at the newspaper.

Riley blushed and turned her direction back on the front counter as she walked forward, pulling an apron across her waist and headed behind the counter to serve.

The morning moved faster than expected as she sneaked glances at Kain from the corner of her eye. Occasionally she would see him peeking over the top of his newspaper at her, which sent a tinge of rose to her cheeks.

Never in a million years would she have imagined being in this position, thinking about boys and having normal girl problems, such as wondering whether he liked her back. Yet here she was, acting all girly and flustered over a boy. And not just any boy. Kain.

She was actually getting annoyed at herself, thinking that she was falling for him just like every other girl around him seemed to.

Yet she wasn't falling over his good looks and natural charm, although they helped a fair bit. There was something else that was drawing her in. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but when she was with him, she felt safe; she felt protected. And as stupid as it sounded, considering he was always annoying her and teasing her, being around him just felt... right.

Riley snapped herself out of her thoughts as her boss called out to her. "You can finish up now, Riley," said Bridget.

"Thank you," said Riley as she slowly pulled off her apron and placed it back on the hook, grabbing her bag from under the counter.

As soon as he noticed Riley finishing up, Kain got up from his seat, leaving a tip on the table before heading towards Riley and the front door. He got there just in time to pull the door open for her as they both stepped out into the mid-morning air.

"Can I have a word with you Riley?" asked Kain as they walked side by side together across the grounds and towards the campus.

Riley nodded, her heart oddly sinking at the nervous expression on Kain's face. Perhaps he wanted to tell her that last night in the elevator was a mistake, simply the heat of the situation they were in. I mean, after all. This was Kain she was talking about. Kain, who was the star of the college football team, head of the largest fraternity on campus, and one of the smartest guys she knew in class. Why would he ever be interested in her? Especially when he had girls throwing themselves at his feet.