Falling Up

45. Phone call

"Actually, how about we skip classes today," said Noah, holding back Riley's shoulder and keeping her from leaving the car with the door perched open and one foot already nearing the pavement.

The strength of Noah pushing her back down caused her foot to leave the payment and for her backside to hit the passenger seat again.

Riley sighed. What is with guys making her skip classes lately? "Come on Noah, I'm going to be late for class."

"We can do whatever you want. Head to the pool, get one of those milkshakes you like, sit inside and have a movie marathon."

Something was off about Noah and his attitude this morning. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but it appeared as though something was weighing on him. And while she would have normally loved the idea of skipping classes, she already skipped out on yesterday's, even if she didn't mention it to Noah. And in the back of her mind, she was already eager to see Kain again.

"As much as I would love to, I don't want to fall behind. Besides, I'm sure you have better things to do than hang around me all day."

Noah paused for a moment, seeming reluctant to let go of Riley's shoulder until eventually he loosened his grip, straightening up his shoulders as he leaned back into the driver's side. "If you need anything, just call me. I'll be here when you're finished."

The way he worded the last sentence sounded a lot to Riley, as though he planned to sit in the car park all day. She shook her head at the mere nonsense filling her mind and stepped out of the car, dragging her bag behind her and propping it up on her shoulder.

She saw Kain from across the field and looked back over her shoulder, waving goodbye to Noah as he slowly drove away from the drop off point. Her focus turned back to Kain, who made quick strides towards her, eventually reaching her and grabbing her hand in his. This was turning out to be a thing, where Kain seemed reluctant to let go of her hand.

A pale blush lingered across her cheekbones as they walked towards class, ending up in the crowded hallway in front of their lecture hall.

"No, freakin' way," cried out a voice from behind them as Riley and Kain turned to see where the voice was coming from.

Before they even managed to turn around, Kendra had placed her arms around Riley's shoulder, pulling her out of Kain's hold. A reluctant grunt passed from Kain's lips at the loss of contact with Riley's hand.

"No way is she sitting with you, Kain. We have too much to catch up on. You can have her back after class." Kendra pulled her away from Kain as she saw Kain's frown on his lips. Riley merely smiled back before being pulled away into a seat near the middle of the lecture hall and away from where Kain usually sat.

"Okay, okay. What? When? How?" Kendra bombarded her with questions before she even managed to take a seat. "You guys have chemistry for sure, but I never expected you would cave to the Kain. So spill. What happened?"

Riley glanced back at Kain, taking a seat in the back of the lecture hall and she let out a smile as he stared back. "I don't know. It just sort of happened."

"Ok, so what are we on? First base? Third base? Please don't tell me you've scored a full home run already?"

"We're not anywhere," Riley chuckled, unable to keep the smile from her face. "He just enjoys holding my hand. And we just talk and text. It's really only been a few days. I don't want to rush it."

"Ha!" came a loud snort from behind them. Both Riley and Kendra turned around to find Maggie, the girl she had semi-met the other day, when Kain agreed to help her out with her car. She was beautiful, no doubt; brunette, dark eyes and light olive coloured skin. Her makeup was to perfection and she could see the attraction for most guys. It was just unfortunate her personality didn't match.