Through a strange series of encounters, a delinquent high schooler and upright university student find love. *****
No longer interested in clubbing, kissing girls, and committing petty crimes, 18-year-old Riley is trying to find meaning in his dull...
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Riley grabbed Eran's hand. "I want to go to my apartment... to check the mail and stuff."
Wh-what? You want to separate? Eran hung his head, conflicted. I-I don't want to be apart.
"I'll give you directions on the way," Riley said, to Eran's surprise.
He's showing me his home? Eran nodded in agreement. This means he trusts me more and we've gotten closer. Though Eran felt happy, he couldn't bring himself to smile. Something didn't feel right. Something unsettled him.
It was as they drove that Eran started to wonder if the reason Riley was choosing to go home that night was because he was hoping to find something sent from his father.
Regardless, when they went to the mailbox they saw Riley had received no packages and no letters. Eran watched Riley's face for any signs of disappointment but it was hard to tell with him. He should be smiling or at least look somewhat happy on his birthday. He's been weird since earlier. It started when we got to Bubba's.
Riley quietly led them to the door.
Was the party a bad idea? Eran felt worry wash over him. He probably hasn't spent a birthday properly in years.Such crappy parents. But did we stir up past memories? Maybe he's been thinking about his dad this entire time.
Eran shivered when he stepped into the apartment. Of course, the heat was off—there had been no skin there to absorb it for over a month. Still, the building walls made it warmer than outside, so Eran took off his coat. The apartment was small enough to feel cozy to a family of three but big enough to feel like a hollow cave to one person alone. Though he wanted to look around and see the sort of place Riley had spent his time alone in for nearly a year, he sat down on the sofa—stiff on all but one of the cushions.
He watched Riley flip through junk mail and press the button on the phone to play a waiting voice message. Though it was Eran's first time hearing the voice, he immediately knew who it was.
"Hey, Riley. It's me. You've been staying somewhere else, right? Is it with an older woman?" His father laughed softly at his own teasing. "Uh, well, I'm thinking about ending the lease."
Riley's coat fell to the floor as his grip went limp.
"It's about up, so now's a good time. You're graduating soon, eh? Well, anyway—Oh yeah, I'm in the country now, so I guess I'll come by within the next couple of weeks, see where you're living and all. We can talk about it when I get there. So, well, in the meantime you should start packing up the apartment, eh?"
The machine beeped, signalling the end of the message.
Even though it came just yesterday, he didn't say anything about Riley's birthday. Maybe his dad will bring something like a gift or present when he comes to visit. Eran scolded himself for getting naively hopeful himself. Worried, he walked over to Riley and picked up the coat.
