Happy Everly After

Chapter 14

As I boarded the bus, the rain began to pour down in sheets. I was instantly drenched, my hair plastered to my face and clothes clinging uncomfortably to my body. I couldn't wait to get home and change into something dry. As I hopped off the bus, I absentmindedly rummaged through my bag for my keys. My mum was out for after-work drinks with her colleagues, which meant I had the house to myself for the night. But as I approached my front door, a familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Everly, can we talk?" It sounded like a demand rather than a request. I was instantly filled with dread. Riley was stood at my door, essentially blocking my escape into my home.

Instinctively, I gripped my key tightly in my hand, ready to use it as a weapon if necessary. Not that I'd know what to do, but it made me feel safer. He looked like he wanted to take a step towards me but thought better of it.

"I don't want to talk, Riley", I said firmly. "I want you to leave".

He shuffled nervously before speaking again. "We were good friends once, weren't we Everly?" His words seemed directed at me, but his gaze drifted away as if he was talking to himself. "When I moved here, I didn't know anyone. But you, Owen, Charlotte...you all took me under your wings, and it felt good to have real friends. I just want that back".

My head jerked up in disbelief. Did he really think he could fix things between us after what happened?

"You ruined this friendship, not me", I replied coldly. He nodded in agreement.

"I know", he admitted softly. "But I—"

Before he could finish his sentence, I cut him off. "Get the fuck away from me and my house".

What seemed like an eternity of silence passed between us.

"So, Charlotte told you about us". It wasn't a question, more of an acknowledgement.

"Yep", I replied curtly.

"You're going to tell her tomorrow, aren't you?" he asked, but his tone told me that he already knew the answer.

"Of course. She deserves better than you, Riley. I can't stand the thought of you anywhere near her, you make my skin crawl", I said with disgust.

"Figures" he muttered bitterly before purposefully brushing past me and getting into his car.

I shivered at the feeling of his touch and wrapped my arms tightly around myself for comfort. I watched as he drove away, making sure he didn't linger. I quickly fumbled with my keys, my hands trembling. How dare he come here and try to fix things after everything!

I slammed the door behind me and leaned back against it, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I paced around the kitchen, too worked up to even think about eating dinner. My mum had made lasagne, but all I could think of was how much I wanted ice cream.

I decided to call it a night, even though I knew I wouldn't get much sleep. I put the radio on. My guilty pleasure was listening to classic rock when I needed to relax. It might not have been my era, yet the music really did chill me out. I felt myself drifting, eyes getting heavy when my phone rang. I groaned as I kept one eye shut trying to locate in on my bed. The call ended and then it flashed again, this time a text. It was from Owen.

Hey King, talked to Charlotte...turns out she's been secretly dating Riley for longer than we thought. She feels shitty for having a go at us. We could have some fun with this, but let's take the high road.

Owen never passed up a chance to tease either of us, so when I received his text, I couldn't help but be surprised. Fingers tapping on my phone, I quickly replied.

Hmm, where is Owen and what have you done with him?

My message was playful, but inside I felt a warm flutter at the thought of him smiling as he read it.

his response came after a few moments.

I spoke to them both. It seems to have fizzled out now anyway. See you tomorrow.

I wanted to talk about why I had been distant, it weighed heavily on my mind, but maybe tomorrow wasn't the right time. Would there ever be a right time? I wondered.

Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself that I didn't want to barge in and start ranting. But at some point, I had to say what needed to be said. To them both.