Bare Trees

Chapter 9

Aria Day

I drove to the location Riley had sent me. I drove quickly but carefully, hoping to not have him waiting for so long.

When I pulled up, he was sitting on a bench, typing away on his phone. I blew at him and he jumped. When he saw it was me, he hopped up, a huge grin on his face. I smiled a little, seeing him in a nice black suit.

He was so handsome, even more so than I'd expected all these years.

He opened the door and I studied him more. He'd just gotten a haircut or trim or whatever and it made him look even more sexy. They'd cleaned up his mustache and goatee; I gushed. Damn, what a man.

"What are you looking at?" He asked me, a smirk on his face. I looked away from him, clearing my throat.

"Why are you wearing a suit?" He laughed at me.

"Looks like you want me to take it off." I blushed and shook my head. "I was at a funeral for... a friend of my dad's." He looked out of the window, resting his head on it. I decided not to ask questions, he didn't seem like he wanted to answer them.

"So... where do you want me to drop you off?"

"Getting rid of me quick, huh?"

"No! I just... didn't think you wanted to hang out with me."

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" I shrugged, nervously.

"I don't know. You're a grown man with a... job I guess. I didn't know what else you had to do." And I don't know how he feels about me, after all of these years. I still love him, but it's been four years. There's no telling what else he's got going on.

"Nah, nothing else for me to do today." He looked behind us before nodding. "Really risky for us to be together, you know?"

"Do you think he'll even know who I am by my face?" He thought about it for a second before shaking his head.

"No, I guess you're right. He's only seen you once and... I'm sure he only knows your Dad by face. I guess that isn't so bad." He pursed his lips, looking over at me. "My Dad's just crazy and... I don't want to see you hurt." I bit my lip, nodding. I felt somewhat afraid. The way he described his father made me nervous.

"But you don't think he'd know, right?" He sighed.

"Aria, my father would have to kill me to get to you. I'd never let anyone hurt you. I swear to you." I nodded, but that didn't really make me feel any better. "Thank you for coming to get me." He tried changing the subject. "Are you going to tutor me today?" He joked.

"Well, I didn't get to last time. Maybe I should." He laughed loudly.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Hey, you haven't talked to your boyfriend in a while, have you?" I froze, thinking he was talking about Nick. Then I relaxed, he meant Kevin.

"No, I haven't. I haven't heard from him since you scared him off."

"Good. What were you doing with a guy like that anyway?" He questioned me. I was almost defensive, but I wasn't.

"He was nice... not clingy, independent, you know? I didn't have to focus on him."

"So you want a guy who you don't have to worry about?" He asked, curiously.

"I-I don't know, it's not that simple." He nodded, seemingly in thought. We made it to my house a bit after that. I pulled into the garage and we got out of the car.

We went into the house and Riley walked around like he owned the place. I laughed at him, he was only shy around me for a little while, when we first met. He was always so headstrong.