Summers without Her

-2

2016

I look down at the drink in my hand before walking over to the garbage can and dumping it's remnants into it. I can't be drinking tonight. Not when she's here. I might do something I'll regret.

I look across the room of dancing bodies to see Riley, standing with her boyfriend Mike. She looks pissed. And he looks . . . guilty. 'Guilty of what?' I think.

Suddenly, she does something I've been wanting to do for the past two years. She slaps him across the face. Hard. Then she storms off towards front door of the house.

He doesn't call out after her and I flashback to last summer when she chose him over me. I remember the pain I felt when she didn't call out after me after I stormed off.

For a moment, my feelings battle with my morals, and eventually my feelings win over. I step away from my stance by the garbage can and chase after Riley.

After countless encounters with sweaty bodies and couples making out, I finally make it outside to see her standing near the edge of the road.

"Riley!" I yell to her. Taking a few more steps, I reach her and hastily take a hold of her shoulder.

She turns around and immediately places her lips on mine.

I'm shocked and frozen on the spot. My wide open eyes stare into her closed ones. Right as I'm about to respond, she pulls away and her eyes flutter open.

Confusion, then hurt, and then anger morphs through her expression in the next few seconds. "You're not Mike," she mutters.

My lips are tingling and I find I hard to concentrate, but I nonetheless shake my head.

She looks over my shoulder towards the house and sighs.

I open my arms.

She falls into them in a sobbing mess.

That night, she sleeps over for the first time in two years.

<3 ash | 7.31.16

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