Riley and Devin

Chapter Seventy-Seven

I wake up in the morning numb from last night. My throat hurts from all the screaming and crying I did. Devin's also gone when I wake up. I'm not sure what I expected. But...it doesn't feel real.

I sigh and slip on my jeans and shirt from last night to go and grab my clothes from his car. I have to come out sooner or later. I grab booty shorts and a low cut, tight long sleeve shirt. I don't want to wear his sweatshirt again. I change in the tent and slip on my high top Vans. I see Devin sitting by the fire. He's reading and hasn't appeared to notice me.

I go back in the tent and roll up my sleeping bag. I pack up the food. I'm not hungry. The thought of eating anything makes me want to vomit. "You can grab your stuff from the tent," I say. My back is facing him. He walks into the tent and I can breathe again.

I sit down by the fire and bring my knees to my chest. It all seems like a bad dream. But then I look at his blank, distant face and I know it's not. I don't know what to do or what to say. So I don't say anything.

I hear Devin deflating the air mattress and rolling up his sleeping bag. I brush my teeth and think about pulling my hair back. But I don't because I can use my hair as a curtain between us.

I miss him but he's not even gone.

"Are you ready to leave?" Devin asks me. I look at him. He seems to have shaved.

"Yeah," I say quietly. I just want to get home and hide from all of it. Get away from him. He puts out the fire and grabs the remaining things. I get in the car look out the window. He walks towards the car a couple minutes later. He shoves the rest of the stuff in the back and then gets in.

We drive in silence. "I'm stopping at a diner," he says. I nod. I can't even talk to him. He pulls into the parking lot and we both get out. We walk in and we're seated at a small table. I look through the menu for something to eat. I'm not going to show him that he affected me, or my eating habits.

"Hi, what can I get you guys?" a preppy waiter asks. She looks at Devin.

"Green tea with honey and the number five with scrambled eggs and sausage," he says. She scribbles some stuff on a notepad.

"And you?" she asks me.

"Coffee and a cheddar omelet, with green, red and yellow peppers and onions. Oh-and ham," I say. She nods.

"I'll be back with your drinks in a minute," she says and then leaves.

We sit in silence "Are we going to talk about it?" Devin asks.

"There's nothing to talk about," I say.

"Riley," he says. "I think there's something to talk about."

"There's nothing to talk about," I say again. The waitress comes back with our drinks. I make myself busy with pouring cream into my coffee. He keeps looking at me. His eyes burn into my skull. I sip my coffee. Trying not to notice.

"I think there's something to talk about," he says.

"I don't," I tell him. I run my fingers along the little bowl that holds the little creamers. I'm leaning forward and he's staring at me still. His gaze drops and I look down, to my chest. Oh. My fingers momentarily stop tracing the patterns. He looks at me again and I tap my fingers now.

"Are you sure?" he asks me. His hand covers mine and I shiver. I know he feels the electricity surrounding where we're touching. His eyes bore into mine and they're dark. They're so dark there's barely any grey. There's so much emotion too: Passion, hunger, desire and something else. Something equally as dark.