Addicted to You

Confrontation

Riley mindlessly clicked through restaurant reviews on her laptop, "What do you have a taste for? This Chinese place looks pretty good. "

"Whatever you want is fine," Maya slipped on her shoes as she answered. "Just text me the name, and I'll meet you there."

"Wait, what?" Riley's head jerked up to look at Maya over the screen, "You're going somewhere? I thought we were getting lunch."

"We are," Maya grabbed her purse and cell phone, shoving the latter into her pants pocket. "I just need to meet up with someone real fast. It won't take long. I should be able to meet you in about thirty minutes."

The brunette closed her laptop and tossed it next to her on the bed. "That's fine. Give me a minute, and I'll go with you." Riley gave Maya a quick kiss and went to the closet to start looking for her shoes.

"No, Riles, I'll just meet you there," Maya persisted.

A confused Riley turned around, holding a single unmatched shoe, "Maya?"

"Really, Riley. Just find your shoe, and figure out what you want to eat. I'll meet you there in no time!"

"Do you not want me to go with you?"

Maya took a deep breath and said sternly, "Riley, I'll meet you there."

"I'll find the other shoe in one second. I won't make you late."

"You can't go with me," Maya finally admitted, tension in her voice.

"Why not?" Confusion flashed across Riley's face.

"I just need to go alone."

"Tell me this isn't what I think it is," Riley pleaded, taking a hesitant step towards Maya.

"Look, things just got bad with those results. I needed a fix; it's all just too much," the blonde admitted.

Dropping the shoe she had been holding, Riley exclaimed, "You're using again!"

"I had to, Riles. You just don't get it!" Maya turned away from her, folding her arms in frustration.

"Maya! You promised!"

"Yeah, well that was before I ended up with a fucking STD wasn't it?" She rounded on Riley, anger fuming in her eyes.

"I cannot believe you! That is not an excuse. You could die!"

"I've got it under control," Maya spat.

"How long?"

"Two weeks. Since we got back from that appointment," Maya hung her head in shame, but only for a moment. The feeling of guilt left her as abruptly as it had come. She needed this, or at least that's what her body was telling her. "Just let me go, okay?"

Riley stood firm between Maya and the door. "No. You are not going to meet up with her again. It is not happening! I f-forbid it," Riley stuttered, struggling to get the words out in a way that would sound the least bit intimidating.

"Are you kidding me right now? Forbid it," Maya mocked. "Get out of my way, Riley!"

"No," the brunette held her ground.

"She's expecting me in ten minutes. Just move."

"Ring power."

"Not going to work this time. Move !" Maya shoved by Riley, who tripped as a result and fell to her right and landed on the bed.

Disoriented, Riley blinked back tears trying to make sense of what just happened. She grabbed her purse, threw it over her shoulder, and ran from the room trying to catch up to Maya. Riley had no idea where she met up with this dealer. She had never asked before; she stupidly assumed that was behind them. Of course Maya wouldn't be able to just stop suddenly; she should have known better.

Riley pulled out her phone and clicked on Maya's name. The call rang repeatedly, but Maya never picked up.

"Maya, please call me back," she pleaded to the automated voice mailbox. "You don't need to do this. Please come back. I love you. We can get through this."

A text came through a moment later, " Leave me alone."

Riley was not going to leave her alone. She loved her too much for that. Maya needed help whether she wanted it or not.

Riley found herself in the parking lot behind Paco's Tacos, still desperate to find Maya. She had already been to three bars near campus, the library, the coffee shop, and the art gallery. She was running out of ideas. Riley was about to give up and go back to their dorm when she recognized someone from campus leaning up against a silver sedan.

"I know you," Riley said as she approached the girl.

"Good observation," she huffed. "You are that goody-goody who sat in the front of my Psych class and made it all about you."

Riley searched her brain for recollection, "Nicole something, right?"

"Nikki Riggs."

"Right. Did you happen to see a blonde girl here earlier?"

"The short one, medium length hair?"

"Yes! Any chance you saw who she was meeting with?" If she couldn't stop Maya from buying, maybe she could stop whoever was dealing from selling to her.

"Why do you care?"

"She's my girlfriend." Riley pleaded with her, hoping to appeal to this girl's better nature, "Can you help me or not?"

"Yeah, she was here to see me."

"What? You're her dealer?" Riley was surprised to hear this. She had never dreamed Maya had been getting her fix from someone she knew, even if only as an acquaintance.

Nikki smirked, "You wanting some too, Ms. Goody-goody?"

Riley straightened her posture, hoping to appear the slightest bit intimidating, "Stay away from Maya."

"Maya? Is that her name? She never told me. That one had a no name rule."

"I'm not kidding, Nikki. Don't sell to her anymore."

"I will sell to whoever is buying. And if that delicious piece of ass girlfriend of yours wants to give me another taste I'd be happy to keep her stocked for free."

Riley was fuming, "Stay away from her."

"Have you tasted how sweet she is yet? Mmm, had some good times with that little slut."

Before Riley could register what she was doing her fist collided with the girl's face.

Nikki just laughed, "That the best you got? You are so in over your head right now." She reached up and grabbed a fistful of Riley's hair, pulling roughly. Riley winced from the pain as she was forced to her knees. "You want to fight? Think you can take me?"

"Please," Riley gasped. "Just leave her alone."

"No. And I owe you for that punch," Nikki's knee came up and sharply collided with Riley's stomach.

Riley coughed, trying to recover from having the wind knocked out of her. Nikki had released the hold on her hair and Riley fell backwards, sitting on the ground as she tried to breathe.

"Don't ever try to threaten me again," Nikki spat.

Riley narrowed her gaze and launched at the girl, causing them to topple back. Nikki quickly overpowered her, being more physically fit than Riley.

"Are you fucking kidding? I could kill you if I wanted," she mocked as she punched into her.

"Stop. Please," Riley sobbed in pain as the blows kept coming. She withdrew into a fetal position as Nikki got off of her.

She looked down at Riley, who was crying, and gave her swift kick to the gut. Nikki leaned over to pull Riley up by the collar of her shirt. She held her at eye level, "If you know what's good for you stay away from me." She threw Riley backwards onto the ground. Her head came down hard onto the cement parking divider.

That was the last thing Riley remembered before everything went black.