APARTMENT 143

05

I step out the shower as the steam fills my bathroom, making my way to the mirror I wipe off the steam to see myself.

The thought of Riven appears in my mind, he actually hugged me and it was genuine.

Talking about my mom always brought back unsettling feelings but I've always been able to hold myself back and put a smile on my face, so why did I end up crying in front of a man I hardly knew?

This is getting me nowhere, I need to get ready.

I walk into my bedroom towards my closet, pulling out a baby blue dress with white flowers. It seemed like a nice day so why not enjoy it with a bright outfit. I slide my feet into a pair of simple white heels and grab my purse before making my way down the stairs.

Chloe had left by the time I had returned, she left me a note saying she'll be back tonight and bring dinner. However, I knew it must have been something else, maybe just the fact Riven wanted nothing to do with her?

I grab my keys and head out the door locking it behind me and walk over to the elevator, click the button to go down.

Suddenly someone stands beside me and startled me.

"R- Riven?" I say looking up at him.

"Violet." He says as the elevator doors open.

Riven steps in first and turns around to look at me, he holds the door open with his hand and I step inside. Keeping my distance, as I stand on the other side of the elevator quietly, Riven has definitely gone back to his reserved and distant self and I didn't want to bother him.

I notice him texting away with one hand while the other was still covered with the band-aid.

"Um, how's your hand?" I ask looking over at him.

Riven's head perks up and he places his phone back in his pocket.

"It still stings a bit, is that normal?" he asks, holding out his hand for me to examine it.

I hold his hand in mine, they were literally double the size of my own. Honestly, he could probably hold both my hands in one of his, but I shook my head to stay focused.

I ran my fingers over the band-aid to see if he had any reaction to pain, then flipped over his hand to see if there were any cuts I might have missed.

"Everything looks fine, I told you it would feel a bit sore," I say letting go. "But you'll be perfectly fine soon enough."

"I see," Riven says as he lifts his hand and begins examining it himself.

He puts his hand into his pocket and notices me still looking at him, Riven steps forward towards me and I step back. He continues this until my back against the wall and he's just a few inches away from me.

"Is there something wrong?" he says with his deep husky voice.

"W- What?"

"Is there something wrong with me? You keep backing away," Riven says with his calm demanding aura. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"No of course not!" I shout jumping forward.

Riven lifts an eyebrow at my response and I immediately lean back down against the wall.

"I mean it's just you don't seem like you're much of the talking type..." I say looking away shyly. "I didn't want to bother you."

"You're right," he says, not breaking his eyes off of me. "I'm not much of a fan when it comes to people, especially those who are loud and... well stubborn."