Riley's P.O.V
Cinema theatre?
Is she out on a date?
Why does this seem kinda unbelievable to me?
I look away from the shutter and turn to my right, she focuses on driving her eyes fixed to the side mirror reversing the car to park.
"Who is your friend?" I ask curiously, my mind still eager to know the owner of the voice which I heard.
She remains silent like she never heard me.
"Is your friend a male or female?" I lean forward in interest.
She hits the break and looks at me, her expression enough to convey the message, I purse my lips to a flat line as I move back to unbuckle the seat belt.
Why does she always have to be cold with the poker face?
I step out the very next second after she closes the door, she walks ahead to the entrance not even once looking over her shoulder to check on me.
Did I do something which made her mad?
Is she enraged because I'm being a third wheel on her date?
The only thing which I'm confused right now is that how can she find someone attractive when I'm always around her, is she blind?
She waves at the guy who stands by the counter, his blonde hair gelled up, the pair of ocean irises can be clearly seen in distant, from his face I move my gaze down, the formal white shirt tucked in the dark blue jeans. He displays his white set of even teeth when Aiden waves back.
In which way is he better looking than me?
My footsteps fasten when she is away from him in a short distance, I get closer to Aiden my inner self grins when I see his smile shrink.
"This is...," He asks as he plasters a smile on his face.... it's clearly visible that he is forcing it...
"Riley Mintz," I introduce myself as I move my hand forward for a handshake.
"Chloe," he takes my hand "Aiden's high school bestie," he states.
High school bestie?
Is he trying to prove me something?
"I see," I take a peek at Aiden...she looks around not paying attention to us..."Aiden's partner," I state...I mean working partners but I don't care if he thinks something wild...
We unlock our hands...I look at her again... What is she looking at?
"I expected to spend time alone with her," Chloe says his voice way too low yet cold.
My goodness...he is too straight forward... should I feel awkward right now?
"I'm sorry, she has to stick around me to keep me safe," I pass a sly smile.
My attention distracts when I hear the whisper of my name, I look around finding some people staring at me...I take a step back when I hear the people who passed by me...Why are they still talking about it? Isn't the victory of the trial enough to prove dad's innocence? Why are they still bringing up Mira when everything is over a long ago?
I gaze down at my shoes, the comments which once affected me piles up in my mind, the toxic words never leaving my head.
My feet move swiftly...I don't know where I'm heading to as I follow my body's lead...I continue to move; my lowered head never lifts up till I arrive to a spot where no one is present. I put on my hoodie as I make slow steps toward the iron bar by the wall, gripping onto it I lean on my arms as I close my eyes to calm my heavy breaths... I'm afraid to pass those eyes.
The long-distance footsteps get closer, I open my eyes when the sound stops beside me, the pair of brown boots enough to tell me who it is. I stay still embarrassed to face her.
"Riley," she mentions my name softly "People have different perceptions and we can't stop others from thinking with their own opinions, it's just nature," she takes a moment of silence and continues "The victory of the trial proves that your dad is not what they think of him, you do not have to be ashamed as long as you know that you did nothing wrong. We can't live our lives peacefully if we burden ourselves with how people judge us... that's the problem with them not you," I gulp down the lump in my throat as I stare at the polished white floor "Out of the hundred percent people out there, there will always be at least one percent of them who knows the truth and I'm one of them," my inner being is eager to look up at her, to look at her face when she stated all these "I don't know what happened between you and that girl but one thing for sure I know is that you wouldn't have done anything wrong," it would be a lie if I say that her words never made an impact in me...she just made me feel relaxed...Neither of the words of comfort made me feel better when the news of my scandal with Mira was all around, I still couldn't forget the abusive comments but now, I just feel better...
How can she make me feel better with a few words?
Only she can do that, I wish I've known her earlier so that I wouldn't have gone through the trauma.
Is she a god mother?
"You don't have to feel ashamed if you're not guilty," she continues not knowing that her little words are more than enough to comfort me "Here," she brings a mask to my view "If you still wish to hide yourself, use it. If you choose not to mind them just walk ahead," I stare at the mask for a while, it's true that I cannot shut others mouth and I don't care what others think of me as long as the people around me sides with me.
"You know," I say as a smile makes its way on my lips, I snatch the mask from her grip and look straight, my eager self immediately turns to the left to see her "I wish I could hug you now," I chuckle as I push the mask to my pocket.
"Why?" She asks dryly as she looks away.
"I'm touched," I say as I place my hand on my chest, she looks at me the corners of her pink lips slightly twitched, I nod.
"If you feel better," she stands straight as she turns to me "Then you can," she spreads her arms, the charming charcoal eyes arched as her smile widens.
I step forward, my heart already racing, I feel something in my stomach when I get closer to her, snaking my hands around her slim figure I hug her...
My stomach is surely sick!
"Chloe is waiting for us, the movie would have started," she says, I don't budge as a part of doesn't want to move away, I wish I could stay as this for a while...the presence of her close to my heart gives me a feeling like this should never end...I wish I could hold her longer.
We walk into the dark hall, the place barely crowded. I follow Aiden to the specific row of seat, there Chloe stands and pats on the seat to his right. Luckily a person is seated to his left.
I check the number of my seat, and it's fifty-four, so Chloe is fifty-two and Aiden is fifty-three.
Who cares about the number?
I hop forward taking a wide step I pass behind Aiden, I throw myself on the seat next to Chloe...whoa, that expression...he looks down at me with his brows raised questionably.
I make myself comfortable on the seat as I adjust the neck of my hoodie "Come, come, the movie is about to begin," I shove off at Aiden, she moves aside and sits beside me.
A satisfied smirk plays on my lips when Chloe sits back without uttering a word.
The big screen lightens and the film starts, I take a glance at her...My mind curious to know what she is doing, every second I'm urged to take a glimpse of her.
The movie ends, the one and a half hour passed by in a blink of an eye...to be honest I don't know what was the beginning nor the end, to be specific I have no idea of the title as well...
If I didn't show up, would they have been sitting next to each other, smiling affectionately? Thank God I came along!
"Aiden," his deep voice makes her to stop by the door, she looks at him.
"Can we go to another place?" He asks "Just the two of us," the edges of his brows slightly curls as his words come out like a request.
My goodness, what's with those eyes?
He looks at her, his pupils delated.
"Sorry for the inconvenience," I interrupt "We've got some work to do," I plaster a fake compelling smile.
"What are you talking about?" Aiden frowns at me.
I pull her to a side a little away from that unattractive lad "Didn't you say that the lawsuit should be filed," I explain "We should find the victim's family."
"Hmm," she nods and walks pass me.
I watch her examining every single detail, my mind tries it's best to lip read but fails. She tells him something and walks toward me.
"Let's go," she orders.
I push open the door of the office and we enter, Aiden strolls to the new table placed, she runs her index finger on the name board where her name is carved.
"When did you do this?" She asks.
"It's a secret," I blurt walking to my table.
"Office manager," she reads the words below her name, a slight smile forms on her lips...Is she happy about it?
"Okay," she utters "Let's pull out all the files," she walks to a shelf and begins to lift the files.
Plenty of files are stacked up on our tables, we continue to flip pages to find the victims who has been affected by the AIMS group so that we can convince them to help us...I let out a weary sigh pinching the bridge of my nose, I sit straight after hours my eyes tired, stretching my arms I turn to my left...she is asleep...
A smile flickers across my face like a hologram, I walk towards her, her right cheek laid on the open file, the polythene cover attached to her skin...She looks even prettier when she is asleep...I bend a little taking a closer look at her, my body works on its own as it bends even lower my lips just an inch away from her cheek, my breath hitches on her pale skin... Something in me urges me to get closer to her, I don't know whether it's my mind or the heart... She is like a magnet.
Pushing the thoughts to the back of my head I move lower, my eyes widen when she opens her eyes, her eyebrows furrow instantly, her mouth in an uneven shape.
She looks at me curiously our eyes in an inch distance.
"What...," I hit her cheek when her husky voice hitched on my skin, I stand straight promptly when she sits straight with her palm placed on her cheek where I slapped her.
"A mosquito," I blurt awkwardly looking away from the pair of eyes which drives me nuts.
"Oh," she utters under her breath, sitting straight she continues to flip through the files.
My heart still pounding like a drum.