Chapter 21: The Return of Jade
Riley froze for a second when Danny announced, "Uh, guys, weâve got a problem. You wonât believe who just showed up."
The light-hearted chatter of the group faded into an uneasy silence. Rileyâs stomach churned, a familiar feeling of unease creeping up her spine. She didnât even need to ask. She already knew who it was.
"Who?" Elena asked, glancing around at the others, who were suddenly looking as confused as she felt. Maya, sitting closest to Riley, raised an eyebrow but said nothing, sensing the shift in the air.
"Danny, donât tease," Riley muttered, but the discomfort was already settling in her chest, thick and unavoidable.
Danny grinned, but there was a hint of mischief, even concern, in his eyes. "Itâs Jade."
Rileyâs grip tightened on her drink as the name hit her like a cold gust of wind. Jade. Of course. Why else would things feel off today?
Elenaâs brows furrowed in confusion, her gaze darting between Riley and the others. "Jade?" she repeated, glancing back at Danny for confirmation. "Whoâs Jade?"
Danny shrugged, keeping his distance. "Ex-girlfriend of Rileyâs," he said casually, but there was a slight tension in his voice.
Riley let out a small sigh, shaking her head as if trying to shake off the memories. "Yeah, an ex," she confirmed, but her tone was clipped, leaving no room for elaboration. "But not one to remember fondly."
There was a subtle shift in Elenaâs posture, something in the way she studied Rileyâs face as if waiting for more. The tension was palpable, and Riley was aware of itâthe way Elena was looking at her now, something unsaid hanging between them. She didnât know how to explain, didnât even know if she wanted to.
"Sheâs not someone I talk about much," Riley added quietly, her voice low enough that only Elena could hear. She didnât want to go down that path again, not with Elena, not with anyone.
"Well, letâs go see what she wants," Danny added, as if pushing the moment forward. "Should be fun. Come on, Riley."
Riley gave him a sharp look. "Fun for who? Youâve met her before."
He shrugged, unfazed. "Iâve got my reasons for coming out here. You know, just... keeping the peace. And making sure she doesnât get any funny ideas."
Riley didnât answer. Her stomach twisted at the thought of Jade showing up here, especially after all this time. She didnât want to deal with it, but there was no avoiding it now. Jade had a knack for showing up when Riley least expected her.
"You should go talk to her, Riley," Maya suggested quietly, glancing at Elena. "I mean, if sheâs your ex, thereâs gotta be some... history." There was a teasing edge to Mayaâs voice, but her expression was genuine.
Riley didnât respond at first, just took a deep breath, letting the warmth of the sun on her skin calm her nerves. Then, without looking at Elena, she turned and started walking toward the front of the house. It felt like a thousand eyes were on her as she approached the driveway, her footsteps slower than usual.
Elena followed, her curiosity getting the best of her. She didnât know anything about Jadeâdidnât know what she meant to Riley, or why the mere mention of her name had caused such a change in the air. And that only made her more determined to find out.
When she reached the end of the driveway, she saw Jade standing there, leaning against the fence with a confident smile. Riley didnât even need to see her face clearly to know it was herâthe stance, the way she stood, the way she just radiated something that had always drawn Riley in, even when she knew it was wrong. She could still remember the way sheâd kissed her, the way she had a knack for making Riley feel like the world revolved around them, only to twist that into control when Riley was least expecting it.
"Hey, Riley," Jade greeted, her voice sweet and smooth as honey. There was an almost playful edge to her tone, the kind that always made Riley feel like she was about to be lured into a trap.
Riley didnât say anything at first. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, standing a little straighter, trying to keep her guard up. "What are you doing here, Jade?" The words felt sharp, like theyâd been on the tip of her tongue for too long.
Jade pushed herself off the fence and took a step toward Riley, her expression softening into something more familiar, more dangerous. "You didnât think Iâd just disappear forever, did you?" she asked, the words dripping with an almost flirtatious air that made Rileyâs skin crawl.
Behind Riley, Elenaâs brow furrowed, though she didnât move closer. She was still processing what was happening, why Riley seemed so uncomfortable, so closed off.
"I came to see how youâre doing," Jade continued, her eyes flickering toward Elena with a momentary curiosity. "Didnât expect you to be hanging out with a whole new group of people. Didnât think I was that forgettable."
Riley clenched her jaw, feeling that familiar irritation rise in her chest. "You left, Jade," she said, her voice steady but laced with a quiet fury. "You didnât need to come back into my life now. Itâs over. That was the past."
Jade's expression didnât falter. If anything, it turned more knowing. "You sure about that?" she asked, her voice low.
Riley felt her patience slipping, but she swallowed the instinct to snap. She wasnât going to let Jade get to her again. Not this time.
Behind her, Elena shifted uncomfortably. She was starting to piece things together, the pieces of Rileyâs past slowly clicking into place. She didnât know much about Jade, but from the way Riley was standing, tense and defensive, and the way Jade was speakingâtoo casual, too familiarâElena could guess this wasnât just any ex.
"Is there a problem?" Elenaâs voice was more clipped than she intended, though she couldnât keep the bite out of it. The discomfort she felt was escalating. She wasnât sure why, but seeing the two of them together, seeing Riley like this, made something stir uncomfortably in her stomach. She hated the way Jadeâs smile seemed to make Riley seem... less herself.
Jade's eyes flicked to Elena, and she finally took in her presence properly. "Oh, this must be your new... friend," she said, her tone light, almost teasing.
Riley winced at the word, even though she knew Jade didnât mean it maliciously. She didnât like the way it sounded coming from her.
Elenaâs eyes narrowed. She hadnât expected this encounter to be so loaded. She hadnât expected to feel this surge of... jealousy? No, it couldnât be that, right? Riley had every right to have exes, and she didnât know Jade, so she had no reason to feel threatened.
But even as Elena tried to convince herself of that, her instincts told her something was off.
"Riley and I are good friends," Elena said, her voice firm as she stepped closer to Riley.
Jade's lips curved up into a knowing smirk. "Well, isnât that nice," she purred. She turned her attention back to Riley, her eyes still lingering with a hint of something Riley couldnât quite place. "You always did know how to make things interesting."
Riley felt a jolt of annoyance rip through her. "Iâm done, Jade. Itâs over. I donât want you here."
Jade tilted her head slightly, her gaze still fixed on Riley. "You sure about that?" she repeated. "Iâll be around."
Riley didnât want to hear any more. She wasnât going to let Jade play games with her. With an exhale, she turned on her heel.
"Weâre done here," Riley said. "Please leave."
Jade didnât argue. She merely shrugged and took a step back. "Iâll be around," she repeated, before walking off without another word.
Riley stood there for a moment, trying to calm the storm raging inside her. She knew Jade was trouble, but that didnât stop the weight of her presence from lingering.
Elena was silent behind her, and Riley knew without looking that Elena had probably picked up on the tension. But what did it all mean?
She wasnât sure, but she couldnât deal with it right now.
Not with the group waiting.
And certainly not with Elena still standing there.
"Letâs go back to the others," Riley said, her voice a little rougher than she intended.
"Yeah," Elena agreed quietly, following her back toward the group. But even as they walked, Elena couldnât shake the feeling that something had just changed between them.