RILEY
The following weeks were so incredible, they felt like a dream.
Tristan and I didnât act like a typical couple at school, but we cherished our time together at his house.
While I tutored him in math, we also shared other moments, but it never went beyond kissing. I was waiting for him to take the next step.
It was sexually frustrating, but I was too shy to bring it up.
At school, I barely saw him. He was always occupied with his classes and football practice.
âRi, you need to talk to him. This is fun and all, but why isnât he making this public? I donât even see him talking to you at school anymore,â Lucy pointed out during lunch.
I avoided her gaze. She was right, and I didnât have an answer.
âWell, he did say he didnât want anyone to know he was bad at math, and thatâs why Iâm tutoring him at his house,â I defended him, fiddling with my sandwich crusts.
âThat was about tutoring and his reputation. I get that, but youâre not just tutoring him. You guys are a ~thing~ now, and I donât understand why he isnât paying attention to you at school.â
I swallowed hard. She was right, and it completely ruined my mood.
âI just donât want to see you get hurt, babe. I can see it in your eyes. Youâre really falling for him,â she said, taking my hands.
I gave her a small nod and a smile.
âIâll talk to him about it,â I promised. Suddenly, an idea struck me. âActually, Iâm going to go kiss him, right here at school, right now.â I stood up, filled with newfound confidence.
âThatâs my girl. Go get him.â She winked, encouraging me.
I tossed my plate in the trash and headed for the football field.
Iâd seen him there with his friends around this time. I didnât know where this sudden confidence came from, but I wanted to know how he felt about us kissing in public.
~He did say he liked me, didnât he?~
~Well then, fuck it.~
A cool breeze hit me as I stepped onto the football field, and I brushed my hair from my face.
It was a bright, sunny day, and I scanned the field. Some junior high kids were eating lunch on the bench, and I saw some of Tristanâs teammates stretching.
~Where is he?~
I walked further onto the field, my eyes searching. I saw a girl with blond hair, her back to me. She was kissing a guy from the team, but I couldnât see his face.
I moved closer, and my heart stopped.
It wasnât just some guy.
It was Tristan.
~What the actual fuck?~
I turned and ran as fast as I could. I didnât want him to know Iâd seen them. I rushed to the girlsâ restroom and locked myself in a stall.
~Okay! Deep breaths.~
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears.
I felt like such a fool.
What did I expect? That he would fall in love with me, and weâd have a happy ending like in the movies?
I sobbed quietly, angry at myself for falling for his flattery. My heart was shattered, and I wanted to punch him.
Why did I believe him?
âYou arenât like other girls,â my ass!
I knew it was too good to be true. I wiped my tears and took a deep breath.
I left the stall, quickly washed my face, and headed to class like nothing had happened.
âWhat the fuck? Have you been crying?â Lucy asked, drawing strange looks from our classmates as I sat down next to her.
Way to play it cool, Riley.
âI donât want to talk about it now, Lu,â I replied weakly.
âThat motherfucker is dead. Iâm going to kill him,â she said angrily.
My mind kept replaying the image of him kissing that girl. I didnât even know who she was.
Who knows how long heâs been doing this behind my back!
~You guys werenât in a relationship,~ my inner voice mocked me. My eyes filled with fresh tears.
After a miserable forty-five minutes, school was finally over. Lucy and I left immediately, and she didnât ask me anything, thankfully.
She drove me home, and once we were in my room, she started asking questions.
âYou better tell me what happened, because Iâm going to kick his ass.â She paced in front of me as I collapsed on my bed.
âHe kissed another girl, Lu. Thatâs what fucking happened. And I just ran away like a coward. What the fuck was I thinking?â I groaned in frustration as she joined me on the bed.
âShit! Iâm so sorry, babe.â She pulled me into a hug and I started crying on her shoulder.
âDid he see you?â
I shook my head. âI donât even know who that girl wasâsome blonde chick. I canât believe he would do that to me. He was so convincing these past weeks. God, heâs such a jerk,â I sniffled.
I wiped my nose with the back of my hand, and Lucy hugged me tighter.
âHeâs an asshole, babe. I thought he had really changed. I swear Iâm going to kill him,â she fumed.
I was too tired to argue. I wanted to kill him too.
âIâm going to end everything, and I mean it this time. No more tutoring. I can work more shifts at the library to earn extra money,â I mumbled.
Iâd already decided to cut him out of my life.
âLet me fetch you some ice cream. It's the cure-all for everything.â Lucy rose from my bed, heading to rummage through my fridge.
I let out a scream, muffled by my pillow, the frustration too much to bear.
~Damn you, Tristan.~
~I despise you so much.~