Chapter 5: Chapter Five

RILEY

“So, what did he say?” Lucy prodded me during class. I tried to dodge her question, unsure of how to put it into words.

“He agreed to meet me at the library,” I said, trying to keep it simple. But Lucy knew me too well.

“There’s more to it, isn’t there? You’re blushing,” she whispered.

My eyes widened in surprise. “What? No!” I touched my cheeks, feeling the heat there. Lucy was trying her best not to burst out laughing.

“You should see your face,” she giggled, earning us a stern look from our teacher.

“Spill the beans now, or I’ll swipe your phone,” she threatened in a whisper.

“God, you’re so annoying, Lu.” I handed her my phone before the teacher could kick us out.

“That’s better.” She grinned, scrolling through my texts. I watched her face out of the corner of my eye, seeing her jaw drop in surprise.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. We gathered our things and headed out.

“What’s going on between you two?” she asked, handing back my phone once we were out of the classroom.

“Nothing. He’s being a jerk, and I’m just trying to keep things professional,” I said quickly, avoiding her gaze.

“Are you really that clueless? Tristan Harris is flirting with you,” she stated.

I stopped in my tracks. “Yeah, right. Like he’s desperate for a girl’s attention. We all know he’s a player, Lu,” I retorted, annoyed.

She just shook her head. “Maybe this is just how he texts girls, but you seriously need to get laid, Ri. Too much stress isn’t good for you.”

She winked at me suggestively.

I scowled. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“Hi, ladies.” Andrew’s deep voice came from behind me. He wrapped his arm around Lucy’s shoulders, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Hi, Andrew,” I greeted him as we continued toward the exit.

“I heard you’re not coming to the party this weekend,” he said to me.

I shot Lucy a glare.

“He asked me, babe,” she defended herself. I groaned in frustration.

“I don’t want to go, Andrew. Parties aren’t my thing. You know that, right?” I tried to give him my best puppy-dog eyes, hoping he’d let it slide.

He just laughed, his blue eyes sparkling. He was a handsome guy, with dirty-blond hair. And he was a genuinely good person, which was a rare find.

I was glad Lucy had found someone like him.

“How can I throw a party without my girlfriend’s best friend? She’d be all alone, Riley,” he reasoned.

I sighed heavily. “Fine. I’ll think about it,” I mumbled.

Lucy squealed in excitement. “Yay! Thank you so much, babe.”

She threw her arms around my neck and I hugged her back, rolling my eyes at Andrew, who just shrugged in defeat.

“You guys owe me big time.” I pointed a finger at them and they laughed as we walked outside.

“Have fun, babe.” Lucy waved goodbye to me with a wink and walked toward the parking lot with Andrew, while I headed to the library.

Around 7:45, I checked my phone for any messages from Tristan.

I’d barely seen him at school today and was starting to wonder if this was all some kind of joke. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

People were slowly leaving the library as it neared eight o’clock, closing time.

I waited patiently until 8:15.

The owner had made it clear that the library should only stay open past eight if people were still reading inside.

The library was now empty, and I had no choice but to lock up. I gathered my things and headed out, feeling disappointed.

After locking up, I walked down the street, wondering why he had stood me up.

~Did he change his mind?~

~Is this some kind of game to him?~

I tried to stay strong and quickly made my way home, where I found my dad in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

“You’re home early, sweetheart. What happened to the tutoring?” he asked, looking puzzled.

I sat at the counter, watching him stir the sauce in the pan.

“He didn’t show up. I’ll call him and ask what happened later tonight,” I replied, picking up a piece of carrot from a bowl.

“So it’s a ‘he’?” Dad asked, raising an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes.

“He’s a jerk, Dad. I’m doing this just for the money, as bad as that sounds.”

“Alright, whatever you say,” he laughed. “Dinner will be ready in five. Go freshen up and come back down.”

I nodded and ran upstairs to change.

After dinner, I debated whether to text Tristan and ask why he hadn’t shown up. I didn’t want to seem desperate, but I was also angry and wanted to give him a piece of my mind.

My thoughts were interrupted by my phone ringing. I picked it up from my bedside table.

“Asshole” calling!

~Shit!~

~When did we go from texting to calling?~

I answered the call with trembling hands and held the phone to my ear. The line was silent; neither of us said a word.

“I know you’re there. I can hear you breathing, Adams,” Tristan’s deep voice echoed through the phone.

I took a deep breath, mouthing the words, “Oh my God!”

His voice was so sexy.

“What do you want?” I cleared my throat, trying to sound composed.

“I know you’re mad, but I had a family emergency.” He paused for a moment. “I’m sorry for not texting. I was caught up.”

For the first time ever, he apologized to me. I was utterly stunned.

“You just apologized, didn’t you?” I asked again, needing to confirm. His chuckle in response nearly turned me into a puddle.

“Yes, Adams. It won’t happen again. Would you mind coming over to my place tomorrow for our session after your shift? I’m not really comfortable at the library,” he proposed.

I was caught off guard.

~His place?~

I knew nothing about his home or his family. I was aware he was wealthy, but I’d never seen his residence.

I chewed on my lower lip, unsure of how to respond.

“I can pick you up and drop you back home every day,” he offered.

I scrunched my eyebrows together, puzzled.

“Why are you going to all this trouble? I mean, you could easily hire a professional tutor, given how wealthy you are,” I blurted out.

There was a pause on the other end.

“Firstly, my dad is the rich one, not me,” Tristan finally responded, “and secondly, I don’t like wasting money. Paying you double is actually a smart move for me, and I prefer my place because it’s more private. Anyone could see me at the library.”

His words left me feeling both surprised and stung.

Well, he wasn’t a ~total~ rich jerk.

“You’re really that worried about your reputation?” I scoffed, feeling a wave of irritation. I couldn’t understand why it was bothering me so much.

“Yup, so are we good?” he asked again.

“Alright, but I need to be paid for today as well,” I stated firmly.

He laughed. “Of course. God, you’re adorable, Adams. See you tomorrow. And don’t worry, I’ll be entirely ‘professional,’” he said, his voice husky as he emphasized the last word.

I instinctively squeezed my thighs together and moistened my dry lips.

~Holy shit!~

~Did he just call me adorable?~

~Tristan-freaking-Harris thinks I’m adorable?~

“Bye,” I squeaked out in a high-pitched voice, then quickly ended the call. But not before I heard his deep laughter.

Talk about mortifying. I flopped back onto my pillow and groaned in frustration.

~Why does he affect me so much?~

~God, please help me get him out of my head!~

I kept repeating to myself that Tristan was the enemy, over and over again.

Until I drifted off to sleep.