A/N: Hey Everyone! Back with Chapter Four! Please Review! I will probably have Chapter Five up within just a couple of days so read quickly...and enjoy. HA! Also, if you have any questions about this story...feel free to ask. Or if you have any suggestions. I have a LOT more "Rileyisms" in me, but I will take all feedback into consideration. It's gonna get even better, I hope. HA! Luvs to you all! R & R equals LOVE!

"What do you say we step outside and get some air before going to bed?" Riley yawned and stretched his arms above his head.

I looked at my watch. 2am. "Sure." The show had just ended, and my hand feels cold now he has let it go. I secretly feel sad about it… but I can't tell him. I watch as he goes over to the coat rack. He pulls a black hoodie over his head. I grab my corduroy jacket and without saying a word to one another we walk out onto his front steps. He breathes in the night air. It probably feels good considering all the food he has eaten. His stomach needs to breathe. I find myself giggling. Funny, this is the first time in awhile that he doesn't have his laptop with him. I try and choose my words carefully… I'm not really sure how to act, and that is a strange feeling.

"Beautiful night." He says, looking up towards the sky.

"Mmm. It sure is."

"Wasn't that a great show? I swear… we were so close that time in Nevada. Ugh. It just frustrates me…"

I sit down on the steps, and soon he plops down next to me. "Whatcha thinkin'?" He asks, a smile on his lips.

"I was just… I wasn't."

"You were."

"Nah."

Riley laughs and looks straight ahead, probably staring at his Ferrari. I stuff my hands into my jacket pockets, realizing how truly cold they are.

"You know…" He begins, "I don't know if I ever told you this… but I really appreciate the time you take to listen to me."

I shrug, "I'm just glad you let me hang around you. I've learned a lot from you, I really have." I slide one of my hands out of my pocket, and begin to play with a string that is hanging off my shirt.

I can feel him watching me, and I'm nervous. I start to fidget a bit. I pick up a little twig and begin to play with it.

"Kate…"

"Hmm?" I don't look up into his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

And then I realize I have to tell him. It's been a secret, but I don't want to hold it in any longer. I'm just scared of how he'll react.

I look up into his eyes, "I'm… I… Riley… I've been writing a book… and I had a meeting yesterday with a publishing company, and they're really interested."

His eyes get big and curious, and I can't breathe until I hear him say, "That's great!"

"Wai…what?" I thought he'd be upset. I pictured him getting angry… because I was "stealing his ideas" or something.

"No, no… Kate! That's wonderful. It's always been a dream of yours. What's it about?" Riley asks, getting closer to me, a passion in his eyes.

"It's about some conspiracies, the City of Gold… I… just some ideas I came up with."

"Oh… Hmm…" Yup, there it was. My heart sunk into my stomach. I knew he'd be upset.

"I've been meaning to tell you… I…" I can't seem to form proper sentences anymore. I have so many emotions running through me. I want him to hug me. Congratulate me. Something.

He bites his bottom lip, and I feel like crying. Say something, Riley!

"Well… maybe…you'll have better luck than I did." He stands up and stuffs his hands into his back pockets. A tear slides down my cheek. Who would have thought that less than 15 minutes ago he was holding my hand and smiling at me? I shouldn't have told him, but what was I supposed to do? I can't lie to Riley. When there is something wrong, he sees through me. Maybe he has X-Ray glasses or something that can peer into my soul. I shuddered.

I stand up and face him, "Riley…"

"Hm?" He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes.

I cup his chin in my hand, "Do you want to add some of your thoughts into it? Perhaps a chapter or something?"

He smiles and shakes his head no, "Kate, I'm happy for you."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

He wipes a tear away from my eye with his thumb, "What's that? No tears." He opened his arms to me, "Get in here," I hesitated, "Right now!"

I lean into his hug, burying my face in his neck, letting the tears flow freely. Yet, he just holds me… rocks me back and forth like a child.

I adore him. He's my best friend.

And even though I know he didn't appear upset with me now… there have been times.

I shudder thinking about all the things I said to him that night as he was sitting at his desk.

"Riley! I don't understand you! All you ever do is sit on that computer! You don't even pay attention to anything BUT that… Ben has called like…what… six times tonight? Why won't you return his call? Is this all because HE seems to get the glory for finding the treasures…or what? What is wrong? He's your best friend! I guess that means nothing to you."

I know I shouldn't have said all that to Riley. Although it was partly true, it wasn't what he needed to hear at that moment. What I had needed to do was tell him that everything would be okay. I didn't want to be another reason for him to be stressed out or worried. And he had been lately.

When I had gone to see him earlier in the day he told me that Ben had invited him to a convention in New York City at the end of the week. For some reason, he wasn't too happy about it… he told me it was just gonna be a bunch of business people who couldn't care less about HIM being there. For some reason, Riley didn't seem to understand his worth to Ben.

So, the next day while at home I had basically spent the whole day at my computer desk. Thinking. I had a table next to me that was covered in pictures. Out of nowhere I looked up and saw Riley leaning against the doorframe. I whispered, "Riles, hey…how did you… come here."

He seemed shocked to hear my voice and stumbled over himself as he entered the room. He walked over to me and I gently handed him a photo.

"That was a happy day, wasn't it?"

He kneeled down next to the chair I was sitting in, "Yeah. It was fantastic. The day Ben, Abigial, Patrick and I found the Templar Treasure. Wow. I wish I could go back and relive it... incredible."

A small smile formed upon my lips, "I was in New York, visiting some family and such. My friend, who happened to attend the press meeting, called me sometime the following morning and told me what an amazing event it was. I remember him talking so much about you... I was so jealous. I thought I'd never be able to meet you." I laughed softly.

Riley looked up at the side of my face, he seemed to want to be there in my mind, seeing these memories, he placed the photo on the table and grabbed another... "Ah yes, the President's Day bash at the Library of Congress. What a night that was, hm?"

"It sure was. We met that night…""

"I remember." Riley breathed in deeply.

"It was beautiful."

"Yeah, I was total freak." He laughed and stood up and I couldn't help but notice how he was dressed. He wore blue jeans with a black fitted sweater and on his feet were his favorite black dress shoes. His hair was messy just how I had always liked it and his signature glasses perched on his nose. There was no denying he looked amazing. I could tell he was getting ready to go be "famous" at his convention.

He walked around the room a bit, I don't know why, must have been trying to pick his next words. He came towards me, and his eyes seemed to melt into mine. I could barely breathe, just sitting there, taking him in. Somehow, I found my voice, "Are you...getting ready to go?"

"Yeah. You know how I was supposed to leave Friday? Change of plans... they got me on a flight to New York in about 3 hours." He sighed, sitting on the chair next to mine, "I have a headache."

I didn't say anything, just kept staring at his lips as he spoke.

"Are you...okay?" He asked, turning to face me. "You're quiet now."

I pursed my lips tight, to force back the tears and turned away from him, "I'm sorry."

He didn't buy it; he stood, and then kneeled down in front of me on the ground, his chest against my knees. I tried to choose my next words carefully, "I'm sorry about this morning. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable... and what I said about you and Ben. It's not my place."

I was staring at the top of his head, trying not to make eye contact.

"I'm comfortable when I'm with you... and so it confuses me, I want to help you...make you happy... but I can only make things worse when I act like this. I won't do it again. I'm sorry." My tone was completely serious and sincere. At least, I thought so.

I swallowed back my emotion, my hand had found its way to his hair now, and I played with strands of it delicately, while trying to keep focused. I just wanted him to accept my apology, move on, go on his business trip and still be his friend. The silence was deafening.

I opened my mouth to say something, but he quickly placed his finger on my lips, "No. Don't. Shh.. You need to wait." He began to stand up, my hand sliding down his chest, "I have to go."

I felt a little bit of my heart breaking, not wanting to be parted from him just yet. He leaned down and gently kissed my forehead, "I left some extra pizza in the fridge for ya. If you need to get into my apartment… here's the key." He handed it to me.

Is that it? Is that all you can say Riley? I SAID I WAS SORRY!

He squeezed my hand, and then slowly made his way to the door, leaving me with silent tears falling down my face.

Is that seriously… all?

He turned around, slowly, "Kate… you have nothing to worry about. I'm Riley. And believe me, I deserved what you said." He smiled, "You know I adore you Kate. Just, thank you for making me understand that a bit more." He turned to leave, and I didn't want him to… not at all. "I'll call ya from the car."