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Adam and Riley were standing in front of a waiter at 'Amore.' The waiter led the two to a table. "But isn't this the same table from last time we were here?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, it is. I made a special request." Adam responded. Riley giggled the tiniest bit but managed to catch herself as Adam just smiled.
After an awkward moment of silence, the two ordered their meals and Adam asked, "So does it still feel strange?" Riley gave him a confused look. "To be here among all these couples?"
Riley gave a half smile and said, "No, not really."
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Jeff sat on the edge of his bed looking at a picture. It was a picture of him and Riley together. It was taken a couple of days before he left. Right beside him was a poem that he wrote for her. Jeff really meant to give it to her before he left. He just couldn't bring himself to.
"Are you looking at that again?" Matt asked walking up to him.
"What are you talking about? There's no picture," Jeff said as he hid the picture under his white wife beater.
"You gotta let go, man."
"What are you talking about? I have let go."
"Jeff, little brother, don't make me give you The I've Known You For How Long?/ I Can Tell When You're Lying speech."
"I'm not lying. We've been broken up for 4 years, 5 months, and 11 days. I think I'm over her by now."
"Yeah, and you knowing the exact date shows truly how much you're over her."
Jeff just stared down at the picture in his hands. Moments later he broke down, let everything loose, and just started crying. "You know what? I knew it was a mistake leaving her behind. I knew I'd regret this…forever," Jeff started still crying. He continued with, "I knew she'd find someone better. I knew I'd be left in the dust. I knew I had the greatest thing that life could give. For this, for all of this. I'd give all this up. All my dreams. Everything I have. Just for one more night with her." Jeff continued rambling as Matt sat down on the bed beside him comforting his little brother.
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As the limo pulled up to a small bar Riley asked, "What's this?"
"Oh," Adam replied. "I just found out from a friend that you like a certain band who just so happens to be playing her tonight."
They got out of the limo and walked through the doors of the legendary CBGB. As Riley took off her leather jacket and heard the first few cords of "The Way You Like It", she realized who the band was. Riley turned to Adam with a huge grin on her face and a sparkle in her eyes and said excitedly, "Oh my god!!! Adema?!" He turned to her and just smiled. Riley jumped up, kissed Adam on the cheek, and gave him a huge hug. Riley gave him a Can I go up there? look. As his smile got bigger, he nodded his head yes. Riley grabbed Adam by the hand, and they worked their way to the very front.
As they reached the front, the song hit the chorus and Riley started to sing along. "Sometimes I only remember the days when I was young. Nowadays no one remembers when they were young and stupid. The way you like it. Come on baby help me, some one to confide in. I'll get inside you. Now you're beggin' me to stay…"
Throughout the rest of the show, Riley and lead singer Marky Chavez kept making eye contact as she sang along with the songs. As the crowd started to clear out and Riley went to go get her jacket Adam stopped her. "Where are you going?" Before she could answer Adam said, "I've still got some more surprises up my sleeve." She gave him a questioning look as he grabbed her hand and lead her towards the backstage area.
After talking to the security guards Adam brought Riley in the back and he knocked on the first door he saw. The door opened and on the other side was Tim Fluckey, one of Adema's guitarists, with a Budweiser in his left hand. "Oh, hey Adam. C'mon in. Who's your friend?" He asked giving Riley a smile and stepping back so they could enter.
"This is Riley. She's a big fan of yours."
"Oh really?" Tim asked looking Riley up and down with a big grin on his face. Riley blushed and smiled uncomfortably as she scooted closer to Adam.
Marky walked up to the three wearing black leather pants, a tight black wife beater, and a white towel around his neck. Marky gave Riley a little cocky smile and a nod of the head as he said, "Hey. I'm Marky."
Riley looked down at the floor then looked back up at Marky smiling saying, "I know. Riley…Stratford…is me."
After a couple of hours hanging out with the band, Adam got up to go to the bathroom. He left the room leaving Riley alone with the band. Tim got up and sat in Adam's seat, very close to Riley. You could tell he was drinking when he slurred out, "You know what would look good on you?" He pointed to himself as he said, "Me." Tim moved in closer putting his arm around Riley.
"Not too smart of an idea, Tim," Marky said as he shook his head 'no'. Tim got up and walked over to Marky where they started talking.
Just as that happened, Adam came back in. Adam walked over to Riley and said to her, "I think we should get going because I have one thing left planned." He and Riley went over to the guys and Adam said, "Thanks for the tickets and everything, man."
Riley extended her hand to Marky and he shook it leaving a piece of paper in her hand when she withdrew it. When she looked up at him he gave her a flirtatious smile. Adam saw the smile Marky gave Riley and he rushed her out of there.
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Jeff and Matt were still sitting on the bed in the same spots. "You know, I tried. I really did. I tried to get over her. Move on. I haven't dated anyone since her because no one even comes close." Jeff broke down again with emotions spilling everywhere. "I miss her, man. Everything about her. The way she smelled. The way her hair felt. How perfectly her fingers entwined with mine. The way she used to call me 'Smurf', 'Skittles', and 'Rainbow Brite'. The way she knew exactly the right thing to say. How she could always make me laugh no matter how down I was. The way I felt I could be 100% me around her and not be judged. The feeling of her in my arms. The way she looked when she slept. The way the candles lit her face. I miss the way she looked at me. The feeling of her heart beating against my chest when she slept. Those spontaneous trips to the beach. I remember the first time I realized I wanted to be with her. We were wrestling on the trampoline in the backyard and I pinned her. I was teasing her because I beat her. I started tickling her and she grabbed my arms to try to stop me. We gazed into each other's eyes and just let go. We kissed, for the first time. And man, I gotta tell ya, it was amazing. The feeling…it was just so…indescribable. Ever since we've been apart I've never felt anything as good as her kiss. Not even receiving the pop from 6,000+ fans feels as good as that."
Matt put his right hand on Jeff's back and said, "I think it's about time you give her that poem you've been meaning to."
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The limousine pulled up to a deserted beach and Riley again asked, "What's this?"
Adam turned his head to look at her and said, "It's just the last stop of our date.
Riley looked at her watch and questioned, "At 5:00 in the morning?"
He smiled and grabbed her hand leading her onto the beach. Adam led her to where he had a blanket all spread out already. "I was thinking," he said as he motioned for Riley to take a seat on the blanket, "since we have a day off that we could watch the sun rise over the ocean." Adam laid down and Riley rested her head on his chest snuggling up close because of the chilly Hampton air.
The sun started to rise as the beams of light bounced off the breaking waves. Riley lifted her head and looked into his eyes. She leaned in for the kiss and just before her lips reached his Adam interrupted with, "Wait a minute. This doesn't feel like the right time." Riley didn't know what to think. Embarrassed, she grabbed her shoes and headed for the limo. Adam got up, grabbed the blanket, and chased after her.
The ride back to the hotel was in complete silence. Adam made some attempts to talk to Riley but she wouldn't say a word.
Adam and Riley were standing in front of a waiter at 'Amore.' The waiter led the two to a table. "But isn't this the same table from last time we were here?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, it is. I made a special request." Adam responded. Riley giggled the tiniest bit but managed to catch herself as Adam just smiled.
After an awkward moment of silence, the two ordered their meals and Adam asked, "So does it still feel strange?" Riley gave him a confused look. "To be here among all these couples?"
Riley gave a half smile and said, "No, not really."
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Jeff sat on the edge of his bed looking at a picture. It was a picture of him and Riley together. It was taken a couple of days before he left. Right beside him was a poem that he wrote for her. Jeff really meant to give it to her before he left. He just couldn't bring himself to.
"Are you looking at that again?" Matt asked walking up to him.
"What are you talking about? There's no picture," Jeff said as he hid the picture under his white wife beater.
"You gotta let go, man."
"What are you talking about? I have let go."
"Jeff, little brother, don't make me give you The I've Known You For How Long?/ I Can Tell When You're Lying speech."
"I'm not lying. We've been broken up for 4 years, 5 months, and 11 days. I think I'm over her by now."
"Yeah, and you knowing the exact date shows truly how much you're over her."
Jeff just stared down at the picture in his hands. Moments later he broke down, let everything loose, and just started crying. "You know what? I knew it was a mistake leaving her behind. I knew I'd regret this…forever," Jeff started still crying. He continued with, "I knew she'd find someone better. I knew I'd be left in the dust. I knew I had the greatest thing that life could give. For this, for all of this. I'd give all this up. All my dreams. Everything I have. Just for one more night with her." Jeff continued rambling as Matt sat down on the bed beside him comforting his little brother.
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As the limo pulled up to a small bar Riley asked, "What's this?"
"Oh," Adam replied. "I just found out from a friend that you like a certain band who just so happens to be playing her tonight."
They got out of the limo and walked through the doors of the legendary CBGB. As Riley took off her leather jacket and heard the first few cords of "The Way You Like It", she realized who the band was. Riley turned to Adam with a huge grin on her face and a sparkle in her eyes and said excitedly, "Oh my god!!! Adema?!" He turned to her and just smiled. Riley jumped up, kissed Adam on the cheek, and gave him a huge hug. Riley gave him a Can I go up there? look. As his smile got bigger, he nodded his head yes. Riley grabbed Adam by the hand, and they worked their way to the very front.
As they reached the front, the song hit the chorus and Riley started to sing along. "Sometimes I only remember the days when I was young. Nowadays no one remembers when they were young and stupid. The way you like it. Come on baby help me, some one to confide in. I'll get inside you. Now you're beggin' me to stay…"
Throughout the rest of the show, Riley and lead singer Marky Chavez kept making eye contact as she sang along with the songs. As the crowd started to clear out and Riley went to go get her jacket Adam stopped her. "Where are you going?" Before she could answer Adam said, "I've still got some more surprises up my sleeve." She gave him a questioning look as he grabbed her hand and lead her towards the backstage area.
After talking to the security guards Adam brought Riley in the back and he knocked on the first door he saw. The door opened and on the other side was Tim Fluckey, one of Adema's guitarists, with a Budweiser in his left hand. "Oh, hey Adam. C'mon in. Who's your friend?" He asked giving Riley a smile and stepping back so they could enter.
"This is Riley. She's a big fan of yours."
"Oh really?" Tim asked looking Riley up and down with a big grin on his face. Riley blushed and smiled uncomfortably as she scooted closer to Adam.
Marky walked up to the three wearing black leather pants, a tight black wife beater, and a white towel around his neck. Marky gave Riley a little cocky smile and a nod of the head as he said, "Hey. I'm Marky."
Riley looked down at the floor then looked back up at Marky smiling saying, "I know. Riley…Stratford…is me."
After a couple of hours hanging out with the band, Adam got up to go to the bathroom. He left the room leaving Riley alone with the band. Tim got up and sat in Adam's seat, very close to Riley. You could tell he was drinking when he slurred out, "You know what would look good on you?" He pointed to himself as he said, "Me." Tim moved in closer putting his arm around Riley.
"Not too smart of an idea, Tim," Marky said as he shook his head 'no'. Tim got up and walked over to Marky where they started talking.
Just as that happened, Adam came back in. Adam walked over to Riley and said to her, "I think we should get going because I have one thing left planned." He and Riley went over to the guys and Adam said, "Thanks for the tickets and everything, man."
Riley extended her hand to Marky and he shook it leaving a piece of paper in her hand when she withdrew it. When she looked up at him he gave her a flirtatious smile. Adam saw the smile Marky gave Riley and he rushed her out of there.
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Jeff and Matt were still sitting on the bed in the same spots. "You know, I tried. I really did. I tried to get over her. Move on. I haven't dated anyone since her because no one even comes close." Jeff broke down again with emotions spilling everywhere. "I miss her, man. Everything about her. The way she smelled. The way her hair felt. How perfectly her fingers entwined with mine. The way she used to call me 'Smurf', 'Skittles', and 'Rainbow Brite'. The way she knew exactly the right thing to say. How she could always make me laugh no matter how down I was. The way I felt I could be 100% me around her and not be judged. The feeling of her in my arms. The way she looked when she slept. The way the candles lit her face. I miss the way she looked at me. The feeling of her heart beating against my chest when she slept. Those spontaneous trips to the beach. I remember the first time I realized I wanted to be with her. We were wrestling on the trampoline in the backyard and I pinned her. I was teasing her because I beat her. I started tickling her and she grabbed my arms to try to stop me. We gazed into each other's eyes and just let go. We kissed, for the first time. And man, I gotta tell ya, it was amazing. The feeling…it was just so…indescribable. Ever since we've been apart I've never felt anything as good as her kiss. Not even receiving the pop from 6,000+ fans feels as good as that."
Matt put his right hand on Jeff's back and said, "I think it's about time you give her that poem you've been meaning to."
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The limousine pulled up to a deserted beach and Riley again asked, "What's this?"
Adam turned his head to look at her and said, "It's just the last stop of our date.
Riley looked at her watch and questioned, "At 5:00 in the morning?"
He smiled and grabbed her hand leading her onto the beach. Adam led her to where he had a blanket all spread out already. "I was thinking," he said as he motioned for Riley to take a seat on the blanket, "since we have a day off that we could watch the sun rise over the ocean." Adam laid down and Riley rested her head on his chest snuggling up close because of the chilly Hampton air.
The sun started to rise as the beams of light bounced off the breaking waves. Riley lifted her head and looked into his eyes. She leaned in for the kiss and just before her lips reached his Adam interrupted with, "Wait a minute. This doesn't feel like the right time." Riley didn't know what to think. Embarrassed, she grabbed her shoes and headed for the limo. Adam got up, grabbed the blanket, and chased after her.
The ride back to the hotel was in complete silence. Adam made some attempts to talk to Riley but she wouldn't say a word.