Chapter Eleven
You Had Me at Hello
A Day to Remember
Reid woke about an hour later with a start. The instant sense of panic passed quickly when he realized they were still alone. Dozing off like that could be dangerous. Riley had rolled over facing him to alleviate the pressure on her ribs but her hand was still in his. He looked at her now without fear of her thinking he was being weird. The bruise across her cheek had blossomed into a deep purple that hurt Reid deep down. Was that from him? He couldn't be sure.
Many would say she was an average sort of pretty. Nothing that would make a normal man do a double take, but Reid was beginning to see beauty in her. He had thought she was pretty when they first met, but it seemed to be amplifying as time went on. They had met only yesterday but that didn't seem to be affecting him at all. He had developed a crush on Lyla in as much time.
This was different. Riley physically put herself in harm's way to keep him safe and had suffered dearly for it. Usually it was the other way around. Slender fingers prodded the cut under his eye, keeping it gentle so he wouldn't hurt himself. He remembered the care she had shown him while she was hurting far worse than he was. For some reason she was starting to care about him. A coward who couldn't save her. His mind couldn't wrap around it. Some things weren't meant to make sense, he told himself, and let the thought pass.
After a time of watching her sleep, Reid thought about getting a shower himself. Riley was exhausted so the water shouldn't wake her, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to leave her alone on the bed in case the unsub came back. He would just have to make it quick.
The motion of removing his hand from hers didn't stir her from her slumber. The sleeping woman lay motionless as he rose and walked to the bathroom. One more glance at her from the doorway was all he would allow himself before stripping off his clothes and turning on the water. It wasn't long before it was heated to his liking but once he was in he was ready to get out. It was hard to try and relax when he kept catching himself listening over the sound of the water to the room beyond, trying to catch every little noise.
When he finally went back into the bedroom, Riley was sitting up in bed, watching the main door. Had she heard him get up? The sight almost made him step back. She turned to look at him when she noticed him in the doorway of the bathroom.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said quietly, meaning the apology whole heartedly. She just grinned and looked back at the door. It was a fake. Reid could tell by now, not that it was hard. Somehow he knew that it was second nature for her now and a part of him wondered why she would have the reflex of forcing a smile without second thought. The fake smiles and the defiance in her gaze when she attacked the unsub made Reid wonder if she had been a victim of abuse before. He brushed back some of his wet hair, hoping to banish the thought. So lost in his thoughts, Reid didn't even realize that Riley was standing now and pacing the length of the glass wall. He could tell she was watching her reflection as she slowly walked, like a lion at the zoo, ready to be free. "Are you alright?"
"I don't know how much longer I can be in here. I know, it's not been very long but the longer we stay in here, the less we do, the more trapped I feel" Riley wasn't panicking, but she was very restless.
This harkened back to her saying wasn't too claustrophobic. "What's wrong? I thought small spaces didn't bother you." Reid stepped to the side hoping the question would lure her into explaining her hysteria in the back of the truck. He was concerned but not sure yet how to handle the situation. She seemed to want to be pacing faster but her broken and bruised body simply wouldn't allow it.
"I want to run. I'm not really claustrophobic unless it's a super tiny space and I can't move my arms but I feel like we'll never get out. I hate being stuck in this box." She was pacing faster now, her voice growing more irritable.
"Calm down. You're going to hurt yourself." Without a second thought Reid walked over to Riley and grabbed her upper arms, taking care to not be too rough, and looked her in the eye. "Riley, I don't want to lie to you. I promised we will get out of here but I don't know that for sure. But I do know that we are in this together no matter what. I know you feel trapped, so do I. This isn't over and if I have any say in it, I will get you out of here. I still owe you dinner remember?" Riley closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry Spencer. I just… I just don't know what's worse. Being stuck in here with no way out, or waiting for time to tick down until tomorrow night. I want the team to find us before then but I know I can't let myself hope for that too much." Riley let Reid lead her over to the bed. She was so tired of just laying around.
"Perhaps I can help pass the time? We don't have any books but I do have an eidetic memory. Do you like Chaucer?" Reid reclined against the pillows, Riley taking a spot beside him without hesitation. He felt his cheeks flush a little as she leaned her head onto his shoulder and he cleared his throat before he spoke, reciting the Parliament of Fowls his mother had read him so many times when he was a child. She twisted the end of his shirt in her fingers as she listened but her interest simply couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Reid still finished the poem, long after her fingers had stopped moving. He wished he could sleep too. Even with his exhaustion, his eyes just wouldn't close. Soon his thoughts were again a sea of emotions. So instead of fretting, he laid his cheek on her head, closed his eyes and recited the Parliament of Fowls a second time.
