Six ways to sunday.
Idiom
Meaning: Thoroughly or completely; in every possible way; from every conceivable angle.
Six Ways to Sunday
Chapter Two- Take two
Mac beat Riley to the arcade. At least he hopes that's the case and not that she isn't coming...again. He remembers the last time he was here. He waited an hour and a half for her to show and she never did. She said it was because of the nano-trackers but he couldn't be quite sure. The only thing he's sure of, since he had learned about her feelings for him, nothing would ever be the same again.
He sits down at a table to wait and orders them a cheese pizza, fries and sodas. He feels himself growing more nervous and on edge by the second. Please show up, he pleads in his head. He doesn't know why specifically but since the oxygen chamber yesterday he's been feeling strange. Fuzzy and confused but mostly strange. And the only person he wants to talk about it with...just walked through the door.
He watches her glance around the room until her eyes fall on him. She smiles and crosses the room to him looking more relaxed than she did yesterday. When she gets to the table he wants to get up and hug her but she sits down immediately before he can move a muscle.
"You look better," he said.
She rubs at her temples and leans onto the table. "I feel better, yesterday was just a lot. How are you feeling though?" she said, searching his eyes and upper body for any lingering signs of failing health.
"I'm good Riles," he said. He can still see the wheels turning in her head, he waits until she relaxes the tense muscles on her face. She forces a nod but he could still see the worry in her eyes. Instinctively, he reaches for her hand across the table and gives it a squeeze. All the times she had leant him support came flooding back to him. Since the oxygen chamber it was all he could think about. Her. Him and her. And all the ways they had become bound together. He can't make sense of it. He just knows that as he holds her warm, small hand in his, he doesn't want to let go. And he doesn't. Not until the pizza and soda comes.
Her eyes linger on their entwined fingers before he inevitably pulls away for the waiter to place the pizza on the table. It takes a few more moments for the tension to leave and a moment later she's giving him smack talk about his skeeball technique. They fall into a familiar rhythm of banter and he finds himself forgetting that there's world outside of them.
Between mouths full of pizza Mac tells her how Bozer spent the rest of the night with his terrible accent.
Riley is hunched over the table laughing, tears of joy pricking at her eyes.
"Russ at this point is over annoyed but can barely hear himself talk over Bozer yelling about tea with the queen." Mac said laughing.
This is why he loves spending so much time with her. Even when things are crazy…being around Riley is always easy. He can always count on her to be warm and understanding. It made her company so...addictive.
He loses himself in her. Her smile, her laugh and the brightness of her eyes. Were her eyes always so beautiful? The thought had already been formed before he realizes what he's thinking. And how he's thinking about her. All the reasons it's wrong and all the reasons it felt right.
When the laughing subsides he's staring at her again and this time she catches him.
"Why are you looking at me like that weirdo?"
He opens his mouth to tell her that the last thing he saw when he was on the brink of death was her. But he doesn't know how she'll take it. Or even if he should say it. What would be the point? He doesn't get the chance to complicate things because as she reaches to steal a fry from his plate, her flannel shirt moves and exposes a purple bruise on her midriff.
His blood runs cold and bile crawls up his throat, "what the hell is that?" he almost yells but he already knows the answer.
"God, did I do that?" He's quickly around to her side of the table, kneeling before her.
"It's not a big deal," she tries to pacify him but he's mortified. He lifts the edge of her tank top and reveals the nasty bruise marring her otherwise flawless skin. It must have happened when they were fighting while under the control of the nano-trackers.
"Riles, I'm so sorry. Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because of exactly what you're doing." She swats his hands away and pulls down her top. "Don't beat yourself up about something you didn't really do."
He hears her words but all he can see is the bruise. He feels sick to his stomach. How could he ever…
"Stop," she places her hand around his face and forces his eyes on hers.
"It wasn't really you. Okay? I don't even feel it, I didn't even realize I was hurt until I saw the bruise this morning." Her voice is soothing and comforting but he's torn between knowing it wasn't intentional and knowing she had still gotten hurt by his hand.
"Riles, I can't bear the thought that I hurt you…"
She stares deeply at him, eyes glazing over and then the moment was gone and she was bolting for the door. Mac runs after her and catches up with her on the sidewalk. He holds her by both shoulders because she still looks ready to take off. Why does it seem like all she wants to do is get away from him when all he wants to do is be near her.
"What's wrong? Can you please talk to me." he said, stunned at how desperate his voice had sounded.
He doesn't know how long they stay like that on the side walk. But he knows he's not moving until she talks to him. She opens her mouth to speak but something is holding her back. He can see the tug of war going on in her head.
"Please Riles, it's me…"
"I think—I think that maybe I didn't bury my feelings deep enough…" she said. He could see her visibly tense up, bracing herself for a response she didn't want. He's so stunned he can't find his voice to appease her fast enough. Her eyes brows knit together as she waits with baited breath, her eyes begging him to say something but he's frozen in place.
Only until she pulls away from him does he snap back to action.
"I think maybe I'm glad you didn't bury your feelings deep enough." he calls after her. She stops in her tracks and then turns to face him. Facing each other on the sidewalk, with life happening around them, Mac and Riley are frozen in time. At an impasse. Unsure of where they go from here.