Musa, Riven, Flora, Nabu and Timmy had packed themselves into her car for the trip to the Hamptons while Darcy and her friends followed in a separate car behind them. Musa'd given Wizgiz the day off, not seeing the point of making him miss any celebration he may have had planned to drive them around as they showed Flora the city. Instead, Riven drove them to the Hamptons with Musa in the front seat beside him and Nabu, Flora and Timmy squeezed into the backseat. Darcy and her friends – who Musa had yet to meet, though she wasn't looking forward to it – had agreed, preferred even, to drive themselves in case they wanted to leave early.
Conversation flowed easily in the car, with herself and Nabu doing most of the talking. Musa wasn't even a particularly chatty person, though she did possess the ability to make conversation with just about anyone, but Nabu was just so easy to talk to that she found herself speaking more than she usually would in a car full of near-strangers. Flora and Timmy were both shy, but Musa quickly discovered that, much like anyone, given the right topic, they became veritable chatterboxes. Timmy spent almost half an hour of the three-hour drive explaining his favourite video games and why he enjoyed them so much, convincing Musa even further that he and Tecna were destined to be together.
"You know I once met this girl that was a legitimate contortionist" Nabu was saying as they pulled up to Stella's Hamptons home. "She co-" His story was cut off as Flora and Timmy glued their faces to the windows in awe at the sheer grandeur of the house. The tree-lined drive gave way to a large Spanish Colonial style home large enough to be a palace. The sand-coloured building with a brick-red roof featured dozens of windows for the total twelve bedrooms and ten-and-a-half bathrooms Musa knew the house possessed. That wasn't without mentioning the two kitchens, two dining rooms, office, library, two living rooms, a theatre, a design studio, three rooms that had originally been bedrooms which Stella had had converted to closets, an indoor pool and spa, a gym, an arcade, and a wine cellar.
"This place is huge!" Timmy exclaimed, face still plastered to the window like a child staring into a candy store.
"Needlessly so, yes" Musa chuckled. She remembered when Stella and Brandon had bought this home two years ago – she'd been on the original visit with them – and she'd told Stella that spending a whopping eighty million dollars on a house was absolute insanity. Stella, true to herself, though, didn't listen. She lived by two rules: go big or go home and live the life you want – and Stella wanted grandeur and luxury, both of which this house offered.
After everyone had gathered their stuff and gotten out of the car, Riven reluctantly handed the car keys to the valet. Musa led the group to the main door where a server awaited them with glasses of champagne. Years of drinking the stuff and she still couldn't get used to the taste, but she still graciously accepted the glass. The server, an older woman with greying brown hair and a genuinely friendly smile, ushered them in and guided them through the house.
Musa chuckled as she heard Flora gasp at the sheer splendor of Stella and Brandon's Hampton's home – their Manhattan loft was significantly smaller, though still bigger than Musa's. They walked through the formal living room, with its ornate glass and gold lighting fixture and simple white couch; past the service kitchen that smelled, unsurprisingly, heavenly where cooks bustled about to have everything ready for dinner in an hour; past the formal dining room, that Musa had not seen used in the multiple times she'd been here, with its long dark wood table, sleek black chairs and seemingly permanent vase of flowers.
They were led out into the backyard where, apparently, everyone had already arrived. Most of them, save Tecna, Aisha and Bloom, lounged in the large, rectangular pool. Just beyond the pool, where Tecna and Bloom were situated, was a sunken seating area complete with fire pit and a window to the pool. Off to the left, a few feet beyond the main terrace – which was set with a long table for fourteen people decorated, unsurprisingly, exquisitely – was the tennis court she'd never seen Stella use. Beyond that, access to the beach via a rather long walkway that she'd also never seen Stella use, though she and Aisha had.
"Dahling, you're here!" Stella shouted from the pool, waving her hands frantically above her head. Ever the good hostess, she swam to the edge of the pool and ran up the stairs to greet her new guests, introducing herself to them in that oh-so-bubbly Stella way. Nabu and Timmy greeted her happily, but Darcy and her friends looked less than impressed by the blonde and her sugar and sunshine ways.
Musa took it upon herself to introduce everyone. She went around the yard giving a brief description of everyone to the best of her ability. Darcy and co stumped her though; what was she supposed to say? This is Riven's bitchy girlfriend and her likely equally bitchy friends? This is the reason I can't fuck my bodyguard even though I'd like to? Instead, she settled for "And this is Darcy, Riven's girlfriend and her friends, Icy and Stormy."
"Those are… interesting names" Bloom commented gingerly, trying to maintain a pleasant demeanor at the scowling guests.
"Not their real names" Riven informed the group as he tried to suppress his surprise when a waiter came up to the new arrivals and asked if they'd like a drink. Musa resisted the urge to chuckle at the face he made; he was just so darn cute. Fuck him for being cute.
Brandon took over, showing the new guests where they could change into their swimsuits. Riven, Nabu, Darcy, Flora, Icy, Stormy followed him while Timmy headed over to the sunken couches and Musa went over to the table of snacks that had been laid out on the patio. She'd barely had time to look over the spread that Stella had selected when the blonde was sliding up beside her.
"So that's his girlfriend, huh?" Musa glowered at her, but Stella ignored it. "You're prettier."
"Stella."
"What?" the blonde cried defensively. "I'm just saying, Jesus."
"Well, stop saying" Musa demanded as she picked at the nachos, trying to get the cheesiest piece she could find.
"Fine. It looks like your matchmaking is working" Stella commented, subtly nodding over to where Tecna and Timmy had already started talking. She was too far from them to make out their conversation, but as long as they were talking to each other it didn't matter what it was about. The fact that they'd gravitated towards each other was even better; Musa had been sure that the two of them would be too shy to approach each other and she'd have to find a way to force them to interact.
"Can I let you in on a secret?"
"Always." Stella snorted, as if Musa had asked her the stupidest question in the universe. It may have very well been, though, as Musa told Stella – and, honestly, the rest of the girls - just about everything. Except how badly she wanted to jump her bodyguard's bones. That would remain her secret so she could avoid the cacophony of I knew its that would come her way after the admission.
"I'm actually playing double matchmaker." Stella's eyes grew wide, comically so, causing Musa to break into a fit of laughter. Once she'd managed to stop laughing at Stella, who was now staring at her with narrowed eyes, Musa nodded towards Nabu, who, much like the rest of the group at this point, was out of the house and in the yard. She informed Stella that she thought that he and Aisha would be a good match and why. As Musa spoke, Stella's eyes and smile grew wide with excitement.
"Look at you, playing matchmaker. And so well, too. I'm so proud" the blonde gushed, pretending to wipe tears from her eye. Musa rolled her eyes at Stella's dramatics, playfully smacking her on the arm. "And, uh, Mr. Body?" Stella asked.
"Oh my God. Did Aisha tell you about that nickname?" Musa nearly shouted, catching herself at the last minute. "I'm gonna fucking kill her."
"Oh shush. It's a perfectly appropriate nickname. I mean, just look at him." Stella bit her lip as she watched Riven swim up to the far edge of the pool where Darcy and her friends sat, away from everyone else in the yard. "That man is a piece of art. And y-"
"You're married, Stel!"
"I can look!" she defended. "Anyways, I was saying: you have always appreciated good art."
Musa groaned at Stella's comment as she made the mistake of looking over to where Riven leaned on the edge of the pool, sipping his beer and talking to Darcy. What was it about water that made people look so attractive? Did that work for everyone, or did you have to look like a god to begin with? Whichever it was, it worked for Riven. The way the sun hit him was perfection: his hair, which shone an almost magenta colour instead of its usual maroon; the glistening of his chest that would put the stars to shame with its magnificence; his violet eyes, sparkling as he laughed – genuinely laughed. He was incredible. And she was staring. Fuck. "There's nothing happening with him. How many times do I have to tell you guys that?"
"Right" Stella laughed, completely unconvinced that Musa's relationship with Riven was entirely professional. The two fell into an easy silence as Musa tried to stop herself from watching with – God, was that? No – jealousy? as Riven put his arm around Darcy's shoulders and kissed the crown of her head. Maybe it was jealousy, but it couldn't be that Riven was with someone else – someone he was already with when Musa had met him. No. She had to be jealous of his functional relationship; jealous that his girlfriend wasn't the psycho that Jared was turning into; jealous that they were two years in and still loved each other, whereas she was one year in, and she wasn't even sure if she liked Jared anymore. "Stel, what do you think of Jared?"
Stella narrowed her eyes at Musa curiously, freezing with her glass of wine in mid-air as she tried to figure out how to answer the question. "Why? What do you think of Jared?"
"Just answer the question."
"How honest do you want me to be?"
Well, that wasn't a good sign. "Brutally."
Stella paused, sipping her wine thoughtfully. Musa had never seen her consider her words so carefully. The blonde was, like Musa, a tad impulsive; saying what came to mind without considering how people would react sometimes. For Stella to sit and think about what she wanted to say was an even worse sign than asking how honest she should be. "I'm torn on him. Like, he seemed really sweet and caring the few times I met him when you guys started dating, but I don't know... I'm not sold. I saw the pap shots of your date last month; the one where you went into the car, and he stayed out to talk to them so long Riven had to go get him... That sits really wrong with me. I don't want to say he is, cause I don't know for sure, you know, but I get the feeling he might be using you. And th- that's not to say that he doesn't genuinely care for you, but your fame might be more important to him than you are... Plus, for what it's worth, Brandon doesn't care for him either."
"Why didn't you tell me you didn't like him?" Musa demanded. She didn't necessarily need her friends' approval, but she did respect their opinions, and that included their opinions about her boyfriend.
"I did at first! But then by the time I started having doubts, you seemed so happy and I didn't want to ruin that. And the longer things went, the more it felt like I'd waited too long to say anything."
It shouldn't have surprised him, but somehow it did, that Icy, Darcy and Stormy were being complete bitches. Riven would never claim that he'd been raised right – he'd barely been raised at all – but even he knew that you didn't trash people who'd welcomed you into their home to eat their food and drink their alcohol in their own home. Sure, he'd not been close to a perfect guest when he'd started at Musa's, but at least he had the decency to regret that.
These three, though, had no such shame, trashing everything from Stella's décor choice to the blonde herself. She was too tall – she was barely a few inches taller than Darcy – too thin, too bubbly, too blonde, too loud. The house was too big, too bland, too pretentious. Brandon – along with Stella – was an airhead, vain, loud, fake, and just generally unlikable. Riven listened to them – in the same way that he listened to Stella talk about fashion yesterday; in one ear out the other – bitching about everyone in sight until Darcy nudged him, inviting him to take part in their trash parade. Now, Riven was by no means a fan of Stella's – she was a lot to take and he didn't seem to have anything in common with her – but he also recognized that it was thanks to her that he even had friends to talk to today instead of having to deal with Musa's. Still, he was incredibly surprised when he found himself sighing: "Do you really have to be so bitchy right now?"
If looks could kill, Riven would have died on the spot. Darcy's eyes – along with Icy's and Stormy's, like the trio shared a single brain – narrowed at him, brows furrowing and lips tightening. It didn't take a genius to know he had fucked up. Darcy wrapped her fingers around his wrist, those nails that he loved to feel digging into his skin when they had sex digging into him in an unspoken threat. She pulled him to the patio, far from the action of the late afternoon.
"What the fuck, Riven?" she asked, her voice scarily calm and steady. Her calm demeanor when she was angry was probably the scariest thing about Darcy. At first appearance, she seemed more sultry and confident – which she was – but once you got to know her even just a bit, it was easy to see why she managed to strike fear into people's hearts with a single glance. Darcy – contrary to Stormy, who's temper was so wild it was predictable – was cold and calculating when she was angry. Rarely, if ever, did she yell. Instead, she gave a look that could stop hearts beating and spoke calmly and rationally, spitting words that bit and stung, undermining ever ounce of confidence and rationality her opponent possessed.
"I don't understand why you're being like this. Stella didn't have to let you come – she didn't invite you and she definitely didn't invite your friends."
"I didn't realise you and Barbie were friends."
"We're not. I don't care for her much either-"
"Why are you defending her then?"
"Well, she can't be all bad. Musa likes her and she did welcome you into her home even though she doesn't know you. Or your friends."
"I didn't realise you held Musa's opinion in such high regards."
Fuck.
"I-I don't, but… well, she… I told you she wasn't that-"
"Whatever."
"Why are you acting like this?" he snapped.
"Like what? Annoyed? Because you're cozying up to princess and Barbie and defending them like they actually give a shit about you. Like they could ever give a shit about someone like you."
"Someone like me? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"It mea-" Darcy's eyes darted behind him, but when Riven turned to check, nothing was out of the ordinary. Icy and Stormy were watching them, ready to pounce on him if things got ugly, but no one else even batted an eye in their direction. "Whatever. I'm not having this conversation here."
Darcy spun on her heel, marching into the house to go... somewhere. He didn't know where and frankly, he didn't care. Someone like him? What the fuck? Darcy had dealt some low blows before – pointing out that addiction ran in his family when he'd gone out with Nabu one night after work when she'd decided to surprise him as if he were supposed to know what surprises she was planning; reminded him that he failed in stopping his ex from trying coke and was indirectly responsible for her addiction; that he abandoned his oldest friend for a girl that cheated on him repeatedly – but somehow, this one struck the lowest. Darcy had said a lot of shitty things, but never had she made him feel like he was less than human.
He didn't follow her in, but he did see Icy and Stormy leave the pool and go in after her. Instead, Riven returned to his previous spot at the far side of the pool, sitting on the edge and dipping his feet in. He watched as Nabu and Aisha struck up a conversation by the lounge chairs that lined the length of the pool, several feet from where he sat. Nabu made her laugh – of course he did. Not too far from them in the center of the pool, Flora, Bloom, Brandon and Sky talked animatedly, laughing as the conversation flowed between them. On the opposite side, in the sunken couches, Tecna and Timmy were off in their own world, discussing something he assumed was nerdy and techy.
Riven reached into the pool and ran the wet hand through his hair, brushing away what the wind had blown onto his forehead. Maybe Darcy was right. Nabu was already from a world like theirs, and Timmy came from a decently comfortable family, Flora was so nice that anyone would welcome her into their fold regardless of whether she 'belonged' or not. But him... He didn't fit. He wasn't part of the world of the elite, and he wasn't lovable enough to be invited into it. He didn't know interesting people or famous brands. He wasn't funny or warm and he certainly wasn't -
"You okay?" A sweet, melodious voice asked behind him. It took him no time to place the voice; he'd been listening to it – sometimes dreaming about it – for weeks now. Musa lowered herself onto the ground beside him. She'd changed from the jean shorts and baggy t-shirt she'd come in to a stunning navy blue bikini that contrasted sharply against her pale skin and brought out the blue in her eyes so much that Riven could swear that he was looking at the night sky. "I, uh, saw Darcy storm in as I was coming out." she explained.
"I'm fine." Riven managed to pull his eyes away from her to look over at Tecna and Timmy. He nodded in their direction, commenting that Musa's matchmaking plan seemed to be working. Anything to avoid talking about how he was feeling. "Aisha and Nabu seem to be getting on well, too" he added. Musa looked away from Timmy and Tecna to Aisha and Nabu and smiled widely. Out of the corner of his eye, Riven caught the smile and he could swear he'd never seen her look as beautiful as she did at that very moment.
What the fuck? No.
"You planned that too, didn't you?" Musa's grin turned sheepish, and she giggled softly as she turned to look at him.
"I thought they might get along" she admitted. "I was going to suggest you invite him, but Flora happened to bring him up before I had the chance."
Riven gave a dry laugh as he looked over at his best friend. Aisha and Nabu were as deep into conversation as Timmy and Tecna, barely noticing the world around them. Musa smiled at her friends. She smiled genuinely as she watched them fall for each other even though, as far as he could tell, her relationship was falling apart. He was awed by how much she cared for them and their happiness; so many would be bitter in her position, to see others have what she didn't, but Musa wasn't. Or if she was, she hid it well.
Musa wished she could find someone that she meshed with as easily as Tecna and Timmy, and Aisha and Nabu seemed to be doing. Jared was obviously not her person; her person would need to be someone that her friends got on with, they were far too important to her for him not to get on with them. She would end things as soon as she could see him. She needed to. Much as she'd prefer to send him a text that said We're done. Hope your next girlfriend isn't as awful to you as you were to me, she knew she couldn't. The media backlash she'd get if that came out was something she didn't want to deal with, so it would have to be in person.
Beside her, Riven watched her matchmaking efforts come to fruition and Flora joke around with Bloom, Sky, Brandon and Stella. He looked upset. She'd never seen him look upset before – annoyed, bored, even happy, but never upset. She didn't like it; he looked like a puppy kicked one too many times. Musa wanted to reach out, hug him, do whatever she could to make him happy again, but she held back. It wasn't her place to comfort him; he didn't want her in his life and she wouldn't force her way in. But that didn't mean she couldn't offer him a chance to open the door to her. "Are y-"
"Dinner is ready" one of the servers called out, cutting Musa off mid-sentence. She and Riven looked over at the young girl in her black pants and shirt – thank God there was air conditioning in the house – as she entered the house to prepare for service.
"I thought we were having a barbecue?" Riven questioned. Musa shrugged, standing up and dusting herself off. She'd also thought it was supposed to be a barbecue, but it wasn't entirely unlike Stella to switch things up last minute because she'd changed her mind.
They piled around the solid oak table, which Stella had decorated surprisingly simply – a vibrant runner of greenery with small white and blue flowers throughout and tealights in frosty white votives. Why Stella had used candles at all was beyond Musa; it was 6:30pm in early July, the sun wouldn't set for at least another two hours. White charger plates over hanging blue napkins topped with a menu sat at each place. Leave it to Stella to change a simple barbecue to a full seated meal.
It was only as Musa neared the table that she realised that Stella had assigned seating in the form of simple white and blue place cards. Musa walked around the table, reading the place cards as she went: Stella at the head of the table, Brandon on her right, followed by Sky, Bloom, Aisha, Tecna, Timmy, Nabu, Stormy, Icy, Darcy, Riven and then her on Stella's left. Of fucking course Stella would put Musa between herself and Riven. It was so predictable and Musa was so disappointed in herself for not having seen it coming.
"So, what happened to the barbecue idea?" Sky asked as he took his seat. He brushed his golden blond hair out of his face, a humorous grin plastered on his lips.
"I changed my mind."
"Gee, who could've seen that coming?" Bloom teased. Her baby blue bikini showed off her bright red shoulders, just a few shades off from her hair. Stella stuck her tongue out at the redhead, who laughed in return.
"So, we're having a proper dinner in our bathing suits?" Tecna asked. "I thought you were all about 'dressing for the occasion'." Stella glared at the tech genius while the other girls joined Bloom in fits of laughter.
"Sometimes it's about the people, not the outfit or the occasion" Brandon offered as the three servers came around to take their meal choices. Musa hadn't even looked at the menu, too busy trying to avoid Darcy's death glances. What the fuck had she done to piss her off so much? Did Darcy know that Musa had the hots for her boyfriend? Had she overheard her and Stella talking about him? She managed to focus enough to select her meal – a green salad with strawberries and walnuts, and salmon with a mango chutney – but she could still feel Darcy's eyes on her.
"Not the outfit? How could a husband of mine ever say something so outrageous?" Stella gasped. Musa was pretty certain she was joking, but sometimes it was hard to tell. Stella took her fashion very seriously. "Musa, dahling, remind me to make sure my next husband has his head on right."
"Are you planning on getting married again?" Sky asked, laughing at Brandon's shocked expression. The brunet looked at his wife with bugged out eyes and mouth wide open.
"Only if Brandon keeps saying stupid things."
"I'm not singing at your next wedding" Musa told the blonde. "I like Brandon far too much to be happy about your next wedding."
"Well then you can marry him once I divorce him" Stella shrugged. Musa and Brandon exchanged glances, grimacing at the thought of marrying each other. Musa loved Brandon a lot, but not like that. Not at all. He was more like a brother to her than a husband. But then again...
"Open marriage?" Brandon suggested. "We could be married on paper and just fuck around."
"That would work for me, but I'm not singing at our wedding either."
Sometime between the salad and main course, Musa had gotten up to go to the bathroom. Stella's guest bathroom was uncomfortably fancy – it had a water feature for heaven's sake – but it was quiet and glare free. Darcy had been glancing at her around Riven's form through the entire meal and Musa couldn't take it anymore. Why was she so goddamn angry at her? Even if she did know Musa was attracted to Riven – which, really, who wouldn't be? Had Darcy even seen her boyfriend? - he was far too good a guy to cheat on her. At least Musa hoped he was; it would be just like her to be into someone that was a cheater.
Not that she was into him. She just thought he was hot.
Musa splashed some water on her face and took a few deep breaths before exiting and returning to the group. As she left the bathroom, she came face to face with Darcy. She was only two or three inches taller than Musa, and definitely built no bigger – just curvier and bustier – but holy fuck was she intimidating. Musa wasn't one to let herself get scared by people – she'd always been the scrappy one in the group; the one that didn't hesitate to start fights, verbal or physical, when she felt it was necessary – but Darcy made her blood run cold. "Darcy" she squeaked. Musa forced herself to breathe and offer the girl a smile. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."
Darcy didn't return her smile, so Musa tried to push past her and clear the way to the bathroom, but Darcy blocked the path. Darcy's hand coiled around Musa's bicep, nails digging into her skin. The brunette leaned forward, so close that she was brushing her cheek against Musa's. "Stay the fuck away from my boyfriend" Darcy hissed into her ear.
"Wha-"Musa mumbled. So, Darcy did know. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Musa would die here; Darcy would kill her if she got confirmation that Musa was – how to put this nicely? – desperate for Riven's dick. She needed to deny. "I'm not into him."
"Whatever you say. Just stay the fuck away from him or I will ruin you."
Ruin her? How the fuck was Darcy going to ruin her? She may be able to spread rumours, but Musa still held the power in this dynamic. Musa rolled her eyes at the brunette and pulled her arm free of Darcy's grasp. "I don't want your asshole" she said – just for good measure – and walked away.
When she got back to the table, Bloom was in the middle of a story about one of her high school professors and how he'd dropped a table fan from the third-floor window to prove gravity. Musa took her seat quietly, wanting to just let the evening pass and never have to deal with Darcy again.
"Everything okay?" Riven whispered, leaning in close enough that she could smell the chlorine on his skin intermingling with his aftershave.
"Yeah."
Icy, Darcy and Stormy left as soon as dinner was over. Riven had walked them to their car after Stella had halfheartedly asked them to stay for the rest of the evening. To Musa's friends' credit, they had tried to include the trio in dinner conversation, asking questions about their lives and how they'd met. Icy, Darcy and Stormy had returned their interest with short answers or, in some instances, no answer. Once it had been collectively realised that they wouldn't be participating much, the group had dropped the get-to-know questions and returned to their own conversations.
"I may have overreacted earlier" Darcy admitted, lingering outside the car after Icy and Stormy were already seated. She leaned back against the side of the car, pulling Riven in closer to her. Her hand ran up his chest, landing at the nape of his neck to play with his hair. "I think I owe you an apology."
"I just don't understand why -"
"I know. It's just my insecurities getting the best of me" she whispered, using the hand on the back of his neck to pull him in for a kiss. Her lips brushed against his with ferocity and soon her tongue was requesting entrance to his mouth, which Riven willingly granted her. They were forced apart when Icy stuck her head out of the car window and demanded Darcy get on with it.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
"Yeah. The girls are tired, and Musa's group are not really our kind of people."
Riven didn't bother mentioning that they couldn't really know if Musa's friends were their kind of people since they'd not even given them a chance. He didn't have it in him for another fight tonight; he just wanted to go back to the quiet, happy days they'd had together. Before Musa and this job blew through their relationship like a tornado, leaving it torn to shreds.
Darcy kissed him again before getting into the car and driving away. As he watched the car head down the driveway and turn left to head back into the city, he replayed the conversation over in his mind. Twice now in such a short period of time Darcy had admitted to owing him an apology, something she'd almost never done before. It was only when he stepped into the house and closed the door behind him that he realised that she hadn't actually apologised either time; she'd only said that she should. And the more he thought about it, the more he realised that Darcy had never apologised to him at all.
As much as he wanted to lock himself somewhere and avoid the group of people he didn't fit with, Riven forced himself to head into the backyard. As much as he didn't want to, he still had a job to do and that meant he, at the very least, had to be near Musa. Stella, Brandon, Flora, Bloom and Sky were sitting on the collection of benches a few feet past the pool, off in their own world, chatting happily as Brandon and Sky attempted to start a fire. Tecna and Timmy were sitting at the dinner table – never having actually left – talking about some video game or other that Riven had never heard of, which left Musa, Aisha and Nabu sitting on the sunken couches. It amazed him once again how easily his three friends had integrated themselves into Musa's group; even Timmy, who was by no means the most socially graceful person, had easily found a fit with Tecna and, to a decent extent, the rest of the group.
From across the yard, he heard Musa laugh at something Nabu had said. If ever he lost Musa, he would just have to listen for that laugh – loud and bright – and he'd be able to find her in seconds. He liked her laugh even if it was sometimes a bit too loud. It made the world seem like a better, happier place. He watched as the singer buried her face in her hands, laughing so hard she was turning red. Slowly, the laughter subsided, and Musa pulled her face free. She brushed her hair away from her face, catching his gaze as she did so. Beside her, Aisha and Nabu continued to talk, but she paid them no mind as she smiled at him and waved him over.
When Riven reached the couches, he took a seat beside Musa. Aisha and Nabu were still talking about something – possibly tennis – completely unaware that there were two people sitting not a whole five feet from them. "What are they talking about?" Riven whispered.
Musa chuckled, leaning into him to answer. "It started with dancing, then they somehow got into the topic of family, then back to dancing, then work and school I think, and now they're onto tennis I guess?"
"You're not sure?"
"Honestly, I think they've forgotten I'm with them a few times now."
"Guess you were right about them being a great match."
"Just call me cupid" Musa joked, smiling widely as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. God, she was adorab – no.
"Hopefully you're better at it than Stella" Riven said before his brain could filter the comment out. Musa's smile fell and Riven instantly regretted his words. Why had he said that? He watched as she took a deep breath, waiting anxiously for her to get annoyed with him. Much to his surprise, though, she didn't. "Hopefully."
"Sor-"
"But I don't think either of them would cheat anyways." Musa turned to him with a smile. "Right?"
Riven glanced over at Nabu in front of him and Timmy back at the table. Both were by far some of the most loyal and honest people he'd ever met, and there was no doubt in his mind that they would never do something like that. He'd murder them himself if they did – especially since he'd grown to like Tecna and Aisha over the last month. "Definitely not."
"Good. I don't want what And-"
"Bonfire's ready!" Brandon shouted. "We got your s'more fixings: marshmallows, four kinds of chocolates, graham crackers. We got bananas and aluminum foil for Bloom and her banana boat. We got hot dogs, bacon for Sky to clog his arteries, strawberries, pineapple and cinnamon sugar cause Musa's a weirdo and likes to sprinkle it over her roast pineapple."
"Roast pineapple?" Riven questioned as he, Musa, Aisha and Nabu – who were still deep in conversation – walked over to the fire.
"It's good!" Musa insisted, but Riven wasn't sold.
Flora waved to him and tapped the spot on the bench beside her. Each bench was made to hold approximately four people: He and Flora took one, Bloom and Sky the next, Aisha, Nabu, Tecna and Timmy the third, while Musa sat beside Stella and Brandon. Riven watched Musa take her seat beside Stella, wishing that she had chosen to sit beside him.
What? No.
"Hi sweetie" Flora greeted, resting her head on his shoulder. He can smell the booze on her breath, but she seems to be relatively sober. Her arm wrapped around the back of his waist as she nuzzled in closer to him. "I need to tell you something."
Slurring. She couldn't be that sober then.
"Hmm?"
"I know you might not want to hear this, but I don't like her." Flora whispered as she pulled her head away from his shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. Definitely not sober. Only very tipsy or completely drunk Flora was this bluntly straightforward or bold. "Darcy's not nice."
Riven couldn't say he was surprised. After all, he hadn't thought Flora and Darcy would get along. He was still confused though because, except for a bit during the meal, he'd not seen them interact at all. "Did you talk to her? I didn't se-"
"I tried. When we were changing, but she brushed me off" Flora explained, waving her hand around in front of her. "Didn't even get to try to – no – try to get to know me. Then the one with the silver hair – Icy? - made a joke about how high my voice is, and they laughed."
"They... what?" Riven didn't know how to take that. He knew Icy was a bitch, and that Darcy could be too. He'd thought she'd have enough sense to not be such a bitch to someone she knew was so important to him. It wasn't like he'd never mentioned Flora. Quite the contrary, actually. Darcy knew all about his history with Flora and how important she was to him.
"It's okay, Aisha was there to tell them off. But it left a very bad impression." Riven took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he leaned into his hand and brushed his hair back. When they'd started dating, Nabu had also mentioned that he didn't have a good feeling about Darcy and Riven had ignored him. Darcy was hot and smart. And she liked him. He just wanted… love, he guessed. He wanted to belong to something that special; wanted to feel like he had an unconditional love that was more than platonic. But now, Flora was telling him the same thing, and Flora knew him better than anyone. He respected her opinion. And then, Musa didn't seem to like Darcy either and, much to his surprise, he'd found that Musa – with the exception of her romantic partners – had good taste in people. Not that he cared what Musa thought.
"You know who she reminds me of" Flora continued. Riven suddenly became aware that, while he was resting his head in his hand, his eyes had gravitated to Musa. She was deep in conversation with Stella about… clothes? No, video outfits for the shoot next week. Her brows furrowed together, but then Stella said something that made Musa laugh that beautiful laugh of hers. Darcy never laughed that genuinely; never let her laughter take over her whole body and make the world shine a brighter place. "Kristy who used to pick on me in middle school and high school. Your girlfriend is a high school bully."
It was almost midnight by the time they headed out. Timmy decided to stay behind to spend more time with Tecna, which Musa celebrated about once they were in the car. Nabu, curious as to what she was talking about questioned her extensively on her matchmaking plans, easily figuring out that she was playing matchmaker with him and Aisha too – he was an incredibly intelligent person, after all – and thanking her profusely for it.
They dropped Nabu off first, then Flora at her hotel. Riven stepped out of the car to give her a hug goodnight even though he'd be seeing her the very next day – or later that day as it was almost three am. "You know what I think of Darcy," she started. "She's not good for you. And I know you're gonna think I'm insane and whatever, but Musa…"
"What about her?" Riven asked, growing more and more curious by the smug expression on Flora's face.
"I think you two would be incredible together. She's a good person, has a good heart. She seems honest and loyal and supportive, and those are things you deserve to have that I don't think Darcy can give you."
"Goodnight Flora" Riven said forcefully. Flora rolled her eyes, but dropped the topic and gave him a goodnight kiss on the cheek. Riven watched her walk into the hotel, then got back into the car where Musa was asleep in the passenger seat. She looked so sweet and peaceful. And maybe Flora was right about her being a good person – he had no reason to believe otherwise – but for him? No. She was not for him.
Flora's excitement filled the car as Wizgiz drove them to the exhibit. Musa wasn't sure which was cuter: her enthusiasm about the art show or how awed she was at the idea of herself being driven around by an actual chauffeur. Musa couldn't fault her for the latter, the first time the studio had told her they'd be hiring her a driver, Musa had laughed in their faces because they idea of a poor little girl from Queens having a private chauffeur seemed completely ridiculous.
The exhibition was being held in an old renovated brownstone in Brooklyn that the owners had transformed into a gallery. Musa knew Helia wasn't the biggest fan of Brooklyn – or New York in general – but his friends had loved this gallery and he was not one to say no to other people being happy, so long as he still got to display his work.
Dozens of pieces lined the stark white walls, observed, admired and analysed by the hundreds of people in the gallery. Servers cruised around, serving hors d'oeuvres and glasses of wine and champagne. Women in chic outfits and men in suits and jeans alike roamed through the rooms, some awing at the art, others ignoring it entirely in favour of socialising.
Flora, admitedly, stood out in the sea of people. Most of them wore darker colours – something about the art crowd not seeing the joy in actual colour, which Musa personally found pretentious as fuck – whereas Flora wore a soft pastel pink. The dress Stella had had fitted for her was a nearly floor length gown with a high neck and a daring slit that Flora had not been aware of. A delicate, lacy white floral pattern circled the bottom of the skirt, following up the sides of the slit to join near Flora's upper thigh and continue upwards until it reached her underarm. The brunette shrank into herself, insisting that she was way overdressed.
"You look great Flora" Musa insisted, grabbing her by the wrist and trying to bring her deeper into the room, or at the very minimum away from the main entrance.
"You really do" Riven agreed, but Flora didn't seem convinced. Musa had chosen to wear a simple dark pant and bold red one sleeved top (and matching lipstick), a black suit jacket and a pair of classic black Louboutin pumps – not entirely in her comfort zone, but as close as she could get for an event like this. Riven had opted to wear dark jeans, a t-shirt and his leather jacket – completely casual and, somehow, super fucking hot. Musa hated that jacket; it was actually a really nice jacket, but she still hated it. He looked too good in it, and it made her want to rip it off him... along with everything else he was wearing. Why was she so fucking horny lately, she wondered, and especially horny for Riven. Her mind wandered back to yesterday when he'd been in Stella's pool wearing only his swim trunks and the way the water glistened on his skin and - "Hey, look. That guy's wearing a white tuxedo and gloves" Riven said, interrupting Musa's daydreaming. "You could never be more overdressed than him."
"I think he works here, sweetie."
"No" Musa replied. "Servers are always wear black at these things, and the gallery staff usually wear standard suits and have nametags. That's a guest."
"Oh, well. Okay then." Flora stood a little straighter as she gained a bit of confidence in knowing that she wasn't the most dressed up person in attendance. Her confidence grew even more when one of the guests – a Russian woman in a little black dress that would make Audrey Hepburn proud – complimented her outfit. "So, you said you come to a lot of these?" Flora said, referencing the brief conversation they'd had about the exhibit on Friday.
"Yeah. My cousin is an artist. He invites me to all his or his friends' shows. This is a collective one between him and five other people." Helia had been so excited to invite her to this show. It had been almost a year since his last show – he'd had to take a hiatus to take care of his grandfather on his father's side after he'd gotten sick last year to take care of him.
"I often wished I'd had some sort of artistic talent, but it just isn't for me."
"Same" Musa laughed. "My best drawings are stick figures and I have no patience for shit like pottery."
"Riven's pretty good, though." Riven began to deny that he had any sort of artistic ability, but Flora shushed him, insisting that he was being modest. Flora explained that Riven had designed the tattoo that Nabu sported on his leg - though Musa hadn't seen it as it was on his thigh and his shorts had covered - as well as several tattoos for himself that he'd never gotten around to getting and the floral piece that Flora herself had on her left shoulder blade. Musa was impressed; she'd really liked Flora's tattoo.
One of the servers stopped by them to offer a glass of champagne. Musa heard her gasp a little – which to the girl's credit, she did manage to suppress pretty well. At one of the shows about two years earlier, one of the waitresses had dropped the tray of drinks she'd been carrying when she'd seen Musa and started gushing about how much she loved her. At least this waitress managed to control herself. Musa took a glass, as did Flora, but Riven refused. "Work" he explained needlessly; Musa had already known he'd refuse.
"I should try to find Helia" Musa said, looking through the crowd to see if she could spot him. Flora waved her off, saying that she'd really like to look at the pieces and that she'd find them at some point. Musa and Riven watched as she wandered off happily, giant smile plastered on her face.
"Thanks for inviting her to this. I think you may have made her life" Riven chuckled as he watched Flora stop to admire the first piece.
"Oh, Yeah. It's my pleasure." Musa was surprised. Riven had never thanked her for anything - not that she could remember anyways - but he seemed genuinely grateful that she had invited Flora. The smile on his face made her heart beat furiously. The feeling was unnerving, so Musa pushed it away and turned to look at Flora admiring the art. "I really like her. She may be the nicest person I've ever met."
"I think she might be the nicest person in existence, period."
"Wonder why she's friends with you" Musa teased.
Riven chuckled sadly, shoving his hands into his pockets. He'd often wondered why Flora wasted her time with him – he had since they were kids – but Flora continued to insist that she liked being around him every time he asked, so he'd stopped asking. "Let me know if you figure it out" he replied in his best forced joking tone. "Didn't you want to find your cousin?"
"Right!" Musa led him through the gallery, stopping every now and then to talk to random people. Riven hadn't realised how popular she'd be, but it really shouldn't have surprised him. Musa was a nice, pleasant person with, as far as he could tell, a great sense of humour; of course people would like her.
After having made their way through three rooms, they ended up back at the main room where Musa finally spotted her cousin. He had long, almost pure black hair tied up in a loose low ponytail and a light green dress shirt and black pants. Besides the hair, Riven didn't think he looked anywhere near as artsy as Musa made him sound. She led Riven towards him, but Helia continued to walk away, heading towards a painting at the far end of the room. The very same painting that Flora of all people happened to be staring at. Riven couldn't see her face, but he could tell from the way she held her hands in front of her body and looked up that – at least he was pretty certain – she loved the piece in front of her. Frankly, he didn't see it, but he'd never been quite as in love with the fine arts as Flora was.
They maneuvered through the crowd until they had almost reached Helia and Flora. Musa stopped just short of them, but Riven continued on. Before he could pass her, Musa stopped him by putting her hand on his chest. He hadn't thought his t-shirt was that thin until he felt the warmth of her hand on his chest. She whispered for him to hold on a second, then just as fast as it had landed there, her hand was gone, leaving the cold air of the over-air-conditioned room to infiltrate where her warmth had been.
"- beautiful piece" he overheard Flora say. "probably my favourite so far, though I've only had the chance to look through this room."
"So, it might not be your favourite?" Helia chuckled.
"It's going to be very hard to beat" Flora admitted with a laugh. "I really love the way the brush strokes match the fern leaf in the canvas."
Helia's eyes widened and a gentle smile spread across his lips. He leaned in closer to Flora, towering over her even in the four-inch heels Stella had chosen for her. "What do you think the artist is trying to say?"
Flora turned to face Helia with a smile of her own. She looked back at the piece, considering her answer with the face he used to tease her about – brows furrowed, mouth a bit open and biting her tongue.
"I'm pretty sure that's his – it's his style" Musa whispered beside him. "Knowing him, it's something super cheesy like live in the moment or appreciate beauty."
"But it's abstract? Does abstract art have a message?" Riven knew nothing about art except that it was good for decorating, and even then. His apartment was – as Nabu called it – depressingly undecorated. He just didn't have an eye for these kinds of things, not like Musa, Flora, Nabu, Darcy and Stella seemed to.
"All art has a meaning, but it's always up for interpretation. The artists sees it one way, the viewer may not. That's one of the great things about art: it means different things to different people. And sometimes it means different things to the same person depending on what's going on in their life."
Riven nodded thoughtfully. He'd never really stopped to appreciate artwork; never taken the time to. Even the dozens of pieces spread throughout Musa's home – the damn pieces in his own room – were background to him. He'd not even registered any of the pieces until Flora had stopped him on the way down the hall to admire a few of them.
Musa looked up at him and smiled. God, she was gorgeous. Those eyes; those lips – oh, and that red; that smile; th -
No.
Pushing away the thought, Riven returned his attention to Flora and Helia. She was still staring at the painting with that ridiculous little face of hers while Helia stood there, watching her try to figure out the piece – his piece – with a small smile. "Can I be honest with you?" Flora asked eventually. Helia nodded, so she continued. "This is my first time at one of these things and I'm trying very hard to think of something intelligent to say about what I think it means, but I've never really been one for analysing art. I much prefer to appreciate and enjoy the talent and beauty of it than to ponder its meaning."
"I'm inclined to agree with that" Helia replied, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back onto his heels. "Sometimes it's nice to just look at something beautiful."
Musa felt her heart go soft watching Flora and Helia talk. She knew Helia almost as well as she knew herself and she could tell he was already falling for her. Not that she could blame him since Flora was just about the most lovable person in existence. She was also exactly the type of person that would be perfect for Helia: calm, sweet, genuine, supportive, patient. He'd been through a really bad breakup last year while caring for his grandfather when his ex, Krystal, had decided that he was dedicating too much time to family and not enough to her and called it quits after four years. Musa had been – and still was – of the opinion that he deserved much, much better than that. A good girlfriend – especially one that had been with him for so long – would support him and help him through the ordeal. She hadn't even sent condolences after his grandfather had passed.
"Are we gonna stand here creeping on them all night?" Riven asked, startling her out of her thoughts. Musa didn't answer. He was right; they were being creepy. She started towards them and Riven followed. As the reached Flora and Helia, Flora stepped forward to read the plaque beside the canvas, commenting that she'd really love to meet the artist. Helia waved at her, and Musa pointed to the piece and mouthed the word yours? Helia nodded.
"Oh, Musa. I was just going to look for you. Did you find your cousin? This piece is his and I'd really like to tell him how much I like it."
Musa bit back the laugh that threatened to escape as Flora's eyes widened when she was informed that the man she'd been speaking to was Helia. She pivoted between the cousins finally stopping on Helia and asking why she didn't just tell her that it was his piece.
"I was curious about you'd say. People always change their answer when they know that it's my art; they try to tell me what they think I want to hear instead of what they really think. I have to say, I am really impressed that you noticed the fern leaf in my canvas. Nobody ever has. Not even this one," Helia pointed an accusing finger at Musa, though his eyes remained kind and humorous, "and she's got several of my paintings."
"Flora never fails to notice anything plant related" Riven teased. Flora shot him a look, but ended up shrugging and admitting that it was true.
"And your lack of analysis is spot on. There never was an intended message behind this piece. The point is just to enjoy its beauty."
"Told you it'd be something cheesy" Musa whispered to Riven, who managed to cover his laughter with a cough.
The foursome walked through the gallery to look at the rest together. Helia was stopped multiple times throughout the tour, and stopped the group as well. Mostly, his stops were to introduce Flora to his fellow artists because she'd mentioned wanting to meet them at the beginning of the tour. Musa let Helia take the lead and stepped aside when it came to discussing some of the pieces, letting Flora and Helia have their conversation while she and Riven stayed back.
By the time they had walked through the entire exhibition, Flora and Helia had basically discussed everything under the sun except whatever deep dark secrets and traumas either of them were hiding. Musa thought – no, knew – it was love at first sight. Both Helia and Flora had stolen glances at each other when they thought no one was looking and they just clicked so well that it couldn't possibly not be love.
"What do you say we go grab a bite somewhere?" Helia suggested as they were nearing their starting point once more. "I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of the hors d'œuvres that my friends picked."
"That sounds wonderful to me" Flora agreed enthusiastically.
Musa was, in all honesty, starving. She could do fancy foods, but the stuff that had been served – foie gras in particular – were just not her cup of tea. But she also didn't want to intrude on Flora and Helia's vibing more than she already had, so she made an excuse about being tired. Flora looked downcast, saying that they could head out if Musa preferred. Stupid girl.
Musa insisted that Flora go, trying to communicate to Riven that he should insist she do too. By some miracle, he actually got the message – or he also saw what she saw – and agreed that Flora should go. Musa gave her Wizgiz's number in case she wanted to call him so he could bring her back to the hotel, but Helia also offered to give her a ride. Then, before Flora could insist they come or that she leave with them, Musa wished them a goodnight, grabbed Riven by the wrist – ignoring the warmth that flowed through her – and dragged him out of the gallery.
She'd hoped it wouldn't be the case, but there were an array of paparazzi waiting for her outside the gallery door. It had happened multiple times – less often than not, though – that someone had tipped off the press about her presence. She knew it wasn't Helia – she'd kill him if it were – but she never found out whether it was one of the other artists, the gallery owner or just a random attendee. Regardless, it had happened a few times now that she'd gone to an exhibit – thankful to be able to attend an event without press – only to be bombarded by cameras when she left.
Riven pulled his wrist out of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pushing through the paparazzi who had no – and had never had – sense of boundaries. They crowded into her personal space, shoving their cameras in her face and shouting questions at her about any and everything from her relationship to her album to the event to her outfit to her friends to her alleged – very real – stalker to the latest celebrity gossip about someone she'd been associated with once many moons ago. Once they reached the car, Riven helped her in and slid in beside her. Maybe it was because there hadn't been a sighting of her in a while – she'd kept very strictly to her recording and rehearsal schedule and barely gone out in the last month – but they were extra invasive tonight which meant that Riven had an easier time sliding in beside her than trying to get into the front seat.
"Well, except for the last bit, that was fun" Riven commented as they drove away. Musa looked at him curiously, trying to find any indication of sarcasm on his face that hadn't been in his tone, but she found none. "Really?"
"Yeah" he nodded. "I wouldn't have enjoyed it on my own, but with people that were interested in it – and interesting to listen to – it was nowhere near as dull as I thought it would be. Plus, it looks like you've made another match."
"I know!" Musa lightly smacked his arm as she nearly shouted out in excitement, and he laughed at her enthusiasm. "And without even trying this time."
"You've got some sort of magic touch."
"Maybe I should quit music, start a matchmaking business."
"You won't make nearly as much money" Riven pointed out after a beat.
Musa narrowed her eyes at him skeptically. He couldn't possibly think that was her goal in life? "I don't make music for the money. I do it because I love music. The money is a happy bonus, the lack of privacy is the unhappy bonus." Riven only nodded in response, so Musa didn't push it. He probably didn't believe her anyways, and she wasn't going to try to prove to him that she meant what she said. Still, it had been almost a full month since they'd met, and she found it hard to believe that he still thought her to be some spoiled brat.
Once they got home, Musa grabbed some food from the kitchen and started to head upstairs. She turned to wish Riven a good night, but he spoke before she could. "You know what I realised?" he asked. He stood facing her with his hands in his pant pockets, but his eyes looked passed her.
"Hm?"
"If your matchmaking is anywhere near as good as it's appearing to be, we're gonna have to see each other after this whole stalker bullshit is over."
Never had she considered that setting Aisha and Tecna up with Riven's friends would lead to him being in her life more than necessary. Somehow, she'd been so excited at the idea of finding someone she thought so wonderful for them that the fact that the guys in question were prominent figures in Riven's life slipped through the cracks. Had this been pointed out to her two weeks ago, she would have done almost anything to shut down whatever could possibly happen between their friends, but now… well, she wasn't entirely sure she would hate having him around more. "Would that be the worst thing ever?" she asked quietly, a hopeful smiling forming on her lips.
Riven's eyes met hers as he thought. Musa couldn't pinpoint why – or maybe it was that she refused to – but her heart began to beat loudly as she waited for him to answer. The side of his lip quirked upwards and he shook his head. What the fu-
"No, I guess it wouldn't be" he answered, returning her smile. Musa swore she could die happy if she died looking at his smile – no. Besides, he had to go ahead and ruin the moment. "As long as I can still come over to use the pool and hot tub."
"Asshole" she scoffed, laughing as she turned her back to him and started up the stairs.
"Is that a no?"
Would she really say no to a chance to see him shirtless again? Of course not. He could come over anytime he wanted so long as he promised to take his clothes off. Musa wasn't about to tell him that though. Instead, she turned just enough to look him over properly – ignoring the spark that erupted in her when she caught him looking back at her, eyebrow raised and half-smiling – and shrugged. "I'll consider it."
Musa headed back up the stairs and paused near the top. She looked back down, and he was still there, watching her walk away. Her right foot started to move towards the step below, trying to force out the desire to run into his arms and kiss him – no – but she managed to stop it.
"Goodnight Riven."
"Goodnight Musa."