2
Greg stared at the test results aimlessly. When his stomach growled angrily at him, he snapped out of his sullen reverie and sighed.
"You sound hungry," a soft voice pointed out from the door to the chem. lab. Greg looked up and saw Riley Porter, his girlfriend of a year, standing in the doorway, smiling. He smiled back at her gently.
"What are you doing here? You aren't on this case," he said. Riley shrugged.
"I was finishing up a separate case. I was actually on my way out and I wanted to see if you could give me a lift. Jaiden was the one who dropped me off after we finished shopping for tomorrow," she replied. Riley was a sketch artist and sometimes helped in the lab.
Greg nodded and thought about what had happened at breakfast that morning that caused some friction between Jaiden and himself.
"I'll take care of this," Warrick said as he slid out of the booth. Jaiden, Riley, and Greg looked at him.
"Are you sure? I could take it," Jaiden said in reply. He gave her a final look and headed to the counter to pay. Greg, feeling the effects of chugging three glasses of milk, rushed to the bathroom, leaving the girls alone talking. When he returned, he felt the heat rise in his face when Jaiden was prying into their private problems.
"You're having financial problems and you don't bother to tell me? You know I would help you in a heartbeat. I could give you--"
"We don't want or need, for that matter, your charity," he told her callously. Jaiden bit her bottom lip, restraining the urge to finish her sentence. Riley stared at him.
"I-I guess we're ready to get going," Jaiden said, switching the subject. She slid out of the booth and took Warrick's hand as he left the cashier's counter. Greg looked at Riley as they followed.
"You told her?" he asked in a harsh whisper. Riley stared at him.
"She more or less guessed it for herself! And you didn't have to go and tell her off! She was just offering help, like best friends often do," she snapped pointedly. Greg shook his head.
"No, Riles, she was nosing about in something that really didn't concern her. When will you stop worshipping her and realize she a rich busybody?" he replied. Riley didn't respond as they re-entered the car. Jaiden was sitting in the front seat silently, her eyes fixed on the car in front of them. Warrick, not sure why exactly the talking had ceased, continued the silence as they swung by Riley's house to drop the pair of them off.
Greg was awkwardly silent when they entered the house. He just sat at the table, his head in his hands. The veins in his hands seemed to pop out, as they usually did when he was upset or stressed. Riley walked over to him and gripped his hand. He looked up at her when he felt the chill and trembling in her hands. He stood up and squeezed her.
"Riley, I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry if I seem that way. It's just…it's nothing." He bit his lip to keep it from quivering.
"Greg, I know you better than that. Please don't lie to me. Something's wrong."
A tear of frustration dripped down his soft cheek, and she wiped it away as he answered her. "I just, I don't like people to know that we're not so financially 'OK.'" She gave him a questioning look, and he looked her in the eyes, opening his windows for her, so she could see his emotional weaknesses. "If we're not rich like Jaiden, then that means I'm not taking care of you the way I need to, the way I want to. I feel like because we're on the broke side, and because I'm only half the man Warrick is, that you won't want to be with me when I really need you. It's like, because I can't afford to buy you all the things you want, I'm not giving you what you really deserve. And when other people know about it, it makes me feel even worse, especially when they want to help. It's like I'm not strong enough to take care of you."
"Greggars Hojem Sanders, I'll have you know, if we were dirt poor and lived under a bridge, I would still love you. It doesn't matter to me how much money you make. Yes, it's nice to have extra things like Warrick and Jaiden do, but if we don't have it, we'll survive. We've made it this far, and we'll keep making it. Don't worry about them. In this case, they don't matter. If you think you need to make me happy, know that you already have by giving me the love you hold inside. No one else knows you like I do, and I find that to be quite an honor. Don't beat yourself up over this. We will make it through."
Her last sentence had remained with him for the rest of the day. When they had returned to the house, Riley suggested watching a movie to relax.
"I think we need to unwind a little before bed," she coaxed. Greg shrugged.
"As long as I get to pick the movie," he replied. Riley smiled and nodded in agreement. She went to make popcorn, and he picked out her favorite movie, The Matrix: Reloaded. She came back in with a huge bowl of popcorn and plopped down next to him. Greg sat sideways and outstretched his legs wide enough for her to be able to sit there and lean back against him. It was their favorite way to be, and they had fallen asleep that way many times. As they watched the movie, Greg felt Riley's body seem to loosen as the scene between Neo and Trinity played, so he wrapped his arms around her abdomen. As he did, she bent over and clenched her stomach, pushing his hands out of the way. At first she panted, and then groaned heavily.
"Riley! What the crap is going on? Are you alright?" He quickly sat up and rubbed her back.
She shook her head and sprayed a few droplets of salty tears. She managed to whisper, "Stomach cramp." Greg looked rather shocked. Watching her curl up in a ball, he ran to get her some Midol. She quickly took it, and relaxed a little.
"Thank you Greg. Will you, will you help me into the bathroom?"
He gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms as he took her to the bathroom. He set her on the toilet, and turned away to give her a little privacy.
"Greg, I don't have any pads left." His face contorted in angst, but he slipped on his flip-flops and grabbed the car keys without saying anything about it. "I'm gonna take a hot bath, they say that helps. Thank you so much Greg. I love you." She blew him a kiss as he walked past. He blew her one back.
"Be back in ten."
While soaking in the tub, she thought about what had happened. She sighed and relaxed in the tub, not worrying about it. Every woman was bound to have her irregularities. Just because it made her feel good, she used Greg's soap. At this point, she really didn't care if she walked into work smelling like a man. It calmed her nerves, but a little too much.
When Greg returned with her necessities, he walked into the house, and it was too quiet. "Riley?" he said as he looked throughout the house.
He found her in the bathroom still, and sighed when he saw her in the tub. She smiled up at him gratefully when she spied the plastic bag. Greg let the inkling of worry drain from his heart.
She sat up. "What?" Greg shook his head dismissively.
"Nothing, I just—never mind." Riley frowned but let it go. Greg went back into the living room and started the movie again, making sure that the volume was up enough so Riley could hear it in the bathroom.