Disclaimer: I own everything besides Nick...wow, that's weird to say...
Rating: Strong M...for intense situations, and LOTS 'o cussin!
A/N: Wow...alright people, this is the last chapter, I'd just like to say thanks in advance to everyone who has read and reviewed (even if they were just one-liners). All the reviews count. I need to let everyone know that, even though this portion of the book is ending, Maestoso will still be keeping her book, A Long Road Ahead, going...(y'all should really check that out, especially if you're Greggo fans!) –Gasp – Oh! I'm listening to my radio and Far Away by Nickelback just came on...that reminds me of that one chapter...
Oh, anyway, this chapter is FULL of drama (aren't they all) so be prepared for that. I also decided to be nice and give y'all a nice LONG chapter, so you can bask in that glory...um...yep...I think that's it... –sigh – alright...on with the book...-sniffle- the last chapter...
Chapter 42
Riley sighed and ran a tired hand through her long red hair...she sighed yet again and dug her nails into her scalp as she debated one more time the decision she knew she'd have to make. It was close to three in the morning and Riley was sitting wide awake at her parent's café table in their kitchen, looking out the window at the spacious backyard and sparkling river. She sighed for the third time in five minutes and looked back down at the CVS bag on the table...
She knew what was in it, considering she had been the one to sneak out while the family was distracted and make the daring purchase. She brought her arm back down and crossed them on the table in front of her and stared at the bag. She looked away and put her fist to her mouth when she heard a floorboard creak. Her head snapped over towards the doorway and she searched through the shadows, anxiously waiting to see which figure it would be.
The feet shuffled slightly as they walked and treaded lightly, letting Riley know who it was before she saw them. "Mama..."
Her mother appeared from the shadows and clinched her robe tighter and smoothed her graying hair back with an aged 'worker's' hand. "Hey Baby Girl..."
"What are you doin up Mama?" Riley questioned as her mother sat down at the table and put her fist under her chin.
"What are you doin up?" Her mother countered and Riley sighed, looking anywhere but the bag.
"...Couldn't sleep." Riley replied and her mother dragged her gaze over to the bag and both women stared at it as if it was about to explode. Her mother sighed.
"Have you taken one yet?" She asked and Riley shook her head.
"No...this is my first...ever, actually." Riley chuckled softly and her mother sighed and shook her head.
"I remember my first..." Her mother began and Riley looked over at her. "I was thirteen..." Riley nodded, knowing this story, but never hearing this part of it. "...It was positive." Riley sighed again and nodded. "...Have y'all talked about kids yet?"
"Not officially...it's slipped into conversation before but..." Riley let her thought trail off and she shook her head.
"How does he feel about it?"
"...He wants 'em. But not right now."
"Does he know how you feel?"
"...Not really. I've never commented on the subject."
"Are you only doing this because of Paige and Vicky...?" Hope inquired and Riley made a face.
"Yeah...pretty much...but I've been showing the symptoms..."
"Bryn, Love, you always show the symptoms...humongous appetite, hormonal, over-active bladder, sporadic period..." Hope replied and Riley rolled her eyes. "You need to take the test..."
Riley looked at her mom worriedly and bit her lip. "What if I am?"
"If you 'am', then you 'am'." Her mother said with a teasing smile on her face, using bad grammar to lighten her daughter's mood. "You face it like a woman, carry the weight for nine months, and love that baby more than you have ever loved anything...and with the man that you've got...I can tell you he'll stand beside you."
"What if he doesn't want it?"
"Then you've got a family here, and in Vegas, and in Florida, and New York, Alabama, Georgia, Connecticut, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Jersey, DC, Virginia..."
"Alright Mama, I get it, I get it..."
"Although...I request that you keep that precious baby away from Shaun..." She chuckled and put a hand over her heart. "Lord knows I love that boy like he was my own...but I don't think my dear old heart could take a little Shaun runnin around...or another little Bryn for that matter..."
Riley chuckled and ducked her head, still nervous but slightly relieved. Her mother reached out and grabbed her hand. "I love ya Mama..."
"I love you too Bee-Bop. And I'll stand by you no matter how many little pink lines there are..."
"Thanks, but I'm still hopin Bee-Bop didn't get 'bee-bopped'." Riley joked and her mother laughed.
Riley sat on the edge of the tub in her bathroom, hands under her thighs, shoulders tight together, knees bouncing nervously, and lip being gnawed on. Her mother was waiting anxiously in Riley's bedroom, no doubt pressed up against the door, listening for gasps of surprise, cries of regret, or sighs of relief. Riley checked her watch for the umpteenth time...
1 minute, 28 seconds left...
"1 minute, 28 seconds..." Hope whispered softly to herself and fiddled with her watch nervously. She glanced around the room nervously, wondering what her husband was doing right now and praying to God that he was fast asleep. Her thoughts then drifted to the potential father, no doubt sleeping ignorantly, counting down the days until he could take Riley home and claim her as his once again.
Hope sighed slightly angrily and plopped down on the edge of the bed closest to the door. She thought back to the first time she had ever taken a pregnancy test...it seemed like forever ago...
She thought back to when Riley had fretfully told her of her first time, and the possibility of her youngest child's pregnancy flashed into her mind as the mother had broken down. It seemed surreal that the event had taken place only four years earlier...and that in all that time this was Riley's first scare.
Reality check anyone...? Hope asked herself and sighed again as she restlessly looked back at her watch. 23 seconds...
23 seconds... Riley thought nervously and released a soft sigh of apprehension as she glanced around the bathroom. Anything to keep from staring at the tiny test that could very well change her life. Oh God...how am I gonna tell Nick? Riley asked herself and sighed again. Alright, its official, that man is never touching me again... She sighed ...alright now that's just a lie. She thought internally and smirked at her inner antics.
Riley's mind flashed back to the night she had broken the news to her mother what sin she had committed. Whoa, was that really only four years ago? Riley had felt so guilty after that. She couldn't believe what she and Deven had done...
Now, here she was, four years later and none the smarter, sitting in the very same bathroom as before, on the edge of tears, waiting on a stupid test.
Beep, beep...beep, beep...
Her watch sounded and Riley looked down at the thing, eyes wide, mouth agape, heart pounding...
Hope heard the beep and her head snapped up from out of her hands. She stared at the wooden door in apprehension. What was the verdict? Her mouth ran dry, and she was sure she'd wake up the entire house with the pounding of her heart...
Oh God...how is Bryn taking this? Hope asked herself, knowing the first few seconds before looking at a pregnancy test were the worst. Once when she had taken it herself, her vision had been blurred by tears, and she was sure the sign had read positive instead of negative...
Riley stood up off the tub edge and smoothed her hands down her thighs, biting her lip as she did so... Oh God, I think I'm gonna be sick. She thought as she started towards the sink where the test was perched. She stopped and stared in worry before she could read the test, too frozen to move.
"Bryn...?" Came her mother's soft whisper. "Bryn, what does it say?"
"I...I can't...I can't do it." She said softly and shook her head as she closed her eyes and reached for the test.
"Honey, just look at the test." Her mother urged softly.
She heard her daughter whimper and it broke her heart. "I'm scared...God I'm so stupid." She berated herself and her mother shook her head though she couldn't see her.
"No Baby...you're not stupid. You're strong and brave, just look at the test."
Riley lifted her head towards the ceiling, eyes still closed, then slowly lowered it and opened her eyes. She felt the wind be sucked from her lungs and she quickly gasped and blinked back the tears forming in her eyes at the results. "Oh God..."
Her mother shifted nervously. She heard the gasp and small plead to God...that wasn't good. The door slowly opened and Riley appeared on the other side, eyes full of tears. Her mother looked at her sympathetically and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh Baby..."
Riley gave a small smile. "And I'll be the baby for a while...the one and only baby." She emphasized softly and her mother looked at her confused. Riley smiled wider and sighed. "It's negative...I'm not pregnant."
Hope breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her daughter into a hug. She smiled happily and wiped at the tears on her face. "I swear to God Bryn if you ever do that to me again, I'm gonna put my foot so far up your ass it'll come out your mouth." Her mother threatened and Riley chuckled softly.
"I love you Mama..."
"I love you too Bryn...and no matter what you do, no matter how many children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren you have, or however old you are...you'll always be my baby."
Nick rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he stumbled down the stairs of Riley's house. He pulled the T Shirt he was wearing down fully and poked his head into the living room. It was empty. He walked to the second favorite place the family liked to gather together.
He entered the dining room and stared in shock when he spotted Riley. "What are you doing up already?" Nick asked incredulously. Riley looked at him and smiled.
"Mama's secret weapon..." She looked back towards the kitchen as her mother came forward with Nick's bowl of breakfast.
"Bryn can never resist waking up when she gets a whiff of my home-made eggs and grits with bacon bits." Hope replied and set the steaming bowl down in front of Nick. Nick stared at it wide eyed and licked his lips.
"Oh wow..." He said and without another word, dug into the breakfast. Hope smiled proudly and went back into the kitchen to prepare for seconds.
Twenty minutes later Nick sat back and pushed his second bowl away, a smile on his face. "Thank you Mrs. Turner...I gotta say, that's the best breakfast I've had in a while."
Riley snorted in an un-lady-like manner and chuckled. "Yeah, considering your breakfast consists of coffee and chips or my cooking."
Hope gasped at that thought and looked at Nick in shock. "You poor baby." She said softly and shook her head. Nick chuckled and looked over at Riley who gaped in offense.
"Wait, I have to suffer with my cooking too...where's my love?" Riley asked in mock-hurt and Paige rolled her eyes playfully.
"Nobody loves you Bee-bop, get over it." She joked and Riley pouted playfully.
"I disagree..." Nick replied softly and Riley looked at him and blushed while pursing her lips and ducking her head to shovel more food in her mouth. Paige looked over at Tom, mouth agape and shared a look with her mother and Brandy.
"Ooooh!" All the women chorused.
"Aw, you love her?!" Candice asked in surprise and brought the women to chorus in another 'Awww'.
Ryan laughed and shook his head. "Dude, good luck with that." Nick chuckled uncomfortably and stole a glance at Riley as he chugged down his coffee. If her cheeks got any redder she would soon disappear into her hair. The alert that told him she was REALLY embarrassed was that not only her cheeks reddened, but so did the tips of her ears, her entire face, arms, and chest. She buried her head in her hand then grabbed her cigarettes from the pocket of the flannel shirt she was wearing. She stood up and adjusted her gray Soffee shorts and smiled softly.
"Well I'm gonna go smoke more than a chimney and pray for lung cancer. I'll be back later to drink myself into a comma." She joked and everyone chuckled as she walked out onto the porch. Nick quickly excused himself and stood to follow her.
"Hey..." He walked up to her and gently pulled on her arm so that she turned to face him. "I'm sorry about that in there." Nick apologized softly and she laughed and shook her head.
"Are you Catholic?" She asked and he gave her a questioning look. "Cause you carry the guilt like one." She replied jokingly and Nick smiled and chuckled. "It's fine..." She said nodding towards the house. "They're crazy insane."
"Really? I haven't noticed." Nick joked and Riley gave him a crooked smile.
"Well...I'm gonna have a cigarette and then I've gotta go get ready for the pre-ceremonial gathering." She replied softly and Nick nodded and kissed her forehead softly, keeping his lips pressed against her skin longer than necessary before pulling away and rubbing her arms.
"And everyone else and I will meet up with y'all when...?"
"Three-ish..." She sighed. "I wish you could be there with me for the first part." She replied as he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.
"I know Darlin...I wanna go with you too...but I'll only be an hour behind." Nick pointed out and Riley sighed and nodded against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he smiled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his head in the crook of her neck.
The family stood inside the kitchen, all huddled around each other, leaning over each other to peer out the kitchen window to watch the couple in awe. Candice sniffled and wiped her eyes. "They're so cute..."
"And you're so hormonal." Her husband replied, to which she swatted his arm.
"It's not my fault you knocked me up." She grumbled and Hope chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"I believe it takes two to Tango my dear." Hope pointed out and Candice blushed and tried to focus on the couple once again.
Riley sighed as she crossed her legs for the hundredth time and smoothed out her black dress. She tugged on her black matching jacket, and finally got sick of the darned thing, and pulled it off her shoulders. She draped it over her arm then picked up her paper fan once again and started circulating air back towards herself.
Ugh...Lord, point me towards the genius who decided to have the opening service outside, at noon, in Texas, in the middle of August... Riley thought silently and sighed again. She didn't want to be here. This shouldn't have happened.
Riley blamed the damn doctors. If that SOB had only caught the blasted disease sooner...instead of loadin her up on steroids... Riley sniffled and subtly wiped away a tear. She remembered her Aunt's exact words when she said she wanted to quit the steroids. "...I wanna give my Donny a special Christmas present this year...I wanna be free of dependency on these damned things for him. His love is the only drug I wanna be hooked on."
Her Aunt Dee Dee had been out working when she was bitten by a tick and quickly developed lime disease. The doctor had treated her for it, and eventually ridded her system of it. Only to have her catch pneumonia a few weeks later. Her immune system was too weak to fight it off on her own, so they started loading her up on steroids and tons of other drugs. Donny had expressed his distaste for his wife of 32 years' new dependency multiple times, but Dee Dee never stopped. Around early July she was infected with lime disease once again, a rare disease to acquire twice in a lifetime.
She never fully recovered the second time, but knew that it was her choice whether or not to continue the treatment. She immediately refused, then admitted that she wanted off all of the drugs...
Her body couldn't survive on it's own, and she died peacefully in her sleep. Donny found her the next morning when he came home from the nightshift, and was confused when he couldn't wake her. Her tiny Bichon Fries affectionately named Cuddles was curled up into her side and whimpering when her beloved 'mother' didn't wake. Cuddles never left her side...not even when Donny tried to coax her away, in tears the entire time.
Donny's mother had been the one to come over to their house and find them. She called for an ambulance, though it was already too late. The rest of the family was notified the next day...
Riley sucked in a sharp breath and looked around the room at some of the familiar faces. Geez...am I related to all these people? She thought incredulously. She had always known she had a big family...but very rarely saw them all gathered together where she could fathom their full amount.
She stood from the uncomfortable chair and wandered over to the window and sat at the window seat to watch the wind roll by and the oblivious people continue on with their day. A strong hand landed on her shoulder, and though she didn't know who it was, she reached over and squeezed it without looking away from the window. A few minutes later she looked over to the mystery person and smiled softly when she saw it was her Uncle Artie.
She stood up and stood on her tippy toes to wrap her arms around his neck and give him a hug. At 6'5 and 260 pounds he reminded her a lot of Jon back in Vegas (not her cousin or uncle(s) Jon...the boxer in Vegas...try to keep up people). 'Hey Uncle Artie..." She greeted softly as he released her and set her firmly back on the ground.
"Hey Kiddo...how're you doin?" He asked and she nodded.
"I'm okay." She said unconvincingly. But Artie didn't push. He nodded and gave a supportive smile and laid a hand on her smile. He nodded towards the thick pack of trees and bushes and she nodded and followed him to the path. They walked along the cobble stone path, and then circled around the green lawn of the Funeral Home to the park benches set out underneath the large trees near the driveway of the Home. He patted the spot on the bench next to him and she sat down and crossed her legs once again as they both stared out across the street at the woods on the other side of the road. "It all seems kinda surreal...ya know?" She asked and Artie smiled and nodded.
"Yeah...your Aunt Dee was a wonderful woman. She reminded me a lot of my younger sister Donna."
"How's Donny doin...?"
"About as well as could be expected...Hell, those two were still like newly weds...after 32 years of marriage they were still so in love." Artie professed and Riley smiled and nodded.
Riley chuckled. "How long have you and Aunt Libby been married now?"
Artie smiled and shook his head. "43 years..."
"Pardon my French but, Damn." She said while chuckling.
He laughed and slapped his knee. "Yeah...do you realize I could've killed someone and gotten outta prison and still had time to spare for as many years as I've been married?"
"Wow..."
"Yep."
"How'd you do it?" Riley asked, turning to face him. "What's the secret to making a marriage work?"
"The secret?"
"Yeah, everyone says married couples spend their entire lives searching for the secret to a good marriage, while some others find it out right away. How do you not divorce even when things suck?"
Artie smiled. "In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage."
"Robert Anderson said that...but that doesn't answer my question."
"That's because your question is obsolete."
"Huh?" Riley asked naively and Artie laughed again.
"Bryn Baby Girl, you wanna know the secret behind a happy marriage?" Riley nodded and leaned closer. "There isn't one." He whispered and pulled away from her ear while smiling. She furred her brow. "And even if there is some, so-called secret to a happy marriage, you won't find it out right away...it takes years of trust, loyalty, love, honesty, and commitment...and any one who tells you otherwise is just plain stupid. Your Aunt Libby and I have had our fair share of fights and arguments, and there have been plenty of times when we've both wanted out..."
"So how did you not 'get out'? I mean, I'd ask my parents about this but..." She rolled her eyes. "I ain't goin there..."
"Well...we remembered that we've already had so many years of trust, loyalty, love, honesty, and commitment put into the relationship...what's one more day gonna hurt?"
"And when that one day was over...?"
He smiled. "We'd forget we were fighting and go back to being in love." She smiled softly and looked out to the woods once again. "And sure, there were times when the fights would last a while...but we already had so much time invested...throwing away our relationship because of something so stupid as to whose turn it was to go shopping seemed juvenile. Plus...we never stopped being in love. And when you're apart from the one you love, whether it's voluntary, involuntary, permanently, or temporary...it hurts like the pain of a thousand knives..." He looked away and sighed. "You never stop loving that 'someone'..."
"You just learn to live without them." Riley finished, remembering that as what her mother always told her... Riley sighed and looked away while chuckling. "Uncle Artie...how'd you get to be so wise?"
He laughed jolly and slapped his knee while standing up. "Hell Darlin, I've messed up enough times, it seems ridiculous not to eventually start catchin on..."
Riley laughed and shook her head as she helped her Uncle off the bench. He smiled and handed her the black beach-looking hat she had brought with her to shield herself from the sun. She smiled and placed it on her head and pushed her angel curls out of her face and smiled. "Well...I guess we should get back over there before they think we ran away." Riley replied and Artie laughed.
"Need an escort dear?" Artie asked, offering his elbow and she laughed and took his arm in her own as the two started off towards the large group. Paige caught up with them, and pulled her away from her Uncle. With a quick goodbye Riley went off to talk with Paige. She sighed and dug around in her purse for the object Paige had asked for, and furred her brows when her hand touched something unfamiliar. She handed Paige what she had asked for, the quickly turned away from the crowd to pull the mystery object out of her purse.
She furred her brows in confusion when she held up the tiny bag of Hershey's kisses with a handwritten note attached to it with a ribbon. She quirked a brow and opened the note to read what it said.
Riley,
Sorry I can't be there with you when you need me, but think of me Darlin, and do the following: Close your eyes and place the candy between your lips. Drop the candy in your mouth and roll it on your tongue until it melts.
;) I'll be there before you know it.
Only Yours,
Nick
Riley grinned like a Cheshire cat and did as the note instructed. Paige walked up to her and smiled. "Oooh! Hershey kisses! Can I have one?" She asked and Riley smiled and shook her head 'no'.
"You have your own man to give you kisses, back up off mine." Riley replied and Paige looked at her oddly and walked off to go find Tom.
Riley gripped Nick's hand tighter and sighed as she continued down the path to the parking lot where they were all parked. Riley sighed and turned to Nick. "Thank you for coming Nick...I really don't think, no, wait...I know I couldn't have done this without you." She professed and Nick gave her a soft smile.
"That's what I'm here for Baby..." He replied softly and drew her into a hug. He kissed her temple and held her close to him as she clung to him and sobbed into his shoulder. "Do you wanna talk about it?" Nick asked and Riley nodded and pulled away.
"Yeah...but I don't think now is the time." She said while wiping her eyes. She caught her father shooting her a disapproving look and she sighed and rolled her eyes. She felt like shit and was going through emotional Hell, now really wasn't a good time to mess with her.
"Now is not the time nor the place Bryn." Her father snapped and Riley balled her hands into fists at her sides and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Would you relax? He's just givin me a friggin hug." Riley replied and her father shook his head.
"Save it for later Bryn." He ordered sharply, making several people jump at the boom of his voice.
"Save what?" Riley asked exasperatedly. This caused several family members to look over in their direction to see what the problem was. "Would you come off it Dad? You act like we're friggin heathens that go at it constantly! He was givin me a supportive and comforting hug because, unlike you, I'm dealing with this! Alright, it hurts, and thanks to Nick," She said gesturing to Nick behind her. "I know it's alright to cry about this and deal with this and not let it get bottled up inside of me so that I just burst!" Riley shouted and her father fixed her with a glare set to make the Devil squirm.
Her Dad's deep below was enough to shake the Earth and make everyone but Riley's siblings, her mother, and Nick run away and hop into their vehicles. "Don't you dare raise your voice to me Bryn Riley Ann Turner or so help me God I'll-"
"What?! You'll walk out on me just like you do everything else?! See, I'm confused Daddy Dearest, are you more pissed that I finally have someone who doesn't just want me as a piece of ass, and makes me happy, or that I'm able to show emotion and love without running away screaming!! All my life you told me I couldn't trust anybody, well you know what, you're the one person I shouldn't have trusted, because you've caused me more pain than everyone else combined! More than everyone that's ever lied to me, backstabbed me, hurt me, or abused me, I've felt the pain of your knife!" She shouted, letting the floodgates of her and her father's emotional Hell open up wide enough to drench them both and lower their inhibitions to let it all out.
"That's hard to believe considering how you ran back to me to help you put the pieces back together every time you fucked up your life!" He shouted, taking a step closer to her, causing Nick to stiffen...he saw Keith clench his fists and try to intimidate her with his height...and Riley was either stupid, or brave enough not to back down.
"That's how fuckin messed up you made me!"
"Your fucked up mind isn't all my fault Bryn so don't you dare pin this all on me!"
"Oh yeah!? Wanna know why I never stood a chance at a healthy relationship?! Because the first fifteen years of my life you and my mother fought every fuckin day and couldn't even stand to be in the same damn room as each other! You came close to beating the living shit out of Logan more times than I can count! And Russell, dear Lord forbid that boy should wipe his ass without Daddy's nod of approval! And Ryan, what the fuck there Dad!? He can't seem to do anything right by you can he?! NONE of us can!! Oh wait, except Dear Paige! That spoiled brat could get away with murder in your eyes! You know why?! Because she's just like Mama! And God knows Mama couldn't stand to be around you, so why not shower the other one with affection and anything she's ever fuckin wanted?!"
Everyone was standing on the sidelines, mouths agape, eyes bulging. Hope, Nick, and Logan had a small idea at how pissed her father could make her, but none of them knew that it was this bad.
"But then low and behold, to everyone's surprise Mama can't take it anymore!" Riley yelled, her words dripping with sarcasm and venom. "So what does she do? She smartens up and leaves! The only mistake she ever made wasn't all the shit she did when she was younger, it wasn't enduring all that emotional and psychological Hell for all those years, it was coming back to YOU! She should've taken us and stayed!"
"Bryn..." Hope said, coming forward.
"NO!" Riley screamed, whipping around to face her mother. "This family has drilled it in my head since the day I was born that I had to stay on mute, well ya know what, FUCK IT! I don't give a damn what y'all think anymore, because I've realized somethin, we're about as fucked up as they come, and if I stand around here all my life, waiting on baited breath for your nod of approval, I'm wasting my time!"
Hope flinched and coward back to her spot as Keith revved up, in total shock and anger that she was speaking to them like this. But Riley whipped around to face him...she wasn't done yet.
"Wanna know where I learned how to throw such a damn fine hissy fit?! Well, I've been watchin y'all al my life, so take a wild guess!" She snapped and Keith glared as he stood his ground and gritted his teeth. "Oh, I'm sorry, is this offending you?! Fine," She pointed to the road. "Don't let your Karma hit ya on the ass on your way out!" He made no move to leave. "What, have you forgotten how to leave? Why? You've done it enough times, try Debbie and Aaron! Huh!? You remember Aaron?! Yeah, he's the son you abandoned when your marriage with Debbie got too hard!!"
"That's not fair! You knew nothing about Debbie!" Keith replied and Riley shook her head.
"Alright, let's not talk about Debbie; let's talk about Mama, shall we!"
"Bryn..." Hope replied, but Riley ignored her.
"You wanna know what it's like to come home from school, having a hard day as a Freshman in High school, having actually just lost your best friend that day, to come home and find your mother in tears, crying in a ball in her room, too heartbroken to even form words to tell her children that she and your father couldn't make it...BIG SURPRISE!" Riley screamed as the tears finally started streaming like rivers down her face. She wasn't even sure if she was yelling at a tree or her father at the moment...her vision was too blurred. "Then to sit in your room in complete shock and cradle your older sister in your arms as she cried every damn tear within her!! Diner time rolled around and you still weren't home! I was so scared somethin happened to you!! I thought you had a car accident, so I decided to go ask Mama where you were..." She shook her head and sniffled; only just now hearing the complete and utter silence. Not even the birds were chirping. Everyone and everything were standing in shock. "I couldn't even form a reaction when she told me you went out with that slut Elizabeth!"
"Do you have any idea how pissed I was?!?! How much I just wanted to hunt y'all down and rip that bitch's hair out piece by piece and strangle her with it for ruining my family even MORE!!! Paige and Mama cried herself to sleep; Ricky and Ronny went out and didn't come home for three days, and Logan, Russell, and Ryan wouldn't even leave the house! I stayed up all night waiting for you to get home Dad...!! You never came home! I was getting ready to leave for school when I finally saw you walk through the door!"
"I came back..." He growled.
"You should have stayed away! So here, let me help you!" She gestured again to the road. "Did you forget how?! Do we need to recap!? Alright, in conclusion, you are the biggest fucking coward I have ever laid my eyes on!" Riley screamed. Quicker than anyone could process, Keith had reached his arm back and back handed her across the face. Her head whipped to the side and red hair flew in front of her face and instantly bruised cheek.
"Keith!" Hope screamed and stood in shock at what he had done. Riley snapped her head back towards him and let him see the tears streaming down her face, mixing with the blood from the cut on her cheek his wedding band had delivered. She shook her head softly and worked her jaw. "...Thanks for not letting me down Keith." She said softly.
When it finally registered to Nick what had happened, he had Riley by the arm and was quickly escorting her away, then back in Keith's face.
"Get your hands off her boy! This isn't any of your business!" Keith yelled and Nick gritted his teeth and used every fiber of his being to keep from wheeling off and decking the much larger man.
"I agree, a father's spat with his daughter isn't any of my business...but when you start slapping the woman I love around, it is! So if you ever, ever lay another hand on that woman," He pointed to Riley, never looking away from Keith. "I'll serve you the biggest ass kickin you've ever gotten and make you wish you'd stopped at child number 6!" Nick screamed and took off with Riley. He carefully took her to her truck and buckled the trance-stricken woman into the passenger's seat. He climbed in the driver's seat and quickly sped off, trying to process what the Hell just happened...
Nick took Riley to the first hotel he could find after leaving her in the car so he could grab their stuff from her parent's house and leave as quickly as possible. Nick sat her down on the hotel bed and put the bags on the other side of the bed before circling back around to stand in front of Riley. He knelt down in front of her and slowly brought his hand up to her face to push the hair from her face.
He sighed and went into the bathroom and pulled out the standard first aid kit, then went to kneel down back in front of Riley. He gently plucked her red hair out of the wound, making her wince. He apologized softly and quickly cleaned up the cut and placed a liquid Band-Aid over it. She sighed and slowly moved her face out of his hand, making him sigh and rest his hands on her knees.
She looked up and into his chocolate eyes and let more tears fall. "...What just happened?" She asked and began to sob softly. Nick sat on the bed next to her and cradled her in his arms as he smoothed down her hair and placed soft kisses to the top of her head.
"Are you alright?"
She pulled away and nodded. "It doesn't hurt that much."
"No...I mean..." He sighed as she looked up at him. "...What was that?"
Riley cringed and pulled out of his embrace and looked away, thinking about how bad that must have been...
"I mean, I've seen you mad, I've seen you pissed, and I've seen you livid...but that...what was all that?" Nick asked completely floored by what he had just seen. She gulped and looked down.
Oh God...he fuckin hates me. He thinks I'm horrible and doesn't even know who I am...Oh God...he doesn't love me anymore...Oh God. She thought and began breathing heavily as her eyes filled with tears again and she jumped up off of the bed and ran for the bathroom. Nick quickly ran after her, but she had locked the door and wouldn't respond to his pleas to let him in.
She purged her stomach of everything she'd eaten in the past twenty four hours. When she was done she rested her head on the tub next to the toilet and began to cry. Oh God...my entire family hates me...I don't think I can handle him hating me as well...Oh God, please Nick...oh God I'm sorry...
She thought in complete terror of him hating her. She began to cry harder. Hard enough to drown out the sounds of Nick pleading for her to let him in.
Almost an hour later Riley had cried herself to sleep after having washed the taste of vomit out of her mouth. She was curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor by the time Nick finally Jimmy-ed the lock and opened the door. He frowned at the sight of her on the floor and picked her up in his arms and carried her into the room.
He laid her down on the bed and gently pulled her shoes off of her feet and placed them next to her hat and jacket. Oh Baby...please don't think I hate you...why would you think I hate you...? Nick silently asked himself after having heard her cries in the bathroom. Does she really not know that I love her more than is physically possible? That it hurts just to watch her sit there and read a book, or clean the dishes, or laugh at a joke because it feels like my heart is about to explode with love...
Nick slid out of his shoes and crawled up into the bed next to her and watched her fretful face in her sleep. Her eyes popped open and she stared at him in confusion. She looked around the room and then set her gaze back on him. "I fell asleep on the floor in the bathroom."
"I brought you in here." Nick stated softly.
"How?"
"Why do you think I hate you?" Nick asked, avoiding her question. He brushed the hair from her face and shook his head. "I don't hate you...farthest thing from it Darlin." Nick replied, a small smirk on his lips.
"That back there..." She trailed off and Nick shook his head.
"You had an emotional and stressful day."
"No..." She shook her head and sat up in the bed, leaving Nick looking at her confused. "Nick...no. That wasn't just spur of the moment..." She turned to face him and tucked her legs under her. She couldn't believe she was actually admitting this to him...but it was like the ultimate test. He said he loved her and always would...now was his time to prove it. "Do you have any idea how many times I've dreamed about saying that to that man?" She asked and then rolled her eyes. "Granite, it went better than that, but...still..." She sighed and looked towards the bland hotel wall. "For 25 friggin years I've kept that bottled up..." She wiped at her tears on her cheeks and chuckled dryly. "I can't believe I went off on him in a Funeral Home parking lot..."
Nick sat up and looked at her.
"Dee would've loved that...she loved my father like a brother, but dear Lord she knew I was treated unfairly...and she hated it. When no one, not even my mother, would stand up to him, she would...Dee Dee was always like that." She smirked and turned to Nick. "Once, when my Mama was in sixth grade, someone made a remark about her being a whore because she was pregnant in the sixth grade...then some jerk said he was gonna try to get her into bed 'cause it'd be easy...Dee Dee over heard him and, now lemme tell ya, Dee Dee was a small person. No bigger than 5'1...but man she could fight...the guy that said that about my Mama was about 6'4, but Dee Dee walked right up to him, stood up on a chair and clocked his jaw...in one punch that boy was out like a light...no one ever messed with her after that..."
"So you were kinda born with the spit fire in ya, huh?" Nick joked softly and Riley smiled and nodded.
"Yeah..." The smile disappeared and she frowned. "But not like that...I can't believe I said all that horrible stuff..."
"Was it true?"
"Huh?" She asked, turning to look at him.
"Was it true...? Did ya mean it?"
Riley thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Yep...I did. But I didn't mean to hurt him...I think I could've phrased it a little better...maybe censor it a bit." She joked and Nick smiled and looked down.
"Sweetie...are you alright? I mean seriously."
Riley thought about it for a moment, and then sighed. "yeah...I am. In a way I feel...lighter..."
"Lighter?"
"Yeah...like I got a 25 year-old wart off my chest..." Riley replied with a smirk.
Nick smiled and shook his head. He loved those stupid analogies. "Do you want me to start you a shower?"
"Do I stink?" She asked and smiled softly at him. He quickly shook his head.
"Of course not." He replied and she gave him a look. He grinned that iceberg-melting-smile of his and shrugged, causing her to laugh.
"If I hadn't just vomited, I'd kiss you right now..." She professed and Nick laughed.
"And if this was some cheesy romance novel I'd say it didn't matter and smother you in a passionate kiss anyway and make sweet, sweet, hot, passionate love to you right here on this nasty, grimy, hotel bed." Nick replied and Riley threw her head back and laughed.
"Good thing it isn't huh?" She asked while climbing off the bed and Nick laughed as he watched her climb off the bed and dig through her bag. Nick rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom to start her shower.
Riley stepped out of the shower fifteen minutes later and wandered into the 'bedroom' portion of the hotel room with the towel wrapped tightly around her body. She tossed it to the chair by the window, and then slid into the T shirt she had brought in the bathroom with her. She smiled when she saw Nick sprawled out on the bed, his arm thrown over his face. He had taken off his jacket, belt, and tie, and unbuttoned his shirt showing the white shirt underneath.
She looked at Nick and smiled as he moved around in his sleep and shifted his arm underneath his head, as if he was watching television. Riley chuckled and walked over to the bed and softly slipped in beside him. She slid her arm across his chest, causing him to shift towards her and reach out for her in his sleep. She smiled and snuggled into his embrace. Nick's eyes slowly opened and he smiled when he saw her.
"Hey." He croaked softly and then cleared his throat as a small smile appeared on his face as he dragged a finger across her cheek. "You smell good."
She chuckled. "You mean better."
"No, you always smell beautiful..." Nick replied and she laughed and shook her head while groaning.
"Ugh...Nick, you have me...you don't have to keep trying to win me over..."
Nick furred his brows. "What makes you think I'm trying...?" Nick asked honestly and she smiled and rolled him over so that he was lying on his back. She smiled and straddled his hips while playing with the buttons on his shirt. His hands went to her thighs and he smiled at her. "Lil' Miss...what're you doin?" He drawled and she smiled.
"Let's go to your parent's house."
"What?" Nick asked, thrown off by the suggestion and abrupt change of subject.
"I wanna meet your parents. I mean, if that's alright with you...we can just head on back to Vegas if you want." She said while shrugging.
He grinned wildly. "You wanna meet my parents?"
She laughed and dragged her hands down the front of his chest and settled on his abdomen. "I believe that's what I said..."
"Yeah...yeah. I want you to meet my parents...I don't know if everyone else will be at the house, but my parents will...yeah." He said again, floored that she had brought up meeting his parents with excitement.
She grinned wildly and bent down to place a smoldering kiss on his lips and run her hands across his chest once more. She pulled away while smiling and moaned a little. "Alright, let's go." She sat up fully and prepared to get off the bed, but Nick's hands held her in place.
"What? Now?"
"Yeah, c'mon..." She tried to climb off him once more but his hands held her in place and he chuckled.
"It'll be like...really late before we get there."
"Oh, is that the exact time?" She ask sarcastically. Nick bit his bottom lip and grinned playfully while slapping her butt, making her laughing and cry out in 'pain'.
"Ooooh! That was a good one..." Nick remarked and she laughed. His hands slid up her thighs and dipped underneath her shirt to settle on her thighs, and he gasped in surprise. "You're not wearin any underwear..." He noted and she doubled over laughing at his sudden and constant change of topics and random thoughts.
"C'mon, let's go..." She prompted once more, but Nick kept her held against him still. She laughed and swatted his arm. "Nicholas Garret Stokes get your ass movin!" She ordered playfully and Nick finally dropped his hands.
"You wanna go now?"
"Yes...! Do you not listen when I talk?" She asked half jokingly as she climbed off of him and went towards her bag at the end of the bed.
"...Hm? I'm sorry what?" Nick joked and she threw the first thing she could find at him. He laughed and tossed the pair of jeans back at her as he rolled off the bed to go get dressed. "So..." He grunted as he pulled the shirt off over his head. "Do you wanna get a rental car or call a cab...? I left the truck at your parent's house."
"Rental." She answered without looking up from sliding on her underwear and jeans. Nick glanced over at the clock and chuckled.
"Only you could prompt me to go to my parent's house, unannounced, while being totally aroused, at close to ten at night..." Nick replied and let his thought trail off as she pulled her shirt off over her head to reveal her bare, ample C cups. Nick's eyes widened slightly as he stared with a small smile on his face.
She caught his line of sight and chuckled and shook her head as she covered her breasts with a bra and pulled her navy blue, TWA gas station t shirt over her head and grabbed her Consoles. Nick pouted when she closed he chest off to him and continued getting dressed.
"You're no fun..." He replied sadly and she laughed and went over to wrap her arms around his waist and peck his lips.
"I'm tons of fun...I just don't wanna corrupt you before I go to meet your parents." She replied and Nick laughed and kissed her passionately as he led her towards the bed and eased her back onto it.
"I promise I'll be the one doing all the corrupting." Nick mumbled against her lips as he began to undo the button of her jeans. She laughed and squealed.
"Nick! I just got dressed!"
"Don't worry Baby...you'll get dressed again..." He promised and she groaned and sighed.
"Ugh, Nick..." She replied as he chuckled boyishly and continued devouring her neck.
Nick sighed again and adjusted his head on his fist as his elbow rested on the side of the window of the rental Denali. Riley looked over at him and smirked as he sighed again and adjusted himself once more. She chuckled softly and held up her hands. "Hey, buddy, don't blame me..." She replied.
"I didn't say anything." He defended irritated and she smiled and laughed.
"I didn't think to bring any protection...it isn't my fault..."
"Yep...I know...I'm very aware of the 'non-protection' situation...that's why I'm practically steering the wheel with my erection." Nick joked, knowing she'd love that phrase. Sure enough, Riley doubled over laughing as Nick smiled and picked his head up off his fist a little to quickly look over at her before turning his attention back to the road.
"Oh my GOD Nick!" Riley exclaimed between fits of breath and Nick shook his head and chuckled.
"You're insane woman..."
"Me?! You're the one who said it!"
He chuckled and continued to steer as she slowly overcame the fit of giggles. "...I love how insane you are."
She smiled and shrugged as she continued reading the map. "It happens..."
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! –Cries hysterically – I can't believe the book is over!!!!!!! Yeah, I know, kinda weird place to end it, but...remember...the next book is picking up where this one leaves off...
I'd just like to give a big shout out and YEE HAW to those who have reviewed, and stuck with me all 42 chapters! (That's alotta DRAMA...and sex ;D)
beans-and-toast
beloved
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Maestoso(who, I must say, even after this long I still can't pronounce your name!)/ Emma (My Emma XD)/emms
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spacecoastbabe15/ SDS (My Kiersten XD)/Schabu (lol, my computer says that's not a name...)
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SPECIAL-DOUBLE THANKS to Maestoso and spacecoastbabe15 for putting up with my non-stop talk about this book, helping me when I was in a writer's hell, and givin me some great material by being our CRAZY INSANE SELVES!!!!
Well, once again, thank y'all so much for reviewin' and keeping me pumped up and excited to write new chapters...I'll try to get the new book up ASAP! I hope everyone who has stuck with us this long will tune in to see how our favorite little pin-cushion couple makes it through the rest of their trails, tribulations, secrets, and lies...wow...THINK OF ALL THE MAKE-UP SEX THEY'RE GONNA HAVE!!!!!!!!
Lol.
I love y'all (sappy moment, quick, break out the Kleenex!)! Thanks for makin the first part of this journey memorable.
Love,
-Futuremisscsi60
STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!!!!