This Is Not the End

Elise’s POV

I awoke, my head pounding. I opened my eyes to find Riley sitting on the bed beside me. Then it hit me. I wasn’t dreaming. Everything that had happened was real. The reality of it all hit me like a ton of bricks. I tried to sit up, but Riley’s hand pushed me down gently.

“Let me go, you sick bastard!” I shouted.

“Ssssh…” Riley cooed, pressing a wet cloth to my forehead and brushing hair from my eyes. “You’re only going to make things worse.” His voice was gentle.

“Why are you doing this?” I pleaded. Riley removed the cloth from my forehead and sighed. He picked a cup up off the floor and reached in his pocket for something. He lifted his hand to my mouth.

“Open,” he said simply. I clamped my mouth shut and shook my head. “It’s a pain reliever. For your head.” I hesitated, then opened my mouth slightly, and allowed him to deposit two pills on my tongue. He put a straw in the cup and put it to my lips.

“Drink,” he instructed. Slowly, I obeyed. The water hydrated my mouth as I swallowed the pills down. Riley pulled the cup away and stood up. “Would you like another blanket? A pillow, maybe?”

I shook my head. “Riley, why are you doing this?” I asked again.

“Because I’m sorry for hurting you…” he said. He walked to the door and exited the room, leaving me in alone in silence.

I looked around the room. It was dim and there was a musky smell in the air. The walls were stained with nicotine and the carpet on the floor was dirty and threadbare. The bed I was confined to had no sheets and was surprisingly clean. Riley had my head propped up with three pillows and had covered me with two dingy blankets.

Riley came back in a few times to give me food or to change my bandages, and he did so with a gentle hand. There was something different about him. He wasn’t like he was on our last encounter. His eyes, which were identical to Ronnie’s, had a kinder look in them. I don’t know why, but I actually felt safer here, than I would have in a hospital.

“Um… Riley?” I said as he cut off a piece of gauze with a pair of scissors.

“Hmm?” he replied, putting tape on my wrist, binding the gauze in place.

“I…uh have to pee.” I said.

“Oh… uh, okay.” Riley said. He reached behind his head, and undid a necklace. I hadn’t noticed it before, but it had a key attached to it. He took the key and undid the handcuffs. He set the key on the bedside table and reached down, lifting me in his arms, off the bed.

“I can walk,” I said.

“I know. I was going to let you, but if you sit up, you’ll probably faint because of the medications.” He said, planting my feet on the floor. “The bathroom is there,” he added, pointing to the door behind me. I turned and moved toward it as Riley leaned down and started fluffing the pillows on the bed.

Riley’s bathroom was gross. The counters were gunky and the toilet looked like it had never been cleaned since it came off the conveyor belt at the factory. His shower had a ring of dirt around it. I looked around for some toilet paper. I found some and began lining the toilet bowl with it before sitting down.

I walked back out to find fresh sheets on the bed, along with clean blankets. After lying back down, Riley put the handcuff back on my wrist and handed me a remote.

“I only have basic cable, but it should keep you entertained.” He said as he fluffed my pillows and adjusted my blankets. Riley turned to leave.

“Wait,” I called after him. He turned. “You can stay if you want…” I said. Riley turned and came back to my bedside and sat down. I moved over and let him slide in further. I turned the TV on and flipped through the channels before settling on “Viva La Bam”. We watched in silence for a while, before Riley spoke.

“Elise?” he said.

“Yeah?” I responded.

“I’m sorry for what I did. I was stupid… and really messed up.” He said.

“It’s okay.” I said.

“No it’s not. It was a very wrong thing for me to do, and it shouldn’t have happened.” Riley said, looking at me.

“I forgive you, Riley.”

“You shouldn’t. I did a shitty thing. I told Chris to keep Ava away from the living room so I could be alone with you.” He said, sounding sincere and disgusted with himself. “I took advantage of you…”

I put my injured hand on his arm and looked up at him. “I’m not mad at you anymore, Riley. You’ve shown me that you’re not a bad person.” I told him.

Riley smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I felt a little uneasy at this, but didn’t say anything to him. I averted my gaze back to the TV and silence fell between us again.