Better Than Me

Andy didn't sleep worth a shit. Multiple times during the night, he paced out onto the balcony and smoked a couple of cigarettes. He would then return to the bed, tossing and turning for a while before getting up again for another nicotine fix.

Riley had seemed so genuinely pleased to be with him that evening. Andy had been so certain, when she'd flashed that brilliant smile and kissed him in greeting, that he could finally rest assured that the relationship was going strong once more. He had even admitted to himself that maybe his suspicions were off, that Riley had been telling the truth and Jacob was just a friend. How had he ever doubted her?

She played her part well, he thought bitterly.

The blood boiled in his veins at the recollection of coming upon her in the corridor, her back to him and her cell pressed to her ear. He had been on the verge of getting her attention, but her words had stopped him cold.

"I miss you, too. I'll try to fly out soon."

She had murmured the words, making a promise to him.

Andy had barely been able to see through his rage. And her innocent act had almost pushed him over the edge. He had let her go because there was no reason for her to stay. She'd been caught. He had proof now. He didn't want to hear her excuses, her lies.

Andy dragged himself out of bed in the morning. He checked his cell, finding a text from Ashley urging him to meet them in the lobby. He showered, pulled on jeans and a tee-shirt, and ventured downstairs.

"It's about time!" Christian said. "Damn, Andy, we almost starved to death waiting on your ass!"

"Where's Riley?" Corinne asked.

Andy shrugged. Honestly, he'd assumed she would go to Corinne and Christian's room. The fact that she wasn't here, and the others obviously hadn't seen her, caused the faintest twinge of worry.

"You don't know!?" Corinne said sharply. "How can you not know? Or care?"

Everyone was staring at him expectantly, wanting an explanation.

"We had a fight," Andy muttered. "I overheard her on the phone with Jacob after the show. I confronted her and she ran out. I figured she'd go straight to you, Cori."

Corinne took out her cell and moved a few feet away. Andy shifted uncomfortably. Sammi, Piper, Skylar, and Violet were glaring at him. The guys were keeping their expressions carefully neutral.

Corinne talked quietly to Riley for several minutes. She hung up and came back to where the others were standing.

"You." She pointed at Andy. "Outside. Now!"

Andy resented her ordering him around; however, he was curious, too. He wanted to know where Riley had gone and even more than that, some part of him hoped that Corinne would have the resolution to the problem--it hadn't been Jacob on the phone or some other comforting words that absolved Riley of her guilt.

Corinne and Andy walked to the tour bus in unspoken agreement that this was the best place for privacy. The rest of their friends didn't even attempt to follow.

"You..." Corinne's hands balled into fists and she closed her eyes briefly as if praying for patience. "You, Andrew Biersack, are the biggest fucking idiot I have ever encountered."

"Of course. You're going to take her side."

"Take her side!?" Corinne repeated incredulously. "There's no side to take. There shouldn't even be a fight."

"Bullshit, Cori! I heard her! I heard her tell him that she misses him and is going to fly out there soon."

Corinne stepped closer to Andy. "She was talking to David, you jackass!"

A tiny spark of hope flared to life and died. "Right. That's just her latest lie."

"You think she's lying? Andy, she hasn't exchanged a single word with Jacob since the day after my party. She said she couldn't contact him anymore because it was making you unhappy. And she has been miserable every since. She gave up a friend for you."

"He is more than a friend, Cori."

Corinne's eyes narrowed. Her arms literally shook with the effort to not punch him. "She's almost twenty-eight, Andy. That's not old, but the future looks a lot different from this side of twenty-five. She can't act as though her choices don't have consequences. She has to think for the long-term. I know you can't comprehend that yet. Just know that she's trying to do what is best for her. And guess what she thinks is best for her." Corinne crossed her arms over her chest. "The same thing she has always thought was best for her. You! You are her entire life, Andy! Every friend she has, except me, is somehow linked to you. She never sees her family. She has given everything to you. And how do you repay her? She bonds with someone outside of your fucking circle and you accuse her of cheating, withdrawing your trust so that she'll break the bond with Jacob to get it back."

Andy was speechless. He and Corinne had always gotten along. This tirade from her was astonishing.

"You know what, Andy?" Corinne shook her head in disgust. "Riley deserves so much better than you. She deserves Jacob." She gave him one last contemptuous look and strode back inside.

Andy was frozen to the spot. Was it true? Had it been David on the phone? Had Riley really severed all ties with Jacob? Had she done it for him?

Did I just make a huge mistake?

**********

Riley earned plenty of stares as she made her way through the airport, aiming for a secluded grouping of chairs. It was understandable. She was still in her clothes from the concert in Seattle: a blood red corset trimmed in black lace, hip-hugging jeans, and boots with three-inch heels. Her hair was a mess and she was sure her face looked horrific, considering she'd been crying for the majority of the flight.

Sniffling, she dug out her cell. She scrolled through her list of contacts. She highlighted his name and selected it without giving herself time to chicken out.

"Hello?"

His deep voice was like a balm to her frayed nerves. She felt the tension in her body ease slightly. "Hi, Jacob."

"Riley." He was trying to hide his surprise, yet a trace of it affected his tone. "How are you?"

"I'm, um..." Hurt? Bewildered? Stretched beyond the breaking point and not sure what the hell I'm doing anymore? She didn't bother to complete her reply. "What are you doing right now?"

"I was about to meet up with David. We've got the night off, so we're going to watch our friends in Splendid Chaos at Iron Horse."

"How would you feel about making a detour?"

"That depends. Where is this detour taking me?"

"To the airport."

There was a pause. Eventually, Jacob said "You're in Birmingham?"

"Yes."

"I'll be there in forty-five minutes. Unless you want to call David? He's--"

"No. I can wait."

"Okay. I'm on my way."

Riley shoved her cell into her back pocket and made her way to the restroom. She had the bag she'd packed for her night in Seattle, having registered it as her carry-on. She rummaged through it, pulling out a hairbrush. She worked all of the tangles from her hair and tied it up in a sloppy bun. Then, she splashed water on her face, removing what remained of her makeup. Her eyes were still swollen and bloodshot as a result of a practically endless flow of tears, but there wasn't much she could do about that.

She kept the same outfit on, just in case Jacob decided to go straight to Iron Horse once they left the airport. Yawning, she trudged out and dropped onto a chair.

Thanks to Corinne's call, Riley was now aware of what had set Andy off last night. However, that didn't help Riley understand why Andy had just attacked. He'd gone for the throat and she hadn't even known what he was pissed about. That wasn't like him. He had always been one of those people who prefaced a fight/argument with what was bothering him. Hadn't he begun their first dispute about Jacob with the statement that they needed to talk about Jacob? Why, then, had he switched tactics last night? Why hadn't he told her and given her the chance to defend herself?

Because he believed that I'd already lied to him three times and didn't want to hear it again, she theorized glumly. Or maybe he simply wants us to be over and that was the fastest way to end it.

Both options made her want to break down and cry some more. On the one hand, she'd lost Andy's trust, and on the other, she'd lost Andy. All based on a friendship with someone who lived three thousand miles away.

Riley sensed someone in front of her. She looked up right as Jacob stopped, less than two feet from where she sat. Her stomach squirmed pleasantly and her heart seemed to leap for joy. Not even considering how he might feel after a month of silence, Riley flung herself at him.

Jacob's arms enfolded her and she was crushed to his body. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Clinging to him, she buried her face against his chest. He held her tightly until he felt her drawing back.

"I'm so happy to see you," she said, drying her tears.

"And it's so evident."

Riley laughed. "Sorry. It's just..."

"We'll talk about it later. C'mon." Jacob led the way out to his black Corvette.

"Wow." Riley's eyebrows rose. "Nice."

"Thanks."

Riley sank into the rich leather seat, setting her bag at her feet.

"What do you want to do?" Jacob questioned.

"Well, I'm kind of hungry."

"Food first. Got it. Do you want to go to Iron Horse and hang out with everybody, or would you rather go to the house?"

"It doesn't matter."

Jacob cast her a sidelong glance. "Riley, you have a choice. Choose."

"I think I'd rather stay in."

Jacob reached for his cell. "I'm going to let David know I can't make it."

"No! Don't let me interfere with your plans. You can just drop me off at your house and go on with what you wanted to do."

"Honestly, I'd prefer to spend the time with you, if you don't mind."

Riley smiled. "I don't mind."

He made the call to David, telling him that something had come up but avoiding the details. Riley requested nothing more fancy than Subway for dinner. Jacob had already eaten, so she ordered her sandwich to go.

Jacob's house was nice--a brick split-level in an upscale neighborhood. Inside, it became apparent that the house belonged to a bachelor. It was sparsely decorated and the furniture was decidedly masculine. It was surprisingly clean.

"Am I ever going to know why you're here?" Jacob said once she'd finished her sandwich and they were in the living room, pretending to watch a movie.

"I didn't explain because you didn't ask."

"I've never had to ask before."

Riley regarded him thoughtfully, realizing he was right. She'd always spilled her guts to him without waiting for an invitation to do so. "Andy and I had a fight," she said. She recounted how Andy had grown brooding and sullen on the way to the hotel, how he'd been bitterly sarcastic before lashing out, how she hadn't even known why he was angry. "I hailed a cab and went straight to the airport. Cori called during my layover. Apparently, Andy heard me on the phone with David, promising to visit soon. He assumed that I was talking to you and it confirmed his suspicion that we've been fucking around behind his back."

Jacob shook his head. "That's ridiculous."

"Yeah."

"Why did you come to Alabama instead of going home?"

Riley shrugged. "I don't know. It was the first place I thought of."

"And I was the first person you thought of?"

"I guess so." Riley looked at him earnestly. "Jacob, I'm really sorry for what I said that morning at the studio."

"You have nothing to apologize for. You were right. Well, mostly."

"I was ending our friendship and blaming it on you and your feelings. That was bullshit. Yeah, your feelings complicated things, but they weren't the real reason I felt I had to let you go. It was Andy."

"You were just trying to save the relationship. You love him."

"That doesn't give him the right to dictate who I can and cannot spend time with. I don't give a shit what his suspicions were. He should have talked to me instead of accusing me. And he should have believed me when I swore nothing had happened. He should have trusted me, trusted that I could handle the situation and that I knew whether or not I needed to be around you."

Jacob didn't say anything.

Riley sighed. "He and I need to have a long talk. I need to take your advice and tell him of my doubts about the future."

"Even if you'd already told him, that wouldn't have changed his mind about me," Jacob stated matter-of-factly.

"I know."

Jacob studied her. "You're exhausted, darlin'. Why don't you go to bed? I'll take you to your parents' in the morning, if you'd like me to."

Riley smiled. "Maybe."

Jacob showed her to his guest room. There was a connecting bathroom and, sure that Jacob wouldn't care, Riley indulged in a twenty minute shower. She slipped into the pajamas she'd intended for Seattle and collapsed on the bed, asleep within moments.