To Break Free
Chapter Eight
Aiden wasn't sure why Riley had started avoiding him, but he knew that he didn't like it. That wasn't his plan at all. He had actually considered giving up, but he couldn't. No, she was too new. Too fragile, innocent. Vulnerable. He had to break down the walls that she put up. He had to be with her, and he had to break her. He had to have her. He just wasn't sure how. She was avoiding him, she would not even speak to him. He needed to fix it, he just didn't know how. Or what he had done. For now, he would try talking to her.
"Riley! Come here. Please?" Aiden called to the girl, who was across the hall speaking to his ex girlfriend, Shayla. That couldn't be a good sign. Riley looked at him, it seemed as though she was considering walking over to him, but then Shayla said something that made her turn away. He wasn't sure exactly what Shayla could have said, but he knew it wouldn't be good. Shayla hated him. She was the one girl who didn't break. He had tried so hard but she was too strong. The one girl who was too strong. She had let him go. No, she had dropped him completely. And now he swore she was trying to ruin him. But it wouldn't work, he wouldn't let it work. He would get Riley back.
He walked up to her after the last class of the day and refused to leave until she agreed to talk to him. When she stuttered out an "okay," he was relieved, though he had known his plan would work. He had just worried because he wasn't sure what Shayla had told her and how much more work he would have to do. "Meet me tomorrow at the pond, okay? Around 1?" he said softly, hoping she would agree. She looked apprehensive. He smiled reassuringly and said, "Please?" And she actually agreed.
Riley was nervous about speaking to Aiden. What if he didn't understand why she avoided him? What if he got more clingy? She hoped he would understand. So the next day, a Saturday, she got dressed, did her hair and her makeup, and started walking to the woods at 12:45 pm. She had agreed to meet him in fifteen minutes, at one o'clock. She walked slowly, hoping to prolong the walk and put off the visit.
She arrived at the entrance to the woods at 12:58, having walked as slowly as she could manage. She knew it would take about 5 minutes to get to the pond, add a few if she continued walking as slowly as before. She would probably be about five minutes late. She felt bad, as she usually tried to be early for her commitments, but he could deal with it if he really wanted to talk to her.
When she arrived at the pond he was sitting on a rock staring off into the woods, obviously waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her. "You're late. I thought you weren't going to come!"
She blushed, apologizing for being late. It always amazed her that she could speak around him. Before she had decided to start avoiding him, she had noticed that she had even been stuttering a bit less when she spoke to him. She was honestly proud of herself, until she realized that it terrified her completely.
He spoke again, breaking her from her thoughts. "I have to ask, Riles. Why have you been avoiding me? I've tried to speak to you... did I do something wrong?" He looked so sad, like he was genuinely upset that she hadn't been speaking to him.
She wasn't sure what to say, but she thought she should maybe try the truth. She tried to stutter out an answer, but words wouldn't come. "I-I, um, I-I'm, um, I'm sorry..." was all that she could get out. She didn't know what to do, so she ran. She felt awful about it, but she couldn't tell him the reason she had avoided him. She couldn't speak, she didn't have anything else to do, so she went off in the other direction, into the woods. She looked back and he was staring at her with an unreadable expression. She just knew that she had ruined things. She'd lost her only good friend in the town. Shayla was nice, but she would surely drop her once she heard that Aiden no longer had any interest in Riley. Shayla seemed only to care about convincing Riley to stay away from the boy.
Riley walked home that Saturday feeling incredibly sad and angry at herself.
"Riley! Come here. Please?" Aiden called to the girl, who was across the hall speaking to his ex girlfriend, Shayla. That couldn't be a good sign. Riley looked at him, it seemed as though she was considering walking over to him, but then Shayla said something that made her turn away. He wasn't sure exactly what Shayla could have said, but he knew it wouldn't be good. Shayla hated him. She was the one girl who didn't break. He had tried so hard but she was too strong. The one girl who was too strong. She had let him go. No, she had dropped him completely. And now he swore she was trying to ruin him. But it wouldn't work, he wouldn't let it work. He would get Riley back.
He walked up to her after the last class of the day and refused to leave until she agreed to talk to him. When she stuttered out an "okay," he was relieved, though he had known his plan would work. He had just worried because he wasn't sure what Shayla had told her and how much more work he would have to do. "Meet me tomorrow at the pond, okay? Around 1?" he said softly, hoping she would agree. She looked apprehensive. He smiled reassuringly and said, "Please?" And she actually agreed.
Riley was nervous about speaking to Aiden. What if he didn't understand why she avoided him? What if he got more clingy? She hoped he would understand. So the next day, a Saturday, she got dressed, did her hair and her makeup, and started walking to the woods at 12:45 pm. She had agreed to meet him in fifteen minutes, at one o'clock. She walked slowly, hoping to prolong the walk and put off the visit.
She arrived at the entrance to the woods at 12:58, having walked as slowly as she could manage. She knew it would take about 5 minutes to get to the pond, add a few if she continued walking as slowly as before. She would probably be about five minutes late. She felt bad, as she usually tried to be early for her commitments, but he could deal with it if he really wanted to talk to her.
When she arrived at the pond he was sitting on a rock staring off into the woods, obviously waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her. "You're late. I thought you weren't going to come!"
She blushed, apologizing for being late. It always amazed her that she could speak around him. Before she had decided to start avoiding him, she had noticed that she had even been stuttering a bit less when she spoke to him. She was honestly proud of herself, until she realized that it terrified her completely.
He spoke again, breaking her from her thoughts. "I have to ask, Riles. Why have you been avoiding me? I've tried to speak to you... did I do something wrong?" He looked so sad, like he was genuinely upset that she hadn't been speaking to him.
She wasn't sure what to say, but she thought she should maybe try the truth. She tried to stutter out an answer, but words wouldn't come. "I-I, um, I-I'm, um, I'm sorry..." was all that she could get out. She didn't know what to do, so she ran. She felt awful about it, but she couldn't tell him the reason she had avoided him. She couldn't speak, she didn't have anything else to do, so she went off in the other direction, into the woods. She looked back and he was staring at her with an unreadable expression. She just knew that she had ruined things. She'd lost her only good friend in the town. Shayla was nice, but she would surely drop her once she heard that Aiden no longer had any interest in Riley. Shayla seemed only to care about convincing Riley to stay away from the boy.
Riley walked home that Saturday feeling incredibly sad and angry at herself.
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I think this is a longer one! It reflects my feelings. Sorry it's not a happy chapter.