Fighting for Her

Tommy and Riley walked together on the sidewalk leading out the diner and onto Main Street. As if the Christmas decorations weren't enough to make it feel like winter, the weather was getting colder every day. Tommy's hands were stuffed into the front pocket of his hoodie. The wind had picked up, making it about 10 degrees cooler, but they still walked.

Riley stuck her chin into her cream colored scarf and listened to Tommy tell her all about his time in the military. That he signed up as soon as he had turned eighteen and met his best friend Manny while in Iraq. He didn't get into too much detail about the war but told her there were a lot of hot days and even colder nights. She wondered if it was colder there than it was now.

"Manny and I had less than six months before our tour was up." He spoke softly, breathing heavily, his breath showing in the air. He had never told his story. Not to anyone but Manny's wife. Riley wanted to tell him that he didn't need to go on if he didn't want to but before she took the chance, he spoke again.

"We had been split up from our unit, us and a few other guys. An artillery strike was called in and we were in the drop zone. Before we could radio danger close, the bombs started to come down. I was the only one who made it out alive." A small breath of fog escaped his lips.

Riley wanted to cry. The look on his face was so sullen, his eyes suddenly darker. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw him tearing up. She didn't know what to say, or what do to so she stopped walking and hugged him. She was surprised at herself for doing something so bold, especially for only knowing him a few days. He must have been just as surprised as she was because he stood frozen in her arms, which could hardly wrap around him. Finally he rested his hands on her back, careful not to squeeze too hard.

He was warm and his hoodie smelled like laundry detergent and sweat. An odd combination, but she couldn't help the need to breathe it in one more time before letting go.

"You gettin' soft on me Ri?" He smiled, easing the tension.

"I'm pretty sure I can still kick your ass." She giggled and turned to keep walking. He stared with a smile as she looked back waiting for him to follow.

They had walked all the way down to the end of the main street shops so they crossed the street and began walking back. She told him about her parents who lived upstate and her brother who was going to Penn State to study law. She told her about her time in college and when she met Anna for the first time. She told him a lot of things and he would tell her some things. How he had a brother who he wasn't very close with and that he wrestled in grade school.

She took him to her favorite bakery and made him try a macaroon, for which he stuck his tongue out in disapproval. A few minutes after leaving the bakery, rain started to slowly come down on their heads. Riley screeched at the first freezing drop and ran under an awning. Tommy followed suit and placed his hat on top of her head. It was way too big and covered the tops of her ears. She had to lean her head back so she could see his face. He looked much happier than he did before.

"If we run, we can make it to the truck semi dry." She had driven them from the gym to the diner earlier and wished now that she had parked closer than two blocks away. The rain started to get louder, beating on the awning above them. Riley stood, impatiently chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"Are you waiting for it to slow down again?" Tommy asked with a low chuckle.

Riley leaned her head back and nodded.

"Sometimes you just have to go for it." And with that he took off.

Shit.

Riley ran behind him, laughing and screaming at the same time. She turned the hat around so she could actually see where she was going. By the time she reached the truck, he was already leaning on the passenger side door.

"What took you so long?" His smug smile made her laugh out loud.

"Looks like I have the keys and have the option of unlocking that passenger door you're leaning on." She dangled the keys in front of him and ran to the driver side, unlocking her door and jumping in. He pressed his hands and against the window and pouted his bottom lip. She rolled her eyes and unlocked his door.

"Too easy." He shook his head.

----

The drive to Tommy's was short, and they spent most of the ride with their teeth clattering from the cold. His hoodie was clinging to his chest, showing every muscle line. Realizing that she was staring, she shifted her gaze elsewhere.

"Thanks for the breakfast beer." She looked at the small house and wondered if this is where he had grown up.

"Breakfast of champions." Tommy reached for his gym bag in the back seat.

"And are you a champion?" She asked seriously, but still smiled.

"I guess we'll find out." He hopped out of the truck and walked in the rain to the front door and disappeared inside.

"Goodbye to you too." Riley laughed and shook her head. She looked at the clock. 6:12 P.M.

Crap. Anna's going to freak.

Her cellphone had four missed calls and about ten texts. Anna had called her all four times and left her nine text messages, asking where she was and why she wasn't answering her phone. The last text was from Ryan saying that he had to work late so he was cancelling their dinner plans. Riley rolled her eyes and put the truck in drive.

____

"You were WHERE?!" Anna shouted into the receiver so loud that Riley had to pull the phone away from her ear.

"I told you. With Tommy. Anyway, I'm almost home. Just figured I'd call before you freaked out even more." Riley pulled onto their street with dinner in tow. "I'll see you in a minute."

Thankful that the rain was over, she took her time getting the food out of the car and walking into the apartment building. She would now have to tell Anna every single detail of her day, and for some reason she wanted to keep bits of it to herself. The door creaked open and immediately Anna was standing in front of it.

"What is that?!" Anna said loudly right before cupping her mouth in surprise.

"Umm, Chinese?" Riley tilted her head and felt something shift. His hat. She still had it on. She took it off quickly and set in on the couch. Anna grabbed it and felt the need to inspect it.

"Is this his?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Yes. He let me wear it since it was raining. I forgot I had it on." Riley scooped lo mein out of the white take out box. Anna looked at her with suspicious eyes.

"Alright..." Anna waited for more but Riley just kept eating. "Are you kidding me right now?"

Riley just smiled and turned on the television.

"You're not going to tell me anything?"

"Hey do you think The Big Bang Theory is on right now?" Riley clicked the remote, ignoring Anna.

"So we're gonna play that game? Okay. Why are you eating here and not at Ryan's right now?" Anna put her hand on hip and Tommy's hat on her head.

Riley got up and walked into the kitchen. "He had to work late." She opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water.

"Likely story." Anna raised an eyebrow.

Riley grabbed the hat off of Anna's head and sat back down on the couch. "Today was great, Anna. It really was."