Time Bomb

Going home without Riley wasn’t something Jack wanted to do; after she told him to leave he found the first flight back to Baltimore and boarded without second thought. Jack hated having to get on the damn plane, he also knew when he wasn’t wanted and be damned if he was sticking around just to be shoved away. It was silly and he wanted to punch his brother in the face, when the older Barakat had suggested that if Riley was meant to be with his baby brother then she’d eventually come back.

Jack had never believed in that if you love it, let it go bullshit. If Riley was meant to be his then she wouldn’t have told him to go home and send her belongings back. If Riley was meant to be his, she would be here with him right now. Sitting at home alone, the quiet house was driving Jack nuts, staring at his phone it was taking everything in him not to call Riley.

Stretched out on the sofa, an old episode of Supernatural playing, Riley rubbed her eyes as the two brothers on the screen took on the designated demon. Just as the character of the demon popped up behind the leads, Matt stepped into the room. Trying not to look as shaken as she was, Riley muttered a string of curse words under her breath.

“Hey, did I scare you?” Matt teased flopping down next to Riley giving her a wink.

“No.” Riley laughed, playing it off.

Earlier in the evening Matt had dropped by to see how Riley was holding up. Three hours later and he was still poking around, lazing in the living room sucked into the television. Having seen the episode several times, Riley informed Matt she was going to get a drink if he wanted one. Deciding that a drink did sound fairly good, Matt took over the couch while Riley disappeared into the kitchen.

In the other room, as she gathered a few glasses of juice and a bag of chips, Riley heard her phone ringing in the other room. Returning to the living room, she handed Matt a glass and sat her own down on the coffee table with the food and reached for her phone.

“That was Josh.” Matt informed Riley as she picked up her phone to see the missed call. “Are you going to call him back?”

“No.” Riley’s tone was cold as she set her phone back on the end table.

“You’ll have to talk to him sometime. He’s only trying to help, in his fucked up Josh mind.” Matt chuckled.

“Josh always does this.” Riley sighed sinking down onto the couch next to Matt. “He’s always trying to control what I do.”

“He only cares and he wants to make sure you’re safe. Josh let Jack take you home, because he knew it would be good for you.” Matt tried to reason; Riley would either take the statement or tell him to fuck off.

Josh had no right to control her life, Riley hated that he seemed to have everybody on his side. It was a losing battle if she had to go up against the “mighty” Josh Ramsay. He was such a jerk.

“Riles, you may not see it right now but Jack’s a good guy. Let’s face it; he’s the best you’ve ever had.” Matt chuckled, his laugh dry and without humor.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Riley folded her arms over her chest. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means.” Matt clapped his hands together nervously. “You’ve never had a decent guy; all the guys you’ve ever dated were assholes. The guys you get involved with are no good and you know that.”

As true as it was, Riley would never openly admit that to Matt or anybody. Matt had seen some of the guys Riley had got mixed up with; there were reasons why Josh didn’t trust guys around her. Some of the guys had started out decent, only to end up falling from grace.

“When was the last time you dated a guy that you actually cared for? Who was the last guy who legitimately made you feel something other than used and cheap?” Matt arched his brow waiting for Riley to answer, if she had an answer.

“Did Josh send you over here to give me this lecture?” She asked quietly, her eyes burning with anger.

Matt shook his head and answered with an almost silent “no” his eyes never leaving the girl sitting next to him. Listening to Riley go on about how much she hated Josh at this current moment in time, Matt interjected here and there, telling her the truth. Yes, she was an adult and Josh couldn’t run her life, but he only wanted what was best. Riley may never be able to see it, but what Josh was doing only protected her from a lot more harm than she needed.

Moving the topic of Josh and his so called issues onto Jack and why she hated him, Riley found herself in a fit of tears. Tightly pulling her into a hug, Matt lightly rubbed her back trying to soothe her. In ways Jack had no right to hold back the information he had, even if it was to protect Riley. In other ways, Matt would have did everything the exact same way.

Sobs quietly vibrated Riley’s body as she rested her chin on Matt’s shoulder. Things in her life had gone from bad to possibly worse. Sending Jack home had been a mistake, in her gut she wanted to call him and tell him to come back, not that he’d speak to her now. Her head was clouded and her heart wasn’t helping these matters any. Gently Matt’s voice calmed the flow of tears, sniffling Riley pulled back to see a dejected Matt. His eyes were sad and his usual happy go lucky look void on his expression.

“I don’t think I deserve somebody who is good to me, I just ruin things.” Riley whispered. “I’m better off alone, Matt.”

“No, no you do deserve somebody good.” Matt rejected her nonsense. The pads of his thumbs dried the tears on her cheeks as he gave her a tiny smile. “You don’t deserve to be alone either.”

What took place in the next few seconds had Matt convinced he was a dead man. Feeling Riley’s body pressed into his, her soft lips on his made Matt want to throw all caution to the wind and just go for it. Luckily the fleeting thoughts of Josh and Jack enjoying plotting his murder caused Matt to regain enough common sense to tell realize this was wrong. In Riley’s mind she and Jack were over, in Matt’s mind it was a temporary pause in the span of a relationship.

“No. Stop.” Matt shook his head, gently pushing Riley away.

Embarrassed, Riley sat back, a little surprised that Matt had actually stopped her. In the years she had known Matt Webb, he never stopped a lady while making advances on him. Then again, just when you thought you knew somebody they could surprise you.

A hand clenched over Matt’s sandy brown hair, his dark eyes were wide and his mouth flapped open and closed like a fish. Part of him wanted to enjoy it thoroughly, it was wrong. Once upon a time, Matt would have jumped with the idea and never looked back.

“This is what I mean, about guys who are nothing but assholes. I took advantage of you and we can’t take that back, but we don’t need to make that mistake twice.” Matt suggested, putting space between himself and Riley.

“That’s as much my fault as it is yours.” Riley replied quietly.

It would never be Riley’s fault; Matt was the one who had agreed to buy her the liquor. Matt had been the one to let her get as drunk as she had. Matt was the one who had made the first move, he knew better yet he still went through with it. Riley had been nothing more than a drunk teenage girl, wanting attention wherever she could find it, be it good or bad. The idea of it all was enough to make Matt feel ill.

“I took sexual advantage of a drunken sixteen year old girl. I can’t change what we did, but I’m sorry for what happened. You deserve better, you always have.” Matt stated, moving from his seat on the couch.

“I’m not sure I want to change what we did, Matt.” Riley answered, her eyes shifting to the floor.

How could she not hate him? Matt hated himself for what he’d done. He liked Riley and everybody knew it, he’d always liked Riley. When it all came down to it, Matt was another one of those idiots who used her or left her looking cheap. There was never a chance they could have an actual, functioning relationship. A few times, Matt had entertained the idea of trying to have something, life would never allow it. For the better, Josh would happily go into a tirade if his best friend ever tried to be more than a friend to Riley.

Once, a few years ago after more than a few drinks and several hits later, the pair had come close to a one night stand. Unknowingly Mike had saved the regret that time, calling Matt to inform him they had an important meeting in another city the next morning. Never wanting to put his personal life in way of his career, Matt had left Riley and wandered home.

Gathering his coat, Matt moved through the thick silence. Now was his cue to leave, reaching for the door he turned around to see Riley still glued to the couch looking confused, as she should be. If things were right in the world she was thinking about how big of a mistake she made letting Jack go.

“Riley.” Matt spoke, grabbing her attention. “You’re a wonderful person and you have Jack. Don’t let that go.”