Sequel: Weapons of War ›
Seven Year Ache
EIGHTEEN
January 2005
“So what do you want to do tonight?” Shea asked Riley curiously as they walked into the bar together, his arm was around her shoulder, she was pulled into his side with her own arm around his waist, and her free hand was holding his hand that was hanging off of her shoulder.
She looked up at him as he looked for a table and told him, “Nothing that can be done here.”
Shea turned to her in surprise and when she grinned up at him he laughed, leaned down and captured her mouth with his. She leaned into him, having to stand up on her tip toes even in four inch heels, and could have sworn the room stopped moving. It felt like that every time he kissed her, like everything slowed down and disappeared and it was just them. When they pulled apart she put her head against his chest, sighed, and Shea told her, “Your birthday night awaits.”
“Can’t we just go home and do… other things?” She asked with a smirk as his cheeks flushed.
He pinched her side and as she threw her head back and laughed he briefly thought about taking her suggestion and driving back to her house. He watched her laugh, a smile on his own face, and when she stopped laughing she found him still watching her so she raised her eyebrow at him. He shrugged, pulled her tight into his side and continued to look for a table for them to sit at. He found a vacant one in the back corner and smiled, slipping his hand into hers and pulling her through crowds of people toward it.
“Riley?” They both stopped upon hearing her name, and Riley was surprised to find Lindsay standing in front of her.
They smiled awkwardly at each other, and Shea glanced between them before he told her, “I’m gonna grab us a drink and meet you over there.”
Riley nodded, smiling as he leaned down to kiss her cheek before he disappeared and it left her and Lindsay in a crowd of people. Riley didn’t know what to say to her, the two had drifted apart, Riley was sure this was the first time they had talked in almost two years. Lindsay had started hanging out with a group of guys in their class year that in Riley’s opinion were 100 times worse than Shea yet in Lindsay’s eyes Shea was the bad guy. She took in her once best friends outfit, short skirt and a crop top and more makeup than Riley knew you could put on someone’s face, and Lindsay appeared to be doing the same with Riley’s jeans and long sleeve top tucked into them. One of them had changed greatly and Riley knew they both knew who it was.
“I thought that was you.” Lindsay said, breaking up the silence. Riley nodded slowly, but she still didn’t know what to say so Lindsay told her, “Happy birthday.”
She smiled and nodded, “Thanks.”
“Yeah… This is weird right?” Lindsay asked with a laugh, and Riley let out a relieved sigh, a laugh of her own and nodded.
“Definitely.”
Lindsay glanced around the bar, then at her watch before she looked back at Riley and asked, “So you and Shea are still….?”
Riley nodded, Lindsay knew this she was just trying to make conversation so Riley asked her, “Yeah we are. What about you and Rick?”
She shook her head, “Nah that ended a while ago.”
“Oh.” Was the only thing that came out of Riley’s mouth.
She didn’t have to say much more, Lindsay was quick to tell her, “I’m sorry about everything. I guess I was just jealous of you and Shea. You found this great guy who treats you so well and all of a sudden I was the one at home alone while you were out with a boy.”
“I get it. That’s how I always felt with you before Shea.” Riley told her with a nod of her head.
Lindsay sent her a look, “You never started fights over it and ruined a friendship because of it though.”
Riley shrugged at that, but she didn’t get to say anything because a tall guy with long dark hair walked past, slapped Lindsay’s butt and asked, “Ready? This place is boring.”
She flushed, nodded, turned back to Riley and said, “It was nice to see you.”
“You too.”
With that Riley was walking back to the far corner she had been heading toward before Lindsay caught her attention. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and found Shea sitting in a chair with a drink in front of him and one in front of the empty seat beside him. He looked up when she approached, got up, pushed her hair in for her before taking his spot again.
He watched her for a moment before he asked her curiously, “You okay?”
She nodded, smiled, and told him, “I’m great.”
“Good. I have a present for you.” When he told her this she narrowed her eyes at him and he laughed at her and told her, “I know you said no presents but too bad.”
She rolled her eyes and watched as he placed two wrapped presents in front of her. He tapped the flat, square one first, and she picked it up and pulled at a piece of tape slowly, knowing she was annoying him. He shot her a look when she looked up at him and she grinned before pulled the wrapping paper off much quicker this time. She couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at the CD in her hands and looked over at him, “Journey?”
He shrugged, “You always hum that one song by them and I finally figured out what it was.”
She smiled gently, surprised he took the time to figure that out and didn’t just ask her instead. He nudged the other wrapped gift toward her and she picked up the square box with apprehension, she pulled at the wrapping paper and a little black velvet box dropped into her hands. She stared at it for a moment before she opened the top and raised her eyebrow at him. Inside sat a thin silver band, and when she pulled it out of the box she noticed an inscription inside it. ‘for you, forever’.
“I know it’s not much, but I thought earrings were too impersonal, and a real ring would earn me a beating from both our parents.” Shea joked, making her laugh. He watched her stare at the ring and he told her, “You don’t even have to wear it, if you don’t like it. I just thought of you when I saw it.”
She had a similar ring, with a different inscription on the inside, on a necklace band around her neck, a gift from her father when she was still in grade school so it didn’t fit anymore. She smiled up at him, shook her head, leaned across the table to kiss him and then told him, “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
He smiled and nodded, watching as she slid it onto her middle finger on her right hand, before he told her, “One day I’m gonna buy you a real ring.”
She ignored the pit in her stomach that told her one day wasn’t going to come for them and that this would likely be their last few months together, and decided to enjoy what time she had left with him. She again leaned across the table, kissed him softly before she told him, “I hate the color gold. You should know that.”
Shea grinned at her, “I know that.”
“Good. There might be hope for you one day then.” She told him with a smile that made him laugh.
They spent another hour in the bar, having another two drinks each, before Shea called a cab and they collected themselves inside it. Riley had to keep herself from leaning over and kissing him several times as they sat in the back of the cab and Shea made small talk with the driver about his hockey season. It always made her laugh, how everywhere they went Shea found at least one person to talk hockey with no matter if he knew the person or not.
Finally they pulled into her driveway behind Shea’s parked car, he paid the driver and followed her up the driveway and into the house. He stood in the doorway as she unarmed the alarm, and watched her kick her shoes off and hang her jacket up before she turned to him and with a grin asked, “You coming in?”
He smiled and stepped inside, slipping out of his own outerwear before Riley locked up behind them and pulled him upstairs. Shea really liked the fact that her dad was gone on business trips so much, he couldn’t lie about that. Riley liked it too, even though she hated sleeping alone in the house those hours where Shea was over made it better.
She pushed her bedroom door open, and then turned to Shea and asked him, “So what do you want to do?”
He glanced around her bedroom, the desk, dresser and bed he had become so familiar with, before he glanced at the window and smiled. He turned his attention back to her, wrapped both arms around her tightly and told her, “This.”
She smiled as he pulled her into him, she wrapped her own arms around his waist, rested her chin on his shoulder and looked up at him. He was looking down at her, but neither one of them made a motion to move closer to each other. Instead they stood like that, wrapped up in each other, for several minutes, neither of them saying a word to the other. It was pure bliss to Riley, these were the moments she loved so much. The moments where they were truly alone, and his warmth radiated onto her, and she could look up into his eyes and feel everything he was feeling.
Shea pulled away first, making her pout at him, and he let out a chuckle before he grabbed the CD he had given her for her birthday, put it into the disc player she had on her dresser and searched for the proper track. He then turned around and looked at her, his cheeks flushed and said, “Okay there’s only one way I know I can make this the best birthday ever but you have to promise not to laugh at me or make fun of me later.”
She raised her eyebrow at him and instead of responding Shea reached out, grabbed her hand and pulled her back against him. However instead of going back to hugging her he took her arms in his hands and wrapped them around his neck the best he could with their height difference and then wound his own arms around her waist and pressed his hands flat against her lower back.
Riley smiled to herself as he slowly started moving them along with the music the best that he could and he reminded her, “No laughing or making fun of me.”
She shook her head, “I won’t I promise. I love this.”
“Yeah?” He asked in surprise, he assumed she would think he was the nerdiest guy in the world for this.
Riley nodded and stopped moving only long enough to lean up and press her lips against his for a brief moment before telling him, “This is perfect. Best birthday ever.”
Hours later, when the clock was approaching Shea’s curfew, they both got dressed and Riley walked him out to his car. He was in the driver seat and Riley was standing outside the car leaning into the open window, and as he looked at her he told her, “Happy birthday Ry.”
She smiled, leaned down to kiss him quickly before she told him, “Thank you for tonight, but go home so you don’t get in trouble.”
Shea let out a chuckle and nodded, kissing her once more, “Love you.”
“Love you.” She mimicked, stepping away from the car and watching him back out of the driveway before he drove down the street and disappeared and she went back into the house with a smile on her face. God she loved him.
I'm forever yours, faithfully.
“So what do you want to do tonight?” Shea asked Riley curiously as they walked into the bar together, his arm was around her shoulder, she was pulled into his side with her own arm around his waist, and her free hand was holding his hand that was hanging off of her shoulder.
She looked up at him as he looked for a table and told him, “Nothing that can be done here.”
Shea turned to her in surprise and when she grinned up at him he laughed, leaned down and captured her mouth with his. She leaned into him, having to stand up on her tip toes even in four inch heels, and could have sworn the room stopped moving. It felt like that every time he kissed her, like everything slowed down and disappeared and it was just them. When they pulled apart she put her head against his chest, sighed, and Shea told her, “Your birthday night awaits.”
“Can’t we just go home and do… other things?” She asked with a smirk as his cheeks flushed.
He pinched her side and as she threw her head back and laughed he briefly thought about taking her suggestion and driving back to her house. He watched her laugh, a smile on his own face, and when she stopped laughing she found him still watching her so she raised her eyebrow at him. He shrugged, pulled her tight into his side and continued to look for a table for them to sit at. He found a vacant one in the back corner and smiled, slipping his hand into hers and pulling her through crowds of people toward it.
“Riley?” They both stopped upon hearing her name, and Riley was surprised to find Lindsay standing in front of her.
They smiled awkwardly at each other, and Shea glanced between them before he told her, “I’m gonna grab us a drink and meet you over there.”
Riley nodded, smiling as he leaned down to kiss her cheek before he disappeared and it left her and Lindsay in a crowd of people. Riley didn’t know what to say to her, the two had drifted apart, Riley was sure this was the first time they had talked in almost two years. Lindsay had started hanging out with a group of guys in their class year that in Riley’s opinion were 100 times worse than Shea yet in Lindsay’s eyes Shea was the bad guy. She took in her once best friends outfit, short skirt and a crop top and more makeup than Riley knew you could put on someone’s face, and Lindsay appeared to be doing the same with Riley’s jeans and long sleeve top tucked into them. One of them had changed greatly and Riley knew they both knew who it was.
“I thought that was you.” Lindsay said, breaking up the silence. Riley nodded slowly, but she still didn’t know what to say so Lindsay told her, “Happy birthday.”
She smiled and nodded, “Thanks.”
“Yeah… This is weird right?” Lindsay asked with a laugh, and Riley let out a relieved sigh, a laugh of her own and nodded.
“Definitely.”
Lindsay glanced around the bar, then at her watch before she looked back at Riley and asked, “So you and Shea are still….?”
Riley nodded, Lindsay knew this she was just trying to make conversation so Riley asked her, “Yeah we are. What about you and Rick?”
She shook her head, “Nah that ended a while ago.”
“Oh.” Was the only thing that came out of Riley’s mouth.
She didn’t have to say much more, Lindsay was quick to tell her, “I’m sorry about everything. I guess I was just jealous of you and Shea. You found this great guy who treats you so well and all of a sudden I was the one at home alone while you were out with a boy.”
“I get it. That’s how I always felt with you before Shea.” Riley told her with a nod of her head.
Lindsay sent her a look, “You never started fights over it and ruined a friendship because of it though.”
Riley shrugged at that, but she didn’t get to say anything because a tall guy with long dark hair walked past, slapped Lindsay’s butt and asked, “Ready? This place is boring.”
She flushed, nodded, turned back to Riley and said, “It was nice to see you.”
“You too.”
With that Riley was walking back to the far corner she had been heading toward before Lindsay caught her attention. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and found Shea sitting in a chair with a drink in front of him and one in front of the empty seat beside him. He looked up when she approached, got up, pushed her hair in for her before taking his spot again.
He watched her for a moment before he asked her curiously, “You okay?”
She nodded, smiled, and told him, “I’m great.”
“Good. I have a present for you.” When he told her this she narrowed her eyes at him and he laughed at her and told her, “I know you said no presents but too bad.”
She rolled her eyes and watched as he placed two wrapped presents in front of her. He tapped the flat, square one first, and she picked it up and pulled at a piece of tape slowly, knowing she was annoying him. He shot her a look when she looked up at him and she grinned before pulled the wrapping paper off much quicker this time. She couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at the CD in her hands and looked over at him, “Journey?”
He shrugged, “You always hum that one song by them and I finally figured out what it was.”
She smiled gently, surprised he took the time to figure that out and didn’t just ask her instead. He nudged the other wrapped gift toward her and she picked up the square box with apprehension, she pulled at the wrapping paper and a little black velvet box dropped into her hands. She stared at it for a moment before she opened the top and raised her eyebrow at him. Inside sat a thin silver band, and when she pulled it out of the box she noticed an inscription inside it. ‘for you, forever’.
“I know it’s not much, but I thought earrings were too impersonal, and a real ring would earn me a beating from both our parents.” Shea joked, making her laugh. He watched her stare at the ring and he told her, “You don’t even have to wear it, if you don’t like it. I just thought of you when I saw it.”
She had a similar ring, with a different inscription on the inside, on a necklace band around her neck, a gift from her father when she was still in grade school so it didn’t fit anymore. She smiled up at him, shook her head, leaned across the table to kiss him and then told him, “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
He smiled and nodded, watching as she slid it onto her middle finger on her right hand, before he told her, “One day I’m gonna buy you a real ring.”
She ignored the pit in her stomach that told her one day wasn’t going to come for them and that this would likely be their last few months together, and decided to enjoy what time she had left with him. She again leaned across the table, kissed him softly before she told him, “I hate the color gold. You should know that.”
Shea grinned at her, “I know that.”
“Good. There might be hope for you one day then.” She told him with a smile that made him laugh.
They spent another hour in the bar, having another two drinks each, before Shea called a cab and they collected themselves inside it. Riley had to keep herself from leaning over and kissing him several times as they sat in the back of the cab and Shea made small talk with the driver about his hockey season. It always made her laugh, how everywhere they went Shea found at least one person to talk hockey with no matter if he knew the person or not.
Finally they pulled into her driveway behind Shea’s parked car, he paid the driver and followed her up the driveway and into the house. He stood in the doorway as she unarmed the alarm, and watched her kick her shoes off and hang her jacket up before she turned to him and with a grin asked, “You coming in?”
He smiled and stepped inside, slipping out of his own outerwear before Riley locked up behind them and pulled him upstairs. Shea really liked the fact that her dad was gone on business trips so much, he couldn’t lie about that. Riley liked it too, even though she hated sleeping alone in the house those hours where Shea was over made it better.
She pushed her bedroom door open, and then turned to Shea and asked him, “So what do you want to do?”
He glanced around her bedroom, the desk, dresser and bed he had become so familiar with, before he glanced at the window and smiled. He turned his attention back to her, wrapped both arms around her tightly and told her, “This.”
She smiled as he pulled her into him, she wrapped her own arms around his waist, rested her chin on his shoulder and looked up at him. He was looking down at her, but neither one of them made a motion to move closer to each other. Instead they stood like that, wrapped up in each other, for several minutes, neither of them saying a word to the other. It was pure bliss to Riley, these were the moments she loved so much. The moments where they were truly alone, and his warmth radiated onto her, and she could look up into his eyes and feel everything he was feeling.
Shea pulled away first, making her pout at him, and he let out a chuckle before he grabbed the CD he had given her for her birthday, put it into the disc player she had on her dresser and searched for the proper track. He then turned around and looked at her, his cheeks flushed and said, “Okay there’s only one way I know I can make this the best birthday ever but you have to promise not to laugh at me or make fun of me later.”
She raised her eyebrow at him and instead of responding Shea reached out, grabbed her hand and pulled her back against him. However instead of going back to hugging her he took her arms in his hands and wrapped them around his neck the best he could with their height difference and then wound his own arms around her waist and pressed his hands flat against her lower back.
Riley smiled to herself as he slowly started moving them along with the music the best that he could and he reminded her, “No laughing or making fun of me.”
She shook her head, “I won’t I promise. I love this.”
“Yeah?” He asked in surprise, he assumed she would think he was the nerdiest guy in the world for this.
Riley nodded and stopped moving only long enough to lean up and press her lips against his for a brief moment before telling him, “This is perfect. Best birthday ever.”
Hours later, when the clock was approaching Shea’s curfew, they both got dressed and Riley walked him out to his car. He was in the driver seat and Riley was standing outside the car leaning into the open window, and as he looked at her he told her, “Happy birthday Ry.”
She smiled, leaned down to kiss him quickly before she told him, “Thank you for tonight, but go home so you don’t get in trouble.”
Shea let out a chuckle and nodded, kissing her once more, “Love you.”
“Love you.” She mimicked, stepping away from the car and watching him back out of the driveway before he drove down the street and disappeared and she went back into the house with a smile on her face. God she loved him.
I'm forever yours, faithfully.
♠ ♠ ♠
KEEP READING TO THE END OF THE AUTHORS NOTE:After last nights Roman update I thought I owed y'all something light and fluffy and happy.
Also I'll probably update this one again tomorrow as well. Any time one of these flashbacks is a little short I'm gonna post a real time chapter asap after.
ALSO:
I have a new story in the works that currently has no male lead in it and I want to see who y'all would be interested in. (It's going to be preds based, no Neal or Weber because I have more in store for those two currently) so let me know who you'd like to read about in the comment section! (I am literally taking a poll right now)
Benevolence