Chapter 29

                I stared at the soggy tuna sandwich in my hand, cursing under my breath for buying the wrong type of sandwich, once again. After sniffing the sandwich, investigating every part carefully, I took a cautious bite. I’ve never been a tuna fish type of girl, I was always more of a simple ham and cheese kind of person. I chewed slowly, scrunching my nose up in disgust as I took a painful swallow.

                “Are you okay, Riley?” Maria teased, leaning the side of her head against Jared’s shoulder. “Your face looks like you’re in pain.”

                I reached over across the table, snatching Maria’s water bottle from her lunch tray. I untwisted the cap, chugging on the cold water to try to get rid of the taste of tuna that was lingering on the tip of my tongue. “I think I’ll survive.” I muttered sarcastically, holding up the tuna sandwich to everyone that was sitting at our table. “Does anyone want tuna?”

                Everyone shook their head, Everett laughing beside me. “I think we all pass.”

                Our chatter was suddenly silenced once we noticed that there was an apparent shadow casted over the surface of the table. Hovering over us with a nervous smile was Cassandra, who was glancing over at Max for defense. “Hi,” Cassandra’s smile twitched before she held up a transparent box, “does anyone want cookies? I made them just yesterday.”

               Maria eyed Cassandra skeptically, making it obvious that she wasn’t welcoming her. “No thanks.” Maria said bluntly, trying her best not to sound rude, yet still coming off cold.

               My eyes flickered over to Maria, shooting her a glare as she caught my gaze. She jutted her lower lip out, shrugging. “What?” she mouthed at me.

                I sighed, shaking my head. “I’ll take one.” I told Cassandra, trying to lighten up the thick tension that roamed over us all. Cassandra’s face seemed to brighten up with relief, a faint smile spreading across her lips. “You can sit with us too, if you want.”

                As Cassandra opened her box of cookies, she stopped at stared at me with surprise. “R-really?” she uttered with disbelief, causing Maria to roll her eyes. From the way Cassandra’s eyes lit up as I spoke, I could tell that she was oblivious to Maria’s murderous glares. “Thanks.”

                She outstretched her hand, holding a sugar cookie. I took it, muttering a ‘thank you’. Taking a bite of the cookie, I couldn’t help but be thankful that I had something to eat that wasn’t spoiled tuna or soggy. “It tastes good.” I nodded approvingly, giving Cassandra a small smile. She was now seated a little further down the table, closer to where Max was. I turned to everyone else that was seated with us, “You guys should’ve taken one. You’re all missing out.”

                “I still have a few, if you guys want.” Cassandra offered, sending her box of cookies down the row.

                Everett stared at me with an expression that I couldn’t register before he bit in his lower lip. “I’ll take Riley’s word for it.” The corner’s of his lips twitching upwards. “Someone give me one?”

                I narrowed my eyes to my right, taking in Cassandra’s beaming face. I haven’t seen her this happy in a while, ever since our fall out. Her face was finally regaining its natural glow, her eyes brighter than ever. She was satisfied that she was finally getting along with us once again, I could tell. A faintly smiled when I noticed her cheeks turning bright red at something Max said.

                “Riley,” a voice suddenly whispered in my ear, tickling my earlobe gently. Everett’s thumb suddenly touched the corners of my lips, slowly brushing them, “you have cookie crumbs on your lips.”

*

                The rain was coming down hard, and I instantly regretted not leaving school the same time Maria and Jared did. When they offered me a ride with them home, I instantly thought about how much it would suck to be the third wheel. Then, I remembered that I needed to finish a project in the library, so I told them that I could go home by myself. That was clearly not the case now, since the rain was pounding against the pavement like rocks and I hadn’t thought about bringing an umbrella to school this morning, when the sky was clear and sunny.

                I stood at the entrance of the school, the water from the rain soaking through my flimsy sweater. My hair was in a mess of tangles as I let out a frustrated groan. The rain was pelting down on the ground so hard that it was hard to walk without slipping. It was difficult to see clearly without focusing hard on the road in front of you, as well.

                “Riley?” a car suddenly pulled up in my vision a block away from the school. Everett rolled down the windows of his car, frowning as he eyed my disheveled state. “Shit, Riley, what are you doing out in the rain?”

                Before I knew it, Everett got out of his car, holding my cold fingers. Taking his hoodie off, he draped it over my shoulders, brushing my wet strands of hair out of my pale face. “You’re freezing.” He muttered under his breath, guiding me towards the passenger door of his car, helping me inside. Once he noticed that I wouldn’t budge, he frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”

                I sniffed, already feeling a cold coming on. “I don’t want to mess up your seats.” I glanced over at the black, leather seats.

                Everett let out a laugh of disbelief, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.” He cursed under his breath. “Just get inside the car, Riley. If you get sick, I’m going to be blamed.”

                I sighed, following his pleads. Once I slid inside the car, Everett closed the door for me, hurrying to the driver’s side of the car. He was just as soaked as I was, making me feel guilt. I shivered in my seat as Everett reached over to crank up the heat. I outstretched my fingers against the vent, where the heat was coming from.

I adverted my gaze over to Everett, whose eyes were focused on the road. I took in this image, his dark, wet hair drenched from the rain; his eyes slightly squinted, trying his best to make out what was in front of him. Everett’s white t-shirt was completely soaked, revealing his skin underneath.

                My God, he was beautiful.

                I bit my lower lip, trying to resist the urge to stare at him just for a little bit longer.

                “So why were you walking home so late?” Everett suddenly asked, catching me looking at him. I instantly removed my eyes from him, feeling my cheeks go bright red. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so cold anymore. Everett must’ve noticed my immediate reaction, because he let out an amused smirk.

                “I-I had to finish a project in the library.” I stuttered uneasily.

                Everett raised an eyebrow, nodding slowly. “Oh?”

                I stayed silent for the rest of the ride, shivering in my seat as the rain pounded against the car window. Everett pulled the car in front of his house, turning the engine off. We quickly sprinted out of the car, trying our best to avoid getting even more wet from the rain. Once we hurried inside, water was dripping from the tips of my hair, onto the carpet that looked so clean at the moment.

                “You should go change before you get a cold.” Everett muttered under his breath, kicking his shoes off by the front door. “I’ll try to find something for you to wear.”

                “You really don’t have to-.”

                “Just go to the bathroom, there are towels in the cabinets.” Everett insisted, cutting me off.  “I’ll be up in a minute with clothes.”

                I debated on whether or not to argue with him, but I ultimately shut my mouth, turning on my heel to go to the bathroom upstairs. My clothes were sticking to my skin, making me feel heavy. I couldn’t wait to get out of these clothes and get changed into something warm and comfy.

                I locked myself in the bathroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I looked like an absolute mess. My hair was sticking to my skin, my dark, unruly hair tangled and knotted. My skin was ghostly pale from being in the cold for so long.

                There was a soft knock on the door, making me turn my head. “Riley, I have your clothes.” Everett’s voice spoke as I reached over to the door knob to unlock the door. Everett’s figure stood outside the door, holding out a pile of clothing for me. “I couldn’t find anything in Maria’s room, so I just got you something of mine. You don’t mind, do you?”

                I shook my head, his fingers barely brushing against mine as he passed my spare change of clothes towards me. “No, thank you.” I whispered quietly, before gently closing the bathroom door.

                I quickly changed out of my damp clothing; sliding the oversized t-shirt Everett gave me. It reached my mid-thigh, hiding the boxers I had underneath. I saw my cheeks turning red in the mirror as I quickly threw my hair up into a bun that lay messily on top of my head.

                Once I got out of the bathroom, I saw a dim light coming from Everett’s room. I followed the trail of light, stopping in front of his bedroom. His door was slightly opened, revealing his shirtless state. Everett’s back faced me while he dried his hair with a towel. I felt myself freeze up, watching as his muscles flexed with every movement he made.

                I must’ve made some sort of noise, because before I knew it, Everett turned around. His eyes locked with him, a small smirk forming on the corners of his rosy lips. My eyes went wide, and I could feel myself becoming red and warm already. Cursing under my breath, I quickly straightened myself out, clearing my throat. “I-I was not checking you out.” I blurted, a little too fast.

                Everett bit down on his lower lip, a grin already making its way onto his face. “I never said you were, Riley.”

                I choked on my own saliva, never feeling so flustered at once. “R-right.” I stuttered, my own voice doubting me.

                “But you know, if you were checking me out, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.” Everett said, pulling a t-shirt over his head, much to my dismay.

                “I wasn’t checking you out!” I sputtered.

                Everett’s laughter filled the atmosphere, his eyes glistening with enjoyment as he teased me. “Okay, okay.”

                I crossed my arms over my chest stubbornly, rolling my eyes. “Where’s Maria? Why isn’t she home yet?”

                Everett shrugged, reaching in the pocket of his jeans to take out his phone. His eyes scanned the screen before looking back up to me. “Oh, she texted me an hour ago.” He muttered, quickly giving Maria back a reply. “She’s staying over at Jared’s house for the night.”

                I raised an eyebrow, leaning my back against Everett’s dresser. “She’s spending the night at Jared’s house, huh?” I repeated. “As Maria’s older brother, shouldn’t you be worried that your sister is spending the night, probably alone, at her boyfriend’s house?”

                Everett shrugged. “No, not really.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, you’re here with me, aren’t you?”

                “Yeah, but we aren’t dating.” I pointed out.

                Something flashed in Everett’s eyes; my comment silencing him. A thick tension filled the air between the two of us before Everett cleared his throat, his green eyes burning into mine. “Right,” he paused, “why aren’t we dating?”

                I stared back at Everett in shock, my heart beating against my ribcage dangerously fast. “I-I don’t know.” I mumbled under my breath.

                “I mean, we’ve dated before.” Everett continued on, as if there were no feelings attached to this conversation. “Why aren’t we dating now?”

                I refused to stare at him, my eyes casted on the ground. “A bunch of shit happened, Everett.” I whispered. “That’s why we aren’t dating anymore.”

                I hadn’t realized how close Everett got to me until I saw that his face was just inches away from mine. My breathing hitched as I found myself turning redder and redder by the second. “You do realize that we never formally broke up.” Everett began to speak, pointing things out I’ve never noticed. Yes, neither of us has ever broken up with one another, but I just assumed that we were, since the past two years have been hell for me, mostly because of Everett. Everett stepped in front of me, his arms reaching out to lock me in from escape. “Do you want to date me?” he asked, his breathing tickled my lips.

                I closed my eyes, contemplating inside my head. This is what I’ve been wanting for years now, wasn’t it? For the longest time now, I’ve been yearning for Everett, and here he was, completely mine. But, I knew that if I gave into him too easily like I did when I was fourteen, I might have a chance of getting my heart shattered, once again. I didn’t know if I was willing to risk it.

                “Yeah.” I let out a shuddered breath, dropping my head down in shame.

                Everett let out a forced laugh, shaking his head slowly. He looked at me with a glint in his green eyes, as if he knew that something wasn’t right. “Then what’s stopping you from going out with me?”

                I contemplated the thoughts in my head, feeling myself go dizzy, black spots entering my vision. Everett stared down at me with a look of concern, his thumb flying up to gently stroke my right cheekbone. My mouth went dry and I suddenly found it extremely hard to breathe around Everett. “I-I don’t think I’m ready yet.” I pathetically choked out, my breathing turning into rough pants.

                Everett stared down at me with worry flashing across his face, holding out both arms to support me, just in case I collapsed. “Riley, breathe.” He whispered soothingly as I fell into his arms, grasping onto him from preventing my landing to the ground. Everett didn’t hesitate for a second to hold my tightly, not slipping any signs of him ever letting me free. Once my heart rate settled down, Everett buried his face into my hair, gently stroking the tips of my brown locks. “I’m sorry, I’m really fucking sorry.”

                I let out a trembling breath, shaking my head into his shoulder. “No, don’t be.” I whispered quietly, barely audible.

*

                I was awakened by the sound of pans clattering from downstairs. I rubbed my eyes tiredly, rolling over to my side. Everett was still sound asleep, slowly breathing through his nose. There was a single strand of hair out of place, making my fingers itch to brush it away. His lips were parted, looking much more inviting than ever.

                “I’m telling you Audra…” a hushed voice spoke, alerting me.

                My mother was here? I slowly rose from Everett’s bed, careful not to wake him up. I slid out of the hold he had around my waist, the bottoms of my feet touching the cold floor. As I discreetly pulled the bedroom door open, I winced when it slightly creaked. I glanced over at Everett once more, making sure that I hadn’t taken him up.

                I hurried down the stairs quickly, making sure to skip down the stairs on the balls of my feet to avoid any noise. I found my mother and Mrs. Lopez in the kitchen chatting while they fixed up breakfast. Mrs. Lopez was the first to notice me, a look of surprise flashing across her face. She quickly nudged my mother to stop talking before giving me a warm smile. “Good morning Riley.” Mrs. Lopez spoke in a welcoming tone. “Are you hungry? Breakfast is almost done.”

                “Good morning.” I smiled politely before making eye contact with my mother. “Mom, why are you here?”

                My mother gave me a knowing look, only making me furthermore confused. “I was looking for you, Riley.” She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “It was pouring outside yesterday, and you wouldn’t pick up your phone. And then I came home from work yesterday and found that you weren’t home. Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

                Guilt suddenly overwhelmed me as my cheeks turned bright red. “Right, about that,” I muttered under my breath, rubbing my arm sheepishly. I suddenly forgot that I hadn’t bothered to tell my mother that I was staying over at the Rosenfeld’s last night, “I kind of forgot, sorry mom.”

                My mother sighed, giving me a nod. “Don’t do it again, Riley, or I’m going to take your phone away since you don’t use it.” My mother scolded. I knew that if we had been at home, then she would give me a full on lecture about how to properly use a phone, but since Mrs. Lopez was right in front of us, she held back in the urge to lecture me any further. “Set up the table for breakfast. Has Everett woken up yet?”

                A flush suddenly overcame my face as I placed napkins and forks on the dinner table. An image of Everett’s sleeping face came into my mind, sending a fluttering feeling in my stomach. “N-No, I don’t think so.”

                I heard Mrs. Lopez smirk as she placed down the pancakes, eggs and bacon down on the table. “The two of you didn’t share the same bed last night, did you?” My mother suddenly asked at the exact moment that we sat down. I choked on my orange juice as Mrs. Lopez let out a gasp. My mother rolled her eyes shrugging at the reaction that came out of the two of us. “You guys can’t blame me for asking. Riley, you do notice what you’re wearing, do you? I have the right, as your mother, to ask you.”

                I stared down at Everett’s baggy t-shirt that had wrinkles and creases on the sides and the pair of boxers that I had borrowed. It didn’t help at all that my hair was thrown up in a messy bun. My cheeks flamed up once again as I weakly began to stutter, “I-It’s not what it looks like, I swear!” I protested. “We just slept together, that’s all! Wait, no we didn’t sleep with each other, we shared the same bed. Nothing happened, I promise mom! You raised me better than that, didn’t you?”

                My mother and Mrs. Lopez began laughing at my reaction. “I told you she was going to choke up!” Mrs. Lopez laughed with a mouthful of eggs. She turned over to me, giving me a wink. “It’s okay, Riley. We trust you and Everett.”

                “Trust me and Riley with what?” a voice suddenly came from the doorway of the dining room.

                Everett stood there, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared at the three of us with tired eyes. My eyes trailed down from his face to his bare abdomen, my cheeks turning redder than they already were.

                It just keeps getting better.

you probably all hate me for not uploading for over a month; i'm sorry! i've been busy with finals and stuff for the past month, but i promise that once summer starts, i'll be uploading a lot more frequently. as you could see, this chapter was pretty much thrown together at the last minute. 

forever and always his is coming to an end soon, so please take the time to read the new novel that i'm starting, titled "falling apart" on my page. it's going to be a bit slow on the updates at first, but that's because i want to finish forever and always his first.

thanks for being patient, and i've been bad at replying to messages, sorry!