Flashback........ Riley's POV

I was in a bar bawling my eyes out. I was drinking and crying. May was right beside me. At first, she had tried to stop me from drinking too much but I threatened to never speak to her again. Whatever made her believe me, I don't know but she didn't try to stop me again.

"I can't believe this. I just can't.", I cried.
"Riles you've said that so many times now. Let's just go back home so you can rest."
"No! I don't want to. It'll just be a reminder of the failure that I am.", I said and continued drinking but then cried some more.

"If I go back...I'll die. I couldn't even stop Theresa from ruining my dad. No wonder Brayden has left me." I cried. The bar wasn't all that filled up so I could cry as much as I wanted.
"That is not the reason why Brayden left.", she said and I turned sharply to look at her.

"Do you know why?" I asked sounding hopeful and her face fell.
"No, but...."
"But what, even you? Please don't try to comfort me 'cause I don't think it'll work.", I said.

"Hey!!!", we heard and turned to see a very buff man some bar stools away.
"What's your problem!!!", he shouted.
"You're not the one dealing with a breakup!!!", I yelled back.
"Well, that's life. Deal with it!!!", he yelled and left and I put my head on the table, I was feeling sick.

"Look Riles, there's a lot you can look forward to. Ansel has..."
"That cheap bastard.", I interrupted her. "I'm sure he's the reason why Brayden left me.", I said and I immediately became angry. "I swear if I see that man."

"You're gonna get married to him.", May said.
"I swear I'm gonna get him and punch his balls out.", I said attempting to stand but ended up stumbling only to be supported by May, who sat me down.

"I want another round!" I said
"No. She does not mean that. Here bring my change.", May said dropping some cash.
"Girl, your life is pretty f**ked up.", the female bartender said as she handed May her money.
"Thank you.", May said to her. "C'mon let's go.", she said, helping me stand.

Present Day

We arrived home late. We entered the room and Ansel started playing music with the mini home theatre in our room. It was a slow song, calming and not so loud.

"Ansel, it was pretty wise of you to tell Cj not to make dinner, I mean look at the time."
"Cj?", he asked sounding confused.

"Oh that's what I call her.", I said simply as I sat on the bed and took off my heels.
"Really. You guys seem pretty close to each other.", he said sounding like it was too good to be true.

"Why'd you say it like that?"
"How?", he asked as he started taking off his shoes. I glanced around and caught sight of his medicine.

"You know.", I started. "You're not through with your dosage.", I said and he looked at me.
"Darn, it! How'd you remember?", he asked and I chuckled as I nodded to the tray of medicines. He was confused.

"Cj must've put it there.", I said.
"Aye! Me curse that her caring nature.", he said mocking a pirate tone and I laughed.

"Okay enough now go take it.", I said and I heard him mutter some curses. He really hated them. "You're a grown man you don't expect me to persuade you.", I said bringing up his phrase from this morning and he smiled.
"Nice one okay.", he said.

"Turn around.", he said once he wanted to take his medicine.
"Why?", I asked.
"I don't want you to laugh at the face I make when I take them.", he said. "I don't like it.", he said looking sincere and childish.

So I stood up and walked to him after he took the drugs without me looking at him.

"Awwnn you look so cute.", I said squeezing his cheeks like a grandma would and he just smiled. I went away.

"Do you know how to dance?", he asked after a while.
"Not really.", I said and looked down. His hands snaked around my waist, giving me some weird feeling in my stomach and I immediately looked at him.

"Don't worry I'm just gonna show you how to waltz.", he said. "Okay put this hand on my shoulder.", he instructed and I did so. "Okay then I'll hold this other hand.", he started explaining it and me being a fast learner I caught up quickly. It was nice and the music made it so much better.

I was looking at our feet and once I looked at him, he was looking at me intensely. Was he going to try and kiss me again?

"Don't worry I'm not gonna try and kiss you again.", he said and my eyebrows knotted in confusion. How did he? "I know when I do that I put some kind of pressure on you so I won't.", he said.

I wanted to talk when. "Shh don't worry.", he said and smiled making me smile.
"Ansel thank you for today, it was nice."
"No, thank you. You took care of me and agreed to go out with me.", he said.
"Do you mean like a date?", I asked arching an eyebrow.

"Uhhhh"
"Well if it was then that's not fair. I didn't dress appropriately.", I whined.

"Don't worry there'll be a next time."
"Oh are you hinting that you'll probably ask me out again.", I said.
"Hmn maybe.", he said with a funny face and I laughed.

When I regained myself. I looked at him and then hugged him, putting my arms around his neck and resting my head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was faint but rapid. He was taken aback at first but later circled my waist with both hands.
"Thank you.", I said silently.

We continued swaying like that as I listened to his steady heartbeat and inhaled his muscular scent.
"Riley."
"Hmn."
"I'm travelling tomorrow.", he said, I wanted to stop and look at his face but he sounded sincere enough and I didn't want to pull away.

"To where?", I murmured into his chest.
"Russia. For a business deal. If all goes well, I might just get millions from this deal."
"But why do you have to go?", I asked tiredly.
"The person in question is an old friend of mine, I also have some catching up to do." he said.

"When will you be back?", I asked
"So many questions.", he paused. "Five days from now.", he said
"So I'll be spending four days without you.", I said feeling sleepy already.
"Huh."

"Never mind.", I said and pulled away. "I'm tired and we should get some rest.", I said and tiredly walked to the bathroom.
"Yeah we should.", he said, though something sounded different in his voice.

The next day he was to leave with the early morning flight so I couldn't follow him, I would only delay him. So I bid him goodbye from home.

"Will you miss me?", he asked.
"Not really.", I said
"It's so clear that you're lying.", he said with a smile.
"Whatever, now go, before you miss it and blame it on me not missing you."

"No I'll blame it on the fact that you didn't admit to miss me.", he said and I laughed.

"In your dreams, now go.", I said shoving him a bit. He started leaving but stopped and before I could ask, he turned around and pecked me
"See you on Wednesday.", he said and then left, leaving me standing wide-eyed. And once again, my stomach did that funny thing.

Later in the day, I was watching TV. Today was Saturday so I didn't get to bother about work. The doorbell rang and Cj went to check. It must be May. I had called her to come and spend the day with me since Ansel had gone.

"How is my beautiful, bestest of friends and the newest, most current bride in the house!!!", I heard and I stood up and went to hug her.
"I have missed you so much. This is the first time you're visiting since I got married."

"I know, I know, but I've been so busy, one case after another.", she said. "Phew.", she said, pretending to clean the non-existent sweat on her forehead. "It has not been easy."

"Hey. C'mon in.", I said and we went to have our seats while she was looking around.
"Have you ever lost your way here?", she asked.
"Not really.", I said.
"Woah. This place is huge. I mean, woah.", she sat down and looked at the TV. "This shit is huge, girl.", she said.

"I was thinking of us going out but I'm sure you'll be just fine staying here.", I said.
"Oh you bet I will.", she said.

We talked a lot about so many things about how Jamie proposed to her. We spent so much time talking that it was now lunchtime. Cj came and told us lunch was ready and we decided.

We sat down and started eating.
"Hey what's your name?", May asked Cj
"I'm Cecilia ma'am.", she said sounding so formal.

"Ma'am.", May said.
"She's too formal, but I call her CJ."
"CJ? I like that.", May said.

"Hey, CJ. She is the one whose sister studies the major as your sister.", I said to CJ.
"Really! I guess we have something in common then.", May said. "I'm May by the way.", she added and CJ smiled.
"Oh well, I'll leave you two now.", CJ said and left.

"Hm you seem so comfortable here.", May said.
"Of course, I'm in my husband's house.", I blurted out without realising the intention of what I just said. I'm sure May would make a big deal about this.
"Your husband's house huh? No arguments anymore?", she asked with a smirk. I had told her sometimes about our usual arguments.

"No we're good now.", I said and she squealed causing me to jerk a bit.
"I knew it, I knew it. That you two would eventually love each other, kiss tons of kisses and do the do tons of times to give birth to little Rileys and Ansels and they'll be just too many to count and..."
"May!!", I said a bit louder to stop her rambling.

She took in a very deep breath and then released it.
"I just wanted to say I told you so. You two would eventually fall in love.", she said.
"We are not in love."
"Yet.", she chipped in.
"Oh please May."

"What! You wanna tell me that you two haven't had a moment or two."
"Well.", I said slowly and she smirked. "But that doesn't mean we'll fall in love."

"You seem to have some juicy story to tell me. C'mon, spill."
"Well, we did almost kiss.", I said and she squealed again.

"Your relationship status has just improved.", she said.
"It's not like we kissed or something.", I said.
"Okay what happened and how did it happen?", she asked.
"We were watching a movie and there was a romantic scene and...", I trailed on as the memory alone was enough to ignite a warm feeling in me. But I shook myself from my reverie.

"It was just in the moment so I stopped him before he could do anything.", I quickly said and stood up. I was done.

"You stopped him why?" She whined following me and also dropping her plate before we headed back to the living room.
"I don't know."
"Hmm, maybe it's 'cause you felt nervous."
"Nervous? No way, I'm anything but nervous when I'm with him." I said as we settled back into the cushion.

"Then how are you when you're with him? How do you feel?", she asked.
"Sometimes he does things that make my stomach feel funny."
"That means you have butterflies in your stomach."
"Butterflies?", I asked utterly shocked.

Of course, I knew the idiom.

"Why are you questioning me, don't you know how it is to be in love.", she said.
"Well yeah, but it wasn't like this."
"Then what was it like?", she asked looking at me.

"It was... I can't remember some things. It's been such a long time.", I said.
"Riley.", she said, putting her hand on my shoulder. "Correct, it's truly been a long time and that means that you should forget.", she said sounding concerned and sincere.

"Forget?"
"Brayden is probably somewhere and you might just probably never see him again. And you'll never be happy again if you don't open your heart to new things."
"But..."

"No buts. Ansel is your now Riley, enjoy it. You're already falling, so fall freely.", she said.
"And what if I just fall.", I said and she took my two hands.
"You've taken harder hits. Remember when you were crying at a bar after Brayden had left? You were so miserable, but now look at you, married."

"I can't just risk my heart like that you know.", I said pulling my hands away.
"Oh Riley, you need a hug.", she said and I nodded. She hugged me and it felt relieving. "Don't worry that's why I'm here. I'm you're bestest of friends."

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