Page 28 of The Next Chapters

“Damn you for knowing me so well.” Gianna lifted her hand up to gently sweep some of Riley’s honey-blonde hair behind her ear. Then she let her hand linger there, her fingers tunneling into the soft locks.

“But,” she continued, keeping herself on track with a nod, “I am not nervous. I’m excited, actually.”

Now, Riley did draw back enough to put a few inches of distance between them. She frowned up at Gianna, her bafflement obvious. “You’re excited for our twenty-year college reunion? Apparently, I don’t know you well because I would have never guessed that.”

Gianna’s lips curled into a little smile as she dipped to press a light kiss to Riley’s lips. Very brief, though, because she couldn’t let herself get sucked in.

Not yet, anyway.

She had a plan for the evening, and getting lost in Riley happened a little later.

“I, personally, think it’s beautiful that we can still keep the mystery alive, even after knowing each other for twenty years, being together for eight, and having four children.” Gianna couldn’t resist pressing her lips to Riley’s again before swiftly pulling back and reaching down to take Riley’s hand in hers.

Their fingers slotted together automatically as Gianna led them into the room.

Their twenty-year college reunion took place in their old student hub, decked out with photos and memorabilia from twenty years ago, when they’d all started here as freshmen.

Even though there had certainly been updates to the building, it was so familiar that Gianna instantly felt like she was transported back in time.

The feeling sliding through her had her grasping tighter to Riley’s hand. God, she remembered so clearly what it was like to walk through this building – cutting through to get to a class in a nearby building, meeting Riley in the attached lounge where they’d liked to hang out.

And true to her word, Gianna was excited.

She had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

Honestly, she’d been looking forward to this day since she and Riley had officially gotten together, on some level. She’d taken Riley to one of their college haunts on their first real date! Clearly, this thought was in her mind somewhere.

Even if it had been subconscious – which it had been. Because she hadn’t registered this plan until their invite to the reunion had come across their emails a couple of months ago. But as soon as her eyes had landed on the words, she’d been able to picture herself and Riley attending so clearly.

She wanted it. She wanted to walk through the place in which she had fallen in love with Riley, this time wearing her wedding ring.

“Gianna and Riley, here together. Why am I not surprised?” Heather Griffin, who’d lived in the dorm room across from them sophomore year, exclaimed as she approached them. She leaned in to hug them both, before leaning back and eyeing them appraisingly.

“You shouldn’t be,” Gianna agreed as she slung her arm over Riley’s shoulder, deliberately letting her ring glint in the light. “Because we’re married.”

It had been over five years since they’d gotten married, and it still thrilled her. She still loved simply saying it.

Heather’s eyes widened in genuine surprise, which didn’t shock Gianna. While her influencer status had garnered many eyes on her, she still wasn’t a celebrity. Her personal business wasn’t written up in online tabloids – anyone who didn’t follow her likely didn’t know about her and Riley.

And she wanted everyone to be aware.

“Oh my god!” Heather exclaimed, bouncing on her heels. “That is so – so sweet. You two were so close; that must be so perfect.”

“It really is,” Gianna agreed, smiling widely with the truth of it.

Riley’s hand came up to intertwine with the one Gianna had over her shoulder as she shot Gianna an amused look before turning to face Heather herself. “Unsurprisingly, marrying your best friend is as great as you could imagine.”

Gianna hadn’t known it was possible, but her smile grew impossibly bigger. There were fewer rushes as heady as hearing how sincere Riley was when she made statements like that. When Riley affirmed aloud that she felt so much for Gianna, the way Gianna did for her.

In fairness, Riley did many unspoken things that made Gianna feel that way, as well. The way she would comb her fingers softly through Gianna’s hair or stroke her thumbs over Gianna’s cheeks. The way she made a point of stealing private moments with Gianna whenever they could – which wasn’t easy, with four daughters under the age of ten.

Gianna wasn’t sure that there would ever come a point, though, where the knowledge that Riley was in love with her didn’t amaze her on some level. She wasn’t sure it was possible, not when she’d harbored these feelings for so long, unrequited.

“Shut up; I didn’t believe you two would actually come! I can’t believe you’re here!” A voice exclaimed to their right, and all three turned to see Misty Brown, with whom Gianna had shared several courses, rushing toward them.

As Gianna would have expected, she was dressed fashionably, with a Gucci bag slung over her shoulder.

Much like her keen fashion sense, her personality seemed to have remained intact as well. The second she was close enough, words bubbled out of her at a volume that made her impossible to ignore.

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