Page 30 of The Riley Effect

He unlocks the door, and we head to the booth that is now filled with our teammates, hand in hand.

Like some kind of sick cosmic joke, the only seat available is the one next to Claire. Jalen urges me to take the open seat. He squeezes my hand when I hesitate, and a sense of safety washes over me. It’s a new feeling for me to trust a man so fiercely, let alone one with a reputation like Jalen’s. But, at this moment, he is my life preserver, and I feel like I can conquer any ocean with him by my side.

I slide across the sticky vinyl booth and settle in shoulder-to-shoulder with Claire. Luckily, Claire breaks the silence.

“Jalen couldn’t stop talking about you,” she tells me with a smile. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Then she pulls me into a hug and pushes me back out like she is desperate to rake her eyes over my body. “Jalen has been one of my closest friends since I got to Westvale, and I’ve never seen him so into a girl. He calls me like three times a day to ask me advice on the texts he sends you.”

“Is that true?” I ask Jalen. It’s hard to envision Jalen as anything other than the confident man who set up a game of strip beer pong to trick me into a date.

His eyes grow timid, and he gives himself away, but I still wait for him to tell me. “I told you I’m new to this whole thing. I just wanted to make sure I was doing it right.”

I can’t lie and say a large part of me isn’t worried that he has never done this before, but the vulnerable look in his eyes tells me he really wants this. He wants me.

“You’re doing a pretty good job,” I tell him. I kneel on the booth’s bench so I can place a kiss on Jalen’s cheek, his scruff tickling me.

I stand from the booth and tuck myself into Jalen’s side. I’m choosing to forget that I just fled into the bathroom instead of simply talking to Jalen. At this moment, he and I are beginning to write chapter one of our story. And I’m going to start it by relaxing and enjoying the rest of the night.

17

Jalen

Tonight went from a potential disaster to one of the best nights of the semester in the blink of an eye. I’m pretty sure we gave our friends whiplash when we came out of the bathroom holding hands.

I’m tapping my finger on the sticky bar top as I wait for the tequila and grapefruit juice I ordered for Indy. I promised to buy her a drink for the fake sleeping stunt she pulled last weekend. Scanning the room for her, I laugh when I see Byron trying to impress some gorgeous girl–who has tattoos scattered over her right arm–and falling short. She couldn’t look more disinterested in whatever arm-wielding story he’s telling.

“What’s so funny?” Ivy asks. I can barely hear the faint screech of my barstool over the pop music the DJ at Jasper’s is playing tonight. I slide backwards until there is enough space to pull Ivy between my legs. She’s facing the bar, and her back settles against my chest. I move her long hair away from her neck, allowing me to rest my chin on her shoulder.

“I’m just happy I know who’s coming home with me tonight. Saves me a lot of work.”

“What makes you so confident?” turning around, she places her hands on the sides of my face. I lean and kiss on her.

“I heard a rumor that the captain of the basketball team is really into me.” I whisper against her lips.

Something changed in Ivy tonight. I think all she needed was the reassurance that whatever is going on between us is mutual. Now that she knows how I feel, she’s more relaxed and confident just being herself. She’s slowly pulling back the curtain she uses as a safety blanket.

Ivy deepens the kiss. My arms wrap around her back so I can pull her into me. You would have no clue that Ivy started tonight furious with me because her hands have been glued to me since we left the bathroom. It’s like she’s staking her claim.

“Can you fucking believe it?” a familiar voice asks me.

“What happened, Bryon?” I ask after resting my forehead on Ivy’s. He’s always one to ruin a moment.

“It sucks here tonight,” that’s code for no girls in here want to sleep with him. “I need a shot. You guys want one?”

I look at Ivy, leaving the decision to her since we’ve had a good amount to drink tonight. I don’t want to influence her to drink more than she is comfortable with.

“One more then I’m done for the night.”

“Okay, By, we’ll both take one.”

Byron bellies up to the bar. He isn’t there for more than thirty seconds when a busty redhead comes to take his order. Not long after that, she secures the three shots Byron asked for.

When each of us has a shot in hand, Byron makes a toast. “May you have better luck than I did.”

He holds his glass out, and Ivy and I tip ours in his direction before we take the shot. I gag on the unexpectedly sweet liquid.

“Is this a lemon drop shot?” Ivy asks through puckered lips.

“Don’t let the tattoos fool you. Byron’s drinks of choice have been fruity and full of sugar since we were in high school.”

---