Page 2 of Dangerous Love

Evelyn: It sure will. One day, the scars won’t hurt as much, and we’ll look back on this and smile.

That might have been pushing it, but the woman was nice, so I didn’t want to burst her Pollyanna bubble.

Me: What’s my homework for this week?

In all honesty, Evelyn’s homework wasn’t horrible, and it really helped despite my ambivalent moods.

Evelyn: Let’s continue working on the gratitude journal. Add the WWW exercise to it.

Me: WWW?

Evelyn: What Worked Well today. Find one thing each day that worked well and show gratitude for it. Nice and easy, right?

I sent her a smiley face, before confirming our appointment for next week. Then, I closed the chat room window, Riley’s enlarged photo taking up my screen. The snapshots kept coming as I scrolled down the page. The beach, camping, music rehearsals. I narrowed my eyes at one of his most recent uploads. Some event at Avery’s restaurant, Riley wearing aBello A&G Italianocap as he performed on the makeshift stage. A girl stared into his eyes, her hand on his chest.

Ugh. She looks like a fan. A desperate attention seeking groupie.

Some weird jealousy teased me, the completely unjustified and irrational type, and I scrolled faster, running away from the image. My fingers hovered over the next music video, a home recording—judging by the Converses and Dickies shirts scattered through the room.

Riley rested on a bed, one knee bent, the other leg straightened with a guitar hugging his middle. His black hair was a little longer than I remembered, the locks falling over his forehead. He smiled at the camera, his brown eyes twinkling in invitation.

Hands shaking, I pressed play, guilt flooding me for officially turning into a lurker. Soft guitar music sounded through the speakers, the notes seamless, as he relaxed against his headboard. He closed his eyes as his pick slid across the fret. A feeling of peace and comfort filled me as I let Riley’s music wrap around me silently. I took another sip of my hot chocolate, my own eyes shut as I allowed the unrest to leave me for the first time in a long time. Then, his voice accompanied the gentle thrumming, a husky melody singing lullabies to the universe. Goosebumps crawled up my arms as I processed the lyrics, my throat tightening at the emotions building in his tone.

For the world around us, she was just a child.

But for me, she was my special girl.

Beautiful. Smart. Loving.

It wasn’t fair to me.

It wasn’t fair to her.

If only the world would let me,

I could have told them she wasn’t just a child.

A deep breath drowned my lungs, my chest compressed with sadness, and I turned the sound down until Riley’s voice was just a whisper in the busy coffee shop. I reached for the wedding invitation sticking out of my bag, and opened the fuchsia and dark-grey cardboard in front of me. The fancy fonts tossed a stern reminder of the inevitable, and I slid my finger over the silver lettering.The twenty-first of March.

I had less than one month to prepare for Avery and Grace’s big day. A month before I’d face Riley Williams again.

CHAPTER2

Riley

As soon as my new song was announced, clapping and whistling replaced the screeching of cutlery on plates, and a mix of excitement and apprehension filled my stomach as I settled on the stool behind the microphone. I cleared my throat, my fingers picking at the guitar until the strings surrendered to my directions, and like a mother’s lullaby, soothing notes filled the private room ofBello A&G Italiano.The crowd quietened.

Just let your mind float. Like every other time.

The waitresses resumed their duties in the background, and the dining room settled. I moistened my lips, ready to let the lyrics of the song tell their own story, my heart in sync with its tempo. As soon as the words left my throat, I was drawn to my own paradise, the one I hid in when things got too…complicated. And peace filled me, like it did every Friday night since I started performing for Avery and Grace six months ago.

Although I’d only been playing for a few years, it’d become natural, and it gave me an outlet I looked forward to, outside of my work at Youth Legacy. Something just for me. Something precious. Something I could guard deep down in my heart without anyone having to understand the turmoil that came from being born a Cooper.

When my last melody for the night was up, I relaxed against the low back of the stool, my shoulders dropping in complete ecstasy as everyone cheered. I didn’t care what anyone said. This felt better than any hookup ever would. No matter how hot that blonde in the front row looked in her little red number.

“Thank you for another great night.” I wiped the sweat off my brow with the back of my hand, addressing the patrons in the restaurant. “You guys are just awesome.”

When the clapping died down, I pulled my guitar strap over my shoulders and jumped off the stage. Miss Little Red Riding Hood waited for me, her wide smile showing perfect white teeth.

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