My Last(87)

“So is that what you think?” Bobby asked Riley.

“What?” Riley asked, the question pulling him roughly back out of his reflections.

“Do you think you’re not cut out to have a family?” Bobby clarified.

Riley just shrugged.

“Why would you think that?” Jason asked. “You’re nothing like her.”

Riley remained silent.

“You think you’re like her?” Alex asked incredulously.

“Dad always said I reminded him of her,” Riley said matter-of-factly.

Alex looked at Riley as if he was crazy, “Dude! That’s because you are the only one who has her hair and eye color. Not because you act like her.”

“I left, didn’t I?” Riley snapped back.

“Whoa, you left to go into the military.” Jason leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, “You dedicated twelve years of your life to serving your country, and you did it well and without complaint. Mom couldn’t even hold down a job waitressing here for more than a couple weeks. She was ill, Riley. She was bi-polar. You’re not.”

Riley shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m leaving.”

“Wow, and I thought that David the Douchebag was a prick for what he did to Chelle,” Alex said, shaking his head slowly.

Bobby and Jason exchanged glances, clearly thinking that there was a better-than-even chance that Riley was going to kick Alex’s ass for saying what he did. But, Riley wouldn't do that. Alex was right, he was only speaking the truth. Riley was a prick for leaving Chelle. Alex was doing nothing more than simply pointing out the obvious. Riley knew it. He also knew that – dick move or not - it was for the best. She deserved better.

--- ~ ---

Chelle had woken up to an empty bed with a note lying on the pillow Riley had slept on.

‘Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. I made breakfast, it’s warming in the oven. Thank you for…being you.’

She knew it wasn’t a declaration of love by any means. She knew that it was his way of saying goodbye. She knew that her time with him was over.

She also knew that she wouldn’t take back a second of the time she had spent with him.

The days and hours that she had shared with Riley had been the best moments of her life. Even if she had to spend the rest of that life repairing her broken heart - or even if it never healed - she still wouldn’t take back what they had shared.

Now, as Chelle walked into The Grill, she saw that Katie was already at a table overlooking the river.

The moment Katie saw her she stood and pulled her into a huge bear hug, “I’m so sorry.”

Great, Chelle thought, she knows.

“I’m fine,” Chelle said as she pulled away and sat down across from her diamond friend.

“Jason had breakfast with Riley this morning before he left for New Orleans,” Katie said by way of explanation.

“Oh, that’s good.” Chelle replied distantly.

“Jason said he was a mess,” Katie continued, clearly looking for a response – any response.

Chelle just nodded. She really didn’t want to talk about Riley. She knew if she did, the waterworks would start – and, honestly, she was just so tired of crying.

“At first, Jason didn’t want to say anything. Probably because he knew I would tell you.”

“What would give him that idea, I wonder?” Chelle smiled.

“Gee, I don’t know,” Katie shrugged faux-innocently. Then she waggled her eyebrows, teasing, “But, I will tell you - with a little encouragement, I got him to tell me everything. Well, I think it’s everything. It’s definitely a lot even if it’s not everything.”

“Katie, what did Jason say?” Chelle interrupted. Katie had a tendency of rambling when she was excited or nervous. Normally, Chelle thought it was cute - but not when it came to information about Riley.

“He said that Riley basically admitted that he’s in love with you, and he's pretty much only leaving because he thinks he’s not cut out for a family. He thinks he’s like their mom!” Katie leaned back in her chair, obviously proud of herself, smiling widely.

Apparently she thought this was much better news than Chelle did.

“Why are you smiling about that?” Chelle asked.

Katie eyes widened, “Hello! He basically said He. Loves. You.”

“Okay, well...first of all, I don’t know how you ‘basically’ say that but, that's beside the point right now. Secondly, did you not hear the part where you told me he left because he doesn’t want a family?”

“No, I said he doesn’t think he’s ‘cut out’ for a family. There’s a difference,” Katie enthused.