Save Riley(5)

“I just walked out of work. I’m sitting on the sidewalk outside. I don’t know what to do, Jax,” I replied as the tears finally began to flow.

“I’ll be there in a minute, I was down the street,” he said before he hung up.

I dropped the phone into my purse and my purse onto the sidewalk next to me, as I put my face in my hands and burst into tears. Customers walked in and out of the store and some stopped to ask me if I was okay. All I would do is nod and hope they would go away.

Five minutes later, I heard a pair of footsteps making their way quickly toward me. Someone sat down next to me and I felt a strong arm go around my shoulder.

“I’m here, Ms. Riley. It’ll be okay,” Jax said as he held me close.

I put my head on his shoulder and just sobbed until I couldn’t any more. Until the tears dried up and until it was almost physically impossible for me to breathe. Jax would run his hands over my hair while he held me and at one point put his cheek against my hair, inhaling deeply.

I finally pulled away from him and rubbed my face with the back of my hand. I sniffled a couple of times before I got to my feet, him standing up next to me.

“Do you want to know why I’m really crying?” I asked.

He pushed my hair behind my ears and nodded.

“Because I don’t have any money. I can’t afford to go to the funeral,” I explained, dangerously close to tears again.

“I can help you, Ms. Riley. If you‘d let me, I can help you with that. But I would have a couple of conditions,” he said softly.

“You don’t even know me and you want to help me get to my grandmother’s funeral?” I asked with a sarcastic laugh.

“Yes, Ms. Riley. But like I said, I have a couple of conditions.”

“Fine. Name them, I’ll do anything to be able to go,” I replied blinking back tears.

“The first is that you let me go with you. I won’t be in the way and your family won’t even know that I’m there. I just ... It would sadden me greatly to know that you’re going through that without me.”

Whatever.

I nodded.

“And second is that you spend a little time with me when we get back. I’d like to get to know more about you before I decide,” he said.

“Okay,” I agreed with a nod. “I’ll let you come with me and I’ll spend time with you, if you can get me to and from the funeral.”

“Done,” he said with a triumphant smile.





Five


Two days later we were at the airport. Jax had been quiet up until today when he called me and told me that he would be picking me up this morning. He was even quiet on the ride here and while we stood at our gate.

“Thanks again,” I said, desperate to break the silence.

“Don’t thank me yet, Ms. Riley,” he replied. “Thank me after; when we’ve had some time alone together.”

I sighed and turned my face. I didn’t know what he was expecting would happen, but I didn’t plan on much other than hanging out and watching some movies, possibly. I wouldn’t allow it to go further than that.

The gate attendant called for our rows to board and he put a hand on my lower back, gently giving me a push. I glanced up at him and he smiled slightly as he fell in line behind me.

We walked down the hallway and onto the airplane where I looked around for our seat numbers. Once I found them, Jax took my carry on bag and put it in the overhead before sliding his in and securing the door. He sat down next to me and fastened his seat belt. I opened the shutter that was covering the window and looked outside. I didn’t get a chance to fly very often and I loved watching the world grow smaller and smaller below us the higher we went.

Jax leaned over and shut the shutter. I gave him a dirty look and opened it again, prompting him to lean across me and shut it again.

“Is there a problem?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“I don’t like the window open during takeoff,” he explained with a shrug.

“Well, I do,” I replied opening the shutter again.

A smirk appeared across Jax’s lips. He leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes.

“You’re disobedient. I kind of enjoy that,” he said. “But you will close that shutter when we take off, Ms. Riley.”

“I will?” I asked raising my eyebrows at him.

“Yes.”

His eyes were still closed and his head was still back against the chair. He seemed so damn confident that it was starting to drive me a little crazy. I wouldn’t mind if he asked me to close the shutter, but doing it himself and then telling me that I would when the plane took off was a bit much.

The flight attendants finally started going through their safety routines and the captain finally made the announcement that the plane was going to take off, noting that we were second in line on the runway.