Chapter 15: Chapter Fifteen

TRISTAN

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Riley. She was deep in conversation with Tyler Whittman, her hand resting on his shoulder. I wanted to yank her away from him and punch him square in the face.

~That fucking jerk!~

The past few weeks had been pure bliss. I was so damn happy with her. But now, everything felt like it was falling apart.

I knew she was new to all this, so I’d been trying to take things slow. I didn’t want to scare her off.

But I couldn’t figure out why she was mad at me. And her silence, not answering my texts or calls, was driving me up the wall.

My grip on my phone tightened with each passing second. I was on the verge of losing it, watching them together.

My eyes widened in shock and anger when I saw her wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him.

I hurled my phone to the ground with such force that it shattered into pieces. A collective gasp echoed through the parking lot.

Riley pulled away from Tyler instantly, her eyes darting from me to my now-broken phone.

~He’s a dead man!~

I strode toward them, shoving Tyler away from her. He stumbled back a bit.

“What do you want, Tristan?” Riley hissed, trying to keep her voice low.

“Yeah, man. What’s your problem? Is she your girlfriend or something?” Tyler asked, adjusting his backpack.

“Yes, she is. So stay the hell away from her,” I warned him. He took a few steps back, fear flashing in his eyes.

“And you,” I pointed at Riley, who looked shocked by my outburst, “come with me.”

I grabbed her arm and led her into the school, finding an empty hallway.

“Tristan, slow down. You’re walking too fast,” she said softly. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

~I’m being too rough with her.~

“Alright, then.” I scooped her up and tossed her over my shoulder.

She let out a yelp. “Tristan, what the hell are you doing? People are watching.” She pounded on my back with her small hands.

I set her down as soon as we reached the empty hallway. School hadn’t started yet.

“Are you out of your mind?” she yelled at me.

I pushed her against a locker.

“Me? You’re the one kissing random guys. What’s wrong with you? Am I not enough for you?” I snapped, struggling to keep my anger in check.

I didn’t want her to be scared of me, but it was hard to control my fury. I was livid with her behavior.

“I told you before, you’re ~mine~, Riley. I want to punch that jerk for kissing you back,” I whispered, pressing my forehead against hers, my breath ragged.

She pushed me away and slapped me across the face.

I held my stinging cheek, staring at her in disbelief.

~What’s gotten into her?~

“That’s rich, coming from you. Stay the hell away from me. I mean it,” she said. She tried to walk away, but I pulled her back.

She was so small; it was almost funny to see her so angry. But I kept my face serious.

“What are you talking about? What did I do?” I asked, genuinely confused. I couldn’t remember doing anything to upset her.

“You should win an Oscar for your acting,” she snapped.

“Seriously, tell me. I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, trapping her between my arms.

“I saw you kissing that blonde girl yesterday!” she cried. “I don’t need to explain myself to you, Tristan. I’m sure you and your friends had a good laugh about how naive and stupid I am.”

I furrowed my brows, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

Then it hit me.

“Are you talking about Bethany?” I asked, just to be sure.

Riley glared at me. If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under.

“Okay, okay, you didn’t know her name. Can I explain what happened?” I asked.

She scoffed. “Let me guess, Saint Tristan is innocent; she was the one who came on to you, because who can resist the hot and sexy Tristan-fucking-Harris,” she spat.

I had to fight back a smile. She was adorable when she was jealous.

I wanted to kiss her, but I held back. I didn’t need another slap; the first one still stung.

“So you think I’m hot and sexy?” I smirked, closing the distance between us.

Riley rolled her eyes. “Leave me alone, Tristan. I don’t want to hear your lame excuses.” She tried to push me away, but I was stronger.

“God, I really want to fuck that smart mouth of yours,” I whispered, tracing her lips with my thumb.

She swallowed hard, her beautiful hazel-brown eyes wide.

“Y-you’re an ~asshole~,” she stuttered, looking away.

I lifted her chin. “Yes, I kissed Bethany but it wasn’t like that. She’s like a sister to me, Adams.” She looked horrified.

~Shit! That came out wrong.~

“I mean, damn…can I explain?” I stroked her cheek and she sighed heavily.

“Fine, but step back while you explain.”

“Okay,” I chuckled, stepping back.

“So, do you kiss your sisters like that?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“No! I mean, she’s a good friend, and she’s got a thing for Mike Ronalds from my team. She wanted me to help her make him jealous.”

I shrugged. “So we kissed. Didn’t you see her flirting with him today?”

She didn’t seem convinced. “Why should I believe you?”

I lifted my shirt to show her a bruise beneath my chest—the aftermath of that ill-advised kiss.

“Mike socked me in the ribs when he saw us kissing. I don’t know what else to tell you, Riley, but I’m telling you the truth.” I ran my fingers through my hair, frustration seeping through.

She bit her lip, lost in thought.

~God, she’s driving me nuts.~

“Stop biting your lip,” I murmured, my gaze fixed on her. I wanted to kiss her so badly, and she was making it harder to resist.

“I don’t know, Tristan. This is the problem. I don’t know anything about your friends, and you don’t tell them about me. You want us to be private because you’re worried about your ‘reputation’,” she said, her voice tinged with sadness.

She didn’t meet my gaze, but I could see her eyes filling with tears. My heart ached at the sight.

“My reputation? I only mentioned the tutoring because I didn’t want anyone to know I wasn’t smart enough, but I’m not ashamed to be with you, Riley.”

I chuckled. “Hell, I just announced to the entire school that you’re my girlfriend a few minutes ago.”

She blinked back her tears and stayed silent.

“Please don’t cry, babe.” I pulled her close and she clung to me, her sobs muffled against my chest. My heart pounded in response.

~What is she doing to me?~

“Please, listen to me before jumping to conclusions,” I whispered into her hair. She sniffled in response.

“I—I… ummm… I need to clear my head,” she said.

I let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. I’ll be waiting for you in the parking lot after school. So please stop ignoring me, okay?” I cupped her face in my hands and brushed her hair from her cheeks.

She nodded, wiping her eyes.

“Such a baby,” I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Shut up, jerk.”

“And don’t go around kissing random guys,” I added, my voice stern.

She started to laugh through her tears. My heart skipped a beat at the sound.

~I’d do anything to see her smile.~

“We’ll talk later. Bye,” she whispered, then walked away. I watched her until she was out of sight.

~No girl has ever made me feel this way.~