Then, there was still the Sabrina situation I needed to figure out and determine how to handle. When I dropped Molly off the next day, she had proceeded to tell me that she had dumped Jeff. Jeff took an early flight back, and she said she would be in town for a while. How was I supposed to react to that? Had she dumped him for me? Lord, I hoped not! I could not be with Sabrina even if it were for Molly; I just couldn’t do that to Molly or me. I knew I couldn’t pretend to love someone for the sake of my child. I knew Molly would be fine with separate parents in separates places because that’s all she had known. The hardest part would be convincing Sabrina that I didn’t have feelings for her anymore and that I wanted Riley in my life. Either things would go really well, and she would accept it, or she would be pissed off and then do anything possible to try to keep Molly out of my life. Then again, she knew she was holding Molly as a pawn as she admitted that to me. Maybe she won’t, we would have to see.
After work, I headed over to Evan and Abby’s apartment to hang out. They hadn’t heard from Riley either even though I had the feeling Abby was not being completely honest in order to cover up for Riley.
“Abby, you have to tell me if you know something.”
“Dustin, I don’t have to tell you squat.” She smiled back at me.
“Fine! Everyone must be against me!”
“Well, you did fuck up pretty good the day we ran into you and your daughter. Dustin, I get it that you love your daughter, and she’s supposed to be above everyone else, but you can’t just hide her. Especially from someone who you want to have a relationship with.”
“It’s complicated, Abs. I told you that Sabrina controlled my every move, and held Molly like a pawn just to show how she can control who I’m with.”
“It’s not that complicated to me. You go to court and explain the situation to a judge. You get your visitation rights set up, and she can’t touch you and Molly.”
“That’s my next step. I need Riley in my life, she’s good for me, and I know she’d be amazing with Molly. I’m falling in love with Riley.” I admitted and smacked myself for saying the words aloud!
Abby narrowed her eyes at me and sat down on the couch with a big sigh. I wasn’t able to judge if the sigh was from relief or disgust.
“Dustin, Dustin, Dustin.” She swallowed a huge lump in her throat. “Then why did you tell Riley that you wanted a break?”
“I was stupid. I wasn’t thinking.” I shook my head.
“She’s not just a fuck buddy, Dustin. You can’t just mess with her like that.” She spat out with a slight laugh.
“We were not fuck buddies! I know I messed up. I’ll make it up to her when she’s home.”
I continued to chat with Abby, and Evan started chiming in, as well. They both wanted to see me with Riley, but they knew that Riley had a mind of her own, and nobody could tell what she had up her sleeve. On top of the fact that she had just lost her mother. I had no idea the type of mood she was going to be in.
My cell phone buzzed with a text message.
Riley: ‘Can I get a ride from the airport?’
My eyes lit up with excitement, I texted her back.
Me: ‘I’m on my way, text me the terminal.’
Riley: ‘Thanks. Terminal 2.’
“Hey, guys, I gotta go! Riley needs a ride from the airport! Wish me luck!” I flew out of the house before I could hear what they had to say. I ran to the Mustang and drove off in a hurry.
I arrived at the airport a short time later and pulled up outside of terminal two. When I saw Riley leaning up against a cement post, I couldn’t help but think she looked like hell. I parked the Mustang and walked over to her.
“Are you ok?” I asked her slowly approaching her.
“Does it look like I’m ok?” She snapped back.
“Dustin to the rescue.” I grinned.
She frowned and didn’t move from her spot. I stood there not knowing what to say. I could tell she was upset. I didn’t know if it was at me, or because of her situation back home. The next thing I knew she had stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around me as she let loose with hard sobs into my shoulder.
I wrapped my arms around her, and held her tight while my one hand rubbed her back. “Shh, it’s ok, sweetheart.” I whispered to her softly.
She kept sobbing, and it was almost uncontrollable. I just stood there holding her trying to calm her down, yet savoring the feeling of having her in my arms again. I wiped her tears away and held her close to my chest. I wished I knew what to do, but all I could think of was that this was the best thing I could do right then.
“Come on, baby, let’s get you in the car, and get you home.”
“Can we go to your home first? I messaged Abby, and she said she’d take care of Coop one more night so I can get some rest.” Her breath was hitched. It made me smile knowing she wanted to go to my apartment.
“Sure, we can go to my place. Can I get you anything, my princess?”
“No, I’m fine.”
I helped Riley get in the car, and put her one lonely bag of luggage into the backseat. We took off for my apartment, and the car grew silent.
“How was your trip?” I asked and then almost wanted to punch myself for even asking.
She looked at me with daggers in her eyes, “Are you really going to ask me how my trip was to bury my mother?”
“That’s not how I meant it, I’m sorry. I’m not good at these kinds of things.”
“I can tell.”
The rest of the car ride was silent until I drove into the parking lot of my complex.
We made our way into the apartment, and she collapsed on my bed immediately.
“Did you want to talk?” I sat down next to her and rubbed her back.
“Later.” She leaned up and grabbed me, pulling me toward her as her lips sank onto mine.
She kissed me hard as I kissed her back passionately. I lay down on the bed next to her and slid my hand in her hair as we twisted our tongues together, tasting one another.
“Oh, Riley, I’ve missed you.” I moaned into the kiss and started to mark kisses down her face and to her neck as I sucked lightly. I wiped and dried her tears, and then kissed each eye to heal her swollen eyelids.
“I missed you, too.” She moaned in pleasure.
I kissed my way down her sexy body, and lifted up her t-shirt and planted soft kisses across her belly. I slid my hand up her shirt, and she lifted up and flung it off revealing her luscious breasts. I took each one in my hand as I lifted my mouth to them sucking on each nipple, and tugging at them with my teeth. She arched her back and let out a groan. I licked my way back down her body, taking her pants and thong with me as I went. She gripped the end of my shirt and pulled it off me, stroking the contours of my back as she did it. She attacked my lips with passion and need. I returned her kiss wildly, wanting her as much as she needed me.
I unbuckled my belt and tossed it on the floor as I slid my jeans and boxers down revealing my cock to her. I was ready, and I could sense her deepening arousal as she licked her lips in anticipation. She climbed on top of me and began to stroke my erection. She started out slow and sensual, picking up the pace until I am close. I reached out my hand. I stopped her because this is not how I wanted to cum. I grabbed her hips, and lifted her until her lower lips are grasping the peak of my cock. I dropped her on my length slowly, savoring the feeling of being inside of her. She closed her eyes, exhaled, and moaned my name.
“Are you ok, baby?”
“Fine.” She began to ride me, pressing her hands into my chest for support. She arched her back and dug into me, and I could feel her heat wrapped around me. I kept my hands on her hips guiding her motions, and as I met her thrusts, I could feel myself sinking deeper into her core.
I flipped her over and took control, pinning her wrists to the mattress. I picked up the pace, slamming into her body over and over again. I grabbed her legs bringing them up to my shoulders deepening the penetration. We could hear
the slap of my balls hitting her ass each time I thrust into her. Within moments, her walls clenched down on my cock, and I knew she was ready, I pumped into her, and she convulsed violently spilling her juices around me. Once I felt her release, I exploded deep inside of her.
We lay in bed a little while, relaxing after an amazing experience.
The quiet seemed almost deafening as I didn’t know what to say to her, and she didn’t seem as if she knew what to say to me, either.
“We can talk now.” She let out a sigh.
“Ok, don’t tell me you’re going to talk to me after we just had some amazing sex, and tell me you don’t want to be with me.”
She looked at me with a grin, “Do you really think I’d do that to you?”
“Not really but just wanted to state it.” I let out a chuckle.
“What I really want to tell you is a bit hard for me. No, I’m not ending things with you because it never truly felt like it officially started.”
“What do you mean? We were dating, Riley. We slept together, what is this then?”
“It’s the beginning to what I hope will never end. I realized when I went back home just how much I need you in my life. You complete my twisted pieces. I never thought I could find anybody that did. You proved to me that I mean something to you by telling your family about me. I’ll never be able to show you how much it meant to me when you spoke up to them, and for believing in me.” She sighed, took a deep breath, and continued. “I should have realized it a lot sooner. I have only been with one other person before you, and that was in high school. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to react to things, and I tend to overreact. I just want to apologize. I want you to know that I get it now.”
I looked at her puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I believe in you, Riley? You are not just my girlfriend. You are my life. You and Molly. Please know that if you weren’t in it, each breath would be a lot harder to take.”
“When someone close to you, like your family, dives in for information about me, and tells you I’m a criminal with a criminal family, and you believe my story of innocence that tells me a lot about you.” She wiped away a stray tear, “I love you, Dustin Boyd.”
Riley
It was so hard to open up and tell Dustin my true feelings.
“Look, Dustin, ever since I met you I hoped to have you some day. I didn’t think I was ready, but I am. I want to tell you my past, more than you know. I want to tell you one of things that have been holding me back, besides your ex.” I smiled at him and grabbed his hand to hold as I began. “I want to tell you about Mark. He’s my ex fiancé who passed away.”
“Oh my god, I didn’t know.” He shook his head.
“I know you didn’t. I was young, Dustin, very young—in high school. We dated for four years, and he proposed to me my senior year. We didn’t actually plan to marry until we were finished with college, but he just wanted to make sure I was his. That’s all I ever wanted to be was his. Our relationship was so perfect. He was my first love, my first time, and my first of many things. I know it was a long time ago, and I don’t know why I still get scared to move on since he’s not even here anymore.”
“Babe, stop, you don’t have to tell me this. He must have meant a lot to you and I get it.”
“No, I need to tell you this. Mark set my standards so high because he was so great to me. He didn’t give me shit, we rarely argued, and if we did, we made up right away. We didn’t spend much time apart, his family loved me, and my family loved him. Back when my family was ok. There were no imperfections what so ever in our relationship. I felt like if he were still here we’d be married with kids already. He was my soul mate. Unfortunately, he took his life the end of my senior year. I cried for weeks, months about him. I was so angry that he left me. Then we found out why he was so unhappy and what made him do that to himself.” I took a deep breath. “Mark had been being bullied, apparently quite often. I didn’t see it, and I try to look back to find the culprits and I can’t. Since we were engaged, I didn’t feel I should move on, or could move on.”
“Oh, Riley, I am so sorry. I totally can’t imagine what you went through.”
“Hell. I went through hell, and then I went through the disappointment of what my family had become. I didn’t think any man would want to be with me other than for sex. That’s what my mom always put in my head, is that men are only there for sex. I knew Mark was different, and I thought I’d never find one like Mark. After you found out about my family, and part of my past, I honestly thought you were history. I know it’s weird, but I felt like I could talk to Mark even though he wasn’t here. I thought about what he would tell me if he were here. My heart pulled me in the direction of you, but my mind pulled me away. That’s why I think I was so damn attracted to you, and that’s why we have sex all the time. It’s easier to have sex than to think about the seriousness of a relationship.”
“I want you in my life, Riley, I need you, too.” Dustin spoke softly.
“I think it’s time to move past Mark. I know he’d be so proud of me for being with you. You’re such a great person, and I see that, I do. Nobody will ever compare to Mark in my eyes, and I think that’s what I was trying to do with you.”
“Oh, babe.” He rubbed my back and kissed my cheek.
“I’m serious, Dustin, I tried finding men but nobody compared. Mark was his own person, and I’ll never find anyone like him because he’s gone. You have shown me that you want to be in my life. I just haven’t let anyone in. If you really want to be a part of my life, we will find a way to get around Sabrina.”
He looked at me and trailed his hand along my cheek, “Riley, I want to be with you more than you know. I have fallen in love with you. I love you.”
My jaw just about dropped to the floor. I haven’t been in love in years, but it felt like what he was saying to me was what I was feeling about him.
I took a breath and reached for his chin and planted a kiss on his soft lips. “I’m falling in love with you, too.” I smiled.
“Will you be my girlfriend, Riley Miller?” the smile across his face just made me grin.
“I’d love to be your girlfriend.” I laughed and jumped in his arms and tossed him back on the bed.
This was the happiest day after having the shittiest week. After saying good-bye to Lena, she promised to keep in touch with me. It made me feel so much better knowing that she wanted to stay a part of my life. I visited with Grams the rest of the week and still kept it casual without the mention of boy troubles or the loss of my job. I didn’t want Grams to have anything to worry about after I left. It was really nice catching up with them all and spending quality time. I promised I’d come back to visit the next opportunity that I had.
Austin just reiterated how much that isn’t my lifestyle. I needed a guy who was stable in, one place who would love me for more than just sex. I won’t lie—it was a nice night with Austin, but that was all it was. Dustin and I had shared more passion and meaning behind what we had. It was nice to be able to tell the difference. I was not going to tell him about Austin, because I didn’t feel there was need to—I won’t ever see Austin again. Then again, maybe someday I will feel I can share even that part of me with Dustin.
***
Dustin decided to take me on another date. It was a nice feeling to be going on a date with my boyfriend now that it was official. I couldn’t wait for him to show up at my door. I dressed in something casual as he told me to. I put on some light make up and curled my hair in some beach waves, which I think are a little bit more casual. My white jean skirt and green tank top fit the ensemble. I found my cowboy boots and slid those on, as well. If he wants the true me, he is going to have to learn how much I love country music. He said we were going dancing, so I think I dressed perfectly. My being away for moms’ funeral had been hard on Cooper. Evan and Abby took great care of him but I know how much he had missed me. I plopped down on the couch and patted the side for Cooper to come sit with me. We sat together
and waited patiently for Dustin to pick me up. Cooper looked sad, as he knew his momma was going to be leaving soon. He knew what having shoes on meant, and if his leash wasn’t on, he knew he wasn’t going. And some people say dogs are stupid?
There was a knock at the door, and I went to open it as Cooper beat me there wagging his tail. He had become accustomed to Dustin coming over, so he had learned to expect it.
I opened to see Dustin standing there with a rather large bouquet of flowers—pink roses were my favorite. He leaned in and embraced me in a strong hug as he smelled my hair and kissed the side of my head.
“You smell good, baby.” He kissed my lips softly.
“Sure we need to go dancing? I could totally jump you right now.” I giggled into him giving him a wicked grin.
The next thing I noticed was Abby jumping in front of the doorway with Evan.
“Double date bitches! Let’s get our dancing shoes on!” She jumped for joy. She seemed really excited, and I was actually looking forward to it.
“Surprise?” Dustin looked at me with a half-smile.
“Perfect night out!” I agreed. I gave Cooper some pets and escaped with the crew. Abby decided to drive, so we all packed into her Durango. Dustin and I sat in the backseat. He buckled me in the middle seat and pulled me close to him laying his hand on my thigh. I was pretty sure he was being a big tease right then, but that’s ok—payback is a bitch.
Abby drove away and pulled up to club M. It was a hot club that she and I had gone to way back when I first met her. This night was going to be fabulous!
We walked in, and they stamped our hands at the door. Abby went to order us some drinks, and Dustin immediately took me to the dance floor as I laughed my way all the way there.
“I’m not that good of a dancer.” I tried to play that excuse off.
“Then make a fool out of yourself with me.”
A Tattered Love Page 17
