My Big Brothers Ex Girlfriend

2

Riley

"Are you ready?" Dylan asked as we stood back stage with Cassidy, this showcase had been something we had been preparing for all year and it was strange to think it was already here
"Of course we are. We are always ready, right Rileyyyy" Cass said prolonging the end of my name 
"Of course" I said pulling at the bottom of my shirt

I looked out into the crowd in the hope to see some familiar faces but I couldn't, I knew they were out there somewhere because Dad had already spoken to me about the first act. The seats were just so tightly packed that all the faces merged into one..

"Riley you are up" One of the tech guys said making me nod as I headed on stage waiting for the lights to fill the stage 

During the routine, I couldn't help but think back to the reasoning behind the piece, one of the biggest revolutions I had made to date if I was honest
I finished one section of the piece and looked out into the crowd finally seeing the familiar faces I had been dying to search for this entire time 
But the deeper I looked into the crowd, the more people I noticed 

Until my breath hitched looking at one face in particular, one that time I checked.. was still meant to be at college..

James

"you absolutely killed that!" Cassidy gushed pulling me into a tight hug as soon as I got off stage
Cass and I had grown close when she moved here, it's been one hell of a year I'll give her that, I don't think I would have lived up to James and I's deal if it hadn't been for her 
No offence Kyle.

"Well done Riles" Dylan said wrapping an arm around me smiling 
I don't know what had just happened but it's almost as if just seeing James was enough to spook me back into the girl he once knew
But I don't want that to happen.. 

He made his choice at Christmas and now I've made mine in rebuttal to that. That's it..

--

The showcase ended, I said my goodbyes to everyone involved. I knew I would see most of them tomorrow but it was still a little bitter sweet you know?
But as soon as I headed out to the foyer, I was greeted with everyone, one by one then engulfed me into hugs 
"You did so good bug" Dad said hugging me tightly 
"Let's go celebrate!" Kyle cheered
"So in other words, Kyle is hungry" Piper said making me chuckle 

Since James has been gone, Piper sort of took over the teasing James and Kyle used to do. I always thought that it would be Kyle teasing Piper but it would seem that in natural order. Kyle will always be the one teased by his sibling, no matter if they are older or younger

One by one we started to file out of the building until it was just James and I left on our own
"You really did great peanut" James said making me nod

I didn't want this to be awkward, I really didn't but I couldn't get my head away from what had happened 
We were good, everything was fine and then he cut every form of contact off after leaving us again after Christmas
No explanation, no prewarning, no nothing..

"How have you been?" He asked, I looked over at him and shook my head ever so slightly, enough that he wouldn't notice
"I'm fine, yourself?" I asked 
"I'm alright" He said making me nod 
"Good" I replied attempting to walk past him

"Peanut" He called making me take a deep breath in turning to look at him again

I hate the pull he has on me, I hate he knows he has this pull on me too 

"Our deal?" He asked, I raised my gaze to meet his
"I kept my side of it" I muttered pulling at the bottom of my shirt again watching as a smile formed on James' lips
"I kept my side too" he said 

I nodded hoping this would be the end of the conversation. I wanted to say more, I wanted to yell at him, I wanted to tell him exactly what I felt about everything 
But I knew that wasn't a good idea

Why burn a bridge he doesn't even know is on fire?