Dirty Little Secret

twenty-five | things you don't understand

Lucas

"My mom is actually going to kill me," Riley says when we approach Halston House.

"You're an adult." I point out. "There's not much she can do."

"That's not the point." I sigh. "I'm close with my parents. I've never done anything like this."

"Yeah, but, didn't your mom totally go behind your back and see Gabe?" I ask--maybe stirring the pot a little bit.

I'm a little pissed at her mom. I understand her morals, but she still pissed me off. She had no right to speak to Riley that way, especially when she admitted to cheating on Riley's dad.

Riley gives me a pointed look and I throw my hands up in defense. "Maybe you should just drop me off and go."

"I'll walk you to your dorm, first."

She glances out her window and then back to me. "Maybe not this time?"

I look past her and see the car her Mom had rented. "Oh. Yeah, okay."

"I just don't want to make this worse. That's all."

"I get it. Call me tonight?"

"Sure." She leans over the middle console and presses her lips to mine. "Oh, and, check the outside pocket of your bag when you get home."

My eyebrows furrow and she smiles as she opens the door and climbs out of my truck.

We'd ended up not stopping to get dinner on the way back, so after I picked up my truck, I followed her back to her dorm and then she hopped in my car and we went to grab food while we waited for Lou to go to her evening class.

"Bye!" She calls out before shutting the backseat door with her bag slung onto her shoulder.

I wait until she's inside the building before I pull out of the parking lot and leave.

When I get home, Corey's car is sitting in the driveway, and he's inside it.

I reach back into the backseat and grab my bag. I go to open the door, but remember what Riley said.

I reach into the pocket of the duffel bag and pull out three Polaroid pictures. A smile spreads across my lips.

The first one is a picture of me asleep on top of her. She's written the words, Sleepy Boy ♡︎ -Ri in Sharpie, just like I have on all of the pictures for her.

The second picture is us walking into a store. I've got my back to her, with my leather jacket on. And my smile grows wider at the words written on it. My James Dean ♡︎ -Ri

And the last picture is me asleep on the beach, with sand in my hair and coating the entire left side of my face. Good luck washing that off -Ri

I bite down on my bottom lip and carefully slide the pictures back into the bag.

I send Riley a quick message-Thanks for the pics, angel-before opening the car door and sliding out of the truck.

I walk past Corey's car without stopping and head up the front steps.

I hear a car door shut as I pull my keys out. "Where the hell have you been? I've been trying to get ahold of you all weekend."

Ignoring Corey, I unlock the front door and step inside.

A few seconds later, it creaks open and then shuts. "Lucas, don't act like a child."

"I'm not."

Corey laughs. "Bullshit. Where the hell were you?"