Pain //h.s [Editing]

Chapter Fifty-Three

Sorry for the wait! This chapter is almost a thousand words longer to make up for it!

Guys I turn 17 tomorrow... That's crazy to me!

Anyway lol, enjoy.

*Not edited*

Riley's POV

Pulling into my parents driveway, I take a breath and brace myself for the day ahead of me. It is finally the day of Selena's baby shower, which I am sure is going to turn out to be a shit show somehow, and I am impatiently waiting for it to begin already so that the stress of it can be relieved. I know that the moment I walk through the door my mother is going to be barking orders at me, rushing around the house frantically to finish getting every last detail prepared before the guests arrive.

I am proven right. Upon my entry, I am met with the sight of my mom scurrying out of the kitchen with two trays - one in each hand - and making a beeline for the long folding table that is set out along the wall of the living room. Her heals click as she goes.

"Riley! Finally," she sighs, relief filling her voice. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up early." She places the fruit and veggies on the table and then turns to me, patting down her flower-printed dress.

"I see you're almost finished anyway," I laugh lightly, looking around the precisely decorated room. Both blue and pink ribbons and streamers litter the room, along with yellow balloons and welcome baby signs. The sight is almost overwhelming to look at, especially knowing that my mother probably spent most of the morning putting it all together.

"Oh gosh, not even close," she shakes her head. "I need you to run to the store for me, Sweetie. I forgot to pick up chips and crackers and things to set out on the snack table."

"Right now?"

"Yes. Hurry back, we'll have to set the stuff out before everyone gets here in an hour."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

I take my time driving to the grocery store, despite my mothers request. I don't feel prepared for this party at all, mainly because I know my sister is going to feel very put on the spot and in her cranky and very pregnant state, I'm sure it may be a very awkward experience for everyone.

As I bring my car to a stop in the parking lot, I notice a car that had been trailing me almost the whole way here circling around for their own space relatively close to mine. I hadn't been thinking much of it when I noticed them driving behind me on the way here, but now it seems kind of strange. I shake my head, telling myself that I'm being stupid for questioning it.

I take a cart and go right to the snack isle, grabbing the first few bags of chips that I see. Whatever will do, really. I toss the bags into the cart and go to the next isle to pick out crackers, again taking the first ones that catch my eye. I don't know what people expect to have at these things, so it doesn't matter much to me. As I reach up to grab another box, however, something catches my eye from farther down the isle. I turn to look at the sudden movement, managing to catch just a blur of black before it disappears. Furrowing my eyebrows, I turn back to the shelve.

"Excuse me," Someone says softly, drawing me from my cracker-searching.

Turning to the lady beside me, I smile. "I'm sorry." I shuffle over and reach for another random box to throw into my cart before leaving the isle.

Once I turn out of the isle, the black sweater that I had caught sight of less than a minute ago meets my vision again. This time whoever it is turns abruptly and walks in the opposite direction as me, causing my eyebrows to furrow. I know right then that this person was watching me and trying his best not to get caught. He wasn't doing much of a good job, though. My eyebrows stay firmly locked together as I try to get a closer look, but the man has a hood swung over his head, preventing me from seeing anything other than the back of his body. I watch as he turns sharply down another isle, and I follow suit. By the time I get down there though, he has already disappeared.