Riley’s POV
“Riley, help Lex with her things and show her to the guest bedroom. The rest of you boys need to help me with all these groceries!” Neither Connor, Thomas, Toby, or Chris complained- it was food they would be eating, after all.
“With my things?” Lex asked, mostly to herself. Mom caught it anyway, though.
“Well, yes. You did say you were visiting to stay with a friend, right? I assumed you had clothes- of course, I’m sure I have some spare things you could borrow if you’d like-“
“Oh, no I have my stuff,” Lex responded uneasily. “Thank you for the offer though.”
I raised an eyebrow at the girl as mom began unloading the car. She unclenched her fists and turned toward her own car.
“I really don’t have much. I can handle it myself.” She pulled a medium sized backpack and a small purse from the passenger seat of her car and attempted to sling them over her shoulder. I intercepted them halfway there, though.
“I can get it. My mom would kill me if she spotted me empty handed, anyway.”
She somewhat smirked, but the effort seemed forced. A thousand and one thoughts appeared to be zipping through her head at once. With a turn of the key Lex locked her car and followed me inside.
The kitchen was already bustling as the guys and my mom worked to put the food away, so I skipped it and gave her a quick tour of the rest of the house, beginning with the dining room and patio and ending near the bedrooms.
“And this-“ I pushed the door open. “is the guest bedroom.” The pale blue walls glowed lightly with the few fading rays of sun slipping through the curtains. A large bed stood in the center, with a desk and dresser lining the walls. A TV hung on the wall opposite of the bed, and a bench seat sat underneath the window overlooking the pool. I placed her things at the foot of the bed.
“Thanks, um-“
“Riley,” I supplied, giving her a small smile. She simply nodded, letting silence take over. “I’m sure the guys would love to meet you downstairs, if you’re up for it. Chris’s girlfriend should be over any minute, so you can meet her too-“
Savannah’s voice rang loudly from the living room as a door slammed shut, ending my awkward rambling. “There she is, as I’m sure you heard.” I chuckled a bit. “She can be a bit- loud. Fair warning.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she answered softly, forcing a smile again. I forced my eyes away and led the way back downstairs. Those eyes were like magnets.
“Do my eyes deceive me, or does my little Riley have a GIRL with him?!?!”
“Told you,” I muttered under my breath to Lex as Savannah came rushing over. “Hey, Savvy. How have you been?”
“You mean since yesterday? Pretty good,” Her signature lighthearted laugh escaped her lips. “But don’t change the subject! Who’s your friend?”
“She’s not really my friend-“ I assured, before actually thinking through that sentence in my head. “I mean, she could be my friend if she wanted to be. I wasn’t saying that, that’s completely up to you,” I glanced at Lex, “I just- she was lost and we-“
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Moments (A Before You Exit story)
FanfictionAlexa McKormack is a mystery; of this Riley McDonough is certain. "Before you exit, make a difference." For years, he's lived by this phrase, and has encouraged fans across the country to do the same. It was one thing for Lex to come stumbling int...
