I open my eyes to get a glimpse of the warm sunlight beaming on my face. I shuffle myself over and see Riven peacefully sleeping beside me, I gently run my fingers against his skin.
He looks like a child when he sleeps.
It's had a couple months since the news about Riven and I broke out, I'll be honest it was a rollercoaster. His step mother was furious about what we decided to do but thankfully we had the support of everyone around us so her opinion didn't matter.
So what was our decision? We couldn't hide the feelings we had for each other anymore, we had become so close that our innocent friendship grew into something more. I still remember that day when the media was in an uproar about Riven being off the market, but instead of protecting his image, he took my hand and announced to the media that I was his girlfriend.
I smile at the memory of that day as I continue to admire him.
"What are you smiling about?"
Our eyes meet as Riven caresses the side of my face and speaks.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asks.
I shake my head. "No, this is the first time in a while that I slept this long."
"Oh? Were you not able to sleep at your place?"
"It's not that, you know my situation with my father..." I sign. "I guess it always felt like I had to be on the look out, but surprisingly I'm always able to sleep with you beside me."
He smile cunningly. "Really? Does this mean you'll sleep over more often?"
"Oh please," I jokingly push him. "I only slept over because I fell asleep before the movie ended."
"You know i've never met someone who could fall asleep during a horror movie, you're really something."
"What did you expect me to jump into your arms, asking you to protect me?" I giggle.
Riven's hand reaches around my waist and he pulls me against him, he leans down as I feel his breath against my skin. "Clearly I didn't have to do anything and you still ended up in my arms like always."
I blush intensely and shove Riven away from me nearly jumping out of the bed, Riven let's out a childish laugh as he watches me land on the floor.
"I hate you!" I say annoyed. "Why do you do that?!"
"Do what? Flirt with you?" he continues to laugh. "I thought that's what boyfriends do?"
"That's not flirting... that's seduction!" I say standing up brushing myself off. "You act like something happened but we both know all we did was sleep."
He goes quiet and stares at me with a sly smile on his face.
"Nothing happened, right?", my eyes pop.
Riven says nothing and gets out of bed without another word, he simply heads towards the bathroom as I call out to him.
I quickly jump over the bed and blot in front of him blocking his way to the bathroom.
"Answer me," I demand placing my hand on his bare chest. "I know we had a couple of drinking but I would have remembered, so if you know something then-"
Before I could even finish my sentence Riven lips are on mine and he kisses me softly.
"That should shut you up for a second," he whispers as he pulls away from me. "To answer your question no, nothing happened last night and I wouldn't put you in a position where you wouldn't remember."
He brushes my hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear and smiles. However his smile turns almost devilish as he leans down and whispers seductively in my ear.
"But it wouldn't be the first time we slept together, because from what I remember you were pretty thankful that night when I officially asked you to be mine."
I could feel my cheeks get hot and my face was probably bright red, this was a side to Riven I had seen since even before we started dating but I didn't know how to react to his intense words.
Riven kisses my cheek before walking right past me, shutting the bathroom door behind him.
I crouch down hiding my face in my hands hiding my smile, apart of me couldn't believe this was real, I really was Riven's girlfriend and he was my boyfriend. My heart raced in excitement as I felt like a hopeless teenager experiencing love.
However, my excitement was quickly shut down when there's a knock on the door. I turn my head and hear Riven still in the shower, I grab one of his shirts and hurry to the door.
Maybe it was aunt Chloe looking for me with her usual pop ins, considering Riven and I had been together for a couple months she knew to check his place first.
I open my door with a bright smile only to see Riven's stepmom, and that bright smile immediately turned into nothing but fear.
She glares, looking at me from head to toe. It really didn't help that I was wearing one of Riven's button down shirts to cover myself but I couldn't really answer the door with nothing but a bra and underwear...
"Mrs. Danton," I greeted her. "Um w- what are you doing here?"
She rolls her eyes at me in disgust and proceeds to walk right past me without a word.
"Riven!" she shouts angrily. "Where the hell are you?"
"He's in the shower..." I say as I close the door. "He should be out in a -"
"Was I speaking to you?" she turns glaring at me in fury. "If I wanted to speak to you, I would have so why don't you leave?"
"Excuse me?" I say i'm complete shock. "Last time I checked this is Riven's place, and he allowed me to be here so I don't think you have any right to change that."
Her eyes widen at my words, she makes her way towards me and grabs the collar of Riven's shirt.
"You think you can talk to me like that when you're dressed like this?" she mocks me. "At least have some respect for yourself first, unless you enjoy walking around letting people know you're nothing but Riven's little toy."
She gets in my face and with a cunning smile across her face.
"I wonder if he'll still want you when he's done using you to his satisfaction?"
"T- That's not-" I try to defend myself but she had gotten into my head and I couldn't fight her overwhelming demeanour. She truly was a Danton, but not a nice one, and she was ready to show me the ugliest side of her in this very moment!
"What is going on here?" Riven's stern voice echos in the apartment as he catches his stepmother and I in the middle of our argument. She rolls her eyes and turns her attention to him.
"I thought you were done with this nonsense!" she shouts. "You made your point Riven, you don't care about me or my opinion, but is it really necessary for you to keep entertaining yourself with this girl?"
He signs in disappointment and walks past her. He stands before me but I couldn't bring myself to look into his eyes, for some reason apart me felt like I was nothing more than a joke and just worthless.
Riven lifts up my chin and forces me to look him in his eyes, I tried my hardest to fight my tears but the look in his face... it was almost as if he could read right through me.
"I demand you stop whatever it is you have with this girl immediately," she continues to lecture him. "Her father is nothing but a classless man who cheated on his dying wife, is that really the reputation you want behind your fathers name? The man that took you in as his illegitimate child and put you on top of the world, is this how you thank him?!"
"ENOUGH!" Riven shouts looking her in the eyes. "Enough mom..."
My eyes widen at his words, this was the first time I heard him refer to her as mom.
"Why are you taking this out on her, she has done nothing wrong", he says defending me. "You're still harbouring that hate you have for my mother, why? Because he actually loved her and had me, is that your reason for lashing out at Violet?"
She looks away from him upset.
"I will never be able to thank father for everything he's done for me," he continues. "And you... I won't be able to repay you for allowing him to take me in and raise me but if you hate my mother... if you hate me, then continue to take it out on me but leave Violet out of it."
As she hears my name she turns and looks at Riven. "I do hate your mother, I hate her for even coming into your fathers life but what I'm doing is to protect you just like I protected you from Arianna," she says. "That girl is no different and as much as you're like your father, I will not let you make the same stupid mistakes he made by saving women who are helpless and come from broken families!"
She grabs her bag and walks past the both of us heading towards the door. Riven turns around and looks at her and I.
She opens the door and before she leaves, she turns and looks at him. "Take a good look at her Riven, she's exactly like your mother and her aunt, nothing but a disrespectful home wrecker, who only know how to sleep with taken Danton men! When you finally get some sense, I will continue preparing for your marriage to a much better and respectful woman."
And with those final words she leaves slamming the door behind her, and it's just Riven and I standing in complete silence.
"Violet..." he says my name with nothing but sadness in his voice.
I could feel my heart race, I didn't know what he was about to say but I was afraid. I clench at my chest as I hear him say my name again.
"Violet...?" he holds out his hand as he slowly approaches me. I look up at him with tears running down my face and shake my head.
"We can never be happy... can we?" I cry. "No matter what I do or how much I try to be better than my father, I will always be compared to him, maybe she's right Riven maybe I'm no good for anyone."
Riven's eyes widen and he comes rushing toward me but I quickly back away running out of his apartment and into mine slamming the door behind me.
As I lean against the door fighting to breathe, I could hear Riven on the other side knocking and begging me to let him in. I slide down covering my ears and sit on the floor still feeling so overwhelmed and hurt.
Riven was a good man, but was his stepmom right? Did I even deserve someone as good as him or was I ruining his life like Arianna nearly did? Or like my aunt Chloe who was forced to break up his father or maybe even like how my father ruined my mothers life? Was this what a life as a Lightwood truly meant?
Was this the life I was meant to live..? Alone.
***
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