"Miss Drake you've got a visitor." The nurse announced as Riley was too immersed in her book.
Riley lifted her gaze and smiled at the sight of Cassidy. She stood up from her chair and went in to hug her.
"Hi," she said against her shoulder.
"Hey." They broke the hug and Cassidy was looking at her with a smile. "How are you?"
"Better than last week, and the last... and the last."
"Aye that's the spirit init?" Cassidy let Riley drag her to a chair across from her's on the table as she usually did. "What are you reading?"
"I'm trying to learn ASL." She closed the book. "Not as easy as it sounds."
Riley wanted to communicate with Heather other than through notes when she got out, so for the last three of the six months since she has been admitted into rehab she has tried to self learn ASL. Again, not easy.
Six months, six torturous —but worthy— months. Riley has been clean of alcohol for all that time as she had already figured out before even being admitted, she would have to stay at the minimum of a year in the rehab center.
During all these months her mother has not failed to come visit at least four times a months—sometimes less but she never missed a month so far. Cassidy has come over every day since she was allowed to have visitors, which is two days a week.
Her dad had reached out to her, and Riley wished she had took it better than she did, her father wasn't a family man— well not a family man to their family, but when they talked over the phone it pissed her off—it took for Riley to get into rehab for him to acknowledge her existence, so she had told him to fuck off and never contact her again. Her mom though later told her he had offered to pay for the rehab costs, something her mom turned down—Citra could very much take care of it without any sort of help, specially not his.
And Heather... she couldn't exactly call her and Riley didn't have a cellphone, she also didn't know her address so she couldn't write a letter to her, so she has had zero communication with her ever since she got admitted. Riley hoped every day that Heather didn't hate her for that.
"I believe you on that, it is sweet though." Cassidy said.
"Yeah... what it's not sweet is that I can't even communicate with her." Riley swallowed her anger and took Cassidy's hand. "How's the job at the restaurant?"
"It's a waitress job is nothing of another world." The Scot's smile didn't flatter. Cassidy's hair was longer and her darker blonde hair was started to show on her roots over her bleached tone.
"I told you you didn't have to work if you didn't want to, I'm in here but I can very much pay for the both us." Riley worked for her mom's company, she wouldn't be fired—less of all now so she had a more than good pay... along with some other—many privileges of being the CEO's daughter.
Cassidy shook her head, "I like to gain my own money I told you, I already live in your house for free."
"Our house." Riley corrected her, "It is mine as much as it is yours, no matter if I paid for it that's your house too Cass."
"I'll fight you on that another day."
Riley chuckled, "How's your love life?"
"Same as last week."
She pouted, "Oh come on you always say that Cass, there must be something."
Cassidy crossed her arms and leaned against the chair. They were on the common room of the rehab center, there were people walking in an out or sat watching tv, playing cards, making puzzles, writing, reading, anything.
"There is this guy at work but he just annoys me."
"That's— an improvement, I've never seen you with a guy though, but I do know you are... bisexual, right?"
"Aye, but there's nothing to tell there." Cassidy looked at Riley again, "I'm not looking to settle down and he's... annoyingly sweet."
"Aw but you are sweet as well." Riley smiled at the blonde who only thought it was annoying.
"I'm not."
"Well you are sweet to me."
Cassidy rolled her eyes, "Whatever, doesn't matter because once you are out well resume our trip around Europe, we didn't visit Bulgaria, Iceland nor Romania."
"We totally have to, there's many countries left." Riley said with a hopeful look in her eyes and a cheerful smile.
The blonde bit her lip before she spoke again, "I have something else to tell you."
Riley tensed up a little at those words and slowly nodded.
"I'm going to Scotland for two days." She revealed—Riley just swallowed hard and once again nodded. When Cassidy saw her demeanor change she leaned forward and took a hold of her hand for reassurance. "I have to go check up on my grandma, but I'll be back soon that you won't even notice—it'll just be two days and I'll see you again next week in your next visiting day."
"Yes, I— I get it, you could've just... left without telling me, you know?"
"I wouldn't do that to you Riley, you should know." She gave her a light squeeze.
"I know, I trust you."
Cassidy might be the person she trusts the most in the whole world.
"If... you see Paris and you more than likely will and she asks for me... don't tell her anything, tell her I'm fine and that I still need space but don't tell her I'm in rehab less of all where, not even the country." The last thing Riley wanted was for Paris to see her... here, in a fucking rehab facility. She has done enough pathetic stuff in her eyes, this would top the cake and Paris would only feel more pity for her—she wouldn't judge her but she would rather that than the pity party.
No one knew about Riley being in Italy less of all doing exactly what, only her mom, Cassidy, Heather and —unfortunately— her father knew the truth and she wanted to keep it that way.
Worse than Paris finding out would be word getting out and getting it's way to her former friend's ear. Gossip travels falls, even if it's overseas.
Summer, Tyler... Megan, finding out that she ended up interned in a rehabilitation center would just derail her. They didn't need to know her weakest moments— they didn't need to know anything about her life. Partially why Riley had deleted all of her social media accounts, so no one would know shit about her or her life.
She was at a stage where she didn't felt regret, sadness or shame for her past with her former friends—she was full of resentment towards them now, now that Riley was seeing things more clearly she had started to hate them and she's not sure if that is another stage or if it would stay like that forever.
Riley didn't have hopes that it would change... not that she cared if it didn't—she had a right to be angry at them as well. Sure she fucked up but... her two childhood best friends ganged up on her and turned their back on her. That's ought to leave a mark.
To now hate them.
Cassidy had showed them what true friends are supposed to do, she taught her as well how to be a good friend—Riley knows she wasn't the exemplar friend either but... she wasn't terrible either. Now she hopes she's been above all that towards Cassidy, she tries to be better for her every day and she'll never stop.
Riley was convinced Cassidy will be in her life forever.
"I won't tell anyone a thing, okay? I will just say we went our separate ways and I haven't heard from you a lot, last I knew you were somewhere in Asia. How about that?"
Riley thought about it and nodded, "Good, that's a good excuse—if you said you didn't know anything about me Paris would make her her mission to find me, I know her."
"So she's just like you." Cassidy said in mockery earning a glare.
"You are really funny, aren't you?"
"The funniest, now how about we play go fish?" Cassidy suggested and quirked her brows.
"You have a humiliation kink Knox." Riley stood up and went to grab a stack of cards.
"I let you win."
"Yeah keep telling yourself that."
—
A/N - There must be like 3 more chapters of this book left... I think.