Awe I love this story so very, very much except I always get annoyed with Evan in it.
Awe I love this story so very, very much except I always get annoyed with Evan in it.
I'm a Dora the Explorer loving emo kid!
“I’m not making something out of nothing.” Chad steals a piece of food from her.
“Hey! Give that back!” Riley shrieks.
“Do you even know what it is?”
“Yes! It’s a…well, it’s a…cheese thing! I don’t know what it is, but I know I want it and it’s the last one, so give it back!” She holds out her hand expectantly.
He slaps her a high five and pops the ‘whatever it is’ into his mouth.
Riley growls at him. “You…you…asshole!”
Chad erupts into laughter. “You can have it back,” he says, in the process of chewing. He opens his mouth wide.
“Ew, that’s gross! Get away from me.” She shoves him and, before she can do more damage, the photographer ends the lunch break.
“See you guys bright and early tomorrow morning!” Riley calls out when they’re through with the photo shoot and waves. She steps into the hall and heads for the door.
“Riley! Wait up!” Footsteps are behind her.
She winces. Chad, who I don’t care to see until I have to. She spins around with a fake smile. “Yes, Chad? What do you need? More food to steal? More gross antics?”
Chad’s eager face falls and she feels horrible. “Never mind,” he mutters and turns away.
Riley rolls her eyes and chases after him. “No, Chad, come on.” She grabs his shoulder.
“I was just gonna tell you that I saw the album shots they’re considering and you look beautiful.” He flicks his hair to the side and locks onto her eyes.
“Um…” Riley blushes and looks to the side. “Thank you.” Damn you for making me uncomfortable yet again! “Chad,” she says seriously, “why do you do that?”
“Do what?” He truly appears confused.
“I don’t know exactly. You just…act all stupid and mean and annoying. Then you have to go and be nice like that. What’s your deal? Why can’t you stick with one attitude?”
Chad shrugs and steps closer. “I don’t know, I just…uh…you make me…no that’s not right. Listen. The truth is, you--”
“Riley-girl, is the photo shoot finished?” Evan asks, entering the hallway. “Oh, did I interrupt something? You told me to be here about this time.”
Chad quickly steps back and walks off.
Riley stares after him. “No, you didn’t interrupt anything.”
“Good.” Evan offers her his arm. “Ready to go?”
She nods, grins, and tucks her arm into his.
“Did you know your sister is flying in today?” Evan says as they’re getting into his car.
“Oh no.” Riley sinks into the seat. “I was hoping she would forget about the tour entirely. Please tell me you’re making her stay in a garbage can!”
Evan half-smiles. “Don’t be so cruel, baby. I have a room waiting for her at the hotel. Besides, it may be nice to have your sister on tour with you. You could bond or something.”
“Hah! She’d like nothing more than to throw me off the highest cliff. The feeling is mutual too.”
“I’d like to throw you off the highest cliff sometimes too.”
Riley scowls at him and is silent the rest of the way to his apartment. Why doesn’t Evan tell me I’m beautiful? she wonders, surprised at the thought. I wouldn’t mind a compliment every now and then.
They pull into the parking lot. Evan walks around to her side of the car and picks her up. “I wouldn’t really throw my pumpkin off a cliff,” he says and buries his face into her neck.
“That tickles!” Riley laughs and grips his shoulders tightly. He continues to hold her in the elevator and carries her haphazardly into the apartment.
Evan drops her onto the bed. He touches her cheek. “I’m so proud of you,” he says.
“You are?”
He nods. “Yeah. You did so well recording and working and preparing for the tour…oh, babe, I’m gonna miss you so much.” He kisses her roughly, pulling her body to him and squeezing her.
“I’ll miss you too, monkey,” Riley mumbles. “You’re still planning to fly out for some of the dates, right?”
“Of course.”
She flips them over so that she’s on top. She bends down and kisses his neck. He lets his hands travel up and down her body.
“You’re gonna miss me a lot, right?” Riley wants to know. She’s leaning over him.
“You know I will.” Evan twirls a strand of her hair and raises his eyebrows. “We should make this time last...”
“I agree. We shouldn’t waste this time.”
He inches up the hem of her shirt and kisses her. “Then please don’t make me wait anymore…”
* * * * *
“Riley Thomas,” Evan declares, breathing heavily.
“Evan Taubenfeld.” She collapses beside him, also breathing heavily.
He kisses her hungrily and wraps an arm around her. “But don’t tell me that’s all you got for me tonight. I know I taught you better than that.”
Riley laughs. “Of course you did. Give me a second here!”
For a few minutes they’re quiet and work on controlling their breathing. Evan licks his lips and runs his fingers through her hair. “You are amazing,” he whispers. “You know, there’s something I really want to tell you. I know I’ve waited awhile, but there’s a reason I did, and I think I’m ready to say it now.”
Her eyes widen. Oh my God, he’s going to tell me he loves me! This is it!
“I enjoy being with you so much, and not just physically…I don’t feel right if you’re not around me. Any room I’m in isn’t complete unless you’re there too and I’ve slowly realized that. So now, Riley Thomas, I want to tell you that I lo--”
“OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!” a familiar voice screeches.
“What the hell?” Evan leaps out of the bed and races for his clothes. “Who the hell could that be?”
“My sister,” Riley says flatly.
“Ah…I’ll…let her in, I guess.”
“I guess you should.” When he goes to answer the door, Riley muffles a pillow against her mouth and screams. He was going to say it! I know he was! Damn Angie to hell! She hears her sister in the living room.
“Where’s Riley?” Angie is saying.
“She’s already asleep,” Evan lies. “I didn’t know you were coming…I had a hotel room for you…”
“I’m supposed to look after Riley and I’d feel better being here,” Angie replies.
“Well, okay,” Evan says slowly. “I only have one bedroom, so I’ll get you some blankets and you can sleep on the couch.”
“And where would Riley be sleeping?”
Shut the hell up, Angela, Riley thinks angrily. You’re the one who intruded!
“With me,” Evan says firmly. “And now I’ll get you those blankets.” Ten minutes later Riley feels him sliding into bed beside her. “Now where were we?”
“Evan!” Riley hisses. “I’m supposed to be asleep! We can’t do this with my sister in the next room!”
“I guess not.” He sighs and grins. “Say, are there any nearby cliffs to toss her off?”
She smiles. “Unfortunately no. But…what were you about to say before she interrupted?”
“Hm?” Evan shrugs and punches his pillow. “I don’t remember. I think I was going to say something about how amazing you are and I love that about you.”
Riley doesn’t say anything. She just turns over and tries to hold in her tears of frustration.
And that is why I get annoyed at Evan damn him just make him say he loves her haha. I have read this story so many times yet I still get annoyed with him. Lol this story rocks Nicole.
I'm a Dora the Explorer loving emo kid!
i remember being so pissed when angie pounded on the door as evan was going to tell riley he loves her. just say it already! i missed being able to re-read this story over and over haha. nicole, seriously, write a book. you could definately do it
Agreed ^^^ Nicole write a book.
I'm a Dora the Explorer loving emo kid!
^^ i second that
Chapter Eight
“AHHHH!”
“Oh my God!” Riley leaps out of bed, clutching the bed sheets around her. That was Evan’s voice, she thinks frantically. What’s wrong with him? She yanks open the door and races into the hall. “Evan, what is it?”
Evan topples backwards into hallway, lands against the wall, and a hair brush is flung at him from the bathroom. The bathroom door slams shut.
“Evan, what is it?” Riley repeats. She combs her fingers through her tangled hair.
“I just walked in on your sister in the shower!” The expression on his face is so horrified that she has to laugh. “It’s not funny!”
“I know, I know, baby…but why did you go into that shower? You have one in your…our…room.”
“I forgot she was here and when I heard the shower running, I wondered what it was!”
“Likely story.”
“It’s the truth!” Evan stands and approaches her. “I only want you.”
They back into the bedroom and he reaches for the bed sheets. She twirls in a circle so that they unravel and fall to the ground.
The bathroom door opens and Angela calls out, “Riley, what time is our flight?”
“Dammit…” Evan mutters.
“Oh shit!” Riley grabs the sheets and ducks into Evan’s bathroom, slamming the door just as Angie reaches the bedroom doorway. She sits on the tiled floor. Why did I agree to let her come on tour with me? She sighs and concentrates on getting ready. Luckily, she packed most of her things the night before.
After drying her hair and dressing she shuffles into the kitchen for breakfast. Angela is sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper and sipping coffee. She stares at Riley over the top of the paper. “Good morning, Riley,” she says in a somewhat pleasant voice.
“Good morning Angie.”
“I prefer Angela now.”
“Sorry.” Riley rolls her eyes and pours herself a glass of orange juice. “Why were you banging on the door so rudely last night?”
“Because I had been knocking for the past ten minutes and no one answered. How did you know I was banging on the door anyhow? Evan said you were asleep.”
She blushes. “I was, but…”
“Good morning ladies,” Evan says. He puts an arm around Riley and kisses her on the cheek. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes…”
Angela snorts behind her paper.
He glances at her and shrugs. “I’m going to go take a shower now…” He winks at Riley and she knows he means “Come with me.”
“Evan, do you have a twitch in your eye?” Angela asks innocently.
He wrinkles his nose and walks out of the kitchen.
“You don’t have to be so rude to him,” Riley says, taking a seat at the table. “He reserved you a hotel room. He let you stay here last night. There’s no need for your attitude.”
“Riley, I’m concerned.” Angela puts down her paper. “Are you living with him?”
“Yes, actually. He asked me to move in with him when I came here to record.”
“But you’re not married.”
“So? We don’t have to be married!”
“Mum wouldn’t approve.”
“Mum likes Evan and Evan is a nice guy. She’d be fine with it…if she knew. Now can you back off?” Riley plugs her fingers into her ears and sings, “La la la…”
Angela shakes her head. “You’re so immature,” she declares and begins gathering her suitcases near the door.
Half an hour later Evan is dressed too and carries Riley’s and his suitcases to the door. He takes a few down to the car, and when he offers to take Angela’s, she jerks it away and says she’ll take it herself.
“Yessss….” Evan pumps his fist in the air when she leaves the apartment. He hauls Riley over one shoulder. “Come on, we don’t have much time!”
“Evan, what the hell are you doing?” Riley pushes at his shoulders and laughs.
He locks his bedroom door, shoves the things off of his dresser, and sets her on top of it. “That damn sister of yours has interrupted us three times and she is not going to win this time!”
“She’ll be back any minute!”
“I don’t care. She can just chill.”
“If you say so.” Riley grabs his face and kisses him.
“I say so.” Evan slides her skirt up to her waist and unzips his jeans.
When they emerge from his bedroom twenty minutes later, Angela is tapping her foot anxiously in the living room. She clicks her tongue disapprovingly. “Riley, your skirt is on backwards,” she says.
“Right.” Riley’s face is flushed as she adjusts her skirt. She glances at Evan; he’s flushed too and is smoothing his hands over his wayward hair.
That drive to the airport is awkwardly silent. Riley doesn’t know what to talk about. Anything I say, Angie is just going to shut down, she thinks. And it’s obvious she doesn’t like Evan, though he’s done nothing to her. She flips on the radio.
“…And some of you may like the Format? Well, here’s their new single off of their upcoming CD. The song is ‘All Over Again,’” the radio deejay announces.
“Oh wow!” Riley grins and claps her hands excitedly.
“Congratulations, Riley-girl.” Evan ruffles her hair.
She looks at Angela in the backseat, but she only shrugs.
At the airport it doesn’t take long to register their luggage and find the rest of the guys.
“I’ve been here for hours!” Eric complains. “Since six thirty!”
“Your flight isn’t until eleven thirty,” Evan points out.
“Well I thought you said seven thirty.” Evan shouts into one of Eric’s ears and Eric jumps into the air. “What’d you do that for?”
“To make sure yours ear work. Maybe you’ll hear me next time,” Evan replies and they laugh.
“Um, yeah, guys…” Riley gestures to her sister. “This is my older sister, Angela. Angela, this is Mark, Eric, and Chad…the guys.”
“Is she the one you called a mean b--” Mark begins.
“A dear and sweet person? Why yes, I did say that,” Riley cuts him off. Angela shoots her a dirty look, but their flight is called before she can retaliate.
Evan holds her back at the terminal while everyone else passes through it. He strokes her cheek. “Promise me you’ll call me as soon as you land,” he says.
“I promise.” Riley touches the hand he has on her face.
“And you won’t be a naughty girl.”
“I don’t know about that.” Riley giggles and he attacks her with kisses. “Okay! I promise!”
“Good, good.” Evan hugs her tightly. “I guess I’ll see you soon…I don’t know when exactly I’ll be flying out.”
Riley closes her eyes and lays her head on his shoulder. “I’m gonna miss you, monkey.”
“Not half as much as I’m gonna miss you.” Evan kisses her softly for a few seconds. “I’ll let you go. You don’t wanna miss your flight. The Format can’t perform without my pumpkin. Take my jacket.” He slips it off and settles it onto her shoulders. “It’s got presents for you in the pockets.”
She grips the jacket firmly. “I love you, Evan.” Say it! Please say it!
“I…right back at ya.” Ha kisses her forehead.
Riley nods, trying not to let her disappointment show, and walks through the terminal to board the plane.
Why won’t he just say it? she wonders. She stares out the window at the clouds and expanse of blue sky. I’m a good girlfriend. I’m not easily jealous or nagging. I’m sure he was going to say it last night, so why didn’t he today?
She sighs and remembers the “presents” in his jacket. She eagerly searches the pockets.
In one of them Riley finds a small bag of Hershey’s kisses and an attached note: “This is to make up for the kisses I won’t be able to give you on tour.”
She blushes and searches the next pocket. In it is a card and another note: “It’s a calling card with 500 minutes—make sure all of them are wasted on me.”
In the last pocket she discovers two CD’s and a final note: “In case you need some new listening material, one is yours, rough and unmixed. (I’m still tweaking it.) And the other is some stuff I’ve been working on. I hope you like it.”
Riley hugs the jacket to her chest and can’t stop smiling. He’s the best boyfriend ever!
She unwraps a Hershey’s kiss, stuffs it in her mouth, pulls her CD out of her bag, and sticks Evan’s CD into it. But before can press play, Angela plops down beside her.
“Riley,” she says. “We have something serious to discuss.”
“What is it?” Riley asks flatly.
“I know what you and Evan were doing this morning.”
“So do I, playing Scrabble! What a coincidence!”
“Be serious.” Angela clears her throat. “If you’re going to have sex, you need to be more responsible! What if you get pregnant? Mum would be horrified! And what if--”
“Ah, stop!” Riley throws her hands in the air. “I don’t feel like discussing my sex life with my sister, of all people!”
“Fine, but remember that old expression—he won’t buy the cow if he can get the milk for free.”
Riley slams her fist against the arm rest. “One, I am not a cow and Evan is not a farmer. Two, I’m twenty-one years old. I think I can take care of myself. Three…” Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t… “If you mean we should get married to have sex, well, I saw how that worked out for you. You were married and your husband still got it from someone else.” Uh-oh.
Angela’s face pales. “You stupid bitch, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” She stands and throws herself into the seat behind Riley’s, sulking.
“Harsh, dear, very harsh,” Chad says and takes the seat Angela had vacated. Apparently he’d been eavesdropping on their conversation.
Does the nightmare ever end? “Yeah, well, she had it coming,” Riley mutters.
Angela pops her head between the seats. “You really are a bitch!”
Chad pats Angela’s shoulders. “Now, now, settle down, girls. Angela, don’t call your sister a bitch and Riley, don’t say cruel things to your sister. What seems to be the problem?”
“None of your business!” Riley shouts.
“I was trying to be a nice sister,” Angela says. “I’m concerned about her lifestyle.”’
“And what’s her lifestyle?” Chad wants to know.
“She and Evan are having sex and I think that since I’m the sister I should warn her about the dangers of that.”
Chad stares with wide eyes at Riley. “You and Evan have sex?”
Riley reddens and lowers herself in her seat. “Why don’t you say it a little louder?”
“YOU AND EVAN HAVE SEX?”
She punches him in the chest. “Shut the hell up!”
“Anyways,” Angela continues, “can you imagine what could happen to her?”
Chad nods, sympathetic. “She could get pregnant.”
“I’m right here! You’re talking about me and I’m right here!”
Angela shrugs. “You have the nerve to insult me, then I have the right to insult you right back.”
Chad bobs his head. “Dish it and take it.”
“Yeah! And I don’t even know if they’re serious or not.”
“I wonder if he’s told her he loves her.” He looks to her.
Ouch. Riley avoids Chad’s probing stare.
“I don’t know. I would hope he had before she jumped into bed with him.”
“Fuck both of you. You don’t know anything about it!” Riley unbuckles her seatbelt and shoves past Chad.
“Hey, dear, don’t go…” Chad tries to grab her arm but she jerks away.
Riley locks herself in the small airplane bathroom and sits on the floor. Why am I always running into bathrooms to cry now? she thinks sadly. She realizes she’s clutching her CD player. I need Evan. Evan always makes everything okay; he always says “if you come to me, I’ll make it right.” She presses play and relief sweeps over her as soon as she hears Evan’s voice.
Towards the end of the last song, Evan sings, “And I’ve been counting the days, until it’s okay to say, that I love you. And I think that today is the day, when it’s okay to say, that I love you. Yeah, I love you.”
Riley’s eyes widen. It’s just a song though…or is it? Is he telling me he loves me in his own special way? But it’s not enough for him to sing it. He has to say it. I won’t be satisfied until he does.
Chapter Nine
“Riley? Riley!”
Riley squints and pulls her headphones out of her ears. She’d been listening to Evan’s CD in the bathroom for hours, probably the whole flight. “Uh…what?” She recognizes the voice as Chad’s.
“Get your ass in a seat. We’re preparing to land.”
“Since you asked so nicely.” Riley opens the door, almost crashes into Chad, and finds a seat. Takeoffs and landings are always the worst, she thinks and grips the armrests, her knuckles turning white.
Chad slides into the seat beside her. “You scared?”
“No! Of course not!”
He raises his eyebrows. “That would explain your death grip on my arm, wouldn’t it?”
“I’m not…” Riley glances down. One of her hands is clinging to his arm and she jerks it away. “I didn’t realize I was doing that.” She looks around the plane. She spots Mark sleeping across the aisle, but no sign of Eric or Angela. “Um…where’s my sister?”
“With her new best friend Eric.”
“Huh?”
Chad points to some seats a few rows ahead of theme. Sure enough, Eric and Angela are huddled close together, whispering and laughing.
“Oh, for the love of God,” Riley mutters. “My sister and my band mate. Who would’ve thought? We’re just one big happy family now!”
“Are you jealous?” Chad smirks at her.
“What? Hah!” Riley vigorously shakes her head. “Jealous of what? Eric? No thanks!”
“Well, the only way Evan would be that close to you in public is if he was showing you a contract or something work-related.”
Riley gapes at him. You asshole! she wants to shout. Why can’t you leave me alone? You don’t know anything about it! But she doesn’t say anything and instead stares out the window.
“Hey Riley…” Chad taps her shoulder. “I’m sorry, that was low. I didn’t mean it. You know I’m a jerk most of the time.”
“Don’t fucking talk to me,” she practically spits at him and he shuts up.
After they land in London they gather their luggage and board a van that will take them to the hotel. In L.A., it was mid-day but in London it’s evening.
Riley is seething the whole way to the hotel. What does Chad know about anything? she thinks angrily. He’s just some washed-up drunk who unfortunately ended up in my band. I hate him!
She steps out of the van and nearly trips in the street, but Chad catches her. “Be careful, dear,” he says in a low voice. He keeps his arm around her waist.
“Don’t touch me!” Riley slaps him off of her and stomps ahead of everyone else into the hotel.
I’ve got to hand it to the record label, she thinks as she enters her room. They always give us the best hotels. She remembers she’s supposed to call Evan and grabs her cell phone.
Evan answers on the second ring. “Hey baby,” he says before she can say anything.
“Hey baby,” she mimics him. “I’m here in one piece and calling like you asked.”
“Good. I was getting worried. How’s the hotel?”
“Wonderful, as usual.”
“Of course. I make sure you guys travel in style. What do you have on the agenda for today?”
“There’s not much of an agenda. It’s evening here.” Riley peers out the window. “Cheery London. If I see Paul McCartney, shall I tell him Evan Taubenfeld says hello?”
Evan laughs. “Paul is from Liverpool, dork. And I doubt he’d care who I am.”
“One day, babe, one day.” There’s a tap at the door and she tells Evan to hold on. She swings open the door and it’s Chad; she frowns. “What do you want?”
“Tour manager says we’re doing a talk show tonight, so meet in the lobby in ten minutes,” he replies.
“Okay.” Riley returns to her phone conversation and Chad remains in the doorway. She gives him an annoyed look but he only shrugs. She rolls her eyes. “Apparently we’re doing a talk show tonight.”
“Ah, exciting,” Evan says. “I better let you go prepare for that then. Call me right before you go to bed, okay? I want to sing you to sleep.”
Riley grins and turns away from Chad. “But if I fall asleep, who will hang up my phone?”
“Half-asleep then, smartass.”
“Will do. I’ll call you tonight.” Be the one to say I love you, Evan, please.
“Great. Bye pumpkin.”
“Bye…” Click. So much for that. She turns back to Chad, frustrated. “What the hell do you want?”
“Retract the claws, please, sheesh.” Chad holds up his hands. “I surrender. I don’t think I want the wrath of Riley.”
She just stares at him.
“Okay, okay.” Chad shuts the door and looks at the floor. His hair falls into his eyes. “Listen. I’m sorry for what I said on the plane. It wasn’t my place and it was extremely rude. Seriously, I didn’t mean it. Do you accept my apology?”
“I don’t know,” Riley says coldly.
“Please accept it. I mean, this is the start of tour. Wait until we’re at least half-way through it to hate me.”
She sighs. “I don’t hate you, Chad. I just don’t like you very much right now. Apology accepted.” Weirdo.
He grins. “Let’s go the lobby.”
They ride down in the elevator. “Chad,” Riley begins carefully. “I asked you awhile ago why you act the way you do. You were gonna tell me something. What was it?”
Chad’s grin fades. “Now is not the time.”
“Whatever.” Why not? What could it be? Why do I even care?
They meet up with everyone in the lobby. Riley is surprised to see that her sister is still attached to Eric’s side.
Angela catches her staring and runs over to her. “Oh my God, Riley,” she whispers and giggles. “You didn’t tell me about Eric!”
“Um…I don’t really tell you anything, given that we don’t talk…”
“Shame on you!” Angela playfully slaps her shoulder. “He is so funny and so nice…and not to mention cute! Have you checked out his cute little butt?”
Riley stares in shock and her sister, not believing the way she’s acting. “Can’t say I have…”
“Yeah, anyways!” Angela giggles again and sidles up to Eric, batting her eyelashes.
Wow, Riley thinks. Strange, but I’m sure stranger things have happened. As long as she stays off my ass, I don’t care, I guess.
They pile into the van again.
“Yo, Dave,” Mark calls up to their tour manager, who is in the front passenger seat. “What talk show is this?”
“A popular British show, I forgot the host’s name…anyways, they were booked on the performances, so you’re just doing an interview to promote the show tomorrow,” Dave answers. “Then we’ll probably be back the next day to perform.”
Mark turns to the rest of the Format, clearly excited. “Our show tomorrow night is at the Electric Ballroom, can you believe it?”
Even Chad seems excited. “Really? The Clash, one of my favorite bands, played there!” He squeezes Riley’s shoulder. “This is gonna be so exciting!”
It only takes them a few minutes to the reach the building where the talk show is located. They’re rushed inside and instantly a make-up artist grabs Riley and begins dusting blush onto her face. Another guy fluffs her hair.
A woman with a headset attached to her ear walks backstage and shouts, “No time for that! They’re late! The Format need to come out right now!”
“…And now, America’s newest rock sensation, here to take over Europe, the Format!” someone announces. The crowd cheers and Riley blinks at the blinding studio lights. She and the guys take their seats and she stares out into the large audience. Don’t be nervous, she tells herself. You’ve done plenty of talks show back home.
The host is nice and asks how they formed, which Mark explains. Then they talk about Chad joining the band. Eric cracks a few jokes here and there and the crowd laughs.
“So,” the host says, “this is your first overseas tour. You’re a sensation back in America. How do you think people will react here? Riley, how about you take this one? We haven’t heard from you.” Some of the crowd whoops.
Riley sits up straighter and smiles. “Looks like a few people have already heard of us! Well, we’ve been very fortunate back home and we hope that we can have that here too. I can’t say how people will react here, but I certainly hope it’s good.” She points at the crowd. “We’re playing at the Electric Ballroom tomorrow night, better see you guys there!”
The audience whoops more and the host continues, “So, Riley, you’re on Evan Taubenfeld’s record label.” A few shrieks come from the crowd. “He’s quite popular here, as you can tell. And, if I’m not mistaken, rumor has it that you two are an item?”
“Hm.” Riley taps her chin. “I don’t address my personal life.”
“Oh come on, you can tell us!”
“Hey, man,” Chad interrupts. “Leave the lady alone. You don’t have to pry into her personal life…” He grins. “Or I’ll have to ask about your gorgeous wife.” Everyone laughs and soon the interview is over and they’re heading back to the hotel.
“You didn’t have to do that, Chad,” Riley says. She digs into her pocket for her room key. “I can take care of myself.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t do it for you. I did it for me.” Chad stops behind her at her hotel room door.
Riley stops from putting her key in the lock and turns to him. “What do you mean? What does me and Evan’s relationship have to do with you?”
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