Stitch These Wounds With Me Tonight

[Jake's POV]
We get our bags and to the rental car and decide that Ash should drive since I can’t focus on anything but my sister. CC is already bouncing of the walls, Andy is melancholy, Yanni is making plans for guard duty, and Jinxx zoning out.

“Dude, they gave us a white Sprinter van. I’m going to look like a creeper driving this thing.” Ash whined.

“I call shotgun!” I yell jumping in.

CC looked to Ash with a wide grin, “Ash, I’m not getting in your big white van, unless you have candy for me.”

That’s all it took for the rest of us to lose it. Leave it to CC to make us laugh exactly when we need it most. I lean over to the gps and punch in the address Riley gave me as we leave the airport.

“Fifteen minutes until we surprise my sissy. Breakfast before or after?” I look around to get opinions.

Jinxx was first to speak up.
“I just want to get to her and make sure she’s okay. We can take the girls to breakfast with us, and tell her we know what’s happened. Hopefully we can convince her to get out of there. We’ll wait out the few days she has until graduation, and get out of Dodge. If we can get her to leave him, we start shipping all her stuff to one of our places in LA today, we’ll leave after graduation. We won’t abandon her when she needs to feel loved and protected from that asshole.”

Matt spoke next, “Dang Jinxx, that’s pretty much what I was thinking. Obviously, I’m going with her everywhere. We’ll have to use Riley or Jessa’s car as backup in case I need to grab her and go. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“I’ll start looking for a moving supply place now.” Cc chimed in.

After all that I went back to watching power lines and thinking about what Jinxx said. I really appreciate how much he thought everything out, but I can’t help but to wonder. Nah, he couldn’t like Jess like that. Could he? I know that should really piss me off, but for some reason it doesn’t. I know she’s not even out of this dangerous relationship yet, there’s no way she’d want to jump into another romance that quick… even if she did feel the same way. I shake away my thoughts and see that we’re less than five minutes away and text Riley.

Jake- Good morning Riley! Be there in 5.
Riley- Thanks for heads up Jake! Door will be unlocked.

Meanwhile at Riley’s…

[Riley POV]

I’m so glad Jake texted me! Apparently, I overslept my alarm. I can’t believe we stayed up until four am watching Disney movies and getting chocolate wasted. I’m going to be paying for that later. I shuffle into the kitchen and put the coffee on and pull down tea for me and Jessa. I hear a slight knock on the door and someone walk in the front door.

“Riles, it’s Jake. Where are you at?” he whisper yells.

“Go through the living room and make a right.” I whisper back while walking his direction.

As we meet in the living room, Jake wraps me in a huge bear hug. “How was last night?” he asks.

“We just went to bed a few hours ago. We stayed up all night being teenagers again. Disney movies and indulging in too much Monster and chocolate.” I smiled.

“Did we just become best friends?” CC says. I didn’t hear him come in with Jake. Must be how he gets away with so many pranks.

I look at him with a huge smile, “YUP!”

We were laughing our butts off when Ash walked in…

[Ashley POV]

As I walked into Riley’s I heard the sweetest laugh. I put my bag down in the foyer with Jake and CC’s and walked toward the laughter. The smile that went with that sweet laugh made me got weak in the knees. Maybe there is an upside to this trip after all. Maybe she’ll see past my man whore reputation.

I looked at the guys, “Hey, a little help unloading the rest of the bags would be nice.”

“Sorry Ash, didn’t mean to short hand you four! Be back in a few Riley.” Jake said hugging me again.

They shuffled off to help.

“I’m Ashley, but please call me Ash. You must be the gorgeous Riley I’ve heard so much about.”

“Yeah that’s me, and I know who you are Purdy Boy.” Riley says with a sly smile on her lips and slight blush to her cheeks.

She turned to get something out of a high cabinet, but couldn’t quite reach. I walked over and stood behind her and put my left hand on the counter by her hip and reached up to help her with my right, briefly brushing my hand across hers.

“This what you wanted?” I whispered low and not too close to her ear.

“Only if you want coffee too.” She teased.

I shifted my left hand closer to her warm body. “How many do you want down?” I breathed.

The warmth radiating from her coupled with the smell of her body wash and shampoo was driving me insane. I want to lean in closer, but don’t want to seem a complete weirdo.

[Riley's POV]

I notice Ash getting closer to me slowly. God he smells amazing! “Eight should be fine.” I whisper.

He hands them down to me one at a time. When he hands me the last one I turn slowly still in his arms.

“Thank you for your help Ash.”

“Any time beautiful, any time.”

About that time we heard coughing.

“Really Ash? You aren’t allowed to hit on my new best friend, unless you get an ok from me or her other best friend. It’s in the rules.”

“Ha-ha, CC has a point Purdy.” I say with a smirk and run my right hand down his left cheek, and walk out of the room.

EEEEK!!! I just did some hard core flirting with Ashley Mother Fucking Purdy!!! Jess is going to flip when I tell her about it!! I walk toward the foyer and crash into Andy.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry Andy.” I am mortified at my clumsiness.

“Riley, it’s alright. Can you show us where you want our stuff for the week? We don’t want to be in the way.”

“Sure, there is no possible way for you guys to be in the way. Most of the bedrooms are upstairs, my room is down here though.”

“Cool.” He said as we tried to take some stuff upstairs as quietly as possible.

“There are four bedrooms and my office/game room up here. Each of the bedroom is connected to another by a shared bathroom, and there’s another bathroom in my office. You guys can fight over who is going where.” I turn to leave and remember, “The coffee should be done by now if you want some. Make yourself at home. Let me know if you need anything”

“Thanks Riley. Before you go, do you have an ash tray and where can I go smoke?” Andy said running a hand through his short black hair.

“Ash tray is on the back deck by the pool. Easiest way to find is it through the French doors in the living room.” I tell him as I go back down to find the rest of the guys.

“Who wants to go wake Sleeping Beauty in my room?”

CC’s eyes light up as he looks at me. I can tell he’s got a really good bad idea.

“As long as you clean up the mess you make, and want to deal with the dragon, go for it.”

Notes

Yay, the guys made it to Riley's! Some fun in the next chapter, but be prepared for drama too!