Almost everyone was hung over in the morning and breakfast was eaten quickly while everyone sat in silence. Their last meal was one of pain, embarrassment, and general lack of energy.
Emma and Joe offered each other dirty looks from across the kitchen island, but they both seemed incapable of expressing themselves with words that morning. It would be something Riane would take note of and talk to them about individually later.
Everyone had woken up in someone else's arms, which was regretful for Emma as she barely remembered going to bed. Seth had apologized and explained what had happened though he had been rather drunk himself. Emma decided it was not worth arguing about or causing trouble over, after all they had only slept and nothing more.
Joe and Dalen had been rather calm in waking up next to one another. They had yet to have sex with one another, but waking up sleeping together on a couch or floor was something that had happened a few times. They were more concerned with dealing with Joe's morning hangover and trying to stop the vomiting so she could get on the plane later.
As for the two love birds of the group, Riane and Julian had awoken on the couch. They had moved during the night to lay on their sides with Julian's back pressed against the couch and Riane's back pressed against him. His arms were tangled up around her and she hugged tightly to them while using one of his arms as a pillow.
She had been the first to awake and rub her eyes as the rest of the group stood in the kitchen preparing breakfast and watching them. If Riane had been embarrassed to be found in such a position, she didn't show it. Instead, she stood up, asked what was for breakfast, and went to brush her teeth.
Julian had awaken earlier, but had decided he wanted to remain on the couch with her and fell back asleep. So, when he awoke again, it was because she was getting up to head downstairs.
Seth and Emma were the first ones to leave that morning for the airport, and Joe and Dalen would be the last who would take the rental car back and turn in the beach house keys. Joe was too hung over to hang out at the airport, so it was decided they would remain until they absolutely had to go or if the cleaning crew came to kick them out.
Their planes were not that far apart in departure and arrival times, so Joe would only get a couple extra hours anyway. Riane had been informed she would be heading back with Julian a couple hours before since she had arrived with Joe. Julian had been beside himself with excitement.
Once they had arrived to the airport, Riane said her goodbyes to Emma whose plane had been delayed, so they had been surprised to find them still here. After Seth and Emma finally left, it was only a matter of moments before they were called onto their own planes.
Julian sat in the middle chair and tightly grasped onto Riane's hand as she looked out the window of the plane. She could tell he was nervous about flying and didn't say much to him as he seemed to be chanting to calm himself down.
After the plane had taken off, he calmed down a little bit but held on tightly to her hand and rubbed his thumb along like the back of it as if it were a lucky talisman.
"Are you excited to be going home?" Riane asked. "I feel like we have been gone forever. I can't wait to see Nanette and Bryce. I should tell Ivy we have returned as well."
Julian shrugged his shoulders and then glared at the elderly woman sitting next to him when she bumped him with her elbow. Her family was in the row in front of her and she kept moving to talk to them, though they seemed uninterested in her assessments of the crew or the plane.
"I am going to miss the warmth, but I did kind of miss the snow too." Riane could see his annoyance though she knew it wasn't directed at her, and she was trying to take his mind off the stress that was causing it.
"Yeah." He mumbled.
Riane sighed when she realized he was barely paying any attention to her, and then thought about how she could distract him. A smile came to her lips when a question popped into her mind. "What should we do as our first real date as a couple?"
That got his attention, and Julian turned towards her with his energy renewed. "I don't know. I mean I've never gone on a real date with someone I actually liked. I mean I liked them, but not like "like like" them, you know?"
Riane smiled at his excitement, "Well, what did you do with other girls?"
The humor on his face wore off, "Nothing I would take you to, Riane." He leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms. "Dinner and a movie is shit. I have never understood it. It's a date, you are suppose to talk but you throw a two hour movie into it so neither one of you can have a conversation with the other."
"Well, we already know each other, and I have never been to a movie theater before, remember?" She was trying to keep the conversation upbeat, "Also, I love food. We could try a new place or maybe something you have never tried before."
"I've never had Ethiopian food. I have always wanted to try it, but neither Seth nor Dalen are very adventurous when it comes to food."
"Dalen, really?"
He nodded, "Yeah, you would think Mr. Chef himself would want to taste the world, but he is happy with his small worldview."
She chuckled as the plane's passengers murmured around her in their own conversations, and the flight attendants ran about. "I don't even know what Ethiopian food is, but I can go with you. I am sure I can find something I will like."
He popped up and turned towards her once more with the excitement returned to his eyes. "They serve it all on a flatbread called injera for a plate. You get little servings of beans, lintels, meats, and vegetables, and you basically use your plate as your utensil. There is all kinds to pick from, and it seems like a different eating experience."
"Sounds like fun. We should go when we are done being tired from our trip." Riane folded her hands in her lap and kept eye contact with Julian. She was surprised he was excited about eating at a restaurant, but she was more than willing to tag along.
"No movie though. We can find an arcade or an activity we can do together. I don't want to just sit there staring at a screen."
Riane snorted and rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who invites me to his room to watch old movies on his wall."
"Yeah, well, I was just trying to get you to spend time with me. It didn't matter about the quality of it as long as you were doing it."
She could feel herself blush at his confession and tried to hold it back. She touched the back of her hands to her cheeks since her hands were cold/
He chuckled and she thought for a moment it was at her reaction, but he didn't seem to notice when she looked at him. "Now, I can just ask you on a date instead of tricking you on one, so that is one problem solved."
"There is more than one?" She asked with slight shock as this was news to her. She had thought things were going pretty well between them.
Julian nodded, "Yeah, I still have to get you to like me as much as I like you, and dates are a step in that direction."
"Ugh, I swear, Julian." She felt the flush of her cheeks once more, and looked around the cabin to see if anyone was listening to their conversation.
"What?"
She lowered her voice, "Stop saying things like that so outright. It's embarrassing."
He looked confused, "What is?"
"You saying stuff about liking me and making me like you. It isn't something to be talked about in public." She continued to whisper.
Julian smirked as he watched her get comfortable in her chair and turn her eyes back to the window. "Hey, Riane?"
"Yeah?" She turned her attention back to him.
"I like you a lot." He laughed when she sunk her head into the collar of her jacket to hide her face from the world.
Emma had quizzed Seth about the events of the previous night after he got his car and began to drive her home. He could tell she was uneasy by the situation, and he had to ensure her over and over again nothing happened between them.
He told her if something had happened then he would admit to her, but they just fell asleep. A thousand worries consumed him as they had the conversation. Did she think he was capable of raping her? Was she angry with herself that she might have slept with a "taken" man? Did she blame him for being in the situation in their first place?
Once she was in front of her apartment, she told him even Riane and Julian fell asleep together and they obviously did nothing, so if it could happen to those two then it could happen to them. She apologized and told him to call her later.
He agreed and with a lighter heart drove home to speak to his father. He considered the conversation over in his head, and tried to think of every question or opinion his father might have about his relationship with Emma and Angela.
He didn't want to come off as whiny, but instead as a man who knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to ask for it.
In his heart, he knew this would disappoint his father, after all he had been close friends with Angela's father since he was a kid. Bringing the two families together through marriage meant a great deal to the two of them.
After a couple dates with Angela, he just didn't see her in the same light. She was once detached and cold, but pleasant enough to be around. Once he suggested that they make a go of a relationship, someone he didn't really know came out.
While it was the truth, he didn't think attacking Angela directly would be the mature route to take. His father wouldn't want to hear such nonsense about his goddaughter, besides it would make him sound small and petty.
He couldn't speak highly of Emma from one side of his mouth, while speaking disparaging about Angela from the other. That wouldn't be a tactic his father would appreciate or respond well too, even if it was the truth.
He was home within an instant and barely remembered driving himself there. As he stepped out of the car, he decided he would get his luggage later or send someone out for it.
Entering the house, he was greeted by one of the staff who was cleaning the rail of the stairway. She was a younger woman, who often flirted with him though it seemed mostly harmless and she didn't really want anything to come of it. After all, he had overheard her flirting with male staff members as well.
"Is my father in?" He asked her.
The brunette gave a nod with a sweet smile on her face. "He is in his study. He wanted to be informed as soon as you arrived home. Should I tell him?"
Seth shook his head, "No, I need to speak to him, so I will be announce myself. Thank you, Candace."
Heading to the back of the house, he found his father's study and took a deep breath before knocking firmly upon it.
When he heard his father's voice telling him to come in, he opened it and stepped inside only to close the door behind him.
His father was sitting in front of the fireplace with a drink in hand. The air smelled like a lit cigar and he noticed one of the table next to his father's large chair.
"Hey, dad." Seth greeted him as he walked over to the other chair and sat down.
He could see his father had drank a couple already, which meant he was probably stressed out about something. For a moment, Seth thought about backing out of this conversation and having it another time, but then his father smiled at him.
"How was your trip? How many hangovers did you get?" Richard chuckled as he took another sip of his whiskey.
He grinned back at her father, "It was great, and quite a few. How was everything while I was gone?"
"Terrible, we simply couldn't get by without you." He teased. "I am surprised you came back here to talk to me. Usually after these trips, you take a nap first."
"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you." Seth knew this was his chance and decided what ever was bothering his father would either be told him or it would remain none of his concern.
"About what?"
He took a deep breath, "I want to end my engagement with Angela." He decided tearing off the bandaid was the best approach, even if it felt strange to not beat around the bush to get to a pleasant state with his father first.
Richard nodded his head, "Yes, I was informed you didn't take her with you. I figured there was an issue. So, who is the girl?"
It didn't surprise him that his father had figured it out so easily, after all if anyone truly knew him in the world, it was his father. "Her name is Emma Mcclure. She is a scholarship student at CHU, and a very nice girl." The ending part was a matter of opinion and Seth didn't even know why he bothered to add it.
His father chuckled, "Is she now?" He took another sip of his whiskey. "So, this nice girl is enough to end your long term engagement over? You are certain there is a future for the two of you, and you are willing to cause issues between myself and Alexander?"
"It is not my intention, but I really like this girl and..." He silenced himself when his father raised his hand.
"How long have you been dating? It can't be that long since it wasn't but a moment ago you asked to make your engagement to Angela more than a simple pinky promise." Richard put his glass down harshly. "Shouldn't you have been spending time with Angela and not sneaking around with this Emma?"
"Emma and I are not dating. I like her, and she won't even consider dating me while I am in a relationship with Angela. So, don't pretend like she is some mistress." He wanted to be firm without being rude to his father.
His father took a deep breath, "I see. What of Angela?"
Seth swallowed, "I do not wish to speak poorly of her, but I don't think we are a good match. She used to be a very nice girl, until we made things official and since then... well, she has been acting rather petty and superior to others."
"Maybe she is just trying to impress you?"
"If that is the case then she chose the wrong course of action." He looked down at his father's empty glass. "Do you want another?"
"No." Richard stared at him for a couple moments, "Before I call her father and upset our friendship, I want to meet Emma."
"Uh, she and I aren't even dating yet, and you want her to meet my parents?" Seth swallowed, "Isn't that asking a little much of someone who is little more than a potential girlfriend?"
"You are asking me to break a verbal contract over this girl. I assume she is aware of your engagement, and therefore if she wishes to be a party for the end of that contract, I wish to be able to look her in the eyes and ask her a couple questions. Is that asking too much?"
Seth shook his head, "I will talk to her about it."
Julian and Riane left their luggage in the car to deal with later and walked through the front door of the house. They had only been gone for a week, but it felt like a life time ago. So much had changed on their trip, from their own relationship, to how they viewed their friends and those relationships as well.
Riane saw her best friend in the whole world very differently now. She couldn't understand why she was treating Emma with such disdain nor did she care for how she was treating Dalen. She just didn't seem to be herself, and Riane wondered if their argument had changed her.
Julian couldn't have been happier walking through the door. He felt like he hadn't seen his home in such a long time that it took him a moment to adjust himself to his surroundings, but the smell in the air reminded him of home. It wasn't the smell of cooking food; just the smell of his family. That distinct smell every home had because of the residents who lived within.
Shutting the door behind him, Julian called out with glee in his voice to anyone home. "We're back!"
Nanette rushed out of the dining room with a huge smile on her lips, and hurried to hug them both at the same time. "You're both are so tan! I missed you two brats so much. Dinner has been so quiet without you." She touched both of their cheeks with each hand and looked them over. "Did you have fun?"
Riane nodded her head with a grin.
Julian also grinned, "Yes, it was great."
Immediately, Nanette was surprised by her son's friendly demeanor towards her. She was used to forcing a hug on him, and then having him brush her off before heading to his bedroom. "Oh, that's... wonderful."
The sounds of two different individuals running down the hallway upstairs, and then down the stairs had been in the background their entire conversation. Bryce and Zachary appeared, but while Bryce came to greet them Zachary seemed to be reminded that Riane also came with his brother's return. He stopped at the bottom of the stairway and held onto the railing; the grin on his lips fading quickly.
Bryce smiled at Riane and barely acknowledged his brother, "You look so tan."
"That's what I said." Nanette chuckled. "I've missed having a girl around the house. We will have to do something to together to make up for abandoning me to the boys."
Riane giggled and nodded her head, "Alright, we can go shopping or something."
"Was it fun? Did you guys get hung over a lot?" Bryce asked with humor in his voice and his mother seemed to not want to hear the answer, so she rolled her eyes before turning her attention to her youngest son.
"Zachary, what are you doing hovering back there?" She asked and watched the young boy shrug his shoulders.
"Hey." He said to Julian only.
"Hey." Julian replied back and could see something was bothering his baby brother, as he was usually the one bouncing off the walls when he returned from a trip. He decided to deal with it later as he took Riane's hand. "Mom, we have decided to officially become a couple. We are no longer just together for the arranged marriage."
Nanette had thought that occurred some time ago, but decided she didn't know what had really been going on between them. "That's wonderful, dear."
Riane blushed as she couldn't believe he would just announce something like that, but if she made a big deal about it she might cause more of a scene.
Bryce, who was standing in front of her, stared at Riane's face as she turned red. A tightness filled his chest as he saw the slight smile on her lips and the way his brother gently held her hand. The feeling brought with it a realization he had been unable to see until that moment. Though he questioned if he was jealous of his brother having a real girlfriend or was it because that girlfriend was Riane.
Zachary too felt the pangs of jealousy, but this was for his brother. He didn't want her to take him away from him. All the other girls had been someone Julian could easily rid himself of, but he knew the moment Riane stepped in the house she would be different.
His brother never treated her the way he treated the others. They were always given curtness and sent on their way as soon as possible, but Riane wasn't going to be leaving. She had been friends with Julian before coming to live in their home, and she had changed him immediately upon arriving. He loathed how his brother paid her more attention and left him alone.
Even if Bryce was his protector from Julian most of the time, it was Julian he was closest too. It was Julian who shared his intelligence, and it was Julian who played games with him while listening to his stories.
She couldn't have him. He told himself as he headed up the stairs without so much as a word to anyone else.
"Congratulations." Bryce told his brother and Riane with the biggest smile he could muster, though his heart was not truly in it.
Nanette clasped her hands together, "What do you two want for dinner? Anything you want, I'll go get it."
"Honestly, mom, we have eaten out so much, we were hoping you could cook dinner." Julian's words were gently to his mother, which shocked both his brother and her.
Trying to not make a big deal of his sudden change, Nanette smiled, "Of course, anything in particular?"
"Whatever you want, mom. We will just be glad to be eating homemade food." He turned his attention to Riane, "Right?"
"Right."
"We." Nanette mused, "He is talking with a we." She told Bryce before she pinched Julian's cheek gently, "I'll make pesto pasta with the olive, feta, and artichokes that you like, and then maybe some chicken or... I know, I'll add panchetta to it."
"Sounds delicious, mom." Julian clasped Riane's hand tighter and look at her. "You go rest and I'll get our luggage."
"Both of you go rest, and I'll get the luggage." Bryce chuckled and patted his brother on the shoulder, before heading out the door.
Nanette smiled at both of them, "I'll call when dinner is ready, you two take it easy." She headed back into the dining room.
Riane was surprised she didn't ask them if they wanted lunch as they were in time for the meal, and just as she was about to mention something to Julian, Nanette's head popped out the doorway.
"Have you eaten lunch?" She asked.
Riane grinned, "Yes, we got something on the way home." With what answer, Nanette disappeared back into the dining room.
Julian held onto her hand as they walked up the stairs, and let it go when they reached the top. "Well, um, I'll see you later then."
"Ok." She smiled and began to head to her own room, but stopped to look back at Julian whose back was turned to her and walking away. "Or we could watch a movie. I am not very tired."
He turned to look at her with a look a shock on his face, which Riane took the mean that he was unwilling but afraid to say no.
"Nevermind, sorry. You rest." She began to head down the hall.
"No, wait, I'm not tired either. I just thought you'd want to take a nap, but I was just going to watch TV. You want to do it together?"
She grinned and hurried down the hall where she took his hand as they headed into his bedroom. She flung herself on the bed as he went to get his remote controls from the TV stand.
Joe and Dalen rose silently in the car together. He had offered her a ride home as a way of being able to spend more time with her. It was a snowy day and though the heater was blowing hot air into the car, the chill from outside still seemed to sink all the way to the bone.
After what she had said last night, he hoped she would bring it up again, but he wondered if she even remembered. She wasn't exactly feeling well that morning, and he knew how it felt to do anything like that let alone have meaningful conversation.
Part of him wanted to bring the topic up, but another part thought she would deny the entire conversation. Of course, she had been hung over all morning and on the plane. She hadn't been able to keep anything down for the most part and had gone into the bathroom to vomit during the long plane ride home.
Perhaps now wasn't the time to have a long conversation about their relationship status. As desperately as he wanted to know where they stood, he needed to give her some time to come back to her own senses.
Taking a glance at her out of the corner of his eye as he drove, she had her elbow against the car door and her head in her hand. Her eyes were closed and she breathed heavily through her mouth. Her hair was in a messy ponytail which she had pulled out and put back up several times during the flight. She had also chosen to wear sweatpants and a baggy shirt.
She had brushed her teeth multiple times especially once the flight was over, but there was still a scent of sick in the air. It was not something she could get rid of with some toothpaste and mouthwash, no matter how she tried. It seemed to be coming out of her pores and only a shower coupled with a long nap could help.
In truth, she looked like a disaster, but something about her looking this way in front of him was endearing rather than repulsive. It brought a slight smile to his lips.
As if her internal GPS told her where they were, Joe's eyes popped opened then immediately turned to look out the window before she pointed at the drive through coffee shop. "Oh, white mocha! Extra shot of espresso! Super huge!"
She wasn't speaking in full sentences and hadn't since her first trip to the bathroom on the plane, but it was only because the sound of her own voice hurt her head. He could see whenever she spoke her own eyes would flinch as if she was verbally beating her own brain.
Taking her direction, he pulled into the parking lot and got into line. He didn't think a sugary, caffeinated substance would stay down any better than the water, oatmeal, or anything else she had ingested, but he was willing to give it a try. After all, his car could be cleaned out, and Joe's suffering was far more important.
He ordered the drinks from a less than enthusiastic worker, and then pulled up to the window to be handed two drinks. He had ordered a flat white, which Joe had turned her nose up at him when she heard the less than sugary order.
As he pulled away from the coffee shop, he could hear Joe sipping out of her cup and making moaning sounds to show how pleased she was with her order.
He would take the occasional sip out of his own and tried to do his best to watch for any signs of her turning green.
Instead, she seemed to liven up a little bit. Color returned to her cheeks, and she seemed to awaken slightly.
"Feeling better?" Dalen asked when he thought she might be willing to talk now that there was a gently smile on her lips.
Joe sighed, "The caffeine is making my headache worse, but I think the sugar is helping. My stomach is feeling better. I might actually want to eat when I get home."
"Good." He watched her take a few more sips as he continued to drive. "Do you remember much of last night?"
"I remember getting in a stupid fight with Emma." She groaned and gently smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand, before taking a deep breath. "I can't believe we put hands on each other. Such a stupid thing to do."
"Do you remember what happened after we went downstairs?" He knew this was a bear he shouldn't poke, but he simple couldn't help himself.
"You said nothing happened between us." Joe was obviously set on edge by his question, and her eyes widened as she looked at him.
Dalen shook his head calmly, "I am not talking about sex. Don't worry, I wouldn't take advantage of a girl in that state. Not to mention, you smelled like puke, so I was good." He chuckled playfully.
His humor seemed to calm Joe down, and she shook her head. "So, we talked about something then?"
"Yes, you asked me to be your boyfriend again. I told you we would discuss it in the morning when you were sober." The moment the silence hit him, he realized he had made a horrible mistake. He should have remained quiet and let Joe bring it up in her own time.
"I was drunk." She finally said. "Don't take anything drunk people say with..." She cut herself off. "I am sorry I said something like that."
Dalen felt his heart sink, but he tried to hide it by sighing, "Then I guess this whole week was a bust for us?"
"No, I don't mean we shouldn't see each other, but I think we labeled each other as boyfriend and girlfriend pretty fast. We hadn't even kissed by the time we were calling each other that." She swallowed then quickly drank down a few sips of her coffee. "I mean, we shouldn't be exclusive for now. Not until we are ready to be."
He was ready to be, why wasn't she? He wanted to ask her, but decided it would only cause more issues and he had enough on his plate as it was. If this was the game she wanted to play, then he didn't really know what she expected from him and he disliked being uneasy in any relationship. "I see. I am not really the type to date around though."
"Do you expect me to believe Julian took you guys out, and you never got it on with a girl on while you guys were clubbing?"
He rolled his eyes, and tried his best to keep his annoyance out of his voice, but as soon as he spoke he could hear it. "Of course, but I wasn't dating them, was I? All girls I date, I have been immediately exclusive with, Joe."
She fell quiet for a moment and he thought perhaps this was the silent treatment. He didn't care in the moment as he needed time to think, and decide whether he would agree to this arrangement. He could already see the man in her house named Neil on dates with her.
Perhaps, she already had him picked out and now he was going to be forced to play love triangle or get out early.
Finally, she spoke. "I just want us to slow down. We don't have to be so damn serious all the time with one another. We are just out of high school and I want to be an adult for a while without being tied to someone else."
"Fine." He agreed reluctantly. "However, I reserve the right to change my mind at any time, and discuss this topic again."
"Agreed." Joe returned to sipping on her coffee and staring out the window as the snow fell around them.
Internally, Dalen hated the idea of not being exclusive, but there was really nothing else he could at this point. He would see if he was capable, if he wasn't then he would let her know. Either she would agree to become exclusive or they would have to part ways.
He disliked the latter, but he wasn't going to subject himself to a relationship which made him feel miserable.
After watching the movie together and eating some popcorn, which Nanette made and brought up to them, Riane went to her room to unpack. She left Julian to do the same, but he just tossed all his clothes dirty or not into the hamper, and threw any other items on top of his dresser.
He was out of his bedroom within five minutes and headed down the hallway to hang in Riane's bedroom. He entered the room without knocking and shut the door behind him before tossing himself on the bed.
Riane was carefully going through her washed and unwashed clothing, and glared at the man who was now laying on some of her items. She watched him yank the shirts out from underneath him and stretch them out in the process before creating another pile above his head.
After he finished the display, she turned around and opened the door behind her, which caused Julian to use his foot to fling the opening door closed.
Taking a deep breath, Riane had to turn back around and open the door. This time she didn't just toss it open, but ensured it made it to the wall where Julian's feet could not reach.
"No privacy like that." Julian complained and picked up one of her bras which was laying on the bed beside him.
Riane snatched the bra away and tossed it to the other side of the room. "We don't need privacy." She was obviously annoyed, but Julian found it more entertaining than off putting. It was mostly because she had yet to kick him out and seemed to be dealing with his childishness.
"Why not?" He asked as she pulled out some of her clothes from the suitcase and tossed them in the white wicker basket behind her.
Pulling out some lotion and make-up from one of the pockets of her luggage, she turned around and began to return them to their place on her vanity. The small travel size items found their way into the drawers. "I don't want people to get the wrong idea."
"We just spent two hours alone in a dark room with the door closed, isn't that when people could get the wrong idea?" He chuckled at how ridiculous she was being.
After she finished with her vanity, she faced him as she placed her hands on her hips. "Your mom knows we were just watching a movie."
"So, she doesn't know what we were doing in there." He continued to grin at her as he was obvious enjoying teasing her.
Riane was not amused and rolled her eyes. "She kept coming in to check on us and we weren't doing anything."
Julian grinned, "There is a lot two people could stop doing once they hear the door starting to open, and you can hear my mom walking down the hallway."
She sighed audibly, before returning to her task at hand. This conversation was going no where and she knew it the moment they began it. "Have you finished unpacking?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I didn't bring much." He told her before returning to their conversation as he wasn't quite done with it. "Anyway, what exactly is the wrong idea when two consenting adults are alone in a room together?"
"We are no where close to being consenting, Julian. So, just take the idea right out of your head." Riane was both embarrassed by the question and angered, which forced her to focus on not blushing though she doubted she succeeded.
He smirked as he could see her discomfort. "So, I am not suppose to think about doing it with my girlfriend?"
She froze for a moment, as if the very words he had spoken at stunned her, before finally looking at him. "No."
"Come on, Riane. We already slept together." He joked and joy only grew in his heart when her face turned bright red.
"We fell asleep together on a couch. We did not sleep together." She quickly spat out the words and then looked at the open door. Hurrying over, she closed it slowly until there was only a small crack, which made her feel like there was now some privacy, but proof they weren't doing anything in the room.
Julian chuckled once more while he watched her check the hallway before closing the door. "Oh, so now we need some privacy."
Turning back towards him, Riane smacked at his foot. "Stop it." Her voice had taken a more playful tone, but he could still see she was embarrassed. As she went back to her luggage, she folded a shirt and spoke at the same time. "You should respect the fact I am not ready and I have no idea when I will be, if ever."
He rolled over onto his back, which caused him to use the shirts he had pulled from under him as a pillow. Shoving his hands behind his head he shrugged, "I've got hands."
She looked confused for a moment, before smacking him again on the leg. "Eww, gross, Julian!"
He laughed as she continued to sort through her luggage. They fell quiet, but he was content to watch her do such a menial task.
This past week had been an experience. One where he got to spend nearly every waking second with Riane, and it made him realize he actually liked her and not just the idea of her. She was fun and considerate, and he outright enjoyed being able to do nothing but spend time with her.
It wouldn't be long now, before classes would start again, and he didn't like the hours she would be away. He knew there was nothing he could do about it, except enjoy what little time they had left together.
There were plans brewing in his mind already of how he could spend more time with her. From dates, to studying, to movies, and of course to hanging out with other friends.
As he sat there considering what they could do, he realized he didn't know any of Riane's interests. She just seemed to have adopted the interest of him and his friends when she joined the group, and never really offered them anything in return.
He knew she liked music, but that seemed to be the only thing she had of her own. What did she do before she met them?
He imagined a great deal of homework and then reading alone in her room, but he had never really asked her. Riane never truly explained to him who she was, and perhaps it was because she didn't know. Everything seemed so new to her and when she didn't enjoy something she seemed to say so, though he wouldn't know if the rest of the time she was just being polite.
"Have you ever played a video game?" He asked.
Riane looked surprised by the sudden end of the silence, "Not like the ones you and your brothers play. I have a couple games on my cellphone."
"So, you have never played an MMO?"
She slowly shook her head, "MMO?"
He grinned, "It's a game where hundreds if not thousands of people play on the same server. I bet you would like it. They are like living in another world."
"Oh."
She didn't seemed sold on it, but Julian already knew he had to show her in order to see if she would be interested.
"I play a bunch of them. Why don't we try a few in my room, and you can see if you like any of them, then maybe we can start new characters and play together."
"Sure."
He grinned then looked towards her laptop, "I don't know if your laptop can play them though. It's alright, we can buy another one tomorrow."
Riane had no idea what he was talking about, but decided she was too tired to inquire any further and just hoped this was another one of his ideas he would let die.
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Emma and Joe offered each other dirty looks from across the kitchen island, but they both seemed incapable of expressing themselves with words that morning. It would be something Riane would take note of and talk to them about individually later.
Everyone had woken up in someone else's arms, which was regretful for Emma as she barely remembered going to bed. Seth had apologized and explained what had happened though he had been rather drunk himself. Emma decided it was not worth arguing about or causing trouble over, after all they had only slept and nothing more.
Joe and Dalen had been rather calm in waking up next to one another. They had yet to have sex with one another, but waking up sleeping together on a couch or floor was something that had happened a few times. They were more concerned with dealing with Joe's morning hangover and trying to stop the vomiting so she could get on the plane later.
As for the two love birds of the group, Riane and Julian had awoken on the couch. They had moved during the night to lay on their sides with Julian's back pressed against the couch and Riane's back pressed against him. His arms were tangled up around her and she hugged tightly to them while using one of his arms as a pillow.
She had been the first to awake and rub her eyes as the rest of the group stood in the kitchen preparing breakfast and watching them. If Riane had been embarrassed to be found in such a position, she didn't show it. Instead, she stood up, asked what was for breakfast, and went to brush her teeth.
Julian had awaken earlier, but had decided he wanted to remain on the couch with her and fell back asleep. So, when he awoke again, it was because she was getting up to head downstairs.
Seth and Emma were the first ones to leave that morning for the airport, and Joe and Dalen would be the last who would take the rental car back and turn in the beach house keys. Joe was too hung over to hang out at the airport, so it was decided they would remain until they absolutely had to go or if the cleaning crew came to kick them out.
Their planes were not that far apart in departure and arrival times, so Joe would only get a couple extra hours anyway. Riane had been informed she would be heading back with Julian a couple hours before since she had arrived with Joe. Julian had been beside himself with excitement.
Once they had arrived to the airport, Riane said her goodbyes to Emma whose plane had been delayed, so they had been surprised to find them still here. After Seth and Emma finally left, it was only a matter of moments before they were called onto their own planes.
Julian sat in the middle chair and tightly grasped onto Riane's hand as she looked out the window of the plane. She could tell he was nervous about flying and didn't say much to him as he seemed to be chanting to calm himself down.
After the plane had taken off, he calmed down a little bit but held on tightly to her hand and rubbed his thumb along like the back of it as if it were a lucky talisman.
"Are you excited to be going home?" Riane asked. "I feel like we have been gone forever. I can't wait to see Nanette and Bryce. I should tell Ivy we have returned as well."
Julian shrugged his shoulders and then glared at the elderly woman sitting next to him when she bumped him with her elbow. Her family was in the row in front of her and she kept moving to talk to them, though they seemed uninterested in her assessments of the crew or the plane.
"I am going to miss the warmth, but I did kind of miss the snow too." Riane could see his annoyance though she knew it wasn't directed at her, and she was trying to take his mind off the stress that was causing it.
"Yeah." He mumbled.
Riane sighed when she realized he was barely paying any attention to her, and then thought about how she could distract him. A smile came to her lips when a question popped into her mind. "What should we do as our first real date as a couple?"
That got his attention, and Julian turned towards her with his energy renewed. "I don't know. I mean I've never gone on a real date with someone I actually liked. I mean I liked them, but not like "like like" them, you know?"
Riane smiled at his excitement, "Well, what did you do with other girls?"
The humor on his face wore off, "Nothing I would take you to, Riane." He leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms. "Dinner and a movie is shit. I have never understood it. It's a date, you are suppose to talk but you throw a two hour movie into it so neither one of you can have a conversation with the other."
"Well, we already know each other, and I have never been to a movie theater before, remember?" She was trying to keep the conversation upbeat, "Also, I love food. We could try a new place or maybe something you have never tried before."
"I've never had Ethiopian food. I have always wanted to try it, but neither Seth nor Dalen are very adventurous when it comes to food."
"Dalen, really?"
He nodded, "Yeah, you would think Mr. Chef himself would want to taste the world, but he is happy with his small worldview."
She chuckled as the plane's passengers murmured around her in their own conversations, and the flight attendants ran about. "I don't even know what Ethiopian food is, but I can go with you. I am sure I can find something I will like."
He popped up and turned towards her once more with the excitement returned to his eyes. "They serve it all on a flatbread called injera for a plate. You get little servings of beans, lintels, meats, and vegetables, and you basically use your plate as your utensil. There is all kinds to pick from, and it seems like a different eating experience."
"Sounds like fun. We should go when we are done being tired from our trip." Riane folded her hands in her lap and kept eye contact with Julian. She was surprised he was excited about eating at a restaurant, but she was more than willing to tag along.
"No movie though. We can find an arcade or an activity we can do together. I don't want to just sit there staring at a screen."
Riane snorted and rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who invites me to his room to watch old movies on his wall."
"Yeah, well, I was just trying to get you to spend time with me. It didn't matter about the quality of it as long as you were doing it."
She could feel herself blush at his confession and tried to hold it back. She touched the back of her hands to her cheeks since her hands were cold/
He chuckled and she thought for a moment it was at her reaction, but he didn't seem to notice when she looked at him. "Now, I can just ask you on a date instead of tricking you on one, so that is one problem solved."
"There is more than one?" She asked with slight shock as this was news to her. She had thought things were going pretty well between them.
Julian nodded, "Yeah, I still have to get you to like me as much as I like you, and dates are a step in that direction."
"Ugh, I swear, Julian." She felt the flush of her cheeks once more, and looked around the cabin to see if anyone was listening to their conversation.
"What?"
She lowered her voice, "Stop saying things like that so outright. It's embarrassing."
He looked confused, "What is?"
"You saying stuff about liking me and making me like you. It isn't something to be talked about in public." She continued to whisper.
Julian smirked as he watched her get comfortable in her chair and turn her eyes back to the window. "Hey, Riane?"
"Yeah?" She turned her attention back to him.
"I like you a lot." He laughed when she sunk her head into the collar of her jacket to hide her face from the world.
---***---
Emma had quizzed Seth about the events of the previous night after he got his car and began to drive her home. He could tell she was uneasy by the situation, and he had to ensure her over and over again nothing happened between them.
He told her if something had happened then he would admit to her, but they just fell asleep. A thousand worries consumed him as they had the conversation. Did she think he was capable of raping her? Was she angry with herself that she might have slept with a "taken" man? Did she blame him for being in the situation in their first place?
Once she was in front of her apartment, she told him even Riane and Julian fell asleep together and they obviously did nothing, so if it could happen to those two then it could happen to them. She apologized and told him to call her later.
He agreed and with a lighter heart drove home to speak to his father. He considered the conversation over in his head, and tried to think of every question or opinion his father might have about his relationship with Emma and Angela.
He didn't want to come off as whiny, but instead as a man who knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to ask for it.
In his heart, he knew this would disappoint his father, after all he had been close friends with Angela's father since he was a kid. Bringing the two families together through marriage meant a great deal to the two of them.
After a couple dates with Angela, he just didn't see her in the same light. She was once detached and cold, but pleasant enough to be around. Once he suggested that they make a go of a relationship, someone he didn't really know came out.
While it was the truth, he didn't think attacking Angela directly would be the mature route to take. His father wouldn't want to hear such nonsense about his goddaughter, besides it would make him sound small and petty.
He couldn't speak highly of Emma from one side of his mouth, while speaking disparaging about Angela from the other. That wouldn't be a tactic his father would appreciate or respond well too, even if it was the truth.
He was home within an instant and barely remembered driving himself there. As he stepped out of the car, he decided he would get his luggage later or send someone out for it.
Entering the house, he was greeted by one of the staff who was cleaning the rail of the stairway. She was a younger woman, who often flirted with him though it seemed mostly harmless and she didn't really want anything to come of it. After all, he had overheard her flirting with male staff members as well.
"Is my father in?" He asked her.
The brunette gave a nod with a sweet smile on her face. "He is in his study. He wanted to be informed as soon as you arrived home. Should I tell him?"
Seth shook his head, "No, I need to speak to him, so I will be announce myself. Thank you, Candace."
Heading to the back of the house, he found his father's study and took a deep breath before knocking firmly upon it.
When he heard his father's voice telling him to come in, he opened it and stepped inside only to close the door behind him.
His father was sitting in front of the fireplace with a drink in hand. The air smelled like a lit cigar and he noticed one of the table next to his father's large chair.
"Hey, dad." Seth greeted him as he walked over to the other chair and sat down.
He could see his father had drank a couple already, which meant he was probably stressed out about something. For a moment, Seth thought about backing out of this conversation and having it another time, but then his father smiled at him.
"How was your trip? How many hangovers did you get?" Richard chuckled as he took another sip of his whiskey.
He grinned back at her father, "It was great, and quite a few. How was everything while I was gone?"
"Terrible, we simply couldn't get by without you." He teased. "I am surprised you came back here to talk to me. Usually after these trips, you take a nap first."
"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you." Seth knew this was his chance and decided what ever was bothering his father would either be told him or it would remain none of his concern.
"About what?"
He took a deep breath, "I want to end my engagement with Angela." He decided tearing off the bandaid was the best approach, even if it felt strange to not beat around the bush to get to a pleasant state with his father first.
Richard nodded his head, "Yes, I was informed you didn't take her with you. I figured there was an issue. So, who is the girl?"
It didn't surprise him that his father had figured it out so easily, after all if anyone truly knew him in the world, it was his father. "Her name is Emma Mcclure. She is a scholarship student at CHU, and a very nice girl." The ending part was a matter of opinion and Seth didn't even know why he bothered to add it.
His father chuckled, "Is she now?" He took another sip of his whiskey. "So, this nice girl is enough to end your long term engagement over? You are certain there is a future for the two of you, and you are willing to cause issues between myself and Alexander?"
"It is not my intention, but I really like this girl and..." He silenced himself when his father raised his hand.
"How long have you been dating? It can't be that long since it wasn't but a moment ago you asked to make your engagement to Angela more than a simple pinky promise." Richard put his glass down harshly. "Shouldn't you have been spending time with Angela and not sneaking around with this Emma?"
"Emma and I are not dating. I like her, and she won't even consider dating me while I am in a relationship with Angela. So, don't pretend like she is some mistress." He wanted to be firm without being rude to his father.
His father took a deep breath, "I see. What of Angela?"
Seth swallowed, "I do not wish to speak poorly of her, but I don't think we are a good match. She used to be a very nice girl, until we made things official and since then... well, she has been acting rather petty and superior to others."
"Maybe she is just trying to impress you?"
"If that is the case then she chose the wrong course of action." He looked down at his father's empty glass. "Do you want another?"
"No." Richard stared at him for a couple moments, "Before I call her father and upset our friendship, I want to meet Emma."
"Uh, she and I aren't even dating yet, and you want her to meet my parents?" Seth swallowed, "Isn't that asking a little much of someone who is little more than a potential girlfriend?"
"You are asking me to break a verbal contract over this girl. I assume she is aware of your engagement, and therefore if she wishes to be a party for the end of that contract, I wish to be able to look her in the eyes and ask her a couple questions. Is that asking too much?"
Seth shook his head, "I will talk to her about it."
---***---
Julian and Riane left their luggage in the car to deal with later and walked through the front door of the house. They had only been gone for a week, but it felt like a life time ago. So much had changed on their trip, from their own relationship, to how they viewed their friends and those relationships as well.
Riane saw her best friend in the whole world very differently now. She couldn't understand why she was treating Emma with such disdain nor did she care for how she was treating Dalen. She just didn't seem to be herself, and Riane wondered if their argument had changed her.
Julian couldn't have been happier walking through the door. He felt like he hadn't seen his home in such a long time that it took him a moment to adjust himself to his surroundings, but the smell in the air reminded him of home. It wasn't the smell of cooking food; just the smell of his family. That distinct smell every home had because of the residents who lived within.
Shutting the door behind him, Julian called out with glee in his voice to anyone home. "We're back!"
Nanette rushed out of the dining room with a huge smile on her lips, and hurried to hug them both at the same time. "You're both are so tan! I missed you two brats so much. Dinner has been so quiet without you." She touched both of their cheeks with each hand and looked them over. "Did you have fun?"
Riane nodded her head with a grin.
Julian also grinned, "Yes, it was great."
Immediately, Nanette was surprised by her son's friendly demeanor towards her. She was used to forcing a hug on him, and then having him brush her off before heading to his bedroom. "Oh, that's... wonderful."
The sounds of two different individuals running down the hallway upstairs, and then down the stairs had been in the background their entire conversation. Bryce and Zachary appeared, but while Bryce came to greet them Zachary seemed to be reminded that Riane also came with his brother's return. He stopped at the bottom of the stairway and held onto the railing; the grin on his lips fading quickly.
Bryce smiled at Riane and barely acknowledged his brother, "You look so tan."
"That's what I said." Nanette chuckled. "I've missed having a girl around the house. We will have to do something to together to make up for abandoning me to the boys."
Riane giggled and nodded her head, "Alright, we can go shopping or something."
"Was it fun? Did you guys get hung over a lot?" Bryce asked with humor in his voice and his mother seemed to not want to hear the answer, so she rolled her eyes before turning her attention to her youngest son.
"Zachary, what are you doing hovering back there?" She asked and watched the young boy shrug his shoulders.
"Hey." He said to Julian only.
"Hey." Julian replied back and could see something was bothering his baby brother, as he was usually the one bouncing off the walls when he returned from a trip. He decided to deal with it later as he took Riane's hand. "Mom, we have decided to officially become a couple. We are no longer just together for the arranged marriage."
Nanette had thought that occurred some time ago, but decided she didn't know what had really been going on between them. "That's wonderful, dear."
Riane blushed as she couldn't believe he would just announce something like that, but if she made a big deal about it she might cause more of a scene.
Bryce, who was standing in front of her, stared at Riane's face as she turned red. A tightness filled his chest as he saw the slight smile on her lips and the way his brother gently held her hand. The feeling brought with it a realization he had been unable to see until that moment. Though he questioned if he was jealous of his brother having a real girlfriend or was it because that girlfriend was Riane.
Zachary too felt the pangs of jealousy, but this was for his brother. He didn't want her to take him away from him. All the other girls had been someone Julian could easily rid himself of, but he knew the moment Riane stepped in the house she would be different.
His brother never treated her the way he treated the others. They were always given curtness and sent on their way as soon as possible, but Riane wasn't going to be leaving. She had been friends with Julian before coming to live in their home, and she had changed him immediately upon arriving. He loathed how his brother paid her more attention and left him alone.
Even if Bryce was his protector from Julian most of the time, it was Julian he was closest too. It was Julian who shared his intelligence, and it was Julian who played games with him while listening to his stories.
She couldn't have him. He told himself as he headed up the stairs without so much as a word to anyone else.
"Congratulations." Bryce told his brother and Riane with the biggest smile he could muster, though his heart was not truly in it.
Nanette clasped her hands together, "What do you two want for dinner? Anything you want, I'll go get it."
"Honestly, mom, we have eaten out so much, we were hoping you could cook dinner." Julian's words were gently to his mother, which shocked both his brother and her.
Trying to not make a big deal of his sudden change, Nanette smiled, "Of course, anything in particular?"
"Whatever you want, mom. We will just be glad to be eating homemade food." He turned his attention to Riane, "Right?"
"Right."
"We." Nanette mused, "He is talking with a we." She told Bryce before she pinched Julian's cheek gently, "I'll make pesto pasta with the olive, feta, and artichokes that you like, and then maybe some chicken or... I know, I'll add panchetta to it."
"Sounds delicious, mom." Julian clasped Riane's hand tighter and look at her. "You go rest and I'll get our luggage."
"Both of you go rest, and I'll get the luggage." Bryce chuckled and patted his brother on the shoulder, before heading out the door.
Nanette smiled at both of them, "I'll call when dinner is ready, you two take it easy." She headed back into the dining room.
Riane was surprised she didn't ask them if they wanted lunch as they were in time for the meal, and just as she was about to mention something to Julian, Nanette's head popped out the doorway.
"Have you eaten lunch?" She asked.
Riane grinned, "Yes, we got something on the way home." With what answer, Nanette disappeared back into the dining room.
Julian held onto her hand as they walked up the stairs, and let it go when they reached the top. "Well, um, I'll see you later then."
"Ok." She smiled and began to head to her own room, but stopped to look back at Julian whose back was turned to her and walking away. "Or we could watch a movie. I am not very tired."
He turned to look at her with a look a shock on his face, which Riane took the mean that he was unwilling but afraid to say no.
"Nevermind, sorry. You rest." She began to head down the hall.
"No, wait, I'm not tired either. I just thought you'd want to take a nap, but I was just going to watch TV. You want to do it together?"
She grinned and hurried down the hall where she took his hand as they headed into his bedroom. She flung herself on the bed as he went to get his remote controls from the TV stand.
---***---
Joe and Dalen rose silently in the car together. He had offered her a ride home as a way of being able to spend more time with her. It was a snowy day and though the heater was blowing hot air into the car, the chill from outside still seemed to sink all the way to the bone.
After what she had said last night, he hoped she would bring it up again, but he wondered if she even remembered. She wasn't exactly feeling well that morning, and he knew how it felt to do anything like that let alone have meaningful conversation.
Part of him wanted to bring the topic up, but another part thought she would deny the entire conversation. Of course, she had been hung over all morning and on the plane. She hadn't been able to keep anything down for the most part and had gone into the bathroom to vomit during the long plane ride home.
Perhaps now wasn't the time to have a long conversation about their relationship status. As desperately as he wanted to know where they stood, he needed to give her some time to come back to her own senses.
Taking a glance at her out of the corner of his eye as he drove, she had her elbow against the car door and her head in her hand. Her eyes were closed and she breathed heavily through her mouth. Her hair was in a messy ponytail which she had pulled out and put back up several times during the flight. She had also chosen to wear sweatpants and a baggy shirt.
She had brushed her teeth multiple times especially once the flight was over, but there was still a scent of sick in the air. It was not something she could get rid of with some toothpaste and mouthwash, no matter how she tried. It seemed to be coming out of her pores and only a shower coupled with a long nap could help.
In truth, she looked like a disaster, but something about her looking this way in front of him was endearing rather than repulsive. It brought a slight smile to his lips.
As if her internal GPS told her where they were, Joe's eyes popped opened then immediately turned to look out the window before she pointed at the drive through coffee shop. "Oh, white mocha! Extra shot of espresso! Super huge!"
She wasn't speaking in full sentences and hadn't since her first trip to the bathroom on the plane, but it was only because the sound of her own voice hurt her head. He could see whenever she spoke her own eyes would flinch as if she was verbally beating her own brain.
Taking her direction, he pulled into the parking lot and got into line. He didn't think a sugary, caffeinated substance would stay down any better than the water, oatmeal, or anything else she had ingested, but he was willing to give it a try. After all, his car could be cleaned out, and Joe's suffering was far more important.
He ordered the drinks from a less than enthusiastic worker, and then pulled up to the window to be handed two drinks. He had ordered a flat white, which Joe had turned her nose up at him when she heard the less than sugary order.
As he pulled away from the coffee shop, he could hear Joe sipping out of her cup and making moaning sounds to show how pleased she was with her order.
He would take the occasional sip out of his own and tried to do his best to watch for any signs of her turning green.
Instead, she seemed to liven up a little bit. Color returned to her cheeks, and she seemed to awaken slightly.
"Feeling better?" Dalen asked when he thought she might be willing to talk now that there was a gently smile on her lips.
Joe sighed, "The caffeine is making my headache worse, but I think the sugar is helping. My stomach is feeling better. I might actually want to eat when I get home."
"Good." He watched her take a few more sips as he continued to drive. "Do you remember much of last night?"
"I remember getting in a stupid fight with Emma." She groaned and gently smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand, before taking a deep breath. "I can't believe we put hands on each other. Such a stupid thing to do."
"Do you remember what happened after we went downstairs?" He knew this was a bear he shouldn't poke, but he simple couldn't help himself.
"You said nothing happened between us." Joe was obviously set on edge by his question, and her eyes widened as she looked at him.
Dalen shook his head calmly, "I am not talking about sex. Don't worry, I wouldn't take advantage of a girl in that state. Not to mention, you smelled like puke, so I was good." He chuckled playfully.
His humor seemed to calm Joe down, and she shook her head. "So, we talked about something then?"
"Yes, you asked me to be your boyfriend again. I told you we would discuss it in the morning when you were sober." The moment the silence hit him, he realized he had made a horrible mistake. He should have remained quiet and let Joe bring it up in her own time.
"I was drunk." She finally said. "Don't take anything drunk people say with..." She cut herself off. "I am sorry I said something like that."
Dalen felt his heart sink, but he tried to hide it by sighing, "Then I guess this whole week was a bust for us?"
"No, I don't mean we shouldn't see each other, but I think we labeled each other as boyfriend and girlfriend pretty fast. We hadn't even kissed by the time we were calling each other that." She swallowed then quickly drank down a few sips of her coffee. "I mean, we shouldn't be exclusive for now. Not until we are ready to be."
He was ready to be, why wasn't she? He wanted to ask her, but decided it would only cause more issues and he had enough on his plate as it was. If this was the game she wanted to play, then he didn't really know what she expected from him and he disliked being uneasy in any relationship. "I see. I am not really the type to date around though."
"Do you expect me to believe Julian took you guys out, and you never got it on with a girl on while you guys were clubbing?"
He rolled his eyes, and tried his best to keep his annoyance out of his voice, but as soon as he spoke he could hear it. "Of course, but I wasn't dating them, was I? All girls I date, I have been immediately exclusive with, Joe."
She fell quiet for a moment and he thought perhaps this was the silent treatment. He didn't care in the moment as he needed time to think, and decide whether he would agree to this arrangement. He could already see the man in her house named Neil on dates with her.
Perhaps, she already had him picked out and now he was going to be forced to play love triangle or get out early.
Finally, she spoke. "I just want us to slow down. We don't have to be so damn serious all the time with one another. We are just out of high school and I want to be an adult for a while without being tied to someone else."
"Fine." He agreed reluctantly. "However, I reserve the right to change my mind at any time, and discuss this topic again."
"Agreed." Joe returned to sipping on her coffee and staring out the window as the snow fell around them.
Internally, Dalen hated the idea of not being exclusive, but there was really nothing else he could at this point. He would see if he was capable, if he wasn't then he would let her know. Either she would agree to become exclusive or they would have to part ways.
He disliked the latter, but he wasn't going to subject himself to a relationship which made him feel miserable.
---***---
After watching the movie together and eating some popcorn, which Nanette made and brought up to them, Riane went to her room to unpack. She left Julian to do the same, but he just tossed all his clothes dirty or not into the hamper, and threw any other items on top of his dresser.
He was out of his bedroom within five minutes and headed down the hallway to hang in Riane's bedroom. He entered the room without knocking and shut the door behind him before tossing himself on the bed.
Riane was carefully going through her washed and unwashed clothing, and glared at the man who was now laying on some of her items. She watched him yank the shirts out from underneath him and stretch them out in the process before creating another pile above his head.
After he finished the display, she turned around and opened the door behind her, which caused Julian to use his foot to fling the opening door closed.
Taking a deep breath, Riane had to turn back around and open the door. This time she didn't just toss it open, but ensured it made it to the wall where Julian's feet could not reach.
"No privacy like that." Julian complained and picked up one of her bras which was laying on the bed beside him.
Riane snatched the bra away and tossed it to the other side of the room. "We don't need privacy." She was obviously annoyed, but Julian found it more entertaining than off putting. It was mostly because she had yet to kick him out and seemed to be dealing with his childishness.
"Why not?" He asked as she pulled out some of her clothes from the suitcase and tossed them in the white wicker basket behind her.
Pulling out some lotion and make-up from one of the pockets of her luggage, she turned around and began to return them to their place on her vanity. The small travel size items found their way into the drawers. "I don't want people to get the wrong idea."
"We just spent two hours alone in a dark room with the door closed, isn't that when people could get the wrong idea?" He chuckled at how ridiculous she was being.
After she finished with her vanity, she faced him as she placed her hands on her hips. "Your mom knows we were just watching a movie."
"So, she doesn't know what we were doing in there." He continued to grin at her as he was obvious enjoying teasing her.
Riane was not amused and rolled her eyes. "She kept coming in to check on us and we weren't doing anything."
Julian grinned, "There is a lot two people could stop doing once they hear the door starting to open, and you can hear my mom walking down the hallway."
She sighed audibly, before returning to her task at hand. This conversation was going no where and she knew it the moment they began it. "Have you finished unpacking?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I didn't bring much." He told her before returning to their conversation as he wasn't quite done with it. "Anyway, what exactly is the wrong idea when two consenting adults are alone in a room together?"
"We are no where close to being consenting, Julian. So, just take the idea right out of your head." Riane was both embarrassed by the question and angered, which forced her to focus on not blushing though she doubted she succeeded.
He smirked as he could see her discomfort. "So, I am not suppose to think about doing it with my girlfriend?"
She froze for a moment, as if the very words he had spoken at stunned her, before finally looking at him. "No."
"Come on, Riane. We already slept together." He joked and joy only grew in his heart when her face turned bright red.
"We fell asleep together on a couch. We did not sleep together." She quickly spat out the words and then looked at the open door. Hurrying over, she closed it slowly until there was only a small crack, which made her feel like there was now some privacy, but proof they weren't doing anything in the room.
Julian chuckled once more while he watched her check the hallway before closing the door. "Oh, so now we need some privacy."
Turning back towards him, Riane smacked at his foot. "Stop it." Her voice had taken a more playful tone, but he could still see she was embarrassed. As she went back to her luggage, she folded a shirt and spoke at the same time. "You should respect the fact I am not ready and I have no idea when I will be, if ever."
He rolled over onto his back, which caused him to use the shirts he had pulled from under him as a pillow. Shoving his hands behind his head he shrugged, "I've got hands."
She looked confused for a moment, before smacking him again on the leg. "Eww, gross, Julian!"
He laughed as she continued to sort through her luggage. They fell quiet, but he was content to watch her do such a menial task.
This past week had been an experience. One where he got to spend nearly every waking second with Riane, and it made him realize he actually liked her and not just the idea of her. She was fun and considerate, and he outright enjoyed being able to do nothing but spend time with her.
It wouldn't be long now, before classes would start again, and he didn't like the hours she would be away. He knew there was nothing he could do about it, except enjoy what little time they had left together.
There were plans brewing in his mind already of how he could spend more time with her. From dates, to studying, to movies, and of course to hanging out with other friends.
As he sat there considering what they could do, he realized he didn't know any of Riane's interests. She just seemed to have adopted the interest of him and his friends when she joined the group, and never really offered them anything in return.
He knew she liked music, but that seemed to be the only thing she had of her own. What did she do before she met them?
He imagined a great deal of homework and then reading alone in her room, but he had never really asked her. Riane never truly explained to him who she was, and perhaps it was because she didn't know. Everything seemed so new to her and when she didn't enjoy something she seemed to say so, though he wouldn't know if the rest of the time she was just being polite.
"Have you ever played a video game?" He asked.
Riane looked surprised by the sudden end of the silence, "Not like the ones you and your brothers play. I have a couple games on my cellphone."
"So, you have never played an MMO?"
She slowly shook her head, "MMO?"
He grinned, "It's a game where hundreds if not thousands of people play on the same server. I bet you would like it. They are like living in another world."
"Oh."
She didn't seemed sold on it, but Julian already knew he had to show her in order to see if she would be interested.
"I play a bunch of them. Why don't we try a few in my room, and you can see if you like any of them, then maybe we can start new characters and play together."
"Sure."
He grinned then looked towards her laptop, "I don't know if your laptop can play them though. It's alright, we can buy another one tomorrow."
Riane had no idea what he was talking about, but decided she was too tired to inquire any further and just hoped this was another one of his ideas he would let die.
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