Not since our graduation night.
It should have been a time for celebration but, instead, we spent it consoling Riley as he went through a gamut of emotions, from pissed to disbelief to utter sadness.
And, then, later, when we arrived in Los Angeles and remembered how we had all dreamed, talked about, and planned what we would do here. As time went on, I forgot about the hurt Ariela caused all of us when she walked out of his life.
But I realize now that Riley has never forgotten.
And it’s my fault for bringing her back in our lives.
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you, Jennifer,” he says, “I’ve been an ass.”
“I can agree with you on that,” she says.
“Thanks,” he replies.
Then he turns to me. I’m ready to rush over and hug him. To let him know that no matter what, we’re always on his side. I’m ready to fire Ariela as my wedding planner. I’ll figure out something else.
Seeing him this way isn’t worth it.
How many times has he been there for me?
“Can I have some ice?” he asks me, holding out his hand, which is crusted with blood and grossly swollen.
“Oh, Riley, that looks—” I get hot, nauseous, and feel myself sway.
“I’ve got her,” I hear Knox say, grabbing me as my knees give out.
Next thing I know, I’m on the couch with him and he’s fanning my face.
“Shit,” I mutter. “Did I faint?”
“Yeah, it’s okay,” he whispers. “I caught you.”
Aiden sits down next to me, taking my hand. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. His hand just made me feel a little queazy. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t choose a medical profession.”
“Aiden,” Knox says, “why don’t you deal with Riley’s hand, and I’ll sit here with Keatyn. If I see it again, I just might faint too.”
“Pussy,” Aiden says to him with a smile, getting up and getting Riley a baggie of ice and a towel.
“What’s going on out here?” Dawson asks, as he, Vanessa, and Dallas wander downstairs after getting the kids to sleep.
“Let’s see. Riley came in, he’s sorry about dinner,” Jennifer says, giving them a play-by-play. “Keatyn fainted when she saw Riley’s hand. Knox about passed out when Keatyn fainted. Riley’s hand appears to be broken. Ariela is still outside. And, in case anyone wants to know, Knox and I made out while you were putting the kids to bed and Riley was chasing after Ariela.”
I laugh at her, loving her crazy honesty.
Riley glares at Knox, but Knox just shrugs his shoulders, like he’s so irresistible he can’t help it.
Jennifer says, “Sorry, Riley, you’re just a little too immature and emotional for me.” Which is ironic coming from a twenty-two year old.
Dawson moves the ice off Riley’s hand, smiles broadly, and punches his brother’s shoulder. “That is so broken. We need to send a pic of it to Camden. It definitely beats his.”
Riley smiles.
“What’d you do?” Jennifer asks.
“I punched a tree,” he says.
“Well, that was really stupid,” Jennifer dead pans. “Why did you do that?”
“Grandpa told me too.”
I hear Aiden on the phone with our local concierge doctor. “Yeah, we’ll see you shortly.”
While they continue to discuss Riley’s swollen hand, I lean toward Knox.
“You were flirting with Ariela at dinner to make Riley jealous so that you could get with Jennifer.”
“Who, me? I can’t believe you would think I could be so devious.”
“I’ve known you for a long time, Knox.”
“Okay, fine. I could tell he was trying to rub Ariela’s nose in his new thing with Jennifer. When a guy is trying that hard to make another girl jealous, he’s not that interested in the girl he’s with. It was going to implode eventually. I just sort of helped the process.”
Keatyn & Aiden’s home - Asher Vineyards, Sonoma County
VANESSA
“I’m going to check on Ariela,” I tell Dawson and everyone else.
“She’s down the hill on the swing,” Riley says. “Grab a blanket. It’s chilly.”
I take two rolled up cashmere blankets from the basket in the family room, wrap one around myself, and go to the swing.
“Are you okay?” I ask her, sitting down next to her and handing her the other throw.
“Yeah, I’m just sitting out here wallowing in self-loathing,” she says, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. “Wondering how my life got so off track.”
“I wonder that sometimes too,” I admit. “And sometimes I wonder if Keatyn's right. If it's all part of a greater plan. If the universe teaches us lessons.”
“I’ve learned a big lesson.”
“What's that?”
“I need to start trusting my feelings.”
“Follow your heart, it will always lead you home?” I say, quoting a line from the last Keatyn Chronicles movie.