Chapter 6 - Brotherly jealousy
"R-Riley ... what ... what are you doing here?" Emily wondered, her heart racing.
Eyeing the boy beside her, Riley arched an eyebrow. "Well, I thought, since my date will meet me there, maybe I could give you a lift, Honeybee ... I see somebody beat me to it, huh?"
Dean sent him a dirty look when Emily seemed to be agreeing. "I am her date, so I suppose it's my privilege to take her to the party, don't you think?" He spat surprised at his own harsh tone, but not regretful. The more he looked at him, the more Dean was convinced, this Riley guy was his worst rival.
Emily shot her friend a puzzled look, surprised at his sudden boost of nerve. Dean was usually so calm and posed, it was odd to see him snap like that. She wasn't even sure why, but the tension between the guys was evident.
Riley, however, cracked a small smile, for how not truly glad. "Sure. I didn't know you'd taken arrangements already." He half lied. Of course he knew she had a date to the party ... he just thought, for how unconsciously, that they might spend some time together before that.
An awkward silence blanketed the room. Emily gazed alternatively at the boys, while they held a tense stare contest that seemed to be conveying way more than they'd say. She was taken back. What was all the fuss?
"Emily, we're going! We'll see you at the party!" Her mother called from downstairs, breaking that heavy silence.
Emily swallowed, nodding to herself, then muttered a positive response that only the boys heard. "Um ... okay, then we-uh ... we should go?" It came out like a question, because she truly had no idea what to do. She'd never found herself in the middle of such a tense moment. It seemed the boys had taken a distant disliking on each other, and she was clueless as to why.
Finally, Riley, realizing he was being childish, nodded. "Alright. How about we all carpool there?" He bargained with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. It annoyed him to leave her alone with that boy, and he wasn't quite sure why.
Emily was incline to accept, but she noticed Dean's annoyed look, so she cleared her throat, shaking her head. "Uh ... thanks, but ... um ... I-I'll go with Dean." Her cheeks turned of a bright red, and her heart started thumping, rejecting the sole idea of turning down Riley, be it only for a ride, but she remained fixated on her decision. After all, it was true, Dean was her date, even if she hadn't decided.
Truth be told, she'd have simply gone with her parents, it was odd that both boys had thought about picking her up. And that tension between them, it faded only when Riley, for how evidently not glad, left.
"We should go." Dean nudged her, trying to be confident, afraid the way she was gazing at the spot the guy he'd just left was a horrible sign of defeat.
Shaking herself off her thoughts, Emily nodded, cracking a tiny smile. She fetched her purse, and they left, but there was something still hanging in the air, and seeing Riley drive off the exact moment when they stepped out of the house didn't help.
The car ride was tense, but as soon as she arrived to the party, Emily found a fairy tale atmosphere that reeked of her mother's dreamy nature, and she smiled, proud of her mom.
The party was outdoor, in a nice garden, outside one of the best hotel-restaurants in town, decorated with string lights of different shapes, the main colors being black and gold, several tables settled all around a large tile floor that would be dedicated to dancing, a small orchestra in the corner. It seemed more like a wedding than a promotion party, but Emily loved it.
She smiled as she beheld the scene, all her mother's colleagues-now employees were present, plus her friends and family, all the relatives ... everybody that cared about Sybil Robinson was invited, plus, of course, those people who were there for a mere matter of courtesy.
Emily recalled her date was beside her when Dean awed at the whole scene, so she turned to him and smiled, feeling like an effort at not being gloomy for once was due, be it only for her mom. Emily spotted her among her family and as their gazes locked, Sybil waved to her daughter to go greet them, so, even if warily, Emily headed there, Dean on tow.
Riley watched from afar the two teenagers walking side by side, the boy hesitating but clearly craving to grab her hand and hold it. Riley didn't like him. He'd just met him, but there was something about that boy that irked him. It wasn't the way Dean had snapped at him, it was just ... him. One of those unreasonable dislikes maybe.
Or maybe it had to do with ... nah. He wasn't like Jason, he didn't want her nun. If anything, he wanted her to come out of that freaking shell and show to the world the unique and amazing creature she was.
Within four years she'd changed much, though ... very much. There was almost nothing of the child he used to babysit left in her. As a matter of fact, Emily was a woman. Physically at least. And that dress fitted her even too well ... it hugged her curves so perfectly, showed her long bare legs and her slender arms, not to mention her back, and her cleavage ... what the hell was he thinking when he picked it? Had Jason been there, he'd have smacked him over the head for even only suggesting his baby sister showed that much skin.
Why didn't he bother then? Sure, he'd never been as strict as his best friend, but still ... he knew Emily would have a date at this party. Well, knowing that didn't stop him from showing up at her place to give her a lift. Officially.
Actually ... Riley had thought it was early for the party, so maybe he could take Emily to the ice cream parlor and ... talk. Go through her issues and face each and every single one of them or ... well, even only just spend an hour or two alone with her. Like he used to.
Years ago it didn't feel this wrong, though. Years ago he was a teenager babysitting a cute child. He'd had even more girls at his feet because of that, many used baby Emily as an excuse to approach him, complimenting him for being such a sweet brother, awing only more when he admitted that that was actually his best friend's sister, not his own.
Riley chuckled on his own as he recalled the dirty looks 6-years-old Emily would send those girls that disrupted her peaceful and playful afternoon with her "favorite person in the world" only to flirt, annoyed that they'd try to steal him from her.
He never let that happen, though. No matter how pretty the girl was, time with his Honeybee was too precious. Even for a player like him, yes. He and Jason hadn't exactly been saints throughout high school and college, but when it came to his Honeybee, there was no pretty face that counted.
However, he repeated himself, years ago he'd only been a teenager babysitting a cute child. Even throughout middle school, Emily had always been just a child. Despite the call of nature happening when she was 10. But now ... now she was a woman and ... it felt wrong to want to be alone with her and yet he couldn't help it. Maybe because, that whole week, Emily had done her best to avoid solo moments with him, after Sunday.
She had issues. Oh, yes, she had many, many issues, and he wanted to solve them, he wanted her to smile and giggle as she used to when she was a child, he wanted those pink lips to never be molded into a frown.
Ah, those lips. Those plump pink lips he so wanted to nip on – oh, Jeez, what the hell did he just think?! She's your freaking sister, you pervert! No, she wasn't. Emily was not his sister, he was not her brother. There was no blood relation between them. Nothing. Not even a far connection in the genealogical tree.
But still. He'd seen her grow up. He'd even changed her diapers. Jeez, her first word after mommy had been Rye, which she'd heard Jason call him so many times. Emily had learnt to call Rye before daddy. Sure, it had been a gap of a two days only, but still.
Whether they shared blood or not, he'd been her brother. So get those filthy thoughts out of your head, you idiot. She's off limits. He chastised himself.
And yet ... Riley watched her as she shyly talked to her relatives, Dean beside her, too close, too damn close, almost brushing her hip ... Riley felt his jaw clenching before he could even realize it. It was brotherly jealousy. Brotherly jealousy. He was as much possessive as Jason was over his little sister. Just that. Just ... damn no.
There was nothing brotherly in the thoughts that spun through his mind. About how soft her skin must be, how gorgeous she was without even knowing, how mesmerizing her eyes were, how tantalizing her curves were ... Jason would never think such things of her, would he?
Well, his best friend had confided, he did think such things of someone that wasn't his fiancée ... but that was just as wrong. Only a couple of days before they'd talked while sipping beer on his lawn, and Jason had confessed that while he'd been the very reincarnation of loyalty towards Gwen since the beginning, never betraying even in thought, lately he'd ... found himself having really dirty thoughts about a girl he shouldn't even consider as woman.
This particular girl was different from the others, she wasn't intimidated by the difference in age or by him, she faced him with her head held high, she was a badass and flirted so subtly with him that even many girls of their age would be nuns if compared. This girl was hot, Jason admitted, and sexy, and ... breathtaking. And she'd been taking his mind hostage since a few months now, abruptly.
Riley's case was maybe harder, given the past, but not that much different. Though Jason didn't mention anything about feelings, he just admitted he'd been having very dirty and wrong thoughts about this girl. Riley ... eh, he had no idea.
Part of him craved those lips, the other only wanted to cradle Emily in his arms and fix her every issue to see her smile. Part of him wanted to protect the child, the other wanted to be the one to drive that teen to the adult world.
Riley shook his head violently at the only thought. Jeez, what the hell was happening to him? He wasn't such a pervert. She was almost ten years younger. Ten. Not one or two, but ten. Sure, his father had been eight years older than his wife, but that was different, she was 23 when they met. Not barely 18. Oh, fuck, Emily was still underage too. That he'd become? One of those disgusting perverts that have thoughts about teens? Jeez. London did mess him up, didn't it?
Well, London, more like ... Lydia. She changed his world, turned it upside down, and not in a good way. There was something missing. There always was. That's why it didn't work. Even if he'd loved her. Truly. But love is not always enough, is it? Not when misunderstandings keep popping up like mushrooms.
In the end, it was just better to separate. After three years there was nothing left of that idyll, that dream they'd lived. Three years out of four of his sojourn in London had been spent with her, it was long, really long, as a matter of fact his longest relationship. Before Lydia, he'd never been able to keep a girlfriend for more than nine months. Before leaving Emily behind, you mean. His conscience soon retorted.
Right. No matter how he liked the girl, in the end she'd complain about him being too preoccupied with that little girl that wasn't even related. That had happened in high school at least, in college he hadn't had much of an interest for being serious with a girl. Those are the years of fun, right? And how much fun him and Jason had had ... till his best friend met Gwen, that is. She more than made him turn his head, she captured that detached spirit all to herself.
Actually, Riley would have never thought his best friend would come to bid his neck to the infamous altar before being old enough to become one of those charming bachelors that caught the interest of young girls in seek of money more than love, and yet only a few months back Riley had received this weird call from Jason that had him recoil, the words being very few to announce such big thing: I did it, Rye. I'm getting married. Of course, Jason had talked to him about it for long, but Riley had always thought it was either a joke or he wouldn't go through with it, and yet ...
Averting his gaze from Emily for a moment, Riley looked around, only to spot his best friend all wrapped up in his fiancée's arms. Gwen was beautiful, much shorter than Jason and petite in her figure, but beautiful. And very nice too. Riley had known her since years, and she was a great girl, very kind and very calm, so opposite to Jason, therefore complementary.
She suited him, Riley thought, sure, she still had much to learn when it came to handling his bad moods, but she'd catch up. And Jason was so taken. He was in love, as never he'd been, so there was no doubt Gwen was the right choice.
An annoyed snort came from beside him and Riley turned around, confused, only to meet the gorgeous sight of a honey blonde teen in a black sequined high-low dress, whose big grey eyes were fixed on the same scene he'd been watching, but opposite to him she was glaring.
"That bitch." Vanessa muttered, making Riley chuckle, then quit when he received a glare from the teen.
"Uh ... you look great tonight, Vanessa." He tried to mend.
She snorted, crossing her arms as she spat: "Don't flatter me. It doesn't work."
What a feisty one ... how was it that this fierce girl was best friends with such a peaceful soul as Emily? Then again, he was the complete opposite to Jason and yet they'd been like brothers since kindergarten.
"Ugh, why won't she just leave him alone? She's so ... so ..."
"So in love with him?" Riley filled in, gaining another glare he recoiled at. Wow. Definitely not one to play with. Maybe she wouldn't that be that wrong for Jason ... actually, maybe Vanessa could handle Jason much better than Gwen ever had, Riley considered.
If she'd ever had an influence on him, it was only because Jason loved Gwen, not because of the badassery of the girl herself, but maybe Vanessa ... certainly his best friend didn't have his same boundaries, age wouldn't really matter to him, especially considering he'd met Vanessa that she was already on her way to be woman. However ... he was loyal, and he loved Gwen too much to even think of either cheating on her or just leaving her, for a teenage girl even.
Vanessa turned her body to face Riley directly and, glaring, she spat: "He is not in love with her."
Riley would have wanted to agree with her, but the odds were completely opposite. He settled for better observing the girl. To anybody, she'd look like a silly teen whimsically wanting what she couldn't have, but a good eye, like his, would spot, behind the badass mask, hints of something that would never be caused by a simple foolish crush.
Something a teen shouldn't be up against, not so soon. Something like pain. Unrequited love kills more than cigarettes, doesn't it? That's why Emily kept trying to persuade her friend into abandoning such crusade, Riley realized. Not because she didn't like the idea of her with her brother, but because she wanted to save Vanessa from the heartbreak. Quite an impossible mission, sadly.
"Let's enjoy the party, shall we?" Riley proposed, just to change subject. He could see acknowledgement in Vanessa's eyes, but she pretended it was everything normal and grinned, agreeing, then scanned the place, till she spotted Emily now standing beside Dean, smiling as she listened to whatever he was saying.
Vanessa, from the corner of her eyes, noticed that Riley had followed her line of sight and his jaw had clenched, his gaze hardening, so she mischievously decided to test the waters: "They make a nice couple, don't they?"
He didn't reply, but he did clench his fists, and if looks could kill, her twin brother would be very much dead by now. So the blondie was jealous, huh? What was that Emily said? He saw her only as a little sister. Sure. Her brother wouldn't have mentally murdered her date.
Well ... had he been more of a fighting spirit, Dean would have craved to punch Riley, but not because he was her date, no. If anything, because he could have been someone else's date ... someone her brother had been crushing on since years, someone that, Vanessa proudly observed, looked breathtakingly gorgeous tonight.
Oh, yes, Emily looked dashing in that dress. Vanessa would have fixed her hair a little, but left cascading in curls like that was perfect anyway. And certainly Dean hadn't been the only one to notice.
Vanessa grinned as she, scanning the place, noticed that more than a few eyes were on her best friend. Male eyes to be precise. She could even spot a group of three guys and two girls from their school that were staring at Emily, all baffled, the girls whispering animatedly, the guys smirking and nodding as one of them, who Vanessa recognized as one of the most popular guys in school, said something while his eyes never left Emily.
"Ah, if only she admitted it ..." Vanessa commented out loud, realizing she wasn't alone when Riley asked what, so she turned to him, grinning as she hinted at Emily still talking and smiling at Dean in the distance. "That's she's much more than so many others. She's so beautiful and she doesn't even realize it. I mean, look around, how many guys do you see ogling her?"
Riley blinked his eyes, confused, and scanned the place as well, his teeth gritting as he noticed how many teenagers were eyeing his Honeybee. It looked as if she were the only girl at the party. The teenagers there were about two dozens more or less, half of which were boys and at least ... he counted quickly, at least five out of twelve were ogling Emily, all but innocently. Ugh, against his every peaceful fiber and strand of reason, Riley felt like punching them all, even only for having such dirty thoughts about his Honeybee.
Well, you're no different, are you? His conscience soon retorted. No, he wasn't. He'd had hideous thoughts about her too, especially tonight, and they ought to be deleted. Either way, he'd been a teenager too and he knew that the way those boys were ogling his Honeybee, they didn't want a relationship. They wanted much, much more. Like Hell they'll get it.
Vanessa beside him giggled, shaking her head as he frowned, glancing at her. "Don't worry, my brother is not as pervert as our peers. He'll be a gentleman."
"He better." Riley hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes back to the teen couple. They were sitting at a table not too far, beside each other, Emily smiling and nodding at him as he said something. At least she was enjoying herself, Riley considered. He just hoped not too much. Better said, not more than she would with him.