Professor Bryant's Second Chance

Chapter Ten

Riley



I couldn't do it. I couldn't just sit there and pretend like everything was okay between us. Dylan hurt me, and yet he wanted to try for us to be friends? He has no idea the sort of hell that I've been through all caused by him. There are times I wish I had never met him then I realize being with Dylan was life-changing for me. As much as I hate what happened to me, I've never been more myself when I was with him. It was a shame that he had to lie to me yet again and ruin everything we had built.

Without looking back, I took off running until I pushed through the doors of our hut. I made it to the couch before sobbing and crying so much that I couldn't see anything. Why did he have to be here? This wasn't a vacation. This was punishment. How cruel was it to put us on the same island together after everything that has happened?

Nothing he said made a difference, though part of me wished it would. It's hard to believe anything that comes out of his mouth anymore. One minute he lies, then the next, he is supposedly telling the truth. It gets all too confusing.

I wasn't in the hut long by myself before I felt Justin kneel beside me and wrap me in his arms. "Shh. It's going to be okay."

How could he say that? Why was everyone always lying around me? Maybe he could sit there and forget everything that has happened to me, but I can't.

"I. Want. To. Go. Home," I said in between sobs. The vacation of my dreams has turned into a f*****g nightmare.

Justin pulled me back a little, forcing me to look into his eyes. "Do you want me to take care of him? I'm serious, Riley. After everything that he has put you through, the least that I can do is pop him one good time."

He always knew how to make me smile, even when I doubted him. I shook my head, knowing that I couldn't speak right now if I wanted to, not until I calmed down a little.

"He deserves it, though. Dylan has to be an i***t to let you go, to do something that would make you leave. If you were mine, I'd never hurt you."

I grabbed the back of Justin's neck and pushed his lips to mine. It was the perfect moment that I had been waiting for. Sure, the timing was a little shitty, but Justin was everything I needed in my life. Why waste my time waiting to recover from Dylan when Justin has done that for me?

Justin wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me onto his lap, our lips continuing to touch. He sunk his hand into my hair, heightening the sensation throughout my body. When I opened my mouth, his tongue slipped inside. It wasn't one of those crazy, hot kisses that eventually led to s*x. It was sort of sweet. I could see this being Justin's signature kiss if he had one.

"Riley," Justin breathlessly said as he pulled away and rested his forehead to mine. "I've wanted to do that for months now."

"I know," I responded because I'd been wanting the same thing.

When he pulled his head away from mine, he didn't look as excited or happy about the kiss as I was. "Don't get me wrong, the kiss was everything that I hoped it would be, but it's still not the right time. You only kissed me because you were upset about seeing Dylan again."

"That isn't true!" It wasn't. I didn't feel that way at all. "You aren't some rebound guy if that's what you're thinking. You mean more to me than that."

"I'm not saying that I am but come on, Riley. What else am I supposed to think when your ex shows up at the same resort you are staying at on vacation for two weeks? It seems like you can't escape him, and I don't want to be that guy always coming second place to the most epic love of your life. Regardless if you want to admit it or not, the feelings for him are still there. They are just buried right now, stacked on top of by all the hurt he has caused you. If what we have is meant to happen, it will. We will both know it's the right time, but that time isn't now. As much as I want you, Riley, your heart has already been claimed by another. That doesn't go away only after a few months."

I knew what he was saying made total sense, but I'm sick and tired of other people telling me how I am supposed to feel. Yes, I will always love Dylan, but that doesn't mean I can't move on with a new love in my life. I know that Justin didn't see it that way, and I wanted to respect his decision, but that was easier said than done.

After staring at him silently for a few minutes, I stood up and headed into one of the bedrooms. "I'm going to bed now."

"Riley," Justin called after me. "Don't do this. Stay up, and let's have a good time. I don't want you pouting for the rest of the trip. I have feelings for you. I'm not saying that I don't. All I'm saying is let's just hold off and see where things may go."

"Go have fun. I'll be alright." I practically closed the door in his face.

I didn't want to hear another word. Call it pouting if you want to, but if anyone had been through what I have, they would feel the same way about the situation.

There were sliding glass doors that led out to the back deck from my bedroom. The water looked so cool and relaxing. Before I could change my mind, I stripped down to my new bikini and headed out the doors and down the steps, right into the ocean. The water was a little cool at first, but I quickly warmed up to it. The coolness yet calmness of it seemed to relax me a little.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself? None of your friends want to join you?"

I looked up on the deck to see Dylan leaning over, staring at me. I huffed and quickly turned back around, ignoring him. Seeing him or even talking to him was a mistake. Knowing what I know now, I should just leave. Surely there would be flight availability even this late into the evening.

Before I knew it, Dylan had stripped down into his plaid swim trunks and stepped into the ocean. He stood beside me, looking out over the vast ocean, appreciating its beauty like I was before he came and ruined the moment.

"You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?"

He shook his head while staring straight at me as I stared ahead. "No. I realized the poor decisions that I made that brought me to where I am right now, but I have to try."

"Why would you bother? You haven't tried for the last two months, so why start now?"

"Because I wanted to give you that space that I know you needed. If I had tried talking to you then, you would have slammed the door in my face. You have every right to be pissed, but all I'm asking is for the chance to explain things to you. You deserve that."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "What makes you think that I will believe anything that comes out of your mouth? All you do is lie. You played me. I realize that now. What do you want, congratulations for f*****g me over? Then, game well played, Dylan."

"It was never a game to me. I fell in love with you, Riley Bell, deeply in love. The things that I did to lead us to this point were all on me, and I take full responsibility for my actions. Don't ever think that I didn't love you because I've never loved someone in my entire life the way that I love you."

My eyes quickly darted to his, trying to search for any lies he might be spitting out now. I've heard enough of his lies to at least be able to try and tell when he is lying or not, but I couldn't see a trace of dishonesty there. I wanted to. Believe me that I wanted to look at him and see his lies. It would make things easier.

"Come have dinner with me tomorrow. One dinner, and if you don't want to ever speak to me again, I will understand. I can show you proof that I'm not lying. There are divorce papers that I had written up before meeting you. I'm sure one call to my lawyer, and he can send them right over to me."

Staring at him made things so much harder. It's like when I stared at him, I saw all the great times we shared together. I could remember the way I felt being with him. I hated this. I hated how confused I was at this moment.

I'm not sure why I said what I did next. Maybe in my heart, I felt guilty, or maybe I just wanted to make him jealous. Honestly, I will never know. "I kissed Justin."

"When?"

"Before coming out here."

"Is that the first time you two have kissed since we broke it off, or have there been other times?"

I could hear the shakiness in his voice. He may have tried to hide it, but he forgets that I know all there is to know about him, or at least I thought I did. Still, I found myself needing to be honest with him. Call it being lied to so many times by him, but I hated lies now more than anything. "This is the first time. I've tried taking it further, but Justin is a true gentleman. He says that I still have feelings for you and that the timing isn't right."

Dylan smiled a little and stepped even closer to me. "Do you? Do you still have feelings for me?"

"Of course, I do. Those feelings don't just go away like they never existed, Dylan, but Justin is good for me. You being here screws up that for me."

He walked a little closer until our chests were touching, our lips only inches apart. I could feel every inch of the thickness between us between my legs right now. "Is that so? Does he kiss you like I did? Can he do the things I know you love in the bedroom?"

Oh my god! I couldn't think straight with him being this close to me. "That is highly inappropriate."

I could feel him growing stiff against my leg just under the water. It was still as impressive as it was the first time I felt him. "It may be inappropriate, but you love it. It can be our little secret, Riley. You haven't been touched in months. I can help you with that if you would let me."

Dylan licked his lips, turning me on more than I think I've ever been turned on before. I had to place my hand on his chest to steady myself, or else I would have fallen into the water. I should have just fallen because the intensity of what was happening only grew worse when I touched him.

There was only one move here that was the right one. I had to get the hell away from him. "Thanks for the talk, but it's getting late." I dove into the water and swam to the steps leading to the deck. "Enjoy your night, Dylan."

"Oh, I plan to," he said before diving under the water himself. That was the last thing I said before I ran off inside my bedroom, closing the door and curtains so that he couldn't see me.