Chapter 47: Chapter 47

-45-Meeting Tina.

"Never Compromise your feelings for anyone or anything for that matter." [Stuart]

.....

"Okay then at least let me bring you to Tina."

"Okay. Stuty pooh. "

"Great. Just let me fetch your phone."

"Okay."

Stuart lifted his legs towards the bed to hoist the phone and took it to her. Handing her with a smile.

"I saved my number for you also, I had called on my number. So that I could get your number too."

Without caring to see anything on the phone Riley took it and placed it in her clutch.

"Oh okay."

Her trust in him did not surprise him. For it wasn't his first time that she had given him her phone. But he was still grateful for it. That at least all her feelings have not faded of him. It felt like validation to him. To work on their relationship. And try harder.

Anyways, as Riley walked past him he grabbed her hand in his. Smiling.

"Let's walk together."

Seeing his hopeful eyes, Riley didn't attempt to get out of his grasp. For he was her best friend. And it was fine for as long as it didn't surpass her limitation. At least till she was married.

Stuart felt an electric shock run through him as he held her hand tighter. He had not expected her to behave otherwise either. He knew why she was walking away from him. But then he can also sense her liking towards him. For ages, he had not held her hand. While in reality, they have been ripped apart for only two years

The hand that fed him when he was injured, The same hand that had held onto him till he fell asleep when his dearest father had beaten him to death. His past might have been filled with darkness but Riley Brown was his light bulb, the one who kept him alive when he was alone in the darkroom. He wasn't even that was about his life before, yet now that his life was turning into a bright room, she was getting away from him. Sometimes God does things that we don't understand. He gave him, her when he had nothing, but now that he had everything, he couldn't have her. 'What a sad reality.'

Though whatever God had planned, His feelings can not be chopped up into pieces in mere two years. And he will try his level best to win her again.

Riley sighed in irritation as she noticed him thinking something deeply while looking at their adjoining hands. After waiting for a minute, she knocked on his eyelids to wake him up from his dreamland.

"Stuart come on. We need to go."

Stuart sighed dramatically flinching, "Geez, You are hurting me. How can you do this to your best friend?"

She giggled at his reaction, while he smiled walking ahead taking her with him.

"I am very happy. Stuart. I am super happy. That you are healthy and fine. And I hope you won't think of me going early otherwise. I love you. And I will always love you." Riley told him walking hand in hand.

The words he wanted to hear from her were spoken. And there was nothing that could have lifted his spirits more than that.

Stuart messed her hair uttering

"I know you Jelly bug. You didn't have to tell me this. I will never misunderstand you. And, I love you too my jelly bug."

Her shoulders relaxed hearing his words visibly and he noticed it. He gave her a sweet smile. His eyes filled with tenderness and love that she either didn't want to decipher or was just imagining it.

After that, they both walked up to the gate of the hall in silence. Riley though immediately stopped beside the gate before he can move forward. And noticing it, he too stopped. And saw the other woman he had seen earlier waiting, maybe for them.

"That's her Stuty pooh. So I guess I should take my leave from here."

Nodding at her, he smiled.

"Yeah. I guess."

Riley took him by surprise as she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him twice. One on the forehead while the other one on his cheek. He felt the transmission of her warmth from her lips to him.

"Let's meet tomorrow."

Still, in a daze, he muttered a single word.

"Okay."

Giggling Riley hugged him one last time and moved to Tina.

He saw as he talked to her, Explaining something. While the woman next to her threw warning daggers at him. Like she was this close to pounce on him. 'What's wrong with this woman. I didn't even know her.'

Five minutes later though, her expression changed as she looked up at him warily without any emotion.

Riley tried to explain to Tina who was anxious.

"What did he do to you? Tell me what happened Riley? I swear if he did anything to you. I am going to kill him."

"Relax Tina, he is my best friend."

"What the fuck! Then why we're you crying hysterically. Don't lie to me, dear. If he is blackmailing you or something. I swear I can help you. You don't have to worry about him."

Giggling, Riley imagined her trying to tackle Stuart. It was a foolish yet funny idea.

"No Tin. We met after so long. That's why I was crying. It's nothing to do with blackmailing. He can never hurt me. Not at least in this life."

"Are you sure?" Hesitating she threw a curious gaze towards him.

"100℅ babes. But I guess one day I would like to see you fighting with him. It would be funny to watch."

"Are you kidding me? I was worried sick. I was almost this close to calling the cops on him if you have returned like 10 minutes later."

"What! Oh, no-no. I swear he is my best friend."

"Okay. Okay. I believe you."

After their interaction, Riley and the woman walked towards him together.

"Stuty pooh. Meet Tina, she is my friend and colleague."

"Tina meet Stuart, My best friend, and our new boss."

"What? He is our boss?" Tina shrieked getting people's attention. As everyone looked at them. While she muttered, a sorry.

Holding Riley's arm Tina asked in her ear, which he was perfectly able to hear.

"Why didn't you told me earlier, that he is our boss. Oh God! I was this close to losing my job!"

"Don't worry, he won't fire you babes. I got your back. Right Stuart? Tell her that you won't fire her."

Giving her an assuring smile he forwarded his hand for a handshake while Tina took it.

"Don't worry Miss Tina, you have done so much for Riley that if I probably even tried to fire you. I will be hanged to death by her. You see she is extremely difficult to deal with when her friends are involved." His husky and deep voice reverberated through her body. And she grinned.

"You are right about the last part, Sir."

"Just call me Stuart outside the office. After all Her friends are mine too."

"Okay. Sir. I mean Stuart."

[Ten minutes later.]

Standing in between a common street light and a nude flashy sign light at the other side of the road. They took a taxi.

While Stuart on the other side, walked up to the nearby bench and Stretched out his arm on one side, Stuart sat on the nearby bench beside the road, watching as Riley and her friend Tina walked into the taxi. And to think he assumed them to be a couple. He wanted to laugh at his assumption. Riley, A lesbian. 'Wow, my imagination can surprise me.'

As they were ready to sit in the taxi, Riley looked back at him, moving her hand in the motion of goodbye. Though he felt worse to see her walking away from him. He still copied her action. She smiled automatically making him smile too. He eyed the taxi till the end of the road.

After he was sure they were no longer near, he Lighted up a cigarette, taking a long puff inhaling the smoke through his nose. The cigarette finally managed to calm him. Sitting there alone in the world he watched as cars, motorcycles, and other people running through the road. Honking and screaming for space. The whole world seemed to be running away from him. From almost dead to almost alive, the motorcycle went on singing verses of melancholy as he kept looking at the road for the woman who killed him once.

His figure though was illuminated by a small street light and he felt like a lonely man as people gazed at him. A handsome man who seemed to care about nothing. Just smoking his heart out.