Power (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 9) (21 page)

“Um, Dad, I know you don’t want to hear it, but I want to go to USC with Riley. It’s a really good school too.”

“Ariela, I told you before, you’re not going to California. You need to get that ridiculous notion out of your head.”

A few months ago, I told my dad that I wanted to go to USC instead. He told me he wouldn’t pay for anywhere but Princeton. When I got back to school and told Riley about it, he was pissed to learn that I had accepted to both USC and Princeton. He yelled at me and sped off in his car. But later, he showed up at my dorm and apologized. He shocked me when he got down on one knee and said
Ariela, will you marry me, go to California with me, and love me forever?
I said yes and in a few weeks, I’ll be on the beach saying
I do.
 

My dad takes the photo out of my hand and sits down next to me. “Are you really serious about not going to Princeton?” he asks.
 

“Yes, Dad. I’m sorry.”

“Ariela, I know you think you love this boy now, but he’s not worth ruining your future for. You have your whole life ahead of you. Princeton wasn’t just my dream, it’s been your goal. How many hours have you studied to maintain your grades just so you could get into Princeton?”

“A lot. I study a lot. But I love Riley.”

“Riley is a boy. He can’t take care of you. And if he promises you otherwise, he’s lying to you.”

“He has money. He said if you wouldn’t pay for my college, he would.”

“And what happens when you break up?”

“We’re not going to break up.”

My dad stares at me for a few seconds. Then he gets up and pulls a book off his shelf. “This is my high school yearbook.” He opens it and starts pointing. “This is my high school girlfriend. We dated for three years. That’s an eternity in high school relationships. We were voted most likely to get married. Best couple. We were prom king and queen. We broke up three months after graduation. Once high school was over, we had nothing in common anymore. No games or dances to go to. Our friends were off at different colleges. And our relationship died. And these two are Kelly and David, high school sweethearts who got married two weeks after graduation. They divorced a year later. And Patty and Bob. Couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Broke up a week after graduation. My point is, high school relationships are like high school. They teach you about life and love. You’re moving on to bigger and better things at Princeton. You’ll meet the man of your dreams there. You’ll go back there for Homecoming, not to Eastbrooke. Eastbrooke is just the stepping stone to the rest of your life. And so is Riley.”

“No, he’s not, Dad! He loves me and we’re going to get married next week! I’m going to California. I’m eighteen. I’m an adult. And you can’t stop me!”

“Getting married?” my dad says, sitting back in his chair, looking defeated. I’m sure my growing up is hard for him. I’ve always been such a Daddy’s girl.
 

My dad rubs his hands down his face then looks at me and speaks in a very deep and serious tone. “You’re right, Ariela. You are an adult. And you can choose whatever you want to do. But know your choices come with consequences. If you go to California, I know exactly what will happen. I know what boys like Riley are like. They’ve had life handed to them on a silver platter. They’ve never had to work a day in their life for anything. And when he gets to California, it’s going to be full of beautiful women. Temptation. A boy like Riley is used to getting what he wants. And he’ll take anything offered to him. And then, when he gets sick of you or moves on to the next thing, you’ll be alone. You’ll be broke and alone. And if that happens, don’t come to me. It pains me more than anything to say this, because I’ve loved you your whole life. Your whole life, I’ve had nothing but your best interests in my heart. But if you make that choice, I’ll disown you. Because I know in my heart that California is wrong for you. That you shouldn’t give up your dream for a boy. And I’m so sure of my conviction, I’m willing to risk my relationship with my daughter, who I love more than life itself, on it. So, adult Ariela, it’s up to you. Riley or your family.”

He takes another picture down and sets it in my lap. Tears fill his eyes. I’ve never seen my dad cry before, and I realize how deeply I’m hurting him.

I look at the photo. I’m about four, wearing a princess costume, and I’m snuggled into my dad’s arms asleep. You can see the love written all over my dad’s face.
 

I sat here and pondered my life. My relationship with Riley. My future. I knew in my heart my dad only wanted the best for me. I knew in my soul that Riley loved me.

How do you choose between the man you’ve loved forever, your hero, your daddy, and the boy you’re madly in love with?

I couldn’t decide.
 

And it tore me apart.
 

I would come down here by myself just to cry.

And as the days to graduation ticked closer, the more sick I felt.

I wanted to tell Riley about my dilemma, but I couldn’t bear to say the words. I couldn't admit to him that it was a difficult decision.
 

Just the thought of leaving him brought me to tears. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't study.
 

I’d look at my notebook, where I’d doodled
Mrs. Riley Johnson
across the top and start crying.

Riley consumed me. I’d never been in love like that before. Never loved someone so much. Never felt so much happiness. And, in my inexperience, I didn't understand that a love like that isn't replaceable. That if I left him, I'd never truly be happy again. Of course, I hoped he’d read my note and understand why I had to go to Princeton. But he never got my note. And I didn’t realize it until it was too late.

If there’s one moment in my life I wish I could take back and do over, it’s the moment I told him I was going to Princeton.

I tried to forget Riley.
 

I tried to move on, but spent most of my summer in tears.
 

If it weren't for Collin, I don't know that I would have made it. He was there. Told me everything I needed to hear and made me believe I did the right thing.
 

But I'd still cry myself to sleep. The ache in my heart so deep.
 

About six months later, I looked up Riley’s profile. His cover photo was all of them on the beach. Aiden and Keatyn, Brooklyn and his girlfriend, Maggie and Logan, Dallas and RiAnne, and Riley with his arm wrapped around a gorgeous blonde in a skimpy bikini. His profile picture was him under the Hollywood sign, wearing sunglasses and holding his arms out wide—like he had made it. He looked happy. He was fine without me. I started to wonder if my dad was right. If we wouldn’t have lasted anyway.

The next day I told Collin we could make it official. I would be his girlfriend.
 

But then when my wedding came . . .
 

“Ariela? Is that you?” I hear Riley’s voice.
 

“What are you doing here?”
 

“What are you doing here?” he asks me.

“I’m remembering, Riley.”

“Me too,” he says somberly. “I’m sorry.”

“You're sorry?”

“Yeah. Looking back, there are a lot of things I should have done differently. I shouldn't have expected you to give up your dream of going to Princeton. I shouldn't have assumed you could just ditch your family —go against their wishes—to come with me. I was cocky and selfish. But god, Ariela, I loved you. All I could think about was being with you. Always. I thought we'd get married and live happily ever after. It all caught me so off guard. If you would've just talked to me.”

“I tried.”

“That’s the thing, Ariela. I don’t remember you trying. Did I just not want to hear it? Did I dismiss it?”

“No, I couldn’t do it. Couldn't even bring myself to say it.”

“I knew something was bothering you. I asked you if you were okay. You weren't eating.”

“I was a wreck inside. I was overwhelmed.”

“And I thought I had everything figured out.”

I smile at him and chuckle. “You've never lacked for confidence, Riley.”

“I didn’t tell you the complete truth before when you asked why I’m here. I’m not just remembering, Ariela. I think I'm healing.”

“You are? How? I thought I'd come here and get closure, but I'm not. It's not closing anything. It’s like it’s opening me back up. My heart. My mistakes. It all feels so fresh here.”

“And painful,” he says.

“Yes.”

He opens his arms and I fall into them.
 

He holds me close and whispers, “How long have you been here?”

“About an hour.”

“Where else have you been?”

“Just here, Riley. This is the first place I came. It’s where we'd dream. Remember how we’d lay on a blanket, look at the stars, and plan our future? The future I ruined.”

“I got here last night. The first place I went was the spot under the tree outside the auditorium.”

Tears fill my eyes. “Oh, Riley.”

“Yeah. But then we went to the game. And there was this cheerleader who had the number twelve on her face. And then, I don't know, something changed. I started remembering all the fun we had. Not just you and me, but all of us. At Stockton’s. At lunch. At The Cave. Dances. I had turned off all the good memories because they were too painful. But here, I was overloaded with them. Everywhere I turned, a memory. And tonight I realized something. It wasn't just your fault. So I’m letting it all go. I forgive you, Ariela.”

I grab his shirt and start sobbing.
 

Sobbing like I did the second I got in the car. Where he couldn't see me. I cried harder than I ever have in my life.
 

Riley holds me tighter, and when I feel his chest heave, I know he's crying too.
 

After a few minutes he kisses the top of my head then pushes up my chin.
 

“You know what you need, Ariela Ross? A trip down memory lane. Come with me and let’s remember the good stuff.”

“Then what?”

“Then, we're going to party at Stockton’s like old times. Keatyn wants me to see our class gifts.”

“Gifts?”

“I guess they decided to do two years since technically we had it for that long.”

Eastbrooke Academy - Connecticut

RILEY

I grab her hand and lead her up the hill. When we get to the soccer pitch, I say, “Remember when we won our playoff game?”

“I remember the whole team taking their shirts off. I remember thinking you looked so cute. I always loved your shoulders. They seemed so strong. Like nothing bad could happen if I was with you.”

“I remember you running down the bleachers, jumping into my arms, and kissing me.”

“I remember that too. You were sweaty.”

“What about after?”

“We partied at Stockton’s, of course, but then we snuck off. I brought you down here on the field.”

“And had your way with me,” I laugh.
 

“Yes, I did. You seemed to like it,” she says.

“I always liked it with you, Ariela.” I drag her away from the soccer field and toward the field house.
 

“Do you remember sneaking me into the cheerleading locker room?”

She swats me. “I still can’t believe you talked me into it. We could have gotten expelled.”

“The things we did surrounded by pompoms,” I joke.

“This trip down memory lane seems to be us remembering all the sex we had.”

I squeeze her hand. “You and I both know it was more than just sex. We had fun, Ariela. I remember you laying all the pompoms on the floor giggling at the thought of us doing it there. I remember the way your bangs would hang over your right eye and you’d always be pushing it back behind your ear. I remember how soft your skin was. The way your laughter was like music. That shy smile you’d give me when we were about to do something risky.”

“Speaking of risky,” she says, pointing toward Hawthorne House. “Thank goodness you got a first floor room your senior year and I could just sneak in the window. I used to be so nervous sneaking in there at night. Of course, that just added to the excitement. Being with you always felt a little dangerous.”

“I will forever be the boy who ruined Ariela Ross’ reputation for perfection.”

“You did make me get a B on a test once. You were a bad study partner.”

“Me?” I ask, holding my hand to my chest. “I kissed you for every right answer.”

“Which meant we only got through about a quarter of the flashcards before those kisses turned into more.”

“I loved your cheerleading skirt.”

“What’s that got to do with studying?” she asks.
 

“I was supposed to be studying with Dallas one night in the library, but I knew you were in the gym working on posters for the pep rally. So we skipped studying and came to help you. You had on your practice skirt and kept bending over to pick stuff up. It was the perfect tease.”