Recent Posts

Was she giving an ultimatum? Riley could feel the balance of a lot of things riding on this moment. Aurum hadn't backed down, and he'd called her on a little bit of her BS. She wasn't going to get her way here, and she needed to decide whether or not he was worth everything that came along with him.

Riley crossed her arms and frowned deeply. "It's why I've never done this." she corrected. It was a twig, rather than an olive branch, but a tiny, deeply buried part of Riley knew that Aurum had been correct.

That didn't mean she was going to admit it though, and it didn't mean that she was going to stop being angry at him for being a moron.

"And I don't like it when you act like you know better than I do" Riley stood up straight and held her head up, "When it comes to real scum bags, I've got way more experience. I feel like you forget that sometimes."

"That’s because sometimes you are one." Riley said. She still hadn't vented all the venom, and the saying went, 'better out than in.' Besides, it was a well established fact that sometimes Aurum was an idiot.

She was worried about him. And she cared about him. She cared enough about him that she'd let a lot of the little digs in his monologue go without throwing them back in his face. He didn't know how hard she worked, and that's the way she wanted it to stay.

He was also acknowledging that there was an issue. That at least some of what he was doing was unreasonable. Riley's simmering anger came down another notch. Now she was just a little bit disgusted.

"That eye is going to look like crap in court." she pointed out. "Nobody wants a wannabe prize fighter defending them."

"There's a difference between doing the right thing and looking for trouble." Riley said, crossing her arms.

"And you do run off to help the damsel in distress, figuratively and literally. Be it zombies, or abusive boyfriends, or jerk photographers it's your job to defend, you're right there to fix it all."

Riley frowned, "You're too good." she said, and it was probably the quietest thing she'd said in a while.

"I thought you understood when everything went down during the riots. You've got your high ideals, and that's great...but Aurum, not everyone else does. Trust me."

She was mad, but it had wound down to a simmer, and to her horrification there were tears welling in her eyes. He was so frustrating. There was nothing for it.

Now Riley did turn and look at Aurum, long enough to raise an eyebrow.

"It's not like you sat in your seat nonchalantly and took care of it either. Or am I wrong?"

It was a legitimate question, "And I don't care if you made it on the elevator, you are not coming into my apartment tonight."

As if on cue the elevator shuddered, jerked, then stopped.

"Don't even think about it." she growled.

Damn that key. Riley had known it was a bad idea. Damn logic too, because that was the only reason she'd handed it over in the first place. Aurum was talking, and Riley kept her back to him as the elevator crawled its way down the shaft. There were words that Aurum was saying...they probably even made sense to most people...but Riley was still seeing red.

"And you're the moron who had to stick his face in front of the guy's fist." she said, and 'seething' was probably too soft a word for the way her voice sounded.

"I knew guys like that... way too well, and if you think that you're helping your situation. You're damn wrong."

Finally, the elevator made it down and the door creaked open. Riley went in, then tried to figure out how to get the door shut before Aurum could follow.

Riley couldn't help it. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Aurum to get to her place. He'd called her to say that he'd be over...and he'd asked her to wait for him outside like she was some sort of concierge. It was hot too. That's what happened in the summer, and Riley just didn't do shorts or ponytails. At least not most the time.

Hopefully this wasn't going to turn into one of those silly, grand romantic gesture things, she thought with a sigh. Though, if she was honest, that wouldn't have been too bad. Maybe some flowers, or a surprise present. Something small...but nice. In fact, in spite of herself, within a few moments she'd kind of decided that was what was going on. Aurum was good at those types of things, and when the cop car rounded the corner and approached her building, Riley sure as hell didn't expect it to stop.

Another thing she didn't expect. Aurum climbing out. And the @#$(@#$ black eye. Didn't expect that either.

To her credit. Riley waited until the cop drove off until she let her eyes narrow. She didn't ask any questions.

She turned around, marched up the stairs, opened the door, then shut it. There. He could sit and stew outside, now that his ride had left. Over she went and punched the elevator button much harder than necessary.

Riley nodded her head as he spoke, she knew Aurum too well to think that he would take a risk that was unnecessary. There were still crazy people out there, though, and he'd driven through where they were to get home.

The motorcycle was obviously at fault here for existing. Riley redirected her sass from earlier in its direction and felt instantly better. "I know. But no more motorcycle until all of this is done. In fact, I may not let you leave this apartment." If he knew her, he knew she wasn't playing. Pushing off the door frame, Riley made her way into the kitchen. It was small, but two people could still work if they stood side by side.

"I'll cook the pasta. I remember how to keep it from sticking." she said, holding out her hand for the utensil Aurum had in his.