Captive Films: Season One (31 page)

Even drunk, I wouldn’t have cheated on Ariela.
 

It was just harmless flirting. Or, so I thought. Until I realized Ariela was standing there, watching me, her eyes full of tears.
 

She shook her head at me and took off down the hill.

I stumbled behind her all the way to the lacrosse field, where I found her sitting on the bleachers crying.
 

I decided in that moment that I would never do anything to make her cry again.
 

And I never did.
 

Until she came back into my life. Now, all I want to do is hurt her.
 

Because having her here is killing me.
 

I find her sitting on a willow swing in the gazebo overlooking the winery. With my heart in my hand, I stand in front of her and say, “I’m sorry, Ariela.”

“I’m sorry too, Riley.”

I sit down next to her. “Just tell me how you could leave like that. I need to understand how you could do that.”

“My dad told me that I was young. That I was letting love cloud my judgement. That you were just some rich kid going to California on a whim. That you'd change your mind a million times about what you wanted to do. And that you'd change your mind about me. That if I went, it'd be the worst mistake of my life.”

“He was wrong,” I tell her. “I did exactly what I said I’d do. Even more.”

“I know you did, Riley. It may not mean much coming from me, but I’m incredibly proud of all you’ve accomplished.”

“On graduation, your dad told me that I’d never amount to much.”

Ariela’s eyes get huge. “He said that?!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t care because I knew I’d prove him wrong. And I’ve been proving him wrong every day since. Not that it matters, you didn’t believe in me enough to trust that I would.”

“Listening to him was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“So, why are you really here? Because your life sucks and you thought I’d just wait for you? It’s been over ten years.”

“My husband has been cheating on me. When I mentioned it to my mother, she said a lot of men do and that I should just accept it like she has. I was upset because I thought my parents were the perfect married couple. I wanted to emulate them. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. I went to a coffee shop when I was upset and sitting on the table was you. On the cover of that magazine. I read the article, cancelled my appointments, and saw the movie. It was like the perfect storm. I had to come. I don’t expect you to love me again, Riley. I just need your forgiveness. And I need to start living my life for me.”

“I loved you. You walked away and never looked back.”

“I couldn’t have looked back, or I wouldn’t have had the strength to do it. I filed for divorce yesterday. I know it might seem like I did all of this on a whim, but it’s been a long time coming.”

“Finally taking responsibility for your actions?”

“Yes. I’ve been blaming my parents for the decisions I made about my life. Keatyn and Maggie both reminded me of that.”

“How?”

“They said I was an adult when I left, and I was an adult when I got married. That my parents may have influenced me, but I chose my path and I need to start owning up to it.”
 

“They’re smart women,” I say, completely agreeing with them.
 

Ariela reaches out and grabs my hand.
 

“Owwww! Don't touch my hand!”

She leans back, holding her hands in the air. “Why?”

“I think it's broken.”

“Broken? How? It was fine a few minutes ago.”

“Grandpa told me to punch a tree.”

“And you listened to him? That was stupid of you. You had to know it was going to hurt.”

Looking into her eyes, I say slowly, defeatedly, “Sounds like what happened when you listened to your dad. You had to know it was going to hurt.”

“It broke my heart,” she says, tears filling her eyes again.
 

I touch her face with my good hand.
 

She grabs it tightly, leaning her cheek against it. When she closes her beautiful eyes, teardrops leak out and roll down her face.
 

And for the first time since she came back into my life, I feel like maybe things could be okay. I’m soaking up her love. The pain in my hand going away and leaving me feeling lost in time.

“I want to tell you something,” she says, her hand still firmly pressed against mine. “I'm going to live in California regardless of what happens with us. Keatyn says once people know I did her wedding, I'll get other jobs. I don't know if that's true, but . . .”

“Don’t,” I tell her.

“Don't what?”

“Open a business yet.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not convinced you’ll stay.”

“I’m staying, Riley, no matter what. Can you at least learn to tolerate my presence?”

“Maybe we should do something about that.”

“Like what?”

“Eastbrooke’s Homecoming is next weekend.”

“I’ve never been back there.”

“Neither have I.”

“I don’t know if I can do it, Riley. It would be so hard to go back. There are so many memories there.”

“I know there are, but I think we both need to. Maybe if we go back to where it ended, we can figure out where it's going.”

“Where do you think it's going?” she asks, barely a whisper.

“I don't know, Ariela. I don't know if I can be your friend or not but, if nothing else, maybe this will give us both some closure. Maybe we’ll finally be able to put the past behind us.”

“I’ll have to work my ass off this week getting stuff ready for the wedding in order to go.”

“I have a dinner meeting Monday. Maybe we could go get dinner Tuesday night.”

“Like a date?” she asks.

“More like a meeting.”

She hangs her head. “Okay. A meeting on Tuesday night, it is.”

“Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get some ice for my hand and apologize to everyone else for my behavior.”

“Riley, wait!” she says, grabbing my chin and turning it toward her.
 

Our lips softly touch in a kiss.

A kiss that isn't like the passionate one we shared at Keatyn’s the night she showed up for dinner. This is more like our first kiss, tentative and unsure.
 

But her lips feel exactly the same—soft, sweet perfection.

Keatyn & Aiden’s home - Asher Vineyards, Sonoma County

KEATYN

Riley comes back in the house without Ariela, which can’t be good.
 

He stops to look at the dining room table, which is still littered with remnants of the dinner party he interrupted.
 

He peeks in the kitchen, finding me, Aiden, Knox, and Jennifer standing around the island, chatting.
 

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” he says. He looks horrible. I don’t know what’s happened since Grandpa took him out back and since he went looking for Ariela, but I haven’t seen him look this bad in years.
 

 
Not since our graduation night.

It should have been a time for celebration but, instead, we spent it consoling Riley as he went through a gamut of emotions, from pissed to disbelief to utter sadness.

And, then, later, when we arrived in Los Angeles and remembered how we had all dreamed, talked about, and planned what we would do here. As time went on, I forgot about the hurt Ariela caused all of us when she walked out of his life.
 

But I realize now that Riley has never forgotten.

And it’s my fault for bringing her back in our lives.

 
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you, Jennifer,” he says, “I’ve been an ass.”

“I can agree with you on that,” she says.
 

“Thanks,” he replies.
 

Then he turns to me. I’m ready to rush over and hug him. To let him know that no matter what, we’re always on his side. I’m ready to fire Ariela as my wedding planner. I’ll figure out something else.

Seeing him this way isn’t worth it.
 

How many times has he been there for me?
 

“Can I have some ice?” he asks me, holding out his hand, which is crusted with blood and grossly swollen.

“Oh, Riley, that looks—” I get hot, nauseous, and feel myself sway.

“I’ve got her,” I hear Knox say, grabbing me as my knees give out.
 

Next thing I know, I’m on the couch with him and he’s fanning my face.

“Shit,” I mutter. “Did I faint?”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” he whispers. “I caught you.”

Aiden sits down next to me, taking my hand. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. His hand just made me feel a little queazy. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t choose a medical profession.”

“Aiden,” Knox says, “why don’t you deal with Riley’s hand, and I’ll sit here with Keatyn. If I see it again, I just might faint too.”

“Pussy,” Aiden says to him with a smile, getting up and getting Riley a baggie of ice and a towel.

“What’s going on out here?” Dawson asks, as he, Vanessa, and Dallas wander downstairs after getting the kids to sleep.

“Let’s see. Riley came in, he’s sorry about dinner,” Jennifer says, giving them a play-by-play. “Keatyn fainted when she saw Riley’s hand. Knox about passed out when Keatyn fainted. Riley’s hand appears to be broken. Ariela is still outside. And, in case anyone wants to know, Knox and I made out while you were putting the kids to bed and Riley was chasing after Ariela.”

I laugh at her, loving her crazy honesty.
 

Riley glares at Knox, but Knox just shrugs his shoulders, like he’s so irresistible he can’t help it.
 

Jennifer says, “Sorry, Riley, you’re just a little too immature and emotional for me.” Which is ironic coming from a twenty-two year old.

Dawson moves the ice off Riley’s hand, smiles broadly, and punches his brother’s shoulder. “That is
so
broken. We need to send a pic of it to Camden. It definitely beats his.”

Riley smiles.
 

“What’d you do?” Jennifer asks.

“I punched a tree,” he says.

“Well, that was really stupid,” Jennifer dead pans. “Why did you do that?”

“Grandpa told me too.”

I hear Aiden on the phone with our local concierge doctor. “Yeah, we’ll see you shortly.”

While they continue to discuss Riley’s swollen hand, I lean toward Knox.
 

“You were flirting with Ariela at dinner to make Riley jealous so that you could get with Jennifer.”

“Who, me? I can’t believe you would think I could be so devious.”

“I’ve known you for a long time, Knox.”

“Okay, fine. I could tell he was trying to rub Ariela’s nose in his new thing with Jennifer. When a guy is trying that hard to make another girl jealous, he’s not that interested in the girl he’s with. It was going to implode eventually. I just sort of helped the process.”

Keatyn & Aiden’s home - Asher Vineyards, Sonoma County

VANESSA

“I’m going to check on Ariela,” I tell Dawson and everyone else.

“She’s down the hill on the swing,” Riley says. “Grab a blanket. It’s chilly.”

I take two rolled up cashmere blankets from the basket in the family room, wrap one around myself, and go to the swing.

“Are you okay?” I ask her, sitting down next to her and handing her the other throw.

“Yeah, I’m just sitting out here wallowing in self-loathing,” she says, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. “Wondering how my life got so off track.”

“I wonder that sometimes too,” I admit. “And sometimes I wonder if Keatyn's right. If it's all part of a greater plan. If the universe teaches us lessons.”

“I’ve learned a big lesson.”

“What's that?”

“I need to start trusting my feelings.”

“
Follow your heart, it will always lead you home
?” I say, quoting a line from the last
Keatyn Chronicles
movie.

“Exactly.”

“Life isn't a fairy tale. I learned that the hard way with Bam. You think once you’ve found your Prince Charming, it will be fairytale moments, rose petals, and dancing. But no one tells you that the prince is an egotistical asshole who can't keep his dick in his pants. And that makes you wary of every other prince.”

“I was the opposite. I had the prince and let him go.” She studies me. “Have you been wary of Dawson?”
 

“When I came up here, I was so freaking pissed at him.”

“Why?”

“He hadn’t told me he had kids. I thought it was because he didn’t want me to meet them. I was wrong to jump to that conclusion. So what's going to happen with you and Riley? How’d you leave things?”