Chapter 34 34

Chapter 34 34
Easton's POV

Even after I said those words, my heart was still beating fast as I stood there. “She is going to be my date,” I said again, turning back to Blake. Riley kept staring at me, her mouth slightly open.

Blake stepped in between us. His shoulders tense and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“You do not get to decide for her, Easton,” he defended, his voice low but full of anger.

“You have been treating her like trash for months. Now you suddenly want to take her to prom? What's your problem man?”

I didn't even move back an inch.. I looked straight in the eyes. My jaw became tight and my chest rose and fell quickly. The students around were so carried away with their conversation that they didn't even notice the tension rising in the cafeteria.

“I don't want you near her, that's my problem, " I answered coldly, my eyes blazing now.

“Stay away from Riley. She does not need your pretense and fake feelings right now.”

Blake laughed bitterly. He slowly shook his head as if he felt bad for me. His eyes stayed locked on mine without blinking.

“You still cannot admit it,” he remarked, his voice dropping lower.

“You like her but you are too scared to say it properly. At least I am honest about my feelings. I have been trying to show her that I care.”

Heat rose up in my face, my stomach doing back flips now. The anger inside me became mixed with something painful that I did not want to name.

“Back off, Blake,” I warned in a serious tone, my voice becoming even colder. “She is not yours to claim.”

Blake stepped closer to me until we stood almost face to face. His breathing came fast and heavy. “And she is not yours to claim or dictate for either,” he shot back.

“You had your chance and you blew it with all your cold behavior.”

Before I could respond to his claim, Riley moved and stood between us. Her face looked clearly tired and frustrated. She raised up her hands and separated both of us. She remained calm even though her eyes showed she had reached her limit.

“Stop it,” she said firmly. Her voice was low but I could hear the anger underneath. “I am not going with anyone. I would rather go with a complete stranger than go with either of you fighting like this.”

She looked at me first, then at Blake. Her eyes moved slowly between us.

“Both of you should leave me alone and look for another person to be your date,” she added quietly. Then she turned around and walked away leaving us standing. Blake and I stayed behind, staring at each other in heavy silence. Things were still tense between us even after she left.

The day of the prom approached slowly. The whole school buzzed with excitement. Students didn't drop talking about their dresses, suits, and who would go with who. The school hall was decorated beautifully with long tables covered with shiny cloths lining the walls. There were colorful lights hung on the ceiling twinkling like stars.

Big balloons in silver and gold were attached near the hall entrance with flowers and ribbons decorating every corner. The stage had a sparkling backdrop with the word Prom written in big glowing letters. Everyone was excited as they get ready for the big night.

On the other hand Riley couldn't find a date for the prom because of me and Blake. No one dared to approach her to ask her to be his prom date. They all kept their distance even though it was obvious that some of them wanted too.

I watched her from afar every day. She seemed to be more careful and quiet around people this days.

At home, Riley became very busy. She spent most of her time on the phone with Amara for hours. Lila would often sat with her in the room, laughing at their conversations.

Sometimes Riley would take Lila out for a short walkqq and came back before dinner. She only talked to me when she needed permission to take Lila somewhere or when she called us for food. She kept her distance from me completely. Her eyes barely met mine anymore. That hurt more than I wanted to admit.

Finally saturday night came. It was the prom day. I stood near the entrance of the decorated hall in my suit. My heart kept skipping a beat as I waited and watched the door.

Then I saw her.

Riley.

She walked in with Amara by her side. She wore a beautiful new outfit that made her look confident and radiant. The dress showed her curves in a perfect way. Her dark hair fell nicely around her shoulders. Her smile looked real and bright. She walked with her head high and her steps full of confidence.

Everyone turned to look at her as she stepped inside. Whispers spread through the hall and everyone went on a standing ovation. The boys stopped talking mid-sentence, their jaw dropping.

The girls stared with wide and jealousy eyes. Riley really looked different tonight. She looked stronger brghter and more beautiful than I had ever seen her. I could not take my eyes off her. My chest hastened as I watched her walked through the crowd.

Amara tapped her and whispered something to her ears, they both laughed softly to whatever she said. Riley’s eyes looked around the room for a moment, but she didn't look at me.

Soon, the music started playing loud and exciting. Everyone moved to the dance floor with their dates, vibing and dancing to the music.

I took a step from where I was, wanting to go to Riley for a dance. But before I could reach her, someone I couldn't recognized suddenly stepped close behind Riley and poured a liquid with a foul smell all over her beautiful dress.

Riley let out a loud gasp of shock. The bad smell spread quickly around her. She looked down at her ruined dress with wide eyes full of pain and disbelief.

The liquid soaked down her outfit and made a mess on the floor.

I rushed forward pushing the people out of my way with all my might.

“Who did this?” I shouted angrily, my voice echoing above the music.

Riley looked up at me with tears forming in her eyes as the whole hall went silent.