64

64
Jenna waited by the gate for the rest of her gang to appear. She figured at least one of them had been held back after the lesson, as was usually the case—with the teachers who hadn't given up on them altogether at least.

As the group appeared from the main doors, Jenna noticed something different about the way they walked. Usually, Riley would be the centre of attention, talking loudly to the others. Today he was lagging behind.

'Almost as if...'

"Good girl," Felix said, interrupting her thoughts. "I didn't think you'd obey."

'Obey this,' Jenna thought, making a fist.

Riley pulled her fist down as he passed, saying nothing. He definitely wasn't himself.

"We're meeting the others at seven so..." Riley shrugged. "I got some shit I need to do at home."

As the group broke up and left Jenna standing on the corner of the road, she was forced to make a decision: follow Felix and the triplets or turn left and tail the moody Riley.

She paused for only a fraction of a second before choosing Riley. A depressed Riley was preferable to Felix in any mood.

He didn't speak on the walk to his house. Not to her at least. He made polite conversation with a couple of his neighbours as he passed. Despite the cold weather they were sat on their porches, drinking and smoking.

The smell of weed drifted from at least three of the houses they passed on the way to Riley's. Loud music blasted from others.

Jenna tried not to let her thoughts on the neighbourhood show, as shocking as she found the scene around her. A couple were in the street fighting—a robe-clad woman fighting off her chavvy looking partner with a rolling pin.

"Alright, Chelsea? Dave?" Riley nodded at them as he passed, grinning for the first time since they'd met at the gate.

Both stopped to nod back but continued their fight when Riley had moved out of range.

"Now that's real love," Riley commented.

'It is?' Jenna thought, trying not to frown.

"They fight all the time, but they always make up at the end of the day," Riley said, eyes misting over.

'Does he genuinely think that's what love is like?' Jenna wondered. 'It sounds like a toxic and scary environment to me.'

When they arrived at Riley's there were people sitting on the front doorstep. A woman, presumably his mother, said hi as they passed and whispered something to the lad she was sitting with. Jenna assumed it was about her but wasn't certain.

Riley opened the fridge with a rattle of bottles, grabbed two beers and shouted at his mum to buy more.

"I just bought beer," she complained and tutted. She walked into the kitchen and gently placed a hand on Riley's back. "Aisha popped around again. I told her you'd call her later."

"You should have told her to do one," Riley grunted and pulled away. "I don't wanna see her or talk to her."

"She did the right thing, Rile," his mum cooed. "Neither of you is mature enough to look after a baby."

"Never stopped you, did it?" Riley huffed and stomped off up the stairs, leaving Jenna to stand in his kitchen feeling about as uncomfortable as she'd ever felt in her life.

At least now she understood why he was so depressed. She couldn't help but feel bad for him, even given everything he'd done to her. The baby could have been a turning point—a reason for him to grow up and better himself.

Riley's Mum stared at her for a moment. "You got any weed?"

"Erm, no, sorry," Jenna muttered, feeling out of place when a group of men walked into the kitchen and complained there was no beer or weed left. "I'll go and erm..."

She turned and went up the stairs, looking at the school pictures of Riley and his brother as she walked. For brothers, they couldn't be more different. One short and blonde, one tall and dark. When she got to the top of the stairs, she stopped dead and stood with her mouth hanging open.

It looked like the hulk had been fighting the thing along the landing. The banister was hanging off, two of the three doors had been kicked in and there were several fist holes in the plasterwork. Several more holes had been filled and re-plastered, but nobody had made any efforts to paint or wallpaper up here for a long time by the looks of it.

"Erm... Riley?" she shouted, not wanting to walk into the wrong room.

The single intact door swung out and he shouted her in, passing her the bottle of beer as she lingered in the doorframe.

"What happened out there?" she asked.

"Huh?" Riley peeked out of the door. "Oh. That's where I was when I found out that bitch killed my baby."

Jenna wasn't sure what to say. What could she say that would make it any better?

"You already heard mum chat shit about it so why bother hiding it." Riley shrugged. "Fuck it. Can't do nothing about it now."

Riley sniffed and rubbed his nose, his mouth making a hard line.

Something Felix had said played on her mind—something about Riley not using her as a fuck toy because he had a pregnant girlfriend. Was that why he'd decided to keep his claws in her? Would he force her to sleep with him to make his ex-girlfriend jealous?

'I'm not going to do it,' Jenna thought.

With Riley, though she did feel a certain level of attraction to him—his beautiful eyes and his dangerous aura—she was determined to get back with Kai at any cost. Now that he'd apologised to Damien, it was surely only a matter of time.

"Shit." Riley tutted, looking at his phone. He rang someone and stood, indicating for Jenna to follow.

"The Gilmorten lot just jumped team 3," he said. "Get the lads from team 2 and meet me at the Friar's Industrial Estate."

He turned to Jenna. "These guys are gonna have to learn a lesson they won't forget so easy."

"W—what did they do? I mean... why do you hate each other?" Jenna asked.

The question made Riley laugh. "Do? Nothing... it's just postcode wars init?"

"We have territories, right? And we've been pushing into theirs because we can. They want to try and push back I guess." Riley shrugged.

Jenna nodded, pretending to understand, but she didn't. She didn't understand the first thing about these gangs and why they fought. Her heart began to race when she saw a group of youths appear but evened out when she recognised Jack.

"Oh, hey, you," he smiled warmly at her. "Feeling better today?"

Jenna nodded. "Y—yes. Erm. Thanks."

She didn't go on to explain the reason for this was nobody was currently torturing the love of her life.

"Okay, Felix and the others are gonna meet us there," Riley said.

"You're taking the girl?" Jack asked, lowering his voice. "Is that a good idea?"

"What? Because they'll all go through her like a train if we lose?" Riley grinned.

Jenna held her breath as Jack nodded. "Well... yeah. Kinda."

Riley threw back his head and laughed. "I guess we'd better not lose them, eh?"