Riptide /GxG/(Completed)

EIGHTEEN

J A Z M I N E

My gaze fell to the face of my watch allowing the time to grace my staring eyes.

9:14 P.M

TICK TOCK

I shifted on the couch as my orbs landed on Aria's vessel, and I couldn't help but appreciate her likeness to her mother as she continued to eat the remainder of the pizza slice in her hold.

We had spent the majority of our time together conversing, and I was now left in awe of her personality and overall company. She was the most well-spoken and mannered three-year-old I had met in this lifetime, and if I was being completely she held and constructed better conversations than most adults I knew.

"Juice please," She requested, breaking my thoughts and I quickly removed the cup off the coaster from the coffee table in front of us holding it before her as she drank what was needed.

"Thank you," She mumbled, pulling away.

"You're welcome," I replied, feeling completely stuffed as I returned the cup to its resting place.

The sound of my doorbell invaded the space in a slightly noisy manner that had my gaze travelling to my watch once more to check the time.

"That must be mommy," I voiced and she turned looking at me with a gleeful expression as I pulled myself to stand. "I'm going to get the door,"

"Okay," She replied with a huge grin as I began moving around the couch.

My strides pulled me down the small hallway that led to the entrance of my home while the previously buried thoughts concerning today re-entered my mind, and I couldn't help but allow them to hide under my own expressed feelings for the woman that stood on the outside of my apartment as I opened the door.

My eyes planted themselves onto her features that were swarmed with exhaustion and stress, which only served to fuel my already present concern.

"Hey," I greeted, allowing her to step inside.

"Thank you for—"

"No problem," I interrupted, already knowing her appreciation would soon transition into a string of apologies.

"I'm sorry about this I di—"

"Britt, it's okay," I interjected, still earning the statement I tried to relinquish as she moved inside. "She's on the couch,"

"Thank you," She stated once more after releasing a sigh as I motioned for her to go ahead to the living area.

My palm pressed against the door as I pushed it closed watching her retreating figure while thoughts continued in my mind.

TICK TOCK

A sigh escaped my lungs as I moved to the entrance of the living room staring at them both engaging in conversation. The visible relaxation that passed over Britt as Aria spoke was almost too beautiful to describe, it was a wordless gesture that expressed the debts of her own love without her even noticing.

My mind drifted to my own mother and moments like these that I wish I could remember, the mere thought of saying I barely knew her suffocated me even though I knew it was the reality of things. The parts of my mother I knew were the pieces she allowed me to see since at the time she had left her vessel her job was to protect me from her own emotions and past.

The light tap of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts, and I stood there gazing at Britt's incoming figure while allowing my appreciation for her to seep through my orbs to lay before her in submission.

"I'm so sorry about this," She apologised standing before me.

"It's okay, I actually enjoyed my time with her," I stated truthfully but I could tell my words did nothing to ease her mind. "You d—"

My words were placed on pause as her phone shouted from behind the barrier of her pocket.

"Sorry," She replied and I motioned for her to answer it.

A look of anger and frustration overtook her features as she connected the call while simultaneously taking a few steps away from me.

Her words were muffled but I could tell the conversation wasn't a pleasant one by how tense her body became, and the constant moving of her hands only served as supporting evidence to my assumption.

My back greeted the wall as I waited for her to finish her conversation, which seemed to be rebuilding the frustration and stress that had recently left her.

A few more seconds passed before she ended the call returning to me and I happily accepted her presence as my previously ignored questions pulled themselves to the surface of my mind.

"I'm so sorry this will never happen again," She promised, making me sigh.

"Stop apologising," I ordered in a soft tone, meeting her tired eyes while the curious side of me stood in protest to my lack of questions. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"It's just the same thing," She communicated and I quickly filled in the blanks realising that Aria's father was supposed to pick her up.

"I got you some pizza, she said you liked vegetarian,"

"You didn't have—"

"I wanted to, plus you look like you need it and I doubt you're in the mood to make dinner right now," I pointed out smiling and she frowned, gazing at the space between us. "Come here,"

My instruction was fueled by my hatred for the tenseness displayed in her body and she hesitantly moved into my hold.

"Thank you," She uttered, melting against me.

"You're welcome," I replied as she pulled away to look at me.

"Jazzy I'm finished," Aria announced from the couch and Britt flashed me an amused look that floated under everything she felt.

"It's better than Ice," I joked, making her snicker.

-

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I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.