AllFreeNovel
Share Us
If only she could muster up the courage to tell Harlow that when they were both awake.
Riley sighed into her Long Island Iced Tea. Straight to Ale was bursting at the seams as Skylar and Elena sang up on stage. They’d invited her to cover the mini-concert, but Riley would have been there without the invite. Even after weeks of shows, Riley was still amazed at Skylar and Elena.
And it wasn’t like she had anything else to do. Harlow had texted earlier in the day that she had an event to go to that night and wouldn’t be around to chat or FaceTime. Riley had tried not to pout; it wasn’t like they didn’t already talk almost every night as it was. She missed Harlow when she didn’t hear from her, though.
Picking up her phone, Riley opened her text thread with Harlow and sent her a message.
Listening to Maine Event songs without you sucks. Wish you were here. :)
She attached a photo of Skylar and Elena onstage and a selfie of her looking sad at the bar.
Emily was bartending, and she must have noticed Riley’s sad photoshoot. She walked over to her with a fresh drink in her hand. Sliding it across the counter to Riley, she leaned onto the bar as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Are you going to sit here looking sad all night?”
“At least until their set is over,” she nodded toward the stage. “They asked me to be here, so here I am.”
“I just never thought I’d see the day when Riley Deluca was tired of Maine Event.”
Riley sat up straighter. “Oh, I’m not tired of them. I just miss Harlow.”
“Ahh, I should have known.”
“Yeah,” Riley sighed again as she checked her phone. Her message to Harlow had been delivered but she hadn’t read it yet. She must be busy with whatever event she was going to.
On the phone earlier, Harlow had been vague about the specifics of the event. Riley had tried not to let that bug her; Harlow probably just didn’t want to bore her with the details. But Riley could have listened to Harlow read the ingredients on the back of a cereal box. Nothing she told her would ever bore her.
“Hey,” Emily’s tone was more stern than before, “did you drive here?”
“No, I walked.”
“Good. I don’t want you drinking and driving.”
“I know, Mom.” Even though Riley teased her, she was thankful that Emily looked out for her. She always had. It came with the territory of being her best friend’s little cousin. “And I’ll text you when I get home.”
“That’s all I ask,” Emily winked at her as she walked off to help someone else at the bar.
Skylar and Elena were finished with their set and took a bow in front of the small crowd. It was their second show, of sorts, since they’d moved back to the Cove and the buzz was just as much now as it had been then. They made their way through the crowd, stopping to sign a couple of albums from people Riley assumed were from out of town. Skylar motioned for her to join them out on the patio, which Riley did. She carried her drink out there and sat across from them at the table.
“You two are killing it.”
“As always,” Elena teased, winking at Skylar as she playfully bumped their shoulders together. “It’s nice to play in smaller venues.”
“We’ll have to remember that on the next tour.” Skylar was absolutely beaming, and Riley knew she looked the same way when Harlow was around. “Have you heard from Harlow lately?”
“Um, yeah, I talked to her earlier today.” Riley nodded as she took a sip of her drink. “I miss her.”
“Yeah, your sad little face gives that away.”
Elena playfully flipped Skylar in the arm over the comment.
“Ow.”
“Be nice. Riley obviously missed Harlow. Why do you have to tease her like that? You’d miss me if I wasn’t here.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Skylar teased, earning an eye roll from Elena. “So, how are things with you two? Still going well?”
Riley nodded. “Yeah, they are. I hate we’re so far apart though. I just wish she were here.”
