INSATIABLE

CHAPTER 5

“Rio?” He doesn't conceal the excitement in his voice. “Hey.” He turns to fully face me, his lips curving into a sweet smile that goes all the way to his eyes, and I smile automatically.

His smile is so contagious and so beautiful and so alluring. The kind that you would wish to stare at all the time.

“You remembered my name?” I ask, trying not to sound very excited, but I am.

“Of course,” he chuckles. “Our names are alliterating.” He says looking at me and our eyes meet for a fleeting second, but he is quick to look away.

I have always been the shy one but today, Leo takes the golden cup home.

He is kinda shy and it's cute.

“Rio, Leo,” I say the two names out loud, and we both chuckle.

It didn't even cross my mind earlier.

“I didn't think I would see you again but I made a wish on my way to school.”

He wanted to see me again? Wait, he thought about me on his way here?

My heart does a little flip and I can't help the smile that pulls on my lips.

I crossed his mind.

“You made a wish to see me?” I ask after a long second trying to suppress the excitement in my voice but I fail terribly, plus the stupid grin on my lips sells me away.

“I am a fool, I should have asked for your number in the morning and I have been beating my brains out since then.”

“Well, guess what? Your wish was granted.” I say, laughing lightly.

“Will you give me your phone number after class?”

“I hope you remember to ask for it.”

“I will set a reminder if I have to.” I blush, when I feel his eyes on my face, and I am so tempted to look at him.

“Is the seat taken?” I ask, glancing at the seat next to him.

He has put his bag on it, and he might be preserving it for someone like I used to for Kay.

God, I miss her so much and it is not fair that we are in different colleges.

“Nope,” he tells me shaking his head, and he takes his bag and hangs it at the back of his chair. “It is all yours.”

“Thank you.” I smile nervously as I sit down next to him, looking anywhere but his face.

I get my book and pens from my bag, placing them on the desk and I hang my bag behind me.

“You are an English major?”

I shake my head.

“Business major, English minor. You?”

“English major, Language minor.”

“Wow. That's a good choice.”

“Thank you. So, Freshman?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too.”

He flashes me his contagious smile and I smile back like a fool.

He asks why I chose English and Business and I get busy giving him all my thousand reasons as people start to fill the room.

“I love reading too.” He says after I tell him how much I love novels and he waves novel that he was reading at me.

“The kissing booth. Do you mind?”

“Not really,” he gives me the book and I open a random page to read. “It is a nice book.”

“I know, I have read it like a million times and spoiler alert-"

“Don't spoil it for me, please.”

“I was kidding, I can't do that,” I tell him laughing just as the professor walks and I grudgingly put the novel on Leo's desk.

I guess Noah Flynn is gonna have to wait.

“Good morning,” he greets us, setting his laptop on his desk. “I am Dr. Davis and I will be taking you through the introduction to literature.” He tells us, typing something on his laptop probably a password. “Can we do a simple introduction first? Each person will tell us their names, why they chose English, and the name of their favorite novel.”

I already told Leo why I chose to minor in English and I gave him a list of my favorite novels and guess what? He has read almost all of them.

He reads a lot, and that's something we have in common.

After the introductions, the professor takes over, and we get busy taking notes.

**♦**♦**♦**

“Did you come for the orientation last week?” I ask Leo after the professor walks out two hours later.

I need someone to show me around since Bri bailed on me. I still can't believe that she chose to oversleep.

“Yeah,” he answers as he slips his book in his bag carefully and I can't help but admire that.

He is so organized and I like it.

“Do you mind showing me around?” I ask glancing at my wristwatch. “We have like thirty minutes to the next class.”

“If you give me your phone number first.”

“Are you blackmailing me, Leo?” I squint my eyes at him playfully and he chuckles.

“Well, do you have a choice?” He asks and I shake my head.

"Not really." I take his phone and I smile automatically when I see his wallpaper.

It's a photo of him and Ella, one of the numerous photo I took in the morning. He is carrying Ella in his arms and she is leaning on his chest peacefully.

“This is amazing. You'll gonna have to pay me for my skills.” I say, gesturing at his phone's screen.

“I couldn't help it.” His signature smile is on. “It is so beautiful.”

“Not more than this.” I proudly show him a photo of Ella and I, that I have as my screensaver.

One of the many photos that Aunt Mel took yesterday.

“Wow.” He takes my phone and I watch in admiration as he stares at the screen in awe. “This is amazingly beautiful.”

“I know, right?” I say, saving my number on his phone. “My aunt is a great photographer.”

“And you two are photogenic.” He is referring to Ella and I. “You are so pretty.” It comes out like a whisper like he didn't mean to say it out loud and that flatters me the more.

Leo thinks I am beautiful.

“Thank you,” I say casually, totally ignoring the excitement that surges within me.

“I might stare at the photo for hours.” He gives my phone back and I hand him his.

“So fifteen minutes of showing you around, and we will grab a burger for the remaining minutes.”

“Sounds cool,” I say, putting my books inside my bag and I get on my feet.

We walk out leaving a few people in the hall and just when I step out of the room, my phone starts to ring.

Aunt Mel.

I hit the answer icon.

“Hello, aunt.”

“Hey, sweetie.” The excitement in her voice is almost traceable. “How is your first day in college so far?”

“Awesome. I made a new friend.” I say my tone matching hers but I sound more excited.

I am delighted because I made a new friend. Honestly, I didn't think I would make any friends so this is a huge achievement for me.

“What is her name?”

“His name is Leo,” I say glancing at Leo and he smiles at me.

“Aww, Leo, and Rio?” She chuckles from the other end. “Is he handsome?” I gasp audibly.

My cheeks are probably a perfect shade of red right now, I hope Leo won't notice. But who am I kidding? His eyes are entirely on my face.

“Aunt Mel-”

“What? I want to meet your boyfriend.”

“He is my boy friend.” I correct her and Leo chuckles beside me. “With a space between the two names.”

“Leo and Rio? Something tells me that you two will be more than just friends.”

I wish.

“Uh, can I call you later?” I say in an attempt to dismiss her. “Leo is showing me around”

"Bri didn't show you around?”

“She didn't have a class until two, so I used the map,” I answer innocently.

“What is wrong with Bri?” She yells from the other end. “She was supposed to show you around, let me call her.”

“It is okay Aunt.”

“No, it is not.” She takes a deep breath. “You are new here, what if you got lost or-”

“I am okay, Aunt, I don't want to cause problems between Bri and I.”

“See you in the evening.” She tells me curtly. “And Rio? Leo is welcome for dinner anytime.” She adds and ends the call.

“Your aunt thinks that I am your boyfriend?” Leo asks, chuckling and I laugh.

“She is just messing around and by the way, she said you are welcome for dinner anytime you are free.”

“She is so kind, I will let you know when.”

“It would be awesome.”

“True, I would love to meet her. She seems cool.”

“She really is.”

We have barely taken more than ten steps when my phone starts to ring again and I already know who the caller is, an angry Britney.

“Br...”

“The f**k, Rio!” She cusses at me and I swallow dryly. Britney is always cussing. “You told mom that I didn't take you to school?” She asks furiously.

“I am sorry, I didn't...”

“How old are you, Rio? Two?”

“I said I am sorry, I didn't mean to.”

She sneers from the other end.

“I do something small and you run to tell my mom?” She doesn't even give me time to say anything. “She is so f*****g mad at me and it is your f*****g fault!”

“Sorry fo...”

“It is barely a day and you have started to cause problems between us.” She yells. “You are a grown-ass girl, Rio, act like one.” I open my mouth to say something, but she hangs up on me.

That was so rude.

I stare at my phone for a transient sec and I shake my head, pushing everything out of my head.

“Are you okay?” Leo asks me and I nod quickly.

I feel so low, Bri didn't even give me time to defend myself.

“I don't think I want to walk around anymore.”

“It is okay, we will just grab a burger and then I will walk you to your next class.”

**♦**♦**♦**

I am hit by a familiar feeling of loneliness the moment I get in my car from my last class, and I decide to play some cool music to shake the feeling off.

Conquer by Empire cast starts to play and I furiously switch the stereo off. I love the song, it is one of my favorites but not at the moment. It felt like some noise and I have a headache. l feel like my head is going to explode anytime.

I put my seatbelt on and drive out of the parking area in total silence my mind drifting away to my parents, to Kay, and finally to Bri.

She said mean things to me on the phone, and she sounded super furious.

Thirty minutes later, I sigh in disappointment as I pull in the driveway next to Bri's red Porsche. She is home, I crossed my fingers the entire drive home all for nothing.

I hope she is not still mad at me, the last thing I want is someone yelling at me.

Taking a deep breath, I grab my bag and step out of the car.

I will just tiptoe to my room and lock myself inside until Aunt Mel comes back home.

I open the door and guess who is eagerly waiting for me to come home??

No, not Bri....it is Ella.

She jumps up and down, wagging her tail in excitement, and a smile pulls on my lips. She is always happy to see me.

I squat to be on the same level as her, and I start to caress her back softly, asking how her day was as if she could say okay or boring.

But I know she was bored.

“Hey, I wish I can take you with me every time I walk out,” I say softly, carrying her in my arms.

“Rio?” Miriam calls my name as I walk past the living area and I turn around genuinely happy to see her.

I know Bri won't hurt me when Miriam is around, I am safe for now.

“I thought you already left.”

“I am waiting for your aunt to get home today. How was your first day in college?” She is genuinely interested.

“Awesome, did Ella bother you?”

“No, she is a good girl.” She smiles at Ella. “And we already took a bath.”

“Thanks.”

“It is nothing, did you have lunch? I can microwave some leftovers for you.”

“I had a burger in the school's cafeteria, thanks though.”

“We have pancakes.”

“Okay, you got me. I will be right back.” I smile at her and walk upstairs with Ella in my arms.

Bri's bedroom door is closed and I hope she is deep asleep.

I tiptoe towards mine and just when I push the door open, I hear Bri laughing from her room, and then her door creaks open.

I freeze on the spot.

“b***h!” She slurs.

“You are drunk?”

“You thought you could just sneak into your f*****g room?” She asks, her voice cold as ice, and I swallow dryly, sucking in a deep breath as I turn to face her.

She is leaning on the wall, arms crossed on her chest, and she is looking at me like she is ready to rain hell on me.

“I already apologized.”

“And you think a half-ass apology will make things okay?” She asks, narrowing her eyes at me and I shake my head.

“It was not my inten..”

She sneers.

“You happened to mention that I didn't take you to school by mistake? Is that it?” She asks c*****g her eyebrows at me. “Huh?” She staggers towards me and I take a step back, hitting my back on the wall. “Answer me, Rio!”

I blow some air out of my mouth and shake my head.

“I am not doing this with you, not right now.” I make to walk to my room but I end up whimpering painfully when she grabs my hair and pulls me so hard towards her.

The smell of alcohol hits my nostrils, making me feel sick and I gag.

“You are hurting me, Bri.” I sob, shutting my eyes tight from the pain. “Please stop. It hurts.” I beg her, trying to pull away but she laughs maliciously and pulls even harder