BACT TO RIVERTON
1327 Words
JEDIDIAH’S POV
“It’s been five hours in the air… and we’re finally in Riverton,” I thought to myself
My eyelids carried the weight of the five-hour flight
I’d been up since 7 a.m., and even the comfort of a private jet didn’t change the fact that every joint in my body protested as I moved, a dull ache thrumming in my shoulders that the plush leather seat couldn't soothe.
Outside the window, the clouds slowly shifted as we descended.
Riverton was finally coming into view.
The landing was smooth.
Quiet.
Controlled.
The kind of landing that reminded you this wasn’t an ordinary flight.
The private jet rolled to a stop at the private terminal, and the door opened shortly after.
Warm air hit my face the moment I stepped out.
Different atmosphere.
Same city.
A line of staff stood in a perfect, military row. They said my name like a rehearsed prayer, their faces carefully blank of any real memory of me.
“Welcome back, sir,” they greeted in unison.
I gave a small nod as they moved forward to collect my luggage from the aircraft.
No delays.
No noise.
Everything already expected.
A few steps ahead, I spotted Arthur.
My personal driver.
Arthur waited by the door, a gloved hand already on the handle before I cleared the last rung
I tapped his shoulder lightly, a faint smile forming as I responded to his greeting.
“Good to have you back, sir,” he said.
“Yeah,” I replied simply, getting into the back seat.
The door closed softly.
And just like that, Riverton began moving past the window again.
The ride home was quiet.
Fast.
Familiar.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The mansion loomed in the twilight, its shadow stretching across the manicured lawn like a familiar, suffocating weight. Inside, the air was still and smelled of beeswax and old money.
The car slowed, and the gates opened immediately.
Arthur finally drove to a stop, and i immediately stepped out before he fully opened the door.
“I’ve got it,” I said and walked in.
Inside, I heard them before I saw them.
“My son is back,” my mother’s voice came first.
Warm. Familiar.
“You’re finally back,” my mother said, her voice softening as she stepped closer. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
"I'm here now," I said with a smile and pulled her into a hug.
Her perfume acted like an anchor.
She touched my arm lightly, like she needed to confirm I was really here.
“I’m fine,” I said before she even asked.
“I know,” she replied anyway.
“You’re earlier than expected,” a voice said from behind me.
The air in the room dropped ten degrees before I even saw him. My father was sitting in the shadows, looking less like a parent and more like a statue waiting to be appraised.
“I finished early,” I responded.
He nodded once.
No surprise. No excitement. Just acknowledgement.
My father stood.
“You’ll come to the office tomorrow,” my father said.
“I just arrived.”
“And?”
A pause.
Then I nodded. “Fine.”
That was enough for him.
My mother sighed softly, watching both of us like she had seen this pattern too many times.
“Let him settle in first,” my mother said gently.
“He’s had enough rest on the flight,” my father replied.
“Travel isn’t rest,” she countered immediately.
That stopped him from responding.
I didn’t stay longer.
“I’m going upstairs.”
My mother nodded. "Dinner will be ready soon”
"Sure," I responded
My father didn’t say anything.
He rarely did.
I walked past them, up the stairs, into the same room I had always known.
The room sat in its original, suffocating precision"
**************************
SHANIEL'S POV
“Where should we start from?” I asked
Cecelia as we stepped into the mall.
“I don’t know ,” she laughed nervously.
“Mmm… let’s start with the stationery store first, then continue from there.”
“Anything works for me.”
I grabbed two shopping trolleys and handed one to her before we headed inside.
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Eighteen.”
“Same. What month?”
“April.”
“I’m October. April what?”
“Fourth.”
“October tenth,” I replied, picking up a rim of A4 sheets.
Cecelia reached for a few things carefully, almost like she was scared of taking too much.
“Girl, relax,” I said. “Get whatever you want. Feel at home.”
She smiled faintly.
We continued shopping, talking here and there until we finished paying and dropped everything in the car.
The ghost of Jared shadowed every aisle since we used to shop together whenever school was reopening, even though my mom had no idea we were dating.
For a second, my chest tightened.
I brushed the thought aside quickly and continued walking.
“Next stop,” I announced, forcing energy into my voice, “decorations and room essentials.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cecelia replied jokingly.
“Careful. I might actually start giving orders.”
That earned a laugh from her.
As we shopped, I noticed she loved bright colors.
Her choices were bold and lively, completely different from mine.
After finishing there, we headed toward the clothing store.
“Last stop,” I said excitedly. “Clothes.”
“Oh yes,” Cecelia agreed immediately.
We picked out a couple of outfits and headed toward the fitting area.
“You go first,” I told her. “Let me rate the outfits.”
“Why don’t we just try them together?”
“Nooo, I want us to—”
The words died in my throat.
My eyes locked on a familiar figure across the store.
A guy stood beside one of the dressing rooms while a girl twirled in front of him as he complimented her.
My chest tightened instantly.
“What’s wrong?” Cecelia asked, following my gaze.
“Nothing.”
But it wasn’t nothing.
Not even close.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” I muttered quickly. “Let’s just continue shopping.”
Too late.
Because he had already seen me.
Kevin.
My ex before Jared.
Another mistake I once confused for love.
He had a girlfriend the entire time we dated and somehow still managed to act innocent when I found out.
He was walking toward me with that same stupid confidence.
“Hey, Shaniel.”
“Hey,” I replied flatly.
“This is my girlfriend, Kezia.” he introduced her so casually it almost annoyed me more.”
The girl smiled politely.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” I responded.
“What are you doing here?” Kevin asked casually.
I stared at him for a second.
“Obviously shopping.”
Kezia let out a small, awkward laugh.
“There’s no need to sound hostile,” Kevin said.
Before I could respond, Cecelia finally walked over.
“There you are,” I said quickly, grabbing her arm lightly.
“Let’s go check out.”
Cecelia looked between us briefly but didn’t ask questions.
“Alright,” she said simply.
The moment we got into the car, I started the engine immediately.
The atmosphere inside the car felt unbearably tense.
Cecelia glanced at me briefly.
“Who was that?” she finally asked.
“No one important,” I replied quickly.
She looked like she wanted to ask more questions but didn’t.
Honestly, I was grateful for that.
The rest of the drive stayed quiet.
I kept my eyes on the road, but my mind wouldn’t stop replaying the encounter.
Kevin.
Jared.
Everything.
It was exhausting.
By the time we hit the driveway, the day's light had drained out of me
- Writer
