Meanwhile, as Riley and Liyana's date continued to unfold with an effortless charm, the three girls who had been secretly following them remained quietly on the sidelines—watching.
Watching their boyfriend smile.
Watching him laugh.
Watching him spend time with the one girl in his life who had every right to be at his side.
It was an odd, almost surreal experience for them.
On one hand, it was… nice.
Liyana was graceful, polite, sweet.
She wasn't overbearing or obnoxious.
She laughed quietly, responded thoughtfully.
She didn't cling to Riley or act possessive in a way that would provoke hatred.
No, she was likable.
Like it was only natural she'd act that way to him.
And that, in a strange way, made it worse.
On the other hand, it was extremely uncomfortable.
No matter how graceful Liyana was, the image of her so naturally beside Riley—smiling up at him, leaning slightly closer when he spoke—triggered something painful in all three of them.
