When Riley received the second amount of money from Henry, he almost dropped his phone.
The figure staring back at him was so large, so unexpected, that for a moment he thought Henry had made a mistake... or maybe sent it to the wrong person.
It was too much.
So much that Riley's first reaction wasn't excitement, but confusion and a deep, twisting ache in his chest.
It threw him into that spiral he hated... the one where he compared his life to others and wondered how unfair life could be.
His family own a small restaurant, the kind of place people stop at not because it is fancy, but because it is the only thing within reach for miles.
They all work in it. His father cook, his mother manage, his eighteen years ..younger brother do deliveries, and Riley himself has always been everything in between... dishwasher, waiter, cleaner.
From the restaurant they barely scrape together enough to survive. School fees, food, electricity… it is always just enough. Not more. Never more.
But at least it got him and his brother through high school. At least they eat from there. He told himself often that he can't really complain, but deep inside he does. Every single day.
His parents, practical to the core, had insisted he should stay after high school and keep working there.
But Riley doesn't want it. He wants college. He wants a real job. He wants a chance to raise his family's standards, not stay chained to the same four greasy walls his entire life.
But what choice did he have?! He had already given up hope. Dreams were expensive, and they had no room for them.
But this money... this ridiculous, overwhelming amount changed everything in the morning.
It was almost enough to cover his first year in college. Just the first year, yes, but it was a start. And for once in his life, Riley wanted to believe that a start was enough.
As he headed home in the morning, in that taxi, he actually felt… good. Lighter.
For once, he didn't curse 'the night' .
For once he thought it wasn't a waste. For once, his reckless decision to storm out after fighting with his family hadn't been a disaster.
If he hadn't gone out this wouldn't have happened.
And for some strange, impossible reason, he was even glad that fight had pushed him out the door.
But no matter how much he tried to focus on the money, on the opportunity, on the relief that filled his veins, something else gnawed at him.
Skye.
That boy would not leave his mind. The image of him... fragile, beautiful in an innocent kind of way, trapped in the chaos of his parents..
kept clawing its way back into Riley's thoughts.
Skye would grow up surrounded by money, luxury, everything material he could ever need. But he'd grow up without the one thing Riley had never lacked: attention. Love. Care.
Who was worse off between the two of them? Skye, with all the wealth but no warmth? Or Riley, whose family struggled for every single dollar but always, always made sure he knew he was loved?
The thought wouldn't let him go. No matter how many times he shoved it out of his head, convincing himself it wasn't his business, the boy's face returned.
The lost look in his eyes. The silence that screamed louder than words.
For a moment, Riley hated himself for being so soft-hearted. For caring way too much.
But what he hated more... what screamed louder in his head...
His lips had touched a man's lips.
The thought alone made his stomach twist and his chest burn. It is wrong in every possible way, not because he had anything against men who lived like that, but because it wasn't supposed to happen to him.
He was supposed to be off-limits, outside of all that.
He kept telling himself it was stupid to dwell on it. It had been an accident, nothing intentional, nothing meaningful. But no matter how many times he repeated that, the truth remained... it still happened.
And it wasn't just the act itself, but the way Henry had reacted afterward that unsettled him the most.
He hadn't been angry, hadn't shown embarrassment or awkwardness. Instead, his reaction had been calm, almost teasing, that smirk cutting into Riley's mind.
He could still hear Henry's voice, still see the way he said it out loud, laughing almost... that Riley kissed him.
Even though that wasn't how it went, the way Henry framed it made Riley feel unsettled.
By the time Riley finally got home, he was exhausted, not just in body but in mind. He braced himself for the inevitable lecture about disappearing at night, and after that, he expected no escape from the endless duties at the restaurant
But when he stepped through the door, expecting an empty house with his parents at the restaurant, he froze. They were home. And the mood in the room was thick.
His father stood abruptly when he saw him, eyes sharp, voice raised, "Mind explaining where you disappeared off to at night?!"
Riley's pulse spiked, but he forced his tone steady. "Can we please not do this? I'm just tired of how everything is changing in this house and I'm starting to feel suffocated. Riley don't do this, Riley do that, Riley don't speak to this person! Riley this Riley that!"
He hoped the words might buy him a little space, make them think that.. he thinks he is being bullied by his own family, so maybe they won't scold him.
"Honey, we're just trying to look out for you," his mother said softly, her worry clear in her eyes.
"Forget it," Riley muttered, wanting the subject to die quickly. He noticed how distracted they seemed, how tense. "What's going on? Shouldn't you guys be at work?"
"It's closed." His father's voice cracked with restrained anger. "The authorities shut us down. Said we haven't paid the business license."
His grandmother, who rarely bothered with restaurant affairs, snapped from her corner, "Those heartless brats! The money they're demanding could buy a whole piece of land!"
Riley froze.
The restaurant wasn't just their job. It was their life. Their survival. And now it was gone.
"Well…" He forced a smile, though his heart was racing. "Good thing I worked last night and got paid. We can handle it."
Before they could question him further, he transferred the money straight to his father's account. Not just enough for the license.. more, enough to restock, to stabilize them.
His father's phone pinged, and when he looked at the balance, his eyes widened. "Where… where did you get all this?" His voice was laced with disbelief, enough to draw his wife and his mother closer. They looked, then gasped.
"I just told you. I worked." Riley tried to sound casual, though a flicker of pride burned in his chest.
"All this in one night?!" his mother asked.
"My boss is rich," Riley answered simply. "And generous."
Of course, they didn't let it go at that. They pressed, demanded, insisted, until he gave them the whole story. At last, they let him retreat to his room, though he knew their eyes would follow him with suspicion for days.
He pushed the door open, expecting silence, but instead found his brother sprawled on his bed, Riley's drawing book in his hands.
"What are you doing in my room with my stuff Liam?" Riley asked. His voice came out harsher than intended, though truthfully, he didn't really care. His voice carried no real anger.
His brother didn't even look ashamed. He just flipped another page and said quietly, "I was bored. I've been perusing this drawing book for hours," he said casually, "and all I can think is that ... Whoa...! My brother is really talented in this sector. But why are there only men in his drawings? I mean, not that it's a problem, but from start to the end there are only men. Some are shirtless, Some of them drawn with… I don't know. Expressions that feel like they mean something."
For some unknown reasons... Riley's heart slammed against his ribs, sudden and hard, and for a moment, his mind went completely blank.
He didn't know how to respond to that.