It all began in a small town in Alabama on a beautiful August afternoon. Dani Daniels and her friend Katie were getting some exercise at the local high school track. While running up and down the bleachers, the small-town high school football team were practicing on the football field, when they decided to take a break and hydrate. While sitting there, Dani saw one of the football players remove his helmet and top half of his pads, she melted and turned to her friend Katie saying, “He’s beautiful. I have got to find out who he is, because I want a chance to be his girl.” Katie giggled and brushed it off and they continued to workout. As they were leaving, the same guy and Dani locked eyes and all she could think to herself was how perfectly chiseled his chest and abs were and how dark his hair and eyes were; especially when the sun hit them. Continually they both got in their vehicles and went their separate ways.
It was about 2 months later; Dani was at home on Myspace and came across a really cute guy in the same town she was in. She told herself, “Why not? He’s cute.” A few hours after adding him on Myspace, she receives a message from him saying hello and that his name was Riley Stein. He also told her all about himself and asked about her. She finds out that he goes to a rival school from the one she went to and was a few years younger than her. She was reluctant because him being 15 and her being 18 can be an issue in a small town of Alabama. However, she proceeded talking to him and after a week of talking and getting to know him, she put some pieces together. She then sent him a message saying,
“Riley- hey! Just a quick question, but were you practicing at the football field back in August and saw 2 girls running bleachers? “
He replied with a message of excitement and curiosity saying,
“Yes, I sort of remember. But not sure. Did the girls drive a blue Chevy?”
When Dani saw that message, she almost came unglued from her chair with joy. She knew then that it was him. It was that beautiful man she saw that same day. She replied with so much joy wondering what his answer could be after her reply of yes. Surely, he replied instantly saying,
“I thought you looked familiar for some reason. You were the driver because when I saw you in the parking lot, I was hoping you were as beautiful as you were up close and you were. You were the woman I said to myself, I have to have her. “
They swapped numbers from there and planned their move to meet up. She picked him up on December 28th and they hung out around town talking. As they pulled back up to his house, Dani put the car in park, and she looked at him as if signaling goodbye. Before she could even get the words out, he beat her to it asking if she would be his girlfriend. Dani said yes and jumped out of the driver’s seat into his arms in the passenger seat. They shared their first kiss together at that moment. A kiss that lit her world up brighter than the biggest firework show in the world and sent chills through her entire body. After a moment of joy and realizing she had a boyfriend, he went inside, and she proceeded home. In addition, they began a love story for the ages.
Furthermore, they decided to have sex with each other after Dani came clean about her past, present, and future to him. She felt it was necessary before ever laying with him. He was too good of a person not to at least give him that option. He never hesitated and just told her how much more he loved her for telling him. The first time sexually together was different for both Dani and Riley. For Dani it was different because she had never been touched by any boy or man like that and for Riley it was the best sex he had ever experienced. Riley laid Dani on his bed after that conversation and caressed her body, but not just in any way but in a way it felt unreal. When Dani started to feel weird about how they were not jumping straight to sex she asked, “Why did you get me naked to just kiss and rub my body with your fingertips and lips?” Riley responded with the most angelic response, “I love your body and want to feel and know every curve of your body.” No more words were spoken, and she proceeded to kiss him and the flame was officially lit. It was like each other knew what they wanted before they wanted it or ever tried it. Afterwards, Dani and Riley got dressed and Dani went home.
After dating for almost 3 months, it was time for Dani to really sit down with Riley’s parents. He asked her to come watch him at his wrestling match that was about 2 hours from where they both lived. She of course said yes and for that whole next week they prepared for their first trip away with each other. It wasn’t the trip a couple would hope for, but it was a trip they could share together. Furthermore, Friday had arrived for Dani to leave for Birmingham without Riley in the car. Riley had to ride the bus with the other wrestlers, but that was okay because it gave her and his parents a chance to talk. Not only was it their first real time alone but also their first time speaking without Riley present. As the trip started, Riley’s parents were subtle with conversation; sticking to casual conversation. After about an hour into the drive, Riley’s mom turned down the music, turned to the back seat where Dani was sitting and proceeded to say, “Not trying to be rude, but what does an old hag like you want with a hunk like my son?” To Dani’s surprise, she was able to answer directly and confidently, “because I love him, and age doesn’t define our relationship.” Mrs. Stein didn’t have much to say after that, and the ride was quiet for the rest of the drive.
Suddenly, they had arrived at the wrestling match and Dani could not wait to watch Riley wrestling for the first time. As Dani and Riley’s parents approached the arena, Riley came running up behind her grabbing her by her waist and pulling her into him. She giggled a flirtatious giggle, and his parents told him to calm down. Meanwhile as the match was underway, it came time for Riley to wrestle. He stepped foot on that bright blue and red mat with tight purple and yellow tights that just added sexy to the curves of his body. The whistle blew and the match began. Riley was getting the other opponent down and Dani just started shouting, “YEAH! GET HIM PUNKIN, GET HIM!” Of course, in that moment Dani didn’t realize she nicknamed Riley something that was ridiculous, and she feared what he and his parents would think in this moment. His parents looked at her and smiled as if it was the cutest thing they heard and when the match was over Riley came up to Dani and whispered in her ear, “if I’m your punkin, you’re my sunshine. I love my nickname, doesn’t embarrass me.” In that moment, she loved him more and couldn’t wait to see where the journey would take them.
Now that the wrestling matches were over and they had returned to their small town, it was time for some more fun together. It wasn’t the easiest journey of loving, all the people around them didn’t understand why they were together. She was the bad girl who was kicked out of high school and forced to get a GED, and he was the good grades, star athlete, never been in trouble or disobeyed my parents’ type of boy. Being 18 and in college was an advantage because she really didn’t have rules to follow living at home. She would try constantly to see him during the week, but he always had curfew of 8pm. I mean who could blame his parents for giving him that time of a curfew, she was older and obviously more seasoned than their son. Every Wednesday became their day. They would see each other after practice every Wednesday at his house. It was a good couple hours together locked away in his room. As every Wednesday night ended, he would walk Dani outside to her car and sex became something fun to do before she left. It was the best scheduled quickie anyone could have on a weekly basis, sometimes daily. Once the sex was finished or even if sex wasn’t involved before she left, they always said and did the same thing in every goodbye. Without hesitation, they would lock pinky fingers to promise to each other, pull their hands to their mouths, kiss their hand and say, “forever and always, no goodbyes. I love you.” Uniquely, this became something precious to them and what they believed in.
As winter approached and the leaves began to change, football season was underway and watching Riley play on Friday nights was something Dani looked forward to. It was the last game of the season, and it was a home game. Dani was in the stands cheering him and the team on as they fought for the championship. Without delay, Riley’s team won the game. After the game, Riley and Dani met up at Dani’s car to proceed to the after party. Once they arrived at Michael’s house, they began drinking and hanging out by the bonfire. Everyone just listened to music, had conversations, and made memories. As the night began to end, Dani realized she had gotten Riley a little more intoxicated than she thought. She got nervous about taking him home like that, so she got Riley to text his parents telling them that he was staying with his friend Jacoby, even though he was staying with her. Before even making it to cutting the car on and getting home, Riley wanted to have sex in a cold ass car with who knows around. Dani never said no to him because it was always the most genuinely loved filled moments no matter what situation they were in. They proceeded to having sex in that car, fogging up all the windows in the car. After, Dani drove them to her house and helped Riley into the house and into bed. She changed into PJs and slid into bed next to him, kissed his head goodnight and fell asleep. It was the first night they slept in the same bed overnight, and boy did Dani like waking up to him and him her. This began a trend that they would start to do until eventually getting caught by his parents. They didn’t like it, but by this point they knew their son was serious about Dani. They began to allow it sometimes and began to accept that the relationship was real.
In due time, it was summer, and school was out for Riley. Finally, a chance to see each other more and love each other more. As the weekend approached for Fourth of July weekend, Dani and Riley made plans with their friends Cody, Roger, Kay, and Sadie to have a small gathering at Riley’s house. Henceforth to Friday, everyone met up at Riley’s house. Dani and Riley pulled out the alcohol and started mixing drinks. Everyone was laughing, talking, and playing card games, and started feeling a little too faded. They all got the bright idea to get in bathing suits and play around outside. In the light of all of them being completely intoxicated, they proceeded outside doing as many flips and cartwheels as they could before all falling to the ground laughing. Moments later, Dani and Riley decided to call it a night after Cody, Kay, and Sadie were all being naughty in the other room and Roger was passed out on the floor in the living room. The next morning when everyone awoke with headaches and feeling a little out of sorts, Dani made breakfast for everyone. After breakfast everyone went their separate ways. However, as Roger was leaving Dani was walking him to his truck and he proceeded to tell her that he had put Xanax in their drinks last night. Dani was infuriated at the fact one of her closest friends would do that; especially when she was trying to change her ways for Riley. With this in mind, she told him she would speak to him at a later date, and he left home. Dani walked inside and told Riley what had happened and the reason for being so messed up the night before. Riley comforted her and just held her saying, “that person isn’t your friend. You’re trying to better yourself and people like that will hold you back.” Dani sighed and the day felt better.
Equally important, Dani and Riley hung with their friends in the main parking lot of the football field on weekends; they called it the PL for short. In a small town you don’t have many options of things to do on the weekends when you’re under the age of 21. Dani and her main crew of girls were in the PL one Saturday night talking with some of the other people from the town, when Riley and his friend pulled up. Dani and Riley greeted each other with her jumping into his arms as if he had been gone for months. They proceeded to conversing with everyone there, and out of nowhere Riley approached Dani in front of everyone with his hand out saying, “Dance with me Dani Daniels!” Dani did not hesitate and grabbed his hand. He gracefully twirled her into him and twirled her out before bringing her back in to slowly dancing with her. People stared at them but they stared at each other as if there was no music playing, and there was no one else around. They danced like this everywhere, no matter what was going on. Dani or Riley would always ask to dance. Their favorite spot was the PL because they could glide as far around as they wanted to. Needless to say, during their memories made in the PL with their friends, people also got to experience the love they shared.
As the year went on, Dani and Riley’s one-year anniversary together was approaching. However, Riley was not going to be able to make it on the actual day of it because of wrestling for the state league. It was two days after the actual anniversary when Riley returned home. He called Dani and asked her to be at his house at 7p that Friday night and to text him when she arrived. Dani thought this was weird that she had to text him when she arrived. Nonetheless, when she arrived, she was walking around back because she heard people talking and texted him that she was there. As she came around the corner, Mr. and Mrs. Stein sat at the table with friends. Dani smiles and says her hellos . Mrs. Stein spoke up and said, “Dani, go inside Riley is ready for you.” That blew Dani’s mind that his mom was welcoming whatever their son had planned and helped him. She proceeded to opening the back door and walked in. As she looked up and closed the door behind her, she saw red rose petals scattered through the entire house, candles lit throughout the entire main part of the house, a huge bouquet of red roses sitting on the coffee table with a card, and red Jumpsuit Apparatus song in the arms of an angel playing on the stereo. Tears filled her eyes as he approached her with a single rose in hand, simply asking her, “Will you forgive me for being late?” He handed her the rose and slightly kissed her cheek. She replied, “I forgive you baby.” He then looked at her with those big brown dough eyes and said in the sweetest voice, “Will you dance with me my angel?” Dani of course said yes, and they proceeded dancing to that song. While dancing, Riley held Dani close to him as if to never let her go and leaned down kissing her softly with the warmest embrace. Before the song ended, Dani looked up at Riley and said, “If god lets me love you forever, I will never love again.” Riley looked at Dani in her crystal blue eyes and said, “I will love you forever, even if you aren’t mine.” The song ended and she read her card that he gave her, as if he could not be sweeter than he already was at this point. She hugged and kissed him, and they proceeded to watching a movie and subsequently having sex on the floor under the covers. It was the hardest time they ever had at having sex, because his parents were sitting at the dining room table playing cards and drinking with their friends. They successfully were able to, and it was the most thrilling slow and dedicated way to have sex. After the movie, Dani left and went home and prepared for the next time she would see Riley.
It was finally March and time for spring break. Dani had plans to go to Florida with some girlfriends, but Riley was not going to make it because he was grounded. The day before Dani left for Florida, she stocked up on weed and Xanax. She hadn’t used them since that Fourth of July night, but she knew her and the girls would need them to drink for hours on end. Finally, the day had come for her to leave for spring break, and she kissed Riley bye and headed to Florida. As she pulled up to the hotel, Dani J., Dani B., Cece, Kate, and Connie waited with smiles on their faces to greet her. As the night started, Dani handed out Xanax to the girls that wanted them, which was all of them except Dani B. Then Dani rolled up a couple of blunts and they started drinking. Eventually, people from their hometown came up to the hotel that night for a hotel party that we started with folks in the rooms next to us. At this point, Dani was feeling good and forgetting who all was there and what she was doing. As the night progressed, Dani was at the climax of her high and started playing inappropriate games with some of the people she just met and people she knew. After the game she went to walk out on the balcony and as she opened the door, Wren, Riley’s best friend stood there, and Dani jumped in his arms and started making out with him. After the make out session was done, and the party started to end, Dani and the girls got on PJ’s and realized the sun was coming up. Dani and the girls finally fell asleep and woke up a few hours later. Dani woke up asking the girls what happened the night before, that she couldn’t remember anything. The only one that really could remember clearly was Dani B. and she stated that we were all out of our minds. She also told Dani that at one point she passed out in one of the rooms and when she came to, she was walking out with a younger guy but didn’t look like it was anything of a cheating matter.
After breakfast and getting dressed for the beach, the girls grabbed Dani’s camera to take pictures of the day starting. To their surprise, there were pictures of the night before and pictures of all the girls completely out of their element. The pictures did show how much fun they had but also showed the people that were there that Dani didn’t realize. Dani turned to Dani B. and asked, “Did I cheat on Riley? I don’t think I did but I obviously don’t remember a lot from last night.” Dani B. looked at Dani and said, “No I don’t think so. Some guy that did come out of the room you were in, came out way before you did, and you were passed out when I checked on you.” Dani was relieved and thankful. However, the pictures on the camera weren’t very flattering and revealed she had gotten too close to Riley’s best friend. Deep down she remembered kissing him and knew it was wrong. She ended up ignoring Riley that day and enjoyed the beach with the girls. As the last night approached, the girls had already had many memories and done too much drinking. They all decided to prepare for their departure the next day by cleaning up the hotel and packing. Meanwhile, Dani found her weed that went missing that very first night and found Riley’s shirt that she brought with her for comfort. This time when she picked it up, she got a gut feeling that was unsettling. She didn’t pay much attention and finished packing. As the night approached and it was time for bed, Riley texted Dani saying he missed her, and he couldn’t wait to see her. She felt the same and let him know that. As the morning sun rose on that Sunday, the girl woke up and packed their cars down and hit the highway back home.
Once Dani arrived home, she received a text from Riley that said, “I can’t believe you would cheat on me. We are done.” Dani’s heart fell out of her chest, and she replied, “No! I’m coming over now!” When Dani arrived at Riley’s house, she ran through the front door and into his room. He sat there on his bed with eyes full of tears and stared at her when she came running in with a face full of tears as well. Dani fell to the floor next to him trying to hold his hand, yet he pulled it away saying, “get out of here. We are done.” Dani begged him to listen. She even told him the truth about his best friend. After telling him about the best friend, he said, “what about the other guy? The guy you had sex with?” Dani looked at him in a baffled state and responded, “What are you talking about? I didn’t have sex with anyone. I might have gotten super fucked up the night of the hotel party on Xanax and alcohol, but I don’t remember cheating on you like that.” Riley continued to cry saying, “I don’t believe you. Get out! We are over. You broke my heart.” At this point Mr. Stein was walking in the room and Dani was exiting in panic and fear, pushing him into the door. She ran all the way out of the house and to her car, almost unable to control her anguish. By the time she got inside her car and the engine on, she fell apart and couldn’t believe she had lost him. She prayed aloud in that moment, “Please God give me a reason why? Help me understand how?” She left his house and went home where she ran to her room and caved into a deep slumber or pain.
During Dani’s time of grasping that she lost Riley, he blocked her on every social media, phone calls, or any form of communication possible. Her heart ached in a way she never felt before; it was as if it was no longer in her body. After a month of deep depression, she ended up in the hospital for stomach ulcers and other minor things. She was treated and sent home to rest. Her parents were worried about her because they said a part of her seemed gone, seemed different. Even during this time, her parents still pushed her to keep working and doing what she needed to. Dani pushed through some of her darkest days with the help of her residents that she cared for daily. It was a time in her life that she found the brighter side of her heartbreak.
After a year of not a word from Riley, she got hit up by him. She received a text that asked if she knew where to get weed. It confused Dani because Riley was so against that and straying away from his future when they were together. However, she got him some weed and met him at his friend’s house. It was a weird meeting, and short. They exchanged money and weed, Riley didn’t say much and neither did Dani. When Dani went to leave, she looked at Riley and said, “I’m sorry and I hope you are doing well. It was good to see you.” She continued walking to get in her car, while Riley said nothing and walked in the other direction. It wasn’t until after he graduated that they saw each other again. Dani was working a job in Mobile where he attended school. She decided to try the number he contacted her all that time ago for weed. Sure, enough he answered and proceeded to ask if she would like to come over and smoke a doobie. She ended up going there and seeing him again. Their visit was as if they had never had heartbreak between them. They smoked a doobie and talked about the present. Riley explained he was seeing someone else and that he really liked her. However, that didn’t stop Dani and Riley from getting too frisky on the balcony of his apartment. Dani stayed for a couple hours and went back to her hotel. She dreamed about the fact she had him back in her life in a sense. She wondered how long it would last, for she missed him and still loved him even after years apart.
Consequently, that was the last time she saw him until he came home for Christmas that year to introduce his girlfriend to his parents. Dani knew that he was home from her friends telling her. She hoped she would receive a text at some point while he was home and to her surprise she did. She received a text on Christmas Eve that said, “Hey. Come to my house and park at the bottom of the driveway. Meet me on the dark side of the house.” Dani replied with joy, “done.” Once she got there and met him on the side of the house, the bliss of sex started, and they lived in that moment together. Afterwards, Dani left, and Riley went back inside to his girlfriend and family. Christmas arrived and Dani didn’t hear back from him until he had proposed to his girlfriend later that year. He contacted Dani to tell her he had proposed to his girlfriend, and he wanted her to hear about it from him. Receiving that message almost made Dani fall to ground, but instead she held herself together and texted him back asking if they could meet in their favorite spot. They met up that night in their favorite spot at the river where they spent so many nights talking, romancing, and dreaming. When they both stepped out of their cars and approached one another, Dani reached for Riley’s hand, and he gave it to her. She said softly to help hold back the tears, “I’m so happy for you. You deserve this happiness.” Riley’s eyes started to fill with tears, and he said, “You will always be the love of my life. I’ll never forget you.” He leaned in and kissed Dani as if it was the last time, they would ever be that close again. When he tried to pull away Dani pulled him back in and they had their last time of making love.
Finally, it was time to put back on their clothes and say goodbye. Dani’s heart ached for the fact she was losing him again. They stared at each other and hugged. After hugging Dani looked up at Riley saying, “I wish I could be the one you chose and for breaking your heart I am so sorry. I haven’t and will not ever stop loving you.” Riley replied, “I forgive you.” They both turned and got inside their cars; it was a moment of hesitation for them. However, they both started their cars and went their separate ways. Dani watched as that day came for him to marry that girl and was happy to see him with her. She also cried when she saw pictures but didn’t allow the hurt to overwhelm the happiness. Riley soon went into the military and he and his new wife moved away. Dani never heard from him again, yet she never stopped loving him.
The End.
As you can see, not every love story has a happy ending. However, it can have a good ending of understanding between lovers that going separate ways is better for both parties. Dani learned a valuable lesson through all this and Riley had to feel his first heartbreak.
Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Until next time Free Spirits.
The Miles in Motion 