Love In the Past

Six years ago...

Nathaniel Angel Ray was some regular eighteen year old high school graduate. He had the grades to go onto college and he had the perfect girlfriend (for three years). Well, his perfect girlfriend. Her name, Riley (Ry-lee) Delila (De-lie-lah) Cohen (Co-win).

It was a snowy winters' night and Nathaniel and Riley were walking in the park. Side by side, hand in hand. "You know, it's been a while since we last saw each other," Riley whispered into the cold winters' night. Nathaniel stayed quiet, he had alot on his mind and it had a lot to do with what was in his pocket. "So, how was it working with the big stars and being the star of the movie?" Riley said softly. She was trying to conjure some conversation but in the last thirty minutes Nathaniel couldn't even cough up a word.

Riley was worried about their future because Nathaniel started picking up the acting business. Riley dared to think that she would lose him to it and right now she was almost positive she would. Nathaniel nudged Riley to sit at the bench and he stood. He inhaled deeply and kneeled down on one knee. He fidgeted for the box in his pocket.

Riley looked at him stupefied as she saw a charming little box appear into the air in between herself and Nathaniel. Her eyes reached his and she pleaded in her mind that he wouldn't propose to her. For crying out loud, they were eighteen years old. They were young and they had the rest of their lives to get married even though that would prove difficult while Riley was in college and Nathaniel was off making movies.

"Riley," Nathaniel's voice sweeped through the air ringing sweetly in Riley's ear. It wouldn't convince her. "Riley Delila Cohen," He opened the box and there peered out of it a diamond ring. A diamond ring. Her eyes widened at the excite but she quickly pulled them away. Riley's eyes replaced themselves on Nathaniel's face which was even worse. A smile played on his lips and his eyes...those gorgeous eyes of his laid on hers. "Riley Delila Cohen," Nathaniel repeated himself. "Will you marry me?"

Riley looked at him stupified blinking every two seconds. Trying to find out if this was all real. She looked all around the park and she was almost sure she was up but almost wasn't complete. Tears made their way to her eyes and they sat there as she panicked more and more. Riley had many reasons to panic.

1.) They were both eighteen.

2.) Marriage is a big responsibility.

3.) She had to say something. Meaning A.) yes or B.) no.

A.) meant she took the proposal. Risked all her future dreams. Became miserable and ends up having a child at twenty.

B.) meant that she would break Nathaniel's heart. He would probably never talk to her again. She'd split up with him right after she says it. She'd persue her dream miserably but he'd move on happily because he would have the paparazzi always spying on him. But she'd get over him and be happy for him and herself. (That last part was wishful thinking.)

So which choice was it going to be A.) or B.).

Riley opened her mouth and she looked at Nathaniel and the ring. Both very good reasons to get married to him. "..." Riley said. Nathaniel awaited her answer. She looked around...there was one thing that was missing from that picture. Her ring finger in that ring. If she really wanted to get married to Nathaniel, her finger would have been in that ring already but it wasn't. She sighed deeply and shook her head. "The answer is 'no'." Riley got up and walked off avoiding Nathaniel's disappointed face. Tears overflowing her eyes. She wiped them off so nobody would see her hurt.

Riley felt a hand touch hers. She stopped and turned around. "Riley? Why not? I mean with the acting career I can provide for the both of us. You won't ever have to go hungry or work or-" She felt an adrenaline rush and she was shaking her head at the fact that he said she didn't have to work. These past years she had been working her butt off trying to get into college and she wasn't going to quit, now. She pulled her hand away from his and she quickly paced herself back and forth.

"No, I don't want that. I don't want to be married at eighteen. I dont want to be married at all right now. I mean marriage is such a big, huge...step and I dont think you get that. I have dreams I want to pursue too. That's why Im going to college. I didn't screw over all of the teenage fun I could have had for nothing. I worked too hard to miss college. Im not...Im not." Riley confessed fustratedly. She looked at Nathaniel for a quick second and then put her eyes back on the ground. "Im sorry, Nathaniel but it's too huge of a step for me...I can't do this."

"So what are you saying?" Riley looked at him from the ground surprised. That totally blew her over. She turned around on her heel trying to hide the tears that willingly fell down her face. "Goodbye, Nathaniel Angel Ray," That was the last time she saw him. Well, not really Riley saw him plenty of times on the television over the last six years...