"I'm…"
"Say something!"
Riley was going to say something, but Aerith's voice thundered throughout the entire penthouse before he could even utter his next words.
"I am—"
"Just saying something!"
Of course, Aerith did not really want Riley to say anything, she didn't want to listen to him at all. Why would she? How could she?
She knew Riley enough that she knows that if Riley actually says something, Aerith would end up empathizing with him—no, she would end up sympathizing with him. That was the vicious and ridiculous cycle that she and everyone were trapped in when it comes to Riley.
Somehow, everyone just ends up being attracted to him; not necessarily romantically, but like what one would feel toward a rabid and isolated but extremely cute dog. You know you're going to get bitten, but you'll still want to pet it—That is the Riley Ross Effect.
And perhaps more so than others, Aerith was a victim of that.
