101. Jealousy

The sun warmed River’s back as he walked through the narrow streets of Rome, Riley’s hand tucked safely in his. Her energy was infectious—her eyes wide as she absorbed everything around her, as if she had never seen a city before. He never met someone like her before. So full of…light. That’s what she was, and River realized that now. She was the light he didn’t think he needed in his life. She stopped every now and then, pointing out something he had already seen but pretended to be surprised for her. He couldn’t help but feel a warmth radiating in his chest when he looked at her cheerful face. It struck him how easily she found joy in the simplest moments, like the way she pointed at the architecture or shared stories about the gladiators. “Can you believe they used to fight lions in there?” she exclaimed, glancing back at him, her excitement infectious. River couldn’t help but smile a little at her enthusiasm. “Why are you so excited? Did you want to fight lions too?” “I think I’ll