Chapter 26: Chapter 26

River

I woke up with a gasp. My eyes gazed groggily around my room. I looked at my window and noticed some frost on the corners. It was supposed to snow sometime soon.

My feet were cold because the cover had slipped off, probably from my movements.

I yawned and pulled the sheets back over my feet and settled back into my bed. I was as tired as a dog.

I checked my phone: it was 12:45 AM.

The hell had woke me up?

I shook my head and tucked my phone back under my pillow. I know, totally unsafe, right? I buried my face in my pillow and closed my eyes.

I was just falling back asleep when my phone started blaring its ringtone. I frowned and retrieved it from under the pillow. I looked at the caller ID.

What the hell?

I brought the phone up to my ear and answered it.

"Daimen?" I questioned when I just heard breathing.

"Hey River. What are you doing?" He asked sounding weird. I sat up a bit.

"I was sleeping." I said.

"Can you come get me? I'm at the lake." He said and I scowled.

"What are you doing at the lake?" I questioned. It was freezing outside.

"I need you to come get me." He said ignoring my question.

"Daimen--" I started.

"Gotta go." He said and hung up.

I looked at my phone in shock. What the hell? I sighed and got up. Might as well see what was going on.

Daimen

I felt like nothing could hurt me. I walked slowly toward the lake? Yeah, I was pretty sure I was by a lake. My hands swung at my side and I glanced down as a light flashed.

I went to touch my signaling phone with my other hand when I realized something. My other hand which had held my beer was empty. I sighed at the thought my beer was dropped somewhere by my numbed fingers.

I stared at my phone and suddenly it all came rushing back. I'd called River. My stomach churned at the thought. What had I said to her? I tried to think but everything was a hazy blur.

I groaned and rubbed my temples as a massive headache started to take hold of my brain.

"Oh shi--" I stopped as a wave of nausea hit me. I bent against a tree and proceeded to vomit out the contents in my stomach. After some moments my eyes landed on the vile smelling yellowish puddle and I grimaced as I dry heaved.

I pushed myself away from the tree and stumbled around.

I don't know how long I walked, but soon I stopped and stared out at the lake. It looked beautiful. Cold, glistening... beautiful...

I slowly sat down and watched, seeing my breath float up and disperse. I crossed my legs, sitting Indian-style, and laid my elbows against my knees as I let my arms hang a little towards the ground. The cold blades of grass tickled my fingertips and I let out a sigh.

"Daimen." Her voice had my brain pushing to work right. The hairs on the back of my neck stood and a weird feeling churned in the pit of my stomach.

I turned slowly to see her standing a little ways off. Her arms were wrapped around herself against the cold. She wore a black hoodie and jeans. Her boots were a bit muddy. She stood there looking at me and my breath blew out mirroring hers as a puff of white came out to acknowledge how cold it was.

I wanted to say something, but for a while nothing came out. Then finally after moments of sitting with a gaping mouth I finally managed a meager, "Hi."

Her left eyebrow rose at my response and she blew breath on her hands and rubbed them together before nodding curtly. I watched her as she stepped closer to me, but she stopped a few feet away.

"So what do you want? You're obviously out of it so, do you need a ride home? A jacket? You only have a tank top on and its supposed to snow tonight." She said and I frowned. She was worried about me...?

I stood up and made my stupid feet walk over to stand in front of her and she leaned away a bit. Her nose wrinkled and those blue-gray eyes of hers squinted.

"You reek. You smell like booze and-what?-did you throw up?" She asked glancing up at me and her glorious eyes met mine. I stared into the light sea of cloudy skies and nodded softly. She grimaced and I almost smirked.

"What is it?" She breathed looking away and I tried to ignore a pang in my chest.

"I'm sorry." I said and she looked up at me. Her eyes shown with uncertainty and I frowned. I reached out and she flinched as my hand laid against her cheek. Her skin was so warm and my hand stayed there as I looked into her eyes. She bit her lip softly and her eyes closed as she leaned into my hand more. I stared at her face not even sure of what was happening, not sure of what I was doing.

"For what?" River breathed and her eyes opened. She moved her face away and I reluctantly put down my hand which was now being attacked by the cold air once more.

I tried to focus on a sentence. But I couldn't think of anything to say until it came to me.

"For being me." I sighed and she looked away from me. I glanced at the ground only to look up as her hand brushed mine and her fingers linked us together. I held onto her warm hand and could only think of how mine must be so cold to her, how my hand must just be zapping the warmth from hers.

"Come on Daimen. My car's this way." She said tugging my hand and I frowned. Oh, that's why she was holding my hand?

"Wait." I said pulling away and she turned with a confused look in her eyes.

"Daimen come on you're going to freeze out here." River said with a hint of annoyance in her voice and I scoffed.

"I'm pretty warm actually." I retorted and she huffed a large cloud of her breath billowing out.

"That's the alcohol, your lips are already blue." River said and went to grab my hand again, but I stepped back. She stopped and glared at me.

"Listen here. You told me to come get you-" River said. I did? "-so that's what I'm gonna do." She grabbed my hand and started leading me away.

"Why'd you even come?" I asked and she didn't look at me and she muttered something under her breath. It sounded like swearing.

"That's what friends do." She said and I stopped walking. She halted as well and turned to me a look of desperation on her face.

"What now?" She sighed.

"Friends?" I repeated her word and she looked at the ground. Her feet shuffled a bit and she ran a hand through her hair.

"Sorry-I just-I thought... we're not friends?" She asked and I scowled. Friends was far from what I wanted to be.

"No." I practically growled and grabbed her hips before pulling her to me.

Her eyes were wide as they stared up at me. Confusion and sadness clouded her irises and it made guilt stir inside me. I held her against me and basked in the warmth and feel of her pressed to me. My mind went blank. I leaned closer and my lips were just an inch or two from hers. Her warm breath blew out on my lips and my heart started pounding. I'd began to move my lips to hers when River pressed her hands against my chest.

"Let's go. I'm freezing." She pulled away from me and strutted toward her car. I frowned and shoved my hands in my pockets before following her.

My longer strides brought me to her side quickly and I slowed my pace to match hers. She did not acknowledge my presence nor did she spare me a glance as we walked side by side.

She was uncomfortable I think, maybe even angry at me, but she wouldn't leave me here, and that's all that mattered. She could be infuriated, blowing her gasket, yelling, screaming, cursing, just by all means pissed at me. Yet she will always be this kind-hearted young woman that I will forever put my trust in. She is the embodiment of good. She is kind, innocent, and everything I wish I never had hurt.

How I hurt her, how I treated her so poorly, amazed me. How I pursued this angelic girl and the fact that she never gave up on me blew my mind. Everyone always gave up on me. Everyone except her.

If anyone ever would've told me that she, River, would somehow wiggle her way into my dark past and horrible present I wouldn't've believed them. If they would've told me she was the one to slowly break my episodes... But somehow it happened. Somehow she confided in me and God knows I her. She was more like me than I first thought. She didn't have the perfect life. She wasn't some pretty little princess.

She was River and I was Daimen.

I wondered if she knew I wanted her. I mean, I'd just tried to kiss her. Surely she knew. Right? But maybe she didn't, maybe to her I was just some drunk guy. I frowned at the thought. I was drunk, but that didn't mean I did it for no reason.

I wanted nothing more than to wrap her in my arms and never let her go. But instead of telling her this I get drunk and now am stuck with my thoughts. I'd be for her until my lungs gave out.

"Daimen?" I blinked and looked at River who was gazing at me with a mildly curious expression. I gazed at her and wanted badly to confess all that I felt, but I couldn't. It would come out as nervous, intoxicated rambling and it would only confuse her or maybe even scare her.

I sighed and watched the puff of white disperse in the air and I shrugged my shoulders against the cold.

"Yeah?" I said and the girl watched me for a while before opening her door and telling me to get in. After some difficulty opening the door I got in and saw her already buckled up and ready to drive. I shut the door and buckled myself and without a word the car began moving.

"You're mad at me." I said softly and the air in the car seemed to grow thick and hot.

River let out a long breath and glanced at me as she drove. She bit her bottom lip and frowned before saying, "I'm just... I don't know. Annoyed I guess. Its one o'clock in the morning and I have to come fetch you... Where's Rocky?"

"He's at home." I said.

"Does he have food; water; can he get out if he has to go?" River questioned and I nodded.

"Good. We're going to have to go to my house. It's closer plus I'm not driving anymore than I have to tonight. The roads may ice over." River grumbled and I nodded in understanding.