Twenty Seven

River


“River…I…” She says, I hear her gasp and then nothing but what sounds like the phone landing somewhere.

“Chevy? Chevy are you there?!” I yell into the phone, panic seizing me. Something must have happened, why else would she have called me. “Fuck!”

Grabbing my keys off the counter, I run out of the apartment, heading straight for my truck. I try calling Caprice’s phone repeatedly, but no one ever answers.

*Fuck!*

*Fuck!*

*Fuck!*

I don’t have her mom or brother’s numbers to try them, and I have this sinking feeling in my gut that something bad has happened.

I make it to Chevy’s mom’s house in record time, breaking several laws along the way but that’s the least of my concerns. Chevy is all that I care about.

“Chevy! Caprice!” I holler as I bang on the door. “Chevy, Caprice!”

“River, what’s going on?” She asks as soon as she opens the door.

“Where’s Chevy?” I ask as I rush into the house, looking around for her. “Caprice, where is she!” I demand, not caring at all if I sound like a madman.

“Dude, what’s your deal? You need to chill!” Caprice snaps, planting her hands on her hips and blocking the front door.

“She called me.” I say, exasperated as I pace the small, dimly lit living room.

“Not shit, I already knew that.” She says, frustration evident on her face.

“You don’t understand. Something is wrong! Where is she Caprice?” I’m shaking from equal parts fear and frustration because I can’t seem to get her to understand the gravity of the situation.

“She took a walk, she said that she was going to call you and needed the fresh air to think. What do you mean something's wrong?” She asks, her confused look slowly morphing to panic once she realizes how distraught I am.

“She called me. She didn’t get to say anything other than my name, that’s how I knew it was her, but then I heard her gasp, and then what sounded like the phone hitting the ground and now, I can’t reach her.” I look at her, pleading that she understand, “Caprice, I have a bad feeling. A very bad feeling.” Shoving past, I run out the front door.

“I’m coming with you!” she says, trailing behind me.

“Where would she have gone?” I ask, trying to decide whether to take my truck or look for her on foot.

“I don’t know. She would always go to the park a few blocks down the road when she needed to think or escape when she was younger…maybe start there?” she says with a shrug.

I head towards my truck, knowing that if she isn’t there, it will be faster than walking.

“It’s up one more block, even in the dark, you can’t miss it.” She says, pointing to an area up ahead on the right side of the street. “I’m sorry, River. I didn’t realize at first. I thought you were just worked up because of the conversation between you two. Figured you had a fight or something.”

“Forget it, it’s fine. Let’s just find her!” I growl out, as soon as we pull up. Throwing the truck in park, I jump out and scan the grounds before me. Aside from the playground equipment, the park appears to be completely empty.

“Chevy!” I holler as I walk past the slides and some other type of playground equipment that looks like a rocket. “Chevy…” Something cracks beneath my foot as I step in front of the swings and my stomach turns. Bending down, I pick up a cellphone with the screen cracked. I push the home button and it immediately lights up with a picture of Chevy and Caprice.

It’s one that I took of them a few weeks ago. “Chevy!” I holler again as I turn towards the swing. The first thing that I notice is that there is blood smeared on the chain as well as a small pool of it in dirt. “Fuck!” I yell as I run to where Caprice is at, “Is this your phone?” I urge, holding it out to her.


“Yes…” she murmurs as the screen lights up, showing the picture of her and Chevy behind the cracked screen. Tears begin to stream down her cheeks as she looks back up at me, “What could have happened?”

“I don’t know but I don’t think she went willingly...I found some blood on the swing, there’s more in the sand beneath it. That’s where I found your phone.”

“God, no!” she cries, falling to the ground. “No, no, no, no…”

“It’s okay. We will find her and whoever did this to her.” I say, as I kneel in front of her. “We have to…” I trail off as she cuts me off.

“There’s something you need to know…” she says as she takes my hand and stands up, “It’s why she was calling you.” She pulls her hand away and begins pacing, “I told her that I wouldn’t say anything because it wasn’t for me to tell…but this changes things…” She says, crying harder now.

“Caprice, what is it?” I urge, stopping her by the arm and then grasping her gently by the jaw, and turning her face up so that she will look at me as she speaks.

“She’s…Chevy…” I wanted her looking me in the eyes, but the look of concern and regret that she has for betraying Chevy’s trust by telling me whatever it is that she needs to tell me, I almost want to tell her it doesn’t matter, but I need her to get on with it. Time is ticking and the longer she’s gone and possibly hurt or who knows what else, the less our chances are of getting her back. She obviously feels it’s important so… “Fuck it, Chevy’s pregnant, River…” she finally rushes out.

I must actually stop breathing for a moment, because once what she says sinks in, I find myself gasping for air.

Turning away from her, I begin pacing back and forth, running my hands through my hair.

*She’s pregnant?*

*She’s having my baby?*

“We have to find her, now!” I say as I take off running back to my truck.

*She’s having my baby and they may both be in danger*.

“I can’t let anything happen to her…to them…” I say as soon as Caprice closes the passenger door. Looking over at her, I see so much of Chevy in her and it feels like I can’t breathe.

“I can’t lose them, Caprice…”