Chapter Seven

River




**Me: Oh my God! I’m fucking hungry!

Me: I’m thinking fish tacos sound fucking amazing!**


It’s 4:59 and I’ve already balanced and locked up my drawer in the vault, the coffees already dumped out in the sink and the thermos rinsed out and set up to dry. I’m standing at the door, ready to flip the lock as a car pulls into the parking lot.

I wage an internal battle as to whether I should do what I really want to do, which is flip the lock and bolt to the other side of the room so that the person behind the wheel doesn’t see me or do I do the nice thing and let him come in and conduct his business. My stomach growls again and I decide that I’m gonna be the bad guy today just as Cheryl turns off the inside lights and I flip the lock and then hide.

*Sorry, Mr. Cochran. Drive thru is open until six*.

Pulling out my phone, I see that Chevy still hasn’t responded which is really strange. Typically, she answers almost immediately.



**Me: Chevy?**



I see the little bubbles pop up, indicating that she’s writing something back, but then they disappear only to reappear a few moments later.



**Chevy: …

Me: …? What is that supposed to mean?

Chevy: … I don’t know how to respond to that…**


*Has she lost her mind? I mean its fish tacos. She loves fish tacos!*



**Me: don’t know how to respond to what? The fish tacos? What sounds good to you? Kielbasa, a big fat rump roast, hot dogs? What about a nice big thick and juicy tenderloin?

Chevy: …

Me: again...what’s with the …? It’s just dinner, Chevy. It’s Tuesday and I just thought tacos sounded good and now I really, really fucking want some!

Chevy: I think you need to read your message to me again…**



*Okay, why is she being so weird all of a sudden? I scroll back a few times, getting to the first text I sent her*.



**Me: Oh my God! I’m fucking hungry!

Me: I’m thinking fish tacos sound fucking amazing!**



*Nothing out of the ordinary there. I told her I was hungry. It isn’t like I’ve never cussed when talking with her before. She’s become pretty fond of the word fuck herself.*



**Me: okay? I told you I was hungry and said that fish tacos sounded amazing...what’s the big deal?

Chevy: Read it one more time...focus on each word...don’t just skim over it…you’ll see it…**



*What the fuck? Seriously? Is this some kind of delayed reaction from being in a coma for so long or something? They said that all of the tests came back as normal…*



**Me: Oh my God! I’m fucking hungry!

Me: I’m thinking fish tacos sound fucking amazing!**



Reading over each message again. I find nothing wrong with them at first. I just stare at the words and that’s when I see it...

*No..no, no, no, no, no!*



**Me: Oh my God! I’m fucking horny!

Me: I’m thinking fish tacos sound fucking amazing!

Me: Holy fucking help!

Me: Help!

Me: Damn it! Hell! Stupid auto correct.

Me: That was supposed to say hungry...not horny…Fuck!

Chevy: so…I’d take it then that you’re not horny, just hungry?

Chevy: for food

Chevy: just food...nothing more…**




I climb into old faithful as I thumb out my response to her. Maybe I should be more observant of what I’m texting before I hit send…



**Me: Just wait for me at the house. I’m on my way there now.**



Depending on how traffic is, it’s only about a fifteen-minute drive to the house. Looks like today, I somehow managed to beat the rush hour nightmare and after the relatively short trip, I find myself parked outside of my apartment but I’m a little gun-shy about going in. It was a Freudian slip, at most. I shouldn’t be all bubble-gutted over it, yet here I am, as nervous as a teenager about to lose his virginity. It’s pathetic.

Knocking on my window pulls me out of my thoughts and I find Jack standing outside of my window with a frown on his face. He steps back, allowing me to open the door but doesn’t wait for me to get it shut before he opens his mouth.

“When is she leaving?” is the first thing that leaves his mouth. *Excuse me?*

“Umm…does that really matter?” I counter, immediately on the defensive instead of answering his question.

“Why is she staying in your apartment?” he counters right back, in return not answering my question.

“What the hell man! She just woke up from a coma a month ago. She doesn’t have anywhere to stay, and she doesn’t know or have anyone else. Plus, I’m helping her with her physical therapy.” I say, heaving a long sigh as I run a hand through my hair in frustration.

“So, is this like something you’re doing out of pity or do you actually think that whatever is going on between you two is actually going to go somewhere?” What in the freaking hell?

“Are you serious? Fuck no! I’m not letting her stay with me because I feel sorry for her. And whether our *friendship* goes anywhere else is between Chevelle and me. What the hell is your deal?”

“She’s taking you away from me, dude. At least when she was in a coma, we were still able to just hang out but now, she’s always at your apartment and if you’re not at the bank, in class or at the hospital reading to the rest of the coma patients, you’re with her…”

If it weren’t so pissed off, I think I may keel over in laughter but here is this mountain of a man, who happens to be my best friend and he’s jealous of a little pixie like Chevy? I mean, I knew he could be territorial, but fuck.

“Seriously? You’re jealous of a girl that was in a coma? Seriously?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them and as soon as I hear the gurgling gasp that comes from behind me, I regret it more. Turning around, I see Chevy darting back into the apartment building. “Chevy, wait!” I holler, knowing that I just royally fucked things up between me and her.

*Fuck!*

“Did you know she was there?” I turn my rage on the man who prompted the entire ordeal. *What in the actual fuck is his problem?*

“Possibly…” he murmurs, dragging the toe of his boot through the loose gravel of the complex parking lot.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You…” I pause, turning away from him to gather my wits about me. “You know what she means to me…” I say as I turn back around to face him.

“I know more than that and you know it. Does she?” I just stand there, staring at him. I can’t believe this. I am so pissed off that my body begins to tremble. My jaw’s clenched so tight that my teeth could break at any second. Fuck this shit! I need to go after Chevy.

Without another word, I walk away, leaving him standing in the parking lot next to my truck.

“That’s right, just run back to her like you always do!” he hollers just as I reach the entrance of the complex.

“You know what? Fuck you, man. I don’t know what your deal is, but I think you need to figure it out. Until you do, just stay away from me.” I hear him cursing me as I run towards the building, but I don’t take the time to listen. I got a girl that I need to get to.

Entering the apartment, I hear her before I see her. The knowledge that I’m the one that made her cry causes an ache to build in my chest. I didn’t mean it the way that it came out, but after all of the hushed comments that have been made over the past month, the fact that I said those words…I’m such a fucking idiot.

Wrapping my knuckles against her jarred door, I let myself in, not waiting for her to respond with permission. I don’t say anything; I just crawl onto her bed with her and pull her into my arms, holding her for however long it takes for her to calm down before attempting to speak.

Her hair is different tonight, and she smells like strawberries, which may very well be my new favorite scent.

“Hey…” I murmur against her hair once her sobs have subsided. Sliding my left hand along her jaw, I cup the back of her neck and force her face up so that she’ll look at me when I speak. But she’s refusing to do so. So, leaning in, I begin speaking against her hair instead.

“What you heard, it wasn’t what it sounded like. But I can’t apologize enough for saying it.” I stop, placing a kiss to the top of her hair and then continue. “I am so sorry that I hurt you.”

Attempting once again to get her to look at me, I lift her chin. This time she complies, and I see the black streaks running down her cheeks first, followed by raccoon eyes. I would laugh if it weren’t for the fact that she fixed herself up and I ruined it. She still looks absolutely beautiful, raccoon eyes and all.

Without thinking twice about it, I dip my head, claiming her mouth as my own. At first, she doesn’t respond, but she doesn’t protest either, spurring me to keep going. I slide my hands into her soft, straight hair that’s trailing down her back and nibble at her bottom lip, begging for her to open for me so that I can finally get a taste of her.

As soon as she complies, I slide inside while releasing a moan of pleasure at her sweet taste. Fucking heaven is what this is. I deepen the kiss more, too afraid to pull back and break the moment. I won’t push this any further, but by God, I don’t want to quit.

She pulls away first, fists clenching my shirt, breath labored as she places her forehead against my own.

“River…” she pants, not looking me in the eyes.

“So beautiful…” I whisper into the space between us before raising just enough to place a chaste kiss against her forehead and resuming my previous position.

“Why would you…do that…”