Collide: A Riverbend Novel (11 page)

HAVOCK

I couldn't get her out of
my mind. All I could think about was her. I tossed and turned in my
bed until I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to see her. Even if
all we did was say hello, that would be enough for me. Being near
her is more addicting than any drug I've tried. I got out of bed
and gabbed a hoodie off the floor. I walked down the hall until I
stood at her door. I turned the knob quietly and eased the door
open.

I walked in and closed the
door quietly behind me. I noticed her sleeping and smiled. She was
beautiful and the one who consumed my mind every waking and
sleeping moment. I was used to having control of my life but that
all changed when she walked into it. More like crashed into it. I
looked around her room and found her drawing book. I opened it and
scanned the pages. I saw more pictures of me but I also saw some of
Garrett. My hope was shattered right then and there. I thought
maybe, just maybe it was me she was interested in, but that was a
stupid assumption. She just liked to draw. Plain and simple. I
closed it and decided to leave. I was wasting my time.

I had just put my hand on
the knob when I heard her whimper in her sleep. She then started
saying no over and over. I walked over to the side of the bed and
sat next to her.

"Reese," I whispered as I
shook her a little.

"No! Havock!" She yelled
out in her sleep.

"Reese," I said a little
louder and shook her a bit harder.

She jerked awake and looked
wildly around the room. Her whole body shook. I wanted to hold her
until she calmed down but I couldn't bring myself to do
it.

Instead, I placed my hand
on top of hers. "Hey, it's alright. Nothing can hurt you
here."

Her eyes locked on mine.
"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice shook with fear.

"Shouldn't I be asking you
that question?"

She put her head in her
hands. "It was so real."

"What was?"

She shook her head and
started sobbing.

I swallowed hard and tried
to look away from the strap of her tank top falling off her
shoulder. She needed me, and all I could think about was sex. I
shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"Tell me what to do to
help."

"Make it stop. Please. I
want them to stop!"

I didn't know what she
meant. "Make what stop, princess?"

"I want the nightmares to
stop! I just want to sleep. Please," she begged.

I didn't know what to do
except to lay down with her until she fell asleep. I got under the
covers with her and held her close to me. I had to move my body off
hers a little. Being pressed up against her like that had my
imagination racing with all the things I'd like to do to her. I
could make her forget those nightmares really quick, but she was
too innocent to have a guy like me. I convinced myself I would be
the good guy that moment and just hold her.

"Is this helping?" I
whispered close to her ear.

She nodded. Her body shook
a little with her silent cries. I fixed her strap on her shoulder
so it would stop tempting me to yank it off completely.
"Goodnight."

"Night," she whispered then
drifted off to sleep.

~~~

I woke up with my arm still
around Reese. The sun was just starting to peek through the
curtains, and I knew if I didn't get my ass out of this room, I'd
be dead. Good thing I didn't give a shit. I closed my eyes,
enjoying the way she felt next to me.

"Have you seen Havock?" I
heard my mom ask from outside the door.

"No. He's probably out on a
mountain somewhere," Dad answered.

"The ski lifts don't start
loading until after nine. It's only seven." Moms tone grew more
worrisome.

"Call him."

"Good idea."

My phone started ringing
from the floor beside the bed. I didn't remember bringing it in her
room with me, but there it was revealing my whereabouts. Mom opened
the door, and her phone fell to the floor when she saw me in bed
with Reese.

"Morning." I
smiled.

Reese didn't move. The dark
circles under her eyes showed how much she needed sleep.

"She was having bad dreams.
It's not what it looks like so calm down. She's not my type," I
lied but I knew mom didn't need to have a heart attack this
morning. Reese mumbled under her breath but stayed
asleep.

"Just get out! It looks so
wrong!"

I laughed. "Alright but if
she wakes up it's your fault.'

"Out!" Mom almost
shouted.

I got up and reached down
to get my phone. I walked out of the room and shut the door behind
me.

"Havock Satterly, you
better not start having feelings for that girl! She is a guest in
our home and if the state thinks for a second that we're allowing
that they'll take her away!"

"Mom, chill. Nothing
happened and it won't. I was just helping her sleep. She was
scared."

Mom touched her hand to her
forehead and closed her eyes. "Alright. Sorry. I just don't want
her to be thrown into the hands of the state. She'll get lost in
the system and-"

I touched mom's shoulder.
"It won't happen. Calm down."

"Havock, why don't you go
lay down. You're not usually up until after lunch when you're out
of school." Dad laced his fingers with mom’s and led her out of the
hall.

There was no way I'd be
able to fall back asleep. I needed a cigarette. I threw my hoodie
over my head and slipped on my shoes. I walked out onto the back
porch and sat down.

I smoked as I read a text
from Jude.

Jude: Something weird
happened last night. I was leaving work and when I got out to my
car someone had keyed it with the words, bring her to me. WTF
dude!

I knew it was early, but I
had to text him back.

Me: Did you call the
cops?

Jude: It's early
asshole.

Me: Tell me about it. So
did you call them or not?

Jude: Yeah, and the night
manager looked at the surveillance cameras that looked out to the
parking lot. We never saw anyone. The cops didn't do shit either.
They took a picture of it and told me to stay safe.

Me: I'm sure it was some of
the girls from school being bitches. They hate that Garrett has
accepted Reese. They have been joking all week at school about
burning her at the stake and saying that she's insane. They were
saying crazy shit to me since I'm friends with her. I'm sure it
wasn't anything to worry about. Just girls being stupid.

Jude: Probably.

It pissed me off that
people could be so cruel. I finished my cigarette and headed back
inside. I saw Reese awake and sitting at the table with mom. She
still had dark circles under her eyes and she looked
miserable.

"Are you okay?" I asked as
I walked to the fridge to get something to drink.

She nodded then put her
head on the table.

"So, I was thinking we
could all just do whatever today. I want to do some shopping and
your dad wanted to do a little sight seeing."

I sat at the table with a
bowl of cereal. "Sounds good."

Garrett walked in and
pulled up a chair next to Reese. I watched as he spoke quietly to
her. I tried with great difficulty not to throw my cereal at
him.

"Reese, would you like to
go shopping with me today?" Mom asked.

Reese picked her head up.
"I'd actually get to go?"

"Of course." Mom was taken
back by what Reese said. "Have you not ever been
shopping?"

Reese shook her head
no.

"You're not missing
anything." I took another bite.

"I guess I'll go hang out
with dad," Garrett said then he and dad exchanged a high five. My
family was so annoying. Everyone looked at me.

"Us or them," Reese said
not giving me much of a choice.

"I'm gonna stay here. Veg
in front of the TV or something non-productive."

"Loner," Garrett
coughed.

Mom cut her eyes at him.
"Be nice."

"But why would you want to
be alone?" Reese asked confused.

"I don't answer personal
questions this early in the morning."

Reese frowned at me, shook
her head, and then stood. "I'm going to go check my sugar." She
smiled at Mom then went to her room.

“Do you have to always act
like that?” Mom asked as she fixed her coffee.

“Like what?”

"Like you're some big
mystery to the world."

I stood. "I'm going to take
a shower."

REESE

I looked at myself in the
full length mirror. I was in an off white knit knee length sweater
dress and black tights. To top it off, I also had on some high
heeled black boots. I tugged at the dress until Mrs. Johanna came
up behind me and put her hands on my shoulders.

"Beautiful! I'm buying it
for you!"

"You don't have too," I
said as I blushed. I liked the outfit a lot, but I didn't want her
to waste her money on me.

"Yes I do! You can wear it
when we go out to dinner tonight!" She giggled excitedly and shooed
me back into the dressing room to take it off so she could buy
it.

I changed back into my
clothes and handed the clothing and boots to Mrs. Johanna. I had
some money that the judge had released to me. Not a lot, but enough
to get some new art supplies. "May we go to the art supply store
down the street?" I asked as she bought the outfit.

"Sure."

I had enjoyed being with
her today. We walked out of the store and down the street. "Thank
you."

"You're so very welcome,
dear. It's nice. I've always been surrounded by boys." She looped
her arm through mine as we walked.

"I like being with you.
It's like having a mom," I said quietly. I blushed when she looked
at me. "Sorry. That was probably inappropriate."

Tears filed her eyes. "No,
I'm glad you did." She wiped her eyes. "I knew your mom. She would
have been so proud of you."

"I miss her. I don't
remember her a lot, but what I remember is home. After she died,
the house wasn't a home anymore. It was cold." I shrugged and wiped
the tear that fell down my cheek.

"She adored you. Her and I
were actually best friends in school. Then life happened and we
drifted apart." She smiled softly. "You look so much like she did
at your age."

"That's what dad always
says. I have pictures of her." I put hair behind my ears as we
walked. "Dad put them all away. I kind of got some from him without
him knowing." My shoulders sagged. "I love my dad. We have had our
problems, but I’m his baby girl." More tears fell down my cheeks.
"You don't think he's alive, do you?"

"I sure hope he
is."

I nodded. "Me too." I wiped
my tears with my free hand. "I don't understand everything he did
but I know he loves me."