Saving Riley

XV

After 2 rings, someone answered the phone. Riley didn't recognize the raspy voice at first. "Hello?" Damion called through the phone, causing Riley to panic because of the unfamiliarity of his voice. "Damion?" she asked. "Riley. What's wrong? Are you okay?" Damion asked in a worried rush of words. "You sound like shit. Where are you? Jackson picked me up at the church and took me to his house where two officers met us. They're taking me to the police station. Are you safe?" "I'll meet you there, okay? Just don't worry." Damion ended the call with an "I love you." Riley held her phone to her chest and exhaled a breath she wasn't aware she had saved up in her chest.

Riley rode in the back of the police car for about 10 more minutes. She stared out the window at the moon and the stars. She followed the tree line with her eyes as she anticipated seeing Damion again after her wild night of excitement. When the officer pulled in to the police station, he got out of the car and opened the door for Riley. She followed him into the station and into an office. The office was fairly neat. A desk with a chair, some stacks of paper on the desk, along with a lamp. A plant was in the corner of the room, right beside a silver filing cabinet. There were two chairs on the opposite side of the desk. A lady who appeared to be in her late twenties, despite her gray hairs, sat at the desk and smiled at Riley as she came in. "Hi sweetheart. You care to sit?" she smiled. Riley sat in one of the chairs. "Are you ready to explain what's going on?" the woman asked politely. "Do you know where Damion is? Can I call him?" Riley asked the woman. "Sweetheart, Damion is right down the hall telling another lady, just like me, what's happened." "I need to see him," Riley's voice cracked. "Please."

Riley followed the woman down the hall into another office where Damion sat with his back to the door. Damion turned around and jumped up as soon as he saw Riley. She ran to him and jumped into his arms. Crying as she wrapped her arms around him, vowing to never let go. She reached the ground again, still holding his arm in hers. "What's going on?" Riley asked him. "You know just as much as I do, Barbie. This guy called me when we were on our way home from San Francisco. He threatened me. And then the car got behind us. He called me and told me to run. So I dropped you out at the stop sign. When I left you there I drove to the park until you called me. I didn't want to be stuck at the police station if you needed me, so I waited at the park until you called and said you were safe and on your way to the police department, before I left the park and came here. That's all I know." Riley stared at Damion for a while until she said, "There's two of them."