His Sun And Moon

Chapter 9

The voice sounds like Caleb, the guy with cold hands, "We got 'em!"

River freezes, "Okay. I'll be out, put him in the holding room."

After a moment of silence, I conclude that Caleb has gone from behind the door. Turning to face River, I smile at him, "Who is he talking about?"

River looks into my eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. "The guy who shot you."

Thinking this through for a minute, I grin brightly, "Can I see him?"

"No," he immediately shoots down the idea, his smile falling, "Don't you need to call your mom?"

I gasp, remembering that I do, in fact, need to call my mom. "Oh yeah, may I use your phone?" 

He turns over and grabs his cell from the nightstand beside the bed. "Do you know how to use it, baby?"

Giggling, I reply, "'Course, silly! I have a phone."

Inquiringly, he lifts a brow, a whisper of a smirk dancing across his lips, "Where is it?"

"I lost it," I admit gravely, looking down at his Galaxy s7, "It ran off into the wildlands of the laundry room, never to be seen again."

He chuckles, sending shivers down my spine, "Really?"

My gaze snaps to him and I frown at his inappropriate choice of timing to laugh. "This is a solemn time, River."

This only makes him laugh more.

Slowly, my scowl relaxes into a grin. I can't help it, his laughter is utterly contagious! I laugh with him until he remembers that he was supposed to be unhappy with the guy who shot me.

"You stay here, okay? I'm gonna go down to talk to him," he tells me, climbing out of bed. Sliding a t-shirt over his bare upper body, he glances my way one more time before walking out the door and shutting it, "Call your mom, but don't leave this room under any circumstances."

"Mmkay," I hum in agreement, turning on his phone.

 It's locked. But luckily, he has it on the setting that allows emergency calls without typing in the passcode. Quickly, I type in the number I know by heart and bring the cell to my right ear.

After four rings, she picks up. "Who is this," she asks suspiciously on the other end. Before I can reply, she growls out, "Do you have my daughter?!"

Giggling, I say, "Mom, this is Thia."

I hear her gasp in shock before she says thickly, "Who has you? Where have you been? You had everyone worried sick! You could be kidnapped or killed or worse! I could have lost you!"

Guilt starts chewing me up inside, bringing tears to my eyes. "I'm sorry, Mama."

"You better be sorry! Your father is blaming himself and Hayden won't even leave his room! Where are you?"

My lower lip trembles, "Well, I got lost and then a man rescued me."

"A man," she asks, sounding horrified.

"Yeah," I confirm, not sure why she's scared. "I was sitting all alone and it was dark, then the man I told you about; the one who took a picture of Mr. Franco for me, he saved me. He brought me home- well, to his home- and I went to bed! Then," I continue theatrically, "I was shot! Do you believe it?! Now I get to cross that off my bucket list! Anyways, River got me all better- actually, it still hurts a bit, but that's beside the point- and now I love him. But he doesn't think you'll like him because he said parents don't like him, but I don't know why. He said he would bring me home, but that you wouldn't let me see him anymore! Is that true?"