Behind The Echoes

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Bethany. Hey Bethany wake up. I got something to show you." River softly says.

My eyes flutter open as I see River on one knee trying to position the level of his height so he could see me perfectly.

I groan, "I'm sleeping, come back later."

He grabs the corner tip of the blanket and yanks it off my body. My eyes shoot open as I stare River down with a twisted expression which is not good.

He's gone. Scott, is gone for good. And he's moving, he can't touch me or River. We were safe from the man who I once loved but loved me too much...

I'm fully awake now because my eyes were opened for too long.

"Thanks a lot River, now I'm awake." I spat.

"You're just mean, you know that?" River laughs.

I swing my legs over to the edge of the bed and itch my head, while moving my tongue around because my mouth was so dry.

River laughs causing me to squint my eyes and twitch my nose.

"You look like a monkey." He says.

I stand up and stretch but I don't do my cat 101 lesson this time. "Well, you look like water. Get it? Since your name is River." I smile

"Har har." He smirks.

He takes my hand and directs me out of the room, "I have a surprise for you and I know you're gonna love it." He states with confidence.

"Okay." I say.

He guides me out of the house onto the drive way. "Okay, now keep looking at the water." He orders.

I look at the water with a confused smile on my face, "Yes sir." I mock.

After a few moments he finally talks

"I'm gonna turn you around but you have to close your eyes."

He does as he says and so do I. He turns my body around and I close my eyes when I felt my body shift. My body stands still now and so does my question 'What is the surprise?'

"When can I open my eyes?" I ask

River squeaks with happiness, "Now."

I open my eyes and see we're in front of the house, I also see a banner that reads in big blue bold letters, Welcome Home Bethany & River!

"What does it mean by th-"

I'm cut off as I soon come to realize, "This house...it's ours?" I ask turning to River.

He nods his head with a huge smile.

My laugh has a unbelievable impact in it.

I jump into River's arms as he soon catches me and hugs me back. "Thank you so much, River." I screech.

"How did you do this?" I laugh

"My grandma wanted to know your story so I told her and she thought we could make our own story here." He explains.

Make our story here. Sounds perfect.

"Did you love my surprise?" River asks.

I did, I loved it so much I could cry if I wanted to. Me and River's first house, right here on the beach, with beautiful weather, beautiful water, and no bad memories like at my house.

"What about your cabin?" I ask frowning a little.

He shrugs his shoulders, "It was way too creepy anyway." He laughs.

"That's where you saved my life River." I smile.

He kisses my forehead, "I'm so happy I heard you screamed." He laughed.

I laughed along with him and at this exact second, I looked into his eyes, his smile, and I even saw who he truly was, I knew I was in love with him. Scott was gone, I still loved him but not in the same way. River restored my heart in a way I couldn't all by myself.

"I love you River Haze."

I caught him off guard. His expression was from joy to a surprising face.

"Did you love my surprise?" I ask throwing his question back at him.

He smiles, "Yes, I loved it." He kisses my cheek, "And I love you."

His sentence makes my heart flutter and butterflies in my stomach flying super speed all together.

I hug him laying my head on his shoulder, I feel his jawline on the top of my head giving me the information that he's resting his head on mine which makes me feel more comfortable.

"Bethany, you have made my life change for the better. You are absolutely everything I asked for, yes, you have flaws but so do I. And I'm so happy Scott did you wrong because then you would have never found me, but I also wished he never did what he did to your mother. But right now, I know she's looking down with the biggest smile on her face while blowing you a kiss, as so to say for your dad. And God, oh Bethany, I know he's proud of you. You've come so far, and me, River Josh Haze, I'm also very proud of you."

His speech makes me cry, I try to hold it in but there was no need. It's joyful tears and right now, I felt happy, I felt loved and I felt cared for. I knew he was right and that's what is making me cry. Everyone I knew that are dead are happy, and that's what I prayed for all together.

He wipes away my tears with his thumbs, "No more tears Bethany, The Lord says you've been collecting them for a long time."

I smile at his wise words and get myself together. "Thank you River, for everything."

He takes my hand and walks me back inside, I walk in and smile to myself, this is my house. This is our. Where I can start new, and maybe, when I'm older...I can even start a family with River.

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What would y'all say if I told you guys and girls that the book is ALMOST at its end?

It's not over yet, we got two more chapters left!!!