Cassidy's P.O.V.
"River...stop!!!" I laughed as he continued to tickle the daylights out of me.
We were on the floor and he was sitting on me with his knees on my arms preventing me from escaping.
To make matters worse, he leaned down and started kissing my neck while still tickling me so I was now laughing AND moaning.
"River!!! Seriously stop!!" I managed to plead in between breaths.
"But I don't want to." He replied.
"I don't care! Stop!" I tried to be serious but I couldn't stop laughing and his kisses became even more ecstatic.
Eventually he stopped the tickling and got off of me.
He just stood over me and held his hand out as he stared down with that smirk.
That stupid smirk that I'd come to love so much.
As he stood over me I couldn't help but stare at his body. His abs looked even more toned than usual and his V line was just amazing.
"You gonna keep staring me down or are you gonna take my hand?"
I laughed and grabbed his hand. He pulled me up to my feet with ease and as soon as I was stable I jumped and wrapped my legs around him. I kissed him as he just stood there holding me, smiling. I ran my hand through his hair. That was a habit of mine now, playing with his hair.
Suddenly my bedroom door opened and Xander walked in.
"Ew. Gross." He said with a disgusted look.
I laughed and pulled away from the kiss.
"What do you want Xander?" I asked him.
"Mom wants to talk to you in her room."
"Okay. Now get out." I demanded.
"Okay now get out." He mocked me with a higher pitched voice.
"Xander!" I yelled.
He laughed and closed the door.
I returned my attention back to River who was still holding me. I stared down into his eyes and quickly got lost in them. I couldn't believe that after all this time, his eyes still had that affect on me. I still couldn't believe that he was mine. And only mine.
"What?" He asked noticing that I was still staring at him.
"Have I ever told you how much I love your eyes?" I asked. "They're so cold yet so warm at the same time. Full of mysteriousness and emotion and desire."
"So basically, like me?" He joked.
I nodded yes. "Exactly like you."
I stared just a bit longer and something came into my mind.
"River... there's something I have to tell you." I stated.
Concern filled his face as he put me down.
"Yes?" He said.
I took a deep breath... but then chickened out. There was no way I was ready to tell him.
"Nevermind."
"Baby, what's on your mind?" He asked.
I shook my head nothing.
"You know, I've noticed that you've been a little more reclusive for the past few days. Especially towards me. Did I do something?"
I placed both of my hands on each side of his face.
"You didn't do anything wrong. I promise." I reassured him.
"Then tell me what's wrong..."
"Not yet." I said.
He rolled his eyes and took my hands off of his face as he went back to packing.
We were leaving tomorrow night to go back to Minnesota.
"Hey... don't be such a grouch." I said to him.
"Yea yea yea.." He quietly responded.
I could tell he was mad at me for not telling him what was wrong.
My bedroom door opened once again but this time it was my dad.
"Uh... River... there's a crazy lady at the front door asking for you." He stated with obvious confusion in his voice.
"What?" River asked with just as much confusion.
He stood up and followed my dad downstairs.
I didn't follow them because I figured that it was just some lady that River had pissed off at the store or something.
Instead, I went to my parents' room to see what my mom wanted to talk to me about.
"Hey mom." I greeted her.
"Hi sweetheart." She replied.
"Xander said you wanted to talk to me..." I said as I sat down on the end of the bed.
"Yes I do."
She stood up and closed the door and walked over to her dresser.
Uh oh. It was never a good thing when she closes the door to talk to my brothers and I.
She pulled something out of a drawer and when I realized what it was my body froze.
It was one of the pregnancy test boxes.
"So I was taking the trash out of your bathroom this morning and the trashcan fell over. When it did, this fell out."
She tossed the box on to the bed.
"Cassidy, are you pregnant?" She asked.
I hesitated but answered.
"Yes."
She sighed and sat down next to me.
"When did you find out?"
"A few days ago."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Mom, I haven't even told River yet." I confessed.
Her eyes widened a bit.
"And why not?"
"Because." I mumbled. "I don't know."
"Are you afraid of what he might say?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Sweetie you can't keep this a secret. He's the father, he deserves to know that you're pregnant with his chil- wait- he is the father right?"
I didn't say a word.
"Cassidy..." She said.
I looked down and slumped my back. "I had sex with Max two days after River and I had sex."
"Oh no." she responded.
"Sweetie... why would you-"
"I don't know mom it just- happened."
"But.... Maxwell????"
"Mom... This is the first me and Max have ever went this far. We never even had a thing for eachother. This isn't his fault, if anything its my fault. I didn't even try to stop him."
I felt extremely guilty.
"You haven't told dad about this have you?" I asked holding up the box.
"No." She said. "Though I plan on telling him."
"Mom don't. Not yet at least. Just... give me some time. I'm still trying to process this myself."
"Alright." She replied. "But don't make this a burden on yourse-"
She was cut off by someone yelling.
I jumped up from the bed and sprinted to the front door.
River was talking to the woman we'd met at the airport.
Grayson's mom.
"You're not keeping my son! You're giving him back to me!" She yelled.
"Like hell I am." He calmly said. "You agreed to let me adopt him so that's what I'm gonna do. Now if you would please leave this residency it would be greatly appreciated. Have a nice day."
"Not until you give me my son!" She yelled even louder.
"Well in that case, you're more than welcome to sleep on the porch." He responded.
"GIVE HIM TO ME NOW YOU ASSHOLE!" She demanded.
Grayson and Riley walked in from the backyard.
As soon as Grayson saw his mom he stopped in his tracks.
"Grayson! Sweetie come here! Come to mommy!" She said as she tried to push past River and enter the house.
River stopped her and pushed her back outside. Not with much force though.
"Riley, take Grayson up to your room." River said.
Without any questions Riley picked up Grayson and went up to his room.
"Now tell me, why is it that you all of a sudden want your son back?" He solemnly asked her.
"Because I miss him!" She yelled.
"That's a damn lie." River stated. "Now tell me the real reason."
She looked over his shoulder and saw me.
Without saying anything she pushed past him once again and charged straight at me. I was too stunned to try to run so I just stood there like an idiot.
Before I could retaliate I found my arms being brought behind my back- and a knife being pressed against my neck.
"Don't you dare move a muscle." She whispered in my ear.
I stood perfectly still as she slowly glided the cold blade of the knife across my neck.
"Kristen... Put the knife down." River said to the woman who's name I assumed was Kristen.
"Not until you give me my boy back."
River steadily inched closer towards her but Kristen yanked me back and pressed the knife a bit harder against my neck causing me to wince a little.
All of a sudden he reached into his backpocket and pulled out a ballistic knife.
At that point I'd completely forgot that I was being held hostage by Kristen. My only concern was the fact that River had a fucking ballistic knife! They're illegal in just about every state in the U.S!
"If you hurt her, I will kill you." He threatened with such a calm voice it scared me.
"River... put the knife down." Dad said as he slowly walked towards River.
"Not until she lets her go." River replied.
"We can resolve this without violence if you both just drop your knives. We don't want anyone doing something they'll forever regret." Dad said as he reached towards the knife in River's hand.
River pulled it back.
"I've had blood on my hands before that wasn't mine. Doesn't scare me at all."
What terrified me the most wasn't what he'd just said. No, what terrified me the most was the smirk that grew on his face after he said it.
Out of no where, Grayson came running into the living-room with Riley running right behind him to catch him.
He came to a sudden halt when he saw both Kristen and River with knives.
Then he made direct eye contact with me.
"Cassie!" He yelled. "Mommy, let Cassie go!!!!"
He ran up to us and wrapped his arms around my leg.
But that just made Kristen press the knife further against my neck.
"Grayson, go back upstairs!" River yelled.
The front door opened as Jordan, AJ, and Daniel walked in.
"Woah..." Jordan said.
Daniel pulled a gun out from the inside of his jacket and pointed it at Kristen.
"What the hell's going on?" He asked.
Mom, Grayson, and Riley all took a step back when they saw the gun.
"Daniel, put the gun down!" Dad demanded.
"Who is she?" He asked, still pointing the gun at Kristen.
"Daniel put it down now! If you take the shot you could accidentally hit Cassidy!" Dad told him.
"No I won't." He stated.
As soon as he said that Kristen dropped the knife but quickly pulled out a revolver and pointed it to my head.
"Great." I mumbled and rolled my eyes.
I looked into a mirror on the wall out of the side of my eye and saw Xander slowly walking up behind Kristen.
River caught my eyes and looked behind Kristen and I to see what I was looking at.
Xander brought his finger up to his lips and slowly crept closer.
River dropped his knife and started talking as a distraction.
"Fine, you win. You can have your son back." He said.
"What- no. River you can't give Grayson back to that psychotic bitch." Jordan stated.
"See that's all I wanted. Now I'll leave with Grayson and no one will get hurt." Kristen replied.
Suddenly Xander grabbed Kristen's hand and tried pulling the gun away from her. AJ ran towards us and pulled me away from her. River and Daniel quickly went to try to help Xander get the revolver away from Kristen but she just wasn't letting go.
They tossed and tussled and eventually the revolver fell to the ground. Kristen dived for it first but Daniel got to it as soon as she did. She kicked him 'down below' and the revolver slipped out of his hand. River and Xander both grabbed for it but she stuck her foot out and tripped River causing him to lose his balance and fall over. Her and Xander wrestled until all of a sudden the gun went off....
Everyone froze....
And mom screamed.