UNEDITED
Her mother was about to go to bed when River cornered her and demanded answers. She had just settled in under the blanket when she was startled by her bedroom door blasting open. Ultimately she admitted the full truth.
Ryan knew from the very beginning and he did break it off, just like Landen said.
It felt like billions of splinters piercing her heart. Billions of shards of glass slicing and dicing her at her emotions. The lies. The secrecy. The betrayal. This literally broke her. It was one thing to think he had no idea. This meant that he rejected her, and for another woman. This meant that anyone whom she cared about and who was supposed to care for her, lied. They cared about their own pain, not hers. "So, you all lied to me?" A tear leaked down her cheek. It was the only thing showing her hurt. Everything else showed her anger. Her tight fist, her edging teeth, and her furrowed brows.
"I'm sorry, I was only trying to do what's best for you."Her mother uncovers herself and gets off the bed. She moves to her daughter's side wanting and needing to comfort her. "I know the strong feelings you had for him. I couldn't tell you."
"You're that selfish?" River pulls away.
Lucille had no reply.
The ringing of a phone began in River's room. The sound annoyed the hell out of her. She storms to it picks it up and shouts. "Leave me alone Ryan. I don't ever want to see your face again."
"That's too bad." He replies. "Look, I'm on my way back. We need to talk. I would like to explain."
She hangs up on him. Her next thought was Angela. She needed to talk to Angela. She absents herself from her home and into the Brenner house. "Aunt Angela." She shouts as she walks the halls like she owns the place.
"Everything okay?" Angela comes out of a room worriedly.
"Why?" She begins questioning. "Why would you lie to me? Why not tell me Ryan didn't want me? I could have handled it. Do you consider your family? Do I matter to you?"
Angela was still, stuck with her mouth open. This felt like it was coming from nowhere. Not one time did she ever think that River would find out, or that she would be this angry; or that she would be confronted.
"Is it because I was away; that you saw me as a just a thought? I don't deserve the truth? Did it matter more to cover up for your son?" No one understood. This man was the last six years of her life. He was her future plans. The father of her future kids. He was hers in her head. Whenever she was having a bad day she thought about him. It cheered her up every single time. It was as real as the blood in her veins to her. Then to come home and find out that she was dreaming a fool's dream the whole time.
"Okay stop River. We care about you, maybe too much. We wanted to save your feelings. We didn't want you to be hurt."
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Because now, I just feel stupid and hurt." She turns and storms off. It was six feet until she bumped into a tall, firm, black suit, that gripped her upper arms.
"River." Ryan's soft but firm voice echoes within her.
Automatically she pushes him but he didn't let go, matter of fact he barely budged. "Let go." She tries to peel his grip from around her.
"We need to talk." He releases, but the moment she tries to walk off he grabs her wrist and pulls her back.
"I don't want to talk to you." She tugs.
"Ryan." His mother intervenes. But he didn't let up.
"I need to talk to her." He declares.
"Let her be, she has a right to be angry."
"She also has a right to an explanation." He closes his eyes at his loss of temper. "The same one you stopped me from giving her."
Angela turns her head and looks at the ground. Her actions were smacking her in the face. She didn't know how to respond to it. Also, her older son never gave her attitude. It was eye-opening.
Landen enters the part of the hallway they were in. Seems that he hadn't left yet. "What don't you get? That tugging she is doing is a repeated plea for you to let go."
Ryan simply clenches his jaw. His attention doesn't revert to his brother. He stares at River's shinning, furious glare. "Who is going to make me?" It was a challenge.
"Let go of my daughter." Lucille shows up behind them.
He still doesn't let go, he kept looking at her pain written face. It hurt him, he hated it; and he was the cause of it. "She needs to hear me out, and you two are not going to stop me any longer." He bends his knees suddenly and tosses River over his shoulder.
She screams. "Put me down!" Of course, he doesn't listen. Without a glance back he carries her out of the hallway and into one of the rooms, leaving everyone stunned. He picks his old room turned the guest room, locks the door, and sets her on the bed.
She shoots up instantly and tries to leave, but she bounces off his forearm and back on the bed.
"You're not leaving here until I talk to you." He growls.
"I hate you." She throws back.
"Hmm... A thin line between love and hate." He leans in close to her face. His hands rested on the sides of her thighs keeping her trapped. "Why are you behaving like this?" Their faces were mere inches apart now. "I'm trying to explain myself to you."
"Don't you understand that just a glance at you is painful. You're the last person I want to be around. You hurt me. And do honestly think I want to hear about it?"
"I'm a fool." He suddenly admits. "I shouldn't have broken it off. But I was... I was confused."
"Save it, please. I don't want to hear about how you dump me for Anna. She pushes him again, and this time makes it to the door.
Quickly he grabs her hand and spins her to face him, but doesn't let go of her wrist. He keeps her hand pinned to her back, keeping her steady and close to him. "Is that what you think?" His free hand curls around her neck.
She snaps her head away. "Don't touch me."
He cups her jaw and straightens her face to align with his. "I broke it off four years ago, I met Anastasia about two years ago." He softly trails his thumb on her cheek. "Anastasia had nothing to do with my decision."
Her heart raced. "Stop."
"Why?" He whispers. Slowly he leans down and touches a gentle kiss on her neck. A steal.
She gasps as current filled shivers passed through her entire body. Her eyelids forcefully close themselves and her knees bend involuntarily. It was like she didn't have a choice but to desire more from him. Then, unexpectedly she felt an abrupt coldness from the lack of body warmth. He had taken two steps away and crossed his arms behind his back.
"Hear me out and I'll accept whatever decision you choose to make."
She manages a nod in agreement.
"You remember that night the power went off all over the city? The night we all went to sleep near the fireplace?"
She nods again. It was a night she blocked out since she found out about their broken engagement. A night she relived over and over but refused to think about anymore. Thinking about it made her feel the most idiotic.
She was afraid that night, although she was sleeping around everyone. The storm that blew in was a cold one. It dropped temps below normal and no one could handle it. Having no power means they had no electricity, without that, no heat. So the whole family made beds in the living room around the fireplace.
Everyone had fallen asleep and she was the only one awake, or at least she thought she was.
She was twisting and turning unable to get comfortable from the constant roaring storm when suddenly, she hears a tapping and then a thump. Her heart slams against her rib cage. She pulls the blanket over her head. At that instant, she starts hearing a squeaking sound. Now she was in a full-blown panic. Could there be a mouse in the house? She curls up her body. Get up. Get up. Get up, and run River. But the dark. But the mouse. She panicked within herself on her next move. She was trying so hard not to scream for her life.
Then it touched her. Something grazed her toes. She squeaks out a cry and immediately a hand covers her mouth over the blanket.
Landen's annoying laugh was the next sound she heard. She stretches her hands out and pushes him. "Get off Brenner." She yanks the covers from her head and looks around to make sure she didn't wake anyone. Luckily she didn't.
"You're too easy." His shoulders shake with quiet laughter. She took the opportunity to push him again. "Jerk."
Soon after that, he was back to his spot and she was trying to sleep again. It took a little, and the storm calming down, but she finally drifted asleep.
In the morning, when just the sun's tips were reaching in between the curtains. Her lashes fluttered open, and to her surprise, there were Ryan's gorgeous face inches from hers. She was laying on one of his biceps, wrapped in the other, and under his blanket. The tingles that crept in on her was nothing she had ever felt before. Electric was the only way to describe it.
She gazed at his resting features and the drop of his arm over waist for a long time, loving his comfort. She knew he came close to her to stop any more of Landen's pranks. That was an easy guess. But she hoped he wanted to keep her warm as well.
Suddenly, he opens his eyes, and the moment they connected with hers, time froze for them both. No words were spoken. No questions asked. They just stared into each other's eyes. That was until he made a subtle shift in his focus and put it on her lips.
He was going to kiss her. She knew it. She welcomed it. Kiss me. She repeated to herself.
Then without warning, like he could read her mind, or see it all over her face, he rises and slowly guides her on her back. He floats over her body and brings forth this intense concentration. He aims it all on her partly open, heavy breathing mouth.
His head inches down, and she closes her eyes, but the kiss never came. When she opened them again he was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you're enjoying. 😊