“Ladies man?” He repeated almost as if the idea sounded ridiculous.
“You’re the kind of person who doesn’t need anyone to remind you that you’re beautiful.” I mused with a slight smile. “You just…know it and act like it.”
"I like it when you talk." River admitted, "It makes me forget."
"Forget what? I asked just as Gene made her way onto the porch with us too.
"Why are you two vampires awake, it's almost midnight?" Gene asked and River and I just gave each other a knowing smile. "Whatever, I can join you, let me go make some snacks!" She suggested before she disappeared into the kitchen, I didn't really want any if I was being completely honest.
River squeezed my hand so hard that I didn't even realise he was still holding it and whispered, "Let's go."
"Where?" I whisper-laughed but he just got up and pulled me along with him into the attic, we made sure our footsteps were quiet enough that Gene didn’t realise we'd snuck away. River grabbed an oil lamp and closed the attic door behind us, the luminance of the lamp giving the room an iridescent glow.
There was an old reading chair in the corner of the room and I pushed River onto it before planting a kiss on his lips. I liked that he was not surprised by my actions and that I took it that I could just kiss him whenever I wanted now.
"Pick a book," River suggested and I made my way over to the shelf and picked out the Swiss copy of Gone With The Wind. I handed it over to him and he brushed the dust off of the hardcover.
"Wise choice." River complimented and I looked around for a place to sit but there wasn't another chair and I wasn't about to sit on the cold dirty floor.
River laughed and pulled me into his lap, nowthattook me by surprise. I relaxed and leaned my head into the nape of his neck. He opened up the book and started reading it to me, his voice like a lullaby, and only in his arms am I but a babe. He ran his hand slowly down my back as I listened to the sound of his voice telling a story I'd heard many times before.
But It sounded good only on his lips.
And I felt alive only in his arms.
Our little trip to Geneva was short but eventful and I learned a lot about everyone and we were all definitely closer than we were before. I never thought things would get so heated in one of the coldest places in the world.
Keomi, Mer, and I had been studying in our room for hours because of exam week, every student within range was beyond stressed out. I hadn't seen River all week nor Fabes or Gene, this was the first time I was seeing Merilla In a few days. My parents had been calling relentlessly to make sure I was studying because God forbid I let them down even once and they couldn’t brag to their friends about me anymore. I was their shiny trophy on the shelf that was their lives, they showed me off and I relished in the spotlight. Just then Keomi's phone started ringing,
"Oh shit, I forgot, sorry I'll be right there." She spoke and got up immediately to put on her shoes.
"Where're you off to?" I asked taking notes from my maths textbook,
"I promised Gene I would go get boba with her." She told us before heading out the door, "I'll be back by five."
Then it was just Mer and I and she kept throwing glances at me like she wanted to say something, so I just closed my book and stared back at her until she started to talk.
"Fine." She sighed, "What's going on between you and RK?"
"Nothing, we're just friends," I told her and she scoffed,
“No sane person would ever be ‘just friends’ with someone who looks like he does.” Mer excused.
“I sure can!” I lied sarcastically.
"Also, Just friends don't look at each other like that." Mer retorted,
"Like what?" I repeated and she mimics the 'look' she was referring to.
"Oh River, let's go on secret adventures together and find excuses to sleep in so you can make out passionately with me." Mer gushed acting out the scene and I tossed my pillow at her,
"Okay okay, I get your point now please stop!" I laughed, "We've only ever kissed like once." I lied still not wanting to spill the whole can of beans,
"No fucking way!" Mer exclaimed, "You kissed?”
"Shhh, yeah It's not a big deal." I assured her, "And I'm sure he's had lots of girlfriends."
"Girl this is the first time I've heard River Kennedy and girlfriend in the same sentence." Mer told me, "Come to think of it in all the years I've known him, I've never really seen him with a girl before."
