Another tear falls, and I don’t even try to wipe it away. A sniffle softly, almost as if I’m afraid he’ll be able to hear me through the text.
Storm: Are you okay, River?
Me: Yeah, I’m fine. Tired.
Storm: Have you been staying away from Dad? Has he started anything? Hurt you?
Do I lie? Tell the truth? He’s found his pack. If I tell him what’s going on, he’ll rush back here. I can’t have him give up anything more for me.
Me: Yeah. It’s all peachy here. I’ve been busy at school and staying in my room when he’s here.
But I kind of wonder when he’s coming back.
Me: I’m so happy you found your pack. You should stay with them.
I don’t have to wait for him to respond because my phone starts ringing. I’ve got to get myself together because he’ll know something’s wrong just by my voice. I press the button to answer, but don’t have time to say a word.
“River, are you okay?” I can hear the panic in his voice.
“I’m fine. I…I just miss you.” Then, needing to change the subject, “You found your pack. I’m so happy; that’s amazing.” My voice lifts, a mixture of true joy and covering my sadness of losing Storm.
“I did. And you’ll meet them. I’d be home already to get you if I didn’t have to wait for the supplier to get the suppressants and blockers we need. It’ll be another week. Can you wait that long?”
A week. He’s going to be gone another week.
“Okay. Yeah, I can wait. Dad’s been away from the house a lot, so it hasn’t been bad.” Not true, but it’ll make it easier for Stormif he isn’t worrying about me. He doesn’t need to know that Dad sold me like cattle.
“It’s just so hard. The Foundation is really making it hard to get the items.”
“I understand. We’ve just never been away from each other this long.”
“One week, River. One week and I’ll be home. We’re going to need to talk though. Now that I have my pack, I want to bring you back here with us.” Another tear rolls down my cheek.
“We’re getting a house, and it’ll have room for you.” He pauses, and I can hear him take a deep breath. “Can you finish school here? I don’t want to be away from here for long, and I’m not leaving you. If I have to make a choice though, I’ll be there. With you.”
I shake my head, knowing he can’t see it. There’s no way in hell he’s giving up his pack for me. Not now. Not ever.
“I want to be with you too. I’ll be ready to go when you get here.”
“One week. I promise.” I wipe the tears from my eyes as his voice drifts through the phone again. “I love you, River. Just stay away from Dad and I’ll be home soon.”
“I love you too, Storm. One week.” With my last word, I end the call and plug my phone back into the charger. I curl up on the bed, pulling the covers over my head, and cry myself to sleep.
Chapter 6
River
My alarm goes off like an annoying gnat in my ear. I let out a groan and roll over, burying my face in my pillow. But that doesn’t stop the annoying shrill of the alarm.
“Turn that fucking thing off!” My father screams from his room, beating on the wall.
That’s all it takes for me to jump out of bed and turn the alarm off. No way in hell do I want to anger him to the point he’d come in here. I rub my eyes with the heel of my hand, then raise my arms above my head and stretch.
My stomach tightens into a knot knowing that I have to go to school today. The options of being there or here weigh equal levels of pain and anxiety. But school will always win out over the drunk that I live with. Over the man I call my father.
I go through the process of getting dressed before heading out to the kitchen to make a sandwich to take for lunch. If Storm were here, he’d give me some cash, but he’s not, so it's better to take something with me or be hungry until I get home tonight.
I make sure to make as little noise as possible. There’s no way I want to wake my dad again and have him come barging in here,beating me before I have to head out. He’d make sure to leave the marks where no one could see them, but the pain would be there, bearing down on me like a heavy weight.
