Desolate (Riverband #2)

by Sara Daniell

  "Not sure. I thought he was right behind us."

  The nurse took my blood sugar then gasped. "When was the last time you took your medicine, Darlin?" he asked softly.

  "Three months ago," I said as she looked at my ribs.

  Johanna’s eyes widened.

  "I'll be right back," she said then she hurried out of the room.

  The doctor hurried in and started looking me over. The nurse took my blood and within in seconds of getting the results, injected me in the stomach. I felt horrible. Of course, I've felt horrible the last few months.

  "I'm surprised you haven't been hallucinating," The doctor said in shook.

  "Why three months?! Did they not give you your meds?!" Johanna was fuming.

  I shook my head. "I don't feel good." I blinked a few times then smiled when Havock came in. Maybe he was right maybe I was talking crazy. Maybe I had hallucinated this whole time.

  "Your ribs are a mess," The doctor said then had me move so he could look at my back. His frown deepened. "We're going to need some X-rays done," he told the nurse. "Also, she seems to be dehydrated. Get an IV in her immediately."

  Havock sat in a chair and put his earbuds in. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

  Johanna looked at him funny then at me. She smiled. "I'll make sure you aren't taken back there, Sweetie."

  "Thank you," I said as they put an IV in. They then got my bed ready to take me for X-rays.

  ~~~

  I woke up feeling better than I had in three months.

  I opened my eyes and saw a shadow figure in the corner. I screamed. I closed my eyes and felt arms wrap around me suddenly.

  I buried my face against the person's chest as tears fell down my cheeks.

  He talked and I realized it was Garrett. "Shhh, it's alright."

  I was shaking. "Garrett?" I asked my voice breaking.

  "Yeah, it's me."

  I tilted my head back and looked at him. "It's good to see you but...where's Havock?"

  "Who knows? He bailed when the doctor was talking about how bad off you were."

  I nodded then put my head back against his chest.

  I took deep breaths to keep from crying. If he didn't want me anymore I'd leave. I don't know where I'd go but I couldn't stay here. I couldn't watch him with other girls. Maybe Janet would help me.

  Johanna walked in. "We get to take her home while the ones she was staying with are under investigation. That is if they find them.”

  Garrett smiled. "Good."

  "Ready to go home?" She asked with a smile.

  I smiled a little and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

  I was eighteen and it wouldn't matter anymore. I got away from that place and could to stay where I wanted. Garrett left and Mrs. Johanna helped me get dressed.

  ~~~

  When we pulled up, Garrett helped me out of the truck. I instantly noticed Havock's truck was gone.

  "Your room is just the way you left it."

  A pain surged through my heart at Havock not being there, but I nodded and smiled like I was fine.

  "Mrs. Johanna, tomorrow do you think you could take me to see Judge Hopkins?"

  "Sure but what for?"

  "I’m eighteen, and I want to talk to him about getting my GED. I don't want to go back to school when I've missed so much." We got inside and I sat on my bed while Mrs. Johanna and I talked.

  "You sure about that?"

  I nodded. "Yes, Ma'am." I looked at her. "I missed you, Mrs. Johanna." I gave her a smile.

  HAVOCK

  What was I going to do? That's what kept rolling through my mind as I drove around Riverbend. My Princess was home and if mom had it her way, she'd be there for good. I was relieved she was back with us, especially after seeing she had been abused. I told mom what she told me about being a witch and mom said the doctor figured she had been hallucinating because of her sugar levels. That made sense.

  I wanted to pick up right where we left off, but I couldn't. Not after the person I had been the past three months without her.

  But at some point, I knew I’d have to be honest with her. I just didn't know how.

  My cell phone rang.

  "Hey, Garrett. What's up?"

  "Mom wants you to run by the store before you come home and pick up a few things."

  "Alright, just send me a text of what all she needs."

  "I will." He paused. "Reese wants to see you, Havock."

  "Mind your business," I snapped.

  He hung up on me.

  I turned up the radio and turned around to go to the grocery store.

  ~~~

  I sat quietly at the dinner table, eating, and listening to the conversation. Mom asked me a few questions and I'd nod or shake my head when appropriate.

  I could feel Reese's eyes on me, but I couldn't look at her. Not for a long period of time anyway. Glancing was too much. How would I tell her I had sex with Janzy? Or the other girls, or the drugs, and the drinking. . . I set my fork down. I wasn't hungry anymore.

  Dad kicked my foot. I glared at him.

  I loved Reese. I loved her so damn much but she didn't deserve a guy like me. She needed someone who would have never stopped looking for her. A guy who wasn't so selfish that he was unfaithful to her just to forget about her so he didn't have to hurt.

  Reese looked down at her food instead of me.

  We were inseparable. And now. . . I've never felt so far away from her and she was sitting right across from me.

  Everyone stared at me and her. I'm sure they all expected us to not be able to keep our hands off each other. But the reality was, we couldn’t even look at one another.

  I had to tell her. Either she'd forgive me or she wouldn't. I was being stupid. I needed her, even if she hated me.

  "Reese?"

  She looked up at me.

  "Can we talk?"

  She nodded then stood up and followed me out of the house.

  I lit a cigarette and sat on the steps. I patted the spot next to me.

  She slowly sat down, her arm wrapped around her ribs. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked quietly. "If you don't want me here I'll leave."

  “I want you here.” I took a hit off my cigarette. "I love you, Princess. I've never stopped."

  "Then what's going on?"

  I looked at her. I forced my eyes to stay locked on hers. "The night before you came back, I was high on drugs I don’t care to mention. The night before that I was so drunk I couldn't say my ABC's. And the night before that, I slept with two girls in one night. I won't continue with the agenda of each day for the past three months to spare your feelings." I looked down at my feet. "I did anything and everything to keep my mind off you. It didn't work, so I just did more."

  She took a steadying breath. She wiped a tear away. "I don't know..." She stopped and wiped another tear.

  She cleared her throat. "I love you, Havock so much and that will never change. But I'm not going to pretend that I'm not hurt."

  I nodded as I exhaled. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I know that wouldn't be enough."

  "It'd be a start," she said as she cupped the side of my face and made me look at her. "And stopping ignoring me would help too."

  I rested my forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry, Princess," I whispered.

  She ran her hand through my hair. "I love you, Havock."

  "Are you sure about that?" I closed my eyes. I missed her touch.

  "Yes. With all my heart and that will never change. However, you have a lot of sucking up to do," she teased. “I miss your hair.”

  I opened my eyes and smiled at her. "I cut it because of this,” I said referring to her fingers running through it.

  She smiled sadly and didn’t say anything.

  I furrowed my eyebrows. She was being too easy on me. She needed to yell at me or something. "Yell at me."

  "I would, but I don't have the energy. Plus, your mom gave me pain medication before dinner. I'll yell at you tomorrow."

 
"You better." I smirked and kissed her.

  She ran her hands through my hair some more as the kiss deepened.

  I wanted to take her to my truck and rip every piece of clothing from her body but I couldn't. I couldn't because I knew she'd let me without question, and I didn't deserve her being so forgiving. I pulled away a little but my lips were still against hers. "You should go inside, Princess."

  "But I don't want to," she said in a pout.

  "But I want you to. You're not thinking straight. I need you to hate me right now."

  She chuckled. "I can be angry with you, Havock, and I am, but I could never hate you." She moved closer to me. I felt her hand go up the back of my shirt and chills ran down my spine. Dammit, she was making resisting her difficult.

  "And I promise you I’ll be angry for a while but that doesn't change the fact that I love you. That I want you," she whispered.

  I picked her up as I stood and carried her to my truck. She laughed as I put her in, and I leaned down into her seat to kiss her neck. I then hurried around to my side. I drove us to our favorite back roads.

  When we got there she moved to where she was straddling my lap. She rubbed her nose against mine.

  I lifted her shirt over her head and tried to keep my eyes off her bruises, but I couldn't. I touched them lightly with my fingertips then carefully laid her back into the seat. I kissed her anywhere she was black and blue. I wanted to kill the ones who did that to her.

  "You're shaking," she whispered. "Stop thinking about it. Just think about me,” she said as she ran her hand through my hair.

  I kissed my way all the way back up to her lips and kissed her with everything in me. My Princess was back, and I refused to waste another second of it.

  REESE

  I sat in the judge's office waiting for him to show up. Mrs. Johanna was sitting right next to me. My leg was bouncing.

  "You do realize that just because you're eighteen, doesn't mean he will let you, right?"

  I nodded. "I know. He's the one over my welfare right now since dad's missing." I shifted uncomfortably in the chair. I was in a lot of pain.

  "Did you take your medicine this morning?" she asked when she noticed me wince a little.

  I shook my head no. "I wanted to be able to think straight."

  The judge came in. "Hello, Reese."

  He sat down at his desk. "What can I do for you?" He smiled at me.

  He was my dad's best friend and a good man. "I want to get my GED."

  He looked at me. "Reese, I know you've been through a lot, and I am so sorry, but your father wanted you to graduate either through homeschool or public."

  He smiled kindly at me. "If you can survive everything you have then you can survive two more months of high school."

  Johanna put her hand on my knee. She smiled at me. "He's right, dear."

  I sighed. "Fine," I mumbled.

  "I do have some good news. I have been able to get some money put into an account for you. It should hold you over until we find your dad." He stood up then pulled me into a hug. "We're going to find him. I feel it."

  Tears sprang to my eyes. I nodded.

  "Now, why don't you go home and get some rest. You go back to school tomorrow."

  As I groaned, he and Mrs. Johanna laughed.

  ~~~

  I woke up to my big baby licking my face. I chuckled and sat up. "I'm up."

  I saw Havock standing in the doorway laughing. He called Scott over.

  Scott barked and wagged his tail. I looked at the time and groaned. "I don't want to go," I mumbled.

  "I don't either, but we have to."

  "I know." I stood up and grabbed some clothes to wear to school. I pulled out a green shirt that was a tight fit and low cut V-neck. "I guess I'll go get a quick shower," I said as I kissed his cheek and started to walk past him.

  He stopped me by grabbing my arm.

  I looked up at him. "Yes?"

  He kissed me and smiled. “Are you wearing my favorite shirt for a reason?"

  I shrugged. "I haven't decided if it's because I wanted to see you smile or to torture you a little." I raised an eyebrow at him.

  "I have a feeling you'll accomplish both." He let go of my arm and let me walk past him, but not before grabbing my ass.

  I heard his dad clear his throat as he walked over.

  I blushed bright red and hurried into the bathroom. I took a quick shower then got dressed. I was thinking about straightening my hair but changed my mind. I scrunched it to make the curls more prominent then stepped out of the bathroom. I didn't put on any make-up. I guess it was going to be a lazy day.

  "So, I should warn you about school-"

  I put the tester in my backpack and grabbed one of my shots. I injected myself as Havock spoke. He took my backpack from me and slung it over his shoulder.

  "Since, I haven't been on my best behavior, girls have been-" he rubbed his neck. "I don't know how to put it into words. Throwing themselves at me?"

  He took a step away from me as he watched my face.

  I capped the needle and put it in the trash as I thought about what to say. "Oh, this should be fun," I said sarcastically. I stood up and winced as my ribs hurt. “I can just imagine how those girls are going to be now. They were bad enough before.”

  "I'll handle it. They won't mess with me after today." He took my hand in his.

  "Yeah, uh huh," I said as we walked downstairs.

  We ate a quick breakfast then headed to school. I looked out the window as we showed up to the school. "I think I'll spend the rest of my school year in the art room."

  We got out of the truck and started to walk inside. I gripped Havock's hand as everyone stared at us.

  He leaned down so his mouth was close to my ear. "What'd you tell me the other night? Just focus on me, Princess. Only two more months and we're outta here."

  He kissed my cheek as we walked.

  Jude came over with Selena. "No freakin' way!" He hugged me. "No wonder I haven't heard from Havock the past few days!"

  I gasped in pain as his arms tightened around me.

  “Dammit, Jude!” Havock snapped.

  Jude let go of me. “What? What’d I do?!”

  Havock touched the side of my face. “Are you okay?”

  “What do you mean is she okay? I hugged her, it’s not like I drop kicked her!”

  Selena smiled a little at me. "Well, thank God she’s back. Havock's been loony since you've been gone."

  Havock ignored Selena and explained to Jude that I had been hurt, leaving out the crazy witch stuff.

  “Damn. Sorry, Reese. I didn’t know.” Jude went to hug her again but stopped. “I just want to hug her. She’s so cute and she’s back.”

  Havock laughed. “No hugging. Hive five or something.”

  Jude smirked. “I could kiss her. That’d be more fun.”

  “Go ahead. If you want to die.”

  Jude laughed and Selena rolled her eyes. “This reunion is fab, but I’m over it now. Can I bum a cigarette before class?” she asked Havock.

  Havock handed her one along with his lighter.

  "I’m surprised you guys didn’t know she was back. I figured you guys would've heard already. This is Riverbend," Havock said as Selena passed him the cigarette.

  The bell rang. Everyone started hurrying to classes. Havock groaned when he saw a girl coming over. Jude and Selena laughed.

  "Hey, Janzy. Remember Reese?" Havock smiled a little.

  I felt my blood pressure suddenly rise.

  Janzy smiled at me. "Hey, Reese. Good to see you're back. Not." She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. "I was coming to tell you that I left my shoes in your truck last week. I need them before Jackson figures out what's been going on."

  Selena laughed. "Seriously?! You're talking to him about shoes in the hall of the school and you expect Jackson not to find out?!"

  Havock held tightly to my hand. "I gave them to Garrett to give to Felicity to drop off by your hou
se a few days ago."

  She smiled. "Oh, then she must still have them. I'll just ask her." She glared at Selena as she walked off.