Desolate (Riverband #2)

by Sara Daniell

  I pulled onto the curb near the house and saw everyone’s vehicles parked. I saw mom peek out the window and when she saw me, she came out onto the porch and sat on the swing. My hands shook. I was angry at her.

  I got out and lit a cigarette. She stood and walked towards me. Tears fell down her face.

  “Havock, let me explain.”

  I laughed coldly. “I shouldn’t be the one you’re doing the explaining to.”

  “I can’t tell him. I can’t ruin our marriage. It was an accident.”

  “An accident? Are you really using that excuse?!”

  She hugged herself and shrugged. “I love your father just like you loved Reese but you still messed around on her!”

  She had me there except for the fact that Reese was gone and I thought she was never coming back. Not that it made what I did okay, but dad is here with her. I exhaled smoke and looked at her.

  “You’re like me in so many ways,” she said with a heavy sigh and she grabbed my cigarette from my fingers. She took a long hit then handed it back to me.

  I stared at my mother I all of a sudden didn’t know. “You bitch at me for smoking,” I said in shock.

  She laughed. “Yeah because every time I smell it on you or see you with one I crave one myself.” She shook her head and laughed. “I had a moment of weakness today. I got bored with your father. I’m okay. Your father and I are okay. But I needed something for me.”

  “Who are you?” I scoffed.

  She laughed coldly. “I’m horrible.”

  “Are you gonna tell dad?”

  She shook her head. “No. This is one I’ll take to my grave. I’ll deal with the inner turmoil as my consequence.”

  That was so wrong on so many levels. “You have to tell him.” I couldn’t believe I was even having this conversation with my mom.

  “I know. Dammit, I know!” Tears sprang from her eyes. “Just let me tell him. I’ll do it after you and Garrett are out of the house. I don’t want the drama while you boys are home.”

  “If you didn’t want the drama then you should’ve thought twice about letting another man in your bedroom.”

  She nodded. “I’m going inside. Let me tell him, Havock.”

  “I won’t say anything.”

  She kissed my cheek then went inside.

  ~~~

  Prom was in a week. I knew I couldn't take Reese because her dad was still being a dick, but I'd make it up to her somehow. The how was going to tricky. I was sick of not seeing her and when I thought I could sneak to see her at school, I was stopped by a teacher. Mayor Johnson made sure we were being watched.

  "Havock!" I heard Jude yell from down the hall while I was digging in my locker. I shut it and vowed to never open up that black hole again. I'd never be able to find anything in there and scared of what I might find if I kept digging. My English book wasn't that important.

  "What?" I asked as he pulled me into the bathroom.

  I jerked my arm away. "Damn! What the hell?"

  He bent down to check the stalls and once we were alone, he said, "I screwed up. Big time. This is so fucked up, dude!"

  I raised a brow. “More fucked up than my mom screwing our neighbor?” I had told him about it. I had to tell someone.

  "I think so. It's Selena...she's...she's pregnant."

  Holy mother of all that is Batman. I felt a punch to my gut as if it was me hearing that I got a girl pregnant. I hurt for Jude. He was my best friend and this was life changing shit.

  "Damn," I breathed out.

  He leaned against a stall and hit is head on the door. "Mom is gonna freak out. I don't even know what to do. Selena is scared, and I don't know how to make her feel better. We screwed up. I'm too young to be a dad. I don't even have my life figured out. The only future thing I have planned is to meet Doug for my dime sack after school today."

  I rubbed the back of my neck and took a deep breath. "Shit, Jude. What am I supposed to say?"

  Guys started coming into the bathroom so we stopped talking. We left and headed towards our class. I told him we’d hang out later to talk about it.

  I walked into English and sat at the back. I put my earbuds in and laid my head on the desk. Today was review day, and I already knew everything.

  A little while later, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I hadn't realized I fell asleep. I sat up and pulled the earbuds from my ear.

  "You're needed in the art room," my teacher said then went back to the front of the class.

  I grabbed my things and headed that way.

  I walked in and saw Reese with her back to a corner sitting on the floor with her knees at her chest. She had her ears covered and she was screaming. Her eyes were closed tight and she was rocking. The art room was a mess.

  "We can't get her to calm down. We've called her dad but he didn't answer," Mrs. Jacobs the art teacher said worriedly. "I told them to get you."

  Tears poured down Reese's face.

  I set my things down and knelt down beside her. I rubbed her back. "Princess, it's me. I'm here," I said as calmly as I could. Flashbacks from that night in the kitchen played in my mind. I was worried.

  Her whole body was shaking. Her screaming stopped but she didn't open her eyes or stop rocking. She still had her ears covered.

  I looked at the art teacher. "I'm taking her home. Her dad can get pissed all he wants. I don't care." I helped her stand. "Ask Garrett to bring our things home, please."

  Mrs. Jacobs nodded. Reese kept her ears covered and buried her face against my chest as she cried. Her body was trembling.

  "I will call and explain what happened. Thank you, Havock," Mrs. Jacobs said her voice shook a little.

  I took her out to my truck, ignoring the stares from our classmates. I helped her into the passenger seat and kissed her forehead.

  I moved her hands off her ears. I got my earbuds and put them in her ears. I then started playing music to try to get her mind off whatever it was that had her so freaked out.

  Slowly, very slowly, she stopped crying. She then opened her eyes and looked at me.

  I cupped her face in my hands and wiped her tears. I brought my lips to hers and kissed her slowly and deeply. I needed her to know that I was here, and I wasn't going anywhere.

  "Until further notice I'm being Havock again. Not the good guy. Screw your dad and his lame ass rules.” I rested my forehead against hers and rubbed her cheeks with my thumbs.

  She chuckled a little then buried her face against my neck and held tight to me.

  I ran my fingers through her hair and kissed her head. "Want me to take you home?"

  "Yes," She said her voice hoarse.

  I helped her in the truck. I got in and put my arm around her waist to scoot her closer to me.

  REESE

  I had fallen asleep with my head in Havock's lap. I woke up to the door slamming and my dad yelling. Dammit, that was the first dreamless sleep I had had in a while. I groaned and turned over burying my face against Havock. I didn't want to wake up and deal with reality.

  "Mayor," Havock said as he stood.

  "Havock, you have nothing to say that I haven't heard you say before." Dad was fuming.

  "Things are different now, Mayor Johnson."

  "Oh really? Let's go down to the police station and get you drug tested then. If it comes back negative, I MIGHT listen to you."

  Havock didn't back down. "It'll be positive, sir," he said honestly.

  Dad scoffed. “Goodbye, Havock.”

  “I love her. More than anything.”

  "But you still do drugs? Seems like you don't have your priorities straight. The cycle of Havock Satterly continues and it will until you die."

  “Dad, please,” I begged.

  "I'll quit. I already had my mind made up I would for her because she doesn't like it. Let me prove to you I'm different for her. I'd be anything for your daughter, Sir. Please," he begged. Havock wasn't a beggar. Ever.

  "You get girls pregnant and they have abortions b
ecause they know the type of guy you are. And you think I'd let you date my daughter because you claim to love her?!"

  Havock froze. “What?!”

  A tear fell down my cheek.

  Dad didn't answer him. He knew he went too far.

  Havock didn't say a word. He took his keys from his pocket and left.

  I looked after him then at my dad. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" I snapped.

  "He needed to understand he isn't worthy of a girl like you."

  I scoffed. "A girl like me?" I asked coldly. "A freak? A witch who sees shadows everywhere she looks? A girl who is one step from following after her mother and drowning herself?!" I asked in a yell.

  His expression was as if I had stabbed him. "You are not your mother!"

  "Three times, dad. Three times I tried to kill myself after you disappeared and the shadows increased. And do you know what the only thing that stopped me is?" I asked as tears fell down my face. I pointed towards the door. "That guy!" I wiped my tears. "Yes he makes mistakes, but he is the best thing that has ever happened to me! Why can't you see that?" I asked as I looked at him begging for him to understand.

  "I'm trying to protect you. I couldn't protect your mother!" Tears filled his eyes.

  "This isn't the way to protect me. I need him," I said as tears fell. "I need him," I said softly as I hung my head.

  "I’m not arguing with you. You’re a child! You don’t know what you need!” Dad shook his head and walked out of the room. I heard his office door slam.

  I grabbed dad’s keys from the counter and drove to Havock’s.

  When I pulled in, Havock's truck wasn't there. I parked the car and ran to the door. I banged on it then pulled out my phone trying to call Havock. I looked around and saw Garrett's truck. "Garrett!" I yelled as I banged on the door again.

  Havock's phone went to voicemail. "Baby, please call me. Please," I begged then hung up.

  Garrett opened the door. "I need your help!"

  I said in a panic as I pushed the call button again to call Havock's phone. I was worried about him. What if he did something stupid? I knew he had to be upset after what dad said to him. Dammit, I should have gone after him as soon as he started out the door.

  Garrett was looking at me worriedly before he could ask what was wrong I spoke. "Something's happened and I'm worried about Havock. I can't tell you what was said because Havock will tell you if he wants, but I need your help finding him! You know this place better than me!" I was desperate. "Please answer!" I said desperately into the phone when the voicemail clicked on again.

  Garrett grabbed his keys and we headed to the truck as I tried calling Havock again. He didn't ask questions, he didn't say anything he just drove. By the time I had called Havock’s phone at least fifteen times, we had looked at two different places.

  We were almost to a third when I suddenly saw a man in the middle of the road. "Look out!" I yelled.

  Garrett jerked the wheel and I felt something. Something coming towards us. Something hit my door with enough force to flip the truck over and over again. All I could think about was keeping Garrett safe. My head bounced off the side of the door as we continued to roll. The truck finally stopped on its hood. Garrett and I were both hanging upside down by our seatbelts.

  I groaned and touched my head. "Garrett, are you okay?" I asked as I tried to get unbuckled. The pressure in my head from hanging upside down was extremely painful.

  I tugged at my belt, but I just couldn't get it undone.

  I heard a thud and turned my head to see that Garrett had gotten out of his seatbelt and crawled to what was left of the the ceiling.

  "Are you okay?!" I asked as I put my hand to my head to try and stop the bleeding. I looked around best I could at the truck. How the hell were we even alive? "Garrett please talk to me!" I begged. I tugged at my belt with my free hand. Hanging upside down with a head injury was not conducive to my health.

  He couldn't talk. He helped me out of my seatbelt and helped me out of my seat.

  He held me close. "I'm fine," he finally got out. "You?"

  "My head hurts," I said softly. "We need to get out of here." I looked at the windshield that was broken.

  He helped me crawl out then followed out behind me.

  I looked at the truck in shock. From the outside you could barely even tell it was a truck. I put my hand to my head and looked around as people started rushing over to us. I heard my phone ringing. "My phone," I said then swayed on my feet.

  Garrett put his arm around me for support.

  A lady came over. "Garrett Satterly? Rese Johnson? Are you kids alright?!”

  Another lady came over and was on the phone with what sounded like 911.

  Garrett nodded. "I don't know how we are, but we are." He looked at his truck, or what was left of it.

  He swallowed hard and tears filled his eyes.

  "I think my phone is in the truck." I looked around and saw it on the pavement away from the truck. It must have been thrown out.

  Garrett felt for his phone and shook his head. "Mine was in the truck."

  I slowly moved away from Garrett and walked carefully over to mine. I picked it up and looked at it. It was still working. I handed it to Garrett then put my hand back to my head. I pulled it back and it had blood on it.

  He looked at me worriedly. He made me sit down on the grass while we waited.

  He put the phone to his ear.

  I kept my hand pressed to my head trying to get the bleeding to stop. I looked at him. "You calling Havock?" I asked quietly.

  He nodded.

  I looked around for the guy who had been in the middle of the road but didn't see him. He had to have been a witch. The way he had hit Garrett's truck wasn't natural. It was power. I looked back at the crumpled mess. Of course, us surviving that wasn't natural either. I closed my eyes and thought about what happened. I had wanted to keep Garrett safe. I felt drained and tired not to mention in pain. I chuckled a little. My powers must have kicked in and saved us. That's the only explanation.

  I opened my eyes when I heard a siren. I groaned.

  Garrett cursed. "I can't get Havock." He sat next to me. "Mom and dad are on their way."

  I grabbed my phone to text Havock.

  Me: When you have a free moment just thought you should know Garrett and I were in a wreck. Love you.

  The phone rang immediately.

  I winced from the sound. "Hello?"

  "What?! Where are you?! What do you mean you had a WRECK?!"

  I moved the phone away from my ear. My head was pounding. "Here." I handed it to Garrett. "My head is killing me."

  The ambulance pulled up and the medics hurried out. They had a stretcher but froze when they saw the truck.

  They looked at each other then looked at us. "Anyone else in there?"

  "No. It was just us," I said as I looked at it.

  It looked horrible. This is the kind of wreck you come up on and just know there were no survivors.

  "How in the hell are you two okay?" The medic asked in shock.

  "Your guess is as good as ours," I said. One of the medics snapped out of his stupor and hurried over to me. He made me move my hand as he looked at my head.

  Garrett hung up when a medic started looking him over.

  I head someone yelling then realized it was dad trying to get through the crowd.

  He finally made it over.

  He waited while the medic looked me over.

  "Is she okay?! You should take her to the hospital and at least let them look her over. I'm concerned with her head bleeding!"

  Johanna and Rick came over and both wrapped Garrett in a hug. They all cried.

  "You're right. We need to take them both to the hospital. She needs her head stitched up and I think...” The medic looked at the truck. “With as bad as that wreck was, we should be on the safe side,” he said as he bandaged my head to hold it over till I got to the ER.

  Johanna and Rick moved so Garrett
could get in the ambulance with me. I heard the loud roar of a truck and new that sound from anywhere. It was Havock.

  I heard him telling people to move then he finally made it over. His eyes found the truck before he saw us.