Chapter 19
Royal
“Here,” I say, tossing her another box of hair dye. She looks it over and then stands, heading to the bathroom. If she plans on sticking around for a while, I don’t want anyone to recognize her, and I have plans for her today.
“You think this is a good idea?” Jeremy asks.
“Why not? We haven’t done shit fun in a long time. It’ll give us something to do and get out of this hotel for a while,” I tell him.
“Yeah, you’re right, but what if someone recognizes her?”
“I don’t know. Technically, she’s here of her own free will,” I remind him. We’re not forcing her to stay. She can leave at any time, and she didn’t have to take the hair dye and color her hair again if she didn’t want to.
Jeremy and I talk while she’s in the bathroom. When she comes out almost an hour later, her hair is black once more without the blonde creeping through. She glances over at me but doesn’t say anything before sitting in the chair across the room.
“We’re going out,” I tell her.
“Where?”
“The fair,” I say. Her head snaps up, and her eyes lock with mine. A slow smile pulls across her face as she looks at me.
“Are you serious? Can you afford it?”
“I made extra with that second fight,” I tell her.
“Don’t you have to fight tonight?” she asks. I shake my head.
“No. Since I fought two last week, he’s letting me off tonight.” Her smile gets bigger, and that’s something I like to see. She seems so happy.
“Are you feeling okay? Are you up for it?”
“River, stop. I’m fine, and we’re going,” I tell her. She nods her head before I stand and motion for her to come. She leaps off the chair and rushes to my side, grabbing my hand in hers.
The fair isn’t far from here, so we head out and walk toward it. Jeremy and I just talk about random shit, and River seems lost in her own little world.
When we get there, I pay for tickets and watch as River’s eyes light up.
She takes it all in, and it makes me wonder if she’s ever done anything like this before.
I would assume being the Governor’s daughter, she would have, but then again, you never know.
I don’t want to ruin it, so I don’t ask her either.
Instead, I lead her around and take her on rides. I watch her laugh as her hair blows in the breeze, and I watch her smile when she thinks I’m not looking.
“That’s a little too high,” she says when I point at the Ferris Wheel.
“Afraid of heights now?”
“After the rooftop incident? A little,” she admits. I almost forgot about that.
“This is safe, River. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” Her eyes come to meet mine once more, and I can see her trying to get a read on me. She slowly nods her head before gripping my hand in hers once more. She pulls at me, pulling me toward the line.
“What the fuck are they staring at?” she snaps when some girls look at me.
“Probably my fucked up eye,” I tell her.
“It has nothing to do with your eye, Royal.”
“Are you jealous? Come on, River, have I given you a reason to be jealous?” I ask her seriously. She hasn’t seen me with other girls. Hell, I don’t even talk to other girls.
“No.”
“Then calm down.”
“What is this? What are we?” she asks as we climb on and sit down.
“What do you want us to be?” The ride starts to move, and her hand clenches around mine. I know this is a lot for her after what happened, so I try to keep her talking. “Breathe, River.”
“This is …”
“It’s okay, River. Just breathe. You’re okay.”
“I don’t know, Royal. This is too high,” she stammers as I keep her pressed into my side.
“You’re okay. I got you.” Something in her relaxes when I say that, and she settles into my side.
“Royal?”
“Yeah?”
“What is this we’re doing?” I know what she wants to know, I just don’t know how to answer it. I’ve never done this. I’ve never had a relationship with anyone before, but that’s exactly what this feels like with River.
“I honestly don’t know. You … you should want more out of life than what I can offer you, River.”
“You give me a lot more than you realize.”
“You shouldn’t have to worry about where you’re going to sleep night to night. Being on the streets isn’t safe. It isn’t ideal,” I tell her.
“But if I’m with you, then what’s the difference? Besides, I can get a job and help out,” she says as I squeeze her closer.
“I know we don’t talk about your life much, and that’s fine, but I have to say it. After what you’re used to, why would you want this?” She doesn’t speak at first, but then I hear her sigh.
“My life wasn’t great. Was it better than sleeping on the streets?
Yeah, it was to a point. I had a bed, a home, but it wasn’t really my place.
All they wanted from me was money and power.
When I think back on how things were when I was younger, I can’t see the love that a child is supposed to have.
There was always something more, a glint in their eyes. ”
“I’m not one to judge, given my situation, but you seem to have it all there. Take the money and run, River.”
“The money isn’t what’s important to me. I didn’t want to be married to someone who looked at me as a dollar sign and not a person.”
“Fair enough.” The rest of the ride, we just sit in silence. She stays tucked into my side, and I just take it all in.
When we get off, we find Jeremy in a panic.
“What’s wrong?” I ask when I see his face.
“Her dad’s here,” he blurts out.
“What?” We both say at the same time.
“He’s here. Grand opening shit,” Jeremy says in a hurry.
“Fuck. Let’s go,” I tell her. River wraps her arm around my waist, and I keep her as tightly as possible against my side as we head for the entrance.
“Keep your head down,” I tell her. She nods and does what she’s told, lowering her head so no one can look her in the eye.
We make it out of the fair and down the block before she breathes a sigh of relief.
“Sorry, wish that was longer,” I tell her.
“It’s okay. I had fun,” she beams up at me.
“You did?”
“Yeah. I always have fun with you, Royal.” Something about her words sends a warm feeling through my chest that I can’t seem to get enough of, and I don’t know if I want to.
River is becoming something I want to keep around. Something I want more of, and in the end, I think that’s going to be bad for both of us. My life isn’t changing direction from the path it’s on, and I know there’s so much more out there for her.