Chapter 3 Riley
Riley
Iheard a voice in my head. It wasn’t my own thoughts fumbling inside my mind, but it was one that was playful yet possessive.
It gave me a kind of comfort that I’d felt before, but it was stronger this time.
I quickly surveyed all the people in the room: my mom, River and oddly enough, fucking Asher.
I focused my gaze on my dog, on my perfect Beau. He gave me a ridiculous lopsided grin that included panting in my face when I realized what was happening. “Oh my god.”
“Riley, what’s wrong?” My mom’s voice went up a few octaves, her tone full of concern.
I took Beau’s large face in my hands and smushed his cheeks, forcing him to stare at me. I didn’t actually have to force him since he hadn’t stopped looking at me. “I—I don’t know.”
Don’t worry, they can’t hear me. I am so happy you finally can, Mom. I heard in my head. Beau’s mouth never moved, but his tail wagged fiercely. He leaned his face further into my hands, catching me by surprise and licking my nose.
I swatted him away, then eyed him skeptically. So, you can hear everything I’m thinking right now?
He circled on the bed and sat down so he could look at me straight on. Sure can. I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t scare me like that again.
“How was I supposed to know Grayson was going to do that?” I realized quickly that I had said that out loud and not in my head. I flinched at the words that had flown out of my mouth.
“Grayson? What does he have to do with any of this? Riley, what the hell is going on?” My mom sounded frustrated but tired. I looked down at the blood that covered my jeans and coated my hands, giving me a less than pleasant reminder of what had transpired.
I was fucking frustrated too. I needed to talk to my mom, but I didn’t want to do it with River here, especially since his brother decided to tag along for who knows what reason.
I took in my boyfriend and the solemn look in his eye.
The mention of Grayson must have made him curious, but something told me he was already suspicious of him long before I woke up.
“Mom, can you start the shower for me? I promise I’ll tell you everything.” My eyes were pleading for her to just do this one thing for me.
Her eyes moved from me to the guys, then back to me. She ran her hand through her mess of curls, shaking her head. “Riley…this is not the time to…”
“Mom.” I swung my legs over, so I was sitting on the edge of my bed. “I really don’t want to see this blood anymore. I can’t see this blood anymore, okay? Please do this for me.” My voice was on the verge of cracking.
“Honey, you’re scaring me.” My mom placed her hand softly over her mouth, starting to understand my demand.
“Please Mom.” Beau nudged my back, rubbing his face into my spine.
She’s worried about you. I nearly tore the house apart because I was a nervous wreck. I heard Beau say. If I wasn’t on the verge of mentally imploding, I would have laughed at the thought of my dog destroying the house due to my wellbeing.
My mom sighed, breaking her eye contact with me and gazing down at the floor. This was the first time I noticed how much of a mess my room was. It looked like a tornado had come through and swept up anything that wasn’t screwed down.
“Fine. You have two minutes.” She reached out and stroked my cheek with her knuckles. I really wanted to lean into that motherly touch, but I wanted her to explain things to me before I turned into a heaping mess of tears on her shoulder.
She turned to leave, stepping over debris as she went. Once the door clicked, I sucked in a deep breath. “You know about Grayson, don’t you?”
River rubbed the back of his neck. “We know that he swept you up in his shadows after you…”
“After I found out I had powers?” I finished for him.
“We don’t know much else besides the fact that he had to be the one who obviously brought you here,” Asher continued, adjusting his glasses on his nose.
River took a few tentative steps towards me, his gaze moving over to Beau. The dog blinked, then huffed, nuzzling his face in-between the inside of my arm and my side. River squatted, placing his hand over mine. Before he could speak, Asher chimed in.
“What did Grayson do?” His voice was like venom, like he was genuinely mad at Grayson. It was as if he was frustratingly mad for me, rather than for himself.
“You should ask him.”
Asher kicked some of the debris away from his feet. “Oh, we plan to.”
River sighed, tugging at my hand to get me to look at him. “Riley, whose blood is this?”
My mouth felt dry when I tried to answer. Sweat percolated at the back of my neck and I just wanted all this blood off of me. I wanted her blood off of me. I tugged my hand away from him. “That part isn’t important.”
“Riley, I think it is.”
“I don’t want to talk about that,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him.
Asher shook River’s shoulder. “We know where he is, so let’s go have a talk. She’s fine here with her mom.”
“She’s not fine!” River shouted more to himself than to anyone else, taking a few breaths while looking at the ground.
He curled his hand into fists and then uncurled them, finally staring at me with those green eyes I always found so much solace in.
They looked a little glassy, like he was begging me to just spew out all I was feeling.
I cupped his chin with my fingers. “Let me talk to my mom, River. I need to figure some shit out before anything else. That’s all I’ll say.” I leaned down, pressing my forehead to his and he lifted himself up a small bit to peck my lips. He straightened up and nodded at his brother.
Asher gave me a once over. “Of all the powers to have, telekinesis isn’t the one I’d have thought.”
I shrugged, not knowing what to say.
“Or fire,” he added.
“Fire?” I inquired, running my hands over my arms and seeing the marks that Chancellor Fowler left. I didn’t want to think about having inherited not one but two powers from that man.
Asher nodded towards them. “I’m assuming wherever you went that you accidentally hurt yourself?” I didn’t know whether he actually believed that or if he was goading me so that I would fess up about what actually transpired.
I changed the subject. “When you see him, ask him about Chancellor Fowler.”
They both gave me a confused look. River reached into his pocket and took out his motorcycle keys. “Chancellor Fowler?”
“Yup.”
Asher scratched his trimmed beard. “What does the school chancellor have to do with anything?”
I tucked one of my braids behind my ear, getting up off my bed and repeating myself.
This time I said it through gritted teeth.
“When. You. See. Him, ask him about Chancellor Fowler.” My bedside table rattled and shifted off the ground, luckily it looked like I’d already made a mess with the lamp that had been previously on top of it.
I took a deep breath in, and the table skidded back onto the floor. Beau barked, jumping off the bed and curled against my leg, leaning along the side of my calf.
River gave me a solid nod and half a smile. There was a part of me that knew Grayson would spill the whole truth and that particular part of myself already hurt knowing how River would react. “We’ll ask him. Please call me if you need anything.”
I nodded absentmindedly while they gave me one last look before heading out the door.
I could hear Beau’s heavy breathing on the other side of the bathroom door before I stepped into the shower.
The hot water hit my body and I should have felt some sort of instant relief since I was finally getting clean after everything that happened, but I didn’t.
I watched as the dried blood started to fall off my skin and onto the shower floor.
Dark red and pink danced around my feet while I watched it find its way to the drain.
Any evidence of Marianne’s death was now cleansed from my body, so I should feel better… right?
I took this opportunity to wash my braids, since it had been a minute.
I took my shampoo, turned the nozzle at the top and drenched my scalp in it.
I massaged the area between my braids, letting my eyes close so I could attempt at some form of relaxation.
I let out steady breaths, trying to create nice, pleasing images in my mind.
After letting the shampoo sit, I rinsed it out and watched the water clean the product from my hands when a flash of red distorted my vision.
I took a tiny step back, sucking in a sharp breath.
I breathed in through my nose and released it out from my mouth, bringing my hand back into the water spewing from the showerhead.
Once the stream hit my palm, blood covered my palm, dripping from my fingertips and onto the shower floor.
I let out a shriek and stepped away from the water again, feeling something at my feet.
I swallowed hard before I looked down seeing blonde hair and I screamed.
I heard Beau scratching at the door, banging his body against the wood.
“Riley! Riley!” I heard my mom shout, her hand about to turn the doorknob.
I slammed my back against the shower wall, closing my eyes hard.
“No! Mom, I’m fine. I thought I saw…” I couldn’t have this conversation right now.
I sniffed, not knowing if the water on my face was from the shower or from the tears that had escaped.
The water at my feet started to boil and bubble as if my skin was heating it up.
“I’m almost done, okay? I’ll be downstairs in a minute. ”
“Riley, sweetheart…”
“Just let me finish up!” I hadn’t meant to scream at her, but I just needed to know she wasn’t hovering.
“Okay, honey. I’ll make some of that hot chocolate that you like.” I waited to hear the door to my bedroom slam. I dipped my head under the showerhead, trying to stifle down my sobs.
Mom… I heard Beau say and it just made me cry harder.
I’m okay, buddy. I didn’t know if he needed reassurance or if I was talking to myself.