Chapter 21 River
River
Icrumpled my napkin up, throwing it on my empty plate.
I watched Grayson from across the table, sucking some of the salt from his fries off his fingers.
I moved my plate to the side, sighing. This was way harder than I’d imagined.
We could have conversations, we could even have lunch like we were doing now, but there was this shift that I didn’t like.
I knew exactly what it was, but the fact that I couldn’t do much about it was what tore my heart apart.
Riley needed to take her time, however long that would be and I’d patiently wait. I’d waited far too long for someone like her to come into my life, so respecting her need to figure out how she felt and what she wanted was something I was more than willing to do.
“Earth to River.” Grayson waved his hand in front of my face.
“I’m listening,” I lied, straightening up on my side of the booth. Leif’s was busy and it had taken close to an hour to get our food, but it was always worth it.
“Your eyes do that thing where they glaze over like you’re in your own world, so I know you aren’t.”
I laughed, throwing a sugar packet at him. “Fine, you caught me. What were you saying?”
“What were you thinking about?”
I shrugged. “A lot of things. If you haven’t noticed there is a self-righteous wacko running this entire school who is obsessed with our girl.” I pressed my lips together, acknowledging my words.
Grayson’s eyes fell down to the table. He started tearing up his straw wrapper. “Y-yeah, that makes sense.”
I reached across the table and placed my hand on his wrist. “Hey, I’m trying to figure out how to navigate this.”
He placed his other hand over mine. “I know. I just want to do whatever she wants. You have to have some kind of idea what that is. She actually talks to you.” His tone had him sounding a little jealous.
“Believe me, if I had any idea, I would tell you. Anything I say to her now is just all the things I’ve told her before. She knows where I stand and that I’ve forgiven you, but Riley is her own person.” I squeezed his wrist. “She’ll come around, and I’ll keep you company until she does.”
“Aren’t you sweet,” Grayson chuckled, sticking his tongue out at me. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment.
“What is it?”
He looked up at me with his deep brown eyes that were filled with sadness.
“It was really easy to be just friends and pretend like I didn’t know what you sounded like when you came because you were so genuinely happy with her.
When she wanted to add me to that happiness, when I got to have both the people that seemed to, I don’t know, complete me in some way, it was something I couldn’t describe.
And yes, that happiness includes your brother, as much as he doesn’t want to admit his feelings for her.
” I laughed, until he moved his hand away from me, placing them both in his lap.
“Now it’s starting from square one, just being your friend and trying to pretend that I don’t know what you sound like when you come.
I guess it’s a little worse since I also know what she sounds like too. ”
He let out a laugh that had little to no humor in it.
I let out a sigh, running a hand down my face and throwing him a soft smile.
“You also happen to love her and I think she knows that. She doesn’t hate you, Grayson.
I think that fact alone is why this is so hard for her.
I mean the song does say ‘Love is a Battlefield.’”
Grayson snorted, a full genuine smile appearing on his face.
The waitress came by and placed down our checks.
I grabbed both of them before he could even reach his and walked over to the register.
I tugged my wallet out from my back pocket, smiling over at the girl in front of me.
I handed her the checks, noticing how she let her fingers linger on my own before pulling away.
I always had a good laugh when the women and men seemed to do this to me, but right now I just really wasn’t in the mood. She read me my total and I handed her my credit card. When she handed it back, she tilted her head to the side. “It must be exhausting.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
She giggled. “That girl who went crazy at that meeting. That’s your girlfriend, right? It must be exhausting having to deal with all that.”
“She didn’t go crazy, she—” I started but she handed me my receipt, cutting me off.
“I’ve never been with a telepath. I’m just saying, if you want something easier, I get off at seven.” She looked me up and down and I commended her on her confidence, but she was barking up the wrong tree.
“That’s really not as appealing as you make it sound,” I stated, snatching my receipt from her hand. “And for the record, I’m not a fan of um,” I snapped my fingers, “desperate pussy.”
Her mouth dropped open at my blunt response.
“I prefer the taste of my girlfriend’s. I’ll make sure to let her know how exhausting she is after she wears me out later tonight.” I winked at her, turning around and locking eyes with Grayson. I nodded towards the door and he looked from me to the cashier before slipping out of the booth.
He followed behind me as we rounded the corner, falling into step beside me. “What the hell happened just now?”
“A day in the life of being very good looking but tremendously faithful.” I slapped him on the back.
He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “It’s a good thing you can’t use your powers on campus because I can only imagine what you’d be hearing right about now.”
“Their looks say enough. Riley can handle herself though.”
Grayson nudged my shoulder. “We both know you would gladly handle things for her.”
“That makes two of us, hmm?” I challenged, nudging him back.
He knocked his shoulder against mine and the contact felt fun and flirty.
While we walked, I had to flex my fingers out, willing them not to hold his hand.
It didn’t hurt, holding back, but just like Grayson had said…
it just made me sad. “Riley is likely in the library since her second class is—”
I heard nothing but static. I stopped walking and shook my head, the sound never ceasing.
“River?” I heard Grayson say, but the static got louder and it was piercing. I grabbed the sides of my head, stumbling back and pressing my back against the side of one of the buildings we passed. “River, hey what’s wrong?”
I pressed my palms against my temples, needing it to stop.
I vigorously shook my head, grinding my teeth together with how the sound grated on my mind.
I closed my eyes and heard a voice, it was so faint.
I couldn’t truly make it out, but it didn’t sound like anyone I knew, but I couldn’t think straight.
I felt myself being shaken, but it wasn’t doing me any good. I slapped the side of my head over and over again. I didn’t know why, but I was doing it. My head was throbbing from the hits, but I continued, it was like I needed to obey.
“For fucks sake…” Grayson’s voice sounded so far away and when I pulled my hand back for another hit, I felt something slither into my ears.
When I tried to open my eyes, they were clouded by a black film.
A sudden bitter taste developed on my tongue.
The static, the voice, everything was blocked and constrained.
My whole body shook and I backed away from my best friend, running my hands down my arms and stomach.
I stuck my finger in my ear, still feeling the sensation like something was in there.
My eyesight was clearer, and I ran my hand over my tongue to try to remove the bitter taste.
Shadows wafted in front of me, looking as if they came off of my tongue.
I watched as Grayson put his dampener ring back on.
I opened my mouth, but he beat me to it. “What the fuck just happened, River?”
“I-I don’t know. That’s never happened before. I didn’t…” I sucked in a breath, rubbing the side of my head. “I didn’t want to.”
“Was it your dad?” Grayson asked, stepping closer to me and placing his hand on my cheek. I looked around and it seemed like he had moved us in between buildings.
I rested my hand on top of his, leaning into his touch. “I don’t think it was. I know my dad’s invasions. I’ve felt them before…more times than I’d like to admit.”
“Okay…” Grayson moved his thumb along my cheek. “What now?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I have to tell my brother.”
“And Riley?”
“I’ll tell her. Just let me talk to my brother.” I didn’t want to hide anything from Riley, but Asher would be a pain in my ass if I didn’t tell him immediately.
I licked my lips, the foul taste still lingering. I tenderly touched my ears. “Did you…ear fuck me with your shadows?”
Grayson pressed his lips together trying not to laugh, dropping his hand, but I caught it. “That’s one way to put it, sure. It’s the only way I could get to you from the inside. The downside is that it ends up everywhere, your mind, eyes, nose and mouth, hence the bad tasting aftereffects.”
I brought his hand to my mouth and kissed his knuckles.
He blinked, using his other hand to rub the back of his neck.
I moved to text Riley that we would be a little late getting her, but all I could think about was how easy it had been to let myself be taken off guard.
I knew how to shield my mind, but I’d never kept up the practice.
Maybe Asher was right to worry about me.