RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

SIXTY SIX

VISITS

To say that River was shaken up about what she had witnessed would have been an understatement. Silas had walked her all the way into her bedroom and made sure that she was changed into something comfortable before having to leave to go and see his parents.

River understood, he hadn't checked in with them in a few days and with out a doubt they would be worried about him. He had a big family that all cared about him, so she was more than happy to wave him off and tell him that she would speak to him tomorrow.

The blonde now sat across from her grandpa in his study. He had been working all day, mainly trying to find information about River's father out. He knew that she was looking for him and he wanted to help in anyway that he could.

"Hey grandpa." River whispered softly. "Can we talk?"

Reginald looked up from the paperwork to look directly at River. She seemed worried, almost panicked. He nodded and waited for her to confide in him.

"I watched Ward kill someone." River was open and honest with Reginald, she had learnt that it was the best way to get along with him. He wasn't particularly fond of liars.

His face fell once he heard his sons name. Despite being estranged from Ward, he still cared deeply about him. After all, he was his son.

"And I called the cops but there was no trace of the body or any sign that anyone had been killed." The girls eyes filled with unshed tears and Reginald knew that she wasn't lying to him.

"Nothing at all?" Reginald leant forward on his desk, running his hand over his face. He was exhausted.

"No. And Shoupe didn't believe us." River's bottom lip trembled. "I don't want him to hurt anyone else."

"Pumpkin, why were you following Ward in the first place?" Reginald asked curiously.

He couldn't think of a logical reason as to why River and her friends would be following Ward. Sure, he knew that Rafe killed Peterkin, or at least that's what River had told him, although he did believe her. But then that was only a reasonable explanation as to why she would follow Rafe, not Ward.

"John B and Sarah are alive, we needed proof that John B is innocent in order to bring them back. We thought that if we trailed Gavin, we would get some evidence to get the truth out from Ward." River responded honestly.

"Leave it with me." Reginald placed his hand over River's. "We will get your friends home."

"Miss Cross, there's a young man at the door for you." Hannah, one of the staff called as she entered the office.

River nodded with a small smile as a thank you. Reginald gave the girl a firm nod, telling her that she could go and see who was at the door.

The blonde ran down the stairs, assuming that it would either be Pope or Silas, despite just sending Silas' home. Although when she saw the blonde boy looking around the hallways of her home she was shocked.

"JJ?"

JJ instantly looked up at the girl, a warm smile forming on his face as he watched her decline down the stairs. He had to bite back a smirk at the shirt that she was wearing, it was one of his.

"I came to check on you." JJ announced as the girl now stood in front of him. He allowed his eyes to flicker up and down the girls body.

"I'm okay." River nodded, fiddling with the rings on her fingers as she looked down to the floor. "Are you?"

"No." JJ responded honestly. "I really came here to apologise to you."

River ran her tongue over her bottom lip as she looked up at JJ through her lashes. She shook her head, silently telling him that he didn't need to apologise. She knew that she had his reasons but she also knew that she was just making excuses for him because she still loved him.

"I am so sorry Ri, I shouldn't have cut you out the way that I did." JJ ran his hand through his hair. "I was hurting, we thought John B was dead, I thought we lost hi-"

"We." River cut off. "We lost them. I lost John B too. I lost my cousin. We lost them but I didn't cut you out." Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke.

"I know." His head lowered guiltily. He hated himself for the way that he treated the girl. "I'm sorry."

"I don't know if I can forgive that JJ." River whispered. "And I really want to, I really want to forgive you because I care about you. Heck JJ, I'm in love with you, of course I want to forgive you, but-"

"You don't know if you can." JJ whispered back, his hand reaching out for the girls.

River didn't put up a fight or even try and pull her hand away. Instead she allowed him to link their fingers together and almost melted at the way his thumb ran over her knuckles.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to get you back, angel, just you wait and see." He promised.