By Chance | Complete |

Chapter Thirty Four

Lyra

"Clothes?"

He nodded towards a gym bag that was on the floor, there were clothes spilling out of it.

I knelt on the floor and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

When I turned around, River had already taken off his shirt and was pulling his jeans down.

All of his tattoos were visible now. He had a few on his arms that I had seen multiple times. I was getting a better look at the flower that was on his upper arm, closer to his shoulder. The couple he had on his back, side and chest. I couldn't exactly make them out without staring at him.

I quickly looked away and handed him the clothes once I got over to the bed.

He took them. "Thanks for putting up with this shit tonight, Lyra." He mumbled.

"You've had a lot of slip ups lately, Mr Evers."

"Please." He scoffed and the blankets ruffled as he got in bed. "Teddy took yours and Sasha's room once you left. You can sleep in August's room."

Before going to August's room, I got River some water and something to eat.

"I know I'm really drunk, Ly." He yawned as he rolled over on his other side. "But we should forget last night. I was drunk. So were you and-"

"Agreed." I cut him off. "Never happened."

"Two never happens so far." He chuckled to himself.

"Neither of them was my fault."

"Never happened."

"Funny." I rolled my eyes.

"Remind me that you took care of me in the morning. I'll be nicer to you."

"Are we going to be able to coexist in this friend group?"

"Pshhh. Hardly."

And I hated him a little less. I still very much disliked River, but just the smallest bit less.

I didn't end up staying the night at the apartment, I left Sasha's keys by the door and I took a taxi back home. Two new hires Teddy and I had been training the past couple weeks were opening alone tomorrow. So I went back home to be close in case they needed anything.

I sat in my car from across the street of the book store with my iced coffee. I let out a tired sigh and scrolled through my phone.

I watched as Lexi and Jonathan both came up to the front of the store. Lexi took her keys out from her bag and unlocked the store.

They both went in and closed the door behind him. I hadn't gotten much sleep last night or the night before. That was of course my fault.
And I didn't want to go home when Lilian was still home.

Everyday, I considered Sasha's offering to go live with her more and more.

I wasn't blind to the fact I made her life miserable. I never wanted Lilian to end up raising me. And I of course knew my grandparents didn't want to do that either.
Both sets were trying to get over their deaths and I was a constant reminder of what they lost. It wouldn't be fair to Sasha's parents or her to have me around. I only had to make it to graduation and I could move into my house. Those were the conditions. The day of my graduation, I got the keys.

I jumped when the sound of a knock on my passenger window brought me out of my thoughts.

There was Teddy with two coffees in his hand. He got into the car and handed me one. "We had the same idea."