Transparent Hearts | ✓

19.

DICIANNOVE

JUST AS GEMMA DROVE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, SHE HEARD A LOUD YELL. She knew who the voice belonged to right away, a glance to her left, only confirmed it. River stood on the porch, waving his hands in the air manically.

"Gemma?!! What the hell? Where are you going?" He yelled out, jogging towards the car. He didn't get too far before Gemma stepped on the pedal and the car accelerated down the road.

He comes to a stop, holding his chest. "Damnit!" He curses, kicking the driveway out of anger. He ran back inside the house and up the stairs. Yelling for Lauren as he did so. He barged into her room, without a knock. Something he was beginning to be known for.

"Knock much?" She said, flipping through a magazine on a small love seat in the room.

He huffed. "Lauren, where did Gemma go? She was with you last?" He asked, placing his hands on his hips, trying to be stern.

"I don't know. I'm not her keeper." She chuckled, placing her magazine down and standing up.

River narrowed his eyes. "Lauren." He warned. He could tell she was loving this. Leave it to his sister to make everything about her. She did it with their parents and now with Lyle. It made him sick to even admit they were related.

"River. I don't know where she is. Consider yourself lucky you have a few hours away from her though." She told him with a smile.

He balled his fists up. "Lucky? No." He scoffed. "Worried out of my goddamn mind? Hell to the yes!" He stated, raising his voice at her.

She looked at her reflection in her vanity and began fiddling with her hair as she listened to River. He turned around to face her with a scowl.

"You should be thanking me." She mumbled under her breath. It wasn't meant for him to hear, but he did.

His eyes widened a bit, lips parting. Realization hitting him like a dodgeball hitting a kid in gym class. "What the fuck did you do?" He grunted.

She lets out a deepbreath, turning around. "Nothing, River."

"I call bullshit." He snarled, crossing his arms. Standing in front of her with so much anger bundled up inside of him.

"Stay away from her River. She's nothing but a rat. Do not trust her." She went to walk past River but he brought his hand up and wrapped it around her arm.

"Do not. Do. Not. Ever, ever, talk about her that way again." River speaks in a low voice and she pulls away, stumbling a bit.

"You're insane!" She shouted at him in response. He ignored her and stormed out of her room.

He shuffled in his pocket for his phone, pulling it out and dialing Gemma's phone. When it went to voicemail, he tried again, again, again, ag-

- - - - - - -

Gemma parks the car at the curb and walks into the bar. She didn't know where she was going so ended up googling any American speaking bars near her. So here she is, at a bar, with a liver to ruin.

She sat down on a barstool and let the sounds of the smooth country slow song flow through the air. She asked the bartender for something hard. He gave her whiskey and ice. Not what she expected but it worked.