𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑙- {𝑅.𝐶}

Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning, my head was pounding and I felt nauseous. Hangover. I reached for my phone and texted Daisy.

"Daisy I really need your help." I sent the message hoping to get a quick reply.

"What's up?" She answered like 30 seconds later.

"I need cold water and two Advil's, but be sneaky Claire and Dad will kill me if they find out." I begged

"Okay I'm coming." I read the message and powered the phone off smiling. I heard someone coming up the stairs. My door slowly opened, I lifted my face from my pillow to see Daisy handing me the stuff I asked for.

"You okay?" She asked as I sat up taking a gulp of water, I nodded.

"Thank you" I said

"Your welcome." She said walking out of the room. I immediately fell back asleep.

•Time Skip•
"River, Wake Up!" I heard Daisy say as she poked at me, I groaned fluttering my eyes open.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Nothing, Lover boys here to see you." She smiled, I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"Huh?" I asked, she smiled.

"Rafeee" She called out, I rolled my eyes at her. Rafe entered the room I smiled at him as Daisy got up walking towards the door before making a complete stop.

"I'm watching you" She mouthed, I threw a pillow at her, she took of running hearing her giggles fade as she ran downstairs.

"Hey" I smiled

"Hey." He replied

"So what are you doing here?" I asked

"Well I tried texting and calling no answer so I texted Daisy and she said you weren't feeling good so I came to see if you were alright" he smiled

"Oh yeah my phone fell on the floor and I was to lazy to get it." I said and we both laughed. Awkward Silence filled the room.

"Um well maybe I should go." He coughed, I watched him get up. 'River Think, Think' I thought to myself. I poked out my bottom lip and opened my arm motioning him to come back. He smiled before coming over and holding me in his arms. I don't remember anything from that point Just is falling asleep.

•A Little Bit Later•

I woke up to a loud thud, I rubbed my eyes, loud crashing noises coming from everywhere, "oh yeah the hurricane" i remembered. I looked around the room trying to figure out where Rafe was and a note on my side table caught my attention,

"Sorry River, I told everyone I'd be home before the hurricane hit :( I didn't wanna be stuck here and get questioned by your parents.
-Rafe :)" The note read, I laughed and smiled as I read it over and over again, he was right if my dad saw question after question. I walked downstairs.

"DAISYYYY" I called out, no reply. I walked back upstairs to her room, the door creaked open as I looked around flipping on the light, she fell asleep but with her headphones in, I sighed and rolled my eyes as I approached her slowly taking them out of her ears, clenching my teeth together as she tossed and turned, She jumped up scaring the shit out of me which made me fall back onto the floor. She started laughing.

"Goddamnit Daisy." I groaned

"S-Sorry Riv" She stuttered between laughs, tears coming out of her eyes.

"It's not that funny." I hissed

"You should've saw your face" She screamed, I rolled my eyes before jumping on her bed. We locked eyes for a good ten seconds until a "ding" came from her phone, I quickly picked up the phone as her phone and read a boys name with a heart, I squealed before jumping up with her phone in my hand.

"River give it back." She yelled

"Wait til dad finds out!" I laughed running downstairs with her right behind me

"River damnit, give it back." She said once again, I continued laughing we got to the bottom of the stairs about four until reaching the floor she tackled me down the stairs and we slid on the wood floors making a loud crashing noise.

"Ow, What The Fuck." I yelled holding my head, as she held hers

"What the hell is going on?" My dad shouted as he came out of the room.

"Umm hi dad" We both said

"What are y'all doing?" He said

"Umm we were playing um uh playing football." Daisy said making up an excuse I turned my head to her

'are you serious?' I said through my teeth giving her a curios look.

"We don't own a football and playing football in the house?" He said

"Um yeah." I added, he walked off shaking his head once he left we busted out laughing.

"Here's your phone but don't forget I remember the name." I winked and she rolled her eyes, she snatched the phone walking back up the stairs. I went to the fridge grabbing a water.

"Hey River!" I heard My step mom call from her office.

"Yeah?" I called out waiting for an answer

"Come here, will ya?" She asked, I walked to the office.

"Look at these." She said pointing at some heels to the laptop.

"those are cute." I said smiling.

"I know right, I ordered them to match with your mid-summers dress." She said with a big smile.

"Wait really?" I asked

"Yep, do you like them?" My step mom questioned with a nervous look.

"Fuck, yeah." I said, I threw a hand over my mouth and my eyes widened realizing what I just said, I laughed awkwardly, she just laughed.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked, she got up from her desk grabbing my hand and leading me to the small couch in her office before sitting me down. My eyes traced around the room, she sat down next to me.

"River, it's just I feel like I need to be the mother figure you never got, You are getting older and more beautiful by each minute, I can see you've been sad lately and I need to step up and be a mother figure to you and your sister." She said looking down, Tears filled the rim of my eyes eventually falling. She pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you." I whispered in between small sobs, she released me from the hug wiping my tears with her thumbs and looking me in the eyes.

"your a good kid, Riv." She said, I noticed the tears forming in her eyes. I smiled.

I felt loved  for the first time. My worries went away. I felt alive. I felt myself breathe for the first time in a long time. It was great, but I knew it wouldn't last forever.