Blazing Rivers

41

BLAZE

I can't lie and say I won't miss the boys while they are away, but a part of me is glad that I get some time with River.

Now that River and I are... whatever we are, I'm extra cautious about who sees us, maybe it's the fear that Greyson might be lurking around, doing whatever Greyson does, but whatever it is I don't want people to see us as more than friends before I tell Bentley, which I've been putting off in fear that he'll hate me, and resent me for breaking the promise we made.

But I can't think about any of that right now, especially since Bentley's loaned me his car for a few days and since my license has come through after failing the test twice during summer and even when I did pass my god parents have only just let me have it. They didn't trust me before, they were scared I'd drive drunk, I was scared to, the crash being a part of my fears.

Texting River to tell him I'm here, I wait for him, quietly humming to the song that's playing. As he opened the car door and sat my heart began galloping out of my body, like the cartoons I used to watch as a kid.

"Evening." he greets planting a gentle kiss on my cheek, my cheeks burning up after his lips left. "Where are you kidnapping me to?"

"Kidnapping? Really?" I roll my eyes playfully swatting his hand. "It's a surprise, so put this on." I hand him a blindfold.

"I'm intrigued now." he mutters typing the cloth around his eyes.

Driving to the basketball court I keep stealing glances of River looking totally lost with the blindfold around his eyes. Placing my hand on his knee, his obvious nerves seem to calm, his body becoming less tense. Pulling up to the court, I move to open the passenger door, grabbing the basketball while I'm there. Grasping his hands I pull him out the car, guiding him along.

"You can remove the blindfold now."

As soon as the blindflom becomes a piece of cloth in his hand his face changes into one of wonder. His eyes lighting up and his brows rising.

"It's not much but I thought you could start playing again, I'm granting you your wish River Raeken."

"This is the best thing anyone has done for me." He pulls me toward him, our lips locking together, the basketball rolling out of my arms as I'm entranced in bliss. Completely captivated by his touch.

"Let's go!" he drags me out of the parking lot and to the court where he starts bouncing the ball straight away he then aims to shoot and scores like he hadn't stopped playing in the first place.

"I'm impressed." I clap.

"I didn't think I could do it, but I proved myself wrong I guess," he says shooting the ball through the hoop again. "Why are you standing there anyway?"

"I'm good to just watch."

"Blaze O'Toole get your ass over here and come shoot the damn ball with me." he orders.

I've never been one for sports. It never was my thing during school and I'd always find a way to get out of it. A forged note, a leg ache, they sometimes worked but not all the time.

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly."

"I don't do sports." I try to get out of playing, knowing full well that embarrassment was bound to happen.