43

Daimen

"Shut up!" River screamed and shoved me in the chest whereas I scrubbed a hand down my face and told her to stop being so sensitive.

I couldn't even remember why the hell we were arguing.

Then her hand was stinging against my cheek and I clenched my jaw as she gave me a glare before stalking to the bathroom and shutting the door firmly behind her. I frowned and rubbed my cheek.

I sat on the edge of the bed and frowned as I heard her crying. After a bit she turned on the shower and I laid back against the bed feeling guilt creep over me. Her crying had stopped and that was a relief.

Suddenly something didn't feel right. I sat up and looked at the closed door. All I could hear was the water running.

"River?" I asked going over to the door. I knocked softly and didn't get an answer.

"Princess open the door." I said trying to stay calm. Chill man, she's fine.

Nothing. I swallowed my nerves and pressed my ear to the door. I reached for the doorknob and scowled when I found it was locked.

"River."

No answer.

"River!" I said banging on the door.

Silence.

"I'm coming in." I said and it didn't take much for me to break the door down. I hurried into the bathroom and froze when I saw River on the ground with some of my pill bottles around her.

"Fuck." I said snapping back into reality and crouching beside her. I cupped her face in my hands and tried to open her eyes.

"River, baby look at me. O-open your eyes." I said beginning to panic. She only groaned faintly and my stomach twisted up in knots.

I grabbed her wrist and felt for a heartbeat. It was there but it was weak.

"Stay with me." I chocked out as I picked her up and carried her through the house. I grabbed my car keys and Rocky yipped and sniffed me with a confused look at River.

"Stay Rocky." I said as I left out the front door and rushed River to my car. I placed her gently in the passengers seat and hopped in the driver's.

I pulled out if my driveway and stepped on the gas on the way to the hospital. I was well over the speed limit, but that didn't matter.

I glanced over at River and I felt like I was gonna throw up. She was just slumped in the seat, unresponsive.

Keep calm Daimen. I told myself, but my shoulders were trembling with emotion.

I pulled into the parking lot and quickly put the car into park and it creaked and groaned loudly from being switched into gear too soon. I bolted out of the car and carried River into the building.

I walked over to the front desk and the woman looked at me in shock.

"My girlfriend took a lot of pills. Please I can't loose her." I gasped and the woman's eyes widened before she grabbed the phone beside her and started typing numbers. She brought the phone up to her lips.

"We've got a young female over here at the front. Suicide attempt, we need attention now." She said and soon doctors and nurses were hurrying to us with a gurney. They took her from me and placed her on it before looking to me.

"What happened sir?" They asked and for a moment I just stood there lost for words. They checked her pulse and shared looks.

"Sir?"

"She took a bunch of my pills... Antidepressants, stuff like that." I said and they nodded.

"Do you know what it was exactly?" Someone asked and I shook my head.

"I didn't look, I just brought her here." I said and one of them leaned over her and felt her chest before hovering a hand over her nose and mouth for a moment. His head shot up.

"She's not breathing," he told the others and I felt my control dwindle.

"River! Please, you can't die!" I yelled.

"Sir calm down." Someone said.

Calm down? Calm down?! She wasn't fucking breathing!

They began hurrying her away. I started to follow them but a nurse stopped me.

"You have to wait here, it'll be too crowded." She said and I back away and slumped against the wall. I slowly sat down and tears welled up in my eyes as I covered my face.

"Please don't leave me." I sobbed into my hands and pulled my knees up to my chest and crossed my arms over them before burying my face in my arms.

I jolted awake with a gasp and instantly turned to River.

"Oh thank God." I croaked as I saw her asleep next to me. My breath was ragged. I was sweating. I felt on her body making sure she was here; sure she was alright and she groaned from my touching and squirmed.

What type of fucked up nightmare was that?

"Daimen... what are you doing?" She mumbled sleepily.

I pulled her against me and hugged her tightly as I let out a shaking sigh.

"Go back to sleep baby." I huffed and tried to calm the frantic beating on my heart. She sighed and snuggled closer and tears pricked my eyes as I held her to me.

"What's wrong?" She asked groggily, pulling away a little to look at me.

"I dreamt you went into my bathroom and took a bunch of pills and I found you and took you to the hospital but you wouldn't wake up and you stopped breathing--" I sucked in a breath as River cupped my face with her warm, soft hands. She brushed under my eyes and gave me a still-sleepy shocked look.

"It's alright it was just a nightmare. I'm fine... we're fine." She breathed closing her eyes and kissing my lips softly.

I felt my heart ache when she said 'we're' because I wanted badly to be with her... she was just so difficult.

"It was so real." I groaned.

"I know Slay." She sighed and gripped my face before kissing me again. I let myself get lost in her lips as she deepened the kiss.

"Get some sleep. And this time: dream about that." River said after she broke the kiss and wrapped her arms around me before laying her head against my chest.

"I love you." I sighed and she held me tighter.

"I'm sorry I can't say it back... I wish I could..." she breathed and I was honestly surprised she responded at all.

I love her so much.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and closed my eyes, falling into a peaceful sleep.

River

I looked around the crowded house and scowled. I was getting tired of seeing people "dancing" and messing around. But the party was pretty cool. April had informed me about it so here I was, trying to have a little fun.

Daimen and I hadn't talked for a few days after I left his house early that next morning. I'd gone home to think things over. He'd had a nightmare about me and told me he loved me, which is a lot to take in. He looked so shaken up... it made me feel sick but happy that he cared.

What would you do in this situation?

Sure maybe I should've just kissed him and confessed my hidden love. But how would that have gone? What? We get together and have some fairytale ending... Reality check: this was real life, not some book or movie...

I frowned and brought the beer I'd been drinking back to my lips before chugging some more down.

Daimen. My mind echoed with his name and I closed my eyes and downed the rest of the beer. I frantically looked around before spotting the tray of shots from earlier.

I stood and walked over before grabbing two and staring at them.

Daimen.

Stop! I tilted my head back and swallowed the shot and after letting the burn seep down took the other as well.

I needed to get him out of my head.

"River?" A deep voice said behind me and I turned to see familiar brown eyes.

No way...

"Mike." I breathed and he flashed me a dashing smile. He looked me over and frowned softly.

Mike. The man who'd tried his damnedest to fix what Christen had broken. Who was always there when I needed him... the one that loved me at my worst. The man I left because I couldn't love him back.

Guilt inched its way into my heart but I did my best to ignore it.

He'd changed. His light brown hair had darkened but his hazel eyes still looked at me the same. A silver tiny lip ring was looped around the corner of his bottom lip. His lips were a pale pink, plump and had a welcoming smile.

He'd seemed to be buffer and boy was he a sight for sore eyes. I dare say he may've gotten taller as well, but maybe it was because I hadn't seen him in a while.

His eyes looked me over once more and concern glittered in them.

"You okay Kitten?" Mike asked using the nickname he'd given me and I felt my heart crack a little. Soon tears were escaping my eyes.

"Come here." Mike said and opened his arms. I rushed to him and he enveloped me in an embrace.

Come on Michael, you're supposed to hate me for what I did to you. You should be indifferent that I'm acting like this, not comforting me.

I tried to hold in my sobs, but unfortunately that only brought on this horrible, hiccuping-like breathing.

"What happened?" Mike asked softly and ran a hand through my hair causing my eyes to close as the soothing feeling took hold.

"Daimen Princeston's in love with me." I said laying my head against his chest.

"You always cry when someone loves you?" He questioned and I looked up at him. He was frowning and studying me.

"You know I can't love." I breathed looking away from him.

"You don't want to, that's different from not being able to." Mike said.

I let out a sigh. "Why does his name sound familiar?" Mike asked me.

"He went to trial a few years back. It was on tv." I said and he frowned in realization.

"You're messing around with him? The psycho?" He whispered in shock.

"He's not a psychopath." I retorted. "He has feelings, he just... has problems every now and then. It's not his fault." I continued.

"Whatever you say Kitten." Mike said shaking his head after a pause. "Just be careful. I don't wanna have to kick his ass."

"Please don't." I said, but not because I thought Mike could win.

"So... wanna sit down somewhere? I'm tired of standing." Mike asked and I nodded. We walked over to a couch and plopped down.

"Can you believe that asshole is dead?" Mike asked and I looked at him taken by surprise at the question.

"Who?" I breathed.

"That dick, Christen." Mike huffed and my eyes widened.

"Did you hear what happened?" He continued and I shook my head.

"He killed himself yesterday night. Hung himself in his room. His mom found him." Mike said and my mouth dropped open and my blood chilled.

"Oh my God..." I said.

"Yeah... sorry to be the bearer of bad news; I mean he probably deserved it." Mike said and I shook my head.

"It's okay..."

Mike and I sat on the couch talking. What all about, I can't remember.

All I clearly recalled was that his fingers pinched my cheek at one point then we were laughing and joking around... Until someone began yelling my name.

I whipped my head toward the angry, bone-chillingly familiar voice and my eyes widened at Daimen standing by the couch looking like an old-school mobster. I gazed at him dumbfounded. His hair was a greased mess and his dark jeans, black shirt, and black leather jacket seemed to make him even sexier, not that he wasn't already sexy, and not to mention some black shoes. I suddenly wanted to run my fingers through that greased hair... But the glare he was giving killed the thought, he looked tired and pissed.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you? Calling you?" He snapped and I scowled.

"Well you found me." I said shrugging and he frowned.

"Are you drunk?" He asked and I waved him off.

"It's not a big deal, you can leave now." I scoffed.

"Its a big deal when your parents are calling my-dad to get to me and trying to accuse me of kidnapping. They think I've got you hidden somewhere. I was asleep and the fucking police woke me up looking for you. They called the fucking cops on me. Get your ass up, I'm taking you home." Slay spat and the party had gone quiet.

"I'm not going." I said crossing my arms and the boy raised an eyebrow.

"River, now's not the time. Either you get up or I'm dragging you out of here myself. I'll be damned I let you stay after all the shit I've gone through today." Daimen grumbled and it was clear he was becoming annoyed.

Mike put his arm around my shoulders, I glanced at him and he gave me a smile and said, "She's good bro. She's with me."

"Who are you?" Daimen asked and I looked back to him. A frown laced his brows.

"Mike, her friend." The boy answered.

"The ex?" Daimen asked a frown twitching his brows and before I could even move out of range Daimen was in front of us and punching Mike in the face. Blood spattered on my shirt. I cowered away from the beating and suddenly I was standing and pushing Daimen as hard as I could.

"Stop it!" I yelled at him and he pulled back and glared at me.

"Mike, are you okay?" I asked frantically cupping my ex's cheeks and scowling at his bleeding lip and nose.

"I'm fine Kitten." He huffed, shooting daggers at Daimen.

"River come on. He said he's fine." Daimen said lowly and I shot him a glare.

"I can't believe you. This is ridiculous. You didn't have to do that." I hissed and he studied my face before grabbing my arm.

"Come on." He started pulling me towards the door and I stopped.

"No." I said and Daimen's grip on me tightened to the point it hurt.

"Bitch, I don't have time for this. Now." He ordered lowly.

"Don't call me that." I said. He just scoffed. I let out a reluctant sigh and followed him.

"Get in." Daimen spat as we made it to his car. I huffed and climbed in the passengers seat. I rubbed the spot where he'd held me.

"Daimen-" I began as he sat in his seat at the wheel and slammed his door shut.

"I don't wanna hear shit from you. Not a damn word." He cut me off angrily and started the engine.

I turned away from him and looked out the window as we began driving down the road. The world outside blurred past us and I blew out a breath against the window.

"I can't believe you." I said and the car came screeching to a halt at the side of the road. I looked over in shock and Daimen sucked on his teeth and turned off the car. He turned to me and the look on his face was horrible.

"You were going to get drunk. You're already nearly there. And that asshole was going to take advantage of that." He said and I frowned.

"He was not and I can take care of myself." I said and Daimen scoffed.

"Sure you can. I'm taking you home, then your parents can deal with you." He said and ran a hand through his hair.