Despite my every instinct telling me to jump straight to the last surprise, we needed a proper dinner, and popcorn wouldn't cut it.

I took River to the diner he first took me to, and we talked endlessly over burgers and fries. Whenever I spoke, his eyes were on my lips, and when he laughed, I admired how he threw his head back, the veins in his neck prominent and exposed just for me.

We didn't bother sticking around after the check was paid, River slinging one arm around my shoulder as he pushed open the door to the diner with the other.

The cold slaps us both in the face, the wind whipping around us as we head for my car.

"How did you pay for this, anyways?" He asks as one brow of his lifts.

I shrug. "My mom and Tracy may have pitched in to help. It wasn't a free handout, though. I helped Tracy organize her pantry while you worked a shift at the theatre, and I gave my mom a spa day. Painted her nails and everything."

He gives me a genuine smile as he opens my car door for me, but an annoying whistle sounds off in my direction, River's body going completely rigid.

"Look who it is!" Loafer-boy calls out to us. I still don't even know his name or care to. All I remember is that look in his eye when he challenged River to kiss me during Spin the Bottle. Like I was a piece of meat he wanted to devour right then and there.

"Just ignore him," I say calmly to River. "He wants a reaction."

Loafer-boy is with his friends, looking as preppy as ever. Of course, he has his usual loafers on his feet, paired with khaki pants, a long-sleeved cashmere sweater, and a puffer vest on top. His black hair is slicked down with too much product, and although he may be attractive to other girls, he's the biggest red flag I've ever encountered.

His friends snicker beside him as they meet us a few feet away, standing on the curb just outside the diner. "Surprised to see you out here on a snow day. Did you come to give that kiss you owe me?"

I roll my eyes. "In your dreams."

"Often," he says with a smirk, and River steps in his direction. I can practically see the black cloud of anger swarming him as if he's holding onto the last tether of self-restraint he has not to tackle him right on the pavement.

"Hazel, get in the car," River says, but I remain where I am, clutching onto the back of his t-shirt to keep him in place. I don't want him to react like last time.

Loafer-boy directs his attention on River. "I didn't realize she was taken." He focuses on me again. "And I didn't peg you as the type to fuck a charity case."

My jaw drops open but quickly closes when I feel River's fists ball up into fists.

Why does this guy want anything to do with me? He knows nothing about me or my life. He's holding onto some fantasy at a party from months ago. Are men truly that territorial?

"You think the whole school doesn't know where you came from?" He takes a bold step towards River, nothing but a challenge in his eyes. "You come from nothing but people who didn't want you. Rumor has it this is your, what?" He looks back at his friends. "Fifth foster home? Do you think a girl like that will want to stick around? I give it another month before she realizes what she missed out on."

The tether snaps, and whatever was holding River back completely breaks. He lunges for loafer-boy, tackling him down onto the pavement. I watch as his fist connects with his jaw, cheek, and nose.

Hit.
Hit.
Hit.

I blink a few times before it truly sinks in what's happening. The friends of loafer-boy kick River in the ribs, and the image of it sends a wave of anger straight through my bloodstream.

I curl my hand up into a fist and deck one of the friends straight in the mouth. My hit is strong, and the guy stumbles back, clutching the side of his face like he can't believe a girl hit him.

"River, get up!" I scream. "Get off of him! Let's go!"

I see an employee grab a phone inside the diner, sending frantic glances out the window as she presses it to her ear. She's calling the police.

I'm eighteen now.

I'm not protected by the system.

River's voice floats throughout my head as he pummels Loafer-boy's face with his fists. Blood is all over the concrete, and his friends try pulling River off him.

He elbows one of the friends in the rib cage as they tug him to his feet, the other one punching River straight in the center of his nose. Blood oozes out onto his t-shirt, and everything is happening so fast that I can't even process it.

Loafer-boy is unconscious on the pavement. And although the diner is empty because of the snow day, I don't want to attract more people to the scene than we already have. I should call an ambulance. I should do something to help him, but the only alarm in my head is to keep River safe and away from the police.

I can't let him get in trouble. I can't let him destroy the life he's so desperately wanted. He has a good home with Tracy and Steve. He can't ruin it.

Digging deep, I let my voice rip out like it never has. "River!" I scream, his head snapping over to me, out of his trance. He looks down at loafer-boy, at the mess he created, regret seeping into him all at once. "Get in the fucking car now!"

I throw my side of the car open, and River sprints to the passenger. "He's going to press charges!" one of loafer-boy's friends screams. "You're a fucking idiot!"

As I race out of the parking lot, my tires squeal on the pavement. I'm panting heavily, unable to catch my breath as my hands shake aggressively on the steering wheel.

Did he kill him?

Is loafer-boy dead?

The cop cars with their sirens on whiz past us to get to the scene, unaware that the criminal they're looking for is beside me. River glances in the rearview mirror at the flashing lights, letting out a loud, shaky breath as he sinks more into the seat.

His hands are shaking, too, his nose dripping blood onto his t-shirt. His black eye is already starting to form, and almost as if the events are finally seeping in, his bottom lip trembles, a hand coming up to cover his mouth.

"I-I can't go home," he whispers. "I'm going to get kicked out. They're never going to want me to stay after this."

"We aren't going home," I reply softly. "I told you there was another surprise tonight."

***

Tracy contributed to River's birthday by paying for an air b&b for us to share for the night. I was surprised she was so willing to let us be alone all night, but she was the one who insisted, and I didn't have it in me to tell her no. Not when I had the opportunity to share a house with River alone.

It was in downtown Raleigh, a townhome that was modern and sleek. I didn't have the time to inspect it as I shakily entered the code outside the door to let us inside. Leather furniture and stained steel appliances passed by me as I tugged him into the bathroom. There's a glass walk-in shower and marble-tiled floor, blood dripping onto it as I instruct him to sit on the toilet.

I rummage through the vanity, thankfully spotting a first aid kid in the back of one of the drawers.

"Don't do that," I say as he tilts his head back. "Lean forward instead."

He does as he's told, casting wary glances at me while I grab what I need. I flatten his hand on the counter's surface, pressing the alcohol swab onto his cut knuckles. He hisses in pain, wincing as I clean them out.

"You're mad at me," he declares. "I don't blame you."

I remain silent as I clean up the cuts, and then I grab a washcloth and run it under some warm water, tilting his chin up to look at me as I clean the blood from his face.

"In my first foster home..." He clears his throat, keeping his gaze on the wall behind us. "There was a kid, Anthony, and he was the son of my first foster parents. He hated that his parents opened their doors to other kids. He wanted to be the only one. So, day after day, he'd beat me. Always in places that couldn't be seen. My ribs were his favorite."

"River," I choke out, but he continues.

"He was older than me and stronger. It was useless to fight back. Instead, I bottled up the anger I felt every time he hit me for the six years I stayed there. His parents had no interest in me, they didn't bother to take notice of the way I limped around the house in agony. They wanted a check to help pay their bills, and as long as I was fed and had a few outfits, they could have given two fucks.

"When I was twelve, I hit a growth spurt. I then towered over Anthony, and he started to become less terrifying day after day, and on my thirteenth birthday, I had enough. I gave him a taste of his own medicine, only this time, I let his injuries be shown. I broke his nose and ribs and knocked his two front teeth right out. That was my last day there."

I let out a breath I don't realize I've been holding in, moving the washcloth to his neck to clean off the droplets of blood that fell there.

"After I had beat him up, I remember feeling worse than I did before. It did nothing. It didn't give me that sense of relief that I thought it would, but it was like I no longer had control.

"And tonight, what happened with loafer-boy? I blacked out. Whenever I start to feel threatened, I...lose it. I go back to when I was only six, beaten downstairs in a basement, completely helpless. I-I didn't want to do that to him, but I couldn't fucking help it. I don't want to be that guy for you, I don't want you to be scared of me like I was of Anthony. I-"

His voice breaks, and tears fall onto his cheeks as I sink to my knees in front of him. Vulnerable and with walls completely down for the first time, he looks more beautiful than I've ever seen him. My heart breaks for that six-year-old boy—the amount of pain he experienced for years on end.

"Now I'm in trouble," he cries. "Big fucking trouble. I could go to jail, and Tracy and Steve will never forgive me. They won't be able to love me through this. Who would?"

"Me," I whisper.

His eyes lock with mine, more tears streaming down his cheeks. I wipe them away with my fingertips, carefully avoiding the black eye.

"I don't deserve it," he says. "I hurt them."

"And they hurt you. It may not have been the best way to react, but loafer-boy started it, and he wanted to instigate a fight."

"Maybe, but I should have walked away. I should have just gotten into your car and not paid him any mind, but—"

"Plug your nose," I instruct. "It's still bleeding." When he does, I add, "We'll get through this."

"You're not leaving?"

I try not to smile at the nasal tone of his voice from the nose plugging as I shake my head. "I told you I wasn't going to leave again, and I meant it."

He was scared to tell me about his past, and I hate that he thought I'd think any differently of him. That kid Anthony inflicted so much pain on him for years. He deserved what he had coming to him.

"Fuck, Hazel." He grabs my hand to inspect it, my knuckles oozing blood and cracked open skin. "You punched one of them?"

"He deserved it," I reply.

River lets go of his nose and pushes me onto the toilet seat. He flattens my hand on the counter and cleans my wounds as I had cleaned his. I hold back a wince from the sting of the alcohol as River finally laughs and says, "I can't believe you punched someone."

"Really?"

He thinks about it momentarily, then laughs again and adds, "Not really. It's a very brooding bitch thing to do."

He reaches up behind his neck to tug off his blood-stained t-shirt. I still have to get our bags and his cake and present from the car, but right now, I can't tear my eyes away from him.

He glances behind his shoulder, a knowing smirk on his face. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay, I'll just—" I stop mid-sentence when he tugs off his jeans and boxers, leaving himself completely naked in front of me. That night in the car, I didn't get a good look at him, and now he's standing here like some Egyptian God.

But so much has happened tonight. He was just crying, and he might get arrested. Oh god, does this mean I'm going to get arrested too? For helping him leave the scene?

He turns around to start the shower, his back muscles contracting as he does. His body is slender, and his ass is fantastic, and suddenly my mind is cloudy. I should be worrying about what happened tonight, but as the steam fills the bathroom, I feel...confused.

"Are you sure?" I whisper.

He steps into the shower underneath the head, and as his body gets wet, I trail the drops down his chest, past his stomach, down, down, down until...

Heat flames immediately between my legs when I see him ready and waiting.

"I don't want to think about the consequences right now," River says, running a hand through his soaking-wet hair. "I'm pissed and need a way to get it out. I don't want to think about anything but your naked body on mine tonight. I'll deal with the mess I made in the morning, okay?"

I fumble with the edge of my red blouse, taunting and teasing him in the only way I know how.

"Please," he begs, and my last ounce of willpower flies out the door. "I need you, Hazel."

A/N:

Oh man....
What do you guys predict will happen?
See you next Friday!!

PLEASE COMMENT AND VOTE :)

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