"So, Richard does know about us?" I asked as I fiddled with the buttons on his pajamas. We were on River's bed, lying down with his big arm under my head."Something like that," he replied simply, his hand playing with my brown hair."You could have just sent me a text message to see you. Why did you have to get Richard to lie?""It's you who doesn't want people to know about us, isn't it?" he retorted calmly. I recalled where I had said to River about people in my office not needing to know about my relationship with River—which at the time referred to an on-agreement relationship. However, even though Cody (only Cody) knew about my relationship with River back then, he still didn't know that our relationship was different now. "It would make more sense to your colleagues if I brought up the work thing.""You have a point...," I muttered, looking at his face which was displaying a smug look, as if to say "of course I have". Although a little annoyed, but I didn't mind it, after all i
Reminder!December 10, 20xxArt Exhibition at Urban Visions Art Gallery at 8pm. NB: Addy will murder you if you don't show up.I stare at the screen of my phone lying on the makeup table. That's right. This was Addy's special day. I then searched for Addy's contact, intending to send her a text message.(This is a big day for you! Stay upbeat and confident, I hope everything goes smoothly and successfully. I know you can do it! I love you!)Right after I put the phone back on the table, River came out of the walk in closet. He had put on a dark gray suit in which he wore a navy blue shirt and a striped tie. Oh my God, why is he so hot? I then shook my head, trying to come back to reality.River grinned when he caught my expression. "You know, don't you, that you can kiss me anytime if you want?"I hurriedly shifted my gaze to the vanity mirror, pretending to fix my hair with a small grunt. It wasn't until later that I remembered what my brain had wanted me to do since a few seconds ag
"Are you okay if I go now?" I asked Addy, feeling bad. "Hey, it's fine, really, the event will be over soon too." Addy rubbed my arm comfortingly. "You should go. River needs you.” Addy said her last sentence while deliberately glancing at Evan.I sighed, knowing she was right. "Alright, thanks.” As if remembering something, I reached into my bag quickly, took out the car keys and handed them to Addy. "Here, drive my car. I'll text you when I get there." I gave her a quick hug and turned to leave after glancing at Cailin who had not only been silent since earlier, as if she was not part of us, as if she was trying to make herself invisible.I made my way out of the gallery and towards Evan's car, feeling conflicted about our sudden reunion. Wait, I didn't know he had a car. Arrgh.Trying to get out of the awkward situation, I started to ask, "What exactly happened? Is she okay?”"Sharon's condition is stable," Evan replied, his voice tense. "But she needs constant care, and River's
As we arrived at Sharon’s house, I could see River standing outside, his shoulders slumped in worry.When Evan finally stopped the car, River walked over. His face looked very tired.I hurriedly unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car. River was ready to catch me when I walked quickly and threw myself into his arms. I felt my heart skip a beat when I smelled his scent, and the way his arms hugged my waist tightly... oh dear, my stomach felt like it was being tickled."I miss you," I said, intentionally a little loud as Evan passed us and went straight into the house without saying anything.River gently pushed me away, looking me over with concern. "Come on in, you must be cold." He wrapped an arm around my back and led me into the house. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle and understanding.I nodded, managing a small smile. "Yeah," I replied, brushing my hair behind my ear. "Just a little overwhelmed, that's all."River nodded, understanding my situation. He saw the pai
Although I tried to close my eyes, drowsiness did not come to me. River's breathing was also irregular, I'm sure she was also still awake despite not making a sound since a few minutes ago. Since then, we've been silent in the darkness, hugging each other and pretending to each other that everything is fine.As the silence lingered between us, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I knew that avoiding the conversation was only delaying the inevitable. I turned my head slightly to look at River, his face illuminated by the dim light coming from the kitchen. His eyes were closed, but I could see the lines on his forehead that I knew were a sign of worry."River..." I began, my voice almost a whisper. "I can't take this anymore, I have to tell you something."River's eyes flicked open, his gaze immediately searching mine. "What is it?" he asked, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it before.I took a deep breath, my chest tightening with each inhale. "The girl I saw with Evan at t
"How about we just get married?" he said very suddenly, and my brain was instantly unable to think.My eyes were wide open. “What?”My heart ached a little when I realized River had just opened his eyes and looked at me. Regardless of how he affected me by what he said earlier, I knew he didn't mean every word of it. River said it very casually, without any burden at all, just like asking if I had eaten or not. And what really bothered me was the fact that he said it without looking at me, he said it while closing his eyes and leaning back on the couch.My heart broke even more when he shook his head. “Forget it,” he said softly.I let out a soft sigh, my eyes searching his for any clues about what he was thinking.He looked at me, a sad smile on his lips, and then he said, ”I just...I don't know.” River looked at me closely, his eyes full of concern. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just... it’s complicated.” He trailed off, lost in thought.As usual, I wanted to try to u
I had no idea how long I had been curled up in the blanket, but my eyes could never feel sleepy. As the night stretched on, the weight of Evan's words lingered heavily in my mind.“No matter how hard you or he tries, you won't be able to replace my mom's space in his heart.”The darkness of the room seemed to press in on me, matching the suffocating feeling in my chest. I couldn't shake the doubt that crept in, poisoning my thoughts about River and our relationship. Was Evan right? Was I just a pawn in some twisted game of emotions?I tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position as my mind raced with conflicting thoughts. The memory of River's casual proposal haunted me, intertwined with Evan's warning like a tangled web. It felt like I was standing at a crossroad, unsure of which path to take.With a heavy heart and exhausted body, I finally succumbed to sleep, though it offered little solace from the turmoil swirling within me.***As consciousness began to find me again
“Did you have your breakfast?” Sharon asked, her voice trailing off as she turned her attention to the tray of food beside her bed.I shook my head, smiling softly. “I will wait for River.”“He had just been upstairs to sleep an hour ago. Don’t wait for him.”I nodded in understanding, actually a little surprised by what I heard. “Ok then, I'm going to the kitchen.”I then left Sharon's room. While in the kitchen, I saw Katie preparing breakfast with a focused expression on her face. She noticed me entering and greeted me with a warm smile. “I hope you want bacon and eggs,” she said, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement."That sounds perfect, thank you," I replied, taking a seat at the kitchen island. The aroma of sizzling bacon filled the air, making my stomach growl in anticipation.As she plated the food and set it down in front of me, I couldn't help but feel grateful for her kindness. “Thank you, Katie. You really didn’t have to do this.”She waved her hand in the air. “No n