Collide: A Riverbend Novel (17 page)

"She would've been fine,
Havock! Aiden is a good boy and was just having fun!"

Yeah, having fun with my
Princess's lips. Emphasis on the word MY.

"She looked upset so I
handled it."

Mom slammed a pot down in
the sink and started the water. Keeping her back to me, she said,
"Just go to your room and stay there until everyone is
gone."

If I had to go to my room I
wasn't going without making it worth it. I walked into the living
room, walked over to Aiden who was standing talking to his mom and
tapped his shoulder.

When he turned around I
punched him in the jaw, smiled, bowed like he did after his little
performance, and then went upstairs. I slammed my door shut and
locked it. I liked to be alone anyway. This wasn't a punishment.
Mom was doing me a favor.

REESE

I finished up my drawings
of Christmas day and looked at the clock. I looked over at Scott
who was asleep. I pulled out my second art book and drew in it. I
drew Havock punching Aiden in the face. I chuckled. My Havock. Such
a mess. I'd just finished when my door opened slowly. I looked up
and saw Havock.

"Hey," I whispered. I
slowly hid my secret art book. No one was supposed to see that
one.
"I missed you," I whispered as he
walked over to me.

He didn't say a word. He
crawled into my bed and started kissing my neck. I pushed my book
further under my pillow.

“You do realize there are a
lot of people in your house,” I whispered as I ran my hand through
his hair. I cupped his face and pulled his face to mine. He kissed
me as his hand that wasn't supporting him from putting all his
weight on me ran up my shirt. I moaned and moved my hands around
his neck.

I heard footsteps coming up
the stairs but that didn't stop him. His hand found its way to the
top of my sweats and he started to pull them down. I heard the
footsteps outside my door and I knew he did too but he didn't
care.

There was a
knock.

"I know you're in there and
if you don't want to die I suggest you get out," Garrett's voice
sounded from the other side of the door.

Havock still didn't stop.
He pulled my sweats completely off then brought his lips back to
mine. The door slung open. Garrett came over, pulled Havock off me
and out of the room.

"You are risking too much!"
I heard Garrett yell at him.

I then heard Havock's door
slam.

"Is everything okay up
there?"

I heard Mrs. Johanna say
from the bottom of the stairs.

"It's fine. Goodnight,
mom," Garrett said then I heard his door shut.

I closed my eyes and a tear
fell. I put my sweatpants back on.
I petted
Scott as he fell back to sleep.

A few minutes later there
was a light tap on the door. "It's me," I heard Garrett
whisper.

I wiped the tear and opened
the door. "Hey."

He came in and shut the
door quietly behind him. "You two are gonna have to be more
careful," he scolded me like I was a child.

"Not only is this shit hard
as hell for me to watch but if mom finds out you will be taken from
us."

I nodded as another tear
fell.

"I'm telling you because I
know you're smart. There's no reason for me to explain this to my
brother because he doesn't give a shit about anything but
himself."

"Okay. I'm sorry," I said
as I wiped the tear.

"I just don't get how you
are even attracted to him. He's an asshole, Reese. That will never
change."

"He's not an asshole. Well,
not to me." I shrugged. "We both need to go to bed." I gave him a
small smile.

"Mom already made it clear
after the incident of her finding him in bed with you in Colorado
that we aren't supposed to be in each others rooms. She's already
suspicious and his little episode with Aiden didn't help. I suggest
you two be extra careful because I'm done covering it up. You two
are on our own." Garrett left the room.

I went to my drawer and
pulled out my sleeping medicine. I haven't taken any in a few days.
I don't like how it makes me feel, but maybe if I get some sleep,
I'll think better. I took out a pill and took it. I then crawled in
bed.
I closed my eyes and fell
asleep.

~~~

I stood alone in a dark
room, and I was scared. "Havock?" I called out as I tried to find
my way out of the darkened room.

I heard someone laugh and I
felt ill.

"Havock!" I screamed as the
laughter got louder. I covered my ears and pushed myself against a
wall.

I slide down the wall and
covered my ears.

The laughter got louder and
louder. I screamed for Havock.

I felt hands on my face and
heard Havock saying my name. I could hear Johanna's voice
too.

It's just a dream. I tried
telling myself but I couldn't wake up. The laughter just grew and
grew. I cried as I kept my ears covered. I wanted out. I felt arms
wrap around me and I knew they were Havock's. He was telling me to
wake up.

I kept trying to wake up
and finally I jerked out of the dream. Tears poured out of my eyes
and down my face.

Havock wiped them with the
bottom of his shirt as he whispered to me it was okay over and
over. When I looked around the room I saw Mr. Rick, Mrs. Johanna
and Garrett watching.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Johanna
said as she looked at us.

"Garrett, let's go get
Reese some water."

That was code for, leave
Johanna here to talk to us alone.

Johanna came over and sat
near us on the bed.

"Are you alright?" she
asked me calmly.

I tried to nod yes, but I
couldn't. I shook my head no as I continued to cry.

"What's going on between
you two?" she asked Havock.

"Let me calm her down then
we'll talk. Please?"

"Okay. I'll give you ten
minutes then I'm coming back in."

Havock nodded and continued
to hold me and wipe my tears as they fell. His mom left, but left
the door open.

"Focus on me and this room.
This is what's real. I don't know what kind of dream you had, but
you're awake now and safe. Nothing can hurt you here."

I nodded and buried my face
against his chest. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

My body continued to shake.
"We're in trouble. It's my fault."

His mom walked back in.
"Alright, what's going on with you two?" That was less than ten
minutes. Havock kissed my head and moved to the edge of my bed.
Scott crawled into my lap.

"We like each other. A
lot." Havock smiled a little.

"How much is a lot?" she
asked with her hands on her hips.

"Like a bunch,” Havock
said.

She smacked her forehead
and shook her head. "No, no, no, no."

I petted Scott's head. "He
makes me happy," I whispered. I was still trying to get over my
dream.

"Havock?" she said in
shock.

"Gee, thanks mom," he
scoffed.

Mom sighed. "Sorry, you're
just so...ugh, never mind. Okay, so here's the plan."

She started to pace as she
thought. "I refuse to lose you. You're doing well here and moving
you would be detrimental to the progress you've made." She stopped
pacing.

"Tomorrow the boys will
move your room downstairs to where my office is. I don't know why I
had you up here with them in the first place. Stupid, stupid
me."

She thought some more. "You
two haven't had sex, right? Please tell me you haven't!"

"No," Havock said right
away. She starred at her son, unconvinced. "Mom, it's me. Havock.
I'm not one to sugar coat or lie about things."

She nodded. "Birth
control," she said as she looked at me. "That's not saying it's
okay to be with my son or any guy for that matter but it would be
best if you were on it to be safe."

I nodded. "All right," I
whispered. My face was bright red.

Havock had a huge grin on
his face. His mom grabbed one of my books and chunked it at his
head.

"Now isn't the time,
Havock!"

He laughed and picked up my
book from the floor.

"I will let you two date or
whatever you kids call it these days but it is top secret, do you
understand me?"

We both nodded.

She shook her head. "I
don't think you do! This is serious! If anyone finds out it could
hurt my career as a social worker and Reese would be taken from our
home."

"Then why are you letting
us date?" Havock asked confused.

"Because if I don't then
you will do it behind my back and that would be worse."

"Seems logical." Havock
smiled.

"If you two go anywhere
together bring friends. I mean Jude. Or do you have more
friends?"

Havock shook his
head.

"At school she's like a
sister to you, nothing more. Got it?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now go to
bed."

Havock smiled at me then
left the room.

Johanna looked at me. "Why
Havock?"

"He makes me happy. And
he's sweet to me. I know that's a shocker to everyone but he makes
me want to actually live not just go through the
motions."

"He is very unstable with
his decisions, Reese. Next week he may not want anything to do with
you. As much as I'd like to think he treated girls well, I know
that's far from the truth. He's never had girlfriends, just girls
he's slept with. I'm not telling you this to scare you, wait no,
yes I am. If he hurts you please don't let that pull you away from
the rest of us." Tears filled her eyes.

"I won't. You guys are my
family." I looked down at my hands. "My only family. I know Havock
has issues, but he does make me happy."

She nodded and wiped her
eyes. "Well, you're his first actual girlfriend. That shows there's
hope for him." She laughed. "And I'm glad it's you."

I smiled. "You do realize
that a lot of what he does is a show? He knows he's different than
all of you, and I don't think he knows how to fit in."
I shrugged. "I don't know if that's actually true,
but that's what it seems like."

"He's just Havock. Not one
to please anyone but himself. He's so smart, Reese. I'm talking,
the school wanted him taking high school courses in the sixth
grade. He has all this potential and opportunities knocking at his
door but he has no desire for any of it. Instead he mingles with
drugs, sex with random girls, and sleeping. He hangs out with Jude
but not as often as I'd like for him too. You should see the stacks
of letters from colleges begging for him. He started getting them
in the eighth grade. I've put him in counseling and he got kicked
out. I've tried everything, but he just is who he is."

I nodded. "I like who he
is. He sees things in a way I never could. And he doesn't mind
telling me what's on his mind. I like that. He doesn't baby me. I
really need that."

She smiled and yawned. "I
hope he is always good to you. I wouldn't mind having you as a
daughter in law and it would be nice knowing he had you to keep him
in line." She started to leave but turned around. "If you can get
him to stop smoking then you know its true love."