[Teen and New Adult Romance]
"Life as a trailer trash kid is nothing short of shitty, especially when the love of my life pretends that I don't exist."
River wants two things: to get out of Gladstone and to be with the boy from her childhood. With h...
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I don't know when I passed out, but I woke up to someone shaking the hell out of me. Red light from the sun filled the blackness behind my eyelids, telling me it was morning.
"River!" Kaleb's voice broke into my silence. "Wake up. You need to sit up for me."
I groaned in protest. "No. I wanna keep laying down."
"No." Kaleb's tone was serious. "You need to stay awake if you can."
"I can't," I groaned again.
"Yes. You can. Sit up." Kaleb pulled me up by my shoulders.
I slumped forward, trying to open my eyes, but I couldn't. They were literally glued shut.
"Fuck. She looks like shit. She won't be able to go back to school tomorrow." Travis said from somewhere, and I was instantly embarrassed. I wanted a mirror to see what I looked like.
"Shut up, dude." Kaleb's words were full of venom.
"I was just... fuck. Sorry, River." Travis sounded upset with himself.
"Can someone get me a washcloth so I can wash my eyes?" I tried to pick the crap off my eyelids, but I didn't want to pull out my eyelashes.
"Yeah," Travis said before a faucet turned on.
"I think we're through the thick of it. She's actually talking now." Kaleb began rubbing my arm, and I winced, pulling it away. "Sorry."
"Here," Travis pressed a washcloth into my hands.
"Thank you." My voice was soft as I pressed the washcloth to my eyes.
"She's covered with cuts and bruises. We should've called the cops. This type of shit can't happen again." Travis said as the bed dipped beside me. "I have to go, but I can come back later. My parents need me to do some stuff around the house."
"Okay." Kaleb cleared his throat.
"I'll be back in a few hours, River." I could smell Travis beside me, but I didn't lean into him or touch him. Honestly, I didn't want Travis here at all. Kaleb had already seen me at my worst when I was younger, and I'd never cared until now because Travis was here, judging me.
"Okay, but call Kaleb first. I'm going home today. My mother's probably worried sick." I continued holding the wet cloth to my eyes. I wanted to open them.
"Okay." Travis stood, jostling the bed as my body felt every painful movement. Travis pressed a kiss to my head. "Call me if anything changes. And keep your hands off her. You have a girlfriend, remember?"
"Hands off. I get it, dude." Kaleb chuckled.
"I fucking mean it, Kaleb." Travis didn't laugh with him.
"I hear you." Kaleb didn't laugh this time.
I suddenly remembered Kaleb and Julie, half-naked together. I wondered how many girls Kaleb did that shit with, and my realization made me physically sick.
