Free Collide: A Riverbend Novel by Sara Daniell Page A

little with her silent cries. I fixed her strap on her shoulder
so it would stop tempting me to yank it off completely.
"Goodnight."
     
    "Night," she whispered then
drifted off to sleep.
     
    ~~~
     
    I woke up with my arm still
around Reese. The sun was just starting to peek through the
curtains, and I knew if I didn't get my ass out of this room, I'd
be dead. Good thing I didn't give a shit. I closed my eyes,
enjoying the way she felt next to me.
     
    "Have you seen Havock?" I
heard my mom ask from outside the door.
     
    "No. He's probably out on a
mountain somewhere," Dad answered.
     
    "The ski lifts don't start
loading until after nine. It's only seven." Moms tone grew more
worrisome.
     
    "Call him."
     
    "Good idea."
     
    My phone started ringing
from the floor beside the bed. I didn't remember bringing it in her
room with me, but there it was revealing my whereabouts. Mom opened
the door, and her phone fell to the floor when she saw me in bed
with Reese.
     
    "Morning." I
smiled.
     
    Reese didn't move. The dark
circles under her eyes showed how much she needed sleep.
     
    "She was having bad dreams.
It's not what it looks like so calm down. She's not my type," I
lied but I knew mom didn't need to have a heart attack this
morning. Reese mumbled under her breath but stayed
asleep.
     
    "Just get out! It looks so
wrong!"
     
    I laughed. "Alright but if
she wakes up it's your fault.'
     
    "Out!" Mom almost
shouted.
     
    I got up and reached down
to get my phone. I walked out of the room and shut the door behind
me.
     
    "Havock Satterly, you
better not start having feelings for that girl! She is a guest in
our home and if the state thinks for a second that we're allowing
that they'll take her away!"
     
    "Mom, chill. Nothing
happened and it won't. I was just helping her sleep. She was
scared."
     
    Mom touched her hand to her
forehead and closed her eyes. "Alright. Sorry. I just don't want
her to be thrown into the hands of the state. She'll get lost in
the system and-"
     
    I touched mom's shoulder.
"It won't happen. Calm down."
     
    "Havock, why don't you go
lay down. You're not usually up until after lunch when you're out
of school." Dad laced his fingers with mom’s and led her out of the
hall.
     
    There was no way I'd be
able to fall back asleep. I needed a cigarette. I threw my hoodie
over my head and slipped on my shoes. I walked out onto the back
porch and sat down.
     
    I smoked as I read a text
from Jude.
     
    Jude: Something weird
happened last night. I was leaving work and when I got out to my
car someone had keyed it with the words, bring her to me. WTF
dude!
     
    I knew it was early, but I
had to text him back.
     
    Me: Did you call the
cops?
     
    Jude: It's early
asshole.
     
    Me: Tell me about it. So
did you call them or not?
     
    Jude: Yeah, and the night
manager looked at the surveillance cameras that looked out to the
parking lot. We never saw anyone. The cops didn't do shit either.
They took a picture of it and told me to stay safe.
     
    Me: I'm sure it was some of
the girls from school being bitches. They hate that Garrett has
accepted Reese. They have been joking all week at school about
burning her at the stake and saying that she's insane. They were
saying crazy shit to me since I'm friends with her. I'm sure it
wasn't anything to worry about. Just girls being stupid.
     
    Jude: Probably.
     
    It pissed me off that
people could be so cruel. I finished my cigarette and headed back
inside. I saw Reese awake and sitting at the table with mom. She
still had dark circles under her eyes and she looked
miserable.
     
    "Are you okay?" I asked as
I walked to the fridge to get something to drink.
     
    She nodded then put her
head on the table.
     
    "So, I was thinking we
could all just do whatever today. I want to do some shopping and
your dad wanted to do a little sight seeing."
     
    I sat at the table with a
bowl of cereal. "Sounds good."
     
    Garrett walked in and
pulled up a chair next to Reese. I