All Chapters of RIVER: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

~River~I was watching the draft rounds at home. Zach and Jason were out and about, and I had told Zach beforehand that this was something I always did with my dad, and he understood. Dad was texting me and sending me pictures of whatever he was snacking on. Abby had made him a delicious spinach dip, and I was sitting on my couch eating Rocky Road ice cream when the twelfth pick was announced. Then it happened. His name was called out, and he was selected by the Rams.He was going to California. My heart slammed through my chest. Erica texted me a few minutes after the selection, and I knew they were all celebrating. Then, slowly, the sadness crept in. I was no longer going to see him here. This was it.I was sad yet genuinely happy for him at the same time, though I also knew what this meant for Zach and me. A new start. Alec would no longer torment me with his existence. I picked up my phone, wanting to send him a text, but my emotions and thoughts conflicted until I finally reasoned

~Third POV~ Day 1She rode her black beauty far away from it all, her music loud inside her helmet, the road stretching endlessly ahead with no one to stop her. After saying goodbye to the man she had fallen in love with, she had believed Zach would be forever, but instead, he had sliced her heart into tiny pieces. There was no healing from that. Not now, not for a long while.Before leaving Turner Falls, she changed into her gear and set her sights north, toward the mountains, determined to keep going.Hours passed, and the evening began to creep in. She had already crossed the Kansas state line and was nearing Wichita when she finally decided to stop and rest. She got food, booked a room close to the main road, and tried to let her body settle. Her father was on her mind. He may not have been aware of what had happened, but she had always shared a close bond with him. Even so, right now all she needed was to eat and sleep and prepare herself for the long ride that waited for her tom

~Third POV~Day 4BEEP. Please leave a name and phone number after this message…BEEP.Kyle almost threw his phone at the wall. “Abby, she’s not answering!” he shouted in frustration.“Something happened! My heart tells me something is wrong. Everything inside me says she’s not okay!” he snapped, getting up from his bed.Abby bit her bottom lip nervously. She was beginning to think he was right. No matter the time, River always called or texted her father. She didn’t know what to tell him.“Have faith. Wait and see, honey, if she calls. If not, we will go out there. I’m getting worried, too. Let’s hope she calls you soon so you can gripe at her all you want, then tell her you love her.”Hours passed, and nothing. He didn’t know what to do and was becoming very impatient. He couldn’t call Erica because River didn’t have her number, so why make her worry?The day came and went. He hadn’t heard from her, and he felt anxious to the bone. He took a Tylenol for his headache and kept praying t

~Jaylen~The chairs in the waiting room were becoming unbearable, which reminded me that we needed to find a place to stay soon, at least for tonight. Tomorrow I will worry about finding somewhere to lease or rent for the meantime because I honestly didn’t know how long we were going to stay here.I got up from those dreadful chairs. Carry You by Ruelle was playing somewhere nearby, and it only made my mood grow more pessimistic. I checked the time and realized I needed to call Alec. He needed to know.Alec loved River, and he would never forgive me if I let a day pass without telling him about this tragedy.Leaning over, I whispered into Erica’s ear, “Baby, I’ll be right back. I need to call Alec.”With red, puffy eyes, she nodded weakly. Zach and Jason were still with River.I stepped outside, and the cool breeze immediately hit my face. I loved the climate out here. It was definitely different from Texas. My allergies hadn’t acted up once, and I hadn’t sneezed since arriving here.

~Kyle~It’s been a while since I’ve felt this nervous, and right now, I’m sweating bullets. I’m so tense I can practically feel knots forming in my back and neck. I don’t know how my baby girl is going to react to the news that she lost almost two years of memory, but I guess it’s better than losing a decade or forgetting her identity completely.Not to mention, Raven is no more. She loved that bike.“Hey, Smalls, what’s going through that mind of yours?” I ask tentatively.“I don’t know, Dad.” She palms her forehead. “I’m so confused. I don’t remember getting in a wreck, and then you said earlier, ‘when I was a senior.’ It just doesn’t make sense to me. Please tell me what’s going on.” She knits her eyebrows together while pleading with me.“Okay, but I need you to let me talk and let me finish. It’s important, Smalls, that you listen to me carefully and understand that what I’m about to say is the truth. You know I wouldn’t lie to you, right?”She nods carefully.I drag a chair close