Chapter 30: Lost (River's POV)

I was sitting on the window seat, waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. We leave for lunch at the Collins' place in ten minutes. "Bri!" I called out, looking out the window. 

"Coming!" she called back out. 

I stood up when I heard her open the door. "Are you ready? We have to go in..." I stopped, looking at her up and down. 

She grabbed white sneakers instead of pumps and held onto the dresser, quickly pulling them on. "Ten minutes, I know," she huffed, fixing her blazer, pulling her hair out, and running her fingers through it, ruffling it around. "Yeah, I'm ready. Have your parents left already?" she asked while grabbing her perfume and spraying it on quickly. 

"Yeah, they left five minutes ago," I mumbled absentmindedly. 

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at me in confusion. 

"You look fucking amazing." 

She blinked, very surprised at my answer. "Thank you," she laughed, looking at her attire. 

"Why have I never seen that?" I asked, pointing to her top. It's white lace, I think it's a bralette and it looks fucking amazing. So amazing I kind of want to tear it off. 

"Actually, I would never wear stuff like this because of my parents. But I don't have to follow their rules anymore, so I thought I'd wear it today. Should I change?" 

"Huh?" I mumbled. 

"Do you want me to change?" she chuckled. 

"Why would I want you to change? You look beautiful." 

"Really?" she grinned. I nodded while she walked over to me. "I matched with you today," she went up on her toes, fixing my hair. She did match with me today. 

I wore a black polo with jeans, the dress code said casual anyway. 

She wore a black blazer over her white lace bralette that I can't stop thinking about taking off, with beige pants and a nice black belt with it. 

"I can see that," I chuckled, grabbing her hand. 

She looked at my hair and ruffled it out, a few strands falling over my eyes. "You look cute," she giggled. 

"So do you," I replied, leaning down and kissing her. 

She smiled against my lips before pulling away. 

"Do we have to go?" I huffed. 

She nodded, taking my hand and pulling me out. I grabbed the keys but she stopped me. "Can we take the convertible today?" she asked, pointing to its keys. 

"Yeah, why not?" I changed the keys and then we left, climbing into the baby blue convertible. I think it's our oldest car, my parents got this when they got married. I pulled my sunglasses on and she kept hers on her head as I started the car and then the drive. "Bri." 

"Hmm?" 

I glanced at her. "Do you want to go on a honeymoon?" 

"What?" she chuckled, looking at me while her hair blew in the wind. 

"We didn't plan one, but do you want to go? We could plan it now and go in a few weeks." 

"Where would we go?" she asked, pulling her sunglasses on while tilting her head back to look at the sky. 

"I don't know. Somewhere... tropical?" I asked. 

"Sure," she shrugged. "How long?" 

"A weekend?" I turned to her and found her frowning. "A week?" 

She smiled, looking at me. "A week," she nodded. 

"How about Hawaii?" 

"How are we going to get there? In a private jet?" 

"Yeah," I replied. 

"What?" she questioned. 

"In a private jet," I nodded. 

"You have one?" 

I nodded again, letting out a laugh. "You've been in it before." 

"No, I have not. I would have remembered that." 

I thought back to that day. 

Was she really not there? My parents invited so many of my classmates so people didn't feel left out, why not her? 

"You were invited." 

"When was this?" she inquired. 

"My seventeenth birthday. We all flew out to Florida." 

Her lips parted before she pulled her mouth shut. "I didn't go," she cleared her throat. 

"You didn't come for my birthday?" I asked incredulously. 

"It's not that I didn't want to. My parents wouldn't let me because it was for the whole weekend. I remember it. It was a weekend getaway, right?" 

I nodded in response. 

"Yeah. They didn't allow it because it was both boys and girls. And you were bullying me too, I convinced myself not to argue with them about it," she mumbled softly. 

"Oh," I frowned. "Your parents are assholes then." 

"Tell me about it," she laughs as I slow down to a stop, parking the car. 

I got out and got the door for her, taking my sunglasses off and hooking them onto the front of her shirt instead of mine. 

She pushed hers up to her head while I grabbed her hand, leading us inside. "Are we late?" she asked. 

"Only fashionably," I smirked, meeting Ezra's parents first. 

It's most important to meet the hosts, the others you can kind of just send a wave or a nod and you're good to go. "The lunch will be ready in a few minutes, enjoy until then," Mrs. Collins smiled, walking away with her husband. 

"Do you think we should tell him?" she asked. 

"Who? What?" I asked while looking around. 

"Ezra. I don't think Bethany deserves him," she mumbled, looking around for him. 

My eyes landed on him. He was already with Bethany, introducing her to his grandparents. "I think we're too late," I mumbled. 

"I hope she doesn't break his heart, he's a nice guy." 

I turned to her. "Hello?" 

She looked back at me. "You're not a nice guy, we both know that," she scoffed. 

"Excuse me, why not?" 

"Because you did everything agonizingly slowly last night just to torture me." 

"That's true, and it was wonderful watching you shaking beneath me," I smirked. 

Her eyes widened and she clamped a hand over my mouth. "You're talking like we had sex." 

"That'll be even better," I whispered, pulling her hand away. 

"Someone's going to hear you and then we'll be in trouble. This is a pastor's house." 

"We're on our way to becoming atheists, it doesn't matter," I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her. 

"Brielle." 

I stopped, mumbling, "Who the fuck is it now?" under my breath. 

We both looked forward, where her dad was standing. 

"You've got to be kidding me," I sighed, tucking my hands in my pockets. 

He walked over, smiling at people who acknowledged him. He stopped right in front of her. "What are you wearing?" he asked. 

She looked up at me. 

I nudged her elbow with mine. I don't want her to be dependent on me for things like this. She should know how to save herself too. 

"I'm wearing what I want to," she huffed, rolling her eyes. 

"And who said you could wear clothing of that sort?" 

"Who said I couldn't?" she retorted, folding her arms across her chest. 

I smiled, watching her with admiration. She's exactly the kind of person I would want to fall in love with. I would dive into love with her and I'd want to stay there forever. 

"There are rules, you know." 

"I don't need to follow your rules anymore. I don't live under your roof and I'm not just your puppet anymore." 

"You best cover yourself up," he seethed, stepping closer to her. 

"Or what?" I asked, stepping in between. "What are you going to do?" I lifted a brow at him sharply. "Let me tell you," I sighed, walking around and standing behind Brielle. I put my arms around her waist from behind, resting her chin on my shoulder. 

He thinks everything is a sin. I bet if I kiss her right now, he'll think I'm going straight to hell. But me lifting my hands and touching her bare torso is winding him up enough. 

I heard Brielle laugh softly, staring at the grass. 

"Nothing," I smiled at him. 

"You—" 

I beat him to it, yet again. I hope someone's keeping count. "You have no right to tell her anything. You lost that right when you lifted a hand on her. And you lost an amazing daughter too. You don't deserve it and she deserves so much better." 

She turned to look at me, a smile creeping onto her face. 

I turned to look at her, catching some of the people around us staring at us, all the church families whispering. 

People like them make me hate our religious beliefs. 

I looked at her. "What?" I mumbled. 

"Kiss me. Please," she whispered. 

I leaned down, not wasting a second. I heard him stomping away but I didn't pull away. I waited for her to. 

"The lunch is ready," she cleared her throat, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

I grabbed her hand, locking our fingers as we walked to the huge, long rectangular table. I sat opposite my parents. "Sorry about that," I cleared my throat. The last thing I want is my parents receiving backlash because of something I did. 

"What are you apologizing for?" my dad frowned in confusion. 

"We're the king and queen, nobody says anything to us," my mom scoffed. "Try the chicken, it's really good," she smiled, gesturing to it. 

I chuckled, leaning back in the chair before grabbing the chicken, putting some in Brielle's plate and then in mine. She smiled at me, digging right in.

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Chapter 30

I love his parents

I hate hers

next chapter: heart