Last Summer

Rafe

By ten, River was nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere. I even asked the stupid Pogues if they had seen her.

"River!" I called, frantically searching.

Her dad is going to fucking kill me, I thought while moving through the crowd of people. This really isn't how I expected our first date to go.

But then, I heard a scream. I took off, praying that is wasn't her. I followed the sound to the edge of the beach, by a large stack of logs. I looked like my life depended on it.

"River?" I yelled, Topper came up behind me.

"You find her yet?" He asked, looking around the logs.

I shook my head, "No, but I just heard a scream. I don't know if it's her or not but it can't hurt to look."

Topper nodded and continued to search.

I moved around the large stacks of logs, just hoping maybe she had wandered and fallen asleep.

"Rafe! I found her, bro!" I didn't even have to register what Topper said before I took off in the direction of his voice.

I came around a corner and found him, holding her in his arms bridal style. Her make up had smeared, leaving black smudges down her face, she had a bloody, red gash on her left cheekbone. She was unconscious, her head was leaned all the way back. I took her from Topper's arms and into my own. I felt something warm touch my arm where her head was.

Blood.

"Is she breathing?"

Topper checked her pulse then nodded, "You need to get her to the hospital." His shirt was red with River's blood.

"Drive us?" I asked.

He nodded and we took off in the direction of his Jeep.

Once in the car, I laid her head in my lap in the back seat. Her once red dress was tattered and worn, rips and tears exposed her skin.

"What the fuck happened?" I fumed, "I turned around for one fucking minute to take a piss and she was gone."

I pulled out my phone to call her father. It was eleven fifteen.

"Sir, it's Rafe. I need you to meet me at the hospital. I don't know what happened but she's unconscious right now. We're almost there." I said into the phone quickly once Mr. Maxwell answered.

"What the fuck? I'm on my way. You better have a good explanation for this." That was the last thing he said before he hung up.

My hands shook as I looked down at River. I patted her hair softly with my hand.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered, softly.

"We're here, Rafe. Do you want me to come in?" Topper asked, pulling the door open and helping pull River out.

"Nah, her dad is almost here." I replied, rushing through the doors.

"I need a doctor!" I shouted, holding River in my arms.

Nurses came from all angles. Two with a gurney to lay her down on.

"Sir, what happened?" One of the nurses asked me as they wheeled her away. I began to push through them, getting to her hand.

"It's going to be okay, baby. I'll be right here." I told her as a nurse kept me from going back.

Parrish Maxwell burst through the entry doors seconds later.

"Rafe! Where's my daughter? What happened?" He boomed.

"I don't know, sir. We were at the beach at a party, after dinner and I turned around for one minute and she was gone. I looked for her everywhere."

"What were you doing? Were you doing fucking coke, you fucking deadbeat?" He screamed and shoved me. I stumbled backwards as security guards came between us.

"I was using the fucking bathroom!" I yelled back, huffing. I shoved my hair out of my face.

The security guard placed us on separate sides of the ER waiting room. He kept eyeing me with disgust.

"I thought you two were going out to dinner." He said, quietly after an hour or two.

"We did." I replied, "Then I took her to the beach, there was a party going on."

He nodded his head, "Is she okay?" He had tears in his eyes.

"I don't know." I said softly, looking at my hands. They were dirty, River's blood stained them. My shirt was no longer white. My head felt heavy.

"Are you okay, son?" Mr Maxwell asked me, moving to the area next to me.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, sir. I just want to know how she's doing." I replied.

He put his hand on my shoulder and lightly squeezed.

"I know this wasn't your fault. River can be a handful." His face looked pained as he spoke.

"Mr. Maxwell?" A doctor came through the double doors and we both shot out of our seats.

He looked between us, but spoke to Parrish.

"River is doing great. She's stable. No surgery. We just had to stitch up the injury on her head and face. We are monitoring her for a concussion right now. River hasn't woken up yet but when she does, she will be good to go. Have her take it easy for the next couple of days."

Both of us sighed. Relief washed over me as I pushed my hair out of my face, rubbing my eyes.

"Thank you so much, doctor. When can I see her?" Mr. Maxwell asked eagerly.

"You can go to her now."

"Can I please see her?" I spoke up.

"Who are you to the patient, Mr. Cameron?" The doctor asked.

"He's her boyfriend." River's dad replied and began walking to the room that River was in.

The doctor nodded and followed us into the room.

River's hair was messy and filled with sand. Her make up had been cleaned up so the black streaks weren't on her face anymore. Her face had bruises and stitches in the gash.

Mr. Maxwell covered his mouth with a gasp when we entered the room, I just about did the same thing.

"Oh, honey." He said and stroked her head.

"She should be waking up any time now. Thank you for being so patient. I'm so incredibly sorry this happened to her." The doctor apologized and left the room, closing the door behind him.

I reached up and grabbed her hand, "I'm so sorry." I whispered.

How did I lose her?

Who did this to her?

What coward attacked her?

Questions flooded my brain. Her father sat in a chair on the other side of her bed. We both sat there, watching her perfect face.

How did this happen?