Non Verbal

80

OH my days this chapter is so long by accident sorry :() It's nothing that important either

Chapter 80 and it's just a filler hehe 

Omg comment and vote loads so I can find the motivation to write the next chapter!!

shout out to iamjustraeding Quake_Rider suppeeps375  for being so lovely and helpful

Lottie's POV

"She is doing my head in." River says under his breath, his face more sour than I have ever seen it.

I show my teeth in an awkward smile. It's supposed to be reassuring. But Audrie's wails in the background are rather jarring.

She's having another meltdown.

We were all having a lovely time in the pool at Nove and Cole's house. Were being the most important term in the sentence. Now Em, Nove and Cole are inside with Audrie, trying to calm her down... River has tiny nail marks on his shoulders, and I admittedly have a slightly sore head where the little child yanked my ponytail.

We tickled her.

We were playing.

She reacted badly.

"She's just-" I start quietly, looking at how one of the marks on his shoulder is beading with blood.

River tosses me a look. "I know my sister Lottie. I know everything that has happened to her. But she never used to be this-"

I just watch him, we were both now sat on the side of the pool. We had gotten a screaming Audrie out of the water and Nove ran over to take over. Her violence continued to the extent to which Cole had to take her off Nove.

It was horrible to watch.

But also- kids kick off. Kids are violent. I don't know.

River finishes his sentence under his breath. "Bad." Is all he says.

I do not know if he is referring to her behaviour as bad, or the way it seems like all the effects of the trauma that they clearly have been through is getting worse for her.

She's only so little.

River is angry.

I can feel it radiating off of him.

It's not targeted at her. Not really. But he says "Honestly I cannot listen to her fucking scream any more, can we go to yours?"

"Yeah. Yes of course." I say, pushing myself back from the edge of the pool and standing up. Then I offer my hand to River and he takes it, I help him up, and he doesn't let go of my hand.

Which is weird.

In a little way.

It doesn't feel strange, it feels like he just needs some contact. But a small part of me panics, a small part of me knows that holding hands with someone is more intimate than I wanna be with someone else.

Also that is ridiculous.

I squeeze his hand in mine.

Rowan is very sensitive to touch. He is very particular. Meaning that he has taught me to believe it means more.

I know it's not that deep.

Most of our things are outside. Like just my bag and towel, River tosses his shirt, his towel and his phone and sunglasses into my bag and takes it on his shoulder. We were gonna escape out the back gate instead of walking through the house.