River.

Chapter 64: As It Sets In.

My phone rang but when I looked at it I saw that it was an unknown number.

I answered it and was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Hey is this Aiden? Cassie's friend?"

"Uh yea who's this?" I asked.

"This is Xander. I was just wondering if you knew where she was. She was supposed to meet us at the airport 39 minutes ago but she didn't and now she's not answering her phone. I called Jordan first but he told me to call you."

Xander, Riley, Liliana and Madison were supposed to get here 2 days ago but after that whole Max and Cassidy incident we told them it'd be best if they waited a few more days to come. We didn't tell them why though.

"Yea she's a little upset right now. I don't think she's in the mood to do anything really."

"Why? What happened?"

"You can talk to her about it. Which airport are you guys at? I'll come get you."

"We're at Minnesota Flightways."

"Okay. I'll be there in 20."

I hung up and stood up to put my shoes on.

"Where are you heading?" Ryan asked.

"To pick up Cassidy's brothers and Max and Jordan's sisters from the airport. I'll be back in about an hour. While I'm gone though, can you go up and talk to Cass? She needs to get her mind off of River."

"Sure no problem.... Which room is she in?" He asked.

I answered without hesitation.

"Probably in his room.... 100% sure she's in his room."

And with that Ryan left out of the mancave and I left for the airport.

****************************
Ryan's P.O.V.

I made my way upstairs and went straight to River's room.

I knocked on the door but didn't hear anything.

I twisted the door knob but it was locked so I picked up a safety pin and a paper clip off of a nearby table to unlock it.

And sure enough when I walked in she was laying in his bed with his pillow held tight against her chest.

She looked at me with teary eyes and a puffy face.

"How'd you get in here?" She asked.

"I was in the Marines for 10 years. Unlocking a door is as easy as wiping my ass." I stated.

She giggled a little then reached for a tissue and wiped under her eyes.

I laid down on my side next to her and stared at her while I rested my head on my fist.

She turned to face me with the saddest expression ever.

"I can't stop thinking about him." She said.

"I know." I replied. "I know how you feel."

"Believe me, you don't."

"But I do." I insisted. "I went through the exact same thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a girlfriend when I was 24 that broke up with me after 6 years. I was heartbroken and for two months I did absolutely nothing but eat, sleep, and cry like a little bitch. But then I got over it when someone drilled it into my head that she wasnt the one for me. That breakup changed me, and now I'd choose dick over pussy any day."

"Ryan!!" She exclaimed as she burst out laughing.

"My point is though, maybe he's not really the one for you."

Her grin faded away a little and she stopped looking me in the eyes.

"He is though. He's the ONLY one for me. Not Max. To be honest I don't think I ever truly had feelings for Max. I think it was just infatuation. I mean, I used to have a crush on him but that was 2 years ago. But when he told me that he wanted me I guess I just became confused. Mainly because he gave me the attention and respect I wanted while I was still convinced that River was just manipulating me."

"Why would he still be trying to manipulate you after almost a year?"

"I- I don't know. But I now realize that he wasnt manipulating me. Not the slightest bit. But now he's gone and no one has any idea where he is. I hope he's okay."

"I'm sure he's just heartbroken and he needs some time alone."

"No Ryan, you don't understand. The reason why River is such a cold person is because his trust was betrayed by people he didn't even know when he was a kid after. And now, I, someone he's close to, betrayed his trust for the second time. Now he's been missing for 3 days. There's no telling what he's done."

"Cass.... He'll be fine. And I'm not just saying this to cheer you up. I'm saying it because I know its true. I've only known him for not even half a year yet I can see how much he's changed because of you. If anything, what you did will help him to control himself. He's fine. I promise you."

"I hope so."

She rose up and grabbed her phone off of the nightstand then showed me it after a few seconds of scrolling.

"This was the first picture we ever took.... I look hideous." She laughed.

It was a picture of him standing behind her with his arms around her.

"Why haven't you deleted it yet?" I asked.

"Because I love his smile. And it reminds me of the night I fell in love with him."

She stared at the picture then shut her eyes tightly as a tear escaped.

I grabbed her phone and turned it off. She was really torn up about all that was happening.

"Your brothers are on their way. AJ went to pick them up. I'm about to go check on the kids. Just yell my name if you need me."

She nodded her head okay and I left the room.

I knew she needed some alone time.