Always With You - A Best Friends To Lovers Novel

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

Bowie

It was still snowing outside, and after breakfast, River and I took it slow to get showered and dressed. We both put on layers of clothing, knowing how cold it was outside. As I slipped on my boots, River grabbed his car keys, throwing them into the air while patiently waiting for me.

"Do you wanna go buy some flowers for you mom?" I asked. River nodded with a smile.

"Sounds like a good idea," he said, and I finally got up from the steps I was sitting on.

"All right, let's go then."

Dad was kind enough to put his car into the garage last night, so it wouldn't freeze. Therefore, the car was warm, but River still turned on the heat to keep us warm while we drove through snowy Denver.

Some Christmas song was playing on the radio, and it then occurred to me that Christmas was only two days away. I was excited to spend it with Mom and Dad and having River with us only made the holidays better.

After arriving at the flower shop, River told me to wait inside the car because it wouldn't take too long. There was something in his eyes that told me he wasn't as happy as he was the past few days. Something was bothering him, and I wished I could just make whatever it was disappear.

Maybe it was the dream he had about his mother that made him get lost in his thoughts this morning. I believed that was it. Other than that, the only thing that had the potential to bother him was the fact that his Dad left town. I had never met the man, but I felt at ease knowing he couldn't hurt River anymore.

I watched River come out of the shop with a bouquet of white flowers in his hands. I smiled because the sight I was seeing was amusing but sweet at the same time. River and flowers just didn't fit into a sentence, but somehow, he made it work today.

I leaned over to open his door from the inside, so he could easily get into the car. "Those are pretty," I told him, and he nodded proudly.

"I chose them. Mom loved white," he explained, and I grabbed the flowers so he could drive. "She'll love them," I told him, taking in the smell of them.

"Remember the flowers Ford gave me?" I asked, looking over at him. He grimaced. "Yeah."

"After only one day in some water, they let their heads down. I think that was a sign that there would never be something more between him and me," I chuckled, and River nodded.

"Never really liked him anyway. He acts as if the world belongs to him by showing off how wealthy his father is, but still attends a simple community college. What a dick," he muttered.

I laughed softly. "He did talk a lot about his dad," I admitted.

The cemetery was a ten-minute drive from our house, and after we arrived, we both got out of the car. I walked around the front to give him back the bouquet, and he took it with a smile on his lips that didn't meet his eyes. It seemed as if he didn't want to show his emotions.

"It's okay to be sad, Riv," I whispered, reaching up to touch my hand to his cheek. He nodded, and soon tears filled his eyes.

"Do you mind giving me some time alone with her?" he asked.

"Of course. I'll be in the car if you need me," I told him, and he handed me the keys. I could turn on the heater so I wouldn't freeze my butt off. "Take your time." I got on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek, and after another small smile, he turned and walked toward the many gravestones. I watched him for a moment, then got back into the car.

River

I must've spent almost an hour at Mom's grave. There were trees covering this part of the cemetery, so I didn't have to get the snow off her stone that had been falling all week. It was a little wet on the grass and gravel path around it, but I didn't mind and sat down in front of her.

I've talked to her about everything I wanted her to know. About college. About my fights. And about Bowie. Mom had always been full of love, and one thing she always told me was to speak my truth and be honest about my feelings. I knew I wasn't honest with myself at the moment.

I was pushing the one girl that had been occupying my mind for over ten years away from me, even though I knew I wanted her to be more than just a friend. If Mom was here, she would've told me to man up and tell Bowie what I felt. If she was here, she would've urged me to talk about what my heart wanted with Bowie, instead of forcing those feelings away.

I was lost in my thoughts as I felt two hands squeeze my shoulders. I knew it was Bowie, and she squatted behind me and wrapped her arms around me. Her mouth came close to my ear, kissing the spot behind it and then whispering: "It's cold out here."

Her voice was soft, and I knew she was worried about me sitting on the cold floor. She gave me the time I needed with Mom, and I loved her even more for that. "Sorry I made you wait so long," I whispered back, patting her arms that were holding me tight.

"Always," she said, then reached out to touch the picture of Mom with her fingertips. "She's beautiful." That's what she always said when she saw a picture of her, and I smiled with a nod.

It took me another moment to get up. I reached for Bowie's hand and lifted it to my lips to kiss the back of it. "See you soon, Mom. I love you."

Bowie squeezed my hand, and we walked back to the car. "What have you been doing in here while I was with Mom?" I asked as we got back into the warmth of the car.

I looked over at Bowie who was holding up a book I had lying around in the car. "Reading a few chapters of this. It's really complex. No idea how you manage to comprehend all of what is written in that thing. Your intelligence really amazes me," she told me. That made me smile.

She knew how to make someone happy. And if I didn't step up my game and open up to her, I would soon enough not only lose my mind but also my best friend.