Agony. Anger.
Devastating.
River felt cold. So cold. She knew everyone was talking, but it was like white noise had invaded the jet’s cabin.
Irrevocable. That’s what this picture was.
She glanced at Patrick. He had his head lowered— face in hands. Shame? Regret? River would never know because this was the last moment she would ever speak to the man. Grasping Rowan’s hand while looking at her older sister’s tear-streaked face, she told them in a decently even voice, “I would ask that you let me off the plane, Hugh. I will come later.” She would not— could not— be on a plane with... him.
Raven stood quickly, dislodging Bran’s arm at the same time Rowan stood. Both sisters looked ready for battle.
River only wanted oblivion.
Raven spoke first. “Leave all three of us here.”
“Like fucking hell I’ll leave you!” Bran yelled.
Hugh only growled, “Rowan. Please.” Row only shook her head. No.
River cleared her shaky throat and told them, “I will get an Uber to Jo’s. I’ll come once the weather passes. I promise.”
“No.”
“No.”
Patrick broke the stalemate. “No, River. I caused this. I fucked up. I’ll stay behind.” He stood then, tears falling down his deceitful face, and asked his dad to tell Bobby that he needed to disembark. He stopped by River’s chair, her sisters still crowding around her, and begged, “Please, River. Please allow me to explain. If not here, then Dublin.”
Patrick’s imploring look did nothing to melt the ice encasing her body. River looked up at the love of her life. “Do not ever approach me again. Do not call. Do not text. If you have an ounce of compassion, Patrick, you will do this for me.” River gulped down her anguish so she could finish. Damn it, she was crying now. “Raven forgave your brother. Those pictures weren’t even real, though. Yours are real. I will never forgive you.” With that, her body folded in on itself. She curled into a tight ball of grief; her sisters’ arms wrapped tight around her.
How would she recover from this? She heard Hugh speaking to Bobby over the intercom and heard Patrick’s footsteps as he slowly walked away.
And she’d thought being ghosted by Patrick was the worst thing he could do.
It turns out her imagination wasn’t as incredible as she’d believed.
Her sisters had put the chair divider up and maneuvered River between them. Hugh and Bran looked visibly upset. It was likedéjà vu. Except Bran had been the one to destroy a Byrne that time.
“River.” Raven wanted River to look at her. When she felt fingers gently touch her cheek, the sisters’ sign of intense emotion, a way of sayingI’m hereorAre you okay. River lifted her eyes. Placing a hand on her own chest, Raven spoke through choking tears. “I know, Riv,” slapping her chest again, “Iknow.”
Bran was out of his seat and grabbed Raven, pulling her into his body. “I can’t bear to hear you speak of that time. Please,” he whispered against the crown of her head. Lifting his eyes to River, he said, “I don’t understand how my brother and I could hurt you both. It wrecks me that Raven still hurts.” He swallowed, pinching the bridge of his nose, attempting to corral his emotions. “I do know this. We are a family. Wewillheal together.”
River could only nod. Christ, what a mess.
“I’m fine now, Bran,” Raven said, touching her palm to his jaw, “but I need to finish what I was saying to River.”
Bran finally let her go, and Raven sat back beside her. “Sorry. It is hard to see you so upset. It made me realize how tough it had to have been for you and Row to see me like you are now. I want you to recognize that I understand. That you aren’t alone.”
Rowan grabbed each sister’s hand. “You will never be alone.” Rowan and Raven shared a look before facing River. “And I hate to do this to you, but we’re going to turn your logic back at you.” Rowan let go of her hand before placing her finger gently on River’s cheek. “You are going to sleep this flight away. Rave and I will channel our inner River and begin an outline of what the next few months are going to look like for you.”
“That’s right, Riv. All three of us have a lot to do, and if we have clear parameters and guidelines, we’ll all feel better.”
“Day by day.”
“Day by day.”
River took a deep breath. “All right then. Day by day.”
Rowan patted her leg before standing. She turned to Hugh, who was sitting ramrod straight on the edge of his seat. “Hugh, could you call Brenda back here and see if she has any type of sleep aid onboard?” He immediately pushed the call button.
