Page 73 of Don’t Be A Stranger

“Well then, first of all, he’s one hell of an actor.” Bethany laughs. “And secondly, then at least you’ll know. But I don’t think there’s much of anything that could break your friendship up.”

Bethany is right. River and I have gone through hell and high water together. He listened when the knowledge of me being adopted would sometimes spiral into an identity crisis. He sat with me when I found out ten months ago that Dad has cancer.

We went to prom together.

Sleepovers. Arguments. Inside jokes.

I told his parents off in our senior year of high school because his mother told him that he wasn’t good enough for anything or anyone.

How could being together possibly be so bad?

Here goes nothing.

“Thanks Beth.” I scoot off the lawn chair, my bare feet hitting the hot pavement.

“Good luck!” she calls out to me.

As I move closer, River does a double take in my direction. Something in my movements must mean business because even Moose stops talking to watch me.

“Can I talk to you?” I don’t look at anyone but River.

Moose and the other four guys clear their throats. He pats River’s shoulder, guiding the group somewhere else in the backyard.

“Hey.” River brushes his fingertips over my arm. “Everything okay?”

I perch my sunglasses on top of my head, as if that’ll help River see that I’m serious about what I’m going to say.

“Yeah, I just—”

“Hey, Leander!” Jeanette shouts from nearby.

Leander? As in—

Wherever Leander is, Analisa is quick to follow and then Savannah usually comes after that. I don’t need to turn around but I do and there they are.

Jeannette is hugging Leander and Analisa, then waves at Savannah. My body grows cold.

Why are they here and how do they know Jeanette?

Like she can somehow feel me staring, Savannah’s eyes scan around the backyard, landing on me almost immediately. Her smile doesn’t falter. It grows wider, actually. And she waves.

River’s hand touches the small of my back and I turn my head to see him standing close behind me.

“You good?” he asks.

I don’t know why I find myself pulling away, but I do and River notices immediately. His eyebrows furrow and the hand that was resting on my back hovers in the air for a moment before it drops to his side.

“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “I’m fine, why?”

“You said you needed to talk to me. Did you want to go somewhere more private?”

“No.” The word tumbles out of my mouth before my brain can decide against it. My skin feels exposed and vulnerable right now. And it’s not because I’m in a bikini. “I mean, what I had to say wasn’t important.” I try to recover.

River gently smiles. “You can still tell me,” he encourages and all I can seem to do is shake my head and force a smile.

“I’ll be back.” Not really. I have full intentions of hiding out. “I’m going to go get a drink.”

I don’t give River time to ask me any more questions nor do I look behind me to give Savannah the chance to smile at me again.