“Dinner’s in about an hour, so before you start getting all dressed up and ready, we have to talk!” Julie giggled, clutching onto my hands and almost jumping up and down. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you last, Delilah! I’ve missed you so much!”

I missed her, too, I definitely did. We had barely even talked over the phone during the few months that we had been away from each other. She was the only reason why I had come to River’s family for Thanksgiving. I would have liked it a lot more if I was back in Washington with my family, River by my side while my mom or Nick or Jake would cut the turkey…

But no, here I was, in a house with about two hundred people, and they all probably thought I was scum on the bottom of their shoe compared to them.

“So, how’s life been?” Julie asked when we had gotten outside to the backyard. We had left Tanner and River alone to catch up with each other, and both of them obviously didn’t like that. Even though they had made up and were getting along now, they didn’t really want to spend any quality time with each other.

“Things have been good,” I nodded, making sure to leave out the parts of my life that were definitely not good. She didn’t need to know, because she was all the way across the country. And if she knew what was wrong, she would have told Tanner, who would definitely tell River…

“Arianna is so pissed off at you,” she giggled, holding a hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t be so loud. Different people would look over at us now and then, obviously not recognizing us. They probably thought we were two crazy poor chicks that decided to crash the party…

“What do you mean?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “I mean, I understand why she’d be angry at me for everything I did, but why is she mad now?”

“Because of how popular you are at your school,” Julie laughed, wrapping her thin arm around my shoulders. “At first she didn’t believe it when I told her, but then I told her about Jay Harris going to your school and she somehow did. You know how big of a fan she is of Jay Harris, and it’s like your stealing him from her! You already stole Ben, in a way…”

“Ben’s a player,” I sighed, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. “He’s hooked up with almost every single girl in the school. He’s even hooked up with Arianna a few times, so I don’t know why she’d be upset. I didn’t even do anything with him.”

Julie shrugged, removing her arm from my shoulders when she noticed something a little farther in front of us. I looked over as well, seeing a boy that looked a little younger than us with reddish-brown hair make his way toward our direction.

“That guy was so checking you out, Delilah,” Julie whispered, elbowing me in the ribs. “And he’s cute!”

“Why should I care?” I whispered back, a little harsher than I had meant to. “I’m with River, remember?”

Julie frowned, as if she remembered something. “Oh, yeah… Sorry, I forgot.”

I rolled my eyes at my best friend just as the boy came to a stop before us. He had a flirty smile on his face, and I tried my best not to scowl. Since he was here, he had to be a member of River’s family… And since I hadn’t met him at the country club, he was probably on his mother’s side.

“Are you two lost?” he started with a charming smile. “It sure seems like it.”

I wasn’t sure how many times Julie had been to River’s house, but I had only been there twice, not counting right at that moment. And for most of the first time, I stayed locked in his room to stay away from Tanner. And not to mention that fact that River’s house is huge…

“Do you think we crashed the party or something?” Julie asked, giggling nervously. She was never good in front of guys, and I knew that this wasn’t going to be an exception. It took her forever before she finally got comfortable in front of Tanner…

“Well, if you did, I’m sure glad,” the boy smirked, his eyes sliding toward me. “Especially when it comes to you…”

I bit the inside of my lip to stop it from curling, but the boy didn’t seem to notice. Julie giggled, and I wondered if she somehow forgot that I was engaged to River. I really couldn’t believe someone could be so forgetful… But then again, it was Julie. Not to mention she was always so nervous in front of guys.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked me, his arm slipping around my shoulders.

My eyes widened slightly, and I had no idea what I was supposed to say. I had only been in this kind of situation before once, and that was with Ben. But he already knew my name… All I had to do was say no. But what was I supposed to say now? I couldn’t just say no when he asked me my name…

“Delilah,” I answered, trying my best to look away from him. Now that I was close up to him, I noticed that he wasn’t exactly the cutest guy in the world. Not horribly ugly, but not handsome or cute like River. Sure, from far away he looked pretty good, but up close you could see all the freckles that covered his face. Not that freckles were bad, since I had them as well, but he sure had a lot.

I also noticed how big his lips were. They matched his big brown eyes and big nose. But the lips were definitely something that stuck out. They were huge! But then again, so was the rest of his face…

“Well, Delilah, how about we--”

“Damien, what the hell are you doing?”

The new voice caused me to jump, but Damien didn’t even move. He turned his head, grinning at the person behind us. When I turned around, my stomach dropped when I saw that it was my fiancé standing there. My very easily jealous fiancé…

“Hey, Riv!” Damien greeted, reaching over and giving River one of those man-hugs, clapping him on the back while he did so. “It seems like these two beautiful ladies got lost!”

River didn’t look amused. “They’re not lost,” he snapped. “The blonde one is Tanner’s girlfriend, and the brunette is my fiancé.”

Damien’s eyes went wide as he looked between River and me. “You’re engaged to her?” he asked incredulously, jabbing a thumb in my direction as he faced River. “Dude, she’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen on this earth! Lucky bastard!”

River rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, I am lucky.”

I found myself smiling slightly when he said this. We were going to have such a happy life together…

“Hey, Dam!” a new voice called, and suddenly and arm was being thrown around Damien’s shoulders, and he was stuck in a headlock seconds after. I looked up at the person who was doing this and grinned when I saw it was Tanner. “How’s my favorite cousin?”

Cousin?

Oh, come on.

Yeah, I knew he was a member of River’s family, but I was hoping that maybe he was a second or third cousin or something… Not a first cousin…

River grabbed ahold of my hand, leading me away from his brother, cousin, and my best friend. I could tell that he was upset, but I didn’t say anything until he shut his bedroom door behind us.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, even though I didn’t have anything to apologize for. “You’re upset, right?”

“Yeah,” was all he said, turning toward his closet and going through it, completely ignoring me as he did so. I sat down on his bed, waiting for him to find whatever he was looking for. When he pulled out a white dress shirt, he let out a breath and closed the closet door.

He pulled his black V-neck over his head, tossing it onto the floor in a matter of seconds. Before he could get his dress shirt on, however, I was already in front of him, my hands on his toned chest. I couldn’t help but run my fingers over the pale white scar on his chest.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologized once again, tears in my eyes now. I wasn’t crying because of Damien, but because I was the one that had caused this scar. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t have had this scar. He wouldn’t have gotten shot and wouldn’t have had to go through all the pain…

“Delilah,” River breathed, capturing the hand I was using to touch his scar with his. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“Yes I do,” I nodded, looking away from him. “It’s all my fault you have that scar.”

“It’s not your fault,” he assured me, letting go of my hand and cupping my cheek in his hand. “It’s not your fault that you were stalked. It’s not your fault that I fell in love with you. Everything just happed. Everything fell into place. Nothing was your fault.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. “I’ll always feel responsible,” I murmured. “I’ll always remember how I almost got you killed every time I see it.”

“Does it bother you that much?” River asked me, pulling away just enough to be able to look me in the eye, his arms still wrapped around my waist.

“Not in the way you think,” I assured him, rolling my eyes at his worried face. “It isn’t ugly or anything. It’s not like I’m disgusted by it or anything. If you had gotten that scar from some kind of fight, or an accident, I wouldn’t be bothered by it at all. But you got it because of me. Every time I see it, I’ll feel guilt.”

“Higginson is a crazy bastard,” River informed me, leaning forward so his face was right in front of mine as his hands cradled the sides of my face. “He would have done it to Seth, Rex, Avery--anyone that you showed any amount of interest in. I’m kind of surprised he didn’t shoot Avery…”

“He knew that Avery and I weren’t going anywhere,” I whispered, staring down at the ground now. “He was watching us every time we went out… He was watching me every time I left Bentwood. He knew I was lying to Avery, and he could see that there wasn’t anything going for us… I rejected Seth, Gabe and I only went on a friendly date because it was the only way Mr. Ridgeway would let us make up our grade, and nothing happened between Rex and me… But then, when you told me you loved me that one day, even though I had no idea what you were talking about, he did. And he knew that you had a chance. He knew, even though I didn’t, that I loved you.”

“I can’t believe you had to sit in a classroom with that asshole for two years, and no one suspected a thing,” River spat, letting out a breath after he had done so. “Those people were supposed to protect you, weren’t they? And look what happened…”

“Well, if they protected me and caught him, I never would have met you,” I told him quietly. This sure shut him up, but I didn’t really blame him. “That’s the only thing I’ll ever be thankful to Mr. Higginson for. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have met you. But I still hope he rots in Hell… We’ve been through so much together, River. I can’t wait to marry you… I love you.”

“I love you, too. But I wish I could kill that bastard,” River muttered, shaking his head as his hands traveled down from my head and to my arms. “I couldn’t care less about what he did to me, but he’s causing you so much pain… I just wish that bastard was dead.”

“I do, too…” I admitted, crouching to the ground to pick River’s dress shirt, which he had dropped, off the ground. I handed it to him, and I continued to stare down at the ground as he shrugged it on. “I do, too…”

I wondered how two hundred people were supposed to eat together. Their house definitely looked big enough for it, but there was no way I could have been sure…

“I hope this dinner is short,” River muttered, fixing his tie lazily in the mirror.

“So do I,” I sighed. “And I knew your mom wouldn’t be happy that we’re planning on getting married, I knew she was going to say everything she did.”

“You don’t have to worry,” he assured me, rubbing my back as I continued to straighten my hair. “Even if my parents don’t like you, it doesn’t mean the rest of my family does. And even if they do, I don’t care. I don’t need them in my life, Delilah. I only need you.”

“But I want them to be able to see their grandchildren without having to hate half of them because I’m their mother,” I whispered truthfully. “And I want them to accept me, River. I really do care what they think. Your dad already thinks I’m a slut, and your mom hates me because I’m not pretty or rich.”

“You’re beautiful,” River blurted, his cheeks reddening slightly at his suddenness, even though he didn’t have to. “And honestly, I don’t want those money-hungry assholes anywhere near our children. They’d be such a bad influence on them…”

“I guess you’re right,” I agreed with a shrug, unplugging my straightener now. “We really don’t need them in our lives, I guess. It’s just… It bothers me a lot that I’m not accepted into your family. I mean, they’re going to be my family to when we get married.”

“I understand,” River sighed, sinking onto his bed. “I really do. But… I honestly don’t want them in our lives. After all the crap they put me through…”

“I understand,” I echoed, nodding as I sat next to him. “I understand…”

River smiled slightly, leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine softly. Our lips moved together slowly, his arms wrapping around my waist as mine wrapped around his neck. I pulled him closer to me, both of us falling over onto the bed. I crawled on top of him, straddling his waist curling my fingers in his hair.

“I have to keep reminding myself that there are people downstairs,” River groaned when I started kissing down his neck. “My family’s downstairs… I need to remember that…”

“Just forget,” I whispered seductively, biting his earlobe tenderly.

“Oh, God,” he groaned again, grabbing onto my hips and buckling his own into them. “You’re going to make me explode.”

I smirked, my lips pressed against his ear. “Maybe that’s what I want.”

“Dinner’s ready!” someone announced as the door suddenly burst open, causing me to jump of my fiancé and to the other side of the bed. I looked over at the door to see Julie, her eyes wide as she stared at us. Tanner stood behind her, smirking like an idiot.

“Looks like we interrupting you becoming an aunt, Jule,” he informed her, still smirking his head off.

My face flamed, and I looked down and stared at the ground. Why did it seem like we always got interrupted? It was either Rex, or Tanner and Julie. I guess it was kind of our fault because we didn’t lock the door, but they shouldn’t have just been barging in!

“Sorry!” Julie cried out, and she was about to slam the door shut before Tanner stopped her.

“Dinner’s ready,” he echoed his girlfriend, cocking his head toward the stairs. “Dad’s kind of anxious to see you guys again.”

“Did Mom tell him the news?” River asked flatly, straightening out the back of my shirt for me. “I can just imagine his reaction. I bet it’ll be ten times worse than what Mom’s was.”

“Reaction to what?” Tanner asked now, an eyebrow rising in confusion. “And how did she react?”

“I told her Delilah and I are getting married,” River answered, rolling his eyes as he jumped up from his bed, pulling me up with him. “She pretty much started freaking out and throwing a bunch of insults at her. I just can’t wait to see how Dad reacts…”

Tanner was smirking at River’s sarcastic remark. “I’m sure it won’t be as bad,” he shrugged. “But you never know. He did try to hit both of you.”

River and I both gave him a flat look.

“But he’s stopped drinking, hasn’t he?” Julie asked, turning toward Tanner with a concerned look. “I hadn’t seen him drink anything since I’ve been here. That’s good, isn’t it?”

River shrugged. “I guess,” he answered for his brother.

“Well, I’d suggest telling Dad now, if Mom didn’t already,” Tanner suggest, stuffing his hands in his pockets and cocking his head toward the door. “Because both Mommy and Daddy Dearest are on their way up here. Probably to tell you to hurry it up.”

I felt myself panicking. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t want to see River’s dad! I wanted to be with my mom, my brother, my dad, even my step-dad! Anyone but River’s dad!

Julie wrapped an arm around Tanner’s arm, and they both made their way out of River’s room. I couldn’t help but hide behind River’s broad shoulder just a little, and I felt him take a hold of my hand as his parents entered the light blue room.

I blinked, not expecting what I saw. River’s father looked different. He didn’t have a drink in his hand, like I had expected. His face wasn’t red, and he wasn’t stumbling over himself. He wasn’t drunk. Was Julie really telling the truth?

River’s mother crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing at us as she glared. This caused me to hide behind River even more, waiting for someone to say something.

“Your mother tells me that you have something to tell me,” his father said, looking at River. I was expecting to see a glare, but River’s mother was the only one that was glaring in the room. And I was surprised to see that his voice wasn’t slurring. So River’s father actually hadn’t drunk anything!

“Um…” River started, glancing back at me quickly. “Well, Dad…”

“Go on,” River’s mother sneered. “Tell him before I do.”

“Mom,” River snapped, his eyes narrowing at his mother now. “Please be quiet.”

His mother looked surprised at his politeness, and I was sure that I did, too. I was expecting him to cuss at her or to yell, but he continued to look professional as he turned back toward his father. I sucked in a breath as I waited for him to continue.

“Delilah and I are going to get married,” he told his father confidently.

I recoiled ever so slightly. I expected his father to yell, to step forward and strike both of us. But he didn’t do either.

He just stood there, staring at us. He didn’t laugh, like River’s mother had done when he had first told her. He didn’t glare or put me down, like his mother had. He just stared.

“When?” he finally asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“After college,” River informed him, letting out a relieved breath. “When we’re both ready.”

River’s father shook his head. “No.”

I felt my stomach drop, and River’s grip on my hand tightened. Was his father actually forbidding that we get married? That wouldn’t stop River… Would it?

“What?” River snapped, his eyes narrowing at his father now.

“That won’t do,” he sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “After college won’t do.”

I blinked, and I could tell that River was just as confused as I was. What was his dad talking about?

“What are you talking about?” River asked, voicing my thoughts as if he had somehow read my mind. “Dad, what do you mean?”

“If you two really love each other, you can get married,” his father nodded, looking in between us as his arms stayed crossed over his chest. I smiled, but that quickly went away when he continued. “Now.”

“Now?” River and I both asked in unison.

“Right now,” River’s father nodded once again.

“Dad, Delilah’s only seventeen,” River informed his father. “That means she would have to get consent from her parents. We do have their consent, but I’m sure they don’t want their seventeen-year-old daughter to get married. And isn’t that illegal since I’m eighteen? And not to mention we’re still in high school!”

“Okay,” River’s father compromised, as if he was trying to think. “Get married right after graduation.”

“Right after?” River and I asked once again in unison.

River’s father nodded once again. “Right after. The week after you guys graduate, I want you to get married. If you two really love each other, you’ll get married then. Prove to us that it’ll work out between you two by being happy your entire marriage.”

River and I gawked at him in shock. The week after graduation? We’d have to get married the week after graduation? Was his father crazy?

“Christopher,” River’s mother began to protest, but his father lifted a hand to silence her.

“No, Angelina, this is what they want,” he told her. “So this is what they get.”

His mother only glared at me before stomping out of her son’s room. River and I continued to gawk at his father, not knowing what we were supposed to say to him.

River’s father must have found this hilarious, because he suddenly burst out laughing at our gawking faces. But I really couldn’t blame them, since I was sure we looked alike.

I was going to marry River the week after graduation. That was in June, which was six months away. Weren’t you supposed to wait years for a wedding? Were we even going to have everything planned in time?

I knew this was a crazy idea, but I wasn’t against it. Because the one thing I wanted to be in my life was Mrs. Delilah Daniels.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to go back to Lake Tahoe. D: Jeez, time goes by fast!

Please COMMENT, VOTE, and FAN! :)