Feeling Faint (BxB)

Chapter 16

Ben's P. O. V.
I drop my phone in shock and scramble to pick it up again. "What do you mean they've taken River into custody?" I exclaim. "I mean they've taken River into custody. What the hell could that possibly mean other than what I just said?"  She retorts.

"Okay okay. Should've seen that coming with your usual sass levels. But seriously, what's going on? Why?"

She sighs heavily. "I'll explain when you get here. Just hurry if you can." "Okay, I'll get there as soon as possible. Bye." "Bye."

I move quickly back to my dad's office, almost falling over. "Whoa, slow down." He says when he catches sight of me.

"I can't. I need to get down to the bookstore as fast as possible. Emerson called and said the police took River into custody. I don't know what's going on and she told me she'd tell me when I got there."

His eyebrows raise. "Geez. River's a good kid; it's probably just a mix up." "Well either way I need to hurry."

He nods as Dave walks in and hands him the x-rays. He looks them over. "No break. I'll drive you down to the bookstore after I wrap it up, but you need to ice it as soon as you can to bring down the swelling." I nod and drum my fingers as he wraps it up, grimacing a few times.

"Let's go." I say as soon as he finishes. I hurriedly crutch out to the car and he drives me over to the bookstore.

A couple police cars are parked outside, and an officer is outside talking to Emerson. I struggle out of the car, and rush to crutch over to her.

Her eyes widen as she sees me. "Holy crap Ben, what did you do?"

"As I said before, it doesn't matter right now; I'll tell you later. Tell me what's going on." I pause."Actually though, can we sit down? I need to elevate my ankle and my arms are sore from holding myself up."

She nods and we head into the bookstore, waving to the remaining officers as they drive away.

We settle in the chairs by the window, watching the sky darken as we talk.

"Okay here's the short version. The people that manufacture and deliver most of River's books he sells at the store are highly suspected of running a side gig smuggling drugs. They took him in because they suspect he's involved and the bookstore is a front to sell drugs."

My jaw drops. "Goodness sakes. Well, when are they releasing him?" I ask.

"They're questioning him tonight and tomorrow they're searching the bookstore. This whole thing is absolutely ridiculous. I would think I would know River well enough to know that he wouldn't be involved in anything like this." She hesitates. "Right?"

"You're thinking about your dad, aren't you?" I say quietly. "I mean, yeah. How can thoughts of him not come up anytime someone mentions drugs? For him to be addicted like that, to hurt my mom like he did, that hurts like hell. And then leave us to fend for yourselves? She didn't even have a job then." She shakes her head. "He just up and left. Never gave the life he once had a second glance. Didn't matter that he had a wife and child; the drugs were the most important thing to him." She shakes her head again.

"For River to do that, knowing everything I went through?" Her face contorts to an expression of pain.

"He wouldn't." I say, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"He sure as hell better not have." She laughs, wiping away the tears that have run down her cheeks. "I'll beat his ass into the next millennium." She says. I smile. She grins back at me. "Now tell me what you did before I beat your ass too."

Jay's P. O. V.
The sun's bright rays usually peek through the curtains and tickle my face to wake me. But today is different.

I roll over groggily to find the clock reading 11:30 AM and dark clouds covering the sky.