Chapter 181: Please come home
River POV
"It's been a long month Enchantress. They got close so we had to run. I can't say where but if your quiet for a minute I'll go to her room so you can see her."
My eyes fill with tears and I nod.
She's asleep holding her little bunny stuffed animal I got for her. Her hair looks longer and even though it's only been a month she looks so much bigger. I'm holding back my tears.
"She's so big. I miss her so much. She looks good Lucky, your doing a good job with her" I say when he leaves her room.
He gets a sad look on his face and clears his throat. I watch as he goes outside to what looks like a porch. There's snow "Is that snow? I've never seen real snow before!"
"Either had I. It's so cold. We made a snow man" he turns the camera to a snowman with a coat on and a hat. I laugh "He's cute" I say "She was afraid he'd be cold out here, that's why I'm freezing and the snowman has my coat." I hear him taking a few hits from his joint.
"Lucky I don't want to lose you or her. Please come home and let us help you keep her save. The new house will be done soon and it's all gated now. No pressure just friends please. If friends is all you can offer then I will take it. If co parents is all I will accept it please!" I take a few more drinks and smoke some more then head back inside.
"He turns the camera back to him "River I have to be focused 100% on her. Last time I let my guard down and they almost got her. She only has us now. Just me and you to love and protect her. Abby's gone she signed all the paperwork when she turned 18 and then she disappeared saying she needed to find a life of her own." He looks sad, worried or scared I can't tell anymore.
"I will protect her with my life Lucky I swear to you. I'm not as strong as you but I can now hold my own in and out of the ring. Carters a great teacher and I'm graduating on monday and moving up to the next class. I won't let you or her down." I look at him with tears in my eyes.
"River. I don't know. We can't risk her safety, I can't risk it. She's my daughter now and I won't risk her safety for anyone even you" he looks away when I look at him. I'm failing now at holding my tears back. "Lucky please I need my baby back in my arms. I don't want to miss her birthday, she should be able to celebrate it with people who love her. I love her and in my heart she's my daughter and I can't live without her anymore please. I will meet you in some random state or country I don't even care but please let me be there for her birthday" he makes eye contact with me this time and he even holds my eyes for a moment.
"Okay." He says as he takes a deep breath "I will try to see what we can set up that will be safe. I will get back to you about it. She wakes up at 730-8 every morning we're in the same time zone now if you want to call around nine, I'll turn the phone on then." I sigh out "Really" I can't stop the tears anymore. I look away from him as I ugly cry.
"Thank you so much Lucky. Thank you" I say through my tears. I take another swig from my flask.
"River are you okay? Like really okay other then the nightmare?" I smile at him "of course. Why?"
He looks at me for a while longer "I never seen you drink that much in such a short time plus you smoked. How long has it been since you talked to Pickle?" I start crying "I'm fine or I will be. I just missed you guys and it's been hard not knowing if your alright or not. My dream was awful and it just reminded me that my father's still out there. I keep getting weird texts from someone I don't know but yes I'm a freaking mess but I'm trying, okay I'm trying! Lucky it's been two days and I haven't even gotten a text from him!" He looks at me and holds my eyes I see something flash in his eyes for a moment before he looks away and clears his throat.
"Have you been talking to Brain?" He asks as it looks like his doing something else on a different phone.
"Yeah here and there. Flame comes home tomorrow. Why?"
"Has Pickle ever brought anything up? Is Chailor home with you?"
"No they're on their baby moon. Lucky your scaring me. Is he coming for me?" I take a swig of my flask.
"River just breathe, I'm here with you look at me. I promise you he's not coming for you ever!"
I get up and lock my bedroom door "Lucky that's not something you can promise, I know your just trying to help but no one really knows when he's going to pop back up! He's going to find me and kill me!" he looks at me seriously then sighs.
"Enchantress. He's not coming for you, take a breath your spiraling. I'm not the one who should be telling you this and I'm sure I'll get punched for it especially since you're all alone and I'm not sure how this will go over but okay here it goes" he takes a deep breath and looks at me " I can make you that promise because I'm the one who killed him, four years ago, I killed your father."
I smack myself as hard as I can across my face. I feel the burn of the slap so I'm not dreaming.
"River what the fuck!" He yells out.
I blink a few times and I can see the red mark on my face in the video window. I feel like I can breathe like really breathe for the first time in forever. I start smiling ear to ear and then I cry.
"Fuck! Come on princess look at me please!"
I look up and look in his eyes I need to know if it's true "Did he suffer?" He breaths out "Yes to his very last breath. If I knew you then or knew what he did to you I would have kept that mother fucker alive suffering for a few days more"
I'm free! I'm finally free!
"Thank you Lucky! Thank you! I've been scared for so long. I feel free for the first time really and truly free." I yawn suddenly feeling tried. I lean back and close my eyes.
"Good night sweet enchantress" I hear Lucky say before I fall asleep.