Page 29 of River
River scratched her nose. “What you missed was that I grew up in a cult in Ireland until I was eleven. Damian, my sister’s husband, was one of the policemen who came to save us when the leader of the cult began killing all the members. We were five children in the house, and he would have killed us too, but luckily we were rescued.”
I gaped at her. “Are you serious right now?”
Moisture formed in her eyes. “Do you think I’d joke about something like that?”
“It just sounds like something from a movie.”
River collected herself and drew in a deep sigh. “Maybe because you’re from Norway. I can’t imagine you have much crime, do you?”
“We had a horrible mass murder back in 2011, but otherwise crime rates are pretty low. How many people died?”
“Twenty-eight.”
I swallowed hard. “Fuck. That’s brutal, River. And you were only eleven.”
“Yes, I was the youngest. All my adopted siblings were older than me. I’m closest to Maximum and Nathan.”
“I’m not really sure what to say.”
“It’s fine. I understand it’s a lot to take in, but I’m telling you so that you understand why it’s so difficult for me to trust new people.”
“Thank you.” I gave a solemn nod and placed my hand on her shoulder. “I’m truly sorry that happened to you.”
“Me too.”
“Were your parents among the people killed?”
“No. I never knew my father. My mother never told me his name. When I was seven, my mother was expelled from the cult, and even though I wanted to go with her, I ended up staying. I don’t like to talk about my mother.”
“Why?”
River looked down and used her finger to make a circle in the sand. “Because she has tried to kill herself so many times that she now lives in a mental hospital.”
“Damn.” I took another swig of the coffee, trying to swallow my uncertainty. Why was River telling me all this, and what did it mean?”
“So, you see, Maximum and I are basically orphans like those kids that we’re helping. The only difference is that we got lucky. Charles and Liv adopted us and made sure we lacked for nothing.”
I scratched my neck, racking my brain for the right thing to say, but I wasn’t good when it came to discussing feelings and emotions.
She was quiet for a moment before she looked down at the brown bag by my feet. “Aren’t you going to eat your croissant?”
“Right.” I picked it up, and with a small smile, I devoured the pastry in two large bites.
“So, are we good now?” she asked.
“Uh-huh.” I dried my mouth to make sure I didn’t have flakes from the croissant on my face. “You didn’t have to bring me breakfast, but it was a nice surprise.”
“What are your plans for today?” she asked.
“The usual. Surfing, living… enjoying myself. You?”
“Maximum gave me the morning off, and then we have some… ehh… meetings later.”
“Oh, I forgot. I do have something important on my agenda today. I’m getting a haircut,” I said and winked at her.
“Are you?” She was more relaxed now that we’d moved on to a safer topic and studying my hair, she offered, “If you want, I’ll be happy to recommend a style.”
“I was thinking about a buzz cut,” I said as River and I got up.
