Monday morning rolled in slow and gray, clouds thick overhead like the weight River had been carrying for years. But something inside him had shifted. He still felt the fear, the scars, the memories—but now, they didn't define him. Not entirely.
They walked to school hand-in-hand, a quiet sort of courage between them. For the first time, River wasn't afraid of being seen.
But peace, they both knew, never lasted long.
At lunch, as they stepped into the courtyard, a sudden hush spread across the tables. Phones lifted. Whispers passed between students.
Lila caught the words first.
"He's back."
"Jace?"
"By the gate."
River's jaw tightened. He looked at Lila, who only nodded. No panic. No fear. Just understanding.
"Do you want me to go with you?" she asked softly.
He shook his head. "No. I have to finish this. But wait for me?"
"Always."
---
River found Jace exactly where he'd expected—leaning against the rusted gate behind the gym, the place where everything had started months ago. The cigarette between Jace's fingers smoldered lazily, but his eyes were sharp.
"You've got a death wish, showing up here," River said, voice calm.
Jace smirked. "Funny, I was going to say the same to you."
They stood in silence for a long beat, the air between them heavy with things unsaid.
Then River spoke, clear and steady. "You used me. I took the fall. You ran."
"You think I don't know that?" Jace's voice rose, bitterness cracking his cool. "You think I haven't lived with that night every damn day?"
River blinked. That wasn't what he expected.
"You think I came here to finish a fight?" Jace spat. "No. I came because I heard you're not scared anymore. And it pissed me off."
River narrowed his eyes. "You didn't come here to apologize. You came to provoke me."
"I came to see if the River I knew was really gone."
River stepped forward, close enough to meet Jace eye-to-eye. "He is."
For a moment, Jace looked like he wanted to laugh. But then something else flickered across his face—regret? Guilt?
"You were my brother, man," Jace said. "We were supposed to watch each other's backs. I screwed that up."
"You didn't just screw it up," River replied. "You left me bleeding. You walked away like I didn't matter."
Jace looked away. "I was scared. And I was selfish."
Silence.
"Do you want forgiveness?" River asked.
Jace didn't answer right away. "I don't expect it. I just needed to know if I was still the monster in your story."
River's voice was quieter now, but firm. "You were. But my story moved on."
Then he turned and walked away.
He didn't run. He didn't look back. He didn't need to.
---
Lila was waiting for him beneath the cherry tree on campus. Her arms were crossed, eyes searching for any sign of what happened.
He walked up to her, heart pounding, and said, "It's over."
"What did you say to him?" she asked gently.
"I told him the truth," River replied. "And then I left it behind."
She smiled softly, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm proud of you."
River wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. "I don't want to be haunted anymore."
"You won't be," she whispered. "Not while I'm here."
---
Later that night, they returned to their rooftop—their safe place.
Lila brought her sketchpad again. This time, she drew them. Not perfect, not polished. But real. Two figures side by side, leaning into each other beneath a starry sky.
River looked at it and smiled.
"I want more than this," he said quietly. "Not just escape. Not just surviving. I want a future. A real one."
Lila took his hand. "So let's build it."
He kissed her then—slow, reverent. The kind of kiss that says I see you. I'm here. I'm choosing you.
And she kissed him back with everything she had.