Page 6 of Passionate Hearts

“What about work?” Brianna asked.

“I took off for the next couple of days.”

“Good for you,” Brianna insisted.

“I figure it’s the least I can do for my body,” River said with a smile.

“You’ve got that right.” Brianna agreed.

Brianna sat beside River on the couch. For the first time that day she allowed herself to think about how grateful she was to have River here.

“Everything okay, B?” River asked, a look of concern creasing her face.

“Yeah. I’m good. I was just taking a minute to be grateful that you’re here,” Brianna answered.

“That’s incredibly sweet. Possibly a little morbid. But I can appreciate it given the circumstances.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I think I’m still processing yesterday,” Brianna admitted.

“I need you to know how grateful I am that I have a friend like you who always shows up for me. You got in touch witheveryone I needed to have called. You made sure everyone was updated. You gave me a ride home. And you did all of that even though you’re still processing everything yourself.”

“I still feel kind of bad. I mean how torn up am I allowed to be? It isn’t as if I got hit by a car.”

“Sure. But you care about me and I got hit by a car. Sometimes it’s worse watching someone you care about suffer. I mean I do still think I have it way worse. But you’re allowed to be a close second,” River laughed. Brianna shook her head and laughed.

“Well thanks for that,” Brianna sighed. River lay her head on Brianna’s shoulder. She listened to River’s breathing. There had never been a more comforting sound. A sudden flash in her mind showed Brianna what it might be like to bring her mouth closer to River’s. What it might be like to kiss River’s full gorgeous lips. Brianna quickly shoved the thoughts out of her mind.

What was she doing? Why now? They had been living together for a while, and Brianna had never had a hard time being friends. Now here she was imagining what it would be like to kiss River. Brianna lay her head back against the couch.

“Everything, okay? River asked.

“Everything is great. I’m just happy you’re alright.”

River leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Brianna’s face turned a deep shade of red.

“You’re the best. Do you know that?”

“Eh, I’ll do in a pinch.”

Brianna tried to play the words off. Not that she didn’t think she was a good friend, she knew that she was a fantastic friend. But there was something suddenly uncomfortable about River considering her a good friend. She managed to hold in a sigh. Brianna pulled out her phone and shot Mel a quick message. She wished she could work through what she was feeling with River, but that would be unfair. River was still dealing with all the trauma the accident had done to her body. It wouldn’t be fair to stack her newfound feelings on top of everything River was already feeling. Her phone dinged and Brianna checked it. Mel wanted to meet her for coffee.

Brianna rose carefully from the couch. River glanced up at her in confusion.

“Are you going somewhere?” River asked.

“Yeah. I need to run a quick errand. I’ll be back in an hour. Will you be okay until I get back?”

“Of course, I’ll be fine. Go run your errand. I’m sure I can survive for an hour on my own.”

Brianna gave River a genuine smile before walking towards the door. Mel had asked to meet at Mallie’s, which meant she could be working. Brianna pulled into the first parking spot she could find at Mallie’s and laid her head against the steering wheel.

Mel was waiting for her in a booth when Brianna stepped inside. Her crisp uniform was neat and clean. This would have to be a short visit. Brianna sat down in the booth and offered a haggard smile.

“Hey buddy, is everything okay?”

Brianna’s head swam with how to answer that question.

“Is River, okay?” Mel added. That question brought Brianna out of her existential crisis.

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