4. River

River

D o you ever get the feeling that your life is one big joke? Only the punchline is never delivered, so you never get to laugh about it?

That’s how I feel all the damn time, like I’m living in a joke, just waiting for the laugh, but it never arrives.

“Stop stressing,” my twin brother Finn says as we’re let out of the jail cell. “Dad won’t find out about this.”

“Doubtful,” I mutter as we follow the officer toward the exit door. “A hundred bucks says when we exit this building, paparazzi will be outside.”

He wavers before saying, “Maybe there’s a back exit.” He looks at the officer as he’s opening the door. “Hey man, is there another way out of this place? Like maybe a more lowkey way out?”

The officer gives him an annoyed look. “No.” He yanks open the door, muttering, “Damn rich brats thinking they can always get what they want.”

I internally sigh as I follow Finn through the doorway and into the check-out area. This isn’t our first time in jail, but we’ve never been arrested for anything I’ve done. I’m the good one, my father is always telling me. The obedient one.

And perhaps I am, but only because my future is headed to a pointless abyss. Finn constantly tells me that I’m depressed, and he might be right. But I don’t know how to fix myself when I’ve got nothing to look forward to.

“What an asshole,” Finn says as he collects his wallet from off the counter.

“Careful,” I warn. “They can still throw you back in jail.”

He makes a big show of rolling his eyes as he stuffs his wallet into the back pocket of his pants.

I sigh again. It’s kind of my thing when I’m around my brother.

As I collect my belongings from the counter, Finn wanders to the waiting room area that’s buzzing with chatter. For some reason, my mind drifts to that girl we saw while we were behind bars. She looked so upset when she was making the phone call, like her whole world was breaking apart, but she was fighting to keep it together.

It almost felt like looking in a mirror. Although, I’m sure our problems are much different.

Still, I can’t stop thinking about her, her big eyes so full of sadness, her long, flowing hair, and the tough demeanor she was throwing at Finn.

Then I think about how worried she looked when the phone call ended. Clearly, she was concerned her mother wouldn’t come bail her out.

“Hey… um… I have a question,” I say to the middle-aged woman with blonde hair sitting behind the desk.

The phone is ringing in the background and she looks irritated as she looks at me. “What is it?”

I rest my arms on the counter and offer her a friendly smile, which softens her a bit. It’s something I’ve learned how to do over the years—charm people with my smiles and good looks. Finn is way better at it, though, and does it more frequently. But he can also act on his flirting. I can’t.

“There’s this girl back in one of those cells,” I say. “She’s probably around my age. She has dark hair, is tall, and really pretty.”

“Okay,” she replies. “What’s the question?”

I shift my weight. “I was just wondering if she made bail, and if not, I’d like to pay for hers.”

Her brows rise in surprise, but quickly even out. “Let me see if I can figure out who it is.” She rotates her chair toward the computer and clicks a few keys. “There’s only one young woman in the holding cell right now. The other two are much older.”

“That’s got to be her then.” I reach to retrieve my wallet out of my back pocket. “How much is her bail?”

“It’ll be about five hundred dollars.” She watches my reaction.

I don’t even blink as I take out my card. Money has never been a struggle for me. It’s the strings connected to it that have caused the issues.

She smiles as she grabs the card, but I detect the slightest bit of detesting envy in her eyes. This happens a lot, especially on northside.

“And can you keep this anonymous?” I ask, not wanting anyone to find out about this.

She nods and then swipes my card.

A few minutes later, I’m approaching Finn in the waiting room.

“What’s that look on your face for?” he questions, zipping up his jacket.

“What look?” I question, glancing at my watch.

It’s late and I’m hoping that’ll lower the risk of paparazzi loitering outside.

Finn lifts a brow at me. “Okay, play dumb then. But just an FYI, you’re not very good at it.” He throws me a grin as he backs toward the glass exit doors that lead outside. “I am, but you’re not bro.”

He’s right. Finn is great at fitting in wherever he is. Me? I stand out like a single cloud in a sunny sky. I’ve been deemed the brooding one, the intense one—the untouchable one.

“I’m not playing dumb,” I try to lie to him anyway as we push out the doors and step into the crisp night air?—

Flash.

Click.

Flash.

Blinding lights flicker across the darkness blanketing the outside.

“River, over here,” a guy holding a camera says.

I look the opposite way and find more cameras pointed at me.

The paparazzi have found out, which means our father will find out about our little outing tonight.

We’ve been caught and the consequences are going to be brutal.