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Slowly, I slide off the couch, teeth gritted, and crawl over to the end table where et it in my hand, I just stare at it

Who the hell am I supposed to call?

There’s Amelia… but I don’t want her to see me like this I don’t want to tell her about what Ryan did I couldn’t call Ryan’s parents—not when it’s their own son that left me like this

I have no one Unless, I do so stupid and call someone I really don’t want to

I put the phone toat this point

“Officer Brady”

“Hi, this is River I… can you give erald’s number please? I’d like to talk to him about what happened”

“Ma’am, I can take the repor—”

“I’d like to talk to Detective Fitzgerald, please”

Nine

River

PAST

10 YEARS OLD

MY FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL, Rocky, is stuffed inin so many filthy places But I need hi to keepWhen I cry, it hurts I think Billy broke s aren’t punctured, I would be fine

How does he know they’re not?