14. Un-Beautiful Things.

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For all of five minutes River stands at his door frozen, sweating from trepidation. He can hear the loud shuffling inside his apartment, the boxes at the door a clear sign that James had returned after a week. He expected it, but not so soon when the wounds were still ripe with blood and still ached like the burn of hellfire. River wanted to confront James, who could explain him just up and leaving. To get things off their chest and fix things before they got too sour. 

The second River turns the key in the door, it flies open revealing Cassie Malacca, a stunning Samoan with long, wavy black hair. “River, hi.” She greets with a lack of enthusiasm, but even with that expression she has an enviable beauty. 

River forces a smile, but Cassie doesn’t return it. “Why are you here?” He questions, standing on his toes to look inside the apartment. Instead of answering, she peers at him as if intimidated by his very existence.&n