Little did River-rose know, she wasn't as alone as she felt. Hayze had been sitting against her door every night for three nights as she cried herself to sleep.

In a way, it was a form of torture for him because he felt so guilty for taking her away from her boyfriend and her family. The fact that he couldn't just barge into her room and comfort her at night frustrated him beyond belief. So instead, he just sat outside her room until she finally fell asleep or ran out of tears.

He, for some strange reason, couldn't fall asleep until he knew his Rose had finally closed her eyes. Once he was sure she was sleeping, he'd go to his room and collapse into a light sleep. His mind was never really resting though. He was always alert and aware. He didn't know why, thats just how it was.

Sometimes, River would hope to see him because she hadn't seen him since the night they had gotten married. She was feeling so isolated and alone that she would slip her wedding ring on and off her finger, imagining it was him brushing his finger tips over her skin.

She wanted to see him in all his tall, slightly intimdating glory. She wanted to be looked at like she was beautiful with those entrancing icy blue eyes. She wanted to be touched (in an innocent way of course) by his big, rough but gentle hands.

When Nico started to make his way into her mind, she began to feel guilty about her previous thoughts so she tried to think up the same things with him filling those spots. It just wasn't the same.

River never saw Hayze, but he saw her. He watched her roam the dead garden which he never went into anymore. She looked so small, beautiful and innocent as he watched her run around the browning garden, plucking dead roses and trailing behind butterflies. He wondered what she found so intriguing about this particular garden when there were two perfectly live ones she could play in around their home.

He admired her naturally wavy, black hair that fell to her butt and her flushed face from the window of his private study. He took in her strange choice of clothing. It was something he hadn't really seen before, but it fit her so well.

She wore a fitted sports jersey under a skater skirt that fell to middle of her thighs with suspenders. Sometimes she'd wear highwasted pants with multiple buttons and big pockets. He'd notice her put things into the pockets sometimes but he never really knew what those things were because he was too far away.

She wore knee socks and some type of flat sneakers along with them. Sometimes, she'd put her hair into two french braids that fell all the way down to her waist and sometimes she'd put her hair in two high buns to get her hair off her neck.

Whatever she wore and whatever she did had him entranced and sometimes he'd just want to run down there and kiss her but he couldn't. He had to remind himself that he couldn't because she didn't care for him the way he did for her. She had someone else that she cared for.

Hayze would sometimes be extremely upset when he'd find her crying and quietly asking Nico to forgive her over what he thought was the phone. He soon realized she was talking to herself and that she was literally drowning in guilt and lonliness.

River didn't know this, but the breakfast she'd find on the kitchen table in the morning was made by Hayze himself. Everything was delecious and River ate until she was stuffed, which wasn't much because she had always had a small appetite.

Hayze would smile to himself when he found the thank you notes when he came back from work on the table where her food once was. It was always adressed to 'the wonderful chef' and there would always be a little smiley face at the bottom.

He looked forward to seeing those notes even though she had no idea he was the one behind her breakfast. The notes were the highlight to his day, especially after coming home from a stressful day at work.

Hayze thought River wouldn't want to see him. He couldn't be more wrong. Little did he know; she craved his attention, even his touch (though she would never admit it). Actually, she craved basically anyones attention at this point.

Fear. Fear was something Hayze rarely felt. However, he feared losing something he never even had. He was scared that if he tried to get close to River, she'd reject him. He didn't want her to hate and resent him. He didn't really think his sweet Rose was capable of showing hate, but then again, he didn't want to be the first on her list. That would kill him.

Back in the garden, River kept hearing the sounds of vicious barks. It freaked her out that she couldn't figure out where the sounds were coming from and Hayze had never said anything about him having a dog. But then again, he hardly spoke to her in the first place. She hadn't seen him in four days.

River hopped from path stone to path stone, trying to think of some way to entertain herself.

The sudden feeling of being watched had her stumbling over her feet and falling onto the gravel betwewn the pathstones. She hissed as she got up off her scraped knees and plopped down onto her butt to examine the damage.

Hayze had seen as she clumsily tripped and fell in his dead garden which he called her garden now.

He shook his head and mumbled 'clumsy girl' in italian before calling in Vito, who he actually trusted a lot and looked up to. He employed Vito because he was loyal and at the same time he was stuggling to provide for his family.

"Hayze?"

Without looking away from River, he adressed Vito. "Go to River's garden, the one below my study, and help River get cleaned up. Don't touch her too much. And have her eat her dinner as well. She doesn't eat much."

"Isn't that garden locked up?" Vito asked as he came up and peered down at Hayze's wife who was in the middle of pulling down her knee socks.

"Sì, it is."

"Then how'd she get in?"

"I beleive she found a gap in the hedge and crawled through."

Vito chuckled. "She's a small little thing, isn't she."

"Yes," he mumbled as he stared down at River. He hated seeing her hurt. "Now go do what i asked," he commanded.

"Sorry." Vito turned to exit but he quickly stopped himself. "With all due respect, shouldn't you be the one down there helping her up. I know this was an arranged marriage but i know you care for her. Why haven't you given her any attention? I'm sure she must be lonely."

I wish i could give her my attention and love

"She's not a child. She doesn't need my attention," Hayze said dismissively.

"I think you're forgetting that she practically is one," Vito said with a sigh.

Hayze abruptly turned around to say he'd do it, but unfortunately, Vito was already gone.

°•○●○•°

"Hayze said that you must eat all your dinner," Vito told River as she sat down at the dining room table, alone.

She looked down at the huge pate of steak and vegetables. She didn't want to seem ungrateful but she didn't think she could stomach it all. "I-I don't think I can eat all of this. Can I just eat half of the stake?"

After a small pause, Vito looked at her with a softened gaze. "I'm sure you can. I'll tell Hayze you'll be saving the other half for lunch tomorrow." He turned to leave but River's voice stopped.

"Wait!" She blushed and lowered her voice which wasn't even loud in the first place. "I'm sure Hayze is too busy to see me but will he be joining me for dinner," she asked nervously.

"I'm not sure. I can go and ask him for you," Vito said, his eyes full of sympathy.

"That would be nice. Thank you Vito."

"My pleasure River. Would you like some dessert of some sort later? Hayze had me buy some sweets for you while I was out."

River's whole face lit up. "Really? Does this mean he doesn't really detest me?"

Vito looked at her with furrowed brows. "You think he... detests you?" If only she knew how far off she was

River blushed and picked up a piece of buttered broccoli with her fingers. "Well, it hasn't seemed like he wants to see me. I was just wondering if I was burdening him or something."

"Not at all, my dear. Not at all."

°•○○•°

Hayze never came to dinner, so River sat alone at the huge dining room table. In silence.

The house was dead quiet and the only thing letting her know that she hadn't gone deaf was the sound of her chewing and her fork hitting the plate.

River was getting up from the table when she suddenly hit her bandanged knee on the table. She cried out in pain and literally hit herself for being so clumsy. She knew that if her mother saw her now, she'd be so very dissapointed.

Why? Well for one; her mother was the definiton of grace and ladiness. River ate her vegetables with her fingers. She sat in her seat with her legs crossed. She wore clothes that would cause her mother to have an actual stroke. Her mother had made it clear that she didn't like her style very much. She'd rather River put on a simple dress.

No matter how much her mother criticized her and kept her under strict rules, she still wished she could see her; so much.

River even wanted to see ger father, even if he did marry her off to someone she didn't love. Any other time she'd love being with her father. He was the more easy going one and with the little free time he had from work, he made sure to spend it with his daughter.

River was startled out of her thoughts when Vito came into the dining room with a bowl of icecream. "River, are you okay?"

"Y-yes. Im fine, thank you."

He looked at her skeptically before placing down her dessert. "I hope you like chocolate chip."

Her eyes lit up and she plopped back down into her seat. "Yes, of course. Thank you."

When she looked at the icecream and didn't immediately begin eating it, Vito became concerned. "Is there something wrong?"

River looked up at him and then back at the icecream. "Did Hayze s-say something?"

Vito's eyes softened. "I'm afraid not. Soon, i'm sure."

River tried not to look dissapointed. She picked up the spoon but still did not scoop up any icecream.

"Anything else?"

River suddenly thought back to Nico and how he didn't like when she disobeyed him. He'd be so angry.

"Actually, can i have this another time?"

She never would have that icecream