Hayze pressed a kiss to River's forehead as she stared blankly ahead at his chest. She had gotten better. And then gotten worse.

"You better keep your phone with you at all times, pretty girl. I'll call every hour. Be careful and call if you need anything, alright?" he said as he raked her hair back gently. She nodded and he shook his head, tilting her chin up. "Uh uh, words babygirl. I need to know you'll remember."

"Yes Hayze," she said as she looked up at him, her honey eyes in a slight daze. He furrowed his brows and kissed her little nose a few times.

"Let me know if you need me. Or maybe I can get you to a really good therapist," he offered.

She shook her head tiredly and rest her head on his chest with a small sigh. "I don't need a therapist, Hayze. I need Nico to be found and caught. And put in jail," she sniffled, her voice a pleading whimper. "He's gotten away with abuse and that was my fault. And he murdered our unborn baby. I can't let him get away with such horrible things anymore. I'm done letting him run me. Scare me. I'm just... done."

Hayze lifted her head from his chest and pressed a soft kiss of disbelief to her lips. "When did you think about all of this?" he asked softly.

"When I was in bed ignoring you," River said quietly which caused Hayze to chuckle.

"Ah, so you were in deep thought, huh?" Hayze asked. "I'm sorry I got upset over that. I should have tried to understand what you were feeling."

"Its okay, sometimes we're so blinded by our own pain that we don't see anyone else suffering along with us."

Hayze smiled and was about to swoop her up into his arms, but than his watch timer went off. He sighed and gave her one last kiss, not wanting to leave her alone. "I've got to get going. I'll be back soon. Be careful, alright."

°•○●○•°

Hayze looked at his phone again for the sixth time in eight minutes. He was supposed to be here by now.

Hayze had driven four hours away from River - just to find that he wasn't in the area any longer. He had gotten up and left again. Knowing the police were in pursuit of him. And Hayze as well.

But now it was another four hour drive back home. What an absolute waste of...

Hayze's eyes widened when he spotted someone that looked to have the same build as Nico and he quickly checked his phone, a message coming in to let him know that Nico had arrived.

Hayze loosened the buttons around his neck and got out of the car, slamming the car door behind him as Nico entered the bar/restaraunt.

"Keep it peaceful," Hayze said under his breath as he rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. "You don't need anything more on your record and River wouldn't be happy if you ended up behind bars instead of taking her from behind." He shook his head at himself, chuckling lightly. "How the hell does that girl put up with me?"

Hayze pushed through the swinging doors of the bar and immediately spotted the back of Nico's head. He sat at the bar, ordering a beer of some sort, his dirty blond hair touseled on top of his head.

Hayze slid up into a seat beside him, nodding his head to the bartender and the man beside him.

Nico looked to his right and nodded at Hayze, not noticing that this was his ex-girlfriends husband sitting beside him.

"How you doing man?" Hayze asked calmly once he realized Nico hadn't noticed him.

Hayze immediately noticed the sunken in dark circles under his eyes and he shook his head in disbeleif.

"I'm... alright, i guess." Nico thanked the bartender and chugged back his glass of beer as soon as it was in his hand.

Hayze wondered how he'd gotten it down so fast. "You sure can hold your alcohol."

"It's easy to do when you're upset with yourself or you've started young. I'm surprised my liver hasn't given up on me like my mom did..." he drifted off before ordering another beer.

Even though this man had just killed his unborn baby and caused the woman he loved so much pain, he felt empathy build up in his chest for the guy.

Nico was like him. Suffering silently with his own pain. And he was using abuse and alcohol as an outlet. But all that had been doing was eating away at him.

Hayze had been in his postition at one point. He'd just dealt with things differently.

Hayze had been the angry young man Nico was. And it was a terrible time for him. He was just - so angry.

Hayze knew never to raise his hand on a woman. Or man in that fact - unless in self defense. But Nico hadn't. He'd grown up around a tough dad his whole life.

But that still didn't give him an excuse to selfishly beat River and kill their baby.

"Listen here kid, you're young. Still got time to change. I made mistakes that i wish i hadn't made. But one thing that you gotta keep in mind, are that most mistakes can be fixed or forgiven. As long as you're not lying to yourself about em', you can change."

Nico stared ahead at his glass, watching the condesation drip down it slowly. It mocked the single tear that fell down his face.

"It gets exausting running away from your problems eventually. Some learn that later than others. Its best to face them earlier, that way less damage is done," Hayze said quietly as he watched the tear drop into Nico's lap.

Hayze got up and pat Nico on the back hard. "Things get better," he said, before exiting the bar.

°•○●○•°

Two days later, Hayze had been informed that Nico had turned himself into the police and confessed most of his crimes.

Releif hit him instantly and he ran up to River who hadn't left the bed in a while. Maybe this would be the thing that got her up and outside.

"Baby girl!" he said as he burst into the room. A frown formed on his face when he realized that the bed had been made and she was no longer in it. "River?" He questioned as she scanned the large room. "Where are you?"

No answer....

He rubbed the scruff around his jaw in confusion before going over to the bathroom and knocking lightly. "Can i come in pretty girl, i have some good news."

Still no answer...

He cracked the door opened and his eyes widened when he spotted River in the tub, her eyes closed and small bubbles escaping her nose as she sank to the bottom of the tub. "F~ck!"

He scrambled over and reached into the tub, his gold watch around his wrist forgotten and his white dress shirt sheering out.

He pulled her out of the water and onto the floor, wincing when her body hit the floor with a smack. She was dead weight.

"No no no no," he grumbled as tears started fill his eyes. He shook her lightly and felt for a pulse. "Sh~t babygirl! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He exclaimed as he turned her onto her side and started to hit her back, coaxing the water out of her throat.

His hands shook and trembled as he tried to revive her, a shaky sigh of releif escaping him when she took in a large inhale of air and began to spit up the water.

"F~cking hell!" He cursed as he ran his fingers through his hair and pat her back gently. "What were you doing River. You know better to just leave me like that."

River turned over and looked at him through teary eyes before she stuffed her face into his chest and began to sob and shake. "I didn't m-mean to. I took sleeping pills to get some s-sleep and i forgot i did and got into the tub. I'm so-sorry."

His heart broke. She was just as scared as he was about her.

She began to cough and choke and he quickly lifted her up into his lap, her straddling him as she tucked her face into his neck.

"I should spank you for being so careless," he hissed quietly as she gripped her bum to hold her and got off the floor.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and sniffled quietly, her body breaking out into shivers. "I'm sorry Hayze. I really am."

"I know pretty girl, i know. I won't be harsh with you. Just know you aren't getting baths unless i'm there anymore, you hear me?" He asked sternly, his heart pumping fast in his chest.

"Yes Hayze," she said hoarsely.

"Good girl," he said as he grabbed a towel from the shelf and laid her down in the bed. He dried her front off, keeping his eyes on her face as she watched him quietly, small shivers and sniffles coming from her.

He rolled her over onto her stomach and dried off her back and bum, giving her one hard spank. "Don't you dare scare me like that again."

She whimpered and shook her head. "I won't."

"Good. It's a good thing I came up here to tell you Nico turned himself in or you wo-"

"What!?" she screeched as she turned over and sat up. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He flicked her with the towel in his hand. "Well I couldn't exactly tell you when you were drowning in the tub, bella rosa," he grumbled.

She glared at him and kicked his thigh, just missing his length. He gaped at her and backed up."You better watch yourself," he growled playfully.

She didn't laugh though, instead she burst into tears.