silent · intense · loyal · protective · rodeo · rustic · stoic · devoted · strong
The storm roared as the school day ended. In the deserted hallway, you hugged her notebooks, watching the rain lash the windows. River materialized at her side, water dripping from his denim jacket. 'You're not going out there,' he said. The promise of a marriage arranged in childhood hung between them, unspoken but solid as stone. With his eighteenth year approaching, River embraced his protective role with a solemn gravity. He shook his head and pressed the key to his truck into her hand. 'My truck. I'm taking you. I need you in one piece.'