Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
I had to do it again.
I hadn’t given Ethan an answer yet, but I believed that it was time to do so. I couldn’t wallow in my sadness forever, even if that was the only thing I had strength for right now. I grabbed my phone and sank down on my couch, my thumb hovering over Ethan’s contact.
Once I called him, my life would change. I would leave everything behind.
Before I could commit, there was a knock on the door. I put my phone down as I peered toward the foyer with a confused look on my face. I wasn’t expecting guests, but Ethan had a habit of coming by unannounced. With a sigh, I hauled myself to my feet and went to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open.
“I was just about to—”
My words became caught in my throat at the sight of Ryder and the band standing on my doorstep in button down shirts and khakis. They all looked their best, but there were looks of worry and hope clashing on their faces. I couldn’t even begin to describe how I felt.
“What…? I don’t understand...”
I tried to form a sentence but failed.
Ryder glanced at the others for encouragement before facing me.
“You saw Kerrie and I hugging through the kitchen window. We’re not together. We split up on good terms, and she was grabbing the rest of her things from the house,” he told me, rushing out the words like he expected me to slam the door in his face before he could finish.
I stared at him with wide eyes, trying to figure out if his words were genuine or not. I looked over at the other guys, who nodded, assuring me that was the truth. My face burned with embarrassment as I thought back to that moment. I only looked for a few seconds, and it was just a hug.
“I thought you lied to me,” I admitted.
Ryder nodded.
“Because you’re still hurt from what I did to you,” he said. “And I’m so sorry for that. The last thing I want to do is hurt the woman I love.”
My head started to feel light as I took a step back, my heart hammering heavily. I couldn’t believe they were all on my doorstep right now.
“Is that why all of you are here? To explain what happened?” I asked.
“That’s half of the reason,” Amos spoke up as they all slowly stepped into my apartment.
“Ryder got to tell you how he felt about you, but we haven’t gotten that chance yet,” Wyatt added.
“How do you feel?” I asked, my voice bordering on a whisper.
Jesse reached me first, his hand taking mine.
“Like I want you in my life forever. My kid is a good judge of character, and she loves you to death,” he chuckled lightly. “And I trust you with everything I have.”
Tears gleamed in my eyes as I smiled at him. Before I could reply, he stepped away, and Carson took his place.
“Hard to beat that,” he said with a smirk. “But I want you to know that you’re the coolest, sexiest, sweetest woman I’ve ever met. You’ve supported me so much that I actually feel proud of myself. I’ve never felt like that before.”
“You should be,” I told him as a tear rolled down my cheek.
Carson smiled and wiped my tears away before moving to the side.
Amos stood in front of me, taking both of my hands with a warm smile on his face.
“I liked you in the past, but I love you now. I love how kind you are. How passionate you are. We’ve come a long way since high school, and I’m honored to have gotten to know the person you are now,” Amos said with pure sincerity in his voice.
My bottom lip threatened to tremble. I hadn’t ever heard such sweet words before, and it was surreal hearing how much they cared about me. How I had impacted them. I never thought that I was anything special, but they made me feel like I was on top of the world.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Amos shot me a wink before switching places with Wyatt.
Wyatt brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face that had slipped out of my ponytail.
“I’m glad you’re okay, beautiful. We were worried about you,” he said as he let his fingers drift along my jaw. “We won’t ever hurt you. I can’t stand the thought of being without you. Or losing you. You’re the only one I want.”
My heart raced so quickly that I could hardly catch my breath. All of these men felt something deep for me, something special. They actually returned my feelings, and it seemed like they were fine with each other caring for me.
“All of you… love me?” I asked.
“We want you as ours,” Ryder spoke up as he moved closer to me, tension crackling between us. “I let you go before, but I want to fight for you now.”