Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 96586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Our lips spread in tandem, tongues anxious to apologize to one another for different things. His attempts to roll around slowly, tenderly while mine rejects the gentle behavior by whipping around wildly and madly until he’s left with no choice but to try to capture it. The harder he works to trap my feverishly moving muscle, the more forceful his strokes become, and the tension I know is being released.
When I abruptly pull back on a nip of his bottom lip, I tease, “I’ll give you a stronger dose when we get home.” Flashing him the hard candy precedes my next statement. “Use this for now.”
He lightly chuckles and takes the wrapped treat.
Uncomfortable silence attempts to come between us pushing me to quietly proclaim, “I don’t care what anyone thinks, Ry. I love you. You’re it for me.”
The corner of his lip does it’s best to reach for the stars. “Pres-”
“No.” I plant a loving hand on his bent arm. “We’re not doing this shit again. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. What matters in this relationship is you and me. Got it?”
Ry momentarily glances away prior to asking, “Did you really try to commit suicide during our breakup?”
More cravings to muzzle myself occur; however, I force myself to fight against them just as my boyfriend is fighting his own demons. “Once.”
His entire body seems to dissolve into itself. “Pres-”
“You had your way of dealing with shit, and I had mine. Usually it was food, but there was one moment in time when that wasn’t enough.”
“I never…,” he quietly croaks, voice unable to finish the sentence. “I…”
“I know.” My thumb gives his arm a gentle stroke. “And it wasn’t your fault. I made that choice. I chose to deal with pain that way. I continued to be in pain rather than ask for help because I was a young girl feeling heartbroken and powerless. We both made mistakes back then, and we have both become better people in spite of them now.”
Ry nods in agreement as he begins to unwrap his candy. “I don’t know that I could’ve gone on had that happened. Had you…,” there’s an uncomfortable shifting of his frame, “killed yourself.” He wedges the candy into his mouth. “Probably would’ve been some Romeo and Juliet shit.”
“You know that story is not nearly as romantic as they make it out to be,” I playfully poke, successfully lightening the mood.
“You just say that because you think Shakespeare is a hack.”
“He is a hack. That shit was a bunch of toilet humor we warped into believing is classic. Do your homework.”
“Fuck, I can’t believe I’m probably gonna have actual homework again soon,” my boyfriend lightly laughs.
“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll make studying even more fun than I used to.”
His eyes dip down the front of my black sleeveless dress on a wicked smirk. “Should I start calling you Miss Morrison?”
“Only if you’re nasty.”
My playful wink gets us both laughing and our body’s leaning together for another kiss; however, the action is unexpectedly stopped by a throat clearing. Together we swing out stares over our shoulders to see my brother lingering in the doorway.
“I don’t like you with my sister,” Gabe needlessly announces, “but…I shouldn’t have attacked you.”
“I get why you did.” Ry offers him a small shrug. “I probably would’ve done the same shit if Pres were my sister.”
“Yeah, well, she is my sister, and I want her in my life…And in my daughter’s life…And if that means figuring out how to have you around then,” my brother releases a defeated sigh, “so fucking be it.” He presents me with a small smile before scowling at my boyfriend again. “But hurt her again, Ryder, and I’ll toss your ass in the swamp for the gators to eat.” His grin becomes malicious. “I know some people.”
Cool.
Cool.
My older brother made friends with a serial killer.
“Now, you two come back in. Calzones are almost done and Antonio is demanding we teach Akiko how to sing happy birthday.”
Light laughter leaves us all as Ry springs to his feet to help me to mine.
The action while small reminds me of everything I need to know.
He is always willing to be there for me.
Assist.
That unlike before we do everything together.
As a team.
As a couple.
As soulmates.
Chapter 20
Ryder
- “I know I don’t always do the smartest shit…” -
Pres: Training starts in two but thank you for the love note babe.
Pre: JUST found it.
Why am I not surprised?
She’s been working both ends of the wrench since we took her birthday off together last week.
It was just one day but with the way she’s been pulling extra hours and working from home after dinner you’d think it was the whole fucking week.
Pres: I love you.
Pres: I’ll call you when I get home.
I let fingers fly effortless across the keys.
Me: I love you too.