Nick's POV
"So... I don't really know what to say after that," my father murmurs while rubbing the back of his neck. His suit jacket had long been abandoned and every so often I would see him tug at his collar.
"She's scary. I mean, Luca is the best hand-to-hand fighter and assassin I have, yet Keeley, my Tigrotta, held her own and maintained the upper hand. Not many people can handle one of Luca's knockout punches, but she handled three of them. Dom, I don't know how you would feel about this," Stefano spoke while turning to face my father, "but what if they did a few assignments together?"
My brothers, as well as the Moretti's, turned to face Dad. I couldn't tell what was going on in his mind as it was guarded by a thick wall of stone.
"I need a drink. Giovanni, Nick, go check on the two lovebirds, yeah?" He walked off with Stefano while rubbing his temples. I can't remember a time where he has ever looked so confused.
"I hate to say it," Finn began while running a hand through his hair, "they really would make a good team."
"I've never seen Luca lose, so I'll have to agree with you there," Matteo spoke quietly. Callan let out what I'm assuming to be an approving grumble while sitting his large frame in one of the tiny chairs in the living room.
"What do you both think? Ya know, as the heirs to the mafia and stuff," Sam asked.
"It couldn't hurt, but at the same time, I just- I just don't know." Gio looked about just as perplexed as I was. Hell, I did not want my baby sister to go on assignments as is, much less with only a partner and not a team. I trusted Luca, I do, I see the way he looks at Keeley. He would give anything for her, but when somebody cares for someone that much, it's easy to forget the plan and do your own thing to keep them safe. Of course, I want her to be safe, but I can't have the mission and safety or everyone else jeopardized.
"Let's just go check on them," I mumble while leading Giovanni away. Neither of us speaks as we walk up the stairs.
"Five bucks says they're together," he smirks at me.
"Why would they be together?" I ask while facing him. His dark eyebrows raise in amusement while he stuffs his hands in his sweatpant pockets.
It's only been about an hour since they went upstairs. The rest of us had stayed in the gym and had cleaned in silence till only a few minutes ago.
"You'd have to be blind to not see how they look at each other. Hell, we've come home and they have looked awfully comfortable in one another's company." He laughs as he looks at my face which I'm sure is showing how annoyed I am.
I'm well aware of how acquainted the two are becoming. On more than one occasion I have had to tell them to detangle themselves from each other. I know Keeley can make her own decisions, but she doesn't need a boy distracting her.
"Don't remind me," I groan. We start walking down the hallway and pause when we hear the TV from Luca's room. I give a look to Gio and he gently nods his head. I slowly twist the handle and push the door till both of us can see in.
I take out my wallet and hand the Italian five dollars as we look at our younger siblings. Luca is on his side, shirtless might I add, and Keeley was using him as a pillow. Her blonde head was laid on his bicep, close to the crook of his neck, and her legs were tangled with his. She was wearing way too short of shorts with a t-shirt that had risen up. One of Keeley's hands was resting on his chest and his free one was dangerously low on her back.
"Those scars make me want to vomit," Giovanni spoke lowly. I looked back at her and I couldn't agree more. Some were longer than others and some were darker, and I couldn't tell what caused them. But the long, flat, and dark scars that went diagonally across her back: I knew those. I'd given those marks to people. Those clean, smooth scars were caused by a whip, and oh how I would love to kill the fucker who did that to her.
"Me too. Should we wake them?" I ask while turning to him.
"Nah, let them sleep. Lord knows Luca could use some decent rest every once in a while." I was taken back at what he had just said.
"Luca doesn't sleep?"
"No, not really. He's got pretty bad insomnia. My guess is that the tasks our father sends him on stick with him even when he's home. Don't get me wrong, he's great at what he does, but Luca cares too much about people for it not to impact him in some way," he whispers while looking worriedly at his youngest brother.
"Same with Keeley," I mutter. Gio's eyebrow quirks up. "She doesn't think we notice how often she has those nightmares, like the one from the other day. They aren't that bad all the time, but it kills me to know that something so horrific happened to her that it still continues to haunt her. Even when she's awake, Keeley's always looking over her shoulder. But I haven't noticed that as much lately, you know, ever since Luca swept her off of her feet."
I'm not going to lie, seeing Keeley trust somebody entirely that she only met two weeks ago hurts. I want to be the one she goes to. I want to be the one to share her pain. I want to be that person. I need to be that person after all these years of neglect. She deserves that from me.
"Oh, Nick," Giovanni silently laughed while closing the door, leaving us in the quiet hallway.
"What?" I snap at him.
He shakes his head before responding to me. "She loves you, Nick, and you'd have to be stupid to not see it. It's never your father's disapproval that hurts her, it's yours. The way she looks at you when she thinks nobody is watching, I see the yearning for her oldest brother. I see her want, no, her need for you to accept her. She may have feelings towards Luca, but when the time comes and she's ready and she has told her story, it's gonna be you, Nick, that she wants the okay from. It's gonna be you who she wants to comfort her. You may not see it, but I do."
I don't know what to say to that. Is he really telling the truth? And does Keeley actually love me? There is no doubt in my mind I love Keeley more than life itself. Part of the reason I treat her as I do is that I don't want her hurting. I know I've hurt her, and hell, I know I make her angry and frustrated. I just want to protect her.
Giovanni claps his hand on my back after a moment before the two of us make our way downstairs and back to our brothers.
Keeley's POV
"Tesoro, baby, wake up," a deep and velvety voice whispers in my ear. I groan and snuggle closer into Luca's warm body. I haven't slept that well in a while and I had no plans of moving anytime soon.
"No," I mumble into his bare chest. I feel him vibrate as a deep chuckle passes his lips.
"I know, but we have to. We've been asleep all day and it's time for dinner." His slight Italian accent sends a slight chill down my spine.
"I'm not getting up," I tell him matter-of-factly. I bury myself further into his side as I feel his calloused hand run up my side. Tingles spread through my body as his skin warms against me.
"I'll carry you," he sings. I internally roll my eyes as I sit up and rub my face. I take my hair out of my deflated bun and let it fall down my back.
"Fine, but I'm not happy with this." He laughs as he stands and stretches his arms above his head. I let my eyes roam over his body as I take in the way his muscles flex every time he moves. Luca's sweatpants hang low on his hips, and a scattering of bruises covers his torso and chest. Without even thinking, my hand reaches out and brushes over the nasty-looking yellow and green spots that I had given him just hours earlier.
My fingers linger there for a second before his fingers tip my chin up and he takes a few steps closer to me. "I'm okay, Tesoro. If it's any consolation, you look worse." I let out a hearty laugh while gazing into those dark-ocean blues of his. A small cut is stitched up above his eyebrow and his nose looks painful, but he is still the most gorgeous man I've ever laid eyes on. The way his ebony hair was tousled and falling over his forehead with the dark stubble covering his sharp jaw, ugh- it could make a girl melt.
"Done staring?" Luca smirks with just the tip of his mouth moving up. The setting sun was shining in and making his tan skin glow a bit more than normal.
"No, I think I'll just ogle you a bit longer." His head tilts back while his throaty laughter fills the room. He turns around till his back is facing me.
"Hop on." I waste no time standing up on the bed and climbing onto his muscled back, savoring the moment the bare skin of my legs wrap around his naked torso.
"Think you should grab a shirt?" I ask while raising my eyebrows.
"Eh, I guess." I lock my legs tighter around him as he reaches into his dresser and takes one out. I pull it down over his head and move around so it can fall down his chest. He awkwardly puts his arms through the arms holes and then moves his hands to grip my thighs.
Luca walks out of the room with me hanging onto his back like a koala. I hear the laughter and voices of our families as we slowly make our way down the stairs and to the dining room.
"Ah, the household sweethearts have arrived," my father announces while Luca drops me to the ground. I roll my eyes as I sit in my spot next to Gnocco.
A chorus of laughs fills the room and I glance at Luca whose ears are bright pink.
I chuckle while picking up my fork and digging into the mound of mashed potatoes and steak in front of me. Everyone falls into easy conversation as dinner continues.
I can't ever remember a time where the house I lived in was this full. Not only in people but in warmth and general happiness. Growing up, we only ate dinner together once a week, and even then I was often left out of the conversation. More times than not I would just leave and nobody would even notice. Countless nights were spent in my room alone as I munched on my plate of dinner that one of the maids had made for me. But now, I'm sitting with people who I care about, and I know they feel the same. The two Capos sit side by side and laugh at what each other are saying. Giovanni and Nick are deep in conversation about who knows what. Finn and Matteo are talking as Callan mumbles in agreement every once in a while. Sam is defending himself from Donnie who seems to be lecturing him about his actions. And then there's Luca: the handsome Italian who's got a lazy smile on his face as he too just looks around the table.
Our gazes meet and his lips quirk up just the slightest. "You good?" he asks while brushing a few stray hairs out of my face.
"Couldn't be better," I say in all honesty. He shoots me another brief smile as he turns back to his nearly clean plate. When my eyes move back to the table, I see Nick giving me a look, probably because of Luca, but I can't help but feel there's something else circling in his icy eyes.
I raise one of my eyebrows at him in question, but all he does is send a wink my way before responding to something Gio had said.
Nick makes me mad. Really, he does. The way he tries to control every little thing, from what I do to what I wear, it drives me crazy. Yet I can't shake the feeling of how much love I feel from those stupid things. I went so long without any attention from my family, that now when he says something, even if it does piss me off, I feel like he truly loves and cares about me. I honestly care more about his opinion than I do my father's, and I have no idea why. I just do.
I smile to myself while putting my last spoonful of potatoes in my mouth. I'm content right now, and that's a pretty damn good feeling.
***
I sit in my piano room after dinner, my fingers just aching to play. Dinner ended a couple of hours ago and everyone had gone to their own rooms. I was in no mood to sleep after my day-long nap, so that's why I'm here now: in my private little oasis.
The pale moon shone directly in through a singular arched window behind me and illuminated my baby grand. Gus was laying on his plush dog bed that sat in the corner of where the dark green, almost black, walls met. A line of bookshelves filled the wall to my left and a deep-sea blue, Persian rug was laid under my piano atop of the wooden floors.
I let my hands gently press on the ivory keys and the ease that only appears when I hear those melodic notes fills my body. My hands begin to speed up, and soon enough, whatever is in my head is pouring out through the music that fills up the room.
"I'm serious, Keeley. Just try the few notes I showed you," Phillips urged me. He gestured to the piano wildly and I hesitantly sat down on the creaky wooden bench. I placed my hands on the keys how he had shown me, and pressed down. I followed with a couple of other notes and soon enough, I was actually playing the piano.
"See, it's not so bad now, is it?" I rolled my eyes at his words as he sat down beside me. That was how we spent the rest of the afternoon: me and him working till our fingers cramped and I couldn't take any more of his critiques. Not once did I think of my problems, and from now on, I knew I'd be hooked.
I smiled to myself as I slipped into my absolute favorite piece.
It doesn't matter how long I've gone without playing, this singular piece comes to me like it's second nature and runs through my veins. It was simple enough, but so beautifully orchestrated and pretty that I can't help but focus everything in me on the sound of my piano as I close my eyes and my hands dance across the keys.
I lose myself in the beauty of the piano, and mostly, this singular piece. It can make you feel as if you're floating in some fantasy on top of the clouds, it can feel as if it's a rainy day and you're looking out a window, it can make you feel whatever you please. I cried the first time I played this song back at Mount Reform. The relief it brings me can not be compared to anything else.
When the song ended, I just sat there with my hands on my lap and my eyes closed, the enchantment of those perfect notes still running through my mind.
"That was beautiful, Keeley." My eyes shot open and my shoulders straightened at the sound of an unannounced voice.
I turned my gaze on to my father who was now walking into the room and sitting in the small chair next to me.
"Thank you," I breathed out while turning myself towards him.
He sat there staring at me for a moment. His suit was gone and had been replaced with sweats and a black t-shirt. He was wearing his glasses instead of contacts, and his hair was a tad wild. My father ran a hand through his silvery beard as he sat up a bit.
"You're happy here, right?" My eyebrows shot up in surprise as I was taken back by his comment.
"Yeah," I responded after I got myself together. "Why?"
A slight sigh escaped his mouth before responding. "I- I just know that a lot has changed in the past few weeks since you've been home. Between starting a real school for the first time and living with ten guys, I'm just- I just worry."
I look long and hard at my father. Easily one of the most feared men in the country was sitting before me looking, for once in his life, like he was lost. He's never raised a girl, and without some other female role model, I know it's hard on him. I also know he regrets the way he treated me growing up. No, he's never told me that, but after the past five years, I've gotten pretty damn good at reading people.
I hesitantly reach one of my hands out and place it on his much larger one. I see his eyes swimming in confusion at my actions.
I don't know what to say nor how to say it. I want to tell him that I'm tough and can handle myself. I want to tell him that I know he's doing his best and how much I appreciate him trying. I want to tell him that even though he's hurt me in so many ways, I'm not mad. I'm not even angry. I'm okay.
I let down my walls and let my tough-girl mask crack. Everything I feel, I let shine through in my eyes that look nothing like my father's, yet somehow hold the same amount of pain.
I nod my head as I give him the smallest of smiles. He stands up and pulls me into a bone-crushing hug. I return the gesture and wrap my smaller arms around his torso and squeeze.
I'd never been actually hugged by my father.
"I love you, Keeley," he whispered while kissing the top of my head. I feel a knot form in my throat at his words but I push back the tears that are threatening to spill.
"I love you, too."
***
"HEY, WAKE UP!"
I jump up from out of my blankets and grab the knife from under my pillow before I reach out and grab the body in front of me. I hit them with the butt of the knife and tackle them onto the floor. I hear Gus's loud barking as I put the stranger in a headlock and point the silver blade at their chest.
"Keeley! It's just Sam!" I look up and see Donnie frantically waving his hands. He's in sweats and a hoodie, and quite frankly, looks like he just rolled out of bed. His familiar glassy-blue eyes are widened in panic.
I glance down and Sam's eyes don't look much different. His hands are clawing at my forearm, trying to remove my hold of his neck. I quickly realize that his face is turning bright red and I let him go abruptly.
"The fuck, Sam?!" I yell at him while pointing my knife in his direction. "What the hell are you doing?"
Sam falls to the floor hacking up a storm as I see the rest of our family and the Moretti's run into my room with their handguns raised.
My father glances around the room in a frenzy before his eyes land on me, the madwoman with a knife, and Sam, the victim, looking like he's about to pass out on the floor.
"The hell, Keeley?" he bellows. Everyone slowly lowers their guns and tucks them into their waistbands before returning their attention to me.
"He scared me! While I was sleeping! I'm not responsible for his bodily harm if he decides to be a dumbass and sneak up on me!" I spew while gesturing wildly. Callan moves towards me slowly with his hands in front of him. When he gets to me, he hesitantly takes my knife out of my hands before backing away.
"You're joking, right?" Nick speaks while glaring at the twins. Donnie looks at Sam who finally manages to stand his stupid ass back up.
"I just wanted to tell her, " he wheezed while trying to clear his throat, "that school was canceled because of a water line burst."
Nobody said anything. I just blinked at him and watched how his hand came up and rubbed the back of his neck.
"So you woke up Ms. Stab-Happy," Stefano spoke in a gruff voice while his hand motioned to me, "to basically tell her that she didn't have to get up yet because there was no school?"
Callan shook his head in disapproval while shuffling his Gigantor frame out of the room followed by Finn and Matteo.
Donnie coughed into his fist to hide his embarrassment while Sam looked down sheepishly. "Yes," he whispered.
I sighed while sitting back on my bed and rubbing my eyes. For once, I had managed to fall asleep and stay asleep.
"Just- just go eat or something," my father groaned while using one of his hands to press his temple. Sam shot me an apologetic look while walking out the door. I waved him and Donnie off before returning my gaze to the Capos, Luca, Gio, and Nick. I didn't realize it until now, but all of them were dressed in suits and a bit fancier than they normally do. I became extremely aware that my hair was a rat's nest and I was wearing shorts and an oversized t-shirt.
"We have meetings today and won't be home till about three. So that means it's just going to be you and the two dumbasses alone today," my father says. My lips purse into an "o" and I slowly nod my head.
They each walk over to me and give me a kiss on the head before leaving my room. Luca is the last one.
"Promise me you won't stab Sam today?" he chuckled while taking his hands out of his dress-pant pockets. He set his hands on either side of my hips on the bed and leaned down till his masculine, woodsy scent filled my lungs. The thin silver chain that never left his neck sparkled underneath the collar of his black dress shirt, and his dark eyelashes only made his eyes seem that much bluer.
"We'll see," I say with my voice coming out a little hoarser than I thought it would. A deep rumble-laugh escapes him as he bends down to me. My eyes flutter shut as his soft lips press a gentle kiss to my cheek.
He lingers there for just a second before slowly standing back up. He leisurely walks to the bedroom door as my eyes follow him.
"See you later, Tesoro." He sends me a wink accompanied by a dazzling smile as he shuts the door softly behind him.
Holy shit. The confidence.
I don't think "butterflies" can even describe how I'm feeling at the moment.
I let out an uneven breath before standing up. I make my way to the bathroom and look in the mirror. Needless to say, I look like a fucking mess.
The cut from my nose to my lip wasn't so bad to where it needed stitches, but still bad enough to where it desperately needed attention. I took off my shirt and turned from side to side to fully see the number of bruises on my back and stomach. None of them were too dark, but they were painful.
I stripped the rest of my clothes before stepping into my shower. I let out a content sigh as the hot water soothed my achy muscles. I washed my hair and body and shaved before reluctantly turning the water off. After drying off, I shuffled into my closet and threw on a pair of my favorite black leggings, a burgundy bralette, and a loose grey t-shirt that fell off one of my shoulders. You could see a good portion of my bra, but nobody was coming over, so it'd be fine. I found my favorite pair of thick socks before sliding back to my bathroom.
I brushed my teeth and towel-dried my hair then applied a bit of pain-relief cream to my right eye and temple for the bruising. Luckily, it had gone down quite a bit so now it was only greenish color.
Gus wasn't in my room when I walked back in, so I'm assuming he went downstairs and probably outside. I grabbed my phone and headed downstairs while checking the time: eight o'clock. Great.
I got to the bottom of the stairs and could hear voices coming from the kitchen.
"So what do you want to do today?" I heard Sam ask. I continued down the hall a bit further.
"Whatever's fine. I just needed to get away from my sisters." Ryder.
My plan was to turn around and walk away before he could see me, but before I knew it, my feet were out from under me and I fell. Hard. Right into the doorway, might I add.
"Blondie?" I peeked open my eyes and groaned. That fall definitely wasn't good for my bruises, or my dignity.
"Sup." Smooth, Keeley. Real smooth.
He walked towards me and offered one of his firm, tattooed hands. I grasped it and barely managed to hang on as he yanked me up. I stumbled a few steps before his hands steadied my oddly uncoordinated body.
I looked up and met his eyes that were staring right back at me. We hadn't talked since Friday night and his lingering kiss on my head. I'm still confused as to what had happened.
I clear my throat and take a few steps back. Sam and Donnie are staring between the two of us, their eyes looking like they're watching a tennis match.
"So what are you doing here?" I ask with my composure back in place. He slightly shakes his head before answering.
"Thought I'd get out of the house," he spoke. I nodded my head before walking over to the counter and pouring myself a bowl of cereal.
"Did I miss something?" Donnie asks knowingly. Both he and Sam have changed into jeans and a football shirt, which just happens to be exactly what Ryder's wearing.
"Nope," we speak at the same time.
Yeah, because that wasn't suspicious at all.
"Okayy," Sam said while drawing out the word. I take my bowl of Lucky Charms and leave the kitchen immediately, eager to get out of the tension. I hear the boys' voices fall back into conversation as I walk away.
I settle in on the couch to my favorite show just as I see my best boy trotting his chunky frame towards me. I smile and pat the couch next to me. He doesn't waste a second as he hops up and lays across my lap.
Today should be interesting.
***
"Watcha doing?" I turn from my spot at the oven to see Ryder leaning against the doorframe. It's one-thirty, but I hadn't seen much of him today. He and the twins had spent the better part of the day downstairs in the arcade playing games whereas I had been painting and now: baking.
"Just taking some cookies out of the oven," I tell him while setting the tray of chocolate-chip gooeyness on the island.
"Mmm," he mumbles while reaching for one. I slap his hand and he snickers at me.
"Don't touch," I scold him like one would a child.
His hands go up in mock surrender as he walks closer to me, but his eyebrows draw together in confusion as he looks at my face, and I realize that he has never seen my face without some sort of makeup on it. His steps falter as one of his hands gently reach out and grip my chin. He turns my head to the left to get a better look at my fading bruise. The back of his hand brushes against the bruise a little too hard and I accidentally flinch.
"Who did this?" he asks with traces of anger laced throughout his voice. My hand holds onto his wrist as I gently remove my chin from his touch.
"Just a little mix-up. I'm fine," I tell him while turning to turn off the oven. As I'm turning, I feel his strong grip latch onto my upper arm and tug me till I'm facing him again. I give him a bored expression as his eyes search my face.
"I'm not joking, Keeley. Tell me." If looks could kill, I'd probably be a pile of dust right now.
I shrug out of his hold before turning and clicking the oven off.
"Fine, don't tell me then," he huffs. He sits his butt down on one of the island stools with an annoyed look on his face. I sigh before reaching into the fridge and grabbing two bottles of water. I place one in front of him and lean my forearms on the counter.
"Tell me something, Picasso: how many sisters do you have?" His eyes flash with adoration before returning to their normal brooding nature.
"Little eavesdropper, huh?" he smirks. I shrug my shoulders innocently while taking a sip of my water. "I have three. Lily who's thirteen, Brooke is seven, and Bea who's four."
I smile at the thought of Ryder surrounded by little girls who probably think the world of him.
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your family like?" I ask hesitantly. I don't want to overstep, but he knows so much about my family and I know next to nothing about his.
He looks at me with a look I can't quite decipher before responding. "We might want to go sit somewhere a bit more comfortable for that one."
I nod my head as I follow him into the living room and onto the couch. We sit a few feet apart from each other. The warm autumn sun shines down through the tall windows and makes everything in here seem warmer.
"It's just me, my mom, and my sister's at home. My father died in a car crash a couple of months after Bea was born," he tells me with a soft voice. I tuck my feet under my body and turn to face him, giving him my full attention.
"He's the one that taught me how to draw, actually. It was our thing and his way of keeping me out of trouble," he chuckles as he runs a hand through his dark hair.
"You, trouble? No," I gasp. He gives me a small smile while shaking his head.
"It was hard after he died, you know with Bea being so young and mom having to take care of my sisters. I had to step up and be the man of the house at fifteen. But I was okay with that. I knew that I could help my family, and that's what I did." He smiles softly to himself as a far-off look appears on his face right next to that smile.
"My mom's the best. She works from home now so it's nice for her to be with my sisters and me. And those three girls, they're my life. Of course, Lily's got that whole teenager attitude thing going on and Brooke's nose is constantly in a book while Little Bea just goes and destroys everything, but I love 'em."
He turns to face me and I can't help but notice the way he seems so much lighter after talking about his family. I can see how much he loves them, and that's a side of Ryder I had yet to see.
"They sound great," I tell him with a soft smile. Although on the inside, I couldn't help but feel my heart hurt. If he even got remotely tangled up in my life, especially my past, his family could get hurt. Hell, it would kill me if something like that ever happened. As much as I hate to admit it, no matter what I felt for him, it would have to stay platonic. There's no way I would put him in a position to lose his family. I wouldn't do that.
"About the other night," I say while sitting up straighter. He does too and angles his body to face mine. "I know that we both obviously feel something towards each other. Whatever that may be, it can't-it can't be anything more, Ryder."
His eyes are swarming with hurt and it pains me to see him like that.
"And why not?" he quips back at me. I run a hand through my hair while looking out the window.
"Look, the past five years for me have been pretty fucked-up. That's the only way to explain it." He nods his head slowly at me and I take that as a queue to continue.
"At some point, it's going to catch up with me and it's not just going to hurt me, P. It's more than likely going to affect everyone around me. I'm going to try and stop it, but I can't let you get hurt when you have great people at home. I just can't do that. I like you, I really do. I just can't like you like that." By the time I finish my rant, I'm breathing heavily and I can't even describe how nervous I am for what he's going to say. I like Ryder, and I don't want to lose him.
He just looks at me for the longest time, every few seconds just nodding his head. God, I'm shitting bricks over here.
"Well, that simply sucks," he says matter-of-factly. I raise one of my eyebrows at him as my head tilts to the side.
"Would you, uh- would you elaborate on that?" I ask confused.
"Well, it's just that I got shot down by a girl I like, and I don't believe that has ever happened to me. I'll admit, I want you to tell me and explain the whole "past-five-years" thing to me, but I won't push. I respect and appreciate the fact you had the decency to be upfront with me about this. So, I'll go along with what you said." He looks at me genuinely happy and I'm genuinely baffled.
"So- you're okay with that?" I stutter. He laughs at me while he stands up.
"Oddly enough, I am. Friends?" He sticks out his hand for me to shake and I hesitantly shake it, still with a puzzled look on my face.
"What's going on with you two?" I turn and see Sam coming into the room with Donnie following behind him, each with their own look of confusion.
"Your sister basically told me to back off with my feelings. That's all." I gape at Ryder.
"I didn't say that!" I gasp. Honestly, I'm baffled as fuck as to what the hell is going on here.
"Well, can't say I'm mad about that," Sam quips while ruffling my hair. I smack his hand away but he goes and does it again.
"Sam, don't pick another fight," Donnie warns from behind him. I raise an eyebrow at Sam in a teasing manner. His eyes light up with mischief and he takes a couple of more steps to come around the other side of the couch.
"Ah, shit," Ryder mumbles while plopping down on the other side of the sofa.
"One shot, Samuel. That is all you get," I tell him while standing up. I straighten my shirt and raise my head up to look at him.
His hands reach out before I can even register his actions, and he pushes me hard. I fly backward and trip, successfully falling over the back of the couch and landing with a thud.
I groan in pain and painfully make my way back up to my feet. I let an evil grin spread across my face as I crack my neck. I see his adam's apple bob up and down as he gulps.
"You, Samuel Tyler, are dead."
________________________________________________________________________________
Hey guys! Thank you so much for continuing to read this story. We have officially hit over 1,000 reads and it is all so crazy to me to think people actually read my book.
So, what do you guys think about the whole Ryder thing? And what are your thoughts on Luca? I know this was more of a filler chapter, but I promise to have more action in the next chapter.
Also, shout-out to my one and only Liz to help me pull out of my writer's block, love you<3
Please Vote and Comment if you enjoyed this chapter. Happy Reading!
Final Word Count: 6302