Page 69 of On Your Knees
When I finish and sit up, with her still on my lap, Ridge has his arm around a very naked Arlo, who looks ready to piss himself.
“I... I never thought I would be naked in a room with the men I wanted to be one day. Shit, who am I kidding? I never thought I would have a naked girl near me either.”
We all laugh.
“Welcome to whatever the fuck this is, kid.”
I love how Ridge calls him “kid,” even though he is only six years younger than us. I see the look in Arlo’s eyes, and even though it’s not sexual between them, I canalready tell Arlo needs Ridge in his life, just like Aspen and I do. He is the rock, the solid foundation we all need.
Epilogue
Ridge
3 months later
Aspen holds her vomit bag and has her head resting between her knees as Arlo rubs her back.
“Are you okay?” I look in the rearview mirror but can only partially see her because Zeland is pushed half through the gap between the front seats, his hand on her knee.
“Do I look okay?” she snaps. “What if she hates me?”
Arlo chuckles lightly. “My mom has never hated anyone in her life, and I don’t think she’ll start now.”
“Sheknows we broke your heart, and now we’re stealing you away.”
“I already told you, Rowena is the best,” Zee quips. “She did create Arlo after all.”
“I don’t know how to do moms. I never had one, remember?”
“Just breathe, I really don’t want to get the car detailed. Vomit smell lingers.”
She flips me off, and I laugh. I wasn’t keen on meeting Arlo’s mother either, but the little asshole demanded I come. Apparently, if I can watch him fuck, I have to meet his mother. Fair point, and I didn’t have an argument against it. Besides, I got payback. He said it just before he was about to suck Zeland’s cock and I had my fist in his hair. Arlo has a very nice gag reflex.
“Do you trust me?” Arlo asks Aspen, and she nods.
“Then just know if I’m happy, my mom is happy. And she already loves Ridge. Because of him she was able to give up her shitty job.”
When I did a little more digging into Rowena, I found out she was working nights for the worst pay in the world. I offered her a management job at Game and Grind. We haven’t officially met yet—I just gave the order and made it happen. Now she gets to work whatever hours she chooses, and the other staff can do the rest.
That’s also when Aspen found out that The Syllabus was shut down. Her boss Barbie has reopened in a different location, but I like to make her life a little difficult from time to time—a building inspectorhere, a health inspector there—so she knows that if I took it away from her once, I can do it again.
“Okay,” Aspen whispers. “But if she hates me and I throw up in her kitchen, that’s on you.”
“Good thing we’re here then,” Arlo says as I pull into his mother’s driveway. Their house is cute, but a lot smaller than I imagined.
“Don’t be a snob,” Zeland whispers to me as Arlo helps Aspen from the car.
“I’m never a snob.”
He scoffs. “I can see the look on your face. Not everyone was born into money and had everything they ever wanted. Rowena has worked hard for this house.”
“Just get out of the car,” I demand. “I am not a complete asshole, at least not all the time.”
“Baby!” Arlo’s mother cries out as she runs through the front door. I swear he saw her a week ago. I know he has been staying at our house a lot, but this seems a little excessive.
“Your face is talking,” Aspen quips, and as I look at her, she laughs.
I lower my voice so only she can hear me. “He is almost twenty-four, and he just ran to hug his mother.”
