The entire way back to New York, Maddox was quiet. He worried me with how completely shattered he seemed. I tried to go to him a couple of times and talk. He just smiled at me and told me not to worry so much.
I grew close to all the guys during this time. I learned that Dane had this fierce need to ‘big brother’ everyone, including me. It was strange at first since I was the oldest child in my family, but the more time I spent with him, the more I wished he was my brother.
The entire summer was spent with the guys working and shoving in every moment they could into practicing with their band and getting as much stage time as possible before Jake left for UCLA. They plannedto continuewithout him while he was in school, but they weren’t going to replace him. They would just write their music and practice on their own and play together when he came home for visits.
Their goals of stardom would take that much longer, but they didn’t seem to care. They just wanted their friend with them.
Watching Jake go, knowing he wouldn’t be there every day was sad for the guys, but I found myself sad to see him go too. We bonded over school and work. We had similar classes and even studied together from time to time. He totally saved me when I started failing Trig. He was so patient in helping me understand, so I didn’t completely blow my last semester of school.
In July I got my acceptance letter to the Waterford Institute for the annual gallery of upcoming artists. It was an absolute thrill that I hadn’t been expecting given the number of applicants they receive every year. I was also nervous as crap.
“You’ll be great,” Ryder told me the morning before the gallery opened. He stroked my back as I laid on his chest ranting about my worries about being a flop. “I’ve seen your stuff. It’s like magic on canvas.”
“You have to say that,” I teased him, turning over to prop my chin on my hands and look at him. “It’s in the boyfriend handbook.”
He chuckled with a shake of his head. “If you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly conform to the rules, pixie.”
“I forgot to tell you, I met somebody there from River City. She recognized Maddox and you from a picture on my phone. I invited her to come to Lucky’s tonight.”
His brows dropped, worry covered his face. “She have a name?”
“Zoey,” I told him. “Zoey Valen.”
“Shit,” he muttered, dragging his hand down his face.
“Was I not supposed to?”
“No, pixie. It’s not your fault. You know the story, but we’ve never told you the name.”
My eyes grew big as my eyebrows hit my forehead. I only saw her from a distance, but I want to facepalm myself for not recognizing her. The girl he went to see in River City.
“Maybe she realized after his trip down there that she misses him.”
“I’m sure she misses him. They were close, but I promise Zoey doesn’t want to see Maddox to figure out if she still has feelings for him. Her heart was always torn in two directions. One direction was Maddox. The other was where she was always going to end up.” He kissed the top of my head as he jumped out of the bed. “I’m sure it will be fine, but I’m going to give Mads a heads up.”
It turned out he didn’t need a heads up. Maddox ran into Zoey at the gallery that evening before Ryder could reach him. He seemed fine to me afterwards, but I could tell Ryder was worried about him.
Now Christmas is in two days. I can’t believe it’s been a year since we officially began our relationship. It has been the most perfect year of my life, and I’ve never been happier. It’s like he and I are destined to be.
Unfortunately, I’ve also been sick for nearly two weeks. Every day it seems like I’m rushing off to the bathroom. Just like right now. My clammy forehead is resting against the cool porcelain of the toilet. Disgusting I know, but it feels so good against my skin. Whatever this is, I hope it’s gone before Christmas day. I’m supposed to go home, but I don’t want to get anyone sick. Also, they’re excited to meet Ryder for the first time. It’s taken me nearly a year to get him to agree to come home with me, and I don’t want anything to jinx that.
I hear his front door open, so I quickly scramble to my feet. I grip the counter to steady myself since the floor seems to be moving. I take another second to make sure I’m not going to face plant before I go out to meet him.
“There you are,” he says as he makes his way into the bedroom to change. “I didn’t know if you were already here or not. You ready to head out?”
“Yep, I’m good,” I tell him with a nod. The fast, jerky movement has me clutching my stomach.
He lifts an eyebrow at me as he pulls off his shirt, the movement making the tattoos on his forearms jump. “You sure about that?” he drops his pants and now my nausea is the farthest thing from my mind.
“Hmm,” I answer as I take in his lean, sculpted body. Those rippling abs and broad shoulders have my mouth – and other areas watering.
“See something you like, pixie?” he says, gripping me by the waist, running his tongue down my jaw to my ear. “We have half an hour before we need to leave. Want to see if that’s enough time to make you scream?”
My body shudders involuntarily. He only needs five minutes to make me scream. He is more than aware of that fact.
I don’t even get a chance to answer him before he has me bent over the bed with my skirt pushed up over my hips. He slaps my ass once then again more firmly. I moan out as my juices flow down my thighs.
“That’s my good girl,” he hums as he drops to his knees behind me. “Always wet and ready for me.”
