Song for the chapter: Begin Again, by Taylor Swift

Ryker POV

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Why was Olivia here? Why the hell was Kyler even here? He was already trying to make Maddison feel small, acting like he didn't remember her name.

The stupid shit has, like, photographic memory.

He was trying to ignite the fire, press my buttons. But could he have stooped so low as to dating her? Kyler's a fiercely loyal man, especially to his family. I couldn't believe he'd bring her here—or even be dating her for that matter—if he knew she and I had dated, that she was my college girlfriend.

But could he be doing it to spite me?

"Babe, this is my brother." He motions to me before leaning to her ear. "Not much to see compared to me."

I resist the urge to vomit. My anger is surfacing and by that smug look in Olivia's eyes, she knew it.

"This here is my mom, Helena, my dad, Ron, and uh..." he looks at Maddison, making me clench my fists. "Ryker's friend, was it? Maggie?"

"It's Maddi, actually." Maddison spoke up, raising one of her dark blonde brows. "But I already told you that."

Olivia chuckles; I hate that fake ass sound, the one she used when she was about to say something she didn't really mean.

"It's okay, Kyler couldn't remember my name after the first time we bumped into each other." She flips her hair and extends her hand out to Maddison. "I'm Olivia, but my friends call me Libby."

I almost snort aloud—nobody called her Libby except for me. And that's cause her name was too fucking long to say.

Maddison looks at it, then back to her eyes. Olivia clears her throat and brings her arm down to her side.

"You never told me your new girlfriend was such a looker, son." My father said from behind us all.

Olivia blushed as Kyler pulls her closer. "And she's all mine."

My eyes zero in on the bracelets that they were wearing; a few days before we broke it off officially, Olivia and I were hardly speaking. And when we did speak, she'd argue with me so I'd get pissed off enough and we'd take that rage and just fuck. She approached me with some stupid, ugly ass black bracelet that spelled the word 'daddy' on it, which made me laugh in her face. She was already wearing one that said 'princess' which made me laugh even harder, like she thought I'd agree to it.

I threw that shit back at her feet and walked out—out of the dorm, out of college, and out of that toxic ass relationship.

But here she is—they are—wearing those same stupid bracelets.

"Ryker," Maddison whispers.

I look at her instantly, the memory vanishing the moment I hear her voice. I saw that everyone was walking to the table and Maddison had a worried frown on her face.

I tried to my best to give her a reassuring smile, but I'm sure I failed miserably. I walked to the table and held out the seat for her beside me, which she thanked me for quietly and I sat beside her.

Dad served everyone's plate, mom helped him pass them along and kept asking repeatedly if everything was okay.

No, ma, everything sure as shit isn't okay.

"So, Olivia." My mom looked at her. "What do you do?"

She swallows and wipes the corners of her mouth. "I'm a receptionist, down for Oakland and Pruitt. It's actually how Kyler and I met." Olivia smiles at Kyler.

Kyler nods. "I saw her after she finished her interview for us, to be our receptionist. I was star-struck from day one." I gag. "I told her if she worked for us, it'd be a shame because I wanted to get to know her better."

"He called me Ophelia the next day." Olivia rolls her eyes.

"It's a common mistake."

Sure, brother. Smooth.

My mother smiles, trying to hide something behind her warm, brown eyes. My dad laughs.

"Atta boy, always taking charge."

Kyler grins like he's just been told he earned a gold star, in pre-k.

"And Maddison, what do you do?" My father suddenly asks.

I glare at him. What is he up to?

"I'm actually still in school, my last year starts this fall. I work two jobs, trying to make a living on my own."

"Ah. A girl with her head in the right place." My father nods. "What are you studying?"

"Vet assistant. Maybe an actual vet later on in life, who knows." She smiles a beautiful smile that makes my stomach flip.

Dad scoffs. "Well maybe you'll be a good influence on Ryker, then. Get his head out of the clouds."

"Dad." I warn, low.

"I'm sorry," Maddison's brows furrow. "I don't understand what you mean?"

"Ryker here has a full ride on the legacy train." Dad starts. "Which he gave up to go study, what was it? English? Writing? Who knows anymore," he laughs. "He's not thinking rationally; that kind of thing just isn't a stable living. It isn't secure enough to waste your life on."

"Are you—"

"Are you serious?" Maddison's voice cut mine off as she challenged my father with a daring look.

Is it wrong that I found that sexy?

"What?"

Maddison lifts the corners of her mouth before she crossed her arms and leaned on the table.

"You think he can't make it? He's not thinking rationally?" She laughs sarcastically. "I'm sorry, sir. I just don't agree with that."

My fathers face reddens and everyone's just looking at Maddison like she grew a second head. She gave him an incredulous look.

"Are you serious?" She shakes her head. "Ryker can do anything that he want; he's talented and full of curiosity. His brain pushes farther than yours, and that just boils your blood, doesn't it? That he isn't some mindless, stuck-up-your-ass follower like Kyler?"

My jaw hit the floor, as did my brothers.

"He's so desperate for your approval, for you to applaud him at anything he does, it's pathetic. It's worse than a beaten dog."

"Now, just you wait—"

"No, you wait." She raises her voice. "I wasn't done yet."

She sits straight, not afraid of anything right now. Shit, it was making my heart accelerate way too damn fast.

"Ryker is his own person. And the fact that you neglect to see his talent and his passion—his passion that he had so fierce he left your home and went to study his heart out—that's a shame on you, sir. And the fact that you constantly try to belittle him and make him feel lesser than for it because it's not what you want?" She shakes her head. "You deserve a bad parent award or something."

"That's enough!" My father slams his hand on the table, startling everyone, except Maddison.

She just held her chin higher, daring him to try her.

"I don't know who you think you are, coming in here and talking to me like this in my own home, but you're sadly mistaken. You're a nobody in this family who doesn't even ha—"

"That's e-fucking-nough." I growl. "You can shit talk all you want to me, I don't care. But you don't get to talk to her like that." I'm fuming, seeing red. "She's not a nobody, she's more important to me than any of you fake ass family members before me." I look to my mom. "Except for you, ma."

Her eyes were huge as I turned back to my father.

"This girl is mine; she's not my friend, she came with me. And you don't get to talk to her like that, because if you ever try that shit again, I'll rip your tongue out of your mouth."

"Ryker—"

"Fuck this," I stood up, fast, knocking my chair over. "And fuck you," I turned to Kyler. "And fuck you. I'm out of here. I knew this was a stupid ass idea, but I came for mom, because she's the only one I care about. Her and Maddison."

I look at her and she smiles at me.

"We're out." I say, looking only at her.

She nods, standing up. I grip her hand and start tugging her along.

"Hey Kyler? Try getting your head out of his ass sometime. Maybe you'd be able to see certain things a little more clearly."

She looks to Olivia and gives her a sexy smirk before I pull her through the back door and taking out out of this stupid damn house.

I can feel my chest tightening, each breath becoming harder. Maddison's following close behind as I open the door to the car and slam it shut behind me. I rev the engine up as she climbs in, taking off immediately.

I blink rapidly, the wheezing starting low in my chest. I'm so pissed off, my stupid fucking asthma is starting to trigger itself.

"Ryker?" I barely glance at her, but catch the concern in her eyes. "Ryker, I can hear that. Ryker, pull over, now!"

I just tighten my grip on the wheel, my chest feeling tight and my airway constricting.

"Ryker! Pull the hell over!" She screams at me before she starts frantically searching around for my inhaler.

I huff, pulling over to the side of the road. I idle the engine as she pulls one out from the glove compartment. She unbuckles her seatbelt and slides over to me, shaking it up and down.

"Here," she says, voice soft.

I take the inhaler, although wishing she'd puff it for me like last time, and pull the cap off. I puff the medicine in, inhaling deep. The medicine takes like shit, but what the hell else could I do?

I hold it for ten seconds and exhale, taking another pump. Once I feel my chest and lungs expand like normal, I can feel my breathing return back to normal, too.

"Are you okay?" She asks quietly beside me.

I look at her; how could someone so beautiful, obviously so full of her own battles and hurt—I can see it in her eyes, stand up for someone like me? Someone so...dark. And unworthy of her. She didn't even know I write, I had that side of me. And she still believed in me...when they didn't.

"Are you?"

Her brows knit together and she had the cutest smile on her face.

"Me? I'm fine, you nearly gave me a heart attack, but yeah."

"I meant from before."

Her blue eyes fall to her lap as she sighs.

"I should be asking you that. I can't believe that he talked to you that way. Thinks of you and your dreams like that."

"And you defended me."

My heart was racing as she looked up at me. Her lips were formed in a soft smile as she lightly chuckled.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Not able to bear the amount of space between us, I angle my body towards her, grip her waist, and hoist her over the console and onto my lap. Her eyes are wide and on alert, but I think it's because we've just spent too much damn time apart.

She kept her chest away from mine, but as she rested right above my manhood, it felt so right. Her body against mine, even now, felt euphoric. I couldn't stop myself from responding to her instantaneously, hardening at just the sound of her quickened breath.

"Why would you, is the question."

She blinks repeatedly before she moves her hands from her sides and brings them to my face. I almost hiss at the touch, the feeling eccentric, as she grips both sides.

"Because I'm starting to see you, Ryker. The actual person behind who everyone just thinks you are. And everything I said today was true; your mind is so curious and begs to dig deeper into things. I can see why now." She gives me the softest smile. "You have a talent that deserves to be recognized, not shamed."

Her thumbs lightly caress my cheeks, and I can't help but lean into her touch. It sends a ripple through my body, never easing those pesky butterflies.

"And I know that you can make it. I believe in you, Ryker."

Shit. God, if God is real...shit, this has to be one of His angels. She hasn't even read any of my work, seen it... hell, I don't even think she knew I was into this stuff.

And yet, here she was. A beautiful angel, my ally and fighter.

Her eyes dropped to my lips. Her fingers, torturously slow, moved from my face and down my jaw. I watched with anticipation as she paused, pressing her fingers so delicately against my bottom lip.

Me, being my initial reaction, wanted to open my mouth and nip at them just to see her reaction. But I waited.

Then she used her index finger, just the tip, to graze my lip ring.

Fuck. I don't think anything like this was supposed to be such a turn on, but shit.

My lips parted as she traced it slowly with her finger. My eyes were on hers, trying to figure out what was going through her mind. Her cheeks were flushed a dark red, taking her own bottom lip between her teeth.

I needed her; I needed her goodness, her mind, her smart mouth, her eye rolls, her heart. And it scared me, as I came to this realization, how much I needed her. And how quick.

She suddenly looks up at me, and momentarily I worry she'd somehow heard my thoughts. Instead, she leaned down slowly. Still managing to keep a good amount of distance between our chests, she brushes her lips lightly against my bottom lip.

I drag my fingers down her back and grip her waist. If she likes the damn lip ring so much, I'd keep it in forever.

It takes every ounce of self control not to move my lips against hers, just letting her take what she needs. She kisses me softly again, then again, and then again before her tongue darts out and swipes against the cool metal on my lip.

"Oh shit, fuck." I whimper out.

Her eyes widen. "What did I do?"

"Nothing," I continue to harden even more. "Just felt really fucking good."

"Oh." She blushed.

"Do it again." I beg.

Her wide eyes dilate before my own. How long has it been since she's been with someone? Since someone's touched her soft skin...

She leans down and presses her lips to mine in the same manner. My breathing picks up as I move my hands down under her shirt and slowly rise up.

She freezes. "What are you doing?"

I can hear my own heartbeat in my ears. Why am I so fucking nervous?

"I just..." I exhale and look at her now guarded eyes. "I told you I've wondered how your skin would feel against mine. I wanted to..."

I don't even realize how damn creepy that sounds until it leaves my mouth. I look away from her, because if I was her, I'd be running for the hills by now.

All she does is grab my face with one hand and forces me to look at her. She doesn't say anything, she just dips down and smashes her lips against mine.

Self control gone, I kissed her back like my very life depended on it. Our lips just collided together in perfect harmony, with pleasure and passion coursing through us. I swipe my tongue at her lips for access, which she grants immediately. When I touch my tongue to hers, she does a relieved exhale-moan type thing that made me grind my hips up against her core.

She gasped, loud, against my mouth, so I took her lip in between my teeth.

I slowly made my way back under her shirt, and this time, she whimpered, in pleasure, at the contact.

"So soft," I murmur against her lips. "Just as I pictured."

"Oh, God," she moaned.

She twisted her fingers in the back of my hair and pulled, which was even more of a turn on.

"Fuck me," I grunt as I try not to grind against her, but do anyway.

Maddison's eyes roll to the back of her head, so I latch my lips onto her perfect neck. I suck, probably harder than I should've, and nibble at her creamy skin. Her legs tighten around me as my hands dare to venture higher.

That halts when I feel her phone vibrating in her pocket. I lick the now pink spot and plant a soft kiss before I try to grab it, but she guides my lips back to hers. The kisses become wild, hot and you could hear both of us panting in between breaths.

Her phone vibrated, again. This time, I took it from her back pocket and tossed it in the seat beside us. I press my hands on the small of her back, pressing her body against mine. When she finally let her chest be flush against mine, I growled.

I looked down, her plump breasts just screaming to be touched.

I looked at her, her eyes wild. I grab her face to kiss her again, but her phone vibrates.

"Mother..." I grab her phone and look unintentionally as it lights up.

And what I see makes my heart fall.

Joey ❤️: Maddi, can we meet up at our spot???
Where the hell are you??
Jeeze, Maddi, I need you. Please, call me back. I'm heading to our spot. I can't, I need you rn

"Who the hell is Joey?" My voice is low. "And why is he blowing up your phone?"

Her eyes widen and she snatches her phone back. She looks at the messages, and without saying anything, she opens the door beside me and scrambles off me.

Then she starts to run.

What the hell just happened? And who the fuck is Joey?

A/N

Welcome, welcome. Longer chapter because, well... yeah 👀🥵

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