Song for the chapter: Stay, by Victoria Justice

Ryker POV

I could feel the anger taking hold of my body. The events that unfolded so quick played again and again in my mind as I washed my body.

The moment I heard the door slam open I knew something was off. I tried, so desperately, to get out of that room and go to her. When Joey saw me, realization hit as to why Maddison had made her promise not to let anyone leave that room, which included me. And she was dead set on keeping it.

She pushed me back several times and guarded the door with her tiny body, taking me completely by surprise how strong she actually is.

Then I heard a tumble, and I could only imagine what made Maddison snap the way she did, which was that lowlife laying his hands on her.

I meant what I said about taking all the restraint I had not to go over there and rip his head off, because it's fucking hard. But I could also see the admiration in her eyes, and it takes the edge off the rage, just a bit.

I shut off the water and quickly dried off. I pulled up a pair of red checkered pants and a white shirt. I ran my hands through my hair and opened the door. I flicked off the light and caught Maddison sitting on the bed, her eyes wide and nervous.

I walk slowly to the bed and sit on the edge, looking at her intently.

"What is it, Maddison?"

Her mouth opens, then shuts. Her brows furrow and lips twist. It physically pains me to see her struggle so hard to open up to me.

"Um," she nervously chuckles. "This is a lot harder than I expected it to be."

I reach across the bed and grab her hand. "You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to."

"No, I want to." Her eyes are determined. "I need to."

Need to? Why would she...because I told her she's keeping me at arms length? Well, shit, I would, too, if my dad treated me like that.

Then I saw the deep red mark on her cheekbone and the rage came back.

"Ryker, he's never hit me before." Maddison says, like she read my thoughts.

"Doesn't excuse shit, Maddison."

"He's just been different, Ryker. Ever since mom died," she shakes her head. "He just lost himself. I-I stepped up to take care of Joey, but her dad came back for her after he heard the news and took custody. My dad didn't put up a fight because he was lost in his own sorrows."

She sighs, which makes my heart heavy. I reach out to her and bring her body close to mine. She gives me a small smile, resting her small palm on my thigh.

"He found the numbness alcohol brought and he hasn't let it go. He spent so much money on that and not the bills, so I stepped up. I started working before I even graduated and helped him keep the bills paid. It's been like that ever since." She looks down with a sad smile on her face.

"He doesn't deserve your kindness, Maddison."

Her eyes look at mine with tears brimming the edges and I felt sick to my fucking stomach.

"He's my dad, Ryker. He wasn't always like that. He was a good guy before. And he lost mom, and lost himself. I tried holding on, maybe he'd find his way back. But tonight..." she blinks rapidly. "He just looked so angry. And when he hit me? I realized that I can't hold on to someone who doesn't wanna be helped."

I wanted to go over there and literally beat the bloody hell out of him. But knowing how much he meant to her? Even after how shitty he's been? It made me sad for her, and even more so for him because he couldn't see the amazing person he created standing before him.

"You said you've been trying to help him for seven years? Is that how long your mom has been gone?"

She weakly nods. "I got really depressed. I didn't see the joy in living another day, or pushing on forward. Joey was taken away, my dad wasn't there anymore, my mom was gone. I felt completely lost. I never had any real friends, not until Karmiah," she smiles. "And so I tried to find comfort in food that I never had with anyone. I ate and ate, and ate. It was something that was a constant for me that I never had before."

"And I'm the fucking asswipe who made you feel like shit about it."

She chuckles a bit. "You actually woke me up, Ryker. I'd let myself go so to the point I wasn't feeling anything anymore. Yeah, I got to see my sister on occasion and it made me better than I was. But I was completely lost. And when I felt that anger inside of me? That burning rage towards you for what you said," she shakes her head slightly. "I held onto it because it's all I had. Ironically, that hatred helped me to open myself back up to feeling things again."

My heart was thumping so loud in my chest, I was sure she could hear it. How the fuck can someone be this purely beautiful?

"When Joey's stepmom convinced her dad to keep her away from me, I felt it. Anger and sadness. I was feeling again, and it wasn't just a hollow-empty feeling. I was working out to prove you wrong," she laughs. "All that I accomplished it thanks to you, in a way."

I grab her neck gently, feeling so much love for this girl before me. But I still had to ask the question.

"What do you mean they keep Joey away from you?"

"Oh. Well, Joey's dad is a councilman or something and his wife loves the image it comes with. So she convinced him that letting Joey be around me would ruin that reputation. And he went along with it."

Manipulative little shit. Just like Olivia.

"That's fucked up."

"I know," she nods. "But I don't work so many hours for no reason. I've actually been trying to save up for an apartment, get a stable place so that I can prove that I can provide enough for Joey. And then I'm gonna hire a lawyer so that I can fight for custody of her. Her step-monster treats her like shit and it's not fair. She's only sixteen and she doesn't deserve to go through that." She sighs. "I'm gonna get her out of there, no matter what it takes."

Holy shit. No wonder she was always so vulnerable and scared of opening up; this poor girl has lived a fucking sad life, and yet, she's fighting like hell. I think I fell a little more in love with her.

"You, Maddison James," I put both my hands on her neck now and gently stroke her jaw. "Are the most spectacular woman I've ever known."

Blush creeps up her cheeks, making my heart hammer even harder. She's fucking beautiful and she doesn't even realize it.

"I'm n—"

I crash my lips on to hers so she doesn't finish that sentence. I pull back, resting my forehead against hers. Her eyes are closed, her breathing changing slightly.

"You are, Maddison. You're brave as all hell, and you're strong. You're incredible and you—" I pause, fighting my tongue to say that she has my heart, because she does. "You've opened my eyes to something real. You don't see yourself as a fighter, or strong-willed. But I do. And I'll continue to see it for the both of us until you're able to look in the mirror and see it for yourself."

Her eyes were open now, her bottom lip trembling. I give her a smile and press a kiss to her nose.

"You're fucking beautiful to me, Maddison. All of you. You don't have to hide any of it from me anymore."

She let out a small sob before she pressed her lips on mine and wrapped her arm around my neck. Her lips were on mine with a newly-found urgency that made me smile against her lips.

She is, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl ever. Her soul, her personality, her body. She's too good for this world, and way too fucking good for me. But I'm selfish as hell, and I'm not letting her go. Not ever. I needed her goodness and her light in my life; she was shining her pure ass light all over the bad in my life and she had no idea how much she meant to me.

Not to mention how my heart dropped when I saw her closet door propped open and there was a literal piece of some shit covering her mirror. She literally saw something so wrong with her, she couldn't even look at herself. But I'll make damn sure that she sees what I see.

She directly bites my lip ring and tugs, making a low groan come from my throat and makes me hard. She's barely even touching me and she's already causing this affect on my body. This woman...

"Maddison," I laugh breathlessly. "Keep that up and I might not be able to stop what happens next."

Her eyes held excitement as she looked at me. "Maybe I don't want you to stop."

Fuck—

"Baby," I smile and wrap my arms around her. "We'll have so much time for that. But not tonight. Not after everything."

She pouts and looks away. "Oh. Okay."

She thinks I'm denying her? Is she fucking insane?

"Trust me," I lie her back and hover over her face, making her eyes widen. "I want nothing more than to rip my clothes off your perfect body and fuck you senseless." Her mouth parts as she looks at my lips. "But I also want it to be right, Maddison. Your first time shouldn't be on a night like tonight. It should mean something, be something real. Because you mean too much to me."

She tilts her head at me, blinking rapidly. I furrow my brows.

"What did I say?"

She smiles as tears fill her eyes again, but she leans up and kisses my mouth instead.

"You didn't do anything wrong," she shakes her head. "What you just said, you said it again." She smiles. "My mom said that to me, that the right guy wouldn't pressure me into anything I'm not ready for."

I press a kiss to her face, capturing her salty tear. "I would've loved to meet her."

She wraps her arms around my neck and buries her face in it. "She would've loved you."

I lay beside her, bringing her close to me. I look down at her, kissing her hair.

"Maddison?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"

She looked up at me, her eyes sad again. "It's just another day to me, Ryker. It's not a big deal."

"But that's not true," my brows push together. "Because it's the day you were born on. And that's a fucking big deal to me. I would've loved to do something for you. Spoil the shit out of you. Whatever the hell you wanted. I don't know. But something."

"You're giving me everything right now." She shrugs.

I frown. "It's not the same."

"I'm sorry."

I huff, knowing I couldn't stay mad at her. "I know, baby. I just want to be the one to show you how special you are."

She smiles, lifting her palm to my face. She presses her soft skin on my rough jaw and I lean into her intoxicating touch.

"You do, every day."

The corners of my lips lift into a soft smile before I press a kiss on her forehead. I run my fingers through her hair, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Maddison?"

Her eyes opened again, dazed and sleepy. "Yeah?"

"You're not planning on staying in that house, are you?"

She shakes her head slightly. "No. I gotta get some stuff, find a place to stay for a little while—like a hotel or something, just until I can find a good enough apartment to put a down payment on for me and Joey. I've been thinking for a bit an—"

"Don't do that, Maddison." I interrupt, unable to stop myself. "Just...stay here. Stay with me."

Her brows knit together, her eyes full of I don't even know what. She was searching my eyes for something, maybe to see if I was kidding or who knows. But I'm not.

"I'm serious, baby." I grab her neck and look deep in her eyes. "Stay here with me. You don't have to worry about anything with me; you'd just go to work and I'd take care of everything else—the groceries, the bills, you wouldn't have to worry about a damn thing for the first time in...what, six? Seven years?" I'm practically begging at this point. "Stay with me, Maddison. Let me take care of you."

"Ryker." Her voice was soft and her smile was shy.

"I swear I'll be on my best behavior. I'll keep a respectable distance and won't touch you unless you tell me to." I smile at her. "You won't have to worry about anything with me. Please, please. Just let me show how this can be between us."

She's biting her lip, hiding her smile. "Only until I find my own place?"

"I'll help you move myself, I promise."

Her smile widens and she nods eagerly. "Okay, okay. Yes."

My smile matches hers before I lean down and claim her lips. I love her—fuck, I love her. She presses her cheek to my chest and sighs in content as I hold her close and I know I'd never love anyone as much as I love her.

Which is why I know she'd be pissed at me for thinking what's going through my head right now...but I also know that I'd never ask my good-for-nothing father for money, or help from my brother. So there's only one way I'd be able to help her out with the attorneys.

And I just hope she can understand my intentions behind it. Because everything I do, I do for her.

A/N

Ryker 🥺 he's so soft for her, I can't.

Also, I made a AFWHI playlist on Spotify 🙈 I'll be updating it with every chapter if you wanna check it out 🥺

800 reads?? I literally—I'm so shook rn!!! I literally never expect that, or the support I get. Y'all truly, truly have no idea what it means to me...I literally have tears in my eyes. Every read counts to someone like me, so thank you SO MUCH! I wish I could hug you all 🥺 but thank you for reading, lovelies! Don't forget to vote, comment, etc!! <33