Me: eight letters, three words, onemeaning.
Raine: And I love you. I can’t wait to kiss youagain.
Me: Good. Open yourwindow.
Raine unlocked her window and helped me climb into her bedroom. I knew it was a terrible idea but I just needed to be close to her. “I know you have to be up in a few hours, but I just needed toholdyou.”
We crawled into bed, and I wrapped my arms around hermiddle.
“This is perfect, babe.” She softly kissed mycheek.
I breathed her rose and lilac sent in, shifting the pillow under my head a little. “You’re perfect. Get some sleep. I have an alarm set for five, so I’ll be out of the house before Abelwakesup.”
“Everything allright,baby?”
I tightened my grip around her, making sure I was holding Raine with every inch of my body. “Itisnow.”
4
Ryder
My phone blaredunder my pillow; five in the morning had come way too fast. Raine shifted in my arms, rolling over to sleepily kiss me. Just as our lips brushed together, I felt my entire world fall into place. She was my home, my world, myeverything.
“Good morning.” Her sweet voice melted me while she rested her head on myshoulder.
“Good morning, baby.” I shifted a little, reluctantly ready to get out of bed before Abel knew I was in thehouse.
“Don’t go yet.” She hugged me tighter, burying her head into my chest. Her messy, dark hair was everywhere as I fought to find hergorgeousface.
“I have to. If Abel sees my bike in the driveway, he’ll have me hanging in the tree out back before his morningcoffee.”
She sighed, sitting up in bed. “I just hate this so much. Why can’t he just understand that no matter what, I want to bewithyou?”
I grabbed her shoulders, looking dead into her soft eyes. “Come hell or high water, I will prove myself to your father, Raine. I promise. I will be the man you deserve and he willseeit.”
She shook her head, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. “I just don't know if that is even possible, babe. My dad is the most stubborn jackass in the entire fuckingworld.”
“But, Raine, I’ll give it all up for you if that is what it takes. The club, this place, my job—none of it matters to me without you. I need you. I want you. You’re my forever. I don’t care abouttherest.”
She let her head fall onto my shoulder. “You’re my always, Ryder. You have myheart.”
“Then I will make this all work.Promise.”
My phone started blinging with text after text, half of themfromAbel.
“Shit babe, I have to get home and then deal with these.” I showed her the name that kept scrolling across my screen. Raine kissed my cheek and followed me to thewindow.
“Iloveyou.”
I ducked out the window while saying, “I loveyou,too.”
Hopping down from the second story roof, I heard the worst possible sound I could in thatmoment.
“Well, good, you’re already here.” Abel’s face was red with fury as he trotted down the front steps. “So fucking help me God, boy, you’re testing mypatience.”
I threw my hands in the air. “I just needed to see her. Nothinghappened.”
Raine came flying out the front door. “He’s telling the truth, Dad. We justslept.”
