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“I worked hard for something,” he agrees. “And money is nice, don’t get me wrong. But there’s lots of things money can’t buy, and you’re one of them.”
I glance around and realize that I live here now. Maybe it’s just a few days. Maybe it’s longer, but tonight I will stay in his bed.
Another first.
Does he understand that?
“I thought you didn’t want to play house with me?” I ask.
“What?”
“That’s why I never stayed over. And now I’m staying over. So… we’re playing house and you didn’t want to do that.”
“Oh, you sweet thing,” he says, placing a hand on my cheek. “Listen to me, Aria. If you’re ever in trouble and someone who claims to love you says they can’t help you because of their principles, then they suck. They are not your friend. I don’t give a shit about playing house. You’re staying here with me where you’ll be safe. I would never turn you away. Not in a million years.”
I hug him again, feeling protected. “I think I love you right now.”
“Yeah? Well, I think I fell in love with you that very first night we met. Come on,” he says. “Let’s get you unpacked and settled in.”
He gives me a whole dresser even though I didn’t bring enough clothes to fill it. And then he tells me we’ll go shopping tomorrow and buy whatever I need. And on Monday he’ll drop me off at school.
He smiles as he says that. But I just frown. “You don’t feel weird about that?”
“That you’re young, and still in high school, you mean?”
“Yes,” I say. Pouting. Because I’m not as grown-up as I thought when I stomped out of my parents’ house earlier trying to take a stand. I’m just a kid and he’s an adult, and this will never, ever last.
Ryker looks at me thoughtfully, then takes my hand and pulls me over to the bed and pats the mattress. I sit. Wondering what he’s gonna say.
“You have two weeks left of school. After four long years of high school you’ll graduate and go to college. And four years later you’ll wake up one day and realize you’ve now been out of high school longer than you were ever in it. And then four years after that you’ll wake up and realize you’ve been out of college longer than you were ever in it. And one day, eighteen years from now, you’ll wake up and realize you’ve been out of your parents’ house longer than you were in it. This is just how life works. Time marches on and perspectives change. And hopefully, on the day after you turn thirty-six, you’ll wake up and realize you’ve been with me longer than you’ve been without me.”
I think about that for a second.
Then I put my arm around his waist and lean into his chest. “Thank you.”
“I love you,” he says. Then he picks up my hand and says, “Where’s your birthday ring?”
“I gave it back,” I say. “Because I don’t want to be my daddy’s girl anymore. I want to be yours.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – RYKER
First time coming inside her. First time making dinner together. First time sleeping in the same bed. First time making love in said bed. First time waking up, first time making breakfast… so many firsts happen in the span of twenty-four hours.
And then the first time dropping her off at school. Aria has mentioned her friends at school during our nightly conversations, but they are mostly just acquaintances. It’s hard to forge true friendships outside of school when you live an hour away from everyone.
The cynical part of me wants to blame her father for that. Wants to think he might’ve done that on purpose to keep her at home on the weekends. Keep her distant from all her peers, both the ones in her neighborhood and the ones from school.
Because that’s certainly how it turned out.
But I’m not that cynical when it comes to Mr. Amherst. I really do think he’s just a guy who loves his family.
“I feel weird,” Aria says, hand on the doorknob of my car as I idle in front of her school. When she put that uniform on this morning I wanted to bend her over and finger her pussy. Get her panties all wet and make her sit in school squirming and desperate because I left her hanging.
But I didn’t. I might not have so much self-control tomorrow, but I held it together today. “About what?” I say.
“I dunno. Should I kiss you goodbye on the cheek like I do my father? Or climb in your lap and get you hard, then leave you hanging all day so you’ll want to finger me in the car when you pick me up? Thanks for that, by the way. I appreciate the rides.”
