Page 63 of Burning Bridges Duet

“Friends can cuddle and have sleepovers, right?” I ask her.

“Oh, best friends do that all the time,” Ryder chimes in. “They cuddle the shit out of each other.”

That makes her snicker, and she gets into bed. I crawl in next to her, while Ryder gets on her other side, lying on his back with one arm folded behind his head. She leans against him with her head on his chest, and he takes her hand in his free one. I hug her from behind, burying my face in her hair and breathing in her vanilla scent, my anxiety finally easing now that I have her back in my arms, although my head is still throbbing from all the yelling around me today. Ryder begins to softly sing “If You’re Not the One” by Daniel Bedingfield, his raspy voice filling the room. I was always in awe of his talent, but the emotion that shines through right now shows how much Liv already means to him. I’ve never seen him in love. I wonder if this is it.

Liv relaxes, and her breathing evens out. I can only wonder how we’re going to get Jaxon and Chase to see that this is the right thing for all of us before my eyes fall closed too.

THIRTY-FIVE

I didn’t have any nightmares last night, and I wake up feeling warm and safe. My legs are intertwined with River’s, as we are in a tight embrace, my nose in his chest while he rests his chin on my head. As I move a bit, I feel a hand between my legs, cupping me, and I’m confused for a moment. I turn my head slightly and see that Ryder is sound asleep. It seems his hand has wandered there on its own, and I chuckle to myself. Even while he’s unconscious, he can’t keep his hands to himself.

I gently pull on his arm to remove his hand from my panties and disentangle myself from the twins without waking them up. I get fresh clothes from my closet, a pair of jeans and a gray Henley, and head to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and taking care of business, I step into the shower, feeling much better already. I tell myself that everything will be okay, even if we end up just being friends. Ryder and River have already proven that they will stay by my side no matter what happens. I’m not alone anymore.

At least not until they get to know the real me.

I push away the negative thoughts and get ready for the day.

The twins joined me for a coffee before my modern dance technique class, but we didn’t bring up the topic of our complicated relationship. It was just good to hang out together before heading to our classes. I get a text from Chris during class, so I quickly check the message while the teacher is occupied.

Chris

Girl, I heard there was drama. You good?

More or less. What did you hear?

Chase said the twins went to check on you after Jaxon was a gigantic asshole?

He left out a lot. You have time for a coffee later?

If you bring it here so we can go down to the beach during my break?

Sure! I’m done here in an hour or so, does that work?

Absolutely. See you soon, babe.

As I walk into Tanner Fitness with two iced coffees in my hands, my nerves are on edge. I’m desperately hoping that I don’t run into anyone, but luckily, Chris is smiling at me from the reception area. I smile back, feeling my anxiety begin to ease.

“Hey, babe, thank you so much for coming here. It just wouldn’t be worth it to spend half my break getting to you and cut our time short,” she says.

“Don’t worry, you’re fine. I’m happy you can take some time for me,” I reply with a sad smile.

“I’ll always make time for you, Liv,” she tells me earnestly. She walks around the reception desk, takes the coffees out of my hands, and places them on the counter before pulling me into a hug. My nose burns, and I hug her back tightly before quickly stepping back.

“I can’t start crying here, Chris,” I whisper apologetically.

“Got it,” she says before walking to the back where the offices are located. “I’m taking my break, boss!” she yells before coming back to me, taking the coffees, and linking our arms together just before Jaxon comes out of his office.

He frowns as he sees me, and I look at the ground.

“Liv,” he says, but Chris pulls me by my arm.

“Let’s go,” she says, and we leave the studio, walking towards the beach.

The fresh air and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore help me relax. Chris walks with her arm linked to mine, and I feel grateful for her presence. She doesn’t ask me any questions, just talks about her own life, her new roommate, and her plans for the upcoming weekend. It’s exactly what I need right now to take my mind off everything. We find a bench overlooking the ocean and sit down, sipping our coffee.

I take a deep breath and finally tell her everything that happened yesterday. She listens intently and puts her hand on mine.

“You know, I love you, but I think you’re a bit crazy for getting into this mess with those dickheads.” I chuckle at that, looking down at my lap, and wipe away a tear. She continues, “But if this is what you want, then I’m here for you and I’ll help you however I can.”