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“Better,” she offers, like that makes any sense, but she seems calm, and I can always get a good read on a situation from her vibe. So I trust in her statement. “How have things been here?”
“Awful,” I grunt, pressing the outline of my cock against her stomach as I lift her off her feet and inhale her floral scent. She hums against my throat.
I should put her down, step away, and make it look like she means nothing to me, but I just… can’t.
My arms refuse to release her, my fingers pressing tighter against the leather jacket she’s wearing. We’re swimming in a clusterfuck right now, and her just being here changes it all. I feel like I can breathe through everything again. The past forty-eight hours reminded me what my life was like without her, and even though it really wasn’t that long ago, it’s still a complete contrast to now.
Like night and day, she offers me a sense of light I never knew existed, and now, I cling to it, cling to her.
“You’re going to have to put her down eventually,” Emmett grumbles from somewhere, but I grunt in response, not moving an inch.
“No, for real, I’m going to need her tomorrow, Ryker,” Emily states, confusing me as I reluctantly turn to her. Scarlett follows my line of sight too, and Emmett’s sister beams. “Because tomorrow, she starts college.”
FOURTEEN
Scarlett
“This is so ridiculous,”I grumble, huffing as I slouch in my seat.
“What is?” Emily asks from her spot beside me, and I give her a pointed look.
“All of this.” I wave my hand at my clothes and the backpack sitting at my feet. “Sure, you can dress me in a pair of cute jeans and a silk top, but my combat boots and leather jacket scream I’m crazy and we all know it.” Shift laughs from the driver’s seat. Emmett's keeping his lips clamped shut beside him, but I still give him a deathly glare. “And don’t even get me started on the backpack. Don’t think I didn’t see the notepads, pens, and damn laptop in there. It’s all completely unnecessary when I can’t even read or write.”
I’m completely aware that I'm acting like a petulant child, stomping my foot and spitting my pacifier out because I’m overwhelmed and nervous, but admitting it out loud is never going to happen.
I was fine last night as I enjoyed the evening in the bar with my friend, my men, and Shift. Even Maggie came and sat with us for a while too, and the entire time, I was excited for today, to help Emily carry on with her life. But now… now, I’m regretting it.
Emily shakes her head dismissively at me, aiming a pointed look my way. “Your learning has been coming along amazing and you know it,” she states, wagging her finger at me, and I roll my eyes. “And I’ve also signed us up for the English class for beginners that they offer. So I think everything in there is completely needed.”
“Wait, what?” I startle, sitting tall in my seat as I stare at her in confusion. “You don’t need that class.”
“I know, but you do, and you’re doing so much for me, it’s only fair I do something for you.” She cocks a brow, ready for me to challenge her, but for once, I’m stuck for words.
“This isn’t necessary.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t have to,” I add, chin pressed to my chest as I peer up at her.
“That’s exactly why I’m doing it.”
A soft smile touches my lips as my appreciation for her washes over me. A quick glance out of the corner of my eye shows both Emmett and Shift smiling too. Dammit, sometimes I’m a bitch.
“Thank you,” I breathe, reaching across to her, and she squeezes my hand.
“Don’t thank me yet, we need to get through your first day,” she replies with a wink.
I gulp, turning my attention to the world passing us by as we cross town to the campus where I’m going to be spending a lot more time. I never thought I would see the day that my ass would be anywhere near a college campus. Especially for actual learning and not a job, a target requiring my services.
The fact that she willingly added us to another class formyneeds warms my once frozen soul. Time and time again, Emily and the Ruthless Brothers have shown me that I have a chance at a future, one that involves family, growth, and stability.
I remain lost in my thoughts as we pass the sign for campus. My nerves get the better of me as I stare at the sheer amount of people here. Small low-rise buildings spread across my view, surrounded by large grassy lawns, sprawling trees, and picnic benches. It’s the kind of shit I thought only existed in movies, but apparently, now it’s my life.
Shift pulls the SUV into a parking spot at the back of the lot, and everyone else climbs out before I do. Emmett hovers by my door, but he simply watches me through the glass as I take a few deep breaths, willing myself to get out. The second I pull the handle, he opens the door the rest of the way, offering me his hand as I heave my backpack over my shoulder and climb down.
His arm drapes around my shoulders, pulling me into his side, and we fall into step with Shift and Emily. We garner looks from others walking by, many locking their gazes on the Ruthless Brother emblem on their leather cuts, but no one speaks a word. If anything, it only gives us a wide berth.
Perfect. My social limit has already been reached, and if I can ward people off, then this just might be bearable.
