10. Rio
ten
Rio
Iwake up before she does and I don’t dare to move because she’s so perfect like this.
Her back is pressed against my chest, my arm draped over her waist, and I can feel every breath she takes like its mine.
The room is still dark but there’s enough light bleeding through the blinds that I can see the shape of her, the red hair spilling across my pillow, and the curve of her hip under the sheets.
She’s here with me and mine in a way six weeks of screens never gave me.
I’ve been inside her. I know what she sounds like when she comes, what her face does when she’s close, and how her body tightens around me right before she breaks.
I know how she tastes and how she shivers when I put my mouth on her and how she says my name when she forgets to hold back. Except it’s not my name, It’s Ryan’s.
She shifts slightly and I go still. If she wakes up and decides to leave, I’ll let her, but I’m not going to be the reason she does.
I want her here as long as I can have her.
I want to memorize her in my bed, how her body fits against mine, and the fact that she stayed the night without hesitation because Ryan made her feel safe enough to do it.
Ryan gets me this. He gets me her body and her trust and the side of herself she doesn’t show anyone else. Rio will have to keep all of it locked away knowing exactly what it means.
For now.
She stirs again and this time her eyes open. She blinks a few times, processing where she is, and then she turns her head to look at me. Her hair is a mess, and her makeup is smudged and she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Morning,” she says, her voice rough from sleep but there’s already a smirk pulling at her mouth.
“Morning.”
She stretches against me, completely unbothered by the fact that she’s naked in a stranger’s bed. “Okay, so that happened.”
“Yeah, it did.”
“You always this quiet in the morning or is this your mysterious brooding thing?”
I brush a strand of hair away from her face. “You always this mouthy?”
“Always.” She grins and leans into my hand. “You sleep, okay?”
“Better than I have in a while honestly.”
“Good.” She sits up and the sheet falls away and she doesn’t even try to cover herself. Just reaches for her phone on the floor, completely comfortable in her own skin. “What time is it?”
I glance at my phone. “Almost eleven.”
“Shit. Lucy’s probably losing her mind.” She starts typing and I watch her, how she bites down on her bottom lip when she’s concentrating and how her thumbs move across the screen. She’s completely unaware that I’ve been watching her do this exact thing for weeks.
She sets her phone down. “She’ll be here in like an hour.”
“You want breakfast?”
“You cook?”
“Cole does.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Your roommate’s making us breakfast? Is this a thing you guys do?”
“He’s always up early so might as well take advantage.”
“Smart.” She gets out of bed and starts pulling on the green dress from last night along with her heels. She runs her fingers through her hair and catches me watching. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
“You look amazing.”
“I look like I just got fucked.” She grins. “Which I did so, I guess it works.”
When we walk out of my room the kitchen smells like coffee and bacon.
Coles in the kitchen with a spatula in one hand and his phone in the other, scrolling through something while he flips eggs.
He looks up when we walk in and his eyes land on Remi for half a second before he looks at me with the faintest smirk.
“Morning,” he says.
“Morning.”
“You guys want some?” Cole asks, nodding toward the stove.
“Yeah,” I say.
“Yes please,” Remi adds, already moving toward the coffee pot like she’s been here before.
Cole plates up three servings and we sit at the small table in the corner of the kitchen. Remi takes a bite of eggs and looks at Cole. “Wow, this is really good.”
“Thanks. I try.”
“So, you’re the roommate,” she says.
“That’s me. Cole.” He reaches across to shake her hand.
“Remi.” She smiles and shakes his hand back.
“I know.” He takes a bite of bacon, and I can see him deciding how much to push. “You go to school around here?”
“Taking a year off actually. Trying to figure out what I want to do.”
“Smart. Most people just pick something and regret it later.”
“That’s what I’m trying to avoid.” She glances at me. “What about you?”
“Graduated last year with a business degree I’m not using.”
“So, what are you doing?”
“Working for my dad’s company. It’s boring as hell but it pays.”
“At least you’re honest about it.”
Cole grins. “I try to be.” He looks at me. “Unlike some people.”
I give him a look and he just shrugs, totally unbothered. Remi’s watching the exchange with interest.
“You two have known each other a while?” she asks.
“Three years,” Cole says. “Lived together the whole time and I know enough about this guy to write a book.”
“Like what?”
“Like he’s terrible at grocery shopping. He also plays the same three games on repeat. Oh, and he’s oddly focused about his coffee.”
“I’m not focused,” I say.
“You measure it every morning, same amount every time.”
She laughs. “That’s kind of adorable.”
“It’s efficient,” I say.
“It’s neurotic,” Cole counters. “But we love him anyway.”
Remi’s phone buzzes and she picks it up. “Lucy’s outside.”
“I’ll walk you down,” I say.
Cole starts clearing plates. “Nice meeting you, Remi.”
“You too.” She smiles, and it’s so genuine that if I had emotions, it might actually hurt knowing what’s in store for her.
I follow her to the door, down the stairs, and out to the street where Lucy’s car is idling. Lucy’s watching us through the windshield, and I can see her taking everything in. Remi turns to me before she gets in.
“So,” she says.
“So.”
“That was fun.”
“Yeah.”
“You gonna text me or are you one of those guys who disappears after?”
“I’ll text you.”
“Good.” She grins and gets in the car. Lucy pulls away and I stand there watching until they turn the corner.
When I get back upstairs Cole’s at the window.
“Who was the blonde?” he asks.
“Her best friend.”
He turns and looks at me. “That’s the girl from Remi’s video.”
I pause for a second because, goddamn him, he’s right.
“You know her whole life,” Cole says.
“Uh, pretty much.” I say and let out a half-laugh.
“And she has no idea.”
“Nope. Not yet anyways.”
He shakes his head and walks back to the kitchen and starts loading the dishwasher. “You’re still going to your dad’s tonight?”
“Sunday dinner. Not sure how it’ll go, but I found my way in.”
Cole closes the dishwasher and leans against the counter. “So what’s the plan here, man? You just gonna show up and pretend you don’t know her?”
“Something like that.”
Cole runs a hand through his hair. “You know this is fucked, right? Like properly fucked.”
“I know.”
He stares at me for a long moment. “You’re obsessed with her.”
“Just a tad.”
“You need me to do anything? Cover for you? Lie to someone?”
“No. Just don’t say anything if she shows up here again.”
“Obviously.” He grabs his keys off the counter. “I’m going out. Try not to spiral while I’m gone.”
“No promises.”
He leaves and the apartment gets quiet. I stand at the window and think about tonight.
How I’ll be walking into that house for the first time in six years, seeing Remi at the dinner table with no idea that Ryan is Rio and Rio is her stepbrother and her stepbrother just spent the night inside her.
How she’s going to look at me when she figures it out and if she’ll hate me or want me or both.
She’s mine now. She just doesn’t know it yet.
I can’t fucking wait.