Chapter 44
Guinevere
L ying next to Ryker feels like home.
My head moves up and down with the rhythm of Ryker’s slow breaths as I lay on his shoulder with my leg draped over his.
Even with the bandage on, he looks toned and sculpted, with little to no imperfections. I trace my finger over his collarbone and above his bandage. A reminder that he’s not as invincible as he thinks he is.
Guilt seeps into my chest as I think about how I wasn’t able to see him in the hospital. Does he think I didn’t care enough to check on him?
“I tried to visit you…” I whisper softly. “In the hospital. I came, but your brother turned me away. He told me your parents were there and that it wasn’t a good idea.”
Ryker’s body stiffens. For a moment, I wonder if it was the mention of his brother turning me away or the mention of his parents that made him react.
He doesn’t reply, so I continue.
“Is there a reason it wasn’t a good idea? Would your parents not approve of me?” I ask hesitantly. I may not be poor, but I’m certainly not Steele level rich. From what I know about the Elite’s they usually have strict rules on who they can and cannot be with. Many still follow the archaic idea of arranged marriages.
I have a feeling I wouldn’t be the girl Ryker’s parents would pick for him. I have no title, no status in society. I am no one special.
Ryker clears his throat. “My father has this notion that I must marry a woman of status. Meaning, the daughter of a legacy Elite, or someone from a high society family,” he sighs. “It’s ridiculous and obsolete, but it’s what has been expected for generations.”
My stupid heart skips at the prospect of marriage, not that I’m at all ready for that yet, but it does sound nice.
Leaning on my elbow, I hover over him. His eyes meet mine, and I smile. Ryker cocks an eyebrow and smirks.
“I didn’t expect you to be smiling after I told you how ancient my father’s thoughts are,” he teases. I flip my hair behind my shoulder dramatically and pretend to examine my nails, my lips pursed.
I’ve never really told anyone this because it hasn’t come up, and I don’t think it matters much, because I am not a man.
“Gwen…” Ryker’s voice is deep with warning.
“I may or may not be an Elite Legacy…” I tell him, biting the inside of my cheek. Ryker searches my face for a moment, his emerald eyes widening when he realizes I’m not kidding.
“Wait, seriously?” he asks in disbelief. I nod, biting my lip.
“My father was an Elite. Wade Sharpe. That’s the only reason I’m at Ellington U. I grew up in Barrington,” I explain, watching as Ryker’s face contorts from confusion to shock.
“Wow. I grew up in East Greenwich.”
My eyes widen. “No, you didn’t. Seriously? That’s only a thirty-minute drive away!” I squeal, a little too excited. Ryker chuckles.
“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that,” he says.
“What?” I ask.
“Any of it,” he shrugs.
We lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes before I decide to ask some more questions since I still don’t know much about him. He’s not an open book, and I can tell he doesn’t like talking about his feelings.
I know his family is wealthy, I know his father owns a very prestigious security company, and I know their family donates a lot of money to this school. I know he has a younger brother, but I don’t know how much they get along, or what their dynamic is like.
I haven’t really seen them together much, but the few times I have, they’ve seemed standoffish. Not as close as Ellie and Holland are, and I don’t know if that’s normal or not. I didn’t grow up with siblings, so I’m not completely sure how close you’re supposed to be to your brother or sister.
“Do you and your family get along?” I ask cautiously. Ryker’s hold on me tightens, and I know he’s going to shut down. “Please, Ryker. I’d really like to know more about you.”
I want him to open up to me. He’s already given me more than he’s ever given anyone else, and I’m so grateful for that. I want him to want to share with me. It would show that he trusts me.
Ryker lets out a long, deep breath, as if contemplating whether or not to share anything.
He stares up at the ceiling.
“My father and I have never gotten along. When I was younger, he was rarely ever home, and when he was, he’d be in his office all night. He never took me to baseball games or taught me how to throw a football. As I got older, he only spoke to me about The Steele Corporation and how I needed to be prepared to take over one day,” Ryker chuckles under his breath.
“It’s funny. I never wanted to take over the company. I wanted to branch out and do my own thing. I didn’t want to be tethered to my family name. His last name. But now, I just know he’s doing some shady shit. All he cares about is his money and his status in society.”
My face falls as I take in everything he’s just told me about his father. I can’t say I grew up the same way since my father did actually spend time with me. It’s only been the last few years that he’s turned into a shitty dad.
I imagine a young Ryker sitting in his yard with a baseball in his hand, all alone, waiting for his father to play catch, but he never comes. My heart aches for him.
Ryker repositions himself so he’s lying on his side, facing me. He grimaces slightly, then he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. I smile at the sweet gesture.
“My mother was a good mom. She made sure we had everything we needed, tucked us in at night, and helped us with homework. She was a stay-at-home mom, so she spent a lot more time with us,” his thumb gently rubs my cheek as he continues. “But she was a pushover. She’d do whatever my dad said, and she never tried to stop him when he’d…get physical with me. Logan never experienced what I did. He’s only a year younger, but for some shitty reason, I got the brunt of it.”
“Are you and Logan close?” I ask, already assuming the answer is no but wanting to hear him say it. Ryker laughs sardonically.
“Ha, no. We were never really close, not even as kids. We’re polar opposites, and when I started to notice that dad was treating us differently, I began to distance myself. I turned cold and unforgiving. I blamed my mom for staying with my father and letting him treat me poorly. Logan never saw it that way, and it made things difficult between us.”
God. I never realized how much he’d been through. Not that I would have; I didn’t know who he was.
After I met him, I thought he was just another arrogant, rich asshole that thought the world owed him something. But hearing the story about his family and the way he grew up, it kind of makes sense. The tough guy persona, the dickhead fa?ade, it was all a protective ruse he’d built up from his childhood.
Bringing my hand up to his cheek, I lean in and give him a feather light kiss on his lips.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. It means more than you know,” I tell him, my voice thick with emotion.
“Anything for my girlfriend,” he says as a wide grin spreads across his face. My stomach flutters as his words sink in.
“Girlfriend, huh?” I ask. “I think I like that,” a grin that matches his taking over my features.
Good,” he pulls me closer to him and kisses me, making time stop. “God, Rebel. You are intoxicating.”
I pull back, narrowing my eyes.
“Now I need to give you a nickname,” I pout. Something other than arrogant asshole, since I no longer believe that’s the real him. The real Ryker is kind and passionate, he’s possessive but caring, protective and loyal.
Ryker laughs. “What, no more asshole with more money than brains” he jokes, recalling what he’d overheard me tell Damian. My cheeks heat at the memory and I swat his arm playfully.
“No. What about…” I tap my index finger on my chin a few times. “Sour Patch Kid?”
Ryker’s face twists with confusion. “Sour Patch Kid?”
I nod. “Yeah, you know. At first they’re sour and then they turn sweet,” I say with a shit eating grin. Ryker rolls his eyes.
“Next,” he demands. I bite my lip as I think.
“Hmm…” I hum. And then it hits me. “Hot Shot.”
His brows furrow. “Hot Shot. I like it,” he winks.
“Hot Shot it is, then.”
—————————
Packing has taken so much longer than I planned. I really don’t have that much stuff to bring home, but I keep getting distracted when I find things I’d forgotten I had.
Luckily, Lainey, Ellie, Haley, and I will be living in this house until the end of the year in May when classes end. So I don’t have to pack up everything I own and move it back home. All I need right now is some clothes, shoes, and obviously toiletries, but I won’t pack those until this weekend.
I am leaving on Sunday to head home with Damian for Thanksgiving, and part of me can’t wait to see my mom. I haven’t seen her in months, and as much as we talk every day, I still miss her.
After Ryker left Thursday morning, Lainey and Ellie busted into my room demanding I tell them everything that had happened the night prior.
“Sounded like you two had a really nice time last night,” Ellie had said with a wink.
“Trust me, there was no talking involved. They were definitely fucking all night long,” Lainey chortled.
Then, Lainey informed me of a party at the Elite mansion tonight, and of course I’m being dragged. But now, I don’t mind being dragged. I get to see Ryker, my boyfriend, my Hot Shot. My heart swells at the thought.
I have already begun to fall for him more than I ever planned to, and I know if this ends badly, it’ll ruin me. Everything in me is telling me to run. To flee and never look back. But it’s not possible. I can’t bring myself to stay away from him.
Shaking away the negative thoughts, I head for the bathroom to take a quick shower after I’ve decided that packing can wait until tomorrow. I got most of it done anyway.
After I throw my wet hair into a bun and pull on an oversized tee, I check my phone. I have one text from Damian and two from Ryker. I decide to open Damian’s first.
Damian Cole
Damian Cole
I’m coming over at nine. Tell
Lainey not to be naked when
I walk in this time please. ??
Me
When was she naked?!
Damian Cole
When I came over on Tues.
You were at the library still.
I swear I’m scarred for life.
Me
Omg!! ??
I make a mental note to ask Lainey about that later. I’m surprised she didn’t tell me. I can imagine Lainey walking around naked and Damian walking in while she walks out of her room. She probably threw something at him. I kind of wish I was there to see it.
I pull up Ryker’s texts next, and my face heats with surprise.
Hotshot ??
Hotshot ??
I am going to fuck you so
hard tonight. Don’t wear
any panties, I’ll just tear
them off.
Me
Oh really? I’ll make sure
to wear my tightest jeans.
Hotshot ??
You just love to test me,
don’t you, Rebel? I think
you deserve a smack on
the ass for that comment.
Me
I look forward to it.
Hotshot ??
You’re killing me, Gwen.
I toss my phone on the bed with a huge grin on my face. The result of talking to Ryker every single time.
Ryker has quickly become one of my favorite people, and I love talking to him. I love learning more about him and feeling like I can tell him things. What we have was unexpected to say the least, but it’s also so incredibly strong.
A knock on my door interrupts my train of thought.
“Come in,” I call. Two seconds later, Lainey strolls in looking like a fucking supermodel with her tight, short skirt, sequined halter top, and stiletto heels, her hair pulled into a half up half down look.
“Damn, Lainey. You look hot as fuck,” I tell her, my jaw practically on the floor as I look her up and down. Lainey is insanely pretty, and she knows it. I’ve never met anyone more confident in themselves.
The thing about Lainey is that even though she knows she’s attractive, she’s not a total bitch about it. You know those girls that think they’re hot shit, so they treat everyone else like peasants? Yeah, Lainey is not one of them.
I’m confident for the most part, and I typically don’t give a shit what people think about me. But I’m nowhere near as confident as Lainey is.
Ellie is the opposite of us both. She’s shy and reserved. She’s quiet and doesn’t draw attention to herself. The only time she’s ever done something remotely out of her comfort zone was when she kissed that guy to piss off her brother.
She has no reason to be shy or self-conscious. She’s gorgeous, and she’s sweet. She’s a catch, and I wish she could see it like everyone else can.
Lainey takes a look around my room and grimaces.
“It’s a mess in here! You were supposed to be packing, not throwing all of your shit on the ground,” she lectures. Mom mode activated.
“Sorry, mom ,” I tease, rolling my eyes.
“What are you wearing tonight?” she asks, walking into my closet and pushing things around as she examines my clothes.
Finally, she pulls out a small blue dress with the tags still on that I’d completely forgotten about. I bought it last semester for the Fire and Ice dance, but I never went.
“This is perfect. This is what you’re wearing,” she directs, handing me the dress. “Get dressed. I’ll do your hair and makeup.”
With that, she walks out of my room, leaving me to change. I shake my head and chuckle to myself as I put the dress on.
Lainey did my makeup and curled my hair. When I look in my mirror, I don’t even recognize myself. The light blue dress hugs my curves perfectly. The plunging neckline shows off my cleavage, and the hem of the skirt lands just under my ass cheeks.
I honestly might as well not be wearing anything at all. I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought it. This is way out of my comfort zone.
But admittedly, I do look hot. The dark eyeliner and mascara make my blue eyes pop, my cheeks are a dark pink color, and my lips are a nice shade of red.
Walking out into the living room where Ellie and Lainey sit on the couch, and Damian sits in the corner in his normal chair, my face heats with embarrassment as they all turn to look at me.
“Wow, Gwenny. You look… wow,” Damian says, his mouth practically hanging open. I look down my body and then back up.
“You think?” I ask shyly. I do think I look good, but it’s always good to hear it from other people. Especially the people closest to you that you know won’t lie just to make you feel good.
“I knew that dress was a good idea,” Lainey squeals, patting herself on the back for her wardrobe choice.
Laughing, I agree with her. “Yeah, it was a good choice.”
“Ryker is definitely going to be drooling tonight,” Ellie teases with a wink. I roll my eyes.
“Oh, shut up,” I tell her with a small smile because honestly, I like the thought of Ryker drooling over me.
Damian jumps up from his seat, clapping his hands together and heading for the front door.
“Alright, let’s go party people!” he exclaims, opening the door and heading out with the three of us following right behind, and for the first time, I feel excited to be going to a party.