You Belong To Me
Aviana
Who does he think he is, acting like Ryan isn’t good enough for me? Like he knows anything about him, anything about us. He has no clue. He doesn’t know him the way I do. He doesn’t get it.
“Little Bird,” Ryan’s voice cuts through my thoughts, steady but sharp. “You seem a bit tense.”
“No, I’m fine,” I mutter, forcing the words out.
“What did I tell you about lying, Little Bird?” His voice holds that familiar edge.
I hesitate. “He just…” I can’t find the words to explain. I know Ryan, and I know he’s already getting ready to storm back into Cade’s office. He’ll probably rip Cade apart for what he said to me. And maybe he’s right to, but that’s not the point.
“He just, what, Little Bird?” Ryan presses, his hand tightening around mine.
“He told me he has feelings for me.” The words are out before I can stop them. My stomach twists with the weight of them.
“He did what?” Ryan’s grip tightens so hard I feel my bones creak under the pressure.
We stop walking and I turn to face him, feeling his gaze burn into me. “He said he knows it’s wrong, that he feels this pull to me, this strange connection. He knows I’d never choose him, but he wants me to choose someone who won’t hurt me, someone who’s good for me.”
Ryan’s face hardens, his jaw clenching. I can see the fury building in his eyes. “Oh, that asshole. I told him—” His words trail off as he starts turning us back toward Cade’s office.
“Ryan, please.” I plant my feet, refusing to move. I know he’s stronger than me, but I’m not going to back down. Not this time.
“Little Bird, I warned him not to make me regret leaving you in there with him.” His voice is low, barely controlled, like a storm waiting to break.
Before I can respond, I hear a voice behind him. “Oh hey, Aviana, didn’t know you were out and about already.” Scarlet. Of course. She’s standing there with Hazel and Madison, all of them looking at me with those judgmental eyes.
“Umm, yeah, I had a session with Dr. Brenner this morning,” I say, forcing the words out. “But I was just heading back to get some more rest. He says I shouldn’t push myself too hard.”
Hazel eyes me with concern. “So, how are you feeling, you know, after all that…”
“I’m fine, Hazel. Just a little bruised, but it’s nothing major. It’ll heal,” I add, trying to sound normal even though every part of me is on edge.
Then Scarlet steps closer to Ryan, that familiar smirk creeping across her face. “So this is the hunk who saved the day, huh?” She takes another step forward like she owns the space, like she’s entitled to whatever she wants.
Before I even think about it, I grab Ryan’s arm and step in front of him, blocking her from getting any closer.
“Scarlet, this is—” I start, but Ryan answers before I can finish.
“Her boyfriend.” He says it, firm and certain. “I’m her boyfriend. Ryan.”
I see Scarlet’s eyes widen, her expression shifting just slightly before she lets out a quiet gasp. “I didn’t realize we were allowed to have visitors. Especially of that kind.”
“What kind is that, exactly?” My voice cuts through the air, sharper than I intended, but I can’t help it. She’s pushing me, and I’m done letting her .
Ryan steps forward, his presence filling the space. “Actually, I’m a camper here. My brother was murdered.” He says it like it doesn’t matter. Like he’s saying something that has no effect. “If you have any questions about it, you can go bug Dr. Brenner. I’m sure he’ll love it, considering how close you are to him.” His words are dripping with sarcasm, and Hazel and Madison giggle softly at his response.
Scarlet doesn’t seem fazed, but she shoots me another look before muttering, “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Aviana.”
“Yeah, we’ve been together—” I start, but Ryan cuts me off again, his voice low and steady.
“Since she was 15, the first time I ever kissed her.” His words hit me like a punch to the gut. It’s the day he kissed me in the barn, the day everything changed, and he’s saying it like it’s nothing. Like it’s just the way things are.
“Oh wow, but you’re still only her boyfriend? Aren’t you, like—” Scarlet starts to say, but Ryan cuts her off, stepping into her personal space with a look that could burn through stone.
“Listen here, Scarlet,” his voice is low, but every word is a sharp warning. “How about for once, you focus on yourself? We’re all here to heal, and nobody’s going to get anywhere with you constantly judging everything they do. Maybe that’s your way of deflecting, but it stops here. And since you ruined it, I had planned to ask Avi here to marry me on the last day of camp, but I guess I’ll do it now if that’s what you want to see.”
Scarlet gasps, but she doesn’t back down. Her eyes narrow, and she presses on, “I guess it just seems a bit odd, you know? How she has her own cabin, and you haven’t been seen with her until now. Especially after Cade dropped her and all.”
Ryan’s expression hardens, but he doesn’t flinch. “He didn’t drop her,” he snaps, “but I’ve taken care of that. Also, if you bothered to read the pamphlet, girls and guys aren’t allowed in the same cabin. And I thought taking separate classes would help us focus on ourselves, so we can be better for each other in the end. Why is that so hard for you to understand, Scarlet?”
She’s silent for a moment, clearly trying to find a way to pick at him, but Ryan’s not giving her any ground. I can see the frustration building in her, but she knows she’s losing this battle. And I’m standing there, feeling a strange mix of relief that someone’s finally calling her out. Maybe it’s not ideal that Ryan’s doing it, but it’s necessary. She can’t keep getting away with this.
“Whatever,” Scarlet says, her voice dripping with fake sweetness as she turns to walk away. “We have art class to get to. I don’t have time for this. Aviana, so glad to hear you’re okay.” She walks off, Hazel and Madison following in her wake.
Ryan watches them go, a chuckle escaping him. “Now I know why you can’t stand her. Is she always that annoying?”
I can’t help but let out a frustrated sigh, shaking my head. “Can we just get back to the cabin? I’m all worn out from the excitement of the day and it is still morning.”
Ryan gives me a mischievous grin, his tone playful. “Are you too worn out for any more excitement?” He raises his eyebrows, the kind of look that makes me want to roll my eyes but also smile at the same time.
“Ryan…” I warn, but there’s a part of me that’s grateful for the change in tone. It’s the first time today I feel a little bit lighter, even if just for a moment.
***
I could barely stand on my own two feet as Ryan opened the door to our cabin, my legs feeling weak from the adrenaline still surging through me after the encounter with Cade and Scarlet. My mind was buzzing, a mix of confusion and frustration, but it was also trying to make sense of what had just happened.
“What was all that about with Scarlet?” I finally asked, my voice a little shakier than I meant it to be.
Ryan looked at me like it hadn’t just happened. Like the tension and the words exchanged had been nothing more than a passing breeze. “What do you mean?”
“Ummm, the marriage proposal?” I say, raising an eyebrow, still trying to process the absurdity of it .
Ryan sighs, that familiar, exasperated tone slipping into his voice. “Little Bird, would you like me to propose to you? I was trying to get her to go away. It doesn’t matter what I do, she’ll have rumors floating around within the next hour anyway. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
He says it so casually, like he’s resigned to the idea that Scarlet will twist anything into something it’s not. But there’s something in his eyes when he looks at me, something deeper, like maybe there’s a truth buried in that, even if he’s just trying to cover for the chaos she caused.
“Ryan,” I start, my voice soft, almost unsure. “You didn’t have to do that.”
He shakes his head, his expression turning serious, but his hand reaches out, steadying me when I take a wobbly step. “It’s not about that, Little Bird. I was just… trying to protect you. But you still didn’t answer my question.”
“What question?”
“Do you want me to propose to you?”
I didn’t know how to answer. The words were stuck in my throat, caught somewhere between wanting to say yes and the overwhelming fear of what that might mean. Part of me wanted to say yes—wanted to say yes to everything he was offering, to the idea of us, to the chance at something real. But then another part of me hesitated, unsure of what it would do to us, to the life I was trying to rebuild.
“Little Bird —”
I swallowed hard, my breath catching in my throat, and still, I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. But I could feel it—the pull, the desire to say yes more than anything.
“Do you need to be reminded of who you belong to, proposal or not?” he growled, shoving me inside and slamming the door behind us. His lips were on mine before I could even respond, his tongue demanding entrance as he pinned me against the wall. “Let me in, Avi. You’re mine. Mine.”
I moaned into his mouth as his hands roams my body, his touch setting my skin on fire. I could feel his hardness pressing against me, and I knew I was about to be in for a wild ride.
“I will show you how good I am for you, Little Bird.” he practically ripped my shirt off and then slid my shorts off with my panties “I’ll show you just how right of a choice I am.”
He lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist as he carried me to the dining table. He laid me down on my back, spreading my legs wide as he knelt between them. His tongue found my clit, and I cried out as he started to suck and lick, his fingers joining in to tease my entrance.
“Ryan, fuck,” I moaned, my hands tangling in his hair as he brought me closer and closer to the edge. “I’m going to come.”
He didn’t stop, his relentless tongue driving me over the edge as I screamed his name. But he wasn’t done with me yet. He stood up, his hard cock straining against his pants as he undid his belt.
Sitting up, I watch him lower his pants, he commanded, “Open up.” His voice rough with desire. I did as I was told, taking him into my mouth.
“Fuck, Little Bird,” he groaned, his hands pulling my hair into a makeshift ponytail as I sucked him deeper. “You keep that up, baby girl, you are going to make me come.”
Not wanting him to come in my mouth, I stood up, grabbed his hand and walked him to the bedroom. I pushed him back on the bed, climbing on top of him as I straddled his hips. I lowered myself onto him, moaning as he filled me up inch by inch.
“Ride me, Little Bird,” he growled, his hands gripping my hips as I started to move. I rode him hard and fast, my orgasm building with each thrust. “That’s it, I can feel you tightening. Come on my cock, Little Bird.”
I screamed his name as I came, my pussy clenching around him as he thrust up into me.
“That’s it, Avi,” he growls in my ear as he roughly flips me onto my back and spreads my legs over his broad shoulders. With each thrust, I feel him hitting every delicious spot inside of me, driving me closer to the edge .
“I can’t take anymore, Ryan,” I pant as my body trembles with pleasure. But he doesn’t slow down, pushing me further towards an explosive release.
As I tighten around him, he grunts in satisfaction and his own climax washes over him, filling me with his hot release. Our bodies spasming together in a frenzy of passion until we both collapse in exhaustion, completely spent.
“You’re mine, Avi,” he whispered in my ear. “Don’t you ever forget it.”
“I won’t, Ryan. I promise.” I smiled, snuggling against him.
As I drifted off to sleep with him holding me, I knew that no matter what happened, I would always belong to him.