Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“Louder. I want them to hear you in town,” Ryder replied as he completely pulled out of me.
A cry of protest left me, my body tingling with need.
“You! I belong to you!” I raised my voice as it shook.
Ryder thrusted back into me, pounding into me over and over again until my arms gave out and my orgasm struck me. He fucked me through the pleasure, groaning and breathing heavily as he came inside of me.
I trembled on the ground, catching my breath after he released my throat. Bliss radiated throughout my entire body as I turned onto my back, gazing up at the blue sky through the leaves above me.
Ryder hovered over me and stroked my hair back from my flushed face.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I didn’t know how to answer that. I felt so happy and warm after being with him, but my worries were starting to seep in, threatening to make me feel cold. I wished that I could ignore everything and tell him that I wanted to be with him and to talk about how I felt for the band, but my words locked up in my throat. For now, I just had to lie until I figured things out.
“I’m fine.”
Chapter 21
Delilah
Old rock music droned over the bar’s speakers as I waited in a booth in the back for Brianna to arrive. I figured it would be good for me to take some time away from the guys so that I could properly think about my future. Maybe it would help to talk to another person too.
So much had happened in the last few days.
After a few more tweaks, the song was sent off for mastering. After that, my job here in Chalice Falls was over. Part of me wanted to stay with Ryder and the band, to figure out my feelings and see how they felt.
But I knew that would be complicated, and there was a big chance that I would be left feeling heartbroken. I wanted all of them for different reasons, but I couldn’t possibly have everything that I wanted. Life didn’t work that way, and I couldn’t just abandon my life and my career in New York.
That would be irresponsible, and I would disappoint the younger version of me that struggled in this town. How could I turn my back on her and return here where I got my heart crushed? How could I expect things to work out?
A sigh drifted from me as my eyes shifted around the bar. I had only been a couple times before I left Chalice Falls, and I had been with Brianna all those times. The owner at the time knew we were good kids, so he let us sit at the booths and drink root beer and eat hamburger sliders and fries.
Now, he had retired and handed the bar down to his daughter. The place still looked the same, which made me glad deep down. Even if this town had flaws, some things could stay the same. No one could avoid nostalgia.
However, we were all older now. We had changed. This town had changed in many ways. I noticed more people, more businesses, and more events were listed on the town’s official website calendar. This place grew while I was gone, and it was home to the people who meant the most to me.
That made this place even harder to step foot out of.
Once Brianna arrived, I felt a small smile break through the frown that had taken over my face. Despite all of the stress, it was nice being around my best friend again. I threw my arms around her and hugged her close.
“Have you been missing me that bad?” Brianna teased me as she gave me a squeeze.
“You have no idea,” I sighed as I rested my chin on her shoulder. So much had changed since we were kids. We used to see each other almost every day, and now, we’re so busy with our own lives that we only saw each other every once in a while.
“Let’s get some drinks. Party it up,” Brianna laughed once we broke apart.
A faint smirk crossed my face as I nodded, flagging down a waitress so that we could get started with two vodka cranberry drinks. We always had similar tastes. We sat down across from each other, my nerves starting to kick in again.
“Ryder showed me a little sneak peek of the song. As expected, it’s amazing!” Brianna quipped. “Aren’t I so lucky to be surrounded by such talented people?”
It really was an amazing song. Probably the best one I ever made, and that made it even harder to decide what to do next.
“A lot of that is thanks to Ryder and the band. They’re incredible at what they do,” I told her.
Brianna swatted at my hand playfully.