Page 55 of One Spicy Summer

This is a full-blown geostorm. And I’m right in the middle with no chance of survival.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Rygaard

July 7th

Dear Baby Girl,

I pray one day you can forgive me for all of this. Until that day comes, I’ll write you a letter for every second, every minute, every hour we can’t be together. I love you more than words could ever say, and I swear with every beat of my heart... I’mcoming for you. I’ll make up for every ounce of hurt I’ve caused. Please, wait for me.

I love you always, Your Ry Ry

July 20th

Hey, Baby Girl,

Today isn’t a good day. I’ve been fighting battles inside myself, trying to figure out how to tell you what’s really going on. Since it feels like I’m being watched constantly, I have to choose my words carefully.My father has found a girl. A girl he wants me to be with.

A girl who isn’t you, and that means I could never love her.

No matter what you’ve seen or heard... you’re the only girl for me, Prez.

The days feel endless without you. It’s been so long since I’ve wrapped my arms around you, held you close, breathed in your existence. I’m getting hard just thinking about your body pressed against mine. Fuck, Presley, I need you. I miss you so fucking much. I don’t know how I’m supposed to survive this world without you by my side.

Until next time, Princess.

I love you always, Your Ry Ry

August 13th

Hey, Baby Girl,

How are you? Yeah, I know, rhetorical question. I already know how you’re doing. Rafe gives me the sad updates. And God, I’m so sorry I’m the cause of it. I need you to forgive me, baby. You have to. Because none of this was what I wanted. Since you won’t be getting these letters anytime soon, I’ve decided to tell you the truth:My father is an evil bastard.Greedy. Ruthless. Selfish.He only cares about molding me into his perfect, little replica. He wasn’t born rich. But money was handed to him, generation after generation, and he never learned what it meant to work for anything. Everything he wanted, he took. Including my mother. It took me a while to learn the truth about her. She never spoke about it. Never complained about the life he forced on her.

Who would, when you're given everything you could ever want?

But then I was born. And life changed. He didn’t feed me with a silver spoon. No, he groomed me, forced me to be the perfect son. Obedient. Silent. But the older I got, the less I wanted to be what he demanded.

The night he kidnapped me, the night of my so-called pledging, all I could think about was you.How I would tell you that you’re more to me than life itself. That no matter what you saw, it wasn’t real.

I couldn’t. He made sure there wasn’t time.

Now? Now I sit here, staring out at the rooftop of this luxury prison he stuck me in, wondering how easy it would be to just jump and end it all.To leave this fucked-up life behind. But that would mean leavingyoubehind.

And I can’t do that, Princess.I’m coming for you.

I love you always,Your Ry Ry

December

I fold the letter carefully, tucking it into the box with all the others.Just as I slide the lid shut, I hear the lock on the front door click, followed by the sharp clack of Sylvia’s heels on the marble floor.

She walks in a few seconds later, looking just as drained as I feel.

“Hey,” she says, her voice tired.

“Hey,” I answer.

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