Page 45 of Battered Moves

“Let’s go with considerate because it’s River,” I say.

Liv nods in agreement, but I wring my hands in my lap and clear my throat.

“So, are you PMS’ing? Do you need anything?” I ask hesitantly.

“We don’t have to talk about periods and stuff if it’s uncomfortable for you, Chase. Don’t worry,” Liv assures me with a giggle.

“No, I want you to know that we can talk about anything,” I reply, sitting up straight. “I just never talked about this with a girl before, so I have no clue what I’m doing. I’m a bit stressed about saying something wrong.”

“I appreciate that,” she says, squeezing my knee. “Thanks for being considerate, it means a lot to me.” I relax a little at her words and smile back at her.

“Of course. I just want to make sure you’re comfortable and taken care of. So, sweets?” I ask her teasingly.

“Vanilla ice cream?” she suggests with a smile.

“Oh, I know where we should get it,” I say, and we start up a light conversation as we enjoy the sunny drive.

I get out of the car at a grocery store and come back with loads of ice cream, chocolate, three different kind of pads, and a shit ton of different tampons. She should have that stuff at our house too. The older cashier looked at me knowingly and recommended getting some flowers too, so I did. Liv totally lost it when she saw my purchases, nearly falling out of the car laughing. That alone was worth the stares I got at the register.

When we arrive at the house, Jaxon and the twins are standing outside on the patio to the left side of the house, flipping burgers on the grill. We park the car and get out, greeted by the delicious smell of sizzling meat.

* * *

Liv

I just had the best burgers I’ve ever tasted, and while we ate, we discussed our plans for tomorrow. The guys mentioned that they wanted to go to the Miami Dolphins game, so I asked if I could invite Chris and Gunner to come with us. They all agreed, even Ryder, though he grumbled his consent.

After we finished eating, I took a much-needed shower. I feel so much better now that all my things are here, but I’m wearing comfy sweatpants and a long-sleeve shirt, because I can’t bear to look at my scars right now. The letter from Liam is still fresh in my mind, and I can’t shake off the feeling of unease.

We spent the whole afternoon hanging out in the guys’ living room. Now it’s early evening, and I’m sitting on the floor with my legs tucked under me, doing some homework on my laptop. An hour ago, a storm appeared out of nowhere, and it’s raining heavily with strong gusts of wind outside.

Ryder sits on the couch with his guitar resting on his lap, strumming a few quiet notes before writing something down again. It’s a joy to see him openly work on his songs, and I hope he finds the courage to share them with the world. They accepted the offer from the record label and are just waiting on the contract to sign.

Meanwhile, River and I are sitting back-to-back on the floor as we work on our laptops, while Chase and Jaxon are lounging on the couch, watching a movie. Chase absentmindedly plays with his curls, and it’s so cute that I can’t help but smile. All of them are so handsome, and if I look at them for too long, I start to swoon. Jaxon looks at me as I’m biting my bottom lip, and his eyes get hooded. He smirks when I blush and look back down to my laptop.

There is a loud bang, and the power goes out, plunging us into darkness. The only light left is coming from my and River’s laptops. Chase curses under his breath.

“Do you think it’s the fuses?” he asks Jaxon.

“Probably. Let’s go check,” Jaxon says. They get up and leave the living room, using their phones as a source of light in the dark.

“Liv is getting her first real Floridian thunderstorm experience,” Ryder says with a chuckle.

River stands up and puts our laptops on the coffee table before pulling me to my feet. I stand there in the nearly pitch-black room, the howling wind outside giving everything an eerie feeling. I feel a hand on my back and jump.

“Shh, it’s just me,” Ryder says, and I laugh.

“I know it’s you, silly. You just startled me,” I say.

Just then, the lights come back on, and Chase and Jaxon return to the living room, sitting back down on the couch.

“It just knocked out the fuses, no need to worry,” Jaxon says, looking at me.

I nod, already feeling better.

“How did you know it was me and not River behind you just now?” Ryder asks, tilting his head.

“I just know you,” I say with a shrug. “I’m always able to tell you guys apart.”

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