Page 8 of Battered Moves

“I know, I’m just joking,” she assures him. “It was the only one available near the campus on short notice. I thought I could find a better one when I settled.”

When we get to Liv’s Mini, I hold out my hand to her and say, “Keys.” She looks at me questioningly, so I continue, “There’s no way you’re going to drive as tired as you are, and I’m sure you’d like to have your car, so let me drive. You can ride with me or Jaxon.”

She smiles, giving me the keys and a small peck on my lips before whispering, “Thank you.” Then she rounds the hood and gets in on the passenger side.

“Let’s get going,” Jaxon says, and Chase and Ryder get into the Jeep with him.

I get in the driver’s seat, start the car, and follow behind Jaxon on the road. My right hand is on the stick, but Liv takes it and interlocks our fingers. I bring the back of her hand to my lips for a short kiss before lowering it again. I hear her sniffle, so I shoot her a quick look. Not only is she exhausted, she’s full-on sobbing now. I pull over to the side of the road and stop the car.

“Beautiful,” I start, but she already has her seatbelt undone and is crawling over the center console into my lap to straddle me before I can say anything else. Her arms are around my neck, hugging me tight, and she’s crying hard. “I’ve got you,” I tell her, stroking the back of her head and her lower back.

Jaxon has seen us stop and pulls over a few feet in front of us. Ryder gets out of the Jeep and sprints to us, opening the driver side door.

“Sit with her on the passenger seat. I’m going to drive us home,” he tells me, and I nod.

I undo my seatbelt and stand up with her hanging onto me like a little monkey, while Ryder goes to open the passenger door for us. I sit down, and he arranges the seatbelt around both of us. Liv is still crying into my neck, and I’m stroking her gently. As Jaxon and Ryder start to drive again, I whisper soothingly in her ear, but not two minutes later, she’s fast asleep in my arms.

CHAPTERFIVE

Liv

I take a deep breath, the scent of fresh soap and peppermint filling my nostrils, and a smile spreads across my face.River.I snuggle into his hard chest, feeling warm and content. My nose is slightly squished, but I don’t mind. My right hand is on his hip, my fingers just under his shirt, but I let them wander up his back, tracing light patterns. I hear him groan, so I scratch him lightly with my nails, trailing my fingertips from his back to his abs. His six-pack is impressive, and I can’t resist running my hand over it. As I move, my arm brushes against his erection in his sweatpants, and I feel it twitch.

“Liv,” he whispers. “Are you awake, beautiful?”

“Mm-hm,” I hum, trailing my hand farther down, but he grabs my wrist gently and leans back so he can look me in my eyes. He looks disheveled, his normally styled hair ruffled, making him look so much like his brother. He lets go of my wrist and cups my cheek, stroking it.

“How are you feeling? Did you sleep okay?” he asks.

I nod and look around, taking in my surroundings. I realize I’m in a room I don’t know, but a quick glance makes it clear that it’s River’s. There’s a big desk with three monitors on it, a TV mounted on the wall across from the bed, with multiple game consoles attached to it, and beside the bed sits a beanbag. Still, his whole room is tidy and clean and just as big as Ryder’s.

“I don’t remember coming in here,” I say, and he chuckles.

“You fell asleep in my arms, and we couldn’t get you to let go of me, so I improvised.”

I blush as the memories flood back and cover my face with my hands.I had a fucking breakdown, and River was my victim.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to break down on you like that, I just—” I start, but he interrupts me with a gentle shushing sound and takes my hands away from my face before planting a soft kiss on my nose.

“It’s okay. I hate that you’re hurting so much, but I’m glad I could be there for you. I know you’re strong and capable, but I’m here to give you a break if you need someone else to be your strength for a while.”

His words are so comforting that I feel my eyes tear up again, but this time, it’s out of gratitude. I lean into him and wrap my arms around his neck, feeling safe and loved in his embrace.

“I missed you so much. I thought I would never see you again,” I whisper, and he squeezes me tightly.

“Weeks, months, years—it doesn’t matter. I would have found you, Liv. I’m not gonna let you disappear from my life. I just got you.” His words comfort me, and I relax a bit.

We stay like that for a while, just holding each other and enjoying the moment. Finally, he pulls away and looks at me with a smile.

“Come on. You can go have a shower, and I’ll let Jaxon know you’re awake so he can do his magic.” My belly growls, and he laughs. “Let’s go before you starve. You slept through the night and nearly a whole day.”

I look at him in shock, now feeling my bladder too.

“I needed a break too, don’t worry,” he says, and I get up and let him guide me out of his room.

* * *

As the hot water trickles down my body, I let out a deep sigh. The past few days have been a nightmare, but I’ve come to the realization that I overreacted. Yes, Liam found out where I am and wrote me a terrifying letter, but he’s still locked up and unable to do anything about it. He can only terrorize me with his words, something he has done before when I was back home. Not opening the letters helped, even though it was always a hit to my progress when one arrived, but I can handle letters. I refuse to throw away my new life, my friends, and the guys just because of that. Stepping out of the shower, I wrap myself in the plush towel that River laid out for me. I’ve already used a spare toothbrush and Chase’s hair products, which are way better than mine.I need to know where he shops.

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