Page 9 of Battered Moves

I put my damp hair in a high ponytail and dress in the boxer shorts, sweatpants, and T-shirt River brought in earlier. I think they’re Chase’s, since he’s the smallest of them, but they’re still way too big on me. I tie the strings of the sweatpants tightly, trying to keep them from falling down. As I look in the mirror, I can’t help but notice how ridiculous I look in the oversized clothes, but at least they’re comfortable. I wish I had some lotion or oil for my skin, but I’ll have to make do without it.How do guys manage to have such nice skin without using moisturizer?

Focusing on getting through the rest of the day without any more breakdowns, I take a deep breath and head out of the bathroom, ready to face whatever comes my way.

I make my way to the living room, where the guys are all seated on the couch and watching a show on TV, but they stand when I come in. Jaxon comes over to me and pulls me into an embrace.

“I hope you like scrambled egg breakfast burritos for dinner,” he whispers in my ear, and a weight falls from my shoulders. I thought he was going to demand answers from me.

“I know I’ll love them since you made them,” I say, and he kisses me quickly before letting go and heading to the kitchen.

I take a quick look at the clock on the wall and find it’s already seven pm. Chase pulls me in next and cups my head in both his hands, his eyes hooded.

“I so like you in my stuff, gorgeous,” he says before lowering his head and kissing me gently.

It’s a good kiss, and butterflies erupt in my stomach as I realize he’s never kissed me like this before. Chase is a great kisser and lover. We did kiss during sex, but never just like a simple kiss. As much as I want to push away the thought, the truth is that practice makes perfect, and he’s had a lot of practice.

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and smile at him.

“Thanks for the clothes, Chase. They’re comfy,” I say, trying to stay on topic.

He grins at me, obviously pleased with himself, and heads to the kitchen to help Jaxon.

“Twin sandwich!” Ryder shouts before I get squished from the front and the back, though River is noticeably gentler in his squishing from behind me. I laugh.

“I missed you, baby,” Ryder says, then pulls me in for a passionate kiss that leaves me feeling a bit dizzy.River, meanwhile, moves my hair to the side so he has free access to my neck and starts to kiss me there, sending shivers down my spine. I gently push Ryder away, feeling way too horny for the setting.

“Guys…” I say breathlessly.

Ryder chuckles as Jaxon and Chase enter the room with plates of food.

“To be continued,” he whispers in my ear, and I can feel my cheeks flush with heat.

We all sit on the couch, and Jaxon hands me a plate with a burrito on it. I’m famished, so I take a big bite and hear them chuckling as I stuff my face. I don’t even look up and just flip them off.

“That was so good. Is there more?” I ask Jaxon after I’ve demolished my burrito.

“Sure, I’ll get you more,” he replies, blinking at me, then he stands up with my plate in his hands. When he comes back, they all watch as I eat the second one a bit slower.

“What?” I ask around a mouthful.

“Did you eat anything in the last three days?” Jaxon asks me, and I look to the ground.

“I had some coffee and a cookie from a gas station,” I reply with a shrug.

“Liv,” he nearly growls.

“Drop it, please,” I whisper, which he does, but I feel him fuming beside me.

I finish my food and set the plate down, all of them still watching me. Jaxon sits on my left side and pulls my arm over his lap, tracing the scar on my forearm with his finger. His touch is gentle, but I can’t help but twitch anyway. He looks up at me, the question written all over his face.Can I talk about it? They deserve to know.I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

“He cut me while I was fighting to get my phone back from him,” I explain, stretching my arm out so the others can see better.

Chase is sitting on my other side, but River and Ryder stand up to come kneel in front of me. River pulls my wrist towards him, inspecting the scar.

“He also got me here,” I say, pulling back the collar of the oversized T-shirt to reveal the scar on my left shoulder.Jaxon bends over and reaches for the collar, stretching it out a bit more to get a better look.

“Motherfucker,” he mutters, and I nod in agreement.

“What happened, Liv? We saw an article about the trial, but we don’t know the details,” Chase asks, rubbing my knee.

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