Broken Butterfly: Fallen Brook Series: Book 3

by Jennilynn Wyer

  “Watch it, or I’ll make you take me to Vegas next.”

  “Don’t let Fal hear you or he’ll have one of his jets up and ready within the hour.”

  Fallon perks up. “Sounds like a fucktastic idea.”

  Ryder gives him a firm “no” and shifts me to his other side, farther away from Fallon.

  The noise levels have jacked up tremendously with growing excitement for the fighting to begin. Jayson catches my attention and smirks at me. He rolls his shoulders and cracks his neck as another guy walks into the circle.

  Trevor claps Ryder’s shoulder, pointing to the guy Jayson is about to fight. “That’s him.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “One hundred percent.”

  I feel Ryder go rigid as iron next to me.

  “Who the fuck are we talking about?” Fallon asks.

  Meredith gasps. “Oh, this just got interesting.”

  It takes me a second to recognize the guy. It’s the preppy guy that came up to me this morning with his two meathead friends.

  Fallon yells out, “Jay, that’s the motherfucker from this morning who talked shit to Elizabeth. If you don’t kick his ass, I will!”

  Jayson’s eyes narrow on his opponent and I swear his arm and neck muscles grow thicker as he balls his hands into two tight fists.

  I reach over and slap my hand over Fallon’s mouth. “Fallon! Stop it!” He’s egging Jayson on and I won’t have it.

  “I’m with Fallon,” Ryder stonily replies.

  “His friends are here too,” Trevor points out. One of the big guys Preppy was with this morning locks his eyes on me.

  “Even better.” Fallon grins, nudging closer to Ryder. They have a conversation without words that I know means nothing good.

  I’m about to chastise both of them when all hell breaks loose. Jayson shoves Preppy hard. “You think you can mess with my girl and get away with it?” he spits in the guy’s face.

  Preppy takes a swing at Jayson’s head and misses by a mile. Jayson steps back and aims a kick to the guy’s solar plexus, taking him down, then jumps on top of him and wails punch after punch to his face. The crowd goes feral, smelling blood, loving every second of what they’re watching.

  I see Preppy’s friends break through the raucous crowd, and I scream a warning at Jayson.

  Ryder, Fallon, and Trevor rush in to intercept, and I swear I hear Fallon cackle with glee. I turn to Meredith in time to see her eyes go huge. “Elizabeth! Behind you!”

  Somehow the fight has spread out and it’s now a free-for-all. Fists are slinging in all directions and bodies are being tackled to the ground. No one is safe from the chaos. Meredith’s warning gives me enough time to spin around to see a guy charging our way. Are you freaking kidding me? It’s one of Preppy’s football cohorts from this morning; the one who locked eyes with me moments ago. I shove Meredith behind me and drop low; all of the self-defense classes Daniel and Drew made me do coming back to me. I sucker-punch the guy’s balls as he reaches for me, and he falls to his knees with a guttural wail, cupping his crotch. From my crouched position, I kick up with my right foot. I hear the guy’s teeth clack loudly as my boot connects under his jaw. I’d be surprised if he didn’t lose any teeth after that hit. Meredith rushes forward and kicks the poor guy in the nuts again. I cringe at his long, high-pitched howl.

  “Think you can mess with a couple of girls, asshole! Think again!”

  Ryder’s arms circle around me and lift me up and away. Trevor grabs Meredith.

  “We can’t leave you two alone for five seconds, can we?” Trevor says to Meredith, hauling her off as she continues to scream obscenities at the guy. His scolding tone does little to hide the approval on his face.

  “Where are Jayson and Fallon?” I ask Ryder, yelling above the fray.

  Holding tightly to me, Ryder pushes through the crowd, not stopping until we are back at his car. He jerks his head at Trevor who is shoving Meredith in his car. “They’re coming, but I’m getting you out of here now.” Ryder plants me in the passenger seat of his car and rounds the hood.

  Someone yells something but I only hear Ryder reply, “I’ve got her.” He gets in and starts the car. “Buckle up, Cobra Kai.” He smirks and for some reason I burst out laughing.

  I hiss, “Ow! That stings.”

  Ryder and I are back at home, sitting on the bed with a first aid kit open next to us. He gently blows on my hand and throws the antiseptic wipe on the bedside table. Everyone, including Julien and Elijah who weren’t even there, have blown up my phone with text messages checking up on me. Jayson feels awful that the one night I came to watch him fight, all hell broke loose.

  “I would say that should be expected for punching that guy in the nuts, but I’ll take a page from Fallon’s book and instead say,” Ryder leans in and kisses the side of my mouth, “that it was pretty fucking awesome.”

  My cheeks warm at his praise. I didn’t know what to expect from him when we got home. Anger? Worry? A stern lecture, perhaps. But never would have I guessed admiration and respect. It just solidifies for me how much Ryder loves and supports me and will always have my back.

  I smile and begin to inspect his face and hands for any cuts or bruises. Satisfied that he’s alright, I admit, “I almost feel sorry for the guy after what Meredith did to him.”

  Ryder groans and adjusts himself slightly at the thought of getting kicked in the balls. “Yeah, let’s not talk about that anymore.”

  “What if I promise not to mess with another guy’s balls again.”

  Ryder barks out a laugh, and I swear I think he snorts as well. So cute. I shove the first aid kit away so I can straddle him where he’s sitting on the bed. His large hands cup my ass and bring me closer as I scrape my fingers up his temples, around his ears, and into his hair, before settling my hands at the back of his head. I massage his scalp, making his eyes flutter close in pleasure.

  “Babe, that feels so good.”

  He drops his forehead to my chest, and I continue to rub his neck and upper shoulders. I can literally feel his muscles relax as my hands release the tension that had taken up residence in his body from the events of tonight.

  “Jayson’s not too happy about what went down.”

  Ryder makes a dismissive grunting sound and tilts us sideways, so we are lying on the bed facing each other. I love these quiet times with him. I wish we had more of them. The past several months—hell the past few years—have been filled with the turbulence of one monumental revelation after another. I crave the day when I can live a normal life with the man I love. No more awaiting disasters or tumultuous discoveries. Just the two of us together, building our life and sharing our dreams. The dreams that include me going to medical school and Ryder getting his MBA and taking over his dad’s garage. Getting married and building our dream home, the one we will fill with our love and our children. Hopefully, we’ll travel and see more of the world. We’ll race cars, play music, and dance under the moonlight.

  While I’m lost in my thoughts, Ryder shifts me closer to him on the bed and we stare into each other’s eyes, using our fingers to trace the outline of one another’s facial features. Ryder is so handsome, so uniquely masculine, and just plain perfect. His dark, almost black hair that is cut shorter on the sides than on top. His long eyelashes that I’ve been envious of my whole life. His dark brown eyebrows that cock up in such a sexy way when he looks at me. His high cheekbones and rounded square jaw that are both manly yet beautiful. And of course, his light brown, amber-colored eyes. I have always loved his eyes.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asks, rubbing his thumb across my brow.

  I scooch closer to him and wrap my leg over the top of his thigh, sliding my foot up and down the hairs on his leg, enjoying the dichotomy between my softness and his unyielding muscles. “I was just thinking how nice this was, being with you like this. No drama, no chaos. I want more times like this with you. I just want to be with you, Ryder.”

>   Ryder rolls over on top of me and I stare up at his golden eyes, transfixed at the emotion I see in them. “We can have whatever we want, Elizabeth. I want to give you the life and the future of your dreams. All you have to do is tell me. I don’t care where we go or what we do. We could travel the world and sleep in a tent. You are my home, and wherever you are is where I am happiest. All I’ve ever wanted is you.”

  I lift my head and taste his sweet lips, his beautiful words causing a delicate tear to escape. I pull back and hold his face with my hands, wanting so badly for the dreams of our future to come true. The words I have kept to myself escape my mouth before I can stop them. I realize that I don’t want to stop them.

  “Marry me.”

  The raw emotions that had filled his eyes just seconds ago morph into something so powerful and visceral that it leaves me breathless. I drink in the unrestrained love I feel emanating from him, knowing it’s all for me. I want to return that love a thousand-fold and let him know, without a doubt, that I want a forever with only him, and that I hope that he is ready to take that unknown leap with me into a future together. One I know will be more wonderful than anything I could ever have imagined or wished for.

  “I know this is unconventional and maybe a little unexpected, but I have known in my heart since I was nine years old that I love you with everything I have in me. You have been my friend, my protector, the man who has always stood by me no matter what. You were patient and waited for me. And not even near-death and the loss of my memory could keep me from finding my way back to you. Ryder Randall Cutton, will you give me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me as my husband?”

  Ryder crushes his mouth to mine as warm tears flow from his eyes. “Yes,” he says with conviction as our kisses become deeper. “God, yes, I want to marry you. More than anything. Yes, Elizabeth. Yes to everything,” he promises, and sears his promise with a kiss so earth-shattering and possessive, my body implodes on itself as I climax out of nowhere. Holy fucking shit!

  Ryder kisses me ravenously as he captures my orgasmic cry. As I shudder uncontrollably, he gives me a few minutes to come back down from my endorphin high, grinning widely above me.

  “Did that really just happen?” He looks very smug and pleased with himself. He should.

  “Uh, yeah.” I smile stupidly, so freaking happy and still so very turned on, wanting more. I never knew my body could do that. I should have known anything is possible when it comes to Ryder. My body is still buzzing and tingling, so it takes me a second to realize he said yes. “Did you really say yes?”

  Ryder kisses a path down my neck and reaches over into the bedside table on his side of the bed. I’m about to ask him what he’s doing when I see the small black box he lifts out of the drawer.

  “Ryder?”

  He adjusts our positions so I’m sitting up on the bed, my legs dangling while he kneels down on the floor in front of me. My hand involuntarily goes to my mouth, my own tears falling, as he lifts the lid of the box. Nestled inside is the most gorgeous princess-cut yellow diamond ring.

  “Ryder?” I ask again, unbelieving.

  “I was going to plan this big elaborate proposal, but I don’t think anything I could have come up with would have been better than hearing you ask me to marry you. But I am man enough not to deprive you of an old-school bended-on-one-knee proposal. So” —he grins up at me— “Elizabeth Penelope Fairchild, soon to be Mrs. Elizabeth Fairchild Cutton, will you do me the honor of marrying me and being my wife? Because I want nothing more than to be your husband, to be a father to our children, and to be able to hold your hand as we grow old together.”

  “Yes!” I exclaim and he takes my shaking hand, pushing the stunning ring onto my finger. Once it’s in place, he kisses me passionately.

  “Do you like it? I’ve been saving away as much as I can from working at the garage and from the winnings I get from racing. I wanted to be able to afford something you would be proud to wear. I chose a yellow diamond because it reminded me of the way your beauty is like the brightness of the sun.”

  God, this man and his words. They get me. Every. Fucking. Time. “It’s the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen. I love you, you wonderful, perfect man.”

  Ryder stands up and pulls me into his arms. “I love you more,” he grins.

  “We’re getting married,” I gush, switching my gaze between Ryder and my ring.

  “We’re so absolutely getting married,” Ryder replies as we sway back and forth to music that only our hearts can hear.

  “Grab your coat and gloves. I want to take you somewhere,” he tells me.

  I was wanting to consummate our engagement with the filthiest, loudest sex possible. Ryder sees my pout and laughs. “Most definitely later,” he promises with another kiss and then reaches for my hand to pull me out of the bedroom.

  Even though it’s the middle of the night, I don’t ask why or where we’re going. I would follow my man to the ends of the earth if he asked.

  About a half hour later, we park up on the hill he took me to after our first date. His quiet place, he once told me. The place where we danced under the stars. The midnight air is cold and crisp and smells damp. The trees that once sheltered buzzing cicadas are barren, but the view below of the town, campus, and roads is still breathtaking in its lit-up beauty. I can see many houses and businesses that already have their Christmas lights up and turned on.

  Ryder pulls a thick blanket out of the back seat and wraps it around us as we sit on the warm hood of the car. The sky is completely clouded over so there are no stars to view tonight, but that’s okay. My eyes are already filled with thousands of them as I tip my head back to look at Ryder who has his arms and the blanket bundled around me from behind.

  “It just hit me,” I say.

  “What did, baby?”

  “I get to spend my first Christmas with my fiancé,” I reply, but then I turn pensive. “I wish Mom and Dad and Hailey were here. I won’t have Dad to walk me down the aisle. Hailey won’t be my maid of honor.”

  Ryder turns me in his arms and caresses my arms and back. “Oh, sweetheart. They are here. They are watching us right now. Your Dad will be with you every step of the way down the aisle where I will be waiting to pledge my life to you in front of them, because your family will always be with you,” he tells me, placing his hand over my heart to show me where they are and where they always will be.

  And to make sure that I know they are here with me, Mom, Dad, and Hailey send down a fluttering of delicate snow flurries. Ryder and I look up at the sky and I smile as each tiny snowflake kisses my face letting me know that my family is sharing this monumental moment in my life with me. Dad loved Ryder like his own son. Mom and Dad would be overjoyed that Ryder and I are engaged. They’re telling me so right now.

  “How are we going to tell Jayson and Julien?” I ask Ryder as the flurries come down faster.

  “However you want to tell them. But I know it’s Jayson you’re more worried about, isn’t it?”

  “I just want to hold on to this feeling a little while longer. Our announcement is going to hurt him, and I don’t know how he’s going to react.”

  I feel the blanket shift as Ryder takes out his phone and pulls up some music. Of course he plays “Helium” by Sia. This night wouldn’t be perfect without us dancing to our song. He secures the blanket around us once more as we dance under the falling snow.

  “You mind if we at tell my parents?”

  I nod yes. “And Fallon,” I add. “Can I tell Tatiána too?” I also want to add Julien and Elijah to that list, but I’m afraid word might get back to Jayson.

  “Baby, I will shout it from the rooftops if you want me to. I want the whole world to know that the woman of my dreams said ‘yes.’”

  “Technically, the man of my dreams said yes first.”

  “Phone call or visit?” Ryder asks me how we should tell his family. A large wet snowflake lands on my face and he kisses it off my cheek. My body h
eats under that one small touch.

  “We can do a video call with a promise to visit after we get back from Seattle. Finals are coming up and then I want to focus on the trip and visiting Elizabeth Ann’s grave, which I know is going to be very emotional for everyone, especially Jayson. I also want to see Daniel and Drew. It’s past time I stop avoiding them and get an explanation on why they did what they did. Deep down I know it’s because they were protecting me, but I still need to hear it from them.”

  “Sounds fair. We can stop by my parents’ on our way back.”

  “I told Fallon I want to buy my house. I want to fix it up and make it a proper home again. It was a great place to grow up in. I want that for another family.”

  I nuzzle my cold nose against Ryder’s warm chest as we continue our slow dance. “That sounds like a great idea, Elizabeth. I’d like to help if you’d let me.”

  “I do. And thank you. I need you to make sure that Fallon doesn’t buy it for me.”

  “He said he was going to buy it?”

  “Not in exact words, but I have a feeling that he’s going to try and sneak it past me.”

  The snow flurries start to taper off and Ryder lifts me up, blanket and all, to wrap my legs around his middle before he sits back down on the car hood. The way he is able to hold me like I weigh nothing thrills me to no end.

  What Ryder says next, catches me off guard. “While we were in Barcelona, Fallon confessed to me that he was in love with you.”

  Fallon told him what?

  “That if I screwed things up, he would step in and take you away again. I wanted to punch the shit out of him when he said it. But a part of me was happy for him. Fallon told me you knew more secrets about him than I did, so I’m pretty sure you know about his crappy childhood with an abusive father.”

  If Ryder only knew that was half of it. But it’s not my secret to tell, just like Julien’s secret in high school was not mine to tell Jayson.

  “So why were you happy about it?” I ask, perplexed. Soon after we came back home, I had told Ryder everything that happened between me and Fallon on our trip. He knows about the kisses and about Fallon sleeping next to me in bed. I laid every second out for Ryder, leaving nothing out.