Wipeout: A Sweet Teen Romance (Ryder Bay Book 4)

by Jordan Ford

  But my tired brain couldn’t process my swirling vortex, and I’d drift to sleep before I could finish a coherent thought, only to wake later, aching and tired, for the process to start all over again.

  My body still hurts. My muscles feel like they’ve run a marathon, or competed in some kind of CrossFit tournament with zero training.

  I lift my weak arm to brush a strand of hair away and can’t help a small moan. It’s going to be a long day.

  “Hey, sis.” Savannah stands from her chair, smiling down at me as I try to wake up. “You doing okay?”

  “Just sore and tired.” I lick my dry lips, and before I even have to ask, Savvy is pushing a straw between them. I drink the water, feeling it slide down my throat and all the way into my belly.

  When I’m done, Savannah sets the water aside and starts brushing the hair off my forehead, just the way Mom used to. I close my eyes, enjoying the sensation for a moment, not even caring that it’s Savannah doing it. Savannah and not Mom.

  Mom.

  In this weird kind of way, I let her go last night. Not to forget or anything; I just don’t feel that same sense of pining. I wanted to survive so I could be with the people who are still in my life—Dad, Louis, Savannah…Jace.

  My breath hitches and I open my eyes again.

  Savannah is still standing over me, smiling a watery smile.

  “I was scared last night,” she whispers. “Waiting for news that they’d found you was torture. I’m pretty sure I’ve paced a trench in the kitchen floor. Poor Griff and Skylar tried to get me to sit down, but I just couldn’t stop moving. I was terrified that we’d lost you.” She sniffles and sucks in a breath. “I’m so sorry for telling you to go out with Reed. I felt sure about him, you know? And I was judging Jace, and…” She squeezes her eyes shut, her expression crumpled and pained. “I got it all wrong. I put you in danger.”

  “Hey.” I shake her arm and when she opens her eyes, I give her a weak smile. “It’s okay. You couldn’t have known.”

  “You knew.” She runs her finger along my hairline. “I mean, maybe not about Reed, but you knew about Jace. I should have listened to you, encouraged you that way instead.”

  I break eye contact, not sure how to respond.

  “But he proved himself last night. Lettie, you should have seen him, storming into our house and demanding answers from Drew. He was so determined to find you. He would have busted through walls for you. He wouldn’t have stopped until you were found.” She shakes her head with a smile, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and ignoring the trails of tears on her cheeks. “I’m pretty sure he punched Reed in the stomach, and who knows what else he would have done if Marshall hadn’t been there. I was so proud of him for fighting for you.”

  My insides curl with warmth as I think about Jace standing up for me. I’m about to smile when Savannah’s expression buckles again. She sucks in a shaky breath. “Apparently Reed’s done this before. He got completely infatuated with a girl back in his hometown, and she ended up putting a restraining order against him. His mother managed to sweet-talk him out of getting any kind of punishment as long as she sent him away. They figured it’d be okay because he was just hung up on this one girl. But then he saw you, and…” She dips her head and sniffs.

  “And I look just like her,” I mumble.

  “What?” Savannah’s eyes bulge wide.

  “He kept telling me how much I was like her. That’s why I became his next target, because I reminded him of her.” I shudder. “It was so creepy. I had to jump off that boat. I know it was reckless, but I just had to get away from him.”

  “At least you grabbed a life jacket first, right?” Savannah’s chuckle is dry and forced. She slashes the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. “You’re a smart chick, and I’m so glad you’re okay. I know I drive you crazy, but I love you. I’d miss you so much if you were gone.”

  Her heartfelt words make me blink at my own tears. I grab her hand and squeeze it as tightly as I can. “I’m not going anywhere.” I don’t quite have the courage to tell her how much I thought about death last night. How tempted I was to just go and join Mom. She seems too fragile right now to share that news with. All I can do is smile up at her and silently promise that things will get better.

  Silently? You can do better than that, Lettie love.

  Licking my lips, I beg the words to come out right. “I’m sorry for being so impatient with you, I just… I don’t always know how to express myself and…and you’re trying so hard to be what I need, but it doesn’t always work, and I don’t know what to say. And then I get mad before I even know it.” My voice starts to tremble. “It’s not fair to take it out on you. You’re right, you didn’t ask for this. None of us did. You’re just trying to make the best of it. So, I’m gonna try too, okay? I’m gonna be nicer.”

  Her eyes fill with tears, her face bunching as she obviously tries to fight them.

  “I love you, Savvy Sue,” I whisper.

  She grins. “I love you, Lettie Lou.”

  Our breathy giggles are interrupted by a throat clearing from the door.

  Savannah spins around and kind of gasps, “Oh. Hi.”

  I strain to see past her, but it hurts to move too much, so I just have to wait it out as slow steps approach my bed and then Jace’s face appears.

  My insides erupt with this weird kind of joy that I’ve never felt before. It blooms through my body as if the sun is rising inside of me.

  “Hi.” I smile at him.

  “Hey.” He smiles back, drinking me in. Making me feel like the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

  I’ve never felt so special in my life.

  “I’m just…gonna get a drink and call Griff. He’s looking after Lou.” Savannah backs out of the room and Jace steps up to the bed. The expression on his face is so loved-up and emotional, and I want to bask in it.

  “It’s you,” I whisper, my eyes filling with tears. “It was always you.”

  Leaning over me, he presses his lips to my forehead then pulls back just enough to look at me. Brushing his fingertips down my hairline, he softly whispers, “I should have told you as soon as I figured it out.”

  “When did you?”

  “Um…” He breaks eye contact but doesn’t stop his gentle caress. His fingers feel so good as they brush down my face, then gently take my hands. His thumb curls over mine and I never want him to let me go. “You sent an email talking about skating lessons and missing me, and I just… I got it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I frown.

  After a long sigh, he finally admits with a bashful shrug. “I thought you might be disappointed if you knew the truth.”

  “Disappointed?” I let out a stunned laugh. “I’ve been battling the big feels for you since the moment you knocked me off my feet.” Wriggling my hand free of his grasp, I trace the lines of his face, just the way I always wanted to. “You had me so confused. I was wanting you and Bass and…” I give him a watery smile. “And no wonder, because you’re the same person.”

  “It’s like we’re meant to be, right?” He looks kind of awestruck as he whispers the words.

  “Yeah.” I blink at my tears and smile, suddenly overwhelmed with a tidal wave of big feels—gratitude, relief, love… they all mix into this one heady emotion that makes me feel like I’m floating. “Thank you for finding me.”

  “I wouldn’t have stopped looking.” His smile is cute, his cheeks tinging just a little red when he whispers, “You’re my girl. I’ll always fight for you.”

  A smile takes over my face. His girl. I like the sound of that.

  And he’s my guy. I love the sound of that too.

  “So, um…” I brush my teeth over my lip and softly ask, “So, do you want to maybe be my boyfriend, then? Like officially?”

  He grins, leaning forward to press his lips against mine. I breathe him in, wanting to deepen the kiss, but he pulls back and brushes the tip of his nose against mine. “I t
hought I already was.”

  I giggle and thread my fingers around his neck, pulling him back to kiss me again.

  This time he doesn’t cut it short.

  He lingers, his mouth slowly dancing against mine.

  I’ve read about soul mates in so many of my books, believing it was just a thing for fiction, but I know it’s real now.

  Not everyone finds their soul mate, but I found mine in Jace.

  And I hope I never have to let him go.

  53

  Don’t Want to Leave Here

  JACE

  It’s been a week since Lettie left the hospital. Her dad made her have a few days off school, but he was nice enough to let me visit in the afternoons.

  I’m determined to keep my promise to him and cherish Lettie the way he wants me to.

  It won’t be hard.

  She makes loving her so easy. It’s like second nature.

  We’re not allowed to hang out in her room, so we’ve been taking over the family room, sitting together, holding hands while we talk about any and everything. Not having to wait for a reply via email has been freaking fantastic. It’s funny how we were both worried that face-to-face contact might stop the words, but they flow just fine between us. If anything, it’s hard to shut us up.

  I’ve never been a big talker, but Lettie found my voice, and I’m happy to share it with her.

  I glance at my watch, ambling along the beach while I talk to Mom. She called just when I hit the sand, and I need to make sure I’m not talking to her for too long.

  It’s Lettie’s birthday, and I don’t want to be late.

  Her father’s putting on a special dinner tonight, but Lettie and I are meeting by Ryder Rentals first so we can spend the afternoon together. I’ll eventually walk her back to her place, and then Griffin can drive me home afterward.

  Home.

  At one point, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to call a place that, but my pokey room in the Swintons’ place… their tiny kitchen, their easy laughter, the awesome vibe that seems to constantly buzz in the house.

  Oh yeah, it’s home.

  “…come home for Christmas.” Mom’s words catch me and I jerk to a stop, staring out at the ocean. The waves are pretty good today. Rolling in.

  It’ll be killing Harley to have to go to a party instead of out in the water.

  The thought makes me grin. Harley’s so funny. I love her passion for the ocean.

  “Honey?” Mom grabs my attention again.

  Oh, right. Christmas.

  “Uh, Christmas?” I manage to mumble.

  “Yeah, I was thinking you could move back. Denee says you’ve been nothing but awesome and I just—”

  “I don’t want to move back,” I blurt.

  “What?”

  I wince, realizing how harsh I must have sounded. “I mean, I’m not ready. I really like it here, and if I could see out my junior year, at least, I think it would be better.”

  “But I can only afford to fly you back once.”

  “Okay.”

  “And I really want you to meet the baby.”

  “Mom.” I cringe and fudge my way through it. I still don’t know how I feel about having a younger sibling, or what emotions will rise to the surface when I step back into Sterling Beach and see Tony…and Hayes…again. But I’m not about to say that to Mom over the phone. “Of course you do, and of course meeting my new brother or sister is really important. But it won’t make a difference if he or she is one week or six months. I’m not trying to sound harsh or anything, I just… Please let me stay a little longer.”

  She goes quiet for a moment and I hold my breath, hoping my honesty hasn’t hurt her too much. “Wow, you’ve really settled in Ryder Bay. What’s done that for you?”

  I can hear the underlying question she’s not asking.

  Do I love Denee more than her?

  I might be wrong, but it feels right, so I quickly ease her nerves and confess. “There’s a girl.”

  “A girl? The one you helped save? Denee told me you were pretty heroic.”

  I brush the compliment off. I didn’t do anything Marshall couldn’t have done.

  “Well, tell me everything. What’s she like?”

  “Uh…” My lips twitch with a grin. They do every time I talk about Lettie. “She’s sweet, kind and everything you’d want me to be around.” I start walking, the thought of seeing her sending jets of desire and joy shooting through me.

  “Wow. Okay. Well… wow.”

  I snicker. “You don’t need to sound so surprised.”

  “I know. I just…” She sniffs.

  I go still for a beat. “Mom? Are you crying?”

  “They’re happy tears, baby. I swear. You just sound so different. Calmer or something. You’re happy, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, Mom.” I grin. “I’m really happy.”

  After a couple more sniffs, she lets out this little laugh and manages to say, “Good. You deserve it. But I miss you.”

  The soft way she says it kind of breaks my heart. “I miss you too, but Marshall and Denee are taking really good care of me, so you don’t have to worry.”

  “I’m not. For the first time in a really long time, I’m not worrying about you. You’re gonna be just fine.”

  “Yeah.” I stop in the sand, a smile blooming across my face when I see Lettie walking toward me. “Yeah, I am.”

  Her long hair floats in the breeze, and I’m captured by how beautiful she is.

  But it’s her inner beauty that steals me. That shy smile, the way she dips her head and blushes.

  “Hey, Mom, I’ve gotta go.”

  “Okay, well, call me later, okay?”

  “Sure thing.” I say goodbye and hang up, slipping my phone into my back pocket just as Lettie reaches me. I pull her into my arms before she can say anything, lightly kissing her lips.

  She giggles against my mouth.

  “Happy birthday,” I whisper, hugging her tight and lifting her feet off the ground.

  She holds my back and I do the cheesy spin, like we’re in some kind of Hallmark movie. Seriously, what has come over me?

  Placing her down, I step back and pull her gift out of my pocket. It’s not much, and I’m kind of nervous about her response. She’s from a rich family who can probably buy her anything she wants. All I can really offer is my time, until I get a part-time job and can actually earn more than a little pocket change.

  Her smile is sweet and adorable as she rubs her thumb over the envelope. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

  “I know,” I murmur. “And it’s not much. I seriously have to get a job.”

  She giggles and gently opens the small square envelope I gave her. Inside is a sketch I’ve spent all week perfecting.

  With a sweet gasp, she studies it, her face in awe as she brushes her fingers over the tattoo I designed for her. It’s similar to the one I drew on her arm that day, just more detailed and way better.

  I point at it. “In three years’ time, on this day, we’ll go to a tattoo parlor and you can get this done. If you still like it in three years. Otherwise I’ll draw you something else.”

  “Jace.” She grabs my wrist, shutting me up with a light squeeze. “I love it. It’s perfect. I’m going to frame this and put it on my wall.”

  That look on her face and the way she says it makes me feel like a million bucks.

  She kisses the image and carefully slides it into the back pocket of her jeans. I drink in her smile, brushing my knuckle down her cheek.

  “So, this is kind of like our first official date.” Lettie wiggles her eyebrows. “What are we going to do with it?”

  “Well…” I throw my arm over her shoulders, pulling her against me so I can kiss the side of her head. “I was thinking a little skydiving or maybe—”

  Her giggle cuts me off. “Or we could sit in the sand and read a book together.”

  That actually doesn’t sound so awful, but I’m not about to admit
that to her, so instead I pull back and gaze down at her. “Or I could just stand here memorizing every inch of your pretty face.”

  She wrinkles her nose. “How about a strawberry shake from Eat and Be Merry?”

  “Strawberry shakes?” My eyes pop wide. “You like strawberry shakes?”

  “Yeah. They’re my favorite. No other flavor compares.”

  “Oh, we are so meant to be together.” I pull her against me and kiss her lips before taking her hand and starting to walk for the stairs.

  Lettie threads her fingers between mine, and I give them a light squeeze.

  “So, thanks for your email this morning. It’s kind of nice seeing ‘xx J’ at the bottom.”

  “Yeah, well I was surprised I didn’t get an ‘xx L.’ Why’d you stick with Snap Dragon?”

  “The S never stood for Snap Dragon. It always stood for—”

  “Scarlett,” I murmur, spinning to face her.

  She grins and nods.

  Resting my hands on her face, I brush my thumbs across her cheekbones while she captures my wrists and smiles up at me.

  I want to tell her I love her, but I’m not sure if she’s ready to hear that yet, so instead I gently kiss her and hope she can sense how much I mean it.

  I know we’re young. I know the world will probably expect us to break up at some point, but I honestly can’t see it happening.

  Scarlett… Lettie… my little Snap Dragon… she’s meant to be mine. I can feel it with every fiber of my being.

  We’re made for each other, and we’re just lucky enough that we met this early on in the scheme of things.

  There are no words to describe my true gratitude. This girl I’m kissing saved my life.

  I’ll never forget it.

  I’ll never forget how much I love her.

  Thank you so much for reading Wipeout. I really hope you enjoyed it. This entire Ryder Bay Trilogy has been such a privilege to write and I can’t believe it’s nearly over.

  Nearly over?

  Yes, that’s right, a series like this cannot be complete without a decent epilogue, right?