Perfectly Flawed

by Dani René

  There’s a heart-wrenching agony in loving someone and leaving them. It can sting, it can hurt, but it’s when you lose that someone, when they can no longer give you another chance, that’s when it kills you.

  The same way the words from my doctor's mouth broke my heart and mind when he told me I’d never have both my legs again, this torment of not knowing how to fix what I did is haunting me. And Piper’s father knows it.

  “Ryder, you know I’ll wait forever for you,” she finally tells me. “I just need you to do something for me.”

  “Anything—”

  “Don’t tell me you’ll do one thing and then act out another. Don’t promise not to break my heart and then shatter it all over the goddamn floor.”

  Her anger is warranted. I messed up. I did promise her I’d never leave, but this time I had no choice. It was forced on me.

  “The next time I look into your eyes, I’ll make a promise, Piper, and it will be for life.”

  I hang up, leaving her to ponder on my words while I walk into the small office we set up while I was recovering. All the documents that were signed are in there, and I know if I’m going to clear my name, I’ll find what I need in here.

  23

  Piper

  Frustration is something I’ve lived with all my life. From having parents who never understood me, to a brother who acted like he hated me. And now, I’m in love with a man who’d rather be away from me than to tell me what the hell is going on.

  “Piper.” The deep voice of my father startles me. Spinning around, I find him standing in the doorway to the classroom. His large frame looms in the small space, making him look even scarier than he already is.

  “What are you doing here?” I question. I haven’t seen him since he told me never to come back. I chose Ryder, and my father was livid, but to see him here makes me wonder what his game plan is.

  My father is one of those men who always has something up his sleeve. As a lawyer, he has to. It’s part of his job. But I’m not his job, I’m his daughter, and I wish he’d treat me like that.

  “I’ve missed you, Piper,” he tells me, strolling into the space. “Also, I need to show you something.” He hands me a folder I didn’t notice him holding when he first entered.

  “What is this?” Taking it, I flip it open to find what looks like a police report. Ryder’s name front and center as the person who was driving the night of the accident he told me about.

  “Your boyfriend,” my father spits the word at me. “He’s responsible for almost killing your brother.”

  I open my mouth to speak, but words evade me at that moment. Anger turning my blood red-hot, but it’s a voice behind him that stills me.

  “No, he’s not.”

  We both turn to face the doorway where Preston is standing. He glances between us, then saunters closer. My heart aches at that moment when I realize my brother had something to do with Ryder’s accident.

  “Ryder wasn’t drunk that night.” His words sound like an echo, and I shake my head to clear it. “He had two beers all night, nothing else. He wasn’t drunk,” Preston says, dropping his gaze to the floor. “I was the one who was smashed. He took the car keys from me when I told him I wanted to drive the two girls home.”

  “This is ridiculous,” my father hisses. “You both want to protect a delinquent of a boy.”

  My brother raises his head, meeting my father’s angry glare dead-on. “You think he’s a delinquent?” The chuckle that rumbles in Preston’s chest is incredulous. “Have you looked at your own son, old man?” He steps forward and my body is rigid. Fear trickles through me and I’m certain there’s going to be a fight.

  “Preston, just let him think what he—”

  “No, Piper, it’s time dear old Dad hears me, listens to the truth he’s been ignoring for so long.” My brother glances my way. With a nod, he turns his attention back to our father, who is positively vibrating with rage. “I’m the one who got in the driver’s seat and forced my best friend to practically knock me out to get me to sit in the back. I was the one who let him get in the car and drive that night.”

  The sadness and guilt that drips from my brother’s words make my chest hurt. My heart slams into my ribs, and I have to swallow back the anger and fury that threatens to pull me under.

  “I’m the one who caused the accident, because I was playing a stupid game of chance by blocking his eyes, chuckling that he couldn’t see where he was going.” The confession hangs in the air surrounding us, heavy, drenched in the guilt of my brother and the rage of my father.

  I want to slap my brother. I want to punch him, hit him, I want to scream and shout at him, but I don’t, because when I look up at him again, I tell him with one glare how much I hate him.

  His expression is filled with sorrow, but I don’t care. I no longer want him in my life. He is responsible for Ryder being as broken as he is, and I don’t mean physically, I mean mentally and emotionally.

  “Get out, Dad. I need you to get out and never come near me or Ryder again. Preston, I need time to figure this out. I don’t know how to feel right now other than angry and confused.”

  “Piper—”

  “No, Father,” I bite out in frustration. “I’m done with this anger you hold toward Ryder for nothing. He’s a good man. He has a good head on his shoulders. He’s got plans for the future and all you can see is the fact he has tattoos and piercings. I’m done with this. I need you both to leave.”

  A grunt from my father is all I get, but I know what it means. He’ll be back and even though I’ve told him I don’t want him near me again, he’ll do something stupid to win me back, only this time, there is no winning me back.

  My brother steps forward, but I hold out a hand to stop him. “Just go. I’ll call you later.” He nods, presses a hand on mine, and turns to leave me in the classroom.

  24

  Ryder

  A knock on the door of the apartment drags me from the paperwork in front of me. The girls Preston and I had in the car that night were sisters. Their father decided to drag what happened in the past back into our lives by suing me, only I know it’s because Mr. Beaufort spoke to him. As a lawyer, he must’ve been able to dredge up some fancy terms and conditions to make the man do this.

  We’ve paid. I may have paid more than the others, but that doesn’t matter. I was the one driving that night. It doesn’t matter what happened with Preston. It was my hands on wheel.

  Another knock tells me that whoever it is won’t go away and I wonder if Preston decided to drive out here. Rising from my seat, I make my way to the front door. When I pull it open, it’s not my best friend, but his sister on the other side.

  “What are you doing here, Piper?”

  “I need to see you, and I need you to listen to me,” she tells me, lifting her chin in defiance, and I can’t help but step back and allow her into the apartment.

  Shutting the door, I turn to watch her settle herself on the sofa. When I join her, she turns to me, meeting my gaze.

  “Preston confessed what happened that night,” she tells me in a whisper, her fingers twirling the material of her hoodie. “Why didn't you tell me, Ryder?”

  She’s right, I should’ve, but I’d become accustomed to telling my story, not Preston’s, that it was just something I said. It’s how I told everyone what happened.

  “Ryder, look,” she says, placing a hand on my thigh, her thumb circling the part of me that’s no longer flesh and bone, but plastic and metal. And as much as it should be a strange sensation not to feel her touch, it’s not, because it doesn’t matter where Piper is, or what she’s doing, I’ll always feel her. She’ll always be a part of me.

  “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to hate Preston.” I turn my gaze to the window, looking at the cloudless blue sky and it reminds me of my girl’s eyes on a summer day.

  “I don’t hate Preston anymore. Growing up I did, he was never nice to me. He wasn’t the brother that would loo
k after me. But right now, with everything that’s happened, I’m just livid that he allowed you to take the blame for it, and I’m angry at you for not telling me sooner. If we do this, Ryder, I need honesty.”

  Her words catch my attention. There’s an honesty in her eyes that grips my chest painfully. She still wants me? Shaking my head, I sigh, knowing she is right, but I don’t understand how she can still want me after everything that’s happened.

  “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d hate your brother. He’s your family, Piper, blood, and I’m nobody to you.”

  “That’s bullshit, Ryder,” she bites out angrily. Then suddenly, she’s on my lap, straddling me like she always does. “Look at me, look into my eyes and tell me you’re nobody to me,” she commands. Her delicate hands on my face hold me steady so I can’t turn away.

  “I can’t. You know I can’t tell you that because you know I love you, and I know you love me,” I tell her, holding on to her hips, my fingers digging into the smooth, silky flesh I know is hidden under her clothes.

  “So, don’t you dare tell me we’re nothing to each other,” she insists. “I’m angry, Ryder, so goddamn angry at Preston.” This time, she curls herself in my lap, her arms wrapping around me as she nuzzles her head under my chin. The scent of honeysuckle from her hair has me inhaling deeply.

  “Your father—”

  “I know what he did, that’s why I’m here,” she mumbles into my shirt. “But I don’t want to talk about him right now.” Her words are muffled by the material of my T-shirt, but I hear her. “I want to talk about you and me.”

  I pull in a breath, holding it before I question her, “What about you and me?”

  “You said something on the phone last night. You told me that the next promise you make me would be forever,” she reminds me of the words I’d uttered. “What did you mean?”

  Her big blue eyes shine with as much curiosity as a kitten when it first gets a toy. I allow my gaze to memorize every inch of her face, from the gold strands of her hair that fall over her cheeks to the button nose that crinkles each time she gets frustrated at me, down to those plump rosy lips that make me groan with want.

  “I meant, Piper… I meant I love you. I always have.” My voice is raspy when I look into her eyes. “It’s no secret. I never knew I could care about someone so much. I wanted what was best for you and I didn’t care about what happened to me.”

  My throat feels like there’s a lead weight stuck in it.

  “When I got hurt, all I wanted was to walk away from you because I knew you deserved more, you deserved better.” She opens her mouth to speak, but I place a finger on her lips to keep her quiet. “I wanted to walk away because it would’ve been best, in my mind. But, I realize it’s not best because we complete each other, Piper. And what I meant when I said that last night is that I want you. Forever.”

  This isn’t how I wanted to propose.

  It’s not romantic.

  I don’t have a ring.

  All I have are my words.

  “Are you asking me to marry you, Ryder Kingsley?”

  25

  Piper

  He smiles. That smile. The ring in his lip glistens in the light that’s streaming through the window. It hits the metal just right, making the ring look like a gem. Shiny and new.

  “Perhaps,” he responds with his eyes twinkling mischievously. “I wanted to make it more romantic, you know, ask Preston’s permission and all that shit.” His words make me laugh, the sound trickling through the space, and I can’t help leaning in closer to him.

  “You don’t need to ask anyone’s permission, Ryder. You just need me to say yes,” I tell him, planting a kiss on his neck, suckling the skin into my mouth, causing a growl to rumble in his chest.

  “Baby girl,” he warns. “If you keep that up, I’ll have to carry you to the bedroom.”

  “Mmmm, and what will happen if you carry me into the bedroom?” I question, moving my lips higher, finding the piercing in his ear, gently tugging it with my teeth.

  “Fuck,” Ryder grunts when I roll my hips while trailing my tongue over the shell of his ear. “I’m going to fuck you, Butterfly.” It’s another warning. One that makes me tingle between my legs, and I can’t help a soft whimper that tumbles free from my lips.

  “Then you better show me, Ryder.”

  Swiftly, he lifts me up as he rises from the sofa and we’re heading down a long hallway toward a door that’s slightly ajar. Entering the space is like walking into Ryder’s bedroom back home. With jet color curtains and a black carpet, along with charcoal bed sheets, it’s indeed filled with darkness, but it makes me feel safe.

  “Stay,” he tells me, setting me on the edge of the mattress, leaving me in his bedroom. I hear him stroll back down the hall, then the sound of glasses, or at least, I think it’s glasses, makes its way toward me. When Ryder returns, he’s carrying a glass, a can of soda, and some ice.

  “What is that for?” I question, watching him set the items on the nightstand. He doesn’t respond, merely opens the can and takes a long swig.

  “Now, little lady.” The corner of his mouth kicks up into a sinful smirk. “It’s time for me to devour you.” The look on his face is positively ravenous. “I want you to take that pretty top off for me,” his husky voice orders, and my fingers have a mind of their own, obeying him. Once I’m in my bra, his gaze darkens.

  “Anything else you’d like me to get rid of, Mr. Kingsley?” I tease playfully.

  “All of it, baby girl. I want you on my bed, naked, spread open so I can look at how beautiful you are without anything hindering my view.” Ryder steps back, watching me intently as I toe off my sneakers, then slowly pushing the jeans I’m wearing to the floor. My bright pink socks hit the carpet, and then it’s just me in my white panties and matching bra.

  “You know,” I tell him, rising from the mattress, “I think it’s unfair that I have to get undressed, and you’re standing there in your T-shirt and sweatpants.”

  Another wolfish smile tilts his lips. He reaches for the material of his shirt and tugs it from his tall, lean frame. His chest, down to his torso is toned, chiseled with dips and peaks I’m dying to tease with my tongue.

  There’s a dark trail of hair below his belly button that dips below the waistband of his underwear. Ink adorns him. Beautiful intricate patterns of black and color, all over his smooth, tanned flesh. When I meet his hungry gaze, I offer a sultry smile. I’ve never flirted before, never been in front of a boy, correct that, a man, in my underwear. But the way Ryder looks at me makes everything south of my belly button tingle.

  He silently discards his pants and soon we’re leveled on the playing field. Him in tight black briefs, and me in white. A contrast. But together, we match perfectly.

  Reaching back, I unclasp my bra and allow it to fall at my feet. Ryder’s heated stare trails over me, down to my chest, then he meets my gaze.

  “You’re far too perfect for me.” His words are warm, affectionate, and I want to refute him, but he shakes his head. “But, I’ve come to the conclusion that perfection is all mine.” He steps forward, gripping my hips, pulling me closer. “And I’ll never let it go again.”

  He leans in. His lips find mine, warm and demanding, and I allow him control of the kiss. His tongue gently snakes into my mouth, tasting, licking, as if he’s savoring me with every movement.

  His fingers dig into my hips, eliciting a whimper from me, which he swallows in the kiss. My arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands find my ass, lifting me against him as he turns to sit on the mattress.

  “I want to fuck you,” he tells me, “but I have a better idea.”

  “Oh?”

  He nods, shuffling up the bed and leaning against the headboard. I’m still straddling his lap when he reaches between us with one hand, shoving my panties to the side. His fingers find my entrance.

  “You’re so wet, Butterfly,” he groans as he circles my clit, his index fing
er dipping into me, teasing me as he finger fucks me. It slides into me so easily and glides back out, over and over again. My hips roll against him, making him harder beneath me.

  “Please, Ryder.” My plea is unanswered as he continues his ministrations on my body. The glint in his eye is pure devilish as he taunts me, his thumb pressing my clit, teasing the hardened nub, and then he pulls his fingers from my core and his cock is there, ready, hard, and he gently slides into me.

  It takes a moment for me to acclimate to his thickness, the metal of his piercing rubbing against my inner walls, making my toes curl as pleasure rockets through me. I’ve never been so turned on, so needy. Ryder’s mouth finds my nipple, suckling the bud, grazing it with his teeth.

  It feels as if my body is electrified, every nerve sparking, every synapse firing, and I’m crying out as he continues to drive into me. Faster, harder. His body rigid, mine purely putty in his hands.

  “That’s my baby girl,” he coos, his voice drenched with desire, my body his instrument as he plays me like a maestro in an orchestra. There are no fast beats, only gentle, loving melodies, and I cry out as his fingers tweak my clit, his cock hitting that spot inside me, and I see stars burst behind my eyelids.

  “Ryder.”

  “So fucking perfect.”

  26

  Ryder

  The cell is cold. Thankfully, I’m alone, but that’s not what worries me. I’m more concerned about my girl. I know Piper is probably going out of her mind right now. I don’t know what’s happening, or why they’ve arrested me this morning, but I’m certain it’s got something to do with her father.