I rocked my head in the cocoon of his hands, eyes closed and tears coasting freely over my face.
“I can’t,” I whispered weakly.
“You can. We can!” he said, voice low and determined, while he gripped me tight, trying to pour his belief into me.
“No,” I breathed, head still shaking. “No,” I repeated, firmer now, as I tugged, extracting myself from his hold. With space between us, Reno's hands swung to his sides, heart break etched all over his beautiful face.
“No,” I said.
His head fell and his hands landed atop it, fingers linking over his hair. Exhaling through his nose, he stared at me—into me—his eyes despondent, then he nodded once.
I turned. And I ran.
The ground crunched, giving way easily beneath me as I followed the trail clumsily through a veil of tears, and away from Reno. The farther I got, the louder my instincts screamed to go back. The more I sensed that I was losing that part of myself again, the part I’d just got back. Only now, I knew what it was. Now I knew I’d always left a piece of my heart with him... and I was doing it again. It hurt so much, it felt like it might tear me in two. I couldn’t fathom how this could be the better option for me. How could the right thing feel so fucking wrong?
My steps faltered. Uncertainty gnawed at me, pulling me in two different directions. Heaving sobs built in my chest, the force of them painful, and I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth to hold them in. Forging forward on unsteady limbs, I emerged from the shelter of the trees and stopped. Various noises assaulted my ears and the flickering oranges and reds of the bonfire burned my eyes. I swiped the back of my hand under my eyes and over my face, trying to compose myself, to hide the evidence of my heart break. I couldn’t force my legs to move. I couldn’t make myself leave him. But how could I stay?
The sound of twigs snapping close by had me pulling up short and jerking my head round. My battered heart plunged to my feet when Raya Mitchell stepped into view. In no way was I battle ready. Completely ignoring her presence, I strode past her, hands still sweeping over my face.
“Riley,” she called, voice soft, “you okay?”
I was so taken aback by the quiet concern that my feet staggered to a stop and my body whirled to face the person who’d been my nemesis for as long as my memory spanned back.
Dressed in similar jean shorts to mine, a nondescript tank that covered most of her generous cleavage and her long, dark hair pulled into a low pony that hung down her back, I tracked her movements as she advanced toward me. Too stunned to react, I stayed mute.
Her head dipped when she came to a stop, her dark brown gaze flickering over my face in something like understanding. Breathing out slowly, she brought her hands together in front of her body and interlaced her fingers.
“I owe you an apology,” she said, and I almost hit the deck. My mouth definitely did.
“What?” I sputtered.
She snorted a little laugh through her nose, but eyes awash with regret met mine. “I’ve been in love with him since I was seven years old, did you know that?” My breath caught painfully. She looked away. “I had him fixed firmly in my sights ever since, and I’m pretty determined.” One side of her lips ticked up in a smirk, but there was no humor in it. “For a while, I thought he and I were on the same page, and then you happened.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but quickly realized I had absolutely nothing to say. Nothing. I was completely dumbfounded.
“And ever since then, he looked right through me. I put myself in his path, did anything I could just to get his attention, to keep him close to me, all the while knowing how he really felt. Knowing he didn’t love me. I thought I could change his mind, but I never stood a chance. Guess you think I’m an idiot, right?” Her voice trembled, and I felt something for this girl that I never dreamed I would: sympathy.
I shook my head, hand still hovering over my mouth, knuckles grazing my lips. I cleared my throat. “No.”
A sad smile tugged her lips down somehow. It was a strange look that crossed her face, like self-reflection and self-acceptance all rolled into one. She lifted a shoulder. “And that’s why I hated you, Riley. You stopped him from seeing me. It took a long time for me to realize that wasn’t your fault. Last year when he kissed me? The one and only time he kissed me... and all he was thinking about was you. I got it then, but it still took me a while to accept. So, I’m sorry. I treated you unfairly from the start.”
I blinked slowly, my hand dropping from my face and my eyes scrutinizing the girl in front of me for some sign of dis-ingenuity, some evidence that this was all an elaborate prank and she’d revert to her evil ways any second. There was none.
She barked a quick laugh, a different smile twisting her lips, like she knew exactly what I was thinking. Her brows kicked up. “I deserve that. But I've done some growing up this past year, Riley. Enough to recognize that it isn't possible to force someone to feel a certain way, no matter how much you want them to.” Her gaze diverted to the direction I'd come from. She knew he was there. “He's been miserable. Borderline depressed. I still care about him, enough that I want to see him happy, even if it’s not with me. I tried,” she said, drawing the word out on a sigh. “I did try. It isn’t me who can help him.” She tipped her forehead toward me, hitting me with a pointed stare. “It's you. It always was.”
I inhaled sharply, her words sinking into me like the air that flowed into my lungs.
There were a magnitude of risks and reasons, so much potential for everything to go wrong. God so much already had. Yet, I still loved him, and you couldn’t love someone halfway. There was no magic switch when things got tough; love didn’t turn off and on with the press of a button.
It didn’t keep track of the mistakes, the wrong turns, or the bad decisions. Love didn’t care that it left us wide open, sitting ducks looking down the barrel of the farmer’s gun. There were no guarantees, no reassurances. You jumped in with both feet and hoped like hell you could keep your head above water.
Love came with highs and lows. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t predictable. It wasn’t even understandable. It just was.
It just fucking was.
And it meant everything. It consumed you whether you wanted it to or not. Denying it wouldn’t change that. Love could break you down to little pieces, but sometimes, it was the only thing that could put you back together again. And my missing pieces... they were back there, with Reno.
I could keep walking, leave Reno and all the pieces of me that belonged to him right here, and never look back. This past year had proved I could go on, I could exist. But I wouldn’t be happy, I wouldn’t feel whole. I’d put time and distance between us. It had changed nothing. I loved him. My heart belonged to him. It always had.
I didn’t want to leave it behind again.
I didn’t want to leave him behind.
My head flew up. “I’m sorry, Raya. I’m sorry, too.”
Then my feet were moving, taking me back down the route I’d just come from. Just before I broke into a run, my chest soaring, I looked over my shoulder and said, “Thank you.”
She dipped her head, her brown eyes glistening.
Breaths panting, I raced to where my heart waited for me.
He stood in the same spot, his broad back to me, wide shoulders hunched, and his hands splayed out over the back of his head. At the sound of my approach, he spun, eyes popping wide with bemusement and hope when they landed on me.
I ran to him, throwing myself into his waiting arms. He caught me up, his head fitting against the side of mine as I let my legs wrap around his body and buried my face in the crook of his neck. Years could have passed before I eased back. With my hands clasped together at his nape, happiness raced through me so fast it made me dizzy.
His loving gaze trailed my face like a warm caress, and he smiled softly. “You changed your mind?”
I nodded, biting my lip, knowing without a doubt my eyes were shining. I’d take ha
ppy tears.
His lips lowered and touched mine reverently. “Why?”
I brought my forehead down on his and dragged in a shaky breath. “Staying with you might break my heart one day, Ren.” He opened his mouth to speak, but I quickly covered it with a cupped hand, silencing him. “But leaving you… leaving you will definitely break it. I couldn’t do it,” I whispered, tears clogging my throat. “I couldn’t leave you.”
Eyes intent on mine, he pressed a soft kiss to the skin of my palm, then moved it gently aside.
“Staying with me won’t break your heart, Ri,” he promised, voice thick and cracking with emotion. “Loving you is the only thing in my life that’s worth a damn. I’ll never give you a reason to doubt that. And I’m never letting you go again.” The corners of his lips curved up. “I fucking adore you, Riley Mason.”
There were a thousand things I could say, and I’d get to them. Right now, I settled for the only thing that mattered. “I love you.”
His eyes slid closed and his arms tightened around me.
It was simple. It was everything.
It was worth it.
Epilogue
Riley
“Riley Mason.”
A chorus of hollers went up. Blushing, I ducked my head, moving quickly across the stage to accept my diploma. Lip muscles straining to control the smile that wanted to break out, I tipped my head to the seats in the auditorium, knowing my mom and Liss would be there, grinning widely. My gaze snaked past them, muscles loosening as a small smile formed. My eyes carried on, until they rested on the face I’d been looking for. He stood a head taller than everyone else around him. His hands were jammed in his pockets, hair tousled on top, just the way I liked it, especially when I knew it was my fingers that had been raking through it. He still took my breath away.
Those dark eyes met mine and I stumbled, righting myself just before it became obvious. He’d caught it. His lips twitched, humor glinting in his soulful eyes. Beyond that, there was pride, shining brightly, aimed directly at me. My heart melted. And his lips moved, forming silent words. I love you.
Biting my lip, I nodded, glancing away quickly before the moisture that welled in my eyes spilled over. I couldn’t cry in front of everyone, not even happy tears. Stepping off the stage, I couldn’t resist a peek back. His eyes were still on me. Overflowing with love, and I couldn’t stop myself from blowing him a kiss.
The smirk I’d once thought I hated tugged at his lips, hitting me right in the middle of my chest, and he winked. Cocky son of a...
But I loved it. I loved him.
In the past three years, we'd argued, we'd fought. We’d said things we didn’t mean and made stupid mistakes. We were learning. Learning that we wouldn’t always agree. We’d do stupid stuff to piss each other off. Hell, there were times we wouldn’t even like each other, and the distance had been hard, for both us.
But I’d never stopped loving him, not for one minute. And that meant we fought through the rest. Love first, and everything else will follow. I’d heard that somewhere once. And it was true.
Two sets of slim arms enfolded me in their embrace and squeezed me to death, squealing and jabbering in my ear. Smiling wide, I returned their enthusiasm, gripping tight until we broke apart. Liss and my mom stepped back.
And there he was.
Rising on the balls of his feet, looking down at me. I practically skipped to him, planting my face into the hard plains of his chest as my emotions burst free. His strong arms came around me, crushing me to him and lifting until my feet left the ground. My head rose, lips finding his, and I squeezed my eyes tights as our mouth fused. It was chaste, we had an audience, after all, but I felt it all the way to my dangling toes. His low growl suggested he did, too. I grinned, breaking away, and met his gaze.
“I’m damn proud of you, baby,” he said roughly, staring into my eyes.
“Thank you,” I said, voice oddly shy.
“Okay, okay, put her down, lover boy. We got shit to do, places to be and all that jazz. She’s my best friend... gimme.”
Reno’s lips curved in a reluctant grin, his head shaking and eyes rolling in his head. Lowering me to the floor, he dropped a gentle kiss on the tip of my nose and tapped my butt. “Get out of here. See you for dinner?”
I nodded with a sniffle, eyes glazing over. Wow, emotion overload.
My mom, Liss, and I had the rest of the day.
Tonight, was mine and Reno’s. He had plans, the kind I wasn’t privy to just yet. But as long as they included getting naked at some point, I didn’t really care. I took two paces away, changed my mind, and rushed back to him, fitting my lips to his for one last kiss. I took him by surprise, but he caught on quick enough, hands gripping my hips and mouth latching onto mine.
Flames. I broke off before we got carried away, but the glazed look in his hooded eyes told me I might have waited too long. Flashing him a grin, I waved and took off.
Freshly primped, primed and made up in a brand-new dress, I walked toward where Reno waited by the entrance to the hotel bar. It felt like we'd been waiting a lifetime for this day. The moment our lives could officially start. I was going home to stay, and we were going to build a life together. Reno had made good on his promise to Brett. Using Brett’s life insurance, he'd invested in the garage, upgrading and expanding to include services for custom detailing, window tinting, amongst other things. It was doing exceptionally well, and I was prouder of him than he could ever be of me, I was sure of it. He’d been lost for a while there, but he’d fought his way back. Despite the fears that plagued him. Despite the losses he’d suffered.
His eyes darkened when he spotted me, and I felt the heat from his gaze all over. A shiver worked its way down my spine and my breath caught. I let him take my hand and he hauled me against his body. His hands found the small of my back and he slid them down to cup my butt, squeezing possessively.
“You look fucking gorgeous,” he growled, eyes dipping to my mouth. For all his manhandling, his lips were tender when they met mine. And like always, I melted into him.
When I would have suggested we forgo dinner and head to the room, he moved me back, extending his arms until his elbows locked, holding me away from him. Hunger burned like an inferno in his eyes as he warred with the same temptation I had. Finally, he gave his head a sharp shake and slid one hand down my arm, grasping my hand in his. And then we were off. Trailing behind, my eyes strayed longingly to the elevator we sped past. But he didn’t stop his march until we were safely through the hotel lobby and had cleared the revolving glass doors.
He slowed his pace about twenty yards down the sidewalk and swivelled his head to look down at me with a knowing smirk. He knew what he’d done. I scowled up at him, lips twisting in displeasure. His smirk bloomed into a full blown laugh and I couldn’t hold on to the expression.
“So,” I said, “Where are we going? Better be some place real good if you’re passing up on hotel room sex.”
His head fell back with his laughter as we strolled, hand in hand, turning into the park. He shrugged, miming zipping his lips together. I smacked his arm with the heel of my palm, eyes narrowed on him teasingly. Leaning into his side, I rested my head on his bicep, eyes fluttering closed. The streets of downtown were alive, vibrant with noise and color. Contentment filled me, a soft sigh filtering between my curved lips, the smile seemingly glued to my face.
Glancing up, the ferris wheel towered above us, an all seeing eye standing proud above the city.
Reno followed my gaze and gave my hand a squeeze. “Come on.”
With no line, we paid and boarded, ascending into the sky within minutes. I moved to the edge of the glass, looking out over the perfect skyline. Dusk was on the verge of giving up the day to the night. The burning oranges and yellows of the departing sun melded with the deepest of blues, broken by thin slivers of shadowed clouds and the looming mountain scape in the distance. It was beautiful. I felt Reno move in behind me, arms circling my waist, chest
fitting against my back. I let my head fall back to rest on his shoulder, his chin found the top of my head, nuzzling, and I wrapped my arms over his.
“I love you,” he murmured.
My arms tightened, and I craned my head to peer up at him, my heart swelling in my chest. “I love you, too.”
He dropped his head, planting a kiss on my temple before straightening and shifting his eyes back to the view. I followed suit. Our car stilled at the very top, and I heard Reno exhale, the sound extended and sharp, like he was doing it through pursed lips. His weight shifted and cool air hit my back as he drew away.
“This wasn’t the plan... I had a reservation at a fancy restaurant, but...” he said, and he sounded nervous.
My brows drew together. I turned, expecting to look up at him, except he wasn’t standing behind me. He was down on one knee, arm extended, a sparkling diamond ring held up between his thumb and finger.
My trembling hands flew to my mouth, breath escaping me in an awed gasp. “Ren...?”
Soul deep eyes captured mine, penetrating right through me. “I wasn’t sure if I should even do this yet, Ri,” he started, and he seemed so unsure of himself, a quiet sob broke from me, my heart thumping. “You’re still young. This is the first day of the rest of your life, and I’m hijacking it.”
His beautiful eyes flashed with intensity, boring into me, and his voice turned husky. “But I’m a selfish ashole when it comes to you and I won’t apologize for that. I want your future, Riley. I’ll support and stand by you, whatever you do, but I want to be there with you, be a part of it. I want to you to be my wife, have my children,” his voice broke, and I couldn’t hold back. My head nodded vigorously.
Relief washed over him, a smile breaking over the face I loved so much. “I love you so fucking much. Marry me, Riley? Please?”
Untouchable: (Unstoppable - Book 1) (The Unstoppable Series) Page 27