I pull back a long moment later and rest my forehead on hers. I stare into her innocent, ice blue eyes that I hope to stare into for the rest of my life and get the urge to tell her I love her. But since we are sitting in Rosa’s driveway, and I don’t have time to follow up my words by showing her, I decide against it. Instead I say: “The best thing that ever happened to me was the day I walked into Mr. Wesson’s trigonometry class and got to sit behind the most beautiful girl in the world. One who had every reason to stay away from me but instead became the only girl to ever matter to me.” She gives me a sweet smile then catches me off guard and attacks my mouth; I chuckle but then release a tortured groan and force myself to pull away. “Let’s get inside, baby, so I can get you home and naked soon.”
I open the door to help her out first and get a peek at the sexy, purple lace panties under her white sundress as she crawls out. Memories come flooding back of me getting to spank that tight ass of hers last night. Yeah, we need to get this meeting over with fast.
Just as I exit the car my cell phone rings. I look at the number to see it’s Nick. “Go on in, baby, I’ll be right there.”
“Okay, but, Jameson?” I look at her when she addresses me. She steps closer then grabs my shirt and pulls me down for a kiss. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me too, and when we get home I hope you spank me again.”
My dick jerks in my pants and before I even have a chance to respond she sashays her sweet ass across the lawn and into the house. I blow out a breath and pull myself together before answering. “Jameson,” I croak, my voice sounding husky even to my own ears.
“Hey, any word from the housekeeper yet?”
“No, we just got here and…” I trail off as an agonized scream rips from the house. My heart instantly stops and my blood turns to ice when I register it’s Emily’s. I hang up, not bothering to say bye, and pull my weapon before rushing into the house. “Emily?” I shout and train my gun around the still house, searching for any kind of threat. My panic escalates when she doesn’t respond. I follow the sound of her tortured cries and I end up finding her in the master bedroom. Oh fuck! The sight I’m met with will forever be ingrained in my head. Emily on her knees, covered in blood as she holds a lifeless Rosa in her arms.
“Ryder, hurry, come here and help her, you need to help her. I don’t know what to do.” She sobs, her hands covering Rosa’s bloody chest as she cradles her in her arms. Even from here I can see she’s dead, her eyes open and lifeless. “Hurry!” she screams again. “Why aren’t you doing anything?”
I walk over and kneel down beside her. “Em, baby,” I whisper, finding it difficult to talk past the excruciating burn in my throat, the sound of her pain hitting me like a physical blow to the chest.
“It’s okay, Rosa, just hang on, Ryder’s going to help you.” She sobs, kissing her forehead. I’m not sure if she really doesn’t know she’s dead or she just doesn’t want to believe it.
“Em, I’m sorry but it’s too late. We…”
“No, it’s not!” she screams, grabbing my shirt in desperation. “You help her now! You bring her back right fucking now!” She loses her breath from her uncontrollable sobs and starts hitting me in the chest.
I grab her wrists to restrain her blows.” Listen to me, goddammit!” I shout, trying to break through her grief. “It’s too late, baby. I’m so fucking sorry, but she’s gone, Em. We can’t do anything to help her.”
“Nooooo!” Her hands cover her ears as she screams the most agonized screams I’ve ever heard in my life. I lock my arms around her and pull her against me, the sound of her anguish completely shattering me. Her screams are ones I will hear for the rest of my life.
Emily
I sit at the bottom of the shower, trying to feel the hot water pounding down on me but can’t. I can’t feel anything but the excruciating pain in my chest. I scrub my hands mercilessly, trying to get the blood off of them, and sob when I think about how it got there.
“Em?” I hear Ryder’s voice distantly as he enters the bathroom and kneels beside the tub. “Shit, stop.” He grabs my wrists to stop my insistent scrubbing.
“I need to get the blood off,” I explain with a choked whisper.
“It’s gone, baby, you’re rubbing them raw.”
I stare down at them, not being able to see through my burning, watery eyes. Ryder reaches over and shuts off the shower. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around myself, desperately trying to get warm but can’t. But he pulls them apart before I register him wrapping a towel around my body. Lifting me, he carries me to bed then lies down next to me, pulling me back snug against his chest. His arms hold me close but I don’t feel their warmth. I feel nothing, I feel dead inside.
“Tell me what to do, Em. Tell me how to make it better, it’s fucking killing me to see you like this.”
“Bring her back,” I whisper achingly, knowing I’m asking the impossible.
I hear him blow out a gruff breath. “If I could trade places with her, baby, I would.” Silent tears pour down my face as I think about him being where Rosa is. “I just want you to be okay, tell me you’re going to be okay, Emily?”
I don’t respond because I can’t. I don’t think I’m going to ever be okay again, not without Rosa, not without the only person who ever loved me.
Ryder
A few nights later, I awaken from the sound of soft sobs, but am confused as to why I have a raging hard-on. I open my eyes to find Emily on top of me, straddling my hips. Tears stream down her cheeks, her face twisted in grief and despair. “I need you,” she sobs. “I need you to make me feel something other than this excruciating pain.” She clutches at her chest showing me where it hurts before shedding herself of my shirt, baring me to the most beautiful, but heartbreaking sight of my life.
I jump into action and flip her over, coming over top of her. I kiss her sweet lips that tremble with agony and taste her tears. Sweeping my tongue in, I try to inhale all of her pain and make it only my own, wanting her to stop hurting so bad.
“Ryder, please,” she pleads with a cry, pushing at my underwear. I pull them down just enough to free my cock then run my fingers through her wet heat, testing her readiness. When I find her ready, I line my cock up and plunge inside of her. She gasps and her fingernails bite into my shoulders. I keep my strokes slow and deliberate.
“Faster,” she chokes out, trying to speed up my rhythm.
I grind my teeth in restraint and shake my head. “No, baby, just like this.” For days I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to help her in some way. No matter how hard I tried she wouldn’t let me in, and now that she is I don’t want to fuck this up. I don’t want just her body. I want her; I want my girl back.
She stares up at me with the saddest fucking eyes I’ve ever seen. “It hurts so bad,” she says with a sob, her words slicing through me like a hot blade.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry. So fucking sorry, Em,” I whisper, then kiss her wet cheeks, wanting to erase her tears. I move down past her collarbone and press my lips over her heart, feeling it tremble with her grief.
She weaves her fingers in my hair with desperation, holding me to her. “She was all I had,” she chokes out, “she was the only person who’s ever loved me.”
I still and my head snaps up. “That’s not true,” I grind out heatedly. “You have me, Emily. I love you. I loved you six years ago and I still do, I never stopped.” I rest my forehead on hers and soften my tone. “Are you listening to me? You have me, always and forever, you have me. I fucking love you more than anything in my entire life and I always will, Em.”