As scared as I am for this to come out, I hope Ryder and Nick are successful in bringing it all down tonight. I don’t know how much longer I can go on with this farce. To be around my parents and pretend I don’t know what my father has done, especially to Rosa, is killing me. The way he stood at her funeral and watched her be lowered in the ground while acting like the grieving boss – I don’t think I’ve ever hated him more than I did in that moment.
Ryder enters the room, breaking me from my thoughts. “Hey, baby, can…” He stops short and sucks in a sharp breath when he sees me. His eyes widen and storm with something powerful as they sweep down my body. “Jesus, you look fucking incredible.”
“Thank you,” I reply softly and feel my cheeks heat. “You look pretty good yourself, Jameson. You clean up nice.” I tease with a small smile. I would have never pictured seeing Ryder in a suit, but lord does he fill it out nicely. I mean, exceptionally nice. Although, I don’t think there is anything that he wouldn’t look amazing in.
He smirks and takes a seat on the edge of my bed. “Yeah, well, since I have to try and pull off the part of not being a piece of trash from the wrong side of the tracks, I figured this would help.”
Although he says this jokingly, my heart pinches at his words. I walk closer to him and he opens his legs before pulling me in between them. His hands hold the back of my thighs while mine frame his face. “You’re not trash and you never have been. You have more class and integrity than anyone else who will be there tonight. And I’m proud to have you there with me.” Leaning down, I press a kiss to his forehead and feel him release a deep breath before burying his face in my stomach.
“I don’t fucking like this, Em. I don’t want you anywhere near that fucking house or those people.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and thread my fingers through the back of his hair as I hold him close against me. I know all of this has been hard on him too. It’s been killing him to see me so upset, and for me to be involved in it. I also know he harbors guilt over Rosa, no matter how many times I tell him it’s not his fault. The only person who is to blame is my father.
“I know, but it’ll be okay, and hopefully everything works out tonight and I will never have to be near them again.”
He hugs me closer. “Never, Em. I swear to God, no matter what happens after tonight, this is the last time I will let you near them.” He looks up at me. “I want you to promise me you will stay in the midst of the party. That you won’t go anywhere alone.”
I nod, my stomach twisting with nerves over this whole mess, but I don’t want him to worry even more so I try to hide it as best as I can. “I promise.”
He reaches in his pocket and pulls something out that I don’t recognize. “This is an audio device. You, Nick and I are going to be linked together the entire time. We will all hear each other and be able to communicate, but this is only used for you if you need help. Otherwise, try to pretend it’s not even there.” He hands me this tiny looking wire that has a small mic attached to it. “Clip this inside your dress to your bra.”
I take it from him. “But I’m not wearing a bra.”
He stiffens and stares at me for a shocked moment before his gaze drops to my chest and he lets out a tortured groan. “Are you fucking kidding me right now, Em? Why the fuck would you tell me that? How am I supposed to concentrate?”
“You told me to clip it to my bra, so I told you the truth. What else am I supposed to say?”
“Fucking lie to me and just clip it to the inside of your dress then.” I bust out laughing, but he finds nothing funny about it. Rolling my eyes, I reach inside and clip the tiny wire to the material. “Make sure the mic is facing your mouth.”
My eyes snap to his at hearing how gruff his voice is. His gaze is afire, holding promise, and it ignites a small burn low in my tummy. I welcome the feeling, the one he always brings me because it feels a hell of a lot better than the heartache that has consumed me since Rosa’s death, or the fear from remembering everything last night… Don’t go there, Emily.
Ryder stands and comes to my right side before adding something in my ear. It’s so tiny I can barely feel it. “Won’t someone see this?”
“No.” I falter when I hear him through the wire. “No one will see or hear anything, no matter how close they are. This isn’t your regular run-of-the-mill wire, baby. This is high tech shit for the big boys,” he adds with an arrogant wink.
“That’s pretty cool,” I muse with a smile.
“I think you’re fucking cool.”
I giggle but he cuts it off with a delicious kiss. I moan into his mouth, desperately wanting to get lost in him, because when I’m with him like this nothing hurts.
“Do you guys mind getting a move on?” I gasp and pull away at the sound of Nick’s voice.
Ryder grunts. “I guess that means you’re linked in?”
“Sure am. Hey, Emily.”
“Hi, Nick,” I reply, feeling embarrassed he just heard us kissing.
“Just pretend the asshole isn’t here,” Ryder says.
“Yup, you pretend I’m not here and I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you say you weren’t wearing a bra.”
My face turns furiously red and a warning growl erupts from Ryder’s chest. “Fucking watch it, Stone.” Nick chuckles, not in the least put off by Ryder’s warning.
Shaking his head, Ryder steps closer and frames my face. “You ready, baby?”
I inhale a deep breath. “I think so.”
He leans in and kisses my forehead. “Everything will be okay.”
“Don’t worry, Emily. We got your back.”
I smile at Nick’s assurance. “Thank you.” Reaching over, I grab my purse off the bed then as I turn to walk out I hear Ryder suck in a sharp breath.
“What the fuck?”
I spin around to see his eyes bugged out of his head. “What?”
“Where the fuck is the back of your dress?”
“What do you mean? It’s backless.”
“I can fucking see that, and so will everyone else. I can’t concentrate knowing guys are going to be staring at my half-naked woman.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not half-naked. My back is naked…”
“Okay, now I want to see this dress,” Nick chimes in, amused.
“Shut up, Stone.” Ryder growls which makes Nick chuckle again.
Shaking my head, I walk up to him, grab him by the lapels of his suit then pull him down to my mouth and lay one hell of a kiss on him. I forget all about Nick listening in and show him exactly who my heart belongs to. I pull back a moment later and stare up into his heated gaze. “I love you, Jameson, even when you’re acting like an idiot. Now stop being ridiculous and let’s go.” Grabbing his hand, I start out of the room and ignore his tortured groan at seeing my back again. More than anything I wish we could stay here and get wrapped up in our own world, and skip what I know will be a night that will change my life forever.
*
I was bombarded the moment we walked in. Everyone under the sun has been telling me how happy they are that I’ve regained my sight, and they all want to know how I’ve been adjusting to the change. I’ve had to piece together faces with voices for people I have known since I was a little girl and it’s incredibly overwhelming. I should have expected it, and even prepared myself for it, but I make sure to paste a smile on my face and answer as best as possible.
On top of it all, I’m having a hard time playing the charade of happy family with my parents. My mother seems intoxicated already, which is a little earlier than usual for her, but I figure that has to do with Ryder being here with me tonight. She hasn’t hidden the fact that she’s furious about it. While she was placing fake kisses on my cheek she was whispering in my ear, telling me I’m nothing but an embarrassment. Thankfully, she shut up after the look Ryder shot her. Only because I know she didn’t want him to cause a scene and ruin her perfect image. My father has been more distant than usual, which is fine by me. It makes my skin crawl to even be in the same room with him.