CHAPTER NINETEEN

WALKER

I’m going to fucking kill the douche who has his hands on Riley. I don’t care how much she hates me right now, she’s mine. How the fuck could she have moved on to another man so fast? I can’t even begin to imagine going on a date, much less kissing or touching another woman.

But here we are.

Riley with her arm locked in another man’s. His hands on her face. The urge to pick the fucker up and dump him overboard is strong, and I’m not a violent man.

I don’t care if the asshole is Taylor’s brother, he shouldn’t have his hands on my woman. I take an angry step toward them and Riley stiffens.

Fuck . The last thing I need right now is a recreation of the parking lot scene after her doctor’s appointment. My intent wasn’t to cause trouble. I was able to get my fucking ducks in a row and make it here just in time to witness Jackson and Taylor’s vows. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I’d be able to make it work and didn’t want to get my brother’s hopes up and then let him down.

Because he would be let down. The past few weeks have been bittersweet. I never thought in a million years that Jackson would reach out to me and we’d actually get along. It’s nice having a brother. Having someone on my side.

We don’t talk much about the past or our parents and have kept conversations about the present. My football career. Good neighborhoods in Boston to buy a house. His and Taylor’s upcoming wedding.

Taboo topics: our parents and Riley.

Ignoring the fuckwad I want so badly to throat punch, I lick my bottom lip and stand in Riley’s space, waiting for her to look up at me. When she doesn’t, I tuck my hands in my pockets and tell her the first thing on my mind. “You’re beautiful.”

A beat passes. Then two. When she doesn’t respond, Rowan speaks up.

“It’s nice to see you, Walker. Why don’t you come over here next to me so Jackson and Taylor can start their vows.”

I don’t move my gaze from Riley’s face, noticing the purple crescents under her eyes. She’s gorgeous, but she’s lost weight and looks frail. When she refuses to make eye contact, I retreat and move to sit beside Rowan.

My brother and Taylor’s vows are short and sweet. When they seal their matrimony with a kiss, Kendall pops the cork of a champagne bottle and lets out a whoop . A few minutes later, we all raise our glasses to the new couple and the yacht sails out into the open ocean.

Music streams from the speakers and a crew brings out platters of food as the ladies strip out of their sundresses and lounge in their bathing suits. Or rather, Rowan and Kendall do, making the most of the sun at the front of the ship.

Riley’s gone into hiding, and I’m not too ashamed to go in search of her. When I find her and Taylor’s brother shoulder-to-shoulder leaning against the railing toward the back of the yacht, my chest tightens.

Jackson would have told me if she’d moved on, wouldn’t he? Although we made it clear up front that talking about her was off limits. Well, he did. I made Sebastian a no talk zone. Was this why he said he wouldn’t talk about her? To protect me from learning how quickly she moved on?

It’s not like we were together for very long, but the feelings happened hard and fast between us.

I stay out of sight and watch them like a perv. Only, there isn’t much to watch. They’re deep in conversation. Occasionally, Riley laughs. Too often Charles brushes back her hair. But just as often Riley shifts away. It’s almost unnoticeable, but the slight movement gives me hope.

When I would touch her hair, she leaned into me, not away. It’s not a lot to hang on to, but I’m desperate. Desperate for any string of hope Riley and I can work through this. I’ve never wanted to work through anything this badly. Hell, not even my relationship with my brother.

I don’t know how long I hide in the shadows and gawk, but when Charles takes her hand and leads her away, there’s no way in fuck I’ll let them disappear into a private nook. Not when I’ve discovered a dozen or so I’d love to hide away in with Riley.

Music and laughter come from the front of the ship. Everyone is dancing, laughing, and having a wonderful time while I’m sulking like a stalker. A slow song comes on and Kendall and Rowan wave them off and return to sunbathing while Taylor and Jackson lock in each other’s arms. Charles takes Riley and pulls her into his. The fucking hell that’s going to happen.

I cross the deck in four long strides and pick Riley’s hand off the asshole’s shoulder. “Mind if I cut in?” I ask, not waiting for a reply.

“Only if the lady approves.”

“She does,” I growl, wrapping my hand around hers and not-so-gently tugging her into my chest.

“That was rude,” Riley huffs as I lead us to the other side of the deck.

“So is ignoring me for thirty-four days.”

“So is calling me a lying slut.”

I close my eyes and move closer, resting my chin on top of her head. “Hell, Riley. I’ve been trying to apologize for weeks. You blocked my number.”

“I wouldn’t want to give you the wrong impression.”

“Wrong impression?”

“That I care.” She tries to pull away, but I hold her closer, trapping her hands between our bodies.

We’re no longer dancing, but her struggles to get away make it look like we’re swaying to the music, albeit badly. Not that she’s struggling too hard. If she wanted to break free, I’d release her. My hold on her isn’t too tight, just tight enough.

“Can we start over?”

“No.”

“I deserve this, I truly do. Please let me make it up to you.”

“Walker. There’s no making up to do. You made it perfectly clear you have no desire to have children or be in a relationship. Added on top of the fact that you’ll never trust me again, I see nowhere for our relationship to go. I can’t go through having my heart ripped to shreds again when I’m finally starting to pick up the broken pieces.”

“Let me help.”

“You can help by staying away.” She pushes at my chest again. This time I wrap my arms around her back, pressing her face against my chest.

“There’s not a chance in Hell I can stay away from you. You’re all I think about. All I dream about. The happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life was when we were together. I admit, I got scared and lashed out and said things I didn’t mean. I wish I could take them back, but I can’t. All I can do is prove to you I’m not that guy. The asshole who says hateful things to the woman he...cares about.”

She’s silent for a long time. Long enough for the song to change, twice. Now we really are swaying to the music. When the song changes again, I hear her sniff and I’m pretty sure she just wiped her nose on the front of my shirt. I’m not even mad about it. Instead, it makes me smile.

Riley isn’t pulling away like she did with the fucker who’s been shooting daggers my way since I stole her from his arms. It isn’t until he sits down next to Rowan that I truly relax and get swallowed up in Riley’s scent.

This time when she wiggles under my arms, I release her. She swipes the back of her hand under her eye and takes a step back.

“I’ll try to forgive you for being so cruel, but we can’t go back to the way we were before. At best, we can be civil around each other for Jackson’s sake. If you can’t do that and respect my boundaries, then I refuse to be in your presence ever again.”

I nod in agreement. Damn straight we’re not going back to the way we were before. This time, I’m all in.