Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

C aspian

The guys and Ry chat as we drive down the dark road, but as hard as I try, I just can’t get into the festive mood. All that keeps playing through my mind is hunting down Ry, looking in every corner, the girl’s bathroom, and then eventually finding her in the shadowy staff hallway with that guy. I can still hear her telling him no, and when he hit her, I’ve never been more sure that I was going to jail. It’s a good thing I don’t carry a gun.

I’m stupidly sitting in the front seat but can see Ry out of the corner of my eye. The laughing and flirting with Quinn and Finn is making me postal. It isn’t so much that they want to fuck her. I know that they both do. It’s the fact that I feel like I can’t or shouldn’t, holding myself to a different standard as her brother’s best friend. They don’t seem to care which grates me the wrong way. In my heart, Ry is mine. She’s always been mine.

“I can’t get my hoodie off. Can you two move over some,” Finn asks, and my head snaps around as Ry squeals. I watch as Quinn pulls her from the middle onto his lap, and my cock hardens. Knowing exactly how lush and sweet that ass is and how much I want her to sit on me makes my jeans uncomfortable, but I manage not to give myself away and force myself to look away and out the windshield. For all the good it does.

“Fuck you have a nice ass.” My hand clenches into a fist.

“Alright, you can move back. I’m good now.” Unable to help myself, I glance back at Finn, but the spot beside him remains open.

“Naw, you’re good right here,” Quinn says, and I’m not sure if he is purposely trying to get under my skin, but regardless, it’s working. Before I can say anything, Koa speaks up.

“Fuck, get your seatbelts on. I don’t need to have anyone dying on my watch if I slide off the fucking road.” As if to emphasize his point, the wind shakes the van as the once pretty snowflakes swirl around in dangerous whiteout conditions.

Shockingly, no one argues, and I catch sight of Ry slipping off Quinn’s lap and putting her seatbelt on. Thank you, Koa.

“How far til we reach town?”

“Too far. I’ve been doing like thirty miles an hour, and the roads are getting worse the further we go.” Gripping the steering wheel tighter as the van’s back end slides a little, Koa’s knuckles are almost as white as the snow outside.

“Why don’t we stop for the night? I know we wanted to get to Grand Rapids, but we won’t be good to anyone dead. If the conditions get worse, then we may get stuck on the side of the road and freeze to death. There’s a motel about ten miles up the road.” Ry leans forward and hands me her phone with the glowing map.

“She’s right. It’s not far, and there’s no point pushing it. This isn’t supposed to clear until tomorrow sometime,” I say, handing Ry’s phone back. “And there’s a drive-thru burger place right before it.”

“Fine by me, the sooner we get out of this shit, the better,” Koa mumbles. Driving in the snow doesn’t bother me, but this is Koa’s van. It doesn’t take long to see the glowing sign of the burger place, and we turn in and pull up to the box. We all order two meals plus random extras, and I cringe as Finn yells that he wants the toy. Children, I swear they are easier than this lot.

“I’ll run in,” I say as we pull into the parking lot of the place that reminds me of the Bate’s Motel. The glowing red sign is half out, and the other part is flashing, so instead of reading Ruby Rosewood Motel, the strobe show loudly announces the Rub Wood Motel. Jesus fuck, now even random signs are conspiring against me.

“I’ll come with you.” Ry jumps out over Quinn before I can argue. I’m all too aware of her standing close to me as the snow swirls around us. She has her arms wrapped around her body, and I’m practically itching to pull her into my side.

The door jingles as it opens, and we step into the motel, which is not much warmer than standing in the blizzard. But it is surprisingly neat and smells clean.

“Hi there.” A man says as he walks out of the office, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I’m really sorry, but we’re all sold out. The storm and all.”

“You have nothing? We can’t go any further,” Ry says sweetly and gives the elderly man a pout.

“Well, I have a small cabin out back, but it doesn’t have any heat.”

“Does it have a wood-burning stove or anything?” I step up to the counter, and he nods.

“Yeah, it sure does, and a generator to run the water and lights. But we don’t have much fuel, and it still gets chilly in there.”

“We’ll take it. How much?”

“Honestly, I can’t charge you for it. I wouldn’t feel right. If you can get back there, it’s yours.”

“Thank you, we’ll take it.”

“Alright then. Name’s Peter, and my wife is Ruby if you need anything. There is wood stacked up outside, and we have a vending machine with drinks and snacks. I’ll give you a couple flashlights, too,” he says, reaching under the counter and grabbing a set of keys and two flashlights that look more like lanterns. Handing the keys over to Ry, he smiles. “Are you two newlyweds?”

My mouth falls open, mind blank, but Ry comes to the rescue. “No, we’re in a band. The rest of us are still out in the van. Just passing through.”

“Oh…well…the cabin will be a tight fit for any more than four. There are two small beds, but that’s it.”

“It’s okay, we’ll make it work. Anything is better than sleeping in the van. Thank you Peter.” I follow Ry out and try to picture sleeping beside her all night. My cock stirs, and I quickly push the image aside.

It doesn’t take long for us to walk around and spot the cabin sitting at the back of the property. It’s not that far, but the snow is already getting deep and soaking our clothes.

“You guys get the stove going. I’ll take care of the genny,” Quinn says. I don’t doubt that Quinn can get it going as he walks away. He’s been working on engines longer than he’s been playing the guitar.

Peter isn’t kidding around when he says this spot is small. It’s a single room with two twin beds, a table that seats four, the very basics for a corner kitchen, and a bathroom that only fits one person.

“You okay?” I look down at Ry, who is bouncing on the balls of her feet, her teeth chattering so loudly that I can hear them.

“Yeah, totally fine.”

She’s lying. For as long as I’ve known her, she’s gotten cold easily. Unzipping my jacket, I prepare myself for a fight as I pull her into me and wrap it around us both. Instead, she hugs my waist, and if I could freeze time, I would stand like this with her forever. No one watching, no second guessing, no guilt, or anything else getting in the way.

“Thank you.” The words are softly spoken, but I hear them and hold her tighter. Suddenly, the single overhead light flickers and turns on. The door opens a second later, letting in a gust of cold air.

“Fuck, it’s getting a lot worse out there.” Quinn stomps his feet, knocking snow off. “And there is only enough fuel out there for a few hours if we let it run steady. So, take quick showers and bathroom breaks. Then I’ll turn it back off.”

“Is there hot water?” Ry asks, her voice muffled against my chest.

“Not sure, but I think so. It looks like water comes from the motel, and the genny runs a pump.”

“The microwave works,” Finn says, stuffing his bag of fast food inside and closing the door.

Ry pulls back, and another little part of my resolve slips. With every touch, she peels back a little more, and I know that no matter how hard I fight it, I’m going to fall. I watch her tiptoe across the floor into the bathroom and then smirk as she cheers and sticks her head out with a big smile on her face.

“Yup, there is hot water. I’ll be five minutes.” Picking up her ridiculously small bag, I walk over and hand it to her. “Thanks.” Her fingers touch mine, and suddenly I want to push her into the standup shower and fuck her against the wall.

“You’re welcome.” She closes the door, and I turn around to see Quinn, Finn, and Koa all looking at me. “What the hell are you looking at?”

“Nothing.” They chime in unison. Fuckers.

“Fine, I’m showering next.”

Those dicks are thinking the same thing. I’m done for. No matter how much I try to deny it or say no, I’m going to cave. They know it. I know it, and my cock definitely knows it.

Fuck. Why did I say yes?