Page 4 of Keep Me

I’ve never liked the title, but hearing it laced with his rough, gravelly tone has me rethinking my stance. I like it coming from him. I like it a lot.

“Ryker the biker?” I respond, looking at him over my shoulder with a small smile.

His brows narrow, nearly touching in the middle. “Absolutely not.”

I giggle, unable to contain it. “Too bad.” I smirk, then head back into the club, leaving Ryker on the curb, likely with a scowl on his lips. I’d bet my entire savings on it.

I find Jasmine with ease and we agree to leave. Our car ride is quiet as we’re both exhausted from the night. I can tell Jasmine’s upset about something, but I won’t push her to talk about it. Just like I know she’s not pushing me to talk about what happened with Ryker.

Because truthfully, I don’t even know what happened myself. Ryker’s a lot grumpier than I imagined. I itch to find out why, but what’s the point?

My upbeat attitude would annoy him, so it’s best I just let go of my stupid crush. Even if it got worse tonight after looking up at him so close, feeling his muscles twitch under my palm and the way he held me in his arms.

Ugh, I need to stop. This is my last year of university, and I need to spend it investing in myself, not in feelings.

Besides, if my parents were to find me somehow, I’d be forced to move back home and live out the life they have planned for me. Finding some way to use my love for the people of my country to lure me back in.

Chapter Two

Ryker

“

R

y guy, don’t do this to me,” Theo whines through the phone.

Fucking Theo and his stupid nicknames.

I honestly don’t know how we’re such good friends. We met in kindergarten and we’ve been best friends ever since, despite being complete opposites. Theo’s all sunshine and jokes, while I’m just not.

Don’t get me wrong, my life is great. I just don’t radiate sunshine like this fucking guy does.

Unless you account for my dad walking out on us when I was twelve and never looking back. That may be my issue. I have no idea where he is. Hell, I might even have siblings now. But I don’t care either way.

He left and he’s been dead to me since.

What kind of man walks out on his family? Because he was bored? I remember my parents fighting when I was little and that was always his argument. My mother had no time for him. My mother worked too much. My mother wasn’t fun anymore. My mother loved me more than him.

Fuck him.

Fuck him for making my mother feel like less than she is. Fuck him for leaving us because we weren’t enough for him. Fuck him for ruining any desire I had to ever fall in love.

If my own blood could up and leave me, who’s to say someone else won’t? I’ve been left high and dry once. I’m not going through that shit again.

“Ry guy?” Theo drawls, reminding me he’s waiting for a response.

“I’m not going out tonight. Halloween is for children,” I mutter, erasing a line on my iPad from a sketch I’m working for a client that I’m tattooing on Tuesday.

“We’re all kids at heart really, aren’t we?” Theo chuckles to himself.

“Theo,” I groan, wanting to end this painful conversation. “You have lots of friends. Ask someone else.”

“But I want to ask my closest friend. C’mon, Ryker, come out with me for once.”

“I don’t have a costume,” I retort, shading in the scales on the koi fish that’s wrapped around a flower.

“Wear your baseball uniform from the team for all I care, just come,” he pleads. “Aurora will be there, and Cameron. Your new siblings-to-be.”

---